Nordling here.
As far as comic book/science fiction/fantasy/horror/movie conventions go, obviously the king is San Diego Comic-Con. But there are various other conventions around the country that are awesome as well, for those of us who just can't make that trip to Geek Mecca every year. There's CONvergence in Minneapolis, which is actually run by some friends of mine and I've been dying to go for years; there's DragonCon in Atlanta, another event I've been wanting to cover, and I'm sure there are many others in your local area. I urge fellow geeks to attend those events and take part in your local communities - it's events like these that bring us fellow geeks together and it's just a lot of fun to go to.
In Houston, on Memorial Day weekend (May 25th through May 27th), we have Comicpalooza, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. I went last year, and I met some amazing people, including one of my favorite authors, Tad Williams. This year looks to be exceptional, with special guests like George Takei, Michael Biehn, Ernie Hudson, Peter Mayhew, Richard Hatch, Kevin Sorbo, and many others.
Plus, there's going to be a special event for charity - the Badass Celebrity Smackdown will feature some of your favorite actors playing laser tag for Impact A Hero, an organization that helps provide emotional and financial support for severely wounded troops back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Celebrities like Michael Biehn and Kevin Sorbo will be taking aim at those willing to donate, and there will also be a raffle for spots in the tournament.
And for all those STAR WARS fans out there who want to train like an actual Jedi, Nick Gillard, the fight coordinator, will be throwing a Jedi training seminar for those willing to test their Force against him. informaton on those events can be found by clicking here.
And then, there's ArcAttack, as anyone who went to Fantastic Fest a couple of years ago can attest:
ArcAttack will be performing at Comicpalooza this year, and I can't wait to see them.
It's going to be a great weekend; I'll be hosting a panel or two, and there's something for everyone there. You can check out the various guests, events, and activities at Comicpalooza's website, or follow them on Twitter for special announcements. Hope to see you all there Memorial Day Weekend.
