Tag Archives: comic cons

Fan Expo Chicago 2025 Photos, Part 1 of 3: Cosplay!

August 18, 2025 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments
Captain America cosplayer on an actual motorcycle, in stopped traffic and holding Mjolnir in one hand.

As we left the show Sunday afternoon and police stopped traffic to let the crowd cross River Road toward the parking garage, a charity-driven cosplayer calling himself the Colorado Captain was right there alongside them.

It’s that time again! This weekend my wife Anne and I attended the fourth edition of Fan Expo Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. In 2022 they arose from the ashes of the late Wizard World Chicago, which we attended eleven times, and have expended tremendous efforts to maintain the previous showrunners’ geek-marketed traditions to keep luring in longtime fans and newcomers alike.

As is the MCC procedure, let’s start with mandatory cosplay photos! The humble duo here at MCC enjoys the panoply of costumes, and appreciates the makers and wearers who enliven every comic-con with their talents and their exaltation of various fandoms. We regret we can only represent a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the total cosplay wonderment that was on display this weekend, especially from cons like this where we spent far more time waiting in lengthy lines that ate up precious time we could’ve spent taking more pics. We’re just an aging couple doing what we can for happy sharing fun.

Enjoy! Corrections, elucidations, and plugs welcome!

Continue reading →

So You’re Going to a Comic Con: Our Convention Survival Tips for Beginner Geeks

March 9, 2025 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , 4 Comments
us with Chris Evans, all doing jazz hands, and he is smiling SO brilliantly.

Let the clipfest begin! From C2E2 2023, Anne and myself in a jazz-hands photo op with Chris Evans, the old Captain America.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover: my wife Anne and I share a fannish love of attending entertainment and comic conventions together, whether in our hometown of Indianapolis or in adjacent states (or sometimes beyond). She’s been doing them since the early ’90s, and invited me to tag along as our relationship evolved from classmates to coworkers to neighbors to BFFs to married geeks, now twenty years and counting. We’re the Goldens. It’s who we are and what we do.

Every con is someone’s first. We’re happy to offer advice whenever we chat with newcomers to the scene. In the various Facebook groups dedicated to each of the cons we regularly attend, Anne has taken to posting practical advice for newer con-goers — the teen, the elderly, and everyone in between — who are beyond excited to mingle in all those crowds of merry hobbyists and scintillating costumes and vintage collectibles and character merchandise and rows of celebrities from their favorite movies, TV shows, animated works and streaming channels. It’s a lot. It can be daunting to figure out where to start. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed. It’s impossible to prepare for every possible contingency.

Cons are foremost on our mind in anticipation of our season beginning next weekend. As we discard the psychological shackles of a depressing winter and prepare to leave the house a little more often, we offer a selection of suggestions for coping with some aspects of the comic-con experience for the absolute beginners out there.

Continue reading →

Fan Expo Chicago 2024 Photos, Part 3 of 3: Stars and Strifes Forever!

August 19, 2024 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
Me doing jazz hands with a laughing Ella Purnell.

I’ve mentioned Fallout enough times over the past several months that it should be no surprise I’m leading with Fallout star Ella Purnell.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

It’s that time again! This weekend my wife Anne and I attended the third edition of Fan Expo Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. Risen from the ashes of the late Wizard World Chicago, which we attended eleven times, Fan Expo has put forth tremendous efforts to maintain the previous showrunners’ geek-marketed traditions for longtime fans’ expectations…

…by which I mean celebrity guests, Artists Alley, shopping, and generally eye-popping sights. Tens of thousands of fans showed up and were astounded to realize — in an unprecedented break from comic-con norms — almost none of the actor guests had canceled. Dozens of autograph booths were up and running, many of which had hours-long lines, some of which were on opposite sides of the designated walkway, each side sprawling enough to create a choking bottleneck between them. Saturday it became nearly impossible simply to walk through the Autograph Area in either direction. Couple that with a convention-center A/C system that struggled to catch up, and the confluence of issues made for an often uncomfortable exhibit-hall environment.

Anne and I are now over 50 but still out there in the geek fun-trenches, trying to indulge our youthful selves despite the potential physical damage. Under the circumstances, it’s kind of a miracle we lasted as long as we did and weren’t unconscious by noon. Nevertheless, we persisted for a while, until we didn’t.

Continue reading →

Fan Expo Chicago 2024 Photos, Part 2 of 3: A Single Measly Cosplay Gallery!

August 19, 2024 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
cosplay: Kraven the Hunter with a spear, standing off against Scorpion from Mortal Kombat.

Kraven the Hunter bellowing, “I know Scorpion! I have fought Scorpion! You, sir, are not my Scorpion!”

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

It’s that time again! This weekend my wife Anne and I attended the third edition of Fan Expo Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. Risen from the ashes of the late Wizard World Chicago, which we attended eleven times, Fan Expo has put forth tremendous efforts to maintain the previous showrunners’ geek-marketed traditions for longtime fans’ expectations…

…including hosting duties for all the cosplay! Everyone loves the costumes and the talents who create and/or sport them! Unfortunately, it’s with a deep sigh I must report we spent too much of Friday in lines. By Saturday we found more lines to stand in, exhausted ourselves beyond reason, and found the exhibit hall so uncomfortably hot and jam-packed with tens of thousands of bodies that we could barely inch forward, let alone ask others to brake in the middle of that crowded superbazaar to pose for us with thousands of other fans trapped behind them and seething with claustrophobic fury. We ended up fleeing Saturday much earlier than expected and forfeited all further opportunities to admire the numerous cosplayers on hand. Management regrets the retreat.

So here’s what we have to show for our hampered efforts, a cross-section of maybe one one-thousandth of the total cosplay turnout throughout this 3-day shindig. Sorry/Enjoy!

Continue reading →

Fan Expo Chicago 2024 Photos, Part 1 of 3: Mark Hamill Live!

August 18, 2024 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Us doing jazz hands with Mark Hamill, who's seated in a bar chair.

We’re no Muppets or Simpsons, but we tried to be good company.

It’s that time again! This weekend my wife Anne and I attended the third edition of Fan Expo Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. Risen from the ashes of the late Wizard World Chicago, which we attended eleven times, Fan Expo has put forth tremendous efforts to maintain the previous showrunners’ geek-marketed traditions for longtime fans’ expectations. We were largely impressed with the results, even last year’s edition when the ongoing WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes necessitated strict guidelines on the actors’ interactions. Every large-scale comic-con has its snags, of course. For better or worse, that’s all in the game.

Judgments on their 2024 installment depend on whom you ask, how much they love wall-to-wall crowds, whether or not they needed ADA accommodations, and which stars they wanted to meet from the extremely long guest list. As our lead photo hints, this would promise to be no ordinary show.

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #12 of 12: Three Days of the Con-Doers

September 20, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments
Dragon Con ribbons affixed to Anne's badge, mostly Star Trek-themed.

Ribbons to affix to your badge, the quintessential Dragon Con souvenir.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

…and it all comes down to this: what else we did at the big show besides meet actors and see thousands of cosplayers swarming everywhere. In keeping with our personal boundaries, we only attended Friday and Saturday, but that experience was more than enough for us aging geeks.

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #11 of 12: Last Call for the Cosplay Parade

September 14, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Clippy cosplay, flanked by Wednesday and Morticia Addams.

Clippy probably drove more ’90s computer users to Apple than any Apple ads.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

It’s our seventh and final gallery of wild, wondrous costumes from the annual Saturday morning cosplay parade. I wish I could’ve rushed to post all our hundreds of pics in a timely manner within 1-2 days after the show, when anyone was actively interested in them, but life didn’t work out for me like that. Now that all 65,000+ D*C attendees have moved on, it’s past time for me to do the same. Hence our last-but-not least assortment of boldly talented folks that deserve a place in the MCC lineup. A few belonged to the cosplay groups we previously posted, but their pics got sorted separately. Several of these were lone wolves, out there doing their own things. If you think these seven entries contained an awful lot of photos, the outtakes outnumber them. Regardless: enjoy one last time!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #10: Cosplay Parade Teams Sampler Platter

September 12, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler!

The Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler, marching with the Prydon Academy Doctor Who group.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

You’re still here? You’re awesome! It’s our sixth gallery from D*C’s annual Saturday morning cosplay parade, always one of our favorite events. The starter exhortations in Part 5 still apply here: if you recognize any characters we didn’t, by all means please let us know! Our egos aren’t so fragile that we can’t handle corrections and lessons about stuff we don’t watch or read, especially if we did watch/read it but then totally forgot about it. Between us we took over 600 photos and couldn’t possibly have known everyone. Related note: if you or someone you know was in the parade and you’re hoping for shots of them, pretty-please let us know! We’re taking requests! We’ll be happy to search our files and post ’em if we got ’em. You might come away disappointed, or you might not!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #9: Cosplay Parade Animation and Gaming

September 10, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments
refer to caption

A Vault Dweller from Fallout 76 and an Assultron from Fallout 4.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

Hey-HEY! It’s our fifth gallery from D*C’s annual Saturday morning cosplay parade, always one of our favorite events. The starter exhortations in Part 5 still apply here: if you recognize any characters we didn’t, by all means please let us know! We like welcoming new shows, increasing our awareness, correcting errors, and bridging the gaps in our aging memories where those character names used to be. Between us we took over 600 photos and couldn’t possibly have known everyone. Related note: if you or someone you know was in the parade and you’re hoping for shots of them, pretty-please let us know! We’re taking requests! We’ll be happy to search our files and post ’em if we got ’em. You might come away disappointed, or you might not!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #8: Cosplay Parade Presents the Walt Disney Family of Companies

September 9, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Mandalorians marching, one in the foreground who's red with gun pointed to the sky.

Hey, kids! Mandalorians! This one’s from the Mandalorian Mercs cosplay group.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

Hi-diddly-ho! It’s our fourth gallery from D*C’s annual Saturday morning cosplay parade, always one of our favorite events. The starter exhortations in Part 5 still apply here: if you recognize any characters we didn’t, by all means please let us know! We like meeting new faces, broadening our knowledge, correcting errors, and bridging the gaps in our aging memories where those character names used to be. Between us we took over 600 photos and couldn’t possibly have known everyone. Related note: if you or someone you know was in the parade and you’re hoping for shots of them, pretty-please let us know! We’re taking requests! We’ll be happy to search our files and post ’em if we got ’em. You might come away disappointed, or you might not!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #7: Cosplay Parade Vehicles and Riders

September 9, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
A life-size Lightning McQueen car!

Lightning McQueen! Ka-CHOW!

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

Huzzah! It’s our third gallery from D*C’s annual Saturday morning cosplay parade, always one of our favorite events. The starter exhortations in Part 5 still apply here: if you recognize any characters we didn’t, by all means please let us know! We like learning new names, eradicating our ignorance, correcting errors, and bridging the gaps in our aging memories where those character names used to be. Between us we took over 600 photos and couldn’t possibly have known everyone. Related note: if you or someone you know was in the parade and you’re hoping for shots of them, pretty-please let us know! We’re taking requests! We’ll be happy to search our files and post ’em if we got ’em. You might come away disappointed, or you might not!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #6: Cosplay Parade Presents Barbie and Deadpool

September 9, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Movie Barbie in pink cowboy gear, holding hands with another young lady in non-Barbie non-pink cowboy gear -- white hat, jacket, and frills hanging from her belt. Both are on roller skates.

No, there’s no Deadpool in this pic of Barbie and her equally Western companion. I didn’t say “Barbie versus Deadpool”, though I might’ve trampled other fans for such a pic.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

Welcome to the second gallery from D*C’s annual Saturday morning cosplay parade, always one of our favorite events. The starter exhortations in Part 5 still apply here: if you recognize any characters we didn’t, by all means please let us know! We like learning about new IPs, curing our ignorance, correcting errors, and bridging the gaps in our aging memories where those character names used to be. Between us we took over 600 photos and couldn’t possibly have known everyone. Related note: if you or someone you know was in the parade and you’re hoping for shots of them, pretty-please let us know! We’re taking requests! We’ll be happy to search our files and post ’em if we got ’em. You might come away disappointed, or you might not!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #5: Our Favorite Cosplay Parade Moments

September 8, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
cosplay: Bob and Louise Belcher parading. Bob wears a Cult of Marriott Carpet apron; June has matching pants. Bob wears a chalkboard around his neck reading, "Burger of the Day: What We Do with the Shallots Burger. Comes with blood!!" Behind them are three inflatable Cult of Marriott Carpet T-Rexes.

Bob and Louise Belcher from Bob’s Burgers, sporting the distinctive patterns of D*C’s own Cult of the Marriott Carpet.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

Same as our visits in 2019 and in 2021, one of our favorite D*C features was the annual Saturday morning cosplay parade. Each year hundreds of cosplayers team up in appropriate factions or categories, then march around the streets of downtown Atlanta in their costumes, sometimes even driving the route in their geek vehicles. Usually the roadside crowd lineup around the parade route is the best free opportunity for the public-at-large to join the festivities and get a taste of con life.

Over the next several chapters we’ll be sharing batches of pics we took in between our moments of gawking and trying to remember some of the more obscure character names. If you recognize any characters we didn’t, by all means please let us know! We like learning about new universes, remedying our ignorance, correcting errors, and bridging the gaps in our aging memories where those character names used to be. Between us we took over 600 photos and couldn’t possibly have known everyone. Related note: if you or someone you know was in the parade and you’d love to see shots of them, pretty-please let us know! We’re taking requests! We’ll be happy to search our files and post ’em if we got ’em. You might come away disappointed, or you might not!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #4: Saturday Cosplay (Non-Parade Edition)

September 5, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments
cosplay: four What We Do in the Shadows characters

Nadja, Nandor, Laszlo, and Guillermo from What We Do in the Shadows. Bonus points for bringing Laszlo’s witch-skin hat and Doll With the Spirit of Deceased Human Nadja Inhabiting It.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

…and the cosplay photos march on! Here’s all the costumes we had a chance to photograph on Saturday between 11:15 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. around the various hotels, show floors, and walkways whenever we weren’t trapped in long lines. This gallery does not include the staggering number of pics we took at the annual major cosplay event earlier that morning. Those’ll star in our next few chapters, however many it takes. Once again we beg forgiveness from the thousands of cosplayers that we missed throughout our 12-hour day, but we celebrate those who crossed our path and willingly braked for us. Enjoy yet again!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #3: Friday Cosplay (The Other Half)

September 5, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Power Rangers cosplay, refer to caption

From the world of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita Repulsa, Lord Zed, and Alpha 5.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

…and the cosplay photos continue! Here’s all the other costumes we had a chance to photograph on Friday alone. All the sites involved in this blocks-wide soiree teem with crowds and are frequently not conducive to braking and capturing every single player in the game. We humbly did our best to contribute to the fandom at large in our own little way. Enjoy some more!

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos #2: Friday Cosplay (The First Half)

September 4, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
cosplay: Barbie in pink jumpsuit, Barbie in pink farmer's daughter dress, and Ruth Handler as played by Rhea Perlman in the movie.

Hi, Barbie! Hi, Barbie! Hi, Ruth Handler, creator of Barbie!

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

In 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021. Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle…

…and now is the part of every comic-con adventure when we share cosplay photos, starting with our Friday encounters. Thousands of cosplayers were in attendance this year, surrounding us on all sides at any given moment. No single human, duo, or entire international photography company could hope to capture more than a tiny percentage of the costumes that graced the hotels, streets, and downtown hot spots with their value-adding presence. Over the next several chapters we’ll be sharing batches of pics we took in between our moments of gawking and recognizing and racking our brains trying to remember some of the more obscure character names. When they weren’t from our fields of expertise, my son helped us identify a few, especially in the anime and video game fields. Our meager galleries will number several, yet will represent a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the total talents on display. We’re merely amateur appreciators passing along some of those sights and wonders to You, The Viewers At Home.

As you can imagine, this year’s hottest cosplay theme was Barbie. Hundreds and hundreds of fans represented for the biggest film of 2023. She and Ken were everywhere. If you loved the movie (I’ve seen it; Anne hasn’t), you might also love how Barbie cosplayers kept greeting each other with a peppy “Hi, Barbie!” as they ran into each other all weekend long.

Continue reading →

Dragon Con 2023 Photos, Part 1: The Stars in Our Galaxy

September 4, 2023 By in Conventions & Events, TV/DVD Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Us doing jazz hands with four actors from "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds". The two actresses have far more animated dance moves than the actors, but the guys did fine, really.

Our weekend mission: to explore Strange New Worlds and seek out new jazz hands. Fun times with Christina Chong, Ethan Peck, Anson Mount, and Celia Rose Gooding.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover: in 2019 my wife Anne and I attended our very first Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. As one of the longest-running science fiction conventions in America, Dragon Con had received rave reviews from our internet friends over the past two decades, some of whom recommended it to us more than once and, according to my notes, would never shut up about it. We had so much of a blast that we returned in 2021 even though all 42,000+ attendees were required to wear masks and the celebrity photo ops positioned Plexiglas dividers between us potentially contaminated fans and the presumably vetted stars. Geek thrills persisted nevertheless.

Third time was the charm this Labor Day weekend as we repeated the eight-hour drive from Indianapolis to that amazing colossal southern spectacle. We can’t afford to do Dragon Con every year, but we’ll see how long we can keep up an every-other year schedule before we’re too old or overwhelmed to handle it.

Continue reading →

Fan Expo Chicago 2023 Photos, Part 4 of 4: Comics, Shopping, and Other Hobbies

August 20, 2023 By in Comics/Lit, Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
A bunch of books, drawings, buttons and pins.

My Fan Expo Chicago 2023 loot pile, plus Anne’s lanyard with new pins and buttons.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

It’s that time again! This weekend my wife Anne and I attended the second edition of Fan Expo Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. Last year they arose from the ashes of the late Wizard World Chicago, which we attended eleven times and whose already-shaky financial standings didn’t fare any better during the pandemic. Fan Expo threw such a great inauguration party, and invited such a staggering guest list this time that we agreed an encore was in order…

…and it all comes down to this: everything else about our convention weekend that I didn’t already share. Mostly that means the comics, but not just the comics.

Continue reading →

Fan Expo Chicago 2023 Photos, Part 3 of 4: Stars and Strikes

August 19, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Us doing jazz hands with Andy Serkis, whose arms are hidden but whose enthusiasm is there.

It’s Andy Serkis! You might remember him from SUCH films!

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

It’s that time again! This weekend my wife Anne and I attended the second edition of Fan Expo Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. Last year they arose from the ashes of the late Wizard World Chicago, which we attended eleven times and whose already-shaky financial standings didn’t fare any better during the pandemic. Fan Expo threw such a great inauguration party, and invited such a staggering guest list this time that we agreed an encore was in order…

…and what a guest list it was! Beyond the actors we wanted to meet, FCE invited close to two dozen animation voice actors, a pair of Academy Award-winning actresses, and sizable casts from assorted classic movies and TV shows from your childhood. The most fascinating part was how most of the guests couldn’t talk about any of that.

Continue reading →

Fan Expo Chicago 2023 Photos, Part 2 of 4: More Cosplay!

August 14, 2023 By in Conventions & Events Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord and Kraglin

The stars of one of 2023’s best films so far, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3! (Full disclosure: Mantis and Drax — in Holiday Special gear! — are official Friends of MCC.)

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

It’s that time again! This weekend my wife Anne and I attended the second edition of Fan Expo Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. Last year they arose from the ashes of the late Wizard World Chicago, which we attended eleven times and whose already-shaky financial standings didn’t fare any better during the pandemic. Fan Expo threw such a great inauguration party, and invited such a staggering guest list this time that we agreed an encore was in order.

Before we attempt any real storytime, let’s do mandatory cosplay photos!

And now, the other half of all the cosplay pics taken by us two aging geeks whenever we weren’t trapped in lines or off resting our weary bones somewhere. Enjoy! Again!

Continue reading →