Comicpalooza. Nope, I Still Can’t Believe It!

So yesterday was awesome. As you can tell from the title, I went to a convention. It was the first time I’ve been to a con since college and the first time I went to a con as huge as Comicpalooza.

Cons are one of the few places where I can say it’s safe to talk to strangers. I wasn’t sure what line I was supposed to be in going in. The first thing I went to was the weapons check since I was cosplaying Buffy, stake and all. The people at the weapons check told me which line to go into. As I was in line for those who pre-registered, I talked to a guy who cosplayed as Indiana Jones. He was a con veteran and he gave me some advice about how to go about cons as huge as Comicpalooza.

After getting my pass (a red bracelet since I only paid for a one-day ticket), I went straight to the autograph area to get in line for one particular Buffy actor: James Marsters, the man who played Spike. I found one other Buffy cosplayer. Most of the people in Comicpalooza dressed as something Doctor Who related, Firefly, Doctor Horrible, Marvel…but not a single vampire to be found.

But who the heck wants a Spike cosplayer when I got to pretend to stake the real deal? I told him that I was going to the Buffy panel and he told me (and later everyone else at the Buffy panel) to ask him the most embarrassing question we can think of. There is a word for a man like that, but that word might make this blog NSFW! Just take my word for it, James Marsters is seriously self-assured.

After getting my picture taken with James Marsters, I convinced my friend to get a photo with one of his favorite actors. A good handful of actors from Power Rangers were there and my friend had my eye on one particular actor. Since I was Buffy, I basically told him “Seize the Day!” My friend did so and was forever grateful for my encouragement.

My friend and I headed straight to the Buffy Panel, taking some pictures along the way. It was so awesome seeing Xander, Glory, Clem, Adam, and Spike! I was bouncing and screaming and I was pretty sure I was embarrassing myself, but hey, I’m at a con! Where else can I get away with it?

I had two questions for the cast. I asked Nicholas Brendon if he knew about the schwarma line in Avengers and how that line was inspired by something he said on the set of Buffy. Nicholas said that he did hear about it and that he hasn’t watched Avengers yet. But apparently Robert Downey Jr stole the credit for coming up with the line.

My second question was for James Marsters. I asked him something along the lines of “So did you have to work to get into the character of Spike or did it just come naturally?” His answer was something along the lines of “A bit of both and it’s kind of embarrassing to think about it.” That’s right. I met the challenge he asked the entire audience! This bouncy, crazy, slightly autistic girl managed to embarrass her favorite celebrity in the best way possible!

After that, my friend and I debated on whether or not we should go to the Agents of SHIELD panel. The line was a mile long and we were getting hungry. I was basically set on just shopping in the Dealer’s Room for the rest of the day, so we went to get lunch. After lunch, my friend and I got drafted into playing Quidditch. I played the position of Beater. It was actually pretty fun even though I had no idea how to play.

I spent the rest of the con shopping in the Dealer’s Room and star-gazing at the celebrities in the autograph area. I got a gift for my brother and an art commission for myself. By the time I was ready to go home, I was lying down in a sitting area, exhausted in the best way possible.

So yeah. Conventions. Definitely one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences! I highly recommend going and going all out! Cosplay! Meet your favorite celebs and get some seriously awesome merchandise.

Also, check out the highlights…