This past weekend I attended my very first convention, Geek’d Con. For years I’ve heard stories from the Drunken Zombie crew about their adventures. Now I’ve experienced what they been talking about for years…

Leading up to this trip I had a couple goals in mind. One – Marvel Legends, I’ve built an army of figures and still looking for more. Two – video game or comic art to hang on my wall. Those two goals were accomplished quickly and that gave me time to walk the floor. But Doiner! What about meeting celebrities and such. To be honest, not the best lineup of guest for myself. Sure Mick Foley will be there but I can care less about the guy who voiced Jack Skellington. It wasn’t until Brian Knobbs was announced I thought about standing in line for a meet and greet.

Friday was a lot of driving and storytelling. It wasn’t until we stopped getting cell services when the real fun took play. But those stories are for a private conversation, if you will. When you have three big guys who skipped breakfast, lunch became an event or as the people at the Keachie Kountry Store will say, legend. You see… Three guys from the beach in the backwoods of Louisiana. One with a backwards cap, another with a CBT shirt and a guy wearing a Houston Texans cap. I’ve seen a lot of horror movies, I know what comes next… We walked in to a half store half dive and not talking about like the ones you see on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. This place was spooky at times but the wait staff and food was excellent. We chatted with everyone about Geek’d Con and who’s going to be there. After we made friends with the townsfolk we were one step closer to getting to Shreveport.

The first thing we did when we got to Shreveport was check into our motel at the Red Roof Inn and when I say this place was bad it makes the Bates Motel look five stars. Here’s the rundown… My original room was trashed beds flipped, chairs turned over, I got out of there quick. So I was put in another room and this time no running water for an hour. Next thing I knew Rafael switched rooms because of the water being off, wasn’t just me. After getting settled in and disinfecting the joint I found a couple treasures. A pair of socks and ten cents. Oh! And to lock your rooms door, I had to lift the door up and lock it at the same time…

That evening we met up with a few more friends and hit up a casino. Good thing Raf and I brought our suits. Because we were limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ all night long. We left the ladies wanting more, WOO! After a few hours of gambling and earning we hit up the Con for a few hours. I made my rounds, found enough Marvel Legends to hold me over. I got the layout of the joint and I was ready for Saturday…

Saturday… Morning, wake up call, Rafael… Get up, get ready. With Roddy Piper’s theme blaring in my hotel room it was time to put on the kilt and jacket. I was ready. Waiting for the doors to open I spotted a few marks and we gave each other Too Sweets or a head nod. Once in I split from the pack to search for more Marvel Legends and this time… Jackpot! MCU War Machine, Ragnarok Thor all on the cheap, but to the guy who wanted $50 for Cyclops or Rogue… Take your internet prices somewhere else.

While walking around taking in everyone’s awesome costumes I got a phone call from Rafael saying Brian Knobbs didn’t have a long line if I wanted a picture. I made my way down there and sure enough, no one! Walked up got a picture autograph combo and he told me a Shawn Michaels story. Good times.

I may get heat for this, looking at you Patterson! But Constantine (2005) is a good movie by my standards. Another person I got the picture autograph combo treatment was from Pruitt Taylor Vince. He played Father Hennessy. Such a nice guy, told story after story. Nicest guy ever… I was informed that different panels were taking place and John Wesley Shipp (The Flash) was coming up soon. After the meet and greets I went back on the hunt for more Marvel Legends and every time I walk past a booth I been to someone was restocking more Legends. So I found my last ML for the day, the variant purple hair Psylocke.

I finally made it to John Wesley Shipp’s panel talk, I was late but I made it. After food and regrouping with everyone and agreeing to see Helen Slater talk about her film career and staying for a viewing of Supergirl (1984) I needed to find something to hang on my wall and wow did I find something cool. I stopped by The Pixelized Princess booth and they had 8-bit bead art but placed said characters on paintings. Great idea! Got myself a Friday the 13th picture. It’s awesome!

At this point the Con had about four or five hours left before closing for the night and I decided I wanted a picture autograph combo with Mick Foley if his line wasn’t long. Yes, I’m a mark and I’m not a huge Foley fan but I liked his early Mankind gimmick. When I got there the line was short about six people and a couple came in right after me. While waiting a announcement was made, once everyone in this line has met Mick Foley he’s taking a break. That’s when they closed the line.

I finally made it to Foley, got to chat with him about his WCW run and facing Vader. Nice guy, what else is there to say. Around the same time I had to make it to Helen Slater’s panel talk, got there took a seat and she talked about Supergirl. Keep in mind I never seen the Supergirl movie. Q&A with the audience and a few questions about The Legend of Billie Jean were ask, I was happy about that.

Now it was time for the movie… Rafael, Dustin, and I was set and ready… AND… What an awful movie. If I would’ve gotten an autograph from Helen Slater I would have given it back to her and tell her to keep the money, I don’t want a refund. My time watching this movie was spent texting Patterson! and play by play commentary with Rafael. The scene with the front end loader was ridiculous. A giant tire falls, Lucy Lane gets knocked out, Jimmy Olsen never takes pictures to document the damage and so forth. And when ask if she had a transcript, she types one up herself. Who gave her the knowledge that she needed one. And how does she phase in and out of her school uniform. This movie makes no sense. At this point I was so bored I started reading the Geek’d Con program. I had more fun talking about roundabouts or how people bust their belt when all they’re doing is sitting in a chair watching a movie… Looking at you Rafael.

Once the movie was over I first out and never watching this awful movie again, I mean there wasn’t even an end credits scene. How lame is that.

Sunday morning it was time to head home, what a weekend it’s been. Would I do it all over again, I would because I had so much fun. Nothing like hanging with friends and laughing in a place where everyone enjoys the same entertainment as you do. Before we made it home we stopped back in that half store half dive to see what everyone was up too but the morning staff was working…

We made it home and here I am writing this, documenting my first convention. I had a blast and hopefully do it all again next year… Visit Doiner.com for pictures of Geek’d Con 2018.