Planet Comicon: Where a nerd can be a nerd

While we are still living through a pandemic, Planet Comicon was able to commence, with various health safety protocols in place, and I was able to rejoin the world of nerds once again. I should also add, not only was this my first con in around 17 months, it was also my first time ever to experience the wonder of Planet Comicon!  

Joined by my Nerd Informants Brother in Nerdom, Josh Grisham, we began our trek north at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, with hopes of arriving just as the gates were opening at 10 a.m. Though the con was three day long, due to scheduling and evolving plans, we elected to only spend one day in KC. However, I made the most of it.

While the vendor floor is full of the items I’m passionate about from comic books to art to action figures, my favorite part of cons is getting to visit with some of my favorite actors and actresses from both the big screen and the small. Thanks to cons I’ve had the chance to meet dozens of convention guests over the years. Just a few quick examples would be Jason Momoa, Nathan Fillion, Lou Ferrigno, Sebastian Stan and Elizabeth Henstridge. 

As a nerd and as someone who has become sort of a connoisseur of celebrity autographs and photos, I of course have my bucket list of entertainers who I would love to meet. Luckily for me, I was able to cross one of those names off my list at Planet.

While I know him as Oliver Queen aka The Green Arrow, you might know him better as Stephen Amell. Lucky for me, he was one of the final guests added to the Planet Comicon guest roaster. 

For eight seasons, Amell brought the DC comic book hero to life on the small screen and is responsible for leading the show that has grown into what is known as The Arrowverse. Since the series debut in 2012, The CW has continued to introduce new comic characters in shows like The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Black Lighting, Star Girl, Batwoman, and Superman and Lois. 

Like many Arrowverse fans, I’ve been a fan since day one. Needless to say, getting to meet Amell at Planet was a tremendous experience and honor. Having the chance to tell him thank you for bringing this iconic comic character to life was a priceless moment for me. Of course the meeting did have an actual price tag, which I was more than happy to pay. Definitely worth it.

My celebrity experience was also nearly double the fun, as I was also able to meet Katie Cassidy at the con. Alongside Amell’s Oliver Queen, Cassidy played Laurel Lance aka The Black Canary in Arrow. Two superheroes from the same fandom franchise at the same con. It was pretty sweet. 

While I was over in the Arrowverse meeting and greeting, Josh found himself emerged in the world of The Karate Kid as he met two of the stars of Netflix series Cobra Kai, William Zabka and Martin Kove. While I didn’t get to visit with those two gentlemen face-to-face, or several other guests at the con for that matter, it was still pretty great to take-in their interactions with fans from afar. 

Normally there are a lot of handshakes, fist bumps and sometimes even hugs while meeting your favorite celebrities, but that really just depends on who you’re meeting. I once had an extended conversation with Manu Bennett, aka Arrow’s Deathstroke/Slade Wilson at a comic con which ultimately ended in a series of cherished photos and selfies, taken by him, and a hug. Then again, I’ve also had guests sign their autographed photo and slide it to me without even looking up. Every celebrity is different.

Doing what they could to keep attendees, vendors, organizers, volunteers and celebrities safe, there were some added barriers at Planet. One being, everyone was asked to be wearing face coverings. Another was large plexiglass shields set up on each of the tables at celebrity booths. For my photo session, which was a combo op I purchased with both Amell and Cassidy, they even set up a plexiglass shield between us. Weird, not as fun and slightly uncomfortable? I’ll be honest. Yes. Even though it wasn’t my favorite thing, I was happy to abide by it, if that meant I got to visit with celebrities and be among my fellow geeks and nerds again. A small price to pay.

 Now, when I first began attending comic conventions, I was all about getting photos and autographs from the celebrities appearing. I would literally spend the entire weekend jumping from booths to photo sessions. While that is still a large part of where my convention enjoyment comes from, a few years ago I also discovered my love for attending the celebrities panels. 

As no photos are allowed to be taken of the guests in, what is called, Celebrity Row at Planet, I realized the best opportunity for me to get any photos of guests during the con was to attend their panels. With that in mind, I attended the Stranger Things panel featuring Gabriella Pizzolo and Gaten Matarazzo, the Cobra Kai panel featuring William Zabka and Martin Kove, the My Hero Academia Panel featuring most of the voice cast and finally the Stephen Amell panel. Trust me, I wanted to attend about a dozen more, but sadly there were so many other things I wanted to do and see on the main floor.

On the main floor, I did a deep dive into some amazing comic book and action figure collections. Sadly though I didn’t find anything I couldn’t live without. Normally my end of the con swag bag would have been overflowing, so leaving the con without at least one new action figure was a bit weird for me. 

I’ve got to tell you, even if you’re not a fan of meeting celebrities, there is still tons to do. With video game demonstrations, cosplay competitions and how to panels, it’s easy to get overwhelmed at a con. Honestly, the artists and crafter vendor booths at the con are worth the convention experience alone. These folks are so incredibly talented and more importantly have found something they love and are proud of. From art, to jewelry to cosplay materials, the ones who set up at cons are the best of the best.

In my mind, Planet Comicon 2021 was a huge success. I’m already looking forward to next year and seeing who will make their guest list in 2022. 

To learn more visit planetcomicon.com.