Nathan Fillion – Steve's Trips

I spotted a panel with the name of “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend” and of course had to check it out.

There was nothing about Simon and Garfunkel talked about, instead it was a horror anthology comic called “Hello Darkness”. Interesting enough, though.

There ware back to back Futurama and Simpson panels, but Bob’s Burgers was before that, which I detest, so I went to the fore-mentioned panel instead. By the time I exited that, the line for the others was already capped.

I got a text wishing me a happy birthday. I had reply back that I had been so busy, that I barely knew what day of the week it was.

Since there was nothing going on, I decide to get lunch and was actually able to find a seat at a table. I noticed a kid across from me that had a button stating it was his birthday. I mentioned to him the co-incidence, but he was either too shy or he didn’t believe me, he just kept eating his food and staring down.

I roamed around a bit, before heading over to a new location, there were a couple of panels I wanted to check out at another nearby hotel.

After waiting in a long line, I managed to get into the room just at the end of the previous panel. Once over, very few people were leaving, showing that they didn’t care about that one.

Nathan Fillion’s “The Rookie” was going into the 9th season. They talked about relationships (both real and on-screen), behind the screens details (most “driving” shots are done by a car on a trailer, this show has a guy in a seat on the roof doing the actual driving), and pregnancies (2 women had kids while on the show, but hidden. Another had her pregnancy written into the show.).

The moderator grilled them with questions, which everyone had to write on a small dry erase board before revealing all at once. Nathan Fillion was voted “most like his character”, “nicest”, and “most likely to mess up his lines”. Although, to be fair, as the lead, he would have more lines to say.

Afterwards, there was a reunion of Mad TV, 10 years after ending. They are still just as funny as they were.

I ran quickly to a panel on Reacher, catching the last half. Great book series, but the show is skipping a lot of them. That is my only complaint against the show.

Apparently, they are going to spin off Neagley into her own series, and an companion novel, perhaps more.

Somehow on Tuesday, when I was looking through the schedule, I managed to overlook 2 interesting panels. Danny Trejo and Cyanide & Happiness.

Everyone’s favorite bad-ass,Danny Trejo was there to promote a new comic based on a Mexican mythos. The main character (basically Trejo) opens a portal to hell. From the discussion, I’m not certain he actually had anything to do with creating the comic, other than posing for illustrations, but I’m sure it is still good.

The sick and twisted Cyanide & Happiness is a webtoon featuring very basic “stick figure” characters doing dangerous and perverted things, but funnily. The artists were doing live drawings based off the audiences random words, which they would give away at their booth.

At least half of the people there were waiting for a House of the Dragon, Season 3 sneak peek. I didn’t want to be spoiled, plus I didn’t want to sit there for over an hour, waiting. I’m going to see all the season anyway, so why see anything now. I suppose it is like the idiots who pay for a movie, just so they can see the trailer for a film or show, that they are excited to see anyway. Then many of the leave after the trailer, not watching what they actually paid for.

Don’t they know the same trailer will be on TV the next day, anyhow?

As I walked down the road, on my way to the convention, I notice a guy next to me that I recognize. It took me a second to process through my muddy brain.

It was Doc Farrow, who plays coach Wayne Wilkins, on “Young Sheldon” and “Georgie and Mandy”.

I chatted for a couple minutes and took a photo. He gave me a button that promoted a short film he made, co-starring Lance Barber, who plays George Cooper on those same shows.

I headed into a room for a panel labeled “Kristin Kreuk: Black Star”.

What? The star of “Smallville” isn’t black, as far as I know.

“Black Star” is a new comic series that she, and a couple friends, spent the last couple years developing.

The story is centered in Winnipeg, where co-writer Peter Mooney is originally from, and takes place over multiple timelines. The title comes from a huge black star in the middle of the Winnipeg Muninciple building.

Their boxes just arrived the day before, so none of them had a chance to even go through them yet.

They were available at a booth in the main hall, but when I immediately went down afterwards, the lady at the booth stated they had sold out already.

I didn’t really want to buy it, but I would have liked to at least see the artwork in person.

I walked a little bit down the aisle and found myself next to someone else that I thought I knew. It was Brian Pulido, the creator of “Lady Death” comic series, among others.

My friend Russel is a big fan and we had met Pulido in Orlando or Tampa at another convention, again many, many years ago. My memory really is weirder than even I can fathom.

I found a panel on Star Trek and astronomy, with Rekha Sharma, who has played a scientist or alien in many shows and films. There was also a NASA engineer (wearing a blue jacket, which is what an engineering officer on ST is supposed to wear) and a xenobiologist (from JPL, I think they said).

Not much “astronomy” talk, mostly what they thought about “first contact” with alien life could entail.

I jumped around, from panel to panel to the main hall and back, ending the night at a viewing of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”, followed by karaoke of audience members singing the songs of the show.

It stars Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle, and the Rookie), Neil Patrick Harris (Lemony Snicket, Doogie Howser, How I met your mother), and Felicia Day (The Guild).

It was created by Joss Whedon, which explains why it is so good.

I had not watched it since it came out, way back in 2008, so I had forgotten how funny and how good the singing actually is.

If you have never seen it (or even if you have) go watch it now. You will not be disappointed.