Wizard World Comic Con NOLA 2014

As most of you already know, I usually only attend one Sci-Fi Convention per year, Gallifrey One. I scrimp and save and pay for things like airfare & acommodations as early as I can to get the expenses out of the way. It's a good thing I do it like this, especially given that since mid-December my waiter job has been trifling with a side of tragedy in the form of 2 of my 3 weekly shifts turning out to be days when management calls and tells me not to come in due to zero reservations, and the 1 shift I do work turning out to be a less than $50 twirl.I've had a bit of extra work at the Med Skool, and some extra income from peddling my fine knitwear, but not really enough to offset the $200 or so hemorrhaging from my weekly budget. I was (and still am, to be honest) worried about coming up $$ for meals and autographs at Gallifrey when Wizard World Comic Con New Orleans announced that Matt Smith (srsly if you don't know who this is by now, Google him, HUNTY) would be making his 1st US Convention Appearance since his last episode of Doctor Who  here!

My hearts just broke. I was so hurt to know that I'd be going to Gally right after Matt Smith was in NOLA, and I wouldn't get to see him. I couldn't afford a 1 day, no-frills ticket, much less a $325 VIP Matt Smith Experience, which included a 3-day pass, one (1) photo session and (1) autograph session, as well as head of the line privileges to his Q & A session. In sheer desperation, I started a Go Fund Me page, offering custom Doctor Who Scarves in exchange for making one fanboy's dream come true.

In 7 hours, I was $10 above goal. By the next day, I was $130 past goal!! I was flabbergasted. Absolutely fuckin gobsmacked that so many people were so quick to help me out like this. My fingers trembled as I clicked that mouse a day later and purchased & printed out my VIP barcode. I got update emails about the event that contained the FB quotes about the event. The passes sold out and by the past week, ppl were offering to pay any price for Matt Smith VIP stuff. I swear, I felt like the Boy with the Golden Ticket.

As my nerves cranked up about this (and of course the upcoming Gally), I found myself in a state of SQUEEEEE that led me to knit Matt Smith a present, a Season 18 Doctor Who Scarf in beautiful Lion Brand Chenille Yarn, along with a card, thanking him for coming to NOLA. I tried my damnedest to come up with something reasonably intelligent or at least not too-scary-fan-sounding to say to him when I gave him my gift. 

Well, today finally came & it started off great! My Public Knitting Partner, Eva, called and asked if I needed a ride & she dropped me off at the Convention Center in my 9th Doctor costume (grrl I told you I was broke, I couldn't afford a Matt Smith costume), and wished me well. I stepped into the building, ready for Glam. What I got was sent down a line marked off with colored tape on the floor, and sent to pick up my Swag Bag, containing a lithograph of Matt Smith, as well as a ticket with two smaller tearaway tickets for Photo Op & Autograph Sesh. I was informed that I was in Group F. As in there are a bunch of hoes in Groups A thru E and you will be in line behind them. I walked through another entrance, where the security ppl were berating us to show our left wrists the whole way down the hallway, past a warning that SyFy's tacky Heroes of Cosplay show was taping) and into a giant-sized dealers room. A heartbreaker for a broke bitch, but I headed over to the autograph area and past the 400 or so other VIPs into another set of Scotch tape runways and I waited. And waited. There was a lot of chatting amongst us, and as Groups A thru E headed thru, I got a ton of great pics of fans in costume, the usual. The anticipation mounted as the lines hustled on by into the curtained off area that ppl were continuously being admonished not to look through. Eventually, my line started moving and I went past the curtain and into the place where the magic would happen. I put my stuff down on the table, and walked over to Matt Smith, sitting on a stool and flashing the peace sign to the camera. He sort of looked at me as I walked up, but didn't say hello or anything, and turned to the camera and the cameraman said something, the flash went, and the handlers were giving me a claim ticket and I grabbed my swag bag & his gift bag and kept walking.

I was pretty off put by the whole experience. In fact I was kinda pissed, and headed outside for a smoke & called my BFF to vent a bit. I tried to put a good face on it, and reassured myself that the autograph sesh would be better, and at least I'd get to say hi & give him my gift and maybe the Reader's Digest version of my lil speech. Surprisingly, the 8x10 of our photo op was ready, so I grabbed it and headed past Groups A-E, and lined up with some other folks for some crazy talk and people watching. More heady anticipation as we played a sort of Red Rover thing, everyone taking two steps over to the next set of Colored Floor Tape, as the Con staff passed out Post-It notes. I questioned them about it, and they told me to write any personalization I might want on it. I used my Sonic Screwdriver Ink pen to write my name. As we got to the rat maze tensa-barrier area, the Con Staff were getting increasingly loud about keeping things moving. As I got up to the front I noticed a long table with Matt Smith at the end, and about three handlers talking to the attendees, who handed up their items. When I gave my photo, the Post-It was peeled off and discarded & I was informed that there was no more time for personalizing, so I'd have a generic autograph. I watched the handler slide down my beloved photo, and Matt Smith smeared a sort of signature on it and pushed it down the line to another handler, who in turn pushed it over to me.

I have to say, it's a good picture

One of my friends was in the General admission line, and as I walked out she asked how it was. All I could say was "Grrl this fuckin SUCKS. $325 & I didn't even get to make eye contact with him." I walked out, fuming. My lil speech unsaid. My gift bag still in my hand. The rest of the day was similarly marred by the concessions stand running out of any po-boy fixings besides fried shrimp (no thanks, I'm allergic) and the nearby restaurant having no clean, empty tables, and a sort of line of famished-looking attendees, but no hostess or anything like that. I was so angry I could have puked. I wanted to apologize to every single person who sponsored this trip for not having more fun.

It did get better though. I ran into a friend in the front of the Alleged VIP line for Matt Smith's Q & A session, and I was glad to finally get to sit down and hear the man talk.Well, after we sat around for about 30 minutes, Wizard World Shill, I mean, MC, Tony Kim came out and announced that Sony was doing us a big favor and letting us see a trailer for their umpcoming blockbuster, Pompeii. 

I spent most of the time watching the projection screens on either side of the stage because I was sitting behind a tall dude and would have had to lean over the Ho that fell asleep in her chair next to me to see. Also, some dude with an analog camera was clicking photos on high speed film sitting behind me every few minutes, while prolly a 3rd of the audience were taking video of him like they were videographers. UGH. Well, eventually we got to the questions. He fielded such hot topics as "What is your favorite animal?" (he had a list of 5, including otters and badgers) and "What other show would you want to be on?" (this is when many other fans felt the need to suggest things, like Sherlock, the Real World, oh bitch I don't know what all), and pretty soon, I was walking out and ran into a casual friend who was kind enough to give me a ride home.

Srsly this bitch was sleeping

I wish this wasn't the story I had to tell. I wanted to be able to tell you all that today was everything I hoped it would be, and more. I'm still going back tomorrow, perhaps my lowered expectations will lessen any residual disappointment. I just want to say again how grateful and glad I am that I did this though. As my wise friend KC pointed out, it would have been so much if I hadn't gone & had to wonder What If for the rest of my life.

In the meantime, anybody wanna buy a scarf?