Talk about dreams coming true. I’ve always wanted to go to a comic convention – since it really is a great place to bring out the fangirl inside all of us – and when I heard about C2E2 this year, I knew I had to go. Honestly, it was hands down one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. There’s just something so inherently awesome and nerdy about meeting other people who share the same interests as you and who get just as excited as you do when discussing things like Doctor Who and meeting Sean Astin (yes, that actually happened).
Day 1
The first things I saw when I walked onto the show floor were the props from the Captain America movie. These were on display for people to see before being auctioned off the next day (someone actually paid $3000 for the cosmic cube!). There’s just something incredibly surreal about knowing that the costume you’re looking at was worn by Chris Evans. My favorite props, though, were the shields (there were three in total, which were used at different times throughout the movie). I also may or may not have stroked one of them while in my state of awe.
After lurking around the Captain America display for some time, I got to meet and speak with Herbert Jefferson Jr., who played Lt. Boomer in the original Battlestar Galactica series. He was incredibly nice, and we discussed remakes of old sci-fi television series for a while. He also had some advice for TV watchers, saying “Enjoy yourself. Dream big.”
I then proceeded to walk around the show floor for a bit, which was a huge area with tons of booths set up with action figures, shirts, posters and other nerdy paraphernalia for sale. It was really cool to see just how many different comics and talented artists are out there (although I do wish I’d known about more of them before going to C2E2, because I feel like that would have really enhanced the entire experience). While walking up and down the aisles I got to meet the four guys behind the webcomic Cyanide and Happiness and have my picture taken with a Dalek at the official Doctor Who booth. I have to admit, as much as I hate the Daleks and would like them to be exterminated from the universe once and for all, it was definitely exciting to come face-to-face with the Doctor’s archenemy.
The highlight of my day, though, was when I got to meet Sean Astin. I started telling him how I was a huge fan of his and how I absolutely loved the scene where Sam gives one of the most moving speeches to Frodo in The Two Towers, which he then proceeded to recite. Needless to say, I almost cried (don’t worry, I didn’t, but I was close).
Day 2
There are few things that I am willing to leave my bed for, especially on the weekends. The promise of seeing John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who and Torchwood, is one of those few things. I couldn’t stop laughing during his panel; the man is just so ridiculously charming, what with his jokes about threesomes and flirty, yet playful, banter with the fans. When the Q&A session was over he actually stood up on his chair and started singing for the audience.
After recovering from the hilarity of John Barrowman, I went to the Nikita panel and got to meet and talk with the attractive Shane West, who plays Michael on the show, and creator and executive producer Craig Silverstein. It was really great to see that both were so in tune with what the fans think of the show and what they want. I particularly loved when Shane West used the word “shippers” when talking about the romance between Nikita and Michael. Craig Silverstein added, “I get yelled at if we don’t have enough kisses per show.” Although the CW has not officially renewed Nikita for a third season, it seems fans don’t need to worry as Craig Silverstein reassuringly said that the outlook was good.
After Nikita, I went to The Walking Dead panel, where I saw Steven Yeun, who plays Glenn, and Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie Greene (their characters are also love interests on the show). The chemistry between the two was great (when a fan asked if Glenn and Maggie were ever going to get married, Lauren Cohan started batting her eyelashes at Steven Yeun). The entire panel was incredibly entertaining, but my favorite part was probably when Lauren said Steven was a better kisser (compared to Jensen Ackles) in response to a fan’s question.
Day 3
I met John Barrowman. I actually tried meeting him the day before, but the line was so ridiculously long that by the time I found the end of it, it had been closed. The line was much more reasonable today, and I got to meet some really great people. I think that’s what’s really great about comic conventions: you get to meet some of the most genuine people who love a lot of the same things as you (I even ran into a fellow Wildcat while standing in line). Needless to say, when I finally got to meet John Barrowman, my fangirl heart burst into a thousand tiny pieces. I can definitely say that he is just as charming one-on-one as he is when entertaining an entire auditorium filled with fans.
So that was my first comic convention experience. It was honestly one of the nerdiest, fangirliest weekends of my life, and I loved every moment of it. I got to meet some really cool people who love a lot of the same things as I do, and I will definitely be returning next year.