Dallas Sci-Fi Expo

This past weekend, my husband and I met up with some friends at the Dallas Sci-Fi Expo (actually in Irving). We really enjoyed the convention we went to last spring and agree that we very much want to continue going to them. As much fun as it was to make a big trip/vacation out of a bigger convention, we thought it would be nice to try some of the local offerings as well. It's not like we don't live smack dab in the middle of a big metroplex where these things do actually happen from time to time. The Sci-Fi Expo actually seemed perfect for us, since we also wanted to see how our daughter would do in such a setting: it was close by, less expensive, and smaller (a mini-con, as it were). If we had to leave early because of a cranky or misbehaving child, we wouldn't feel ripped off, but there was still plenty for us to see and do. It also seemed like a good fit for our friends, who had not been to a con before and wanted to give one a try.

So, we went, and we had a great time. It was a two-day event but we just went for Saturday. Still, lots of fun was had. Baby Girl behaved herself extremely well and enjoyed seeing all there was to see. Our friends also enjoyed themselves, commissioning portraits of their daughters as zombies from one of the booths and seeing all of the various cosplayers. There were some good media guests at the con, several cast members from Firefly (Jewel Staite, Ron Glass, Adam Baldwin, and Sean Maher) and Eliza Dushku being the two big draws of the weekend. Also in attendance was Alexis Cruz, who I am most familiar with as Skaara from Stargate the movie and then later on Stargate SG-1 as well, although he has actually been in a ton of stuff. I think the award for the most random guest goes to Noah Hathaway, who played Atreyu in The Never Ending Story (and also Boxey in the original Battlestar Galactica, which I did not realize until we saw the photos in his booth). Well, either him, or the dad from Teen Wolf.

We actually didn't get any photo ops or autographs, but it was a small enough space that we could see the various celebrities signing and talking with fans. That was pretty cool. I would have liked to have been able to go to the Firefly Q & A panel, but unfortunately it was full and we couldn't get in. So we enjoyed just wandering the exhibition floor, seeing all of the art, talking to a few vendors, drooling over the various toys and props, and admiring the cosplay. Of course, you know I had to stop and get photos with a few people!

Me with a Clone Trooper as Baby Girl looks on. His gun is named Vera! Especially apt with the random Jayne
walking by in the background.

These guys get bonus points for creativity. This wasn't the only Indiana Jones cosplayer, but it was the only
Professor Jones Sr. to be sure!

There was a trio dressed as Rainbow Dash, Derpy, and Spike from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, but by the time I thought to get a photo with them, they were all having lunch and I didn't want to bother them. Their costumes were really spiffy though. I did get a picture with Darth Vader as well, but it seems to have been accidentally deleted by me swallowed up in some sort of photo black hole, alas.

One really spiffy thing was that one of the writers for GeekMom was there. I had seen a post a day or two before that Brigid Ashwood would have a booth there, so I made note of her booth number and with my husband's help was able to find it so I could stop by and say hi. In addition to writing for one of my favorite blogs, she is also an amazing artist. Her style is beautifully ethereal and fantastical with some steampunk elements as well. You should check it out. She has also started making these absolutely gorgeous perfume lockets that I've been drooling over. I know that they will make a spectacular gift for someone I love dearly, I just have to find the perfect one for her. She was super nice and I enjoyed getting to talk to her for a few moments. It was actually one of my favorite moments of the convention.

Geek + Mom = Awesome! (Although Baby Girl doesn't seem to think so, the way she is trying to escape...)

Eventually the kiddo got squirmy and we had been by all of the booths twice (once to check everything out, and again to pick up the stuff we had scoped out that we wanted to buy) so we headed out. All in all it was a pretty fantastic way to spend a Saturday afternoon, I have to say. We are thinking maybe next year if the guests are relevant enough to our interests we will spring for the VIP passes (good for both days and gives priority access to panels and early access to the booths) and get a hotel in that part of town so we don't have to drive back and forth.

For the curious, here's the swag I ended up taking home:

Con badge, Doctor Who minifigs (Amy, a Cyberman, and Rory), Soft Kitty t-shirt (from The Big Bang Theory), a handful of spiffy twenty-sided dice, and a Stargate Atlantis staff badge for when I finally get my Stargate costume together.

Some handmade stickers by Kathryn Crenshaw of Galactic Dust Bunnies.

What's a comic expo without a few comic books? Got the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus volume five and a lovely illustrated companion to Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels.

My daughter also picked up a little swag of her own because, as my husband put it, "Mommy is a sucker."

Old school Bedtime Bear! She loves this little guy. I could barely get it away from her to take a picture.

And it had to go right back to her for nap time afterwards. Look at that satisfied face...

So there you have it, folks. A fun weekend adventure almost right in my own backyard (give or take forty miles). I look forward to checking out some of the other DFW area conventions in the future. If you are interested in checking out a convention but don't know where to start, I definitely recommend the Dallas Sci-Fi Expo, or look for expos in your own area if you're not local. There is lots of fun to be had for sure!