Unconventional Conventions
For Valentine's Day this year I did what any self-respecting nerd could do with his girlfriend. I went to a comic book convention. Having never been to one before I had absolutely no IDEA what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised by everything that transpired. My girlfriend Nikki and I went to WizardCon Indianapolis and it was a crazy and fun experience!
It may have been Valentine's Day but that didn't stop entertainment lovers from everywhere coming to enjoy seeing some of their favorite celebrities and dressing up in outfits ranging from pre-fabricated, store bought, Halloween costumes, to visual masterpieces crafted with intense labor and love.
The general stereotype of people who attend such conferences (as described by the general public) usually consists of a grotesquely overweight, middle aged man with an equally disgusting receding hairline. This stereotype is unequivocally FALSE. The people who I met at WizardCon, for the most part, seemed to be highly intelligent individuals who wanted to attend for the fun and excitement of being surrounded by people who share their same interests and passions. I know this because I myself was amongst them.
WizardCon Indianapolis, was a total blast. I was able to see Karen Gillan, William Shatner, Lou Ferrigno, and Michael Rooker. I even had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Jake Lloyd. Who is actually an aspiring filmmaker out in Indiana.
As cool as all of those people were I have to say that the one person I was most excited to meet was Brad Jones. You may not know him but he happens to be my personal favorite Internet Movie Reviewer who plays the character of The Cinema Snob. A sardonic film critic who’s snarkiness is only paralleled by the obscurity of some of his references. If you are the type of person that shies away from foul language and sometimes lewd commentary then I don’t suggest ever looking him up.
(Side note) Being a submarine veteran I personally have a high tolerance for uncouth language and distasteful imagery. However, I don’t watch Brad Jones’ show for that alone. Rather, I watch his reviews of terrible “B Movies” from the past because I believe that in order to become a better filmmaker myself I have to understand what films from the past have done wrong.
We here at Mackin Trio Ink hope to be able to make our characters from “Tales From Blue Ridge” popular enough in the future that we too can have a booth at a convention share our love of storytelling with a larger audience. If you’re a nerd like me, or just a person who likes movies, then I would highly suggest that you go to at least one comic convention in the future because I can almost guarantee you that it’ll be something that you won’t soon be forgetting.
