Going ‘Back to the Future’ at Denver Pop Culture Con 2019

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

​Celebrity meet-and-greets are an integral part of conventions. Fans can get up close and personal with their favorite actors and actresses, TV stars, comic book creators, and authors through panels, photo-ops, and autograph sessions. All of these were on full display at Denver Pop Culture Con 2019, which drew big names from across the entertainment spectrum. DC and Marvel were well represented, as was the Harry Potter universe, the world of Critical Role, and countless other fandoms. For me, though, the big jaw-dropping draw was the Back to the Future guests: Christopher Lloyd and Tom Wilson.
 
Personally, I haven’t opted for many celebrity photo ops in the past. There have been plenty that I’ve been tempted by, but the little voice inside my wallet has stopped me from spending the extra money on an autograph or a picture. Costs and the pressure of trying to find the perfect thing to say to a celebrity hero have kept me away; I’ve been satisfied by just going to the public panels or interviews. But how do you pass up the opportunity to share a moment with childhood heroes? Sometimes you can’t. There have been two photo-ops thus far that I couldn’t pass up: Lou Ferrigno and, now, the BTTF team.
 
Leading up to DPCC, I reflected on how big of an impact Christopher Lloyd and his storied career had on my moviegoing as a kid. Back to the Future is easily my favorite movie franchise, so obviously that was the major draw. But Lloyd was a constant presence in so many other favorites. One big one was his role as the kooky librarian (and later the titular character) in The Pagemaster. I loved to read as a kid, so it was easy to put myself in the shoes of Macaulay Culkin as the protagonist as he wandered into a library, stumbled upon the librarian, and got lost in a world of literature. Though Lloyd’s screen time wasn’t extensive in the movie, he made the most of it, stealing scenes with his trademark exuberance. He played key roles in a smattering of other films from my childhood, including Angels in the Outfield, Dennis the Menace, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 
 
Similarly, Tom Wilson has stayed very busy and has touched many of my favorites throughout his career. He brought Biff Tannen to life like no other actor could have. The charisma, timing, and wit that he gave Biff makes him one of the most memorable bullies in movie history. Beyond BTTF, I loved his work in movies like Blood In Blood Out and shows like Freaks and Geeks. Wilson has done a tremendous amount of voice work, appearing alongside some of my favorite fictional characters in Batman: The Animated Series, Gargoyles, Pepper Ann, and The Angry Beavers, just to name a few. He’s also popped up in shows like Psych and George Lopez, in addition to finding time to do stand-up comedy and art. It’s always a pleasure (and a hoot) to see him, no matter where you come across him.
 
I couldn’t miss the Back to the Future Spotlight on the Captain Colorado stage on Saturday. The panel, moderated by Gigi Edgley, brought Lloyd and Wilson together for a discussion of all things BTTF and beyond. It was an absolute blast. Wilson warmed up the crowd with a rendition of “Mr. Sandman” on his ukulele. Edgley pulled some quality stories out of both actors during her portion of the interview. Before Edgley opened things up to the audience, Wilson played “The Question Song”, his infamous rebuttal to all the common and repetitive questions he’s constantly asked about Biff and BTTF. (If you haven’t yet heard it, there are a few different renditions on YouTube. It’s one of my favorites and it’s worth checking out!) The duo then touched on everything from behind the scenes BTTF stories and their favorite moments for each of their characters to snippets from other points throughout their illustrious careers. One highlight that had me nerding out was when an audience member asked each what their favorite lines from the movies were. It was a thrill to hear Lloyd say “great Scott!” in person.
 
After getting the chance to watch two of my Back to the Future favorites on stage, I knew even more that I had to spring for a photo-op with them. There were several options available: individual photos with each actor, a team-up photo with the two together, or, the pièce de résistance, a photo with both and the DeLorean! I picked the latter and I am extremely happy that I’ll always have the picture to commemorate a fun weekend.
 
Denver Pop Culture Con has emerged as a quality destination for celebrity guests from various sections of pop culture and entertainment. While celebrities can be hard to nail down and while their schedules and cancellations may be unpredictable, DPCC brings both breadth and depth in its guest list with a constant pull of crowd pleasers. For me and a generation of people who love to travel at 88 mph, who love to dream of the past and the future, who idolize that crazy mad scientist and the risible town bully, DPCC 2019 was one to remember. 

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