Day three at Gen-Con wasn’t quite as eventful for me. That’s not to say the convention had slowed down. Not at all! But since there was so much more going on, not as many people (surprisingly) were perusing the exhibitors’ hall.

My day started with me checking out the life-size Dalek the Who North America had on display. Then as I entered and walked by their booth (I arrived an hour before the hall opened), I had the privilege of meeting Nick Briggs, the producer of many Doctor Who audio dramas, but he’s most famous for providing the voice of the Daleks. I talked with him for a while and got a picture with him:

 

It’s a good thing I saw him when I did because I heard he was swamped later.

Next, I went back to the table of what looked to be a Christian ministry that reached out to the nerd/geek subculture, specifically gamers. It’s called GameChurch. I had seen their table the day before at closing time, so nobody was there. I talked with their rep, Rich Clark, for a while, learning more about their ministry. I also got a free “Jesus Loves Gamers” T-shirt and their tracts and business cards. I was very happy to see someone reaching out to a subculture the Christian church generally ignores or shuns. I learned by the end of the weekend that there are several others, but they have different niches. More on that in part four.

I spent most of the day selling books. I met some cool cosplayers while I was there. Not all of them bought books, but they were awesome nonetheless. My favorites were a young family. The dad was dressed as Captain America and his toddler son was Bucky! Check it out:

 

 

Cap is one of my favorite comic book characters, so I was excited to see them. The mom was wearing homemade fairy wings she made with green yarn and a coat hanger. (See the gallery when it’s posted).

Then there was this interesting character:

 

Where do I begin with her? For one thing, she jokingly said she was “God” since that was what her hat said. (I’ve sadly forgotten her name. If you see this, “God,” leave a comment and let me know your real name). She said her friends at the bar got it for her ten years ago. She oozed snide confidence. Regardless, she was cool and bought a copy of Pandora’s Box, as you can see.

I went to another Michael A. Stackpole seminar that afternoon. This one was called “21 Ways to Kill Your Novel.” Unfortunately, not only did I get to it late, Mr. Stackpole wasn’t able to list of 21 items before his hour was up. I did get notes on what I missed from a woman who sat next to me.

After killing some time photographing cosplayers and exploring, I went to the Westin Hotel for a TV writing seminar. I spent some time reading Trigun in the manga library. Then I attended a seminar called “Writing for Television,” which was taught by prolific screenwriter George Strayton. You may not recognize his name, but you’ll know his many credits, which include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess, and the new Star Trek movie, among others. Not only did I learn how to break into the TV writing business, I got some…interesting inside info on some very popular creators and shows in Hollywood. It was great.

Afterward, I decided I’d go to Gen-Con’s film festival, which was being held at the Westin. So, I went to a screening of an Australian superhero comedy called The Justice Squad. I went into it not knowing what to expect—and was pleasantly surprised. It was hilarious! A documentary film crew follows Australia’s only superhero team as they prepare for comic book tryouts, which is the ultimate prize for a superhero. I would describe it as The Office with superheroes. I met the director, David Lawrance, afterward. He said the American audience laughed more than the Australian one did, so he was pleased. I asked him what his favorite comic book was, and he said it was Watchmen by Alan Moore (because you all wanted to know that). The film isn’t on DVD yet, but he hopes to make it available soon. Here’s a photo of us:

 

He also has ideas for a sequel. Here’s the film’s IMDB page (ignore the low ratings), Facebook page, and trailer.

I left the Westin, navigated the Indiana Convention Center, and went back to the parking garage. Once again, I learned why I hate the things. I got lost, spending 10-15 minutes (maybe longer) wandering around trying to find my car. It wasn’t worth the hassle, I decided.

So ended day three.

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT TIME IN GEN-CON, DAY 4—I CHAT WITH A DALEK!