UBCon 2011

University of Buffalo
April 8-10, 2011

My first convention of 2011, and it was pretty groovy. Except for the speeding ticket.

I couldn’t wait to come back to UB Con, as last year was an amazing experience. Unfortunately, everyone I went with last year couldn’t make it. Even my roommate had work, so it was just me. What was nice though is that a lot of people remembered us and asked where everyone else was.

The big guests this year where Richard Horvitz and Rik Simmons . . . That’s right, Invader Zim and Gir. Now, I like Invader Zim, but I’ve gotta say, some of the fans are obsessive. The sheer number of people shouting random quotes was kind of overwhelming. It didn’t help that the first day, I was sitting two tables down from them. That should have helped me, but people would run up to the Zim guys, then run the opposite direction. Basically, I had very few people stop by to see me the first day. Except for Nate, one of my readers. He has the coolest TeeFury shirt that I totally kick myself for not getting. (Calvin and Hobbes as Han Solo and Chewie.)

The second day was totally awesome. The first day there were only a few people in artists alley, but the second day the room was packed. One girl set up next to me doing watercolor commissions that looked pretty amazing. I didn’t flip through much though due to the “yaoi” warning . . . But I’m always impressed when people do good watercolors. On my other side was two nice folks with some AWESOME stickers and buttons. I bought Scott Pilgrim buttons and a few stickers, as well as got a Serenity button in exchange for some little connector dealys for the wire grids we were both using. (I had extra, they needed some. They gave me a button. Sweet!) I also got me a Jayne hat custom made to fit my giant head from another artist.

Sunday was slow, but still fun. I got Zim and Gir’s autographs for my buddy Kurt. I did a pretty fun commission of the 10th Doctor and Donna Noble, and sold a few t-shirts. I’d say the con was profitable, but I don’t know how much my speeding ticket is yet . . .

Oh, right, the speeding ticket. Friday, I was on my way to Buffalo and had a lot on my mind. I wasn’t paying attention to how fast I was going and ended up getting pulled over. Totally embarrassing, as I’m usually a good driver. It’s my first ticket, and hopefully my last. Luckily the con was awesome enough to more than make up for my stupidity.

Photos
My table. It’s looking empty because I was like, the third guy to get there and set up. I changed up the setup for my table this year, since the big wire frame things I used to use were a pain to carry around. These new collapsible grids were so much easier to set up.

Heather from Silent Hill 3. I was reminded of Silent Hill: Promise, as well as my friends love of these games, so, like, I had to take the pic.

Skettis. This was a really amazing Warcraft cosplay.

Me and a Kaylee. On Saturday I was dressed as Hoban “Wash” Washburne from Firefly. There was a Kaylee. Photos were taken. It was shiny.

Ramona Flowers. There were a ton of Scott Pilgrim cosplayers at UBCon. I tried to get ‘em all.

The Nostalgia Cri-chick? A crossplay Nostalgia Critic. I said “Bat Credit Card” and she reacted with appropriate anger and venom. Very nice.

Knives, Gideon Graves and Roxy Richter. More Scott Pilgrim cosplayers.

Sentry Gun #1 – There was an Engineer walking around with this impressive sentry gun.

Sentry Gun #2 – Another view of the gun.

One half of the Katanagya Twins. The other one was last seen being used in a vending machine. (Get it? When exes in Scott Pilgrim get beaten, they turn into change? . . . . It’s a joke . . . Never mind . . . )

“Mike has startled the Pilgrim.” A Scott Pilgrim from Scott Pilgrim. And me making what I’m assuming is a Left 4 Dead reference. I’m really tired when I’m writing these descriptions, can you tell?

The Doctor. Now this guy was fantastic! He went around with the fez, a mop and was handing out Jammy Dodgers. And he bought a copy of my Mad Doctor print. Nice chap.

More Pilgrim-mania. A group of SP cosplayers sat on the couch across from my table and I snapped this shot. They weren’t posing for it, or expecting me to take the picture, but it looks pretty cool. Almost like something out of the book.

Blind Mag. There needs to be more Repo! cosplay.

Token. Yes, Token. From South Park. Sweet!

The Doctor\Donna Commission. Someone asked for a commission of the 10th Doctor and Donna “doing something like, I dunno, fighting crime.” So they got “He’s the Doctor. She’s Donna. Together . . . THEY FIGHT CRIME!” . . . I had to get Brian to text me reference pics. I need a laptop for cons so bad . . .

NCIS. My roommate Brian loves NCIS, but he wasn’t able to make it to UBCon, so I knew I had to take this photo or else he’d kill me.