Family makes trek to memorable Comic-Con
Acouple weeks ago our family may have traveled a mere hour and a half, but we arrived among inhabitants from other worlds, or other universes, to be more exact.
It may have been in part for an article for this newspaper, but the summer was nearing an official end and we had yet to pack our bags and travel for a weekend away as a family.
A two-night hotel stay — no visiting relatives, no birthday parties, no battling traffic in between attractions — and the promise of pool time and Pokémon play and each of us relished the thought enough to make it a reality: Comic-Con Palm Springs or bust.
From the moment we were greeted by valets dressed in Comic-Con attire, I knew we had made the right decision.
It’s the premiere year and I’ll admit, we were both a little wary of committing to accompanying three school-age children to an event the likes of which they could not imagine. My husband introduced me to Comic-Con International: San Diego years ago. It was popular back then — more so than when he had first began attending — but the rise in visitors and increased ticket costs led to our last visit in nearly 10 years.
I sported our then-only child in a carrier in front of me (I have the photos of the storm trooper beside me to prove it) but as much as I enjoyed our meet-and-greets with stars of our beloved sci-fi favorites, navigating the crowds with one, let alone three, child prevented us from returning and left us ogling the posts from others each year.
There’s something about attending a conference of like-minded souls. It doesn’t matter if it’s for business or pleasure.
There’s a connection among “con”-goers: the excitement, the appreciation, the ability to lose oneself if for only a couple days in a closed environment dedicated to one subject. I’ve seen it in business and in fandom alike.
We didn’t have one negative experience from the staff to the exhibitors to the cosplayers more than happy to pose in character. So much so, that I’d say our experience far exceeded our expectations.
My daughter somehow netted a goodsized stuffed My Little Pony from a kind and generous player within the gaming room.
Our boys were satisfied with gaming with like-minded boys and girls their age and those older. My husband caught a glimpse of the great Stan Lee.
We took in a couple panels and met talent behind the art and stories of the latest rendition of “My Little Pony” (popular with all my children).
My personal favorite, the Symphony Pop concert, was not only the perfect introduction for our children to live orchestral music, but they thoroughly enjoyed it themselves.
Visually and auditorily stimulating, the sounds of “Star Wars,” “James Bond” and “Ghostbusters” solicited not only attention but rave response by the crowd afterward.
There were some moments that took me by surprise. I heard a high-pitched, indistinguishable sound coming from around the corner … and then more indistinguishable groans and moans.
Should I peek into the gaming room and forewarn my kids to stay within? And before I could decide, they traveled toward our location: zombies en masse haphazardly making their voyage around the building.
It was a spectacle I’m glad my kids (nearly) missed, but it was an altogether peaceful one at that.
The kids managed a couple visits to the free video game/pinball room and once again, I found the room’s inhabitants happy and peaceful and willing to share.
We were sad to go. Two days flew and there was so much more we could have done. We vow to return and if it’s anything like it was in its premiere, I’m sure we won’t be disappointed.