C2E2 is Chicago's annual comic and entertainment expo, and it's one of the best places to go if you're a huge nerd. Even if you're not quite sure if you fit into that demographic, it's a fun weekend filled with geeking out over people's costumes, agonizing over whether or not to buy especially nerdy merchandise and getting up the nerve to talk to some of your favorite TV characters. Here are some of the highlights from this year's C2E2.
Speed Dating
Sci-fi speed dating is pretty much what it sounds like, except a lot (read: most) of the guys I talked to didn’t focus much on science-fiction – or anything else for that matter. I almost felt like I was interviewing someone for a job position, constantly asking questions to keep the conversation afloat. Hey, I get it: speed dating makes for an awkward situation, but you put yourself in that situation. But the least participants could do was put in a little effort. And I know some of these guys were interested, because I saw several them writing down my badge number (we weren’t supposed to give out any personal information during the process). Too bad I left before the whole thing was over, or I could’ve gotten the number of one guy who seemed promising – Number 34, if you’re reading this, you easily beat out all the competition.
Cosplay
Cosplayers pretty much make any convention. I didn’t cosplay as anything (unless cosplaying as a broke college student counts), but I did spend a lot of the weekend running up to people and asking to take pictures with them. It’s funny to think that that’s normal behavior during a convention, rather than being downright creepy. There were lots of impressive costumes – many of which were handmade – that weekend, but the best one by far was probably whoever was dressed as Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I’m assuming the disguised figure was on stilts, because s/he was double everyone else’s heights.
Hollywood
While at C2E2, I got a chance to talk with Vlad Yudin, a Russian filmmaker whose graphic novel Head Smash is currently being adapted for the big screen under the production of Twilight producers Mark Morgan and Michael Becker. The Twilight saga isn’t exactly revered by the general college population, but having the producers of such a financially successful franchise producing a film can only help its public visibility. Vlad was a lot of fun to talk to, and his graphic novel/film combo sound like they’re going to be a lot of fun. Described as a pre-apocalyptic story, Vlad said he feels it appeals to the college demographic, as there’s “a lot of kickass action” while also being gritty and colorful. Listening to him talk so animatedly about his project definitely piqued my interest; I’m looking forward to seeing it on the big screen when it’s released next year.
Television
I got to meet several of my favorite television characters this weekend but meeting Natalie Dormer (currently Margaery Tyrell on Game of Thrones and recently cast as Irene Adler on Elementary) was definitely the highlight. Yes, she is just as beautiful in real life as she is on your TV set, and she was so lovely to talk to. If I sound like I’m a bit in love with her, it's because it's hard not to be (never thought I’d ever identify with Joffrey, yet here I am).
Q&A
This is a bit of a repeat from the above category, but the best panel by far – and probably one of the most popular at C2E2 – was the Game of Thrones panel with James Cosmo (Lord Commander Jeor Mormont of the Night’s Watch) and Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell of Highgarden). I especially loved when Dormer responded to a fan's question by saying that “There’s not enough fleshed out three-dimensional female characters in entertainment,” which is, unfortunately, very true. It really made me admire her more, though, because you know she’s doing her best in balancing Margaery’s cunning and sweetness.
