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Friday 22 July 2011

SDCC = Geek Mecca?

As I type this I am sitting in the back of the fish and chip shop that I live behind and feeling that lovely emotion that is jealousy laced with a heavy coat of envy. You see Comic Con has started in San Diego and, once again, I am not there. I make plans at the end of each July to make my way over to this amazing event that I have heard so much about but so far my plans have fallen flatter than a pancake on Shrove Tuesday.

It is around this time every year where I proclaim to anyone who will listen that I will be going to next year's Comic Con, come hell or high water. Just to let you know I have been saying this for the last five years and the only conventions I have managed to attend have been the ones in London. I've attended them twice and they were a blast. I got to have my photo taken with a Dalek and I got Danny Trejo's autograph. For those of you who don't know who he is check out this awesome trailer:

And, in real life, he is very eloquent and actually really interesting to listen to. His has some great stories to tell and has a great sense of humour.

Anyway, although I have been to that convention every geek worth their salt wants to attend the San Diego Comic Con. It is the stuff legends are made of and one of the few places where you can really let your geek flag fly higher than ever. Four days of pure insanity after which many return to their 'humdrum' lives and hang up the amazing cosplay outfits they spent a year working on before donning the suits or general business attire that they are subjected to for the rest of the year.

Because I have never been I could be viewing this through the hazy dream lenses that many of us wear in our everyday lives but I know that it is a place where like minded people can get together and enjoy their fandoms with others who also share the same interests. It's a place where you can argue the finer points of Klingon grammar or argue over who shot first.* It's a place where you wouldn't bat an eyelid as the Joker and Batman sat down together to grab a bite to eat. Basically, in my mind, it is pure heaven, even taking into account the BO and other hygiene issues that arrive when you have so many people squashed together in one place.

So, I feel that I can proclaim that SDCC is a form of mecca for those who, like myself, enjoy things a little too enthusiastically. And, as I sit here writing this, a small plan is forming in my mind. It involves costumes, travel and me making a fool out of myself - so far pretty normal, right? My only problem is money. There is the little thing called responsibility but I don't have kids or any form of dependents.

The only question is - which costume?

I'll leave you with this which I stumbled across yesterday...Happy Friday all



*Han did - obviously!

6 comments:

  1. Machete was a pretty epic movie! cheesy, but epic! lol.

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  2. It's one I have yet to get my hands on but I will find it!

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  3. just to play devil's advocate, i would argue that true geeks would be to agoraphobic to want to go to comic-con.

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  4. You got Danny Trejo's autograph AND he didn't shank you?

    Double win!

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  5. @-E- it's always good to play devil's advocate and I can see that. Poor things all holed up in their basements arguing the finer points of RPGs.

    @A Beer for the Shower - I know. He's really funny and scary at the same time.

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