It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been to a convention, and since the first one I ever attended was Steel City Con in December of 2019, it only makes sense that my first one back was Steel City Con again! As eager as I’ve been to get back to everything, it’s clear a lot of other people are, too. The convention center was packed and the mood was euphoric, and that made it a really fun day for me.
I adventured alone, but I certainly didn’t feel that way. Also, there was just so much to listen to and look at that I never felt like I had a moment of downtime really. I arrived a little later than I’d liked, but I did manage to catch the end of Judith Hoag’s panel. She’s been in a number of high-profile things over the coarse of her career, but as a kid growing up in the 90s, Disney Channel’s Halloweentown was my jam! I was so pumped to see her and she seemed equally as excited to get the chance to talk to fans. The next panel I caught was uber impressive voice actor, Jim Cummings who people would know for voicing Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Dark Wing Duck (among many others). I was surprised to learn that he’s a bit of a local! The next panel I caught was that of Breckin Meyer, who I’ve been a fan of for quite some time, but was shocked to learn how much he’s actually been in and hear about legends he’s gotten the chance to work with. He told a really sweet anecdote about Brittany Murphy, who he got to work with for a long time before she passed. The final panel of the day that I caught was for A Nightmare on Elm Street. I have never personally watched any of those films, because supernatural horror is not really my jam, but it was fun to listen in on the behind-the-scenes fun that went on. Also, it’s fun to see these really nice people who were in a film that basically scarred my mother as a teenager.
When I wasn’t busy at the panels, I was walking through all the aisles of the convention floor, and there was something for everyone! If you wanted a Funko Pop, well, they were just about everywhere, but there were booth with action figures, masks, authenticated autographs, vintage toys, and even food! I find myself drawn to the Funko Pops, and if I were just a little bit younger I know I’d have a ton of those. As it stands, I only have one. Either way, I also took my time at the artist booths, especially those that have drawings. It’s fun to see others artists’ talents and interpretations of pop culture. What I did end up walking away with was really cool though! One booth had sheet music from almost any show or movie you could think of that was overlaid with an iconic image from it. I almost squealed with delight when I found one for both Heroes and Hannibal! Day made!
Aside from picking up some merch, I caved and got in line to get Breckin’s autograph. Luckily, the line moved quickly (not the case for some other guests), and he was very kind while signing my photograph. I was personally curious about how Changeland came to be, given that he and Seth Green have been friends for over half of their lives. He told me the story was actually based off of a trip Seth took with one of his other good friends, and in the movie, he and Seth actually switched roles – how fun! As much as I would have liked to meet James Jude Courtney, of Halloween fame, and Meatloaf, I limited myself…and their lines were hours long. If I ever go to the convention in the future for the whole weekend, I wouldn’t mind spending so much time waiting, but for this time, I made sacrifices. Finally, the best cosplay I saw had to be a guy dressed head to toe as Papa Emeritus I from Ghost!
All in all, it was a really fun day and I hope COVID gets contained enough that I can attend again in December! Keep scrolling for some shots I got at the con!
