Wizard World

All posts tagged Wizard World

A Long Overdue Conclusion from Wizard World Philadelphia (Part 5: the Cast of Firefly and Wizard World– Big Damn Heroes All!)

Posted by Chris Tobias on August 10, 2013
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by Chris Tobias

My relatively lengthy palaver with Summer Glau on Sunday morning was definitely one of the highlights of my experience at Wizard World Philadelphia, but by no means did it mark the end of the memorable moments I had on the convention’s final day.  After all, there were still three other cast members from Firefly and Serenity present at the con, and I was determined to get all of them to autograph the Dark Horse graphic novels I intended to auction off for Equality Now at Can’t Stop the Serenity Pittsburgh. Continue Reading

Some Long Overdue Impressions from Wizard World Philadelphia (Part 4: A Very Memorable Meeting with Summer Glau)

Posted by Chris Tobias on August 8, 2013
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by Chris Tobias

Sunday, June 2 was the final day of Wizard World Philadelphia and the shortest day of the con.  We had already been working at the Take Back the Sky table for three days, and our crew had seen pretty much everything the event had to offer.  The Firefly panel and my photo op with Summer Glau had already taken place the previous day.  Truthfully, my expectations for Sunday were somewhat low.  We’d collect a few more signatures for our online petition and letters to Elon Musk asking him and SpaceX to name the next US spacecraft Serenity, say goodbye to our new friends from the PA and NY Browncoats, pack up the vehicle, and head home.  That is, of course, exactly what happened, but along the way Sunday would become the most memorable day of the con for me.

Continue Reading

Some Overdue Observations from Wizard World Philadelphia (Part Three: My First Encounter with My Big Damn Heroes)

Posted by Chris Tobias on July 31, 2013
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by Chris Tobias

I know it’s been almost two months now since this year’s Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, and I honestly didn’t expect to be writing about it still.  (I can already hear those late-summer cicadas buzzing in the trees outside as I write this.  I guess I should be thankful I didn’t have a deadline!)  Though they may be later than I’d like, I nonetheless want to share some final thoughts with you about one last aspect of the con before I move on to other, more current topics. Continue Reading

Some Overdue Thoughts on Wizard World Philadelphia (Part Two: Running the Table)

Posted by Chris Tobias on July 11, 2013
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by Chris Tobias

Prior to Wizard World Philadelphia my experience working a table at a large public gathering was mainly restricted to fundraising.  I’d worked carnival-style games at community day events while raising money for the high school fencing team I used to coach, and of course I’d helped run a game at Pittsburgh’s Can’t Stop the Serenity event for the past two years.  Manning the table at Wizard World Philly was really very much the same, except the object was to convince people to put pen to paper instead of handing over their cash.  (They would still have plenty of other opportunities to do that at the con.  I swear when I got home from Philadelphia my ATM card was still hot to the touch! Not that I’m complaining.  I came home with a lot of very shiny original artwork.)

Jeff mentioned in a previous post that you shouldn’t feel like you’re “stuck behind the table” when working at a con, and that it’s actually a way to enhance your convention experience.  I could not agree more.  Continue Reading

Take Back the Sky Moves to Phase II

Posted by Chris Tobias on June 26, 2013
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by Jeff Cunningham

We came back not long ago from our first boots-on-the-ground event, which was a great success. It was so successful, in fact, that we’re happy to announce that we’re now moving to “Phase II.” You see, “Phase I” of our efforts was building up our audience, garnering what publicity we could, and getting the numbers we needed to get started. While we’ll continue to do that (and hope that you’ll help us in that regard), the time has now come for the next stage on the way to Serenity’s launch day: The transition from a couple of fans and Browncoats having fun online to a loosely-bound “network” of “cells” of Browncoats staging their own tabling events all over the world to collect letters. Continue Reading

Follow-up with Sending a Wave Podcast

Posted by Chris Tobias on June 22, 2013
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by Chris Tobias

While we were at Wizard World Philadelphia, we were lucky enough to run into our friends from across the pond at the Sending a Wave podcast. We had loads of fun passing the time together in line for the Firefly cast panel, and she also recorded a live follow-up interview with us to update everyone on the progress that we’ve made since we last spoke. Some of it won’t be news to you, but you’ll find that we teased at our biggest announcement yet!

Tune in to their podcast, then stay tuned with us for more information in the next few days!

I Aim to Meet Summer Glau… Politely.

Posted by Chris Tobias on May 24, 2013
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by Chris Tobias

I’m going to meet Summer Glau at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con in a little over a week.  If I had a bucket list, I’m pretty sure that would be on it, and I’m very appreciative of the fact that she’s taking time out of her busy schedule and private life to visit our great state and meet with us PA Browncoats.  (In fact, she was the first of the Firefly cast members to sign on for Wizard World Philly.)

Continue Reading

Some Thoughts on Meeting Your Big Damn Heroes

Posted by Chris Tobias on May 23, 2013
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by Chris Tobias

Ever since the age of twelve, I have been a huge fan of the Canadian rock trio Rush, who were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month.  The band’s drummer, Neil Peart, whom I admire not only for his unparalleled skill as a percussionist but also for his talent as a writer of both song lyrics and prose, is somewhat famous (or perhaps notorious) for his desire to separate his private life from his rock and roll persona.  He has written at great length about this topic in his many books, describing several awkward and sometimes even frightening encounters with fans whose zeal exceeded their consideration for his privacy and personal space.  If you haven’t read his books, you should.  They are compelling reading and his prose is every bit as entertaining as his complex and imaginative lyrics.  I will warn you, though, that his anecdotes will make you stop and reconsider what it means to be a fan. Continue Reading

Take Back the Sky Panel at Wizard World Philadelphia May 30

Posted by Chris Tobias on May 7, 2013
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Take Back the Sky Panel at Wizard World Philadelphia May 30

by Chris Tobias

Take Back the Sky will host a panel at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con on Thursday, May 30 at 4PM in Room 109. Our panel will be called “One Small Step for Fans: Browncoats in Space.” We will survey the history of science-fiction’s role in space exploration and examine the connection between the space industry and “geek culture” as well as fandom’s potential to make history beyond the boundaries of Earth. And of course we’ll talk a little bit about our primary objective, which is convincing SpaceX to name the next manned US spacecraft after the transport ship “Serenity” in Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” universe. If you’re going to be at the con on May 30, please stop in and hear what we have to say, and be sure to visit our table afterwards to sign our online petition and write a letter to Elon Musk.

Take Back the Sky at Philadelphia Comic Con May 30-June 2

Posted by Chris Tobias on April 4, 2013
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Take Back the Sky at Philadelphia Comic Con May 30-June 1

by Chris Tobias

We are proud to announce that Take Back the Sky will be at the Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con May 30 through June 2. Special guests this year include our big damn heroes Adam Baldwin, Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau and Jewel Staite. If you’re at the con, be sure to stop by our table and say hello. We’d love to chat about Firefly, the future of space exploration, or why we love ships named “Serenity…”