Comic Con brings actors, artists and their fans together
Written by Phil Cerroni
By Jess Paniszczyn
Whether you love meeting actors, discussing popular sci-fi or just appreciate the art of comics, the Dallas Comic Con: Sci-Fi Expo offered something for you. The two-day event presented at the Irving Convention Center on Feb. 9 -10 featured Back To The Future with Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson (Marty’s mother, “Lorraine”) and James Tolkan (“Principal Strickland”).
“We just came out here with my dad,” John Crump said indicating his three friends. “He found this online, but it’s been a lot of fun. It was definitely worth it.
“People dressing up in costumes were probably the best part of the event. I came in street clothes the other day, and I got the cape and the light saber here, so I kind of got dressed up when I got here. You want to get into it once you get here.”
Nearby, his friends James and Chris Gregory held vicious looking weapons featuring brass knuckle type handles, one of which ended in a mean looking spike and the other with a bone crushing blade.
“This was our first time here,” James said. “I bought the zombie slasher because I’ve always liked out of the ordinary types of things, and I really like it. It is a zombie killer, so soon we will be ready for the zombie apocalypse.
“Costume watching was the best. I love seeing people getting into character and enjoying the event.
“We met Sam Witwer (actor, Battlestar Galactica, Being Human) and got to shake his hand. We met Hercules (actor Kevin Sorbo). Those aren’t the only ones. There are tons of actors here.”
“You can go up in the ballroom and meet all these actors,” Ronnie Rice added. “They just sit down and talk to you. My favorite part of the event was speaking with Sam Witwer. He was really friendly and we had a great conversation. I called my friend, and I actually got Sam to take my phone and talk to him. That was really cool.”
“The people here are great,” Chris said. “You just go up to some random person and say, ‘Is it alright if I take a picture with you?’ and they say, ‘Yeah, come on.’ One of the fun parts is getting pictures of all the people in costumes.”
“Everyone should come to Comic Con, but you should bring at least $500 to have the most fun possible,” Crump suggested. “If I had $500, I would probably buy a fully geared up costume: light saber, robes, mask, everything. You have to go all out when you get here, because no one cares, they are doing the same thing you are. It’s a great way to have fun.”
It was a love of art that drew Taffeta Darling to the Sci-Fi Expo
“I came out to see my favorite artist, Adam Hughes (artist of Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan),” Darling said. “I was also able to buy some new prints and to get some stuff signed by George Perez (artist of Superman, Wonder Woman, Avengers.)
“Yesterday, I really enjoyed the Back to the Future panel. I was excited to go in there and see Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson, who looks incredible by the way. It was fun to hear them talk about their experiences.
“We are going to keep coming out and supporting these guys, because they are doing everything they can to bring us good guests at reasonable prices.”
Dressed in her own creation, Appaloosa Red recounted some of the many celebrities she had met over the weekend.
“I came out to see Tricia Helfer and the rest of the Battle Star Galactica people,” Red said. “I even made my own viper pilot outfit, because I’m a big nerd.
“My favorite part of the event was meeting Tricia Helfer. And then, almost running into Billy Boyd (actor, Pippin, LOTR) near the bathroom. I’m a little star-struck, so…
“This event was a huge success. It was a really nice opportunity to see so many great faces in one place.”
