Saturday, August 23, 2014

Connecticut ComiCONN



Qwill's Thoughts

Last Saturday (August 16th) Tracey (Trinitytwo) and I had the pleasure of spending the day at Connecticut ComiCONN in Bridgeport, CT with our teenage sons. We had fabulous time. This Con is not at huge as NYCC so is much more manageable for a 1 day visit although you might want to spend all three days and immerse yourself. Tracey and I highly recommend this Con. Like most comic cons there is plenty of fabulous cosplay! My only con complaint? The inner aisles on the dealer floor were too narrow. Traffic did not flow and it was a bit claustrophobic. Enough words, here are pictures.

One of the fun things for me was seeing my son transformed into a creature of horror. Huge thanks to Decimated Designs. They also attached some homemade claws to his latex gloves, transformed the gloves to match his face and splattered blood on his white hoodie (purchased for that!). The folks at Decimated were fabulous! Tracey has a photo below of the full makeup.


Other highlights for me: I GOT TO STAND IN A TARDIS! Actually 2 - the 10th Doctor's and the War Doctor's. I was a very, very happy Whovian. The son and I are planning to build our own TARDIS just because.


I also met Maximiliano Hernández, the actor who plays Agent Stitwell in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. (SPOILERS - Agent Sitwell was killed in the Captain America movie.) I asked him if he'd gone to Tahiti (those who watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will get the reference). He wouldn't tell me... of course. He was really nice and wonderful with fans.


One of the fun things we did was have the son scanned by Forge Studio for a 3D model of him in his cosplay outfit. We'll be receiving a 6" tall model of him in about 3 weeks. This was his first cosplay and we want to commemorate it! I'll certainly let you know how the model turns out.   Here's a photo that Tracey took of my son's scan:


I also picked up a bit of art. In addition to the Amazon Princess that Tracey mentions, I purchased a beautiful drawing of Groot holding an orchid by Nikkol Jelenic and the ComicConn limited edition print of  Rocket Racoon and Groot by Mark McKenna. (Yes, I was in a GotG kind of mood. We are Groot.)


So what about cosplay? Yes, there was cosplay. A lot of it!



Click on the individual photos to embiggen. 
Also see Tracey's huge collection of cosplay photos below.


Trinitytwo’s Point of View

What a great day Sally and I had exploring this local Con at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT. Upon arrival, I found Sally at an FX makeup booth where her son was enjoying a monster makeover. Wow, was it worth it! Decimated Designs (decimateddesigns.com) did a full face and totally changed the boy.


While he was getting his makeup on, Sally and I wandered around the outer rim of the venue. I was excited to see so many talented artists and cool vendors to check out. I couldn’t resist buying an awesome Star Wars infinity scarf and a very cool Star Wars Tee Shirt. The Outer circle also boasted the 10th Doctor’s TARDIS, (which Sally couldn’t resist) Ghostbusters of CT, 501st Connecticut Garrison, and CT Jedi (part of Saber Wars). Since I was sporting a Darth Vader shirt, I embraced the “Dark Side” and happily spent some time talking to and taking photos with Darth Vader and one of his Imperial Officers. Later, Darth Maul and I took a “selfie” and Slave Leia totally photo bombed us. I really had a blast interacting with some of my favorite characters from the Star Wars universe!!


Once on the arena floor there was a ton to see; comics, collectibles, toys, artists, 3D technology, special guests and exhibits. It was a real treat for me to see the K.I.T.T. car in all its glory. My biggest thrill came from seeing R2D2 and being able to take photos with my favorite droid ever. R5D4 was also there and both droids were a big hit with kids of all ages. It really was great to see the excitement on the children’s faces as they posed with and were able to touch these fan favorites.


There were some pretty awesome special guests. William Katt from TV’s Greatest American Hero, Max Hernandez from the Marvel Universe, (See Sally’s post) the talented voices behind the Thundercats, Larry Kenney, Lynne Lipton, and Peter Newman, and the Comic Book Men among others. For me, because of my martial arts background (I am a 4th dan in Tang Soo Do) I really wanted to meet Ray Park who played Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace and I was glad I did. My son mentioned that he had checked out Mr. Park’s IMDb and knew that he was in Mortal Kombat; Annihilation and that a lot of people probably didn’t know that. Mr. Park said that was his very first movie. He was a stand in for Raiden but he really wanted to be a main fighter like Cyrax. Instead, he played one of the three Raptors and is also credited with Tarkatan (Baraka) #2. We purchased an autographed photo and took a few of our own photos with this gracious and very cool guest.


Right next to Ray Park was another special guest, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Criminal Minds, actor Nicholas Brendon. Mr. Brendon was larger than life and very charismatic. We spoke briefly about Criminal Minds and I asked him to please choose a photo from his table to autograph for me. He told me his favorite was the one where he was pictured with Alyson Hannigan. After the signing he gave me a great big hug, (which left me breathless) and posed for a couple of photos with me.


Let’s talk art. Many fabulous artists were in full force and Sally and I had a hard time deciding what to buy. It turns out we both have similar tastes because we each purchased a terrific limited edition show print “Con Exclusive Rocket/Groot” signed by Mark McKenna, a gorgeous print of the “Giant Superhero mural” signed by Russell Rainbolt and this fabulous “Amazon Princess” print from Herofied.


At the end of the day we compared “notes” and claimed the day a success. Although it is smaller than NYCC, I think that made for more relaxed interactions with special guests. We were impressed with the cosplay, and everyone I encountered was exceedingly polite. My only complaint was the food selection. Personally, I would rather pass on the burgers, hotdogs, and fries. I looked for healthier choices but if they were there I missed them. I ended up scoffing down a hot dog (the first one I’ve eaten in 3 years) and I have to admit it was pretty good. Sally and I each took our teenaged sons who “did their own thing” for part of the day and amazingly there was not one complaint. I think we were both pleasantly surprised as our sons thanked us repeatedly after the event. Score a big one for Connecticut ComiConn!

Now for your enjoyment: The incredible cosplay at Connecticut ComiConn!

Click on the individual photos to embiggen.


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