Ronin_S: Sounds a lot like what happens at Toronto, it gets worse every year. Why can't they just book the entire convention center?

Because they want more of your money and are willing to risk safety to do it?

I believe that the $495 was for a photograph autographed by all of the original cast members of The Next Generation.

That being said, I want to see more pictures of Malissa Sekela!

PS:

the original cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation for $495


"Four hundred ninety-fice dollahs? How about if I just got a photo with just Frankes and Sirtis for 125 bucks and just pretended we were at a "Disney's Gargoyles" convention? Or maybe just with Levar Burton for sixty and say I saw him at a booth for Reading Rainbow or somethin'?"

spiral_fishcake: As for the BO problems, if anyone has some ideas on how to get rid of it, I'd like to know. My teenage daughter has some friends over and they reek (I suggested spraying them all with Febreeze, but my Fiance said no).

Again, it's parenting. My brother and sister are both teachers, and can't understand why parents don't insist their kids use deodorant when they begin to need it. It's disgusting. The parents avoid the insistence of daily showers and proper hygiene and expect no one will notice, because the parents avoid the fact the kids are getting older.

dahmers love zombie: Some hardcore fans who had paid big bucks for photo ops with the Expo's various celebrity guests - including Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee for $50 and a picture with the original cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation for $495 - were also left fuming in the lines, uncertain as to whether or not they'd get their coveted shots.


Um, yeah. I'd be very hard pressed to figure out why I'd want to pay one-tenth of that. Wil, if you're reading this, what's the deal? How much of that does the con kick back to you, or do they pay you a set fee for showing up, and keep all of the fees? Because seriously, WTF?

The way it is phrased, it sounds like you get a picture with the entire cast with you for that price, not just a single actor.

But I wouldn't be surprised if that is not the case.

The $495 was indeed for the full cast, I think there were nine of them here - not sure if it also included the guy who played Q, as he was a surprise addition to the show.

rbaron71: I was there pretty much all weekend. Man, am I exhausted.

Crazy scene yesterday as I was leaving and no one was allowed in. Nerd rage is a righteous rage.

Highlights for me included Kate Beaton drawing a picture of my son and George Perez doing a sketch for me.

Calgary Expo's become a huge convention in a very short amount of time. I think the organizers have done a good job, but were unprepared for the magnitude it hit this year with the ST:TNG cast, Stan Lee, Adam West, and others. Some changes are certainly going to be necessary as this show continues to grow and rival other Comic-Cons worldwide.

Three years ago, it was a nothing show. Last year, it exploded. This year, total chaos.

They'll have to get some real help now. But quite honestly, I don't think anyone could've forecast this sort of growth.

Treeks.

Nikki Coubrough, 27, who was dressed as a female version of The Riddler from Batman comics...

And not a picture of that?

UsikFark: buckler: Captain Steroid: $495 for a TNG group shot? Is that U.S. or Canadian? O_o

I think you have to take them all to McDonald's too, but you'll regret it.

[www.dontberiker.com image 640x488]

God Dammit, if Patrick Stewart gets two milk shakes, *I* get two milk shakes! Change my order! CHANGE IT!!

I want a hamburger. No, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog, I want a milkshake...

*WHAP!*

You'll get nothing and like it!

Come on people. You're taking something I did years ago on a lark and making it a complete waste of time. You how old are you? Thirty? Have you ever kissed a girl?

/runs

Is it just me, or is Wil Wheaton old? If he is, then I am positively ancient.

/Waaaah!

CarnySaur: Nikki Coubrough, 27, who was dressed as a female version of The Riddler from Batman comics...

And not a picture of that?

There were a lot of hot geek girls in costume. Plenty o' boob on display as well as a fair share of bum cheek.

rbaron71: There were a lot of hot geek girls in costume. Plenty o' boob on display as well as a fair share of bum cheek.

Pics or it didn't happen.

Meh, so glad I didn't go. Good thing it wasn't the cast of Voyager or it would have been true bedlam.

rbaron71: The $495 was indeed for the full cast, I think there were nine of them here - not sure if it also included the guy who played Q, as he was a surprise addition to the show.

Im all about TNG, and I realize they gotta pay their bills, but $495...how about "holy motherfarking NO".

Was SO hot for Sirtis back in the day...

Captain Steroid: J. Frank Parnell: Captain Steroid: $495 for a TNG group shot? Is that U.S. or Canadian? O_o

1 Canadian dollar is currently worth 1.01924 American, so, do the math.

*does math*

[i1182.photobucket.com image 100x100]

*will not do math again*

Bro you picked the coolest username in all Farkdom

EngineerAU: This is why I stopped going to DragonCon. Four hours in line to pick up a ticket that they refuse to mail even though it was purchased eight months in advance is stupid. I'd say that all these cons need to be run by industry professionals instead of volunteers and the "well that's the way we've always done it" brigade but that'd probably just turn them all into ComicCon. There's got to be a balance somewhere between chaming but bumbling and corporate lockdown.

/Yes the Amiga was a nice computer for its time but you can't run a large scale modern event with it

THIS. Move it to the Sands in Vegas or something - jeez!

/Poison Ivy is hot.

This is why despite wanting to go to stuff like Comic-Con and PAX, I don't. I dont want to be squeezed into a writhing BO-laden biomass.

Obviously too many people "engaged"

Well if they aren't doing anything they should all go on tour...
Except the red head, she's due back in someones basement I hear.

$495 divided by 9.

fusillade762: And they've reunited before.

The voice recordings were not done together.

Sounds like it was run by WoTC/Andon (if they were still around)... they farked up Gencon pretty bad the one year that they were in charge and kept messing up lines and even one dude screamed at a lady in a wheelchair who drove up from Chicago and was guilty of LOOKING in a door at an autograph session (from quite a distance). Unbelievable! I'm glad those nazi asshats went out of business.

Wil = so buuuuusted! Nice jacket though, is he dressed as Patrick McGoohan?

rbaron71:
Highlights for me included Kate Beaton drawing a picture of my son

Speaking as a HaV fan... you lucky farker.

Nem Wan: $495 divided by 9.

fusillade762: And they've reunited before.

The voice recordings were not done together.

I know. I was just being cheeky.

Quick n' Dirty - here's a pic of George Perez along with my son and me (and Batman).

rbaron71: Quick n' Dirty - here's a pic of George Perez along with my son and me (and Batman).

[p.twimg.com image 600x450]

Now that's cool. And I'm sure he didn't charge you $50 just to take his damn photo.

I gave up on these monstercons many years ago. Just too exausting and a pain in the ass dealing with the crowds. At nearly fifty I'm getting too old for that crap.
The only one I still bother with is a local Steampunk convention of about 1500 or so. At least half the attendees are older people, so its a fairly laid back event.

Show up early.

Buy a VIP pass if you don't want to stand in lines.

VOLUNTEER.

I did the latter, and had a great time despite the long days/crowds. We missed a few panels on our wish list, but luckily the folks we really wanted to see (Wil and Adam Baldwin) were both super nice and let us stop in and say hello and thank you when things were wrapping up.

We were never over sold, but there were a few areas of congestion and that was what had the Fire Marshal concerned. Today they limited the number of Sunday Passes to be purchased just to make sure anyone who got stuck outside with a Saturday pass would get a chance to visit today.

All in all an awesome experience, and we'll be back next year to volunteer again!

friday night was tame
saturday we didn't get in - were there at 1230 and waited til 2 b4 we decided to bail - missed some wicked good panels and the costume contest
sunday - organized lines to get in - they stopped ticket sales - busy/crowded/but manageable and a good finish with the patrick stewart hour.
i think they learned the lesson they needed to - sucks that we all paid the price for it

Meanwhile, DragonCon keeps finding more hotels to host panels that will distract visitors with "ooh shiney"

hogans: How the hell did Gates McFadden get out of the chains in my basement?

She MacGuyver'd your asthma inhaler, Sparky, and sent a signal to the cops via corn chip crumb smoke.

J. Frank Parnell: Captain Steroid: $495 for a TNG group shot? Is that U.S. or Canadian? O_o

1 Canadian dollar is currently worth 1.01924 American, so, do the math.

Unlikely. Most Americans can't count to potato to judge by their collective debt.

Here's a link to a photo gallery of the costumes this year. Enjoy, go easy on the Kleenex.

Calgary Expo

rbaron71: Quick n' Dirty - here's a pic of George Perez along with my son and me (and Batman).

[p.twimg.com image 600x450]

You're the tall bald guy, right? So you traded your son to shorter, hispanic Perez in exchange for a sketch?

I know artists are charging more at cons, but this is ridiculous.


/He could at least have done it in color.

That'll be $1500....

...worth every penny.

bill4935: rbaron71: Quick n' Dirty - here's a pic of George Perez along with my son and me (and Batman).

[p.twimg.com image 600x450]

You're the tall bald guy, right? So you traded your son to shorter, hispanic Perez in exchange for a sketch?

I know artists are charging more at cons, but this is ridiculous.


/He could at least have done it in color.

I'm not hispanic!

I'm from Toronto - it's a common error.

manitobamadman: Angry nerds, ha ha

Simpsons did it.

pSPAZz: We were never over sold, but there were a few areas of congestion and that was what had the Fire Marshal concerned. Today they limited the number of Sunday Passes to be purchased just to make sure anyone who got stuck outside with a Saturday pass would get a chance to visit today.

Umm...

And the best pic they could come up with was of Wheaton?

If I paid $500 to see B-list actors from the 80s I'd be pissed too.

/whether or not I got to see them

Creoena: Let's face it - when you reunite the entire cast of TNG, if you're using anything smaller than a football stadium, it's too small.

Wasn't it in what used to be called the Saddledome?
/if yes, that IS a football stadium..

fusillade762: overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fans pouring into the venue at once

the BMO Centre on the Stampede grounds

Seems fitting.

And they've reunited before.

[www.aceshowbiz.com image 425x315]

Yes, I have a question for Captain Kirk...in that episode where you drown your wife; Why are you so fat?

OMG bowing

strife: manitobamadman: Angry nerds, ha ha

Simpsons did it.

So did Cleveland show. Wish my phone would let me do pics. Loved Cleveland Jr in that episode.

dopekitty74: Creoena: Let's face it - when you reunite the entire cast of TNG, if you're using anything smaller than a football stadium, it's too small.

Wasn't it in what used to be called the Saddledome?
/if yes, that IS a football stadium..

No, the Saddledome still exists, and no.

/it's mostly used for hockey.

ExperianScaresCthulhu: fusillade762: overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fans pouring into the venue at once

the BMO Centre on the Stampede grounds

Seems fitting.

And they've reunited before.

[www.aceshowbiz.com image 425x315]

Yes, I have a question for Captain Kirk...in that episode where you drown your wife; Why are you so fat?

OMG bowing

They actually edited that line out when they re-ran the episode on Adult Swim. Which is the ONLY time they've ever done that to an FG ep.

rhiannon: pSPAZz: We were never over sold, but there were a few areas of congestion and that was what had the Fire Marshal concerned. Today they limited the number of Sunday Passes to be purchased just to make sure anyone who got stuck outside with a Saturday pass would get a chance to visit today.

Umm...

The BMO center's capacity is rated much higher than the number of tickets that were available for any given day, so there's a difference between selling out (or voluntarily stopping ticket sales as was the case) and being over sold.

It sounds just like FanExpo Toronto in the last 2-3 years.
As in "Fire marshals shut down the entrance because of overcrowding yet tickets are still being sold"
They've done that in 2009 and 2010 (very hot that year). 2011 was a bit less bad.

Is the Calgary Comic Expo run by HobbyStar, the Fan Expo guys ? It doesn't seem so, but they act like them.

And by the way, the major anime convention in Toronto, Anime North, enacted an attendance cap for this year. They've already sold all weekend passes, which makes it more larger than last year. And they're non-profit...

The year was 1995, the place, Jackson, Mississippi, having spent 10 hours on a bus, during which I had to twice violate my personal rule against relieving myself onboard a moving vehicle, I finally arrived at the 4th annual Dixie Trek Convention only to find that my idol, Wil Wheaton, decided he had better thing to do than show up and sign my action figure.

kendelrio: The year was 1995, the place, Jackson, Mississippi, having spent 10 hours on a bus, during which I had to twice violate my personal rule against relieving myself onboard a moving vehicle, I finally arrived at the 4th annual Dixie Trek Convention only to find that my idol, Wil Wheaton, decided he had better thing to do than show up and sign my action figure.



Dr. Cooper sees what you did there.