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Ghostbusters AND Doctor Who??? I’m there!!!
As you know over the weekend me and Skatronixxx Jr were away in Torquay. For those of you who live abroad Torquay is a seaside resort in south Devon (Devon is a county, it’s what we call regions of land like ‘States’ in America.) It’s famous for being a favoured retreat of the elderly, Agatha Christie fans (she came from Torquay and there is a museum to her within the town), Faulty Towers was also set and filmed here, so naturally you can imagine it’s normally a busy and thriving place. However our trip to Torquay was for none of these reasons, it was actually for an event called ‘Optimus’.
I know you’re probably thinking Optimus, that sounds like a Transformers convention right? Well actually you wouldn’t be a million miles away, it was for a locally based SciFi & Film convention. How did I come across such a local convention? Well I was on Facebook a couple of months ago, yes I know (boooooo Facebook) and I saw a picture that caught my attention. It was a picture of Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddmore from Ghostbusters), Stay Puft and a Tardis! Yes Ghostbusters and Doctor Who in one picture, how could I not be interested. If you don’t know me well enough already, here’s a heads up there are two main fandoms that I care passionately about and that is Ghostbusters and Doctor Who!! I looked at the photo and it said ‘Optimus Convention, 1st of August, Torquay Riveria Centre’. I was like hmmmm I haven’t heard of this one but any convention that uses Ghostbusters and Doctor Who in it’s logo must be worth a quick look. I should say at this point I thought the inclusion of Ernie Hudson was just because they were having a Ghostbusters presence at the event, like when you goto London Film and Comic Con and they have the amazing ‘UK Ghostbusters’.
I click on the website and wait for it to load and as I skim over the website I see there’s the usual convention guests aka. Chris Barrie and Colin Baker, then the page scrolls across and it’s Ernie Hudson. Yes Ernie ‘freaking’ Hudson as a guest, I sit there open mouthed for about five minutes and take in that one of my heroes was at a convention in the UK and what’s more he was in a convention not in London but down the road from where I live. How could I say no, not only that but there was also Mark Bryan Wilson aka Slimer and Billy Brian aka Stay Puft. That was it, I was sold, the chance to meet Ernie Hudson, Mark Bryan Wilson and Billy Bryan was too much to pass up. I bought my tickets on the spot fearful that the tickets might soon be sold out.
For the next couple of weeks I was thinking about the convention as I have not been to the Optimus one before, I was like, what would it be like? Would it be busy? Would there be hours of queues like at other conventions I’ve been too? As the days came closer, I got more and more excited but also more and more scared that I would fanboy out when I meet one of my heroes or worse yet what if he wasn’t nice. I used to work in music and had the pleasure of meeting quite a few famous bands most were awesome, but there was a few who’s music I loved but when I met them, they were so far up themselves they became inside out as as you know I’m not like that. I already knew that someone who was in Ghostbusters and shares my view on the remake couldn’t be that bad but you still worry!
Let’s fast forward to the day of the event and me arriving, as we walk up a steep road with Skatronixxx Jr in his buggy, I hear a noise, it’s a siren but not just any siren, it was the Ghostbusters siren! Like a moth to a flame I was drawn towards the sound with a smile on my face, a grin bigger than the cheshire cat. I get closer and see the event but no queue. Were we the first people to arrive? If you’ve been to a larger event you know that at 9am the queue is usually a few hundred people long and it looks like a mix of the Justice League of America, the entrie Marvel Universe with a few whovians and GoT fans thrown in for good measure. No there was a few people scattered about and queing but they were all wearing the trademark brown suits with packs on thier backs. They were Ghostbusters! My kinda people, we queue up for about five minutes before going to the area. I was surprised at the quickness of the queue and the efficiency of the staff on this part.
Let’s do this Skatronixxx Jr! What you talking about daddy???
Outside the venue the sound was coming from a car that resembled a converted Morris Minor that had been turned into Ecto-1 with various Ghostbuster cosplayers outside. The car although it was not the same model as Ecto-1 was still damn impressive and I liked the guys commitment to the cause. The fact that they were also willing to pose with me and Skatronixxx Jr for a quick snap was a testament to thier awesomeness.
Ecto-1 UK Style!
We move towards the main arena and see another recongnisable car it was the BTTF DeLorean, just sitting there with no cord or barrier around it, now I know it probably wasn’t THE DeLorean but it was a damn impressive sight and needless to say after another quick photo we made our way inside. The first thing I saw and heard as I entered the building was a Doctor Who cosplayer dressed as Colin Bakers’ Doctor walking around saying ‘I’m lost this place is bigger than the Tardis’. We head through the main arena and then turn right, upon turing right I see the Scarlett Witch, Jack Sparrow and Wolverine drinking coffee and am like ah ok this must be the drinks area. Instead we turn left and enter the main hall.
Yay DeLorean 🙂
As we enter we are greeted by the sight of Ecto-1 just sitting there in all it’s glorly. I have been lucky enough to already see Ecto-1 that was at LFCC 2014 but this was different, whereas I was able to touch the Ecto-1 at London it was whilst being surrounded by other people and did not make a good photo oppertunity. Needless to say we pounced on this chance and after a few quick photos infront of Ecto-1 we made our way around the hall. Upon turning right we the people that me and Skatronixxx Jr were going to be meeting later sat at thier respective signing tables (Mark Bryan Wilson and Billy Bryan) and on next table along was Ernie Hudson! As he was the main headliner of the event I almost expected him to have his own section but he was quite happy to sit with everyone else and even take a few selfies with them too. I thought straight away he seemed like a pretty cool guy.
Who doesn’t love Ecto-1?
As we made our way from the signing tables we head towards the trader stands, the first stand I see saw some pretty dangerous looking knives and swords and needless to say I moved swiftly on. The next stand was a jewelery one and had various assortment of nerdy type jewelery, if I was a girl I would have been in my element as I came across things like scrabble wrist bangles and lego earrings. The next stand was a t-shirt stand and as many of you know I have set up Skattees, I looked at the t-shirts admired thier handy work and moved swiftly on. The next stand I was pleased to see at an event and I wish more events and conventions would have these kind of stands, it was one for the ‘Cat Protection League’. I often think that these kind of stands would be good at bigger events and was glad that this event had one, it further cemented my view that this was my kind of event as it had a nice mix of Ghostbsuters, Doctor Who and charity events. As we walk further along we come across more traders, the usual kind of things, brick-a-brack and, clothing and funko pops! At the back were some more signers, the most notable being James Cosmo who played Jeor Mormont ‘Lord Commander Of the Night’s Watch’. Now this was quite an amusing sight seeing such an impressionable character from GoT in a t-shirt but hey these people are people too. As we circle the hall we come across various other guests and stands.
EEP! Looks scary :S
I look up and see probably some of the best cosplayers from Planet Of The Apes, I’ve ever seen and try to figure out how we get up stairs with a buggy. Upon doing another lap of the building , the lift is spotted and we head up to the upper level. On the next level up are more signees and more tradestands. Optimus organisers if you are reading this, I get why you had the guests spread out but next year PLEASE keep them together, trust me this is a proven plan and it works! I personally did not like the fact that the guests were spread out but chose not to dwell on this too much. On the top level I see yet another charity stand, this one was for children and as you know being a parent I have a quick look and quick chat before moving on. The next stand was a Japanese food stand, now luckily I have a cousin who lives in Toyko so I had seen some of this stuff online before but rather than marvel at the chocolate pandas I saw my eyes drift towards something green. It was Slimer! Yes the Slimer 🙂 one of my childhood heroes, I’m sorry but Casper had nothing on Slimer. This was the stand for the Uk Ghostbusters, I try to get a look but naturally as you can imagine Slimer is quite a big star and had all the Ghostbuster cosplayers swarming around him 😉
SLIMER!!! Oh yeah and Wall-E 😛
After a couple more trader stalls we run into the POTA cosplayers and got an even better look upclose at these costumes and let me tell you they were amazing! I have seen POTA cosplayers before but not to this extent, everything was so detailed the clothes, the skin, the fur! Behind the cosplayers we saw the flash of a camera and was drawn across to see a T2 and an Alien statue, after another quick pose and photo we were interupted by GANGHAM STYLE? As I look over the balcony we see a steampunk Dalek Khan fully lit up like a boy racer and dancing to Gangham style I kid you not. It had to be seen to be believed. Unfortunately I was too entranced by this to get a video :’o( Rookie mistake I know
Awesome POTA cosplayers with some Terminator and Alien statues
We had back downstairs and see a fully lit up R2D2 move across the floor and decide to follow it to the next room. In the next room there are more signers mainly cosplayers, comic book artists and a few martial artists along with a few more charity stands. On the door pointing downwards there was a sign that read ‘Photoshoot’. I quickly look downstairs to see about 40 long winding stairs that are impossible to carry Skatronixxx Jr down and think how will I get down there! In todays society you would have expected to have the photoshoots in a place with disabled and parent and baby access. This was again another sour note on an otherwise positive day. Going back into the arena, we see Ernie Hudson, a quick head nod is exchanged between me and him as he is escorted in one way and I head in the other. Wow Ernie Hudson acknowledged me, yay!! *FANBOY MOMENT!!**
Us with R2D2, a Dalek that danced to Gangham Style (seriously) and a steampunk R2D2
The next mission was to find a way to get Skatronixxx Jr downstairs for his photoshoot, we circle the arena before heading back to the lift and inside the lift we meet a friendly janitor who offers to show us a way, which is pushchair friendly for the photoshoots. As we head a side entrance of the building we quickly scope it out before coming back later.
Awesome Dr Who props! Look a Union Jack Dalek
The first photoshoot of the day was with Ernie Hudson, there was about 10 of us in the queue and before the photo, Ernie comes out and personally thanks us all for coming, asks how we are doing and shakes our hands. Before he gets to myself he see’s Skatronixxx Jr remarks on how awesome and friendly he is and gives him a high five, yes Ernie Hudson high fived my son :oD *FANBOY MOMENT2!!** The queue moves quickly along until it is mine and Skatronixxx Jr’s turn. For those of you wondering why I took him along to see one of my heroes, the main reason was that I love my son and want to share my fandoms with him. I would have felt bad if I had a photo when he was there without him, so up we both go for out turn. After another quick chat, nothing…. the photographer utters the immortal line ‘It’ll just be a second’. I take this oppertunity to have a five minute chat with Ernie where we discuss how he’s finding this part of the country, the event and more about my son. After another high five for my son the photographer is ready, then FLASH, before I get a chance the photo is taken. I wait patiently to see what it looks like, the chance for a photo with hero and the end result is me fanboying out mid pose looking like the leader of UKIP aka Nigel Farage or as comedian Russell Howard says a ‘scared turtle’ noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. The iconic photo with my hero and he I look like a constipated turtle **AWKWARD FANBOY MOMENT!!**, I was visibly distraught and upset the photographer had not given me more of a chance to get ready GRRR. Instead of focusing on the negatives, I look on the positive that I had met my hero, he was awesome, he high fived my son and whereas most other people said a quick ‘hi and bye’ I was able to chat to him for five minutes.
Using this new found confidence, me and Skatronixxx Jr walk into our photoshoot with Mr Stay Puft he seemed like an awesome guy but was not in the mood to sadly chat and after a quick hi and bye we were out of there. This photo came out a lot better tho I’d like to add 😉
The last shoot was with Mr Slimer and there was just me and the other guy from the last shoot, yes there was only two of us, I could not get over this fact that out of so many Ghostbuster cosplayers on site, only me and this other guy had taken this oppertunity. Unfortunately after a full day of taking photo’s the camera was slighly worse for wear AGAIN! After a 15 minute wait the only other person had a lengthy chat with Mr Slimer about the same things I had the chance to moments earlier with Ernie Hudson. Alas me and Skatronixxx Jr were too busy wrestling to make the most of this oppertunity. Again the photo came out good, I’m getting better at this posing stuff and we were on our way.
It was so worth it to meet these 3! Check out my awesome fanboy moment with Ernie Hudson haha
So what did I think of the Optimus Convention, well first up let me start with the bad, there was no way for people in wheelchairs, disabled or parents with buggies to get to the photoshoots. As we were told by a member of staff when trying to enter, the way we were shown by the very helpful cleaner was for VIP only and if we wanted to come back down we had to negotiate the entire building and down the 30 odd steps! Come on people be reasonable!!! The second bad point was the photographer was very slap dash and rather than actually check the photo is was ‘click’ and away you go, the third was only niggly but the fact the guests weren’t all sat together. This made it hard to find certain people.
Now that’s been and gone out the way let’s take the positives, first of all very friendly signees and cosplayers, which is always good! There was a family atmosphere that I liked this. Whereas certain mentioning no names ‘big events’ you may feel like you’re in a cattle where you get moved along from stand to stand, there wasn’t that. Now if that was because it was a small convention or a newish one, I hope it doesn’t lose it, especially with those charity stands too. The guests (most of them) were very friendly especially Ernie Hudson and he further cemented my proof that he is a more awesome Ghostbuster and person than Bill Murray. Sorry Bill but it’s true.
Will we go next year? Well if you get Dan Ackroyd, we’ll not only be there but camped out front! That’s your challenge don’t let us down 😉
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