Tag Archives: Cons

Fan Expo cosplay

The Terrible Top Fan Expo was held in Toronto on August 23-26 this year, and size-wise was quite possibly bigger than ever. I’ve gone every year for about a decade now, but this con was different: I cosplayed for the first time! Nobody who knows me would be surprised that I decided to go as the Top, as I’m probably the Internet’s most diehard Top fan.

I cosplayed on Saturday, which is the convention’s major cosplaying day. And to my great surprise and delight, I met a Heat Wave cosplayer! While I’ve since learned that somebody else dressed as Captain Cold in a previous year, I’ve never personally seen a Rogue at Fan Expo, so it was really great to see one during my first time. And many people seemed quite excited to see Heat Wave (Brando Lars) and I together. We also met up with a couple of Flashes and participated in a photoshoot with other people dressed as DC characters. It was a lot of fun.

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Back to Comic-Con in 2012

LEGO DC Super-HeroesComic-Con was a lot more fun and a lot less overwhelming than usual this year.

Maybe it’s because we skipped the busiest day to go the San Diego Zoo. Maybe it’s because we picked our battles on what we tried to do. Maybe it’s because last year we crammed the whole experience into a single day, and having three days felt like a luxury in comparison. Or the fact that the logistics of getting to and from the con were so ridiculously complicated (more about that later) that they made the convention seem relaxing.

FlashWhatever the reason, the floor did seem a bit less crowded this year. Both of us remarked on the fact that we never felt trapped as we usually feel on the busiest days.

(Skip to the photos if that’s what you want.)

Thursday was the day I spent mostly on the floor, exploring. I hit the usual haunts: DC Comics, Sideshow Collectibles, Studio Foglio. DC was really plugging their upcoming fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us.

LOTR FigurinesSideshow seems to be displaying more figurines (and a wider variety) every year. Their Lord of the Rings figurines are absolutely incredible. Though I’m not sure what the target audience is for the life-sized Han Solo in Carbonite or Boba Fett. I can’t see putting one of those in my living room. They also had a very cheesecaky Poison Ivy statue. I overheard someone saying they couldn’t see themselves buying it because it would be like having that lamp in A Christmas Story. At another booth I discovered that you actually can buy that lamp.

Continue reading at K-Squared Ramblings…

Comic-Con 2012 Photos are Up!

Flash Photography

I’ve finished posting my photos from Comic-Con 2012 on Flickr! I kind of wish I hadn’t already used the “Flash photography” pun.

Also, I just want to add: I was originally annoyed at the hotel we ended up staying at, just because it made logistics a lot more complicated. (I wanted something convenient to both the convention and the zoo, and we got neither.) But the view made up for it:

San Diego at Night

Speeding to San Diego: Plans for Comic-Con

Death Star Cannon View at the San Diego Convention Center

It’s that time of year again! Comics and other pop culture fans of all stripes are descending on San Diego, California this week for Comic Con International.

Speed Force will be there: I’ll be on the floor myself three days out of four, and of course we’ll be monitoring the news coming from the con.

If you want a fan’s eye view of the con and can’t wait for the blog updates, keep an eye on…

  • Live updates at @SpeedForceOrg on Twitter. That’s where I’ll be posting live during the day.
  • Photos on Flickr, posted nightly if I have time, or by the end of the weekend. (Here are my galleries of photos from past conventions.)

Flash news will go up here on Speed Force as time permits, and my full convention write-up will go on K-Squared Ramblings as usual.

Amazingly, this will be the tenth San Diego Comic-Con I’ve reported on online. Check out my past convention coverage (write-ups, photos and more) if you’re interested in how the con (and my approach to it) has changed.

Support Your Local Comic Con

Returned tickets just went onsale for Comic-Con International, and have probably sold out by the time you read this. If you can’t make it to San Diego, check out a local or regional comic con.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo is coming up in September and Long Beach Comic Con in November. Or visit one of the smaller shows like the bimonthly Los Angeles Comic and Sci Fi Convention. Here are my write-ups & photos from last year’s LBCC 2011 and Comikaze 2011, both of which I’d recommend. I haven’t been to the smaller LA Comic/Sci-Fi Con in a few years.

Convention Scene has a huge list of fan conventions for comics, sci-fi, and all sorts of other interests. And don’t miss Speed Force’s own Tips for Comic-Con.