Comic-Con 2006 Day 4: Final Day

I actually put in a full day today at the Comic-Con. I wanted to get there to see Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on the original Star Trek series, talk about his life and what projects he is working on. It was kind of funny, he just sort of walked into the room with his wife not sure what to do before someone led him to a waiting area. I'm not sure how old he is, but he was very articulate and didn't have any trouble walking up the stairs to the podium or showing the audience a dance some crazy fan dressed as Underdog did in a show. He is working on many small, independent projects, including Star Trek New Voyages, an internet show that continues where the old series left off. Then came the questions. Most were really good, but one woman asked "Just how much trouble are tribbles?". His response: "Isn't too early in the morning for silly questions?". Even I was embarrassed by this question.

After a fish and chips lunch, I briefly listened to five voice actors, including Billy West, who does some of the voices on Futurama, perform some of their characters. I left to walk around the exhibit hall one more time, hoping to find some last minute deals on actions figures. I lucked out, stumbling upon a Once More with Feeling Dawn. This is a one-per-case figure that is really hard to find. The price was much less that I expected so I bought it quickly.

I was sticking around to see one last presentation: Robot Rumble. Since Starship Smackdown is over, all we have left is robot battles. This is one of the nerdiest panels at the Con, and can also be one of the funniest. The panel and audience choose 16 robots from movies and TV shows to go one-on-one in hypothetical battles until there is a victor. I was rooting for the Buffy-bot, but she was defeated by the robot played by Yol Brynner in Westworld. The winner was actually the two robots from MST3K. This was definitely the end of the Con.

Final thoughts:

I had loads of fun and the long weekend went by quickly. It was like taking a vacation in my own town. I had fun not only at the Con but also eating at restaurants downtown which I don't do that often. My only major complaint is the over crowding. I think the solution might be to scale back the convention, starting with the Hollywood movie studios. Their presentations are wildly popular, but I think they'll try to use their money and influence to bring the convention to Los Angeles. Without them, fewer people might attend, plus Hall H could then be used for the other popular panels such as The Simpsons and Stargate, freeing up ballroom 20 for the next biggest shows. You get the idea. Bigger isn't necessarily better. I think the true fans would enjoy the smaller crowds and being able to attend any panel they wish. See you next year.