WorldCon San Antonio 2013

Yes, that’s the correct date: 2013.

In 2 years, The World Science Fiction Convention (AKA WorldCon) will be back in San Antonio. This will be in my backyard as its only 300 miles away.

Unlike a lot of conventions or even a lot of events that call themselves ‘World’, WorldCon is a traveling act.  Just like the Olympics, the host city changes every time. Each year, there are cities bidding to be the host city for the convention.  The bidders are usually a small group of hard core fans that run a local convention and feel the need to try their hand at the big time.

#SDCC Post Con Activities

It’s been a month since SDCC ended.

You’re not sitting on the couch are you?  You’re not eating cheeze balls from your gallon size plastic canister while you wait for all of the cool movies and TV shows you saw there to come out are you? 

Did you really unpack or did you just pull out the stuff you needed for work the next day?

Unpack the stuff you got from SDCC.  Those clothes really do need washing.  You need to do that now. 

It’s triage time.

SDCC Ray Bradbury Part II

The next year, both Ray and I returned to SDCC. I still wanted to get both of my old books signed and give one of them to a childhood friend.  This year my wife attended with me as she was jealous about all of the fun I had the previous year.

Basically it was the same story as the year before, people got in line about 3 hours early. This time I joined them that early. I was prepared and I hoped being closer to the beginning of the line would get me out sooner and I could get other things accomplished afterward. Again they were limiting the books to one but you could buy his auto.

A cute young girl sat next to me in line. She was 20-ish and talkative. She bought a copy of Fahrenheit 451 and was browsing it.  At some point we started talking.  She mentioned her friend was interviewing Bradbury for the college newspaper and she had a chance to be there for that.  She decided she wanted to do this instead.  She thought she didn’t want to just be another person at the interview where she would be forgotten as soon as the interview was over.

SDCC Ray Bradbury part I

When I first came across a mention of ComicCon (SDCC) many years ago, I found it very intriguing. It seemed like one of those bucket list things you might do someday.  Being an autograph collector it seemed like sensory overload but a wonderful opportunity.  Since it was in San Diego and I was in Texas it didn’t seem like it would ever happen.

Then I saw one name that shifted my whole perceptive: Ray Bradbury.  I won’t claim to be a huge fan. I haven’t read everything he wrote. I don’t sit down with others and discuss the impact of Dandelion Wine on my young ego or how the Illustrated Man is social commentary unique to people influenced by Middle America. That’s not me.

George R R Martin – The Game of Thrones SDCC

A few years back, before the Games of Thrones series came out, George R R Martin was at SDCC for a signing.

While I knew who he was I never read any of his work. For the most part he writes fantasy and I read science fiction almost exclusively. If you don’t read either genre, then you must be thinking it’s all the same.  It’s not.  They are very different and there is enough material in both genres to have sub-categories. I’m one of those readers that enjoys sci fi and particularly hard sci fi; meaning its more ‘science’ based than ‘fiction’ based.

When I heard that Martin was going to be at SDCC I figure this was a great gift opportunity.  I often get a book signed and just give it to a friend. Sometimes I wait for Christmas or a birthday but I usually just send it unannounced in the mail. 

Reebok 2011 Heroes of the Game - Frisco

This is a charity baseball event that Mike Modano holds every year at the DR Pepper Park in Frisco, TX.  Mike gets a mixed of football, baseball, and celebrities to play in this event.  The money goes to Mike Modano Foundation which helps kids.

If you know me, football players do nothing for me. I was there for the celebrities.

If you don’t know Mike Modano, he’s the role model for sport stars – good looking, rich, and a very nice guy. He always stops for fans and attends lot of local charity events and you never hear about him getting arrested at 2AM.

When I told my wife about Mike being there, she wanted to attend. Kae, like every other woman in the DFW area, has a big crush on Mikey Mo.  What’s there not to like?