It’s convention time again! And for the second time this century, someone besides GenCon has decided Indianapolis is a worthy host. This weekend the inaugural Indy PopCon will paint our fair downtown red with a healthy mix of comics, gaming, actors, LARPing, and various other manifestations of pop and geek culture in general. My wife and I will be attending Saturday only, partly as a budgetary measure (by which I mean, the longer I’m there, the less money we’ll have for vacation in July, or for utilities) and partly because we’re still feeling a bit burnt after last March’s the inaugural Indiana Comic Con went, um, not according to plan.
Thankfully I’ve seen numerous signs that the Indy PopCon showrunners were taking copious notes from that experience and have stepped up their game accordingly. They’ve reserved three times the space at the Indiana Convention Center; invited more media guests; kept up an active, lively presence in that “social media” racket that’s all the rage these days; added a “Cosplay is not consent” sidebar to their program; actually made an official program in the first place; and have an actual big-name comics publisher in the house! Three cheers for IDW Publishing for believing that Indianapolis doesn’t suck. They can expect to be rewarded with some of my dollars.
Time is getting away from me, though. So far my to-do list for Saturday looks like so:
* Meet The Joel Hodgson, creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Try not to gush or hyperventilate in front of him.
* Meet Ron Glass from TV’s Firefly. Think of something not-stupid to say.
* See Sylvester McCoy, the Seventh Doctor, do something cool even if we don’t get to meet him.
* Attend at least one panel or Q&A. Two or more would be outstanding.
* See if anyone has a copy of Evan Dorkin’s Eltingville Club #1, which all our local comic shops apparently failed to order.
* Find new comic book creators; give them money.
* Costume contest! Watching, I mean, not participating. Ha. If only. Anyone wanna see my uncanny impression of Aaron from Revolution? Basically I stand in a far corner of the stage, watch the other contestants get all the glory, and trip over my own feet when I get restless.
* Enjoy the presence and products of Indiana’s food truck armada.
* Bask in the glow of a real copy of Action Comics #1, the centerpiece of their “Geek Museum” room. Ask security if it’s okay to pick it up and hug it.
* Try on my new T-shirt, which arrived in our mailbox earlier this week.
* Test my new shoulder bag by seeing how much new awesomeness it can hold before the bottom collapses or back pains are triggered.
* Have a better, longer, happier day than we did at the Indiana Comic Con.
* Decide whether or not to attend Indy PopCon 2015, already reserved for the last weekend in May. If yes, then decide if a three-day pass would be worth it.
* Prepare to share photos, happy moments, and/or war stories with MCC readers as usual.
* Have a minimum of one (1) hour of pure, uncompromised, undiluted Fun.
(To-do list is subject to change without notice. To-do list not valid in all states. Keeper of the to-do list is open to suggestions, negotiations, additions, and modifications of existing bullet points. Keeper of the to-do list reserves the right to pout like a frustrated kindergartener if less than half the list is accomplished.)
