Comic Con……those two words are enough to make any nerd quiver with excitement! I got to attend my first Comic Con this past weekend and I was not disappointed! This event took place at the Sheraton Hotel on Williston Rd. Burlington, VT September 19th and 20th, 2015. I don’t know what exactly I was expecting when I first showed interest in covering this event but let me tell you, it far exceeded those expectations! Here is my weekend at Vermont Comic Con in review.
From the time I entered the door I felt very welcomed by the staff. I got a glimpse of the event before the doors were opened to the general public so I took my time chatting with some of the vendors as they were finishing the setup of their booths.
My first Press Badge! This baby is going in a frame!
The bottom floor entrance was where The Valley CW was stationed. There they had a makeup artist applying cosplay makeup on people, and a photo booth in which you could have your picture taken with your selected CW backdrop. You can check out some of the photos in their gallery on Facebook here.
Once inside the ballroom, there was a lot more to see. There were several booths of very talented artists, including the Vermont Comic Creators, some of whom I was lucky enough to interview (be on the lookout on Wednesday for my interview with them at the Con, and in October I will be interviewing horror artist Matthew Sylvester!)
Celebrity Guests
There were several celebrity guests present at the con both on the floor for autographs and pictures, and in panels.
Nicholas Brendon (@NicholasBrendon) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Brian O’Halloran (@BrianCOHalloran) best known for Clerks and Clerks 2
Rochelle Davis (@1RochelleDavis) from The Crow
Other celebrity guests included:
- Scott Schiaffo (Clerks)
- Hawk Ustby (Iron Man, Expanse)
- Brimstone (Pro Wrestler)
Artist and Writer Guests
Bob Camp of Ren & Stimpy fame! #HHJJ (Happy Happy Joy Joy!)
Writer Jeremy Holt (@Jeremy_Holt)
Writer Matthew (matman) Herring, celebrating his new book The Unofficial Doctor Who Companion. Matt also does a podcast! Find out more below:
Other guests included:
- Joe Caramagna (Iron Man, Spiderman)
- Geof Isherwood (Marvel, DC Comics)
- Dan Parent (Archie)
- Cliff Rathburn (The Walking Dead)
- Joe St. Pierre (Marvel, DC Comics)
- Blair Shedd (Ghostbusters, Doctor Who)
- Charles Paul Wilson III (Captain America, My Little Pony)
VTCC Jr had several activities for the future generation of nerds. All day long there were coloring and activity tables, and face painting. There was also Jedi training with Sensei Nathan Porter of NEMA’s Martial Arts, learning how to draw cartoons, mask making, and a hula hoop challenge.
Vendors
Geekling Creations had several props, masks, sculptures, t-shirts, and pop art to sell. Visit their website or like them on Facebook!
D. P. Flanders – Manic Mart has an awesome selection of masks, horns, origami, sculptures, and prints. Visit their Etsy shop here, and Like them on Facebook!
Old Gold is a vintage store and costume shop. They had an awesome selection of costumes, wigs, props, and accessories. This was quite convenient for the people who thought they didn’t want to dress up in cosplay but then saw all of the awesome cosplay that other people were wearing. Visit their website here, Like them on Facebook, and Follow them on Instagram (@oldgoldvt).
Kreative Creations VT has fun, creative works of art! I have suddenly become obsessed with these perler bead 8-bit creations! Visit them on the web here, and Like them on Facebook.
Big Papa’s Collectibles Had perhaps the biggest selection of Lego figures I have ever seen! Visit them on Facebook, and Follow them on Instagram (@Bigpapascollectibles)
Delicias Chocolates, chocolatiers from Morrisville, VT. Visit their website here, and Like them on Facebook! (Perhaps Jen will include them in a future Nerdie Foodie Friday post *winky face*)
Divine Lights of Vermont fire and metal. They had a great deal of beautiful scale mail and jewelry on display, but they do so much more! Check out their Etsy shop here, and Like them on Facebook.
The Hungarian Wand Shop creates custom magic wands and accessories. Visit their website here, and Like them on Facebook.
Beth Robinson’s Strange Dolls! These really caught my eye when I was looking around upstairs. She handcrafts each of these herself. You can check out her shop on Etsy here, her WordPress blog here, and Like her on Facebook!
I was lucky enough to meet the lovely and charming Thea Lewis who wrote the book “There’s a Witch in My Sock Drawer!” She was also at VTCC promoting Queen City Ghostwalk, Vermont’s original Ghost Tour! There are three different tours available: The Darkness Falls Tour, Wicked Waterfront Tour, and Graveside Gatherings Tour. Visit the website here for locations and schedules. You can buy advance tickets through flynntix.org This definitely sounds like something right up my alley!
Ryan Steinmetz from Seven Layer Studios was at the Con promoting the Vermont Game Developers. This group helps aspiring game designers to achieve their dreams. There were some exciting things going on here such as a motion game. Visit sevenlayerstudios.com also Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter (@7LayerStudios), to see what they’re all about, and be sure to check out Vermont Game Developers.
Gemr is a collector’s community where people can share, discover, and sell collectible items. You can download their free app on Google Play and the App Store. Visit them on the web here, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter (@gemr), and Subscribe to their YouTube channel. They had on display one of the only 90 remaining copies of Nintendo World Championship, which they were allowing people to play. (Pictured is Rich playing…I won’t talk about how much it hurt inside to watch him play this game so badly…)
I could go on about the talented, friendly artists I met, but instead I will have you check out our Inspiration Monday post about them here! Also, I got to interview three of the artists Michael Waggoner, Gregory Giordano, and Robert Waldo Brunelle Jr who will be our featured guests for Nerds ‘R Us tomorrow so stay tuned!
I did make a few art purchases!
These signed prints were done by Jerry Rascoe!
This signed print was made by Jay Mooers!
Some 3D Printed art from Lyndon State College’s Visual Arts Program
I could also go on forever about all of the amazing cosplay, but instead I’ll ask you to keep an eye out later today for my VTCC Cosplay post.
All in all, I had a really great experience at this con. I had initially only planned on going Saturday but decided I wanted to come back again on Sunday (sans child!) so that I could really take everything in. I even periscoped for a bit while I was wandering the floors (if you have the app be sure to give us a follow if you are also following us on Twitter! And if you’re not following us Twitter then…..why not?! @nerdycurious )
Sunday seemed like the busier of the two days at the con. Upstairs there was also a gaming area in which nerds could buy games and then chill out and play them! There was one particular tabletop game I was looking at from Brap’s Magic. There were also many charity groups present at the event who we will be covering in Nerd It Forward.
I didn’t get a chance to meet the owner of the event, Jason Moulton, but I would like to thank him for giving me the opportunity to cover this event. As much as I would have liked to include every single vendor in this article, just know that you all left an impression on me!
Visit Vermont Comic Con on the web here, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter. I definitely look forward to coming again next year and watching this event grow year after year. It’s been real, nerds.
Until next time, stay nerdy my friends!
~Jaime
