Waking up at my normal crazy time, I decided not to take the lap around the Convention Center.  I know it is blowing my tradition, but I was tired and just got my cup of coffee and went to inspect the line around 6:30 once again.  Nobody was there.  I started to get worried for a moment about the lack of people waiting outside the event, but then it came to mind that it is Memorial Day and most everyone would be running a little bit late, including me.

With DCC running over a holiday weekend this year, no one knew what to expect for what would happen today, but I was encouraged by the past couple of days that it would still be hopping.  When the doors opened, it was not the rush the Saturday or Sunday had brought, but it was still enough to take notice.  The Pop Culture Classroom lab was packed with kids before any other booth got busy.  This was great because the kids were full of energy and the staff seemed to be feeding off of it nicely.

Keeping an eye on Artist Valley, it was interesting to see where everyone was flocking to.  With just hours to go until the doors closed for the year, several artists got their big rushes as soon as the doors opened, since they had something special that their fans wanted to take part in.  As the hours moved on, the lines started to die down and everyone was back in the isles looking at everything that they could leave the event with.  With a couple more purchases being made by the Three-Day troopers, many of the fans that just got a one day pass were blown away by what they saw.

Not knowing where to go, there was an announcement over the intercom that the Animaniacs would be talking the stage in the Pop Culture Classroom lab and everyone should come.  Taking the stage, Jess Harnell, Rob Paulsen, Tress MacNeille and Maurice LaMarche were ready to entertain their fans of all ages.  Having the kids in the lab draw an original character, each of the group took one of the pictures and added a voice to it.  Trying to explain how their voice acting process has worked in the past, along with how they do it today, it was a great time had by all while there seemed to be more adults hovering around trying to get a little peak back into their youth.

Too quickly it came and the announcement came over the intercom that the doors would be closing in thirty minutes.  There was a mad dash for so many people to get that one last prize before they had to leave and all of the artists, authors and vendors were happy to accommodate.  With people being directed to where they wanted to get to, it was great to see everyone trying to help so that no one would feel left out on the experience.  When the lights finally did dim and the main floor finally closed, you could feel the Convention Center let out a sigh.  Another year had come and gone too quickly in many people’s eyes and a year seems like too long to wait for it to happen again. 

I am with the rest of you, saddened that it has ended.  As Denver Comic Con is the primary fund raiser for Pop Culture Classroom, I would say that success was achieved once again for the expanded curriculum that is taking place.  With over one hundred thousand people in attendance this year, it is easy to say that this is one of the premier cons in the nation, but when you look at the crowds here versus other cons, you get to see what it is all about.  The Kids.  Denver Comic Con is not only catered to the big kids that want to get away from their everyday lives for a weekend, but their kids, that have been able to bond over something other than a random sports team, but their love for comics, characters, artwork, or even their favorite role models.  It is easy to forget that this is the primary focus of this con, but when it comes back next year, I am sure you will get the same message once again.  Thank you Denver Comic Con and Pop Culture Classroom for putting on such as wonderful event and I for one cannot wait until next year, since each one seems to get better by leaps and bounds.

Sunday of the convention was a wondrously busy day. I oddly expected a bit of slow in the traffic, why? I’m not entirely sure, but if anything if felt busier. That day was filled with people, hugs, panels, more hugs, and of course celebrities. We had an amazing opportunity to sit down and have a podcast with Rob Paulsen, whom is a childhood hero and legend. Animaniacs was, and still is, one of my favorite shows. But, he’s also done many voices over the years of many beloved characters. Having the chance to sit and talk with a voice acting legend was pretty amazing. Even my parents would sit down and watch Pinky and the Brain with me. Which, in fairness, it wasn’t hard getting my dad to sit down and watch a cartoon with me. My mom, on the other hand, was a different story entirely. We do have the podcast up, if you all wanted to hear it. It was a true honor and one of my most cherished memories. It’s not every day you sit with a legendary voice actor. Paulsen is one of my inspirations for wanting to pursue that career….and, he’s a true gentleman.

He wasn’t the only celebrity we got to meet, but we had a lot of one-on-one time with him. Along the way, Mattie and I went around getting autographs from various people. All were kind, and wonderful, but the one that stands out the most was Hershel. Yes, Scott Wilson was just as kind as he looks. When we met him, both Mattie and I admitted to crying during that one fateful episode of The Walking Dead. He was so kind, and when he stood and offered hugs, I was blown away. It’s not every day actors offer you hugs, and well, I’m not a huggy person, I latched on and didn’t want to let go.  With things signed, hugs given, we set off to tackle the rest of the day. Around DCC, panels were being held; things were going on, photo-shoots happening, and so much. Sara was hosting another Nerd Night at DCC, and I cannot wait for them to resume. They’re so much fun, and I highly recommend you check them out.

Of course there was cosplay. For the third time in my life I got to cosplay with my little sister. The downside to being a Disney Fairy in a crowded con is, Big wings don’t translate well into walking through crowds. Still, we got a lot of pictures taken and above all, Jadyn had fun. I have to admit, bringing my sister to a con scares me. Maybe it’s because she’s not as open about her nerdiness as I am, but I loved seeing her dress up and have a blast. Sadly, she had to leave earlier that evening. But, she had a great experience and is already planning on going next year. I think I count that as a huge win. On the way to dinner, I just had to stop and be in awe of Denver. Down town literally exploded with Cosplayers. While it was busy, the experience was something else entirely. I’ve been to Dragon Con and seen cosplayers out and about Downtown Georgia, but to see it in my own neighborhood was something completely different. It felt right, and at home, and it was hard not to take pictures every few seconds….

The entire city of Denver was taken over by people showing up to support a non-profit convention that benefits children. The love and support that we nerds give is astounding on so many levels. It’s this convention that has brought the best out in all of us. One of our newest friends, Sterling, was selling custom made Captain America Shields, signed by Stan Lee himself. The profits for the shields go to Cap 4 Kids, which you can support still. It’s an amazing charity, a great cause, and seriously, the guy looks like Captain America…which makes total sense if he’s selling really awesome shields. The good causes were abundant this convention. I saw so many amazing costumes, so many kids, families, and the smiles everyone had.

Sunday at DCC was pretty fantastic, and the costume contest was beyond epic. I wish I could go back in time to just past a week ago and re-live this convention. Still, we had one more day to go, and Monday brought about a sense of sadness in a way. The last day of cons are always the hardest. The end draws near, and while we accept that, it’s still sad. It was Monday that we got to chill out a little more and finish up the season 4 filming of DCCTV. I’ve never been a cohost before, but it was really fun. With the final scenes being filmed, interviews done, celebrities met, and so much more accomplished, we finally got a chance to shop around. You all know just how much I adore the dealers room of any convention. I absolutely love the set up DCC has. Mostly because it’s all in one beautiful floor and we could literally walk from the merchant area to the artists in the same single row and so on. I love the Artist Valley at conventions too, and DCC didn’t pull any punches in their selection of artists and authors. It was hard not to buy everything in sight, and I think my wallet it glad I didn’t. Thankfully, a lot of artists had business cards left…eventually, though, Monday had to end…and the closing ceremonies were the most unique I have ever been to…

Continuing to stick with my normal DCC routine, I took my lap around the Convention Center at 5:30 in the morning once again.  Yes, this is a crazy thing to do, but when you have a Hawaiian shirt on, nobody asks questions.  Every morning presents its own challenges and I had to make sure that I was somewhat awake and on top of my game, or as on top of it as I can be with now sleep and coffee oozing through my veins.  Even though there is no one as crazy as I am, there were a few stragglers around the Convention Center this morning and when I popped back over around 6:30, the line was triple what it was on Saturday.

Since the weather was a little bit better than Saturday, I could understand it and talked to a couple people in the line.  They were all trying to get in and get their autographs from Karen Gillan and Manu Bennett who were slated to have an extremely short stay at the con.  Talking to a couple of them when I saw them later on in the day, they were extremely pleased with the star's personalities and how much time they were willing to take to talk to their fans, even with the long lines behind them.  It was the experience that they wanted and I was happy to hear that they got it without disappointment. Before the con floor opened, I had the pleasure of doing a little podcast with the artist of the Denver Comic Con badges, Jay Peteranetz.  Even though it was early, Jay was still fired up and ready to take on the world and it was great to hear the passion he has for what he does.  Being so energetic, not just from the coffee, I can see how he is able to do what he does when working with kids and adults alike.  Being a part of the Pop Culture Classroom team as well, Jay has so much he can teach and is more than willing to bend your ear if you let him. 

Heading back up to the floor, I could feel the energy very quickly and then trying to make it back to Artist Valley to talk with Todd Jones about his new book, I could see that the floor was already full.  I was beside myself when watching the people moving down the artist’s rows at ten in the morning, since it was nothing like that on Saturday.  After talking with Todd about Wicked Awesome Tales Volume 4, I got grilled on Marvel trivia that I had no answer for.  I might have to lose my geek card after that, it was kind of sad.  I saw more of what I was expecting, more kids running around and having a great time.  Seeing their eyes get bigger when looking at the art was something that I didn’t recognize the previous day, but it was sure happening today.

Asking for advances on their allowances, or promising to do extra chores, I witnessed many kids leaving the booths with huge smiles on their faces when they got something that they could not live without.  Once again, I ran into another friend from work, but when I found her sitting in the back, she had no idea what to do on the floor.  I gave Saundra a couple ideas of what to look at in her free time, but had to give the warning about the Doctor Who panels filling up faster than anything at this con, so gave her a heads up about that.

I gave Celebrity Summit a walk through for a couple minutes and watched as people were leaving with autographed pictures from their favorite stars and heard lots of laughter from the booths as everyone was just having a great time.  Even with the long lines, you could see that getting the autographs might have been the key thing on their minds, but there was a lot of conversations going on about what they liked about the stars and why they were at the con in the first place.  A ton of new relationships were being built and that is something that Denver Comic Con seems to succeed in doing.  There are so many things that can make people click and being surrounded by people that like the same things that you do makes it very easy to bond over something that you might not otherwise want your co-workers or friends to know.

When walking by the Pop Culture Classroom area, I listened for a couple minutes as voice actor Brian Cummings was reading to the kids.  This was a voice that I grew up with on many shows like The Wuzzles, The Berenstain Bears and The Snorks, but when he brought out his Doofus Drake from DuckTales, I could not help but to applaud. One of my favorite shows growing up and I am not ashamed to say it, l loved my cartoons on Saturday mornings.  The kids seemed to be enthralled by his presence on the stage and they all really enjoyed the motion capture story Brian told about a video game he voiced, since he had to wear lipstick so the cameras could catch the proper movement, even though it was covered by his beard.

What can I say about Sunday?  It was great!  There were so many people just running around the floor it was hard to get anywhere.  And watching as the families were going from booth to booth, it was just crazy busy all day and the con floor appeared to be at capacity.  I also got to talk with Rob Paulson for a second, but I am sure someone else will go crazy with stories of him.  With one more day to go in the con, it seemed to really liven up and everyone was just having a great time making sure they got to see everything the con had to offer.

Even though the clouds did not waver on Saturday morning, I still stuck with my regular con routine, walking around the Colorado Convention Center at 5:30 in the morning.  It has something to do with me needing to get my legs ready for the day ahead and since I work a desk job, it does help to get them stretched out before being on my feet all day.  I was kind of disappointed not to see anyone at this time, but hey, the weather was kind of cruddy, so I understand.  Getting back to the hotel and getting my first cup of coffee and heading back over around 6:30, I saw what I was accustomed to, a line of about thirty people.

These are the people I have expected to see and as I got more coffee, back at the hotel, and kept watching, the line was in full effect around eight, and I knew that this was the place to be this weekend.  Hitting the main floor for about an hour and trying to get my bearings of where everyone was, I admired the layout of the floor and how it differed from the year before.  With a huge section laid out in the very center for the Pop Culture Classroom events, I remembered exactly what this event was for, the kids. By the time I got all of my good mornings out of the way, the doors were open and Denver Comic Con 2015 was in full swing. 

Hanging back in Artist Valley, I noticed that some people truly had their agendas intact and were making a B-line back to who they wanted to get things signed from first.  This is very important, since there are so many artists on the top of their games right now and have a fan base bigger than their line capacity.  It took a little bit of time, but at noon, the con floor was packed from end to end with people looking for that treasure to take home from the event.  And yes, the kids were showing up in droves as I started walking towards the Pop Culture Classroom area. I was eaves dropping a little bit to hear the directions that some of the teachers were giving on how to draw the perfect animal, trying to pick up some hints so maybe at one point I could draw something other than a stick figure.

As the day moved on, the crowd started to filter back to more of the artists and their booths got busier. It is fun to watch as people go window shopping at a con since there are so many great artists on display with wonderful works that may have not been seen for several years.  For me, I tend to stick with my staples, but this year I moved out a little bit and was looking for something that I have not purchased yet as there are too many things to pass up on.  It was great watching the kids looking at the art work from the older artists and listening to their parents talk about why it was great during their youth. 

Although some kids do not want to listen to things that their parents tell them, Denver Comic Con has provided more of a bonding experience for the families and with the diversity of guests that show up on the roster, it is hard to not find something that both generations can like at the same time. Finding my buddy Paul from work in the crowd was also great.  Taking his cousin to the event for their first time, it was fun to see the looks on their faces and although I was not able to direct them to any place specifically, I do believe they found a treasure or two to take home and hope they had a great time since I had been talking the event up at work for the past couple of months. 

I was impressed that the weather did not keep anyone from coming in on Saturday, since it has been a monsoon season in Denver for the past month.  It is awesome that a little bit of rain will not slow down the fans drive to come to this event, much less make them at all depressed that they might have to walk through it to make it home.  This was a great day for everyone since the doors finally opened and everyone got to see, talk to and take pictures of or with their heroes.  With a plethora of cosplayers walking the halls as well, it was great to see the smiles on everyone’s faces that have been dormant for the past couple of weeks. 

Pants, check, deodorant, check, Hawaiian Shirts, CHECK.  With my bare essentials ready for DCC this year, I got a call saying that the girls were already down at the hotel and ready to rock.  Proud of myself for not forgetting anything, I arrived to find that we were all ready to go.  Now, this year at Denver Comic Con, it was a little bit different since it was happing over a holiday weekend. With all of the guests getting loaded in before the doors officially opened on Saturday, the opening ceremonies were on Friday night and looking back, it could not have been better.

With the line forming pretty early to get in and a couple graduations happing in the Bellco Theatre, there were several former high school students that did not know what they were in for.  While people are dressed in costumes of their favorite characters, some of the newly crowned adults tried to walk by and pretend not to notice, but that quickly changed when they saw someone that they loved as well.  With several Batmen, Black Widows and other various characters I will never remember, these young adults had seen something that I am sure that they will never forget. 

But there was one thing that I noticed about the line that left me wondering what was going to happen this weekend, there were very few children there with us.  Looking like it was strictly the older folks, I was worried that the kids might not make it out to the even this year.  (This will be followed up on the later weekend day recaps, but there were so many kids having a great time.)  But since this is event that is driven towards our youth, it would be a shame is none of them actually came to the show. As the show rocked on, I was able to run into a couple more familiar faces and we all touched base on what to expect from the weekend and how everything should be running.

It was a fine reminder of how much of a family we really are when the events start up and how we are all in it together.  With the casual conversations on the con floor, it was time to retreat back up to the room to try and get rested for the doors opening in just a few short hours.  With the con starting a day late in my mind, I will admit I was a bit off of my game, but you know what, it was time to have some fun.  With my Hawaiian shirts in the bag, how could I not have any fun.  Until tomorrow, when the sun will come out again.

Let’s let the week of DCC recaps continue! Why? Because I am utterly heartbroken that it’s over. Seriously, I can’t believe DCC has come and gone. It’s like one minute it was Friday evening, and the next, BOOM! It’s Monday night and I’m at work. Oddly, it’s Thursday morning and I am at work. But this time last week I was really excited for DCC, and my little sister was graduating and turning 18! It’s been a crazy few weeks. Well, Saturday of DCC was just as crazy. Opening ceremonies had happened, and parties the night before kicked off the start of Denver Comic Con 2015. Saturday was a big day as well. 

A part from some filming (because we do that guys. DCCTV is amazing and I am so lucky to be co-host to the amazing Mattie!), I got the chance to talk with two writers and later that day, and a really cool band. Now, I’ll give a secret. I’ve done one interview before…but, it was nothing like this. Being at the con and actually doing an interview was really shocking and fantastically amazing. I was so nervous, but the lovely authors I interviewed could not have been nicer. These are up on our site and of course our YouTube page, but really, wow. Lemme just geek out about that for a moment. The really strange part was they were happy to meet me! What even is this? How is this my life? Well it is my life.

There’s a fine balance between work and play, and while I love getting opportunities to meet truly amazing and talented people, the only thing I love more is dressing up and seeing the smiles on the faces of children. Denver Comic Con and Pop Culture Classroom are all about kids. It’s one of the reasons Mattie and I continue to work on our Anna and Elsa cosplays to make them as perfect as possible. I don’t know if anyone else has that awkward experience of literally gluing a wig to their head…but it’s weird! The amount of Spirit Gum it takes to get that wig seamlessly trapped to my head is, well, astonishing. But every second is worth it. The smiles, the laughs, and the amazing moments that happen when we’re in costume are worth it. At one point, a little girl took a picture with us and almost ran off with our stuffed Olaf. It’s admittedly one of my most cherished moments from DCC. A mom would later tell us that they’ve never been to Disney and that this was the highlight of their daughter's day. Kids of all ages were getting pictures with us! That is why I cosplay, personally. I think that’s why many of us cosplay. This was a family event this year as Jadyn, my little sister, donned the Merida dress Mattie made for her for her birthday. Her boyfriend, Skyler, dressed as an alternate version of Spiderman, and what a day!

Saturday at DCC had a lot of cosplayers and it was my personal mission to find every Supernatural Cosplayer out there as possible and snap their picture. Why? Because I probably have a bit of an obsession. And, also, I lied, that was my entire weekend. I originally set out to get a picture of myself with every Cas cosplayer I could find, but that proved a bit tricky. DCC was so wonderful and filled with so many people, and I didn’t always get the chance to snap pictures with people. But! I did snag a few pictures whenever I could. There’s something artistically fantastic about cosplay. I’ve said it many a time that it is its own art form and probably one of my favorite hobbies. The dedication that goes into a costume and the details that cosplayers pay close attention to are what makes cosplay so fun. I’ve seen a huge wave of support in the cosplay community. With anything there can be a negative side to it, but cosplay happens to be one family that offers support and praise! When I excitedly ran up to a genderbent Dean and Cas, I swear the Castiel was as happy as I was. After taking a picture she even thanked me for it. Which was so strange, because really, I took her picture because I felt her costume was really awesome! That is what cosplay is about. My Saturday was filled with so many cosplay experiences that I tried desperately to focus on the really amazing costumes I saw.

With each DCC, there seems to be a few photo opportunities with various set props. This year featured a DeLorean and the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones. No, seriously, guys, how awesome is that? While I’ve not had a chance to watch the show, I still had to take a turn on the Throne and get my picture taken. Okay, no really, we all did. Because, it’s the Iron Throne. I’m not sure where else you get the chance to do things like this, except at conventions. I know the show is hugely popular, and as the weekend progressed, the line for said Throne got longer and longer. That’s the fun of it. So if you ask me, the ‘first’ day of DCC 2015 was a huge success and the weekend continued to outdo itself…

It feels like the con ended just a few short hours ago, and in reality, that’s true. The ending of Denver Comic Con is always sad, and in a way, exciting. Sad because another year has come and gone and that wonderful time we had is over. Exciting because we get to look forward to another year of DCC planning. If you’re like me, you’ve already started to formulate what your plan for next year is. I’ve already picked a costume to work on over the next twelve months, and the concepts are being doodled as we speak. While the convention we love so much may be over, the ideal it stands for is ongoing. Pop Culture Classroom is still there and so is DCC. It’s a safety net that has me already chomping at the bit for 2016. Still, this year’s con is fresh in my mind, and wow does it feel like it flew by.

Denver Comic Con 2015 felt a bit different this year, and that’s because it was. Instead of the traditional Friday-Sunday line up, it was Saturday-Monday. On top of that, DCC did something so amazingly wonderful, I don’t know why other cons I’ve gone to haven’t done this before, they’ve mailed out their passes in advance for those who pre-purchased. This made it especially easy and wonderful for giving DCC passes out as birthday and graduation gifts. It definitely was graduation season, and my little sister, Jadyn, might have been a bit excited to get her DCC pass as a graduation gift (as well as a custom made Merida dress from Mattie). With passes mailed out it opened up some free time for everyone, and less hassle. Friday was not a lost day, in fact Denver Comic Con had their opening ceremonies that night to celebrate DCC's arrival. Friday evening, opening ceremonies brought together new friends and old for a fantastic start to the weekend. It offered something unique with a special guest speaking, the Mayor of Denver. To anyone who attended, there were gift bags provided by Geek Fuel, and they all had something really cool. If you’re a Plants VS. Zombies fan, you may have been trading and collecting pins. In the case of Mattie and I, you might have even fought over them…

For me, Friday was all about settling in, unpacking, and trying to figure out how to fit everything in to my weekend. There are times I truly wish Time Turners weren’t just a fictional thing made up in Harry Potter, because that thing would have been so useful this weekend. It’s hard to see everything at once, but that’s part of the fun. There is something for everyone at DCC, no matter the age, or interest; if there is one thing I love about any convention, it’s the people. Anyone who knows me knows I have a habit of making friends. Or more like collecting them. My favorite part of DCC is getting a chance to meet new people. It was a very busy weekend, and wow was it utterly fun. But it goes beyond everything I've talked about so far because while there’s something to be said about a city when a convention is in town, there’s even more to be said about a convention as amazing as Denver’s very own. The best part of DCC is that it is a nonprofit. Proceeds go to fund Pop Culture Classroom, which helps spread literacy to children via the nerd culture we have fallen madly in love with.

Of course, my other favorite part of any con, is their cosplay. Needless to say, we cosplayers don’t really need much of an excuse to cosplay…and Friday night saw many of us turning out in our costumes to represent our favorite characters. I think it’s the love, dedication, and utter talent that draws me to this form of art. It truly is just that. I have seen cosplay done in so many different ways on so many different levels and it never ceases to amaze me. It’s a huge part of the community we’re all a part of, and the love and support that we get and give to one another proves that we are a pretty amazing group. Nerds, geeks, whatever we want to call ourselves, we are pretty wonderful creatures. Friday’s cosplays were just a preview of what was to come. In fact, I feel that Friday in general was just that. None of us were willing to wait a second longer than we had to for this convention to start. And once it started, we didn’t want it to end….

Although I have had the privilege of attending Denver Comic Con the last few years, I have a couple of friends from work that will be attending for the first time ever.  I am excited to see and hear their take on the event since they have been talking about going for so long and this will be their first year attending.  So I have passed on a couple words of wisdom that I have learned from the past couple of years and just hope that it will make their experience even more mind blowing than they could have ever imagined, and well, I hope my advice to them can help anyone else that is getting their taste of the DCC Experience as well. 

The first thing that they must do is get to the convention center early, like when the sun starts to rise.  I know that this is a pain in the neck to do, but when you are one of the first people to walk into the doors, it no longer matters.  Besides, this is the best time to people watch your fellow con goers as everyone is there for the same thing, the enjoyment of the con.  I have waited in these lines for a couple of years and have always had a good time talking to my fellow fans, along with eyeballing some of the costumes that are roaming around.  I will admit that I was pleasantly happy watching two Dalek’s go after each other in line one year and then a band of Doctors attacking them when they were both moments away from victory.

The second thing is that they must have an idea of what they want to accomplish.  A couple of my friends are only going for one day and although it will be a great time, there is too much to see and do in that little bit of time.  So, if they want to get autographs from their favorite stars, or want to get their comics signed by their favorite artist or author, that needs to be the first thing to do.  Although all of the guests will be in the convention center for the entire day, most of them will be away from their tables for some time while being featured in panels, lunch, or photo ops.  I found this out first hand several times and although I was able to catch them the next day, that might not always be an option, especially if you are only there for one day.

When you have that one autograph, print, or whatever was your primary goal, then you need to take in the sights.  There is nothing better than people watching at DCC.  The one thing that I always enjoy seeing are the families that have come to this event, I still get lost looking into the little one’s eyes when they see something new, or something that they love.  With costumes galore, it is easy to lose your focus on what you are looking for, so that is why I would save this for when you have completed what you really wanted. 

Panels, panels, panels. There is a panel for everything under the sun and if you need to take a load off and sit for a bit, there is not a better place to do it than in a panel.  With a Weird Science reunion panel, to all kinds of Doctor Who ones running, there is no shortage.  And if you are with your kids, you can also go and check out the Pop Culture Classroom Corral and have your little ones get lost in all of the activities.  Admit it, your kids have much more energy than you do and this might be one of the best ways for you to get a rest while they get to expand their minds and have a great time while doing it.

The next to last thing you need to do, walk the entire showroom floor.  I always send most of my time checking out Artist Valley and I would recommend this to everyone.  Even if you are not a huge comic book lover, most of the artists have something much more to offer than you could expect.  There is no shame in picking up a piece of art at the con, in fact, I would be surprised if you didn’t with all of the talent that will be on hand.  Then walk through the Merchant Mesa and find things that you may have never known existed.  With shirts, posters, Pop! figures and anything geeky that you can imagine, this can be the most dangerous spot on the con floor, since it has everything that your heart can desire.

Last but not least, you need to have fun.  That is what the con is all about and if you do not have fun when visiting, it is not worth the trip.  If you are just there to take in the sights, to show off your awesome cosplay or even working at the event, you need to have fun doing it. The smiles and laughter that rage through the convention center during this weekend will last a lifetime.  Like I said above, I have seen several children’s eyes light up when they get to see their favorite star, character, or find that ultimate toy.  I am not beyond this myself since I always seem to walk out with something that I never expected to find and it makes my weekend beyond complete.

Well, that is what I tell my friends and I hope it helps you all as well.  There are the basic things as well, like bring cash, hand sanitizer, an agenda and all of the goes without saying stuff, but that is not fun, it is just basic.  I hope you all have a great time at Denver Comic Con this year since it seems to get better every year it takes place.  Even if you are not able to get everything that you want to get done while there, I hope you leave with a smile on your face.  Hope to see you there!

Oh my gosh, I am starting to extremely excited about Denver Comic Con this year and it is just a day away.  I must admit that I am loving the lineup of stars that are coming this year since there are several that helped raise me when sitting in front of the television growing up. Enough with memories past, let’s get to the list that has me beaming with joy.

I have to start off with Nichelle Nichols, since she was the really the first name sent out by the con.  Star Trek was one of my favorite movie series growing up and I am so happy that Uhura is making an appearance this year.  One of the things that made Uhura special in my memories of the movies is that she took a little bit of crap from the captain, but was able to hold her own and dish it right back out when needed.  A strong character and one that no fan of the show will ever forget.

Since I am calling back to my youth, I will tell you I was a child in the 80’s and am darn proud of it.  There were several movies that came out and gave me ideas, good or bad and one of the stars that made that possible was Sean Astin.  Appearing as Mikey in The Goonies, I will admit that I don’t remember everything about this movie, I do remember that there was a search for treasure that made me think of the Indiana Jones movies.  But as Sean Astin grew a bit older, he played two of my favorite characters, Rascal in the Memphis Belle and Rudy in the movie of the same name.  He is just a fun actor to watch as he has been making movies ever since and has no sign of stopping.

Can anybody look past Lou Ferrigno?  I doubt it, because he still looks like the man that brought the Incredible Hulk to our television screens.  Coming back for another year, Ferrigno is just a joy to stand next to and wonder what life would be like if you had half of the muscles that he does.  Also being a prominent member of the 80’s brigade, Ferrigno not only played the Hulk, but made a great run with his Hercules character.  I will have to say that the 80’s was all about the muscles, and if you had them, a lot of them, there was no way you were not going to get cast for a big role.

Then the crem de la crem, the cast of Weird Science will be at Denver Comic Con this year.  Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith and Kelly LeBrock.   There is no way you can even try to pass by this trio and not have flashbacks of two losers with bras on their heads trying to create the perfect woman.  With everything that they had to overcome to become popular, they were granted their wish, but when things get out of hand, there is no telling what will happen.  I could never get enough of this movie growing up and will embrace the fact that I just might get the chance to rub elbows with the gang that proved that popularity is not everything.

Well, there you have it, my 80’s list. Every time a new movie or television show comes out that shows potential, I always refer back to this decade since things were so much simpler and the fans were easier to please.  When CGI was not even invented yet, the stars had to use their own talent to keep you glued to the screen and they did a fine job.  As the night closes in and we are another day closer to Denver Comic Con, I hope you all have your lists together and know exactly what you want.  It will be a crazy good time and I hope to see you there!

When it comes to an awesome and incredible story, every fan out there can attest to the fact we want to our immerse ourselves as much as possible in a new and wonderful world. We buy all the merchandise, every entry in the series if applicable because it simply infects our imagination. 

But what if there was another way to immerse ourselves into a story? Granted the methods we handle it with now are in no way bad...but technology is always evolving to enhance our lives and our experiences and tomorrow at Denver Comic Con, one such evolution will take the stage.

At 11:45a in room 703, the panel BattleKasting: DCC as the Game Board will unveil a seamless and immersive fan experience. Based on the work of Author Alane Adams, this panel will not only showcase her book The Red Sun, the first book in the Legends of Orkney series, but the panel will also unveil the awesome mobile game, BattleKasters, that just happens to be a direct tie in to Alane's series, providing at last a way for fans to enjoy an amazing story whenever they please. 

I think this is actually a pretty fascinating idea to say the least, one that could easily inspire the creative world in ways we have not seen before and one that has left me curious to know more. So I'm definitely looking forward to checking out this panel tomorrow and hopefully quite a few of you will join us as well.