Geek Road Trip!

 We took our first geek road trip as a family this weekend - down to Kansas City for Planet Comicon.(Well, technically, Overland Park, Kansas.) We decided to make it a day trip on Saturday, which was pretty ambitious considering it's about 3 1/2 hours each way. Both kids took the car ride amazingly well, even did some napping.

I got Gil Gerard and Erin Gray autographs - geekgasm!

 We had never been to Planet Comicon before, but this year's guests were a big draw: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray and Felix Silla (Twiki) from Buck Rogers - my absolute favorite TV show as a kid; Edward James Olmos; and Lando himself, Billy Dee Williams!

 This convention was a lot of fun! I don't know how attendance has been in past years, but this one was packed! The crowds were daunting at times, but convention staff did the best they could to move people through, opening new lines when registration backed up, and answering questions and directing people where they needed to go. The main panel room was packed for Billy Dee's and Edward James Olmos' talks, but it was large enough to accomodate everyone, although the sound system could have been better. (Or maybe Billy Dee Williams just mumbles.) The main problem with the room, called the Atrium because of the ceiling of skylights, was out of the convention staff's control - on an unlikely 80 degree day in March, the skylights turned a packed room into a sauna at times.

Billy Dee Williams, at maximum zoom from waaaaay in the back

 I didn't hear much of Billy Dee Williams talk (I was in the back with a fussy baby) but what I heard was entertaining. The biggest response came from an audience question, What from your body of work do you most want to be remembered for? and his answer: "Colt 45!"

Edward James Olmos was a wonderful speaker, you could tell he was really enjoying himself. He answered questions about Miami Vice, Battlestar Galactica, and everything in between, and wrapped up his talk with a rousing round of "So say we all!" (for you non-geeks, it's a Battlestar thing.)

Edward James Olmos

Boy and Daddy with stormtroopers

Boy and me with Emperor Palpatine (you can't tell because of robe shadow, but he has the best facial prosthetics I've ever seen on an Emperor costume)

My favorite part of any convention is always the costumes, and some of the participants here really went all out. Here are photos of some of my favorites.

Pinkie Pie the Stormtrooper

The shortest Optimus Prime ever

Avengers Assemble!

The Penguin and Poison Ivy

Mojo Jojo

Captain Barbossa, complete with undead monkey puppet

No, it's not Billy Dee, just a really good Lando costume