In anticipation of our arrival to the convention, with my Best Bud and my Best Cuz, we took a moment to remember the XZAKLEE way! As we drove, we said we would remember the things we had to do to make our experience the best (see article Quick Tips on Attending October 2019 Comic Con Los Angeles (9/18/19)). The Doubletree Hilton Hotel was an excellent location to stay as this hotel provided all our needs, especially the hospitality of a gal named Jennifer, who was one of the Front Desk Clerks. High fiving each other while laughing all the way, we anticipated getting in many lines to get autographs from every celebrity we wanted to meet.
On the first day, we talked about which way we were all going to go. We decided to go our separate ways to get the most out of the convention of what each one of us wanted to do and then meet up to Move Forward. I, for one, wanted to go check out all the graphic designs booths and pass out some of my business cards to get some suggestions to keep my business operational in the most exciting way possible. My Best Bud, C, wanted to go check out the merchandise that would add to his immense collection of Superheroes. My Best Cuz, A, wanted to watch the cosplay performances for Marvel and DC.
On the second day, we met up for the next hour and everyone talked non-stop about what they did and what they saw on the first day. Of course, to make the most of our time, we decided to table our discussions until after the event closed that day. We movedon to see and meet a number of celebrities we knew. One celebrity that ended up being a challenge to stand in line for was “Bill Fagerbakke,”the voice of “Patrick Star”of “Spongebob Squarepants,”which ended up lasting about 2 to almost 3 hours. As we were about 10 people away from meeting Bill, this mother decided to become totally impatient and started yelling to movethe line faster. We all knew that that would never happen and she made everyone feel uncomfortable because we all knew the line was going to moveat it’s own pace. In her defense, she had 2 kids with her who were demanding (oh well). As with any difficult people, we gave her the benefit of the doubt and made the best of it. Meeting Bill was the Highlight. No one could ruin the exciting experience of being with Patrick Star. This exhilaration of meeting Bill Fagerbakke and many other celebrities transformed our attitudes!
Taking pictures was another exciting Highlight because it helps us to remember the memories of what we experienced. As you can see from my favorite photo of Captain Marvel, this gal was awesome! A guy dressed as the Juggernaut had a line of people following him everywhere he went for photos. Another favorite was the Inflatable T-rex and Inflatable Chickens who were duking it out (cosplay) over a “Plushy Kitten Pillow” like a game of Rugby. It was a crowd pleaser and the chickens wanted to be the ultimate Chicken Kings. These characters wanted to entertain the crowds and they did not disappoint. Go Chicken Kings!! You never know when you will be discovered for an upcoming movie or the character of a graphic design novel. These characters really stood out in their performance and kept the crowds excited.
From left to right, "Bill Fagerbakke" aka "Patrick Star", Juggernaut, BayMax, and Jessica Rabbit with Elvira.
On the final day, it was time to wear the XZAKLEE t-shirt to create attention for my website. Being the ever-so-quiet person I am, my Best Cuz assisted me in us wearing the t-shirts, passed out some XZAKLEE wristbands as well as my business cards (pics to follow in my next article). I made a few connections with the artists at the graphic designs booths and was satisfied with having “A Meeting of the Minds” with those people. Please check out my website. Tell me about what you thought of the convention and hopefully we will have a “Meeting of the Minds” SOON.
