It's sad to say that the con is officially over, and for us three geeks it's an 8 hour trip home. But, we're not leaving empty handed. I'm not going to lie, some of us may have bought a bit more than we needed. With a total of 15 POP figures between us, some really awesome new art, and a Keyblade, I don't think any of us are complaining. 

The Dealer's Room is always my favorite place to hang out in, but it's not the only part of a con I love. There was a plethora of events for goers to attend. From panels on writing and publishing, to celebrity guest panels, the whole experience was an amazing one. The last night of SLCC had the coveted costume contest that so many cosplayers and non-cosplayers look forward to see.

The chance for those to show off their talent in costume and prop construction is always a favored event. This year was no different. For me personally, it was awesome because a friend entered and won second place with her group! Which, is kind of a big deal! While it is a competition of skill, it's also fun! Some groups perform skits, while other individuals give a show. Either why, it's a chance for many talented costumes to strut their stuff and show their abilities.

For my first out of state convention in a long time, SLCC has left a lot of memories with me. This con had so much going on and so many great experiences, and not to mention the POP figures! It's a double edged sword when a con is over, however, we all have next year to look forward to.

While the group is off at Salt Lake City Comic Con, I will be home preparing for my favorite event of the year, the Mile High Horror Film Festival. Now, I know that this is not one of the biggest events in the area, but it does give me a chance to rub elbows with some of the faces that have haunted my dreams for years. I have always found that it is better to face your fears head on, but when you get to see that some of the most frightening characters in movies are just down to earth individuals like you and me, well, you have to respect them even more.

One of the special events that is going on this year will be the 90th Anniversary screening of The Phantom of the Opera with Q&A with the great Lon Chaney’s great grandson, Ron Chaney who is no stranger to the industry.  Lon Chaney has been a fixture in everyone’s horror collection if they know the name or not setting the bar higher for anyone that has wanted to be frightened in the past or present.  It is easy to think that this event will just be run of the mill, but there is talk about a lifetime achievement award for Lon as well, I cannot wait to see this.

One of the things that this event has done over the years is bring some of the greatest names in horror to our doorstep and the first guest that was announced being Linnea Quigley, I was already making plans to show up.  If you do not know Linnea Quigley, you better start doing your research and watching some movies as she has been in over a hundred movies and is a scream queen that should just be great to meet.  I know her from The Return of the Living Dead where she played a character named Trash who had the deep dark fantasy of being eaten alive.  This was one of my favorite foreshadowing moments in a zombie movie, since her wish came true.

Kane Hodder will also be in attendance this year and I believe it is his second time at the festival.  With Hatchet and Hatchet II playing, he will be doing some Q&A sessions afterwards and that should be nothing short of a good time.  I have enjoyed watching these movies when they came onto Netflix, along with Exit to Hell with our buddy Tiffany Shepis.  This is one of those actors you never know what to expect from since he is no slouch when it comes to size and every time you see him on screen, he commands it.  Stay tuned on how this works out for someone that never even made it to six feet tall.

Sid Haig has also been announced.  That’s right our favorite clown, Captain Spaulding will be in attendance this year and I could not be happier.  Although I have seen him in several more movies, more than people would even admit to watching, he will be doing some Q&A after the screenings of House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects.  Two movies I will have to check out again since I really do like them.  If I had one question to ask him, it would have to be if he had a fear of clowns and if he ran and hid after looking in the mirror when the makeup was applied, I know I would.  But with so many great movies under his belt, it would be great to hear some of his stories about how the industry has changed and what he thinks about how horror is becoming mainstream once again and his role in helping to make it happen.

Now who else will be there?  Neil Marshall will be in attendance.  If you don’t know who Neil Marshall, then you need to check out a movie called The Descent.  Something about being trapped in a cave has never been a highlight on any of my lists and this movie brings all of those fears to light, especially with something hunting you.  This was written and directed by Neil and I would just have to ask him what his motivation was behind it, because I remember going to Cave of the Winds as a young child and being freaked out of my mind when I heard howling that was ‘the wind’, but sure as heck did not sound like the wind.  He will be doing a Q&A after the screening of The Descent and will also have a short film featured in the very popular Tales of Halloween that has just added a second screening.  

Now what could I be forgetting?  I think I have everyone wrapped up, there will be some groups that are promoting their new movies, Tobin Bell who plays Jigsaw and is a talented writer. A music showcase that is going to be epic, my buddy Jeffrey Reddick who brought Final Destination to life and is working on his new product Dead Awake that looks freaking out of this world.  Who else?

Oh, I have never made it a secret that I am a bit obsessed with The Shining…have I?  If not, I will come out and say it.  I love the movie, I love the book and I love the TV miniseries.  It is my favorite story that has hit the three mediums and I will love it for years to come.  Well anyway, three characters of the movie will be making an appearance this year.  Lisa and Louise Burns, the TWINS, ‘Come Play With Us Danny’ will be at MHHFF!  Joseph Turkel, Lloyd the best bartender west of the Mississippi will be at MHHFF!  Say what?  If you even had a bit of understanding how much I loved this movie, hopefully you can grab on to this, I LOVE THIS MOVIE and cannot wait to see the occupants of the Overlook Hotel in person.  It has been years, but I wonder if they know how much that The Stanley Hotel is trying to capitalize on what they helped make into movie magic.  We are talking about my favorite horror movie and I don’t think you will hear my say otherwise.  While others come close, this one has always stayed very near and dear to my heart.

Well, there you go. This is the lineup for MHHFF.  This is going to be a great year once again and after last year I thought that it would be hard to beat, but as long as the stars align, this year is shaping up to be epic.  With plenty of guests, stars, and don’t even try to forget about the movies, if you have one bone in your body that likes horror, you will love this.  Last year most of the movies sold out on Monday, so make sure to get your tickets early for anything that you want to see, or else you may be left blowing in the wind while it passes you by.  Hope to see you all there, I know that I cannot wait.

So, we literally drove 8 hours from Denver to Salt Lake and I have to say, it was well worth it. This is my first time coming to this con, and I might be completely hooked. If you missed the video blogs I did for Facebook, I was a bit excited. Granted, I haven't road tripped since I was a kid, but this was the best idea ever. Not only did we make some fun memories hitting up some attractions, we also got to get here just in time to con it up.

Thursday offered the mother load of all Dealer Room scores, the Funko POP! booth. I was lucky enough to find the elusive Age Of Ultron Black Widow POP to complete my collection. Not to mention, lots of pictures and good fun. Sadly, Thursday had to end a bit early, I may have worked the night before and was seriously in need of naps. But we were up early for Friday! Sliding in just at opening I can't even explain the feeling. There's something about the excitement of a new con and the rush of getting in as the doors open. It was so fantastic to see all the cosplayers, the kids that were dressed and just as excited as the parents, and all the other amazing people.

Friday was the day of making new friends. Mattie and I had some photo ops and autographs to get, and it was the perfect day for it. There's a fantastic camaraderie that goes along with being in line to meet the same celebrity idol. It's also the common love of all nerdy things. People were so nice and welcoming here. Despite a crowded con, everyone was willing to offer answers to questions, give directions, and of course geek out with. The day was spent making new friends in lines, bonding, and laughing so much. When you're in line for so much time, it's hard not to talk to the people around you.

So far, SLCC has been an amazing experience. With good people, great guests, and a list of exciting panels, it's not hard to find something for anyone. There is so much in the Dealer's Room. The first thing I bought was from a favorite artist of mine, Jason Meents. And then it was a day of POP! figures, and even a Keyblade. The pictures turned out great, and meeting our favorite guests was so amazing. I have to say, SLCC blew me out of the water with how much fun this con has been so far. I knew it would be, I just didn't expect it to blow me away! I'm so excited for the last day. It's always sad for a con to come to a close, but it's also nice to still have one more day to look forward to.

Ah, it's a wonderful day. Fall has officially arrived, the leaves and the temperature have started to change and as we barrel toward winter we are all faced with the tough fact that con season is coming to its end. It's not something that any of us ever enjoy facing, but we can take solace in the fact that con season is going out with a bang, courtesy of Salt Lake Comic Con. 

Yes, today is the day and fans from all over the land have come to settle in and enjoy one last epic convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center and I am beyond excited for a chance to attend SLCC because this one is going to be special for me. Fact of the matter is, I've been to a lot of conventions in my day, love every second of them, but this is the first time I've ever done one out of state.

This is one that I've heard nothing but rave reviews about from my con buddies, in fact several of them damn near pleaded with me to attend, telling me day and night that I had to be there because it was going to be an absolute blast and well, when you hear that from every single person, how the heck do you say no? So as you read this, myself, Mattie and Shae are on the road, somewhere in the middle of Wyoming with snacks, tunes and whole lot of road in front of us and no doubt it's glorious (we'll do our best to tweet from the road depending on who isn't driving, social media responsibly my friends) because we are mere hours away from days of fun.  

I mean really, there's so much to see from what I'm told and the roster lineup for celebrity guests is pretty freaking awesome. The Captain America reunion is one that has caught my eye and I know the girls already have their combo photo opportunity with Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan purchased because let's be honest, that's going to be one epic photo on every fan's mantle when they get it home. I myself am looking forward to meeting the cast from Mystery Science Theater 3000 because that was one of my childhood favorites back in the day. 

But outside of that, what a fun little getaway this is going to be. Road trips can be a blast, and I'm expecting this one to be full of laughter and smiles because once we arrive in Salt Lake, we are once again among friends as we settle in for a convention that is new to us. We will no doubt make some new friends this weekend and spent plenty of time with old ones because that's what conventions are all about...camaraderie and I can think of no better way to say goodbye to con season than hitting the road with my pals and spending the weekend celebrating the fandoms I love. See everyone this afternoon! 

Guys! Guess what?! SLCC is literally at the end of this week. In just a few short days, Mattie, John, Dan and I shall be hitting the road and driving our way down to Salt Lake for the very first out of State Con together! I have not been this excited since….well, yesterday when a certain photo op went on sale. Actually, yeah, I was pretty giddy then. Mattie and I were really bummed when the Chris Evans photo op sold out in just a few minutes, so when I got on to check my e-mail and saw that Evans was doing a shoot with Stan….well, we hopped on that faster than any normal human should have. Needless to say, we get to have our picture taken with our two most favorite celebrities, and it’s all thanks to SLCC.

Now, Mattie and I have been to out-of-state cons before, we actually became best friends at Dragon Con, of all places. As I am learning, though, this seems to be a common occurrence for friendships and even relationships! So, when we decided to give it a go again, we thought that SLCC was the perfect place to start. It has been a few years, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t magical. Neither of us have been to this particular convention before, and even better, it’s kind of next door. Ish. Like that neighbor you could ask for sugar if you really needed it. Yep, that just happened.

So, what am I expecting from SLCC? A ton of fun for starters. Having had many friends attend this con previously, I am really looking forward to kicking back, getting to hang out with con friends, meet new people, and experience a convention that isn’t in Colorado. Don’t get me wrong, we have some rocking cons here, but hey, con season is nearly over and I need a fix. Not to mention, it’s the perfect time for a vacation. With the impending holiday season baring down on all of us, and life, that can add a lot of pressure. Salt Lake Comic Con has so much to offer in order to help break that mundane routine, even for just a few days.

Between the cosplays I cannot wait to see, and actually am going to do myself. I know I said we wouldn’t be, but, hey, we do have some fancy Star Trek uniforms just sitting around…might as well wear that, am I right? And I cannot forget about the Dealers room.  But guys, it gets better. POP! figures! They have an entire POP thing going on at SLCC. Like…I can’t even begin to explain to you how broke I am going to be at the end of this convention. Especially since I just discovered the Kitten may have knocked two of my existing POP’s into the trash without me knowing it. Sorry Groot and Vision! I promise to replace you! Kittens can be devious things.

So, yeah, between the celebrities, the venders, artists, authors, voice actors, cosplayers, and over all, just the awesomeness that is this convention. It’s going to be hard to get through work this week. I already want to leave now…annnd, okay, the fact that there is an In-N-Out down there, really isn’t helping! A great con, friends, and food? Really! This vacation only needs some random good surprise to make it perfect. And with the inability to have patience, I am forced to sit here and wait….which is literally going to kill me. Probably.

Well, it's finally happened, I'm going to be poor because Salt Lake Comic Con has announced another guest that has made the Must See List. Yesterday Anthony Mackie was added to the list of guests hitting the con we are all excited to go to at the end of his month. After all, you can't have a Captain America: The Winter Soldier reunion without the infamous Falcon. 

I actually know Mackie from other movies. I blame my obsession with Jeremy Renner for this one, because Mackie was in The Hurt Locker. Most famously for us nerds though, Falcon has been an amazing role for Mackie.

This con isn't pulling its punches anymore with the guests they keep announcing. All they need is Jeremy Renner of Karl Urban and I am pretty sure I will just fall over dead in my chair. With an already stunning list of A list celebrities, it's hard to imagine the sheer number of fans going to meet them. 

I've tried to imagine it and I can't. But I can imagine me meeting these amazing actors and all it does is make me giddy because....this is going to be the best out of state Con in so many ways! Should I start packing now? probably not, that might actually be a bad idea. You can bet I am working as much as I can to afford all the autographs. Mostly, I want pictures. Those not only last a life time, but look nice in the living room!

For pricing info please visit SLCC's website! Also, subscribe to their news letter for updates on when picture and autograph opportunities go on sale. More importantly stay tuned here for updates on guest announcements and recaps of the con! Which you know you want. I really wish time would hurry so we could be there now, but also not...because I'm not ready for Con season to be over.

Yesterday, just when I thought Salt Lake Comic Con was done bringing in incredible and amazing guests, they go and announce Hayley Atwell. Yes, the very actress who stole our hearts as the infamous Peggy Carter. Needless to say she is one of the main people we are going to have to see. After all, Mattie’s kitten is named Agent Carter and it would be a shame to miss the chance to meet the Agent herself.
 
Not only is this a pleasant surprise but a welcoming one. The growing list of actors and actresses to grace this convention is astounding. While I have yet to actually go to this convention, I can say I am beyond excited to do so. It was a huge shock when they announced Chris Evans, and you can bet Mattie was planning the trip seconds later. 

Then we get Sebastian Stan, and now Hayley Atwell, I can only cross my fingers and hope for Clark Gregg! With a growing list of grade A actors, it really is an amazement that they keep throwing more out there. I’m pretty sure there is no out doing their latest set of announcements. But seriously, how awesome is this? Hayley Atwell has pretty much established herself as an acting icon over the last few years with her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all because of Peggy. She has managed to bring one of the strongest female characters in film and television to life and well...I really am blown away at the fact that Mattie and I get to meet her. 
 
The only thing that could make this con even better is if we can convince all the guests to do one massive selfie. I’m only half joking. But really, it’s lining up to be an amazing convention. In just a few short weeks, fans are going to flock from around the ‘Verse to see their favorite people. You can bet we’ll be there with POP’s to sign and all. I guess it might be the perfect time to go shopping…

Shortly after my last blog went up, SLCC made another announcement of the celebrity guest kind. I was dead asleep this morning (as I am a vampire) when Mattie came bounding into my room to excitedly, and loudly, tell me that The Winter Soldier himself, Sebastian Stan, is going to be attending the very con we are going to at the end of this month. 

Now, there are a few things here that everyone should probably know, 1. Mattie liked this particular actor first, 2. she totally got me hooked. There are few crushes I have in this world, and needless to say, he is my kryptonite. While I was already excited for the list of guests this con had, I am now torn. 

This is a dream con in a lot of ways when it comes to guests. There's people from Firefly, Doctor Who, Arrow, and now Two Avengers. It's hard to choose which celebrity photos and autographs to get. Personally, I am kind of shocked that Sebastian is going to be there, and just a little lost. Like, how is this even my life? I'm not one to have shy moments, so this is completely throwing me off. Which, again, rarely happens. It's a double edged sword. While i'm really happy and excited, I'm also nervous. Me? Nervous? I swear it happens from time to time.

Needless to say, I am rather thrilled to have this opportunity. I just need to work up the courage to actually get a autograph. SLCC managed to bring in a celebrity that I was not expecting and can actually geek out about, just don't let Mattie or John know. I do have a reputation to protect here. With that being said, I suppose its time to start getting my head back into con mode. If I was a bit more with it I would have started working on my own Winter Soldier cosplay by now....butttttt life happens. With just a few weeks away, I might actually convince myself to not be nervous.

It is official, I'm going to Salt Lake Comic Con! All right, it's been official for a while now, but I was on the fence about going. Mostly due to some personal life issues. However, Mattie excitedly talked me into going, and we all know I can't say no to her. The ever growing lists of guests had me buying my ticket first thing Monday morning. The excitement is almost unbearable. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a total lack of patience. This is no different, and I want SLCC to be here now. Sadly, there will be no cosplay this con. While I could pull up an old one, I'd rather just go and enjoy the con as is. My last out of state con was Dragon Con a few years ago, so I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to traveling to cons. Thankfully this one is close to home.

Mattie has given her list of celebs that she is excited to meet and I have to agree with her on all of them. There has been the addition of the Doctor's Latest Companion with Jenna-Louise Coleman, and of course who doesn't want to meet Captain America? I can't even wrap my head around the number of guests attending this convention. I guess it's time to start budgeting out for autographs and photos. Thankfully the pricing is available online, otherwise I would be a little worried. Passes, of course are still for sale on the site, and if available. At the door. Get them quick.

Let's be honest, though, we all know I'll be hanging out in the dealer's room for the majority of the con. It's just what a Shae does. After all, I have to find the coolest geeky gift things for you guys, not to mention my own need for shiny things. Funko will be there, and you know what that means? POP! figures. If those things could literally be any cuter I might just fall over and never get up. Seriously, they keep coming out with more and more POP's. With their various brands and even con exclusives, I guarantee there is a POP for everyone. And I mean, everyone. 

Every single one of our close friends can expect at least one POP! from either Mattie or myself as birthday or Christmas gifts. That's even extended to our non-nerdy families. Yes, my family, while quietly somewhat nerdy, has come to love the POP! just as much as I do. Which is impossible. But, it happens. I plan on expanding my collection from SLCC, especially since Mattie still has more than I do....which is not okay at all. Stay tuned as we bring you guys updates, live tweets, and of course my obnoxious commentary, as well as even a podcast, maybe. And, more blogs. Always, more blogs and I will see all of you at Salt Lake Comic Con!