So I went to comic con in Cleveland with my daughter yesterday

[Am_I_Anonymous]

It's quite an odd situation man.

Cons:

Seeing a bunch of people around my age dressed up like it's halloween made me laugh my ass off.

Listening to a bunch of these people arguing about Superman versus Goku made me laugh my ass off.

Chris Helmsworth (Thor or whoever) asking 500 dollars for a "selfie" made me laugh my ass off.

Being told a fucking reprint of a spiderman comic blown up to picture frame size signed by stan lee going for 1600 dollars made me laugh my ass off.

Body odor was abhorrent

Socially awkward dudes trying to talk to bored girls paid to pretend to like comics was painful to watch.

Too much Pokemon and other similar card battle type vendors taking up half the floor. Literally dead btw, nobody gives a fuck about that shit anymore.


Cool stuff:

Got Jason Mewes to take a pic with me for free. What a cool ass dude. He asked me if I wanted to use his booth and make some extra money lol. I guess he was a fan of mine or something.

My daughter got to meet Elizabeth Duzku (Or however you spell it) and she was really nice.

Henry Winkler and I drank some coffee off to the side of the event and I was told Cleveland's BO issue lags far behind California conventions. So I guess we got that going for us. He's an incredibly nice and intelligent guy, fyi

Got some cool T shirts

Daughter had a blast. She actually likes comics and knew some of the guys who had booths.

I got to see the real batmobile from the old TV show.

They had a life size and functional R2D2 droid just rolling around, it was incredibly accurate. It followed my daughter around for a few minutes beeping and made her day.

So many old school transformers and Star wars stuff from my time for sale it was incredible. I'm not afraid to say I spent 500 on megatron series 1 complete in box (it had been opened and used, but all the stuff was there)

Played SF V and Tekken with a Hori arcade stick, now I can see why these people make money.

The busiest booth there was pay 5 dollars to play Smash Brothers against a world champion and win a prize (nobody beat him all day last I checked)



Anywho 5/10 would not pay 50 bucks each to go again but it wasn't terrible.

[Phoenix Dark]

Sounds like a cool time. But I always wondered if the body odor thing was true or an exaggeration lol...sounds like it's real.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Sounds like a cool time. But I always wondered if the body odor thing was true or an exaggeration lol...sounds like it's real.

No it's legit. Stinks worse there then it did after a football game in college to give you a comparison.

[fistfulofmetal]

Sounds like a cool time. But I always wondered if the body odor thing was true or an exaggeration lol...sounds like it's real.

You have thousands of people packed into a convention center walking around in street clothes or costumes, there's not much you can do to prevent it.

[Phoenix Dark]

Was asked to go to one in ME with a girlfriend at the time not too long ago. Staunchly refused because I'm not ready to see a fat Arab dude in a tight Spider-Man costume.

But good on you for taking your kid to something she wanted to be at. The only way I would go to one that isn't in the US is if my 13 year old brother really wants to go.

I'd take your sister to a con.
 

A Phoenix Dark/Wrath marriage alliance

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Sounds like a cool time. But I always wondered if the body odor thing was true or an exaggeration lol...sounds like it's real.

You have thousands of people packed into a convention center walking around in street clothes or costumes, there's not much you can do to prevent it.

Indeed and let's remember that a larger percentage then normal didn't or doesn't see the need to shower or wear right guard or whatever.

[nachobro]

Have ran some bigger booths at local cons here in ABQ. The BO issue is real

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Have ran some bigger booths at local cons here in ABQ. The BO issue is real

Dude the booth from the gaming t shirt guy was possibly the worst smelling place I have ever had the displeasure of being at. It was a combination of the basement dwellars, gamers who were on 3 day binges, residual stink from previous cons, and it was a cramped walk through area. It took everything I had not to stiff arm everybody in my way and run out of there.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

 

[Madrun Badrun]

At first, I missed the comic con part of the title and couldn't figure out why people from Cleveland dress weird. 

I like the contrasts in your post where you scuff at recent stuff and the price of recent stuff but like nostalgic stuff and will pay 500 for a 80's transformer. 

[Am_I_Anonymous]

At first, I missed the comic con part of the title and couldn't figure out why people from Cleveland dress weird. 

I like the contrasts in your post where you scuff at recent stuff and the price of recent stuff but like nostalgic stuff and will pay 500 for a 80's transformer.

My mom would not let me have it when I was a kid

Plus it's made of metal, so go back to folding up your bullshit plastic models, k thx.

-America

[thisismyusername]

My daughter got to meet Elizabeth Duzku (Or however you spell it) and she was really nice

Tell your daughter I'm mad jelly.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

My daughter got to meet Elizabeth Duzku (Or however you spell it) and she was really nice

Tell your daughter I'm mad jelly.

She's super hot, I mean holy shit hot in person.

[thisismyusername]

I've liked her since she was Faith in the Buffyverse. She's my spirit gay queen.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

I've liked her since she was Faith in the Buffyverse. She's my spirit gay queen.

Well then you should know she was very polite and patient answering 30 questions from my kid. And even autographed something for her that she didn't ask me to pay for.

Honestly the only person there for meet and greets I can say is a total asshole was John Russo. He co wrote night of the living dead if you're one of 99% of the world, like me, who didn't know that. Anyway I caught him in a shouting diatribe about how "walking dead" is a blatant copy of "his" work and he should be compensated for it. His booth was empty by the time we got back from lunch though lol.

[ToxicAdam]

I liked your Henry Winkler story. Every time I hear him in an interview (long conversations) he always strikes me as the nicest guy on the planet.  It would be really easy for a guy like him to be bitter and angry.

I've always wanted to go to a Pinball convention, but was always afraid of the crowd it would attract. It's a bummer when you are excited about a hobby and the people that are considered your peers makes you question yourself.









 

[nachobro]

Have ran some bigger booths at local cons here in ABQ. The BO issue is real

Dude the booth from the gaming t shirt guy was possibly the worst smelling place I have ever had the displeasure of being at. It was a combination of the basement dwellars, gamers who were on 3 day binges, residual stink from previous cons, and it was a cramped walk through area. It took everything I had not to stiff arm everybody in my way and run out of there.

We ran the video game booth which had a huge open area for people to play Dance Central back when Kinect was still novel. So imagine all the BO + the sweat of fat folks and/or people in bulky ass cosplay gear doing dance moves. Shit was toxic.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Have ran some bigger booths at local cons here in ABQ. The BO issue is real

Dude the booth from the gaming t shirt guy was possibly the worst smelling place I have ever had the displeasure of being at. It was a combination of the basement dwellars, gamers who were on 3 day binges, residual stink from previous cons, and it was a cramped walk through area. It took everything I had not to stiff arm everybody in my way and run out of there.

We ran the video game booth which had a huge open area for people to play Dance Central back when Kinect was still novel. So imagine all the BO + the sweat of fat folks and/or people in bulky ass cosplay gear doing dance moves. Shit was toxic.

 

[Am_I_Anonymous]

I liked your Henry Winkler story. Every time I hear him in an interview (long conversations) he always strikes me as the nicest guy on the planet.  It would be really easy for a guy like him to be bitter and angry.

I've always wanted to go to a Pinball convention, but was always afraid of the crowd it would attract. It's a bummer when you are excited about a hobby and the people that are considered your peers makes you question yourself.

He told me this story. There are 4 Fonz jackets in existence. He has one, Ron Howard has one, one is in the smithsonian, and he's pretty sure he gave the last one away to a cold kid who was visiting one of his children. That's pretty much how he is.

[seagrams hotsauce]

At first, I missed the comic con part of the title and couldn't figure out why people from Cleveland dress weird. 

I like the contrasts in your post where you scuff at recent stuff and the price of recent stuff but like nostalgic stuff and will pay 500 for a 80's transformer.

(Image removed from quote.)


My mom would not let me have it when I was a kid

Plus it's made of metal, so go back to folding up your bullshit plastic models, k thx.

-America

I've ribbed AIA a lot for his 'kids these days' schtick but I'm with him on this one. I can understand why someone would spend stupid money on shit they couldn't have as a kid, but why someone would pay 500$ for a selfie with a subpar actor - scratch that, pay 500$ for a selfie with anyone on the planet - is a complete mystery to me.

[Human Snorenado]

I would pay $500 for a selfie with a topless Scarlett Johansson or Alison Brie.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

At first, I missed the comic con part of the title and couldn't figure out why people from Cleveland dress weird. 

I like the contrasts in your post where you scuff at recent stuff and the price of recent stuff but like nostalgic stuff and will pay 500 for a 80's transformer.

(Image removed from quote.)

Plus it's made of metal, so go back to folding up your bullshit plastic models, k thx.

-America

I've ribbed AIA a lot for his 'kids these days' schtick but I'm with him on this one. I can understand why someone would spend stupid money on shit they couldn't have as a kid, but why someone would pay 500$ for a selfie with a subpar actor - scratch that, pay 500$ for a selfie with anyone on the planet - is a complete mystery to me.

My wife looked at that thing and said "is that for your son?" and when she realized it wasn't she said "how much? I need to know what kinda spa day im about to have!" 

This thing gonna cost me 1,000 bucks and she refuses to let me put it above my fireplace.

[Madrun Badrun]

[tiesto]

I liked your Henry Winkler story. Every time I hear him in an interview (long conversations) he always strikes me as the nicest guy on the planet.  It would be really easy for a guy like him to be bitter and angry.

I've always wanted to go to a Pinball convention, but was always afraid of the crowd it would attract. It's a bummer when you are excited about a hobby and the people that are considered your peers makes you question yourself.

I went to Pinfest in Allentown last year and the crowd was a bit different than I expected. A lot of working class types in their late 30's and 40's, less so millenial gamer nerds a la myself, and hardly any women. Still a very fun time and there are a lot of cool eateries and breweries in the Bethlehem/Allentown area.

AIA - how crowded was the convention? I used to go to NYCC (obviously, you've all seen the video ) but it's gotten to the point where it's almost impossible to do anything there, since it's SO crowded. Tickets sell out within 15 minutes of availability.

I'll stick to Magfest, that's my new favorite of these cons.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

I liked your Henry Winkler story. Every time I hear him in an interview (long conversations) he always strikes me as the nicest guy on the planet.  It would be really easy for a guy like him to be bitter and angry.

I've always wanted to go to a Pinball convention, but was always afraid of the crowd it would attract. It's a bummer when you are excited about a hobby and the people that are considered your peers makes you question yourself.

I went to Pinfest in Allentown last year and the crowd was a bit different than I expected. A lot of working class types in their late 30's and 40's, less so millenial gamer nerds a la myself, and hardly any women. Still a very fun time and there are a lot of cool eateries and breweries in the Bethlehem/Allentown area.

AIA - how crowded was the convention? I used to go to NYCC (obviously, you've all seen the video ) but it's gotten to the point where it's almost impossible to do anything there, since it's SO crowded. Tickets sell out within 15 minutes of availability.

I'll stick to Magfest, that's my new favorite of these cons.

It was a Sunday so it wasn't at max capacity but I'd estimate 3000 people at peak time (around noon) and it indeed made it a bit tougher to navigate.

[Mr. Gundam]

Sounds like a cool time. But I always wondered if the body odor thing was true or an exaggeration lol...sounds like it's real.

You have thousands of people packed into a convention center walking around in street clothes or costumes, there's not much you can do to prevent it.

And that's still a non-issue if people wash regularly, use deodorant and practice other basic tenants of personal hygiene.

This stuff is also pretty rampant in beer events. At least those are normally outside.

[thisismyusername]

http://media2.newsnet5.com/photo/2015/02/19/ww-comiccon7_1424381057473_13473695_ver1.0_640_480.jpg

Ah, Wizard World. That's like the premier North-Midwest Con, isn't it?

[zomgee]

At first, I missed the comic con part of the title and couldn't figure out why people from Cleveland dress weird. 

I like the contrasts in your post where you scuff at recent stuff and the price of recent stuff but like nostalgic stuff and will pay 500 for a 80's transformer.

(Image removed from quote.)


My mom would not let me have it when I was a kid

Plus it's made of metal, so go back to folding up your bullshit plastic models, k thx.

-America

For five hundred dollars you got a piece of your childhood.

For five hundred dollars someone else took a picture with a hot blonde actor.

You win.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

http://media2.newsnet5.com/photo/2015/02/19/ww-comiccon7_1424381057473_13473695_ver1.0_640_480.jpg

Ah, Wizard World. That's like the premier North-Midwest Con, isn't it?

Honestly I have no idea if it is or not. But whoever put it on spent a lot of money on the venue and the talent. So I imagine it is, yes.

[Great Rumbler]

Seriously, you guys can't even begin imagine the toxic miasma that fills the BYOC at Quakecon by Saturday evening. It's rivaled only by the EPA disaster zone that used to be the public toilets.

[chronovore]

Is no-one else going to give AiA a ribbing over the $500 toy he bought? Because I thought that's how we showed love here.

[Madrun Badrun]

He got a toy his mom wouldn't let him have and then his wife made him put it away.  Sounds like he's been ribbed enough. 

[Am_I_Anonymous]

He got a toy his mom wouldn't let him have and then his wife made him put it away.  Sounds like he's been ribbed enough.

[T234]

I can't give you any shit about spending 500 on a toy. I put a half-ounce of Chilean cocaine up my nose yesterday, with nothing to show for it today.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

I can't give you any shit about spending 500 on a toy. I put a half-ounce of Chilean cocaine up my nose yesterday, with nothing to show for it today.

It's mellow if it's not yellow, my breh.

[T234]

Tested in 80+% range with the hygrometer. That yellow you refer to is leftover gasoline from the extraction. Shininess, gooey-ness,  and flakey-ness are better indicators of purity, mi hermano.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

We always said the more yellow it was the closer to the first cut. Which back in our non informed days usually rang true.

Of course I trust you're correct here, just saying I'm not technically off base.


Funny story: Back in Oakland there was a dude that use to rape dudes for teens after 12am but be the cheapest dude during the day. He was a cool dude.

Anyway this isn't about him but more about him taking his side piece to the Congo for a month and putting us on with this flakey ass dude name Clarence.

Clarence had one job. Deliver high level to dudes who had a lot of money and usually overpaid for the favor.

Clarence got caught not fully smashing an aspirin into a bag once.

Clarence walks with a limp now.


Don't be Clarence

[T234]

Not at all wrong, really. Takes about 100 ppm (that's 100 parts-per-million) to get that yellow tint. More than that usually evaporates. Fact is, material that is pure enough to be noticeably yellow, is rare as fuck these days. Coke game is fucked nowadays.

One thing is for sure: within a decade, Chile will be the #1 exporter again.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Not at all wrong, really. Takes about 100 ppm (that's 100 parts-per-million) to get that yellow tint. More than that usually evaporates. Fact is, material that is pure enough to be noticeably yellow, is rare as fuck these days. Coke game is fucked nowadays.

One thing is for sure: within a decade, Chile will be the #1 exporter again.

They taking them rich Arizona rancher's spot? Oh wait.....

[T234]

Anybody this far north is not a boss. They are what amounts to store managers in retail. The guys calling the shots are in the jungle. You gotta have some level of production to be a boss. The farthest north guys that you could call bosses in the coke trade are El Mayo (less famous, but deserving of a crown for his handling of Los Zetas and MS-13 disruption) and El Chapo (a man who needs no introduction).

Everybody else in Mexico could get their supply of coke turned off for being out of line. The two Sinaloa bosses previously mentioned are actually really well-liked in South America. El Chapo is probably one of the more sensible and well-liked people running the show nowadays. Him going to jail is actually really bad for the security and level of violence in Mexico. Los Zetas are FAAAAARRR worse. I hope for the sake of Mexico that El Mayo wins the upcoming War for Mexico.

[Trent Dole]

This is one of the only nerd forums where a con thread could turn into cocaine discussion.

[Huff]

Ignore the nerd smell! Have some cocaine instead

[Phoenix Dark]

I see you t234

[TakingBackSunday]

Was this at the IX center AiA?

Once went to a car show there and FUCK, even relatively regular car enthusiasts smelled like asshole suicide

[benjipwns]

I liked your Henry Winkler story. Every time I hear him in an interview (long conversations) he always strikes me as the nicest guy on the planet.  It would be really easy for a guy like him to be bitter and angry.

IIRC, he went through a thing like Shatner did. Where he was bitter and angry about it for a while after the show ended, before coming around to realizing how much of it really was a blessing career-wise and how much it meant and still means to other people. And that he never considered it'd be so iconic until he realized it had become so years later.

Plus he jumped over that shark on Arrested.

[chronovore]

It's sad that Shatner does not appear to have benefited from such self awareness.

[Am_I_Anonymous]

Was this at the IX center AiA?

Once went to a car show there and FUCK, even relatively regular car enthusiasts smelled like asshole suicide

Nah it was at the new Convention Center downtown by the Browns Stadium.