In which I geek out

Karen Gillan and Matt Smith in PHILLY! 

I don't typically let my geek flag fly as much as some bloggers do, but when I learned that the 11th Doctor and his companion Amy Pond were going to be in MY city, well...it was something that could not be missed.

This was my very first Comic Con. I don't read comic books. Superheroes...I can take 'em or leave 'em. Other than Wii Fit and online puzzle games, I don't really play video games either.

Waiting for the Dr. Who panel with the fourth Doctor!

But I was totally willing to rub elbows with the geekiest of geeks for a chance to see Matt Smith and Karen Gillan live. They have great chemistry, love to laugh, and are just so thankful to have been a part of SciFi's longest-running TV series. The Q&A session ran 90 minutes, and fans asked lots of really great questions beyond "what is your favorite memory?" I especially liked their thoughtful responses to what aspects of their characters do they wish there had been more time to develop. For Karen, it was the period when Amy went through four therapists trying to cure her obsession with "the raggedy man." Apparently the two have an ongoing rivalrly to see which can remember the season and episode number for the particular plots. (Matt won, I think.)

Over the years, these conventions have diversified, and now include all kinds of SciFi and fantasy cultural production, beyond comics and gamer culture. If you like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Dr. Who, Torchwood, Orphan Black, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Game of Thrones, or The Walking Dead you won't feel entirely out of place at a Comic Con.

"Cosplay" is the term for all the amazing getups you are likely to see. Here's a small sampling.

Name those characters...'cause I can't.

Tim the Enchanter: "what is your favorite color?"

The boy wonder at Panera!

Sean has been acting since 1981. He's a busy guy!

The convention floor is largely a giant geek supermarket, where you can trade in or purchase an entire comic collection, pick up a light saber in the color of your choice (teal anyone?), build an enormous t-shirt collection, get signed films posters without the hassle of stalking stars, and turn your hard-earned cash into a cache of geeky gadgets and knickknacks.

My husband, daughter and I spent two days at the con, the first largely on the convention floor, the second largely attending Q&A panels with various TV and film stars. In addition to Karen Gillan and Matt Smith from Dr. Who, we also heard James Marsters from Buffy, Angel, Torchwood and others; Sean Astin, who you might know best as Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings films; and finally, Firefly and Serenity stars Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion.

The Firefly panel was by far the most crowded--standing room only. For a show that ran only one season, over ten years ago, it was pretty surprising it has such an enormous cult following. I think part of what keeps the show alive is these two guys. They continue to do lots of convention appearances and are completely hilarious together. Tudyk does lots of voice work for animated films, so at times he answered questions as King Candy from Wreck It Ralph or as the Duke of Weseleton from Frozen.

One of the funniest things they did was give out signed gifts to anyone brave enough to come to the microphone and ask questions. And those gifts? Random items from Alan Tudyk's bag--old mugs, t-shirts, script pages, a pack of gum. If there's any lesson to be learned, it's that fans absolutely adore starts who are approachable and willing to be a bit silly.

Have you ever attended a Comic Con? What questions would you have asked any of the stars I saw?

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The Hobbit Second Breakfast Celebration

It's the 75th anniversary of the publication of this book:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt just released this special anniversary edition with Tolkien's originial cover. You've gotta love this product description:

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

If you've never tried any Tolkien, I urge you to pick up The Hobbit. It's wickedly funny, full of great character interactions, adventure and unexpected heroes. It's much faster paced than LoTR, and loads fewer pages to get the complete story.

In honor of The Hobbit's anniversary, I'm participating in The Hobbit Second Breakfast, in which we share our love of good food and good friends in true hobbit style. Since you friends are scattered across the globe, today's treats will have to be virtual and a feast for the eyes and imagination.

On the menu today:
Crisp waffles with fruit. (Just don't expect me to share the red raspberries.)

photo by DannySan, Flickr Creative Commons

A succulent, savory omlette, chock-full of veggie goodness and cheese.

photo by ukanda, Flickr Creative Commons

To make that toast on the side even better, your choice of spreads and preserves:

photo by KRebaud, Flickr Creative Commons

Juice in any flavor that you fancy. I'm torn between mango and kiwi...

photo by BaboMike, Flickr Creative Commons

And for the caffeine addicts, your choice of coffee or tea.

photo by fred pipes, Flickr Creative Commons

Stop and sit a spell. Tell me a story. When were you called on an unexpected adventure like Bilbo? Ever face a nemesis and outwit him or her? Ever take an awesome road trip with friends? Ever discover a hidden treasure?

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Coming tomorrow--a very Hobbit celebration

When I heard about The Hobbit Second Breakfast from my blogging pal Deniz, I knew I had to be all in. You might remember that I refer to my daughter as "Hobbit Girl" because she has curly hair, loves to build dens for herself and, of course, eat all day long. One of her first words was "Frodo" (she toddled in after a nap while we were watching one of the LoTR DVDs). I can't count how many times she has watched The Two Towers in particular. She adores Gimli, and is super excited about meeting more dwarves in the film version of The Hobbit, releasing this year. My family has watched so many of the DVD extras of the LoTR series, I feel like Richard Taylor is my personal friend. I can do a pretty good Kiwi accent now, too.

So what is The Hobbit Second Breakfast? A celebration of the 75th anniversary of the publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Participants are urged to have a very hobbity meal tomorrow morning.

Take a look at the poster below. Can you guess what's not quite right about the event?

Ahem, yes, the meal served at 11 a.m. is elevensies. Tsk, tsk. 

So when is "second breakfast"? I'd place it at roughly 8:30 to 9 a.m. That assumes an agricultural lifestyle, in which one rises at dawn, has first breakfast, cares for the animals, then comes in and has second breakfast.

I'll be celebrating with a big, virtual breakfast for you. Come on by to tell me about a favorite a.m. treat, or how Tolkien's fictional world has made an impact on your life.

When do you think "second breakfast" occurs? If you could pick one of Tolkien's cultures to live in, which would you choose?

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