Houston truly is a must stop point for the sci-fi, comic, and anime industry. Space City Comic Con attracts some of the top names around and the convention this year did not disappoint. Saturday’s attendance hovered at around 15,000 attendees looking to have a great time. As this was my first Houston Con, getting to know some of the cosplay and fan groups in the area was definitely a top priority. Several groups representing Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who were in full representation and put on a great time for all.
One of the most popular panels at SCCC was for two of my favorite Doctor Who companions, Rory and Amy, better known as Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan. In a very entertaining hour-long Q&A, Gillan and Darvill discussed their time in the TARDIS, their current involvement in the DC and Marvel universes, and of course their own Doctor, Matt Smith. They were charming and very enjoyable to listen to. Definitely a fan favorite!
The highlight of our day of course was the photo-op with William Shatner, who was unequivocally the biggest draw to this year’s SCCC. His panel was full, as were all of his autograph sessions and photo ops. It was a real pleasure to meet Mr. Shatner in the very short amount of time we had with him, but as anyone who has done these photo ops before knows, that is the nature of them.
The vendors ranged from artists to authors, crafts to costumes, and the usual inventory of t-shirts, posters, and gifts to make everyone happy. There was even a lightsaber producing company offering high quality, extremely well crafted pieces for everyone from serious Jedi cosplayers to the casual fan.
For a seasoned geek such as myself, SCCC offered a lot of fun and variety, and it was great to meet some new people with the same passions and interests as my own. I am greatly looking forward to SCCC next year to see how they can build on this year’s success.
