Comicpalooza this year is bigger than ever before, with more stars and more than 300 hours worth of programming to keep you busy. Just to give you a heads up, here are the ten things you absolutely don't want to skip.
10. Cryptozoology 101: You might remember our own Ken Gerhard as a pillar of the goth music community with bands like Flowers and Machines. Turns out he actually managed to score an even more awesome post-rock star career, hunting Bigfoot and other legendary monsters. Gerhard will offer a basic guide to the field of monster hunting science, as well as stories gleaned from his own considerable research.
9. Quidditch: Believe it or not, Quidditch is incredibly fun to watch. Yes, running around holding a stick between your legs looks a little ridiculous, but the matches are high-speed and exciting, with truly dedicated collegiate players vying for championship status. Until we can figure out flying broom sticks (Or hoverboards, Mattel. The clock is ticking) Quidditch will remain ground based sport, albeit a very, very entertaining one.
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8. Guests: Some of the bigger names have unfortunately cancelled such as Cary Elwes and the Fifth Doctor Peter Davison. Still there are some extremely choice people that you will want to say you've met. Top of that list is Patrick Stewart, and I'm not even going to bother naming what he's been in because there is no chance you clicked on a Comicpalooza article and don't know who Patrick Stewart is. Doctor Who fans may be out a Doctor, but the man behind the longest-running companion Jamie McCrimmon, Frazer Hines, will still be attending. Plus, you can meet Machete himself, Danny Trejo. All good folks.
7. Dollar Baby Presentations: Stephen King does this awesome thing where he allows independent filmmakers to help get their work out there by licensing his novels and stories for $1. It's a very generous thing to do, and Comicpalooza has two of the results being screened. The first is a much more faithful adaptation of "The Lawnmower Man" than that sci-fi train wreck starring Jeff Fahey. James Gonis' short returns it to its more psychotic roots in his short, while Jim Cole adapts the sad suicide story 'Last Ring on the Ladder."
6. Holy God That's a Lot of Steampunk: Perhaps no scene in geekdom has risen so high and fast as the steampunk movement. Even LEGO is going steampunk these days. In addition to the annual Steampunk Ball, there are dozens of discussions that offer help crafting gear, building personas, establishing a local community, and tons of vendors in the main buy area. If you've been wondering what it's all about, now's a good time to find out. There's even a forum on "Steampunk and Social Issues."
