Over lunch today, I visited a pop culture convention here in Kansas City called Planet Comicon. The food options, though plentiful, were all some form of fiberless fast food, so I opted for some pizza. Rather then show you the actual pizza, which was sitting sadly in a small box, congealing into a sort of glue that stuck to the white paperboard, I decided to spruce it up a bit. Since I was surrounded by people dressed up in costumes of various characters both well-known and obscure, I figured the pizza needed a little Cosplay as well. Mine was only cheese, so I added pepperoni and placed it on a titanium metal tray one might find on the swankiest of spaceships.
Walking into a Comicon event is like walking onto the set of every movie never made. Though some of the characters appear to echo the ones you know well, you quickly realize that something is a little bit different. For example, most Batman movies would opt for only one Harley Quinn, yet there were no less than 20, of various sizes, roaming around wielding giant hammers. And it was so much fun to watch! The amount of care some of these members of fandom put into their elaborate costumes is truly amazing. It’s a real testament to the power of storytelling and just how compelling characters can connect with people.
I was caught up in my own fandom when I noticed R2-D2 rolling up to me, spinning his head and making those signature beeping sounds like he was talking just to me! My 70’s childhood came flooding back and I was so excited. That was, until I saw yet another one roll up behind him and a third off in the distance. It was the equivalent of seeing more than one Santa in the same place and sort of killed the magic. In the back of the convention was a placed called Celebrity Row where various people who were part of something famous once were sitting signing autographs.
When I turned the corner I saw Lou Ferrigno who played the Incredible Hulk, Barbara Eden from I Dream of Jeannie, Hayley Atwell from the Captain America movies I’ve never seen, several more people I’d absolutely never heard of, and finally Peter Mayhew who made an entire career of playing Chewbacca. Unfortunately, George Takei doesn’t arrive until tomorrow as that might have been cool. I guess, in the end, I’m just not a very good fan boy. I love comics and pop culture, but felt like I was crashing someone else’s party. To those who had the fever, I was just this weird dude who didn’t fit in, sitting quietly in a corner, eating pizza out of a box.
You’re all invited to a Doodlewash Dinner Party during the month of May! Just tag your food or drink image #doodlewashdinner and I’ll feature you and your culinary creations in a delicious Doodlewash Gallery at the end of the month!
About the Doodlewash
M. Graham watercolors: Maroon Perylene, Gamboge, Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna, and Neutral Tint. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon black ink in a 5″ x 8″ 140 lb. (300 gsm) Pentalic Aqua Journal
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sure sounds like an interesting lunch Charlie! what was YOUR costume? your pizza is awesome! We often order pizza friday for dinner – it’s lazy dinner day. 🙂
Thanks Jodi! 😃💕 I didn’t have a costume, which also made me the weird guy. Lol I think Friday is the perfect pizza day! Yay!
I probably would have sat in the corner with you as I love pizza but seldom have it. I do like a nice spinach pizza. I can see you illustrating a food book after the publication of your nature book 🙂 Your pizza is so good 💗
Thanks so much Carmel! 😃💕 Hehe…it was certainly good people watching. You would have loved sketching it! And thanks…I’d love to do a book one day! 😊
Charlie, you make that soggy pizza look quite tempting.
You have a way of making ordinary events into memorable experiences, evocative of the things we did as kids and passed on our way to adulthood. The closest I ever came to attending a similar event was taking my youngest son, a nine year old baseball fan, to a baseball convention in San Diego. We loved it because we had such a great time together, both of us standing in line for autographs and souvenirs. And when we got hungry, we shared a pizza. Would have stuck out like a bug at the buffet except for the nine-year-old, and would never have attended except for him. Thanks for the memories and bringing them into focus.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 What a wonderful story!! That sounds like a blast! Love memories like that, they’re the best ones in the world!!
It would be fun to eat pizza and people watch.. 😜😘
Totally fun!! Hehe!! It was so amazingly weird and wonderful!! 😃
I couldn’t even imagine that scene…..but I can imagine eating pizza….vegetarian please. 🙂
Hehe…it was a weird one for sure! And I’m with you on the pizza. Mine was cheese, but adding pepperoni let me use more red. Lol
You had me at pizza
Haha! Excellent! 😉👍🏻
Funny, we had pizza for dinner tonight washed down with gin snd tonics.
Haha…nice! You really know how to do a Friday night right, Rob! 😉
I like the shine on the metal tray, and the pizza looks delicious! Sorry that R2D2 x 3 kind of burst your bubble, but oh how fun to people watch! Love long and prosper, dear Charlie! 🖖🏻
Thanks Carol!! 😃💕Yeah, it was a totally bubble burst! Lol But super entertaining to be sure!
I would have joined you, Charlie! Pizza is great but sharing it with a friend makes it even better! 😍💕🎨 Awesome doodlewash, my friend!! 💕🍕😆🍷
Thanks Jill!! 😃💕We would have had so much fun there! Lol It was amazingly silly! 🎉😃
I joined you last night with pizza, my daughter picked a chicken and bacon thin crust, I picked off the chicken, and it was very nice. A great share, great doodlewash.
Thanks so much Rebecca!! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed some pizza yesterday as well. Hehe…it’s so good. I like the thin crust kind a lot!
Yes with loads and loads of topping, usually extra is added at home 😀
That pizza looks terrific – I’m sorry the real one wasn’t as good. I’d love to visit Comicon, which I’ve only seen on episodes of Big Bang Theory. I’m no comics geek but I love to see other people dressing up. Each year at the Frankfurt Book Fair the general public are allowed in on the Saturday and many of the kids dress up as mama characters – magical! Especially as they mingle with publishers in suits and ties!
Thanks Michael! 😃 Yeah…it was truly amazing to watch all the people. If it weren’t for the Cosplay, the even would have been pretty dull. Hehe And that Book Fair sounds awesome! It’s so fun to see what costumes people come up with!
That’s manga characters – damn predictive text!
Haha…I assumed…although curious to know what mama characters would be now… Hmmm lol
People who dress in their mothers’ clothes perhaps?
Yeah…probably…that’s a different type of people watching entirely! Lol
Pizza is irresistible, especially yours Charlie! (Oh I’m looking forward to food month being over lol) 💛
Thanks Laura!! 😃💕I really can’t resist a could slice of pizza! And hehe… Sorry for all the temptations this month! Lol
Pizza at a comic con…i’ve been there. In San Diego I often op for pizza at Comic Con. But last year they actually had decent stir fry and veggie options on the floor. They weren’t super-great, but way better than the usual pizza and burgers.
Awww cool, Mark! Yeah…it’s quite a crazy scene and fun to see! But the food leaves much to be desired. That had something like that we saw later, but it was more just badly mimicked Asian food of some kind. Hehe
Awesome Pizza Charlie! Sounds like a very bizarre lunch, pizza is the perfect food for weird and fascinating people watching! Thanks for your fun post.
Thanks Sharon!! 😃💕haha! Yeah it really was the perfect food to accompany the craziness!!
Probably best not to fit in at any Comicon event! But great people watching and pizza, now that sounds fun! I think I need to have pizza tonight, your doodlewash looks so delicious!
Hehe…true! I don’t think I could fit in if I tried! Lol Thanks Cathe! 😃💕You should totally have pizza tonight!!
Your pizza presentation is riveting….and i want one, cheese please…teleportation would be great. That is a swanky pizza painting…brilliant. Second to the great image, are the words “Comicon”….oooh what fun…what sights….sigh…./day dreaming mode…’click…whirrrr….beeep’. Thanks for sharing a fun feature Charlie.
It was a geeky good time for sure! I loved it!! Not much else like it in the world so it was like visiting another planet. Lol Thanks Haunani! 😃💕
Mmm, now I wish I’d had pizza for lunch… the perfect topping too – awesome! Certainly more inviting than languishing in a cardboard box (that said, pizza is pizza either way!) Look at you, being surrounded by R2-D2s… I think I know who that is… 😉 Obviously I’ve never been but I’d love to take a peek at one of these Comicon events – beside the awe of the costumes, such genuine and faithful tributes, I always applaud geekiness reigning supreme! Go them! (geek snorts)
Haha… Thanks Jacob! Yeah, you seriously need to attend one these things. It’s brilliant. I could totally picture you there and letting your geek flag fly! Made me wish I’d taken the time to create a proper costume. Not sure who I’d pick though.
Oh, I’m not sure I’d ever be brave enough – I’d be lurking with the pizza. And I’m not sure who I’d be, either… hmm. I think you should go as The Riddler! And I’ll go as Catwoman. That’ll turn some heads.
That…is…PERFECT!! Done! Haha! Let’s get ready to turn some heads!
They will turn indeed – hastily toward the nearest exit! 😉
Lol… I don’t think they scare very easily there.