A typical bucket list consists of things like skydiving, seeing the pyramids, setting foot on every continent. Yet close to the top of mine was going to a convention.
Working in a typical office environment, conversations revolve around Coronation Street and E.R. Shows like Eureka, Supernatural, and Arrow simply don’t make the cut.
I always knew a convention would be amazing – geeking out with like minded people. Yet year after year I let it slide. Until last year, when I learned that two stars from my all time favourite show, Warehouse 13, would be in attendance. Nothing could keep me from MCM Comic Con 2015 in Dublin last August.
And so it was that two of my best friends and I found ourselves rising at a ridiculous hour on a Saturday morning and driving to Dublin.
We joined the queue at the RDS arena around ten. The people ahead of me were dressed as Ramona Flowers and Jack Skellington. I was amongst friends.
And then we were inside. Stalls stretching out displaying their nerdy wares. Characters from television, books, comics, and games milling around the hall. The back wall was lined with the actors. This was it. Everybody was so friendly. Photographs were taken with skilled cosplayers, and I had so many conversations about shows and movies with complete strangers.
But the day was only going to get better. We were lucky enough to snag seats right at the front and centre of the hall for the Warehouse 13 panel, where both Eddie McClintock and Allison Scagliotti were the perfect guests – they seemed genuinely happy to be there, and Eddie actually moderated his own panel – we walked away having decided that he does not just play Pete Lattimer, he is Pete Lattimer.
Photographs were next, followed by autographs. The highlight of the autographs, and perhaps the entire day, came from Eddie. My friend asked him if he could sign a picture for her sister, who was unable to join us. Eddie took a different approach. He rang my friend’s sister and sang to her.
We then decided to leave, as evening was setting in and both hunger and tiredness were beginning to show themselves. To say we enjoyed our experience would be an understatement. We were thoroughly smitten by it all, and we can’t wait to go to our second con later this year.
Words by Noel Gleeson
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
