A Year In Review: 2014 Convention Journey

All I can say is wow, what an incredible year! I realize I haven't posted anything since this time last year, but after reading this post, I think you'll see why. Work continues to keep me busy, but I also purchased my first home and everything pertaining to home ownership has, really, consumed a large chunk of my time spent away from work. My father and I have spent the past three to four months working on remodeling and renovating a house that has been in my family for roughly fifty years, and now it finally has a touch of Andrew Purdy. I couldn't be happier with the changes we made and how everything looks now.

Honestly, this was MY year. Earlier on, I knew home ownership was on the horizon, and I made it my goal to attend as many conventions as possible and meet as many of my favorite actors and actresses as possible. This ambitious mission took me to Chicago and back six times, twice to Indianapolis, once to St. Louis and Louisville, and down to Atlanta for the largest convention celebrating The Walking Dead. This post will be dedicated to those conventions and all of the fantastic people I met over the past 12 months. Here...we...go...

Walker Stalker Convention
Chicago, Illinois
March 14-16

Ah, the convention that started it all. Boy, this one seems like it was so long ago already. I was super pumped for Walker Stalker Chicago, the second convention added to "The Walker Stalkers" Eric and James' roster after the success of their first con in Atlanta at the end of 2013, and I went all out. The guest list kept expanding, I was going to start a bigger and better poster to collect signatures, I was on a cloud. They booked almost every current cast member from The Walking Dead and even had an impressive batch of supporting cast members. Stephen Amell and others from Arrow were also in attendance, as was Gwendoline Christie from Game of Thrones. This was one of the best conventions I have ever been to, and I cannot wait for their return to Chicago in February 2015. I also set a personal record with 17 professional photo ops taken in one weekend {remember - all out} and around a dozen "table photos" with others. I added 18 signatures to my new poster at this con alone, and was ready to head to Louisville just a couple weeks later.

Here are some photo op highlights from Walker Stalker Chicago:

Lauren Cohan
{Maggie, The Walking Dead}

Emily Kinney
{Beth, The Walking Dead}

Chad L. Coleman & Sonequa Martin-Green
{Tyreese & Sasha, The Walking Dead}

Michael Cudlitz
{Abraham, The Walking Dead}

Laurie Holden
{Andrea, The Walking Dead}

Greg Nicotero
{Director, Exec Producer, SFX, The Walking Dead}

Stephen Amell
{Oliver Queen, Arrow}

Gwendoline Christie
{Brienne of Tarth, Game of Thrones}

Wizard World

Louisville, Kentucky

March 28-30

This convention can be summed up by one name: Matt Smith. The Eleventh Doctor from the incredibly popular Doctor Who. This was his first convention appearance in the Midwest and only his second con appearance overall. Karen Gillan, companion Amy Pond, was also in attendance and this was the first event patrons could purchase a professional photo op with both Smith and Gillan. I immediately purchased my Matt Smith VIP pass and made the five hour drive down to Louisville. And boy, am I glad I did! Matt and Karen were two of the nicest people I've met, and their Louisville appearance was relatively quiet compared to their appearances at other cons following.

Also, this convention featured some other pertinent names I was excited about and more than ready to add to my growing collection: Jason Momoa from Game of Thrones and Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Michael Rooker and Scott Wilson from The Walking Dead. I've wanted to meet Sarah Wayne Callies for some time now, plus I needed all four TWD names on my new poster, so this was an added bonus in addition to meeting Mr. Smith. All in all, another fantastic weekend. They couldn't have been nicer.

Photo op highlights:

Sarah Wayne Callies
{Lori, The Walking Dead}

Jason Momoa
{Khal Drogo, Game of Thrones}

Karen Gillan & Matt Smith
{Amy Pond & The Eleventh Doctor, Doctor Who}

Matt Smith
{The Eleventh Doctor, Doctor Who}

Michael Rooker
{Merle, The Walking Dead}

Scott Wilson
{Hershel, The Walking Dead}

Wizard World

St. Louis, Missouri
April 4-6

The following weekend, I headed to the closest, largest city, St. Louis, for another Wizard World event. This was the weekend I was finally going to secure Karen Gillan's signature on the Doctor Who print I had Matt sign the weekend before. In addition, this weekend also featured a mini Firefly reunion, with Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau, Alan Tudyk and, yes, the one and only Nathan Fillion. I purchased my Nathan Fillion VIP pass as soon as he was announced, and had the best time with those four. I had individual photos taken with each, then a cast photo with all four. Shiny!

Photo op highlights:

Firefly Cast
{Adam Baldwin, Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau & Alan Tudyk}

Sean Astin
{Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings}

C2E2

Chicago, Illinois
April 25-27

Ah, C2E2...what can I say? This was my first time attending, mainly because Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes of The Walking Dead) was returning as a guest for the second year in a row, and because C2E2 somehow manages to nab great guests from Game of Thrones. 2014 was no different, as Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Natalia Tena (Osha and Harry Potter's Nymphadora Tonks) and Kristian Nairn (Hodor) were all in attendance. Everyone was exceptionally nice (as I suspected), but my gripe was with the way the convention was organized. Photo Ops, now a staple of every mainstream convention out there, were for sale onsite ONLY, which meant I had to stand in the same line to purchase my Chandler Riggs and Alfie Allen ops with the dozens of people who wanted photos with Hulk Hogan and Stan Lee. Not fun.

Plus, talk about overcrowded! Here I was, lugging my cast-signed poster for The Walking Dead {seen at the end of this post}, weaving in, out and around all of these clueless people wandering aimlessly, probably trying to locate Hulk Hogan and Stan Lee! At the end of it all, I told myself I wouldn't go back, but they've managed to book Sylvester McCoy and John Rhys-Davies for this year's con. Both well-established names in the business, which, if neither cancel, will probably get me back up to Chicago in April.

Photo op highlights:

Alfie Allen
{Theon Greyjoy, Game of Thrones}

Chandler Riggs
{Carl Grimes, The Walking Dead}

Creation Entertainment: The Official Star Trek Convention

Chicago, Illinois
June 6-8

What a fun weekend! This was my second Chicago-based Trek event, and my third Creation con overall. They never disappoint! My reserved seat was in the second row of the main theater, which made for some excellent pictures, and let's talk about the guest list...wow! Bill Shatner, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan and Nichelle Nichols as headliners...amazing! I had a great weekend at the beautiful Westin O'Hare hotel and cannot wait to be back up there this June!

Photo op highlights:

William Shatner
{James T. Kirk, The Original Series}

Kate Mulgrew
{Kathryn Janeway, Voyager}

Jeri Ryan
{Seven of Nine, Voyager}

Nichelle Nichols
{Nyota Uhura, The Original Series}

Days of the Dead

Indianapolis, Indiana
June 27-29

The drive to Indianapolis is always fun...not! The roads are shit, and the time difference is never fun for those day trips. But when I heard Corey Feldman and Tara Reid would be appearing at a smaller convention {compared to Wizard World and Walker Stalker Con}, I knew I had to make the drive. You know I previously met Thomas Ian Nicholas {Kevin Myers of American Pie} and had him sign an American Reunion group shot, so that was just screaming to be signed by Tara. Plus, Corey has been one of my favorites for awhile now, and meeting him was great.

Corey Feldman
{Mouth, The Goonies}

Tara Reid
{Vicky Lathum, American Pie}

Wizard World

Chicago, Illinois
August 21-24

Summers are usually dry in terms of conventions. TV stars are filming for the fall debuts, attainable movie stars are either starting or wrapping films, which can often lead to quite a few guest cancellations. Chicago Comic Con, Wizard World's largest convention, certainly had their share them in 2014. I was super pumped during the months leading up to the con, thinking I'd be able to meet both Danai Gurira {Michonne of The Walking Dead} and Norman Reedus {Daryl Dixon of TWD} - two of the bigger names I had yet to meet - in one weekend, but Danai pulled out of the con about a month before. Major bummer. But then, ah redemption! Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar - Howard and Raj of The Big Bang Theory - were added to the line-up! I was FREAKING OUT. Then, guess what? Their cancellations were announced just days after their attendance was made public...

So, I headed to Chicago with one name on my mind: Norman Reedus. Daryl Fucking Dixon. Ahhhhh, what a guy. I arrived on Friday with my Norman Reedus VIP pass at the ready, and boy, am I glad I did! Norman arrived a day early (!!), which meant my wait time for his autograph was next to nothing because his throngs of fan girls wouldn't be arriving until Saturday when he was initially scheduled to be there. We were told he came early because he finished filming earlier than expected, but would have to leave the convention early Sunday to get back to Georgia for another shoot.

He was AMAZING! Seriously one of THE NICEST guys I have EVER met! He actually held my hand while we were talking at his autograph booth, which was such a fun, down-to-earth moment because the crowds just weren't there yet. On Saturday, when I visited his area again just to check things out, it was pure chaos.

Photo op highlights:

Norman Reedus
{Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead}

Gates McFadden
{Beverly Crusher, Star Trek: The Next Generation}

Karl Urban
{Eomer, The Lord of the Rings}

Awesome Con
Indianapolis, Indiana
October 3-5

Here I go...back to Indianapolis! This convention was...interesting. They had a decent guest list - Adam West and Burt Ward of 60s Batman, Alan Tudyk and Jewel Staite from Firefly, Mark Sheppard and Sebastian Roche of Supernatural, the original Blue Power Ranger David Yost and "Man Hands" herself, Kristin Bauer (also of True Blood fame). This place was not busy by any stretch of the imagination, making it incredibly easy for me to meet everyone on my list. I made the drive primarily to meet Jewel Staite, and she couldn't have been nicer.

Photo op highlights:

Jewel Staite
{Kaylee Frye, Firefly}

David Yost
{Billy, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers}

Walker Stalker Convention
Atlanta, Georgia
October 17-19

It took only one name to get me to Atlanta, GA for the largest convention inspired by The Walking Dead: Andrew Lincoln. Yes, Rick Grimes himself. Autograph and photo op tickets (in extremely limited quantity) were secured months before. Melissa McBride, Jeffrey DeMunn and other "rarer" names were also in attendance. This was another fantastic weekend spent with the cast of The Walking Dead (despite some unfortunate cancellations - David Morrissey and Danai Gurira - ouch), and I cannot wait for my next Walker Stalker Con in Chicago in mid-February.

Photo op highlights:

Andrew Lincoln
{Rick Grimes, The Walking Dead}

Melissa McBride
{Carol Peletier, The Walking Dead}

Andrew J. West
{Gareth, The Walking Dead}

Jeffrey DeMunn
{Dale Horvath, The Walking Dead}

Abraham's Army
{Michael Cudlitz, Christian Serratos & Josh McDermitt}

The Peletier Family
{Madison Lintz, Adam Minarovich & McBride}

Creation Entertainment: Salute to Supernatural 
Chicago, Illinois
October 24-26

Ahhhhh, "the boys" of Supernatural. Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins and Mark Sheppard. What can I say? They were so, so, so nice. Jared has always been my favorite, and it was great finally meeting him. Despite his strict schedule, he took the time to have a quick conversation with me during both his autograph signing and photo op session. Mark was hilarious onstage and greeted me during our photo op as if we had met each other previously when, in reality, this was my first time meeting him. Misha was great and is quickly becoming another favorite, and Jensen...oh Jensen, what a charming man. Thank you for a fantastic weekend, gentlemen.

"The Boys" of Supernatural
{Clockwise from Left} Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Mark Sheppard & Misha Collins

Days of the Dead

Chicago, Illinois
November 21-23

For my final event of 2014, I headed back up to Chicago to meet Rose McGowan, Chris Sarandon, Sid Haig and the cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This was a really fun day - time to hang out with friends (which is usually rare as I have a full list of things to accomplish), peruse the vendors in attendance and actually chat with Barry Bostwick and Patricia Quinn of RHPS. You may or may not remember me meeting them last year, but both Barry and Patricia remembered meeting me and we had a great time catching up with each other. Rose McGowan was great too - very fan-friendly - and I am so glad I met her because she told me this would be her last visit to Chicago, and one of her last conventions in general, for awhile because she's taking a break from doing them. The folks at Days always put on a great event, and I'm actually traveling to Indianapolis in early February to meet Malcolm McDowell at one of their events. Amazeballs!

Photo op highlights...

Rose McGowan
{Paige Matthews, Charmed}

Barry Bostwick
{Brad Majors, The Rocky Horror Picture Show}

Patricia Quinn
{Magenta, The Rocky Horror Picture Show}

Here's to a fantastic 2015...cheers!

A Year In Review: 2013 People Of The Year

My, what a year it has been! Filled with ups and downs, I am happy to report 2013 was filled with more of the former than of the latter. At the beginning of the year, I transitioned from being a full-time student to a full-time worker (real life, huh?) as I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Communication, and again transitioned in October when I accepted a new position at my place of employment. Throughout the year, I attended many excellent conventions where I met some of my all-time favorite entertainers. I cannot wait to resume my journey in March 2014, so stay tuned. On tap for next year: more from The Walking Dead (Sarah Wayne Callies, finally?) and Star Trek, but also my first Supernatural convention towards the end of the year! Get ready, Jensen and Jared!

Because Barbara Walters has been such an influential person in my life, I started the tradition of selecting my own person of the year back in 2008 (modeled after her annual 10 Most Fascinating People special). This year, however, has proved difficult to select just one person, so I have decided on two females and two males who (I think) all had an extraordinary 2013. To recap, my selections in years past: Madonna, Jim Parsons, Alan Rickman and Adam Levine. And now, without further adieu...

Jessica Lange was my initial choice for 2012, but I switched to Adam Levine at the last minute. No regrets, as Maroon 5's latest album, Overexposed, was HUGE last year. While 2012 was, most definitely, a great year for Jessica, there's no denying 2013 was just as good...if not better. American Horror Story: Asylum continued to be insanely popular during the first half of the year, and its third installment, Coven, proves the show only gets better with each passing season. Plus, you know it has to be good with names like Lange, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates. This is, without a doubt, one of the best ensemble casts I've ever seen.

I was mesmerized by Lange's performance as the sinister (at first) Sister Jude in Asylum, but each episode brought different twists and turns, and by the end of the season, I was left with an incredibly heavy heart. I guess that's what electroshock therapy will do to you. This season, however, Lange's performance as Fiona Goode - The Supreme, if you will - is, well, I am at a loss for words. How about badass? There are only a handful of episodes left before Coven wraps for the season (it returns January 8), so be sure to tune in to see what happens.

I also chose Lange this year because I was successful in adding her signature to my constantly growing collection (an accomplishment of which I am incredibly proud, as not many people can say the same). She released her latest book, It's About a Little Bird, in October and did a handful of signings throughout the United States. They were quite limited, and I was turned down multiple times until a Barnes & Noble in Tribeca, New York came through for me! Personalizations were not allowed due to time constraints, but I am still overjoyed to have secured her signature. The book is awesome too, by the way. The photos and artwork within are beautiful. Highly recommended!

Sir Patrick Stewart & Sir Ian McKellen both had an awesome year. Continuing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation during the first half of 2013, Sir Patrick made a rare convention appearance in Chicago and reunited with the entire principal cast. It was a once-in-a-lifetime weekend, and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to take part in the celebration and meet one of my all-time favorite actors. Oh, and let's not forget he tied the knot over the summer, with Sir Ian officiating the ceremony. As mentioned below, Sir Ian has yet another Lord of the Rings-based film underneath his belt - trust me, you have got to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. It was epic!

Both are currently on Broadway starring in No Man's Land and Waiting for Godot. They have been more than generous with regards to fan mail, as I received my photos back signed from both in just a couple weeks' time. Two of the finest gentlemen in the business, and their close friendship off-screen makes me admire them even more.

 

Finally, what can I say about Kelly Clarkson? She's flawless, plain and simple. I saw her (for the second time) with Maroon 5 in St. Louis back in August, and I think it was the best concert I've ever attended. STL in the summer, outdoor venue, family, Kelly and Adam Levine?! How could you go wrong? I'll tell you! With a group of screaming fangirls in the row directly in front of us constantly wailing their arms - I'm a tall guy, but c'mon, even the slower songs don't warrant "hands in the air like you just don't care"-type activity. But, I digress... Her greatest hits album was the soundtrack to my summer (be sure to check out "Catch My Breath" and "People Like Us"), and her holiday album, Wrapped In Red, is a Christmas classic. Check out "Underneath the Tree" below.

 

 

And there you have it, my friends, my 2013 People of the Year. Here's to an excellent 2014.

Cheers!

Sir Ian McKellen

 

Few actors are as accomplished and critically-acclaimed as the one and only Sir Ian McKellen. Not only does he have two incredibly successful movie franchises under his belt, but he is also a talented veteran of the theatre. Currently, he can be seen on Broadway alongside friend Sir Patrick Stewart in No Man's Land and Waiting for Godot at the Cort Theatre.

Last year, Sir Ian journeyed back to Middle Earth to reprise his role as Gandalf the Grey in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. This December, fans will be able to see their favorite wizard once more, as the sequel The Desolation of Smaug is released in theaters worldwide. In 2014, both Sir Ian and Sir Patrick will be back on the big screen together, appearing in the highly-anticipated X-Men: Days of Future Past as Magneto and Professor X, respectively. Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Anna Paquin, as well as some others, will also return to reprise their roles.

I have been an enormous fan of Sir Ian McKellen for some time now (obv!), and I cannot wait to see his upcoming films. I only wish I lived closer to New York so that I could see his play and chance meeting him outside the theatre. He is a true gentleman, much like Sir Patrick Stewart, and I thank him for honoring my autograph request. LLAP.

Sent: November 2, 2013
Received: November 22, 2013

HorrorHound Weekend: Indianapolis (2013)

Yesterday, I traveled to Indianapolis (for the first time!) to attend my first HorrorHound convention with hopes of meeting The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun, Emily Kinney and Chad Coleman. Steven was only scheduled to appear yesterday because he had to be back in Georgia early morning today for filming, so meeting him was definitely my top priority. Plus, my birthday was Friday, and what better way to celebrate than with my favorite male character from one of my favorite television shows?!

Robert Englund, Freddy Krueger himself, was also in attendance this weekend. The lines for him were certainly long, but well-organized to manage the amount of people, which kind of meant The Walking Dead was not the prime focus at this convention. I only waited an hour - perhaps a tad more - to meet Steven and gain access to the ballroom where they were signing. Once inside, I was able to bounce to Chad's and Emily's tables without having to go to the end of the line each time. Steven was $40 per signature, and while I was anticipating Emily and Chad would be $30, turns out they were $40 each as well (pretty much standard price for most of The Walking Dead cast members these days).

I had each sign my cast poster, now bringing the count to 7 signatures! This was my final convention for 2013, and I cannot wait to start again in March 2014!

 

 

 

While at the convention, I also met Vivica A Fox (of Kill Bill) and Barry Bostwick (of The Rocky Horror Picture Show). Too cool! While this was my first HorrorHound experience, it certainly will not be my last!