J. Audrey Hammer: Fifth Annual Salt Lake Comic Con

Me this year

The fifth annual Comic Con started Thursday (Sept 21) at 2. There wasn’t really a line there, and we headed straight for panels. I went to see Christopher Judge in the ballroom while Glenn went to a writing panel. Judge was funny. Then we wandered around the vendor hall for a couple hours and got to see most of it. I tried on some wizard’s robes and fell in love with them, but I didn’t buy them.

I went to a couple more writing panels and got to see one with Brandon Sanderson. There I met a guy from Utah, whom I met on Goodreads, and that was interesting. We like the same books. I’ve never met up with someone from the Internet before. (We both had our spouses there, for the record.) Patrick Rothfuss was scheduled to come, but he had a family emergency with his dad dying, poor guy.

This was the first year that the weather was under 90 for Comic Con. I still wore shorts because it was pretty warm inside. When we went home Thursday night, it was pouring rain outside.

Friday I wore my costume and stopped by a steampunk outfit vendor with Glenn. We got him a very nice, expensive vest that matches me pretty well as well as a few accessories for me. We had a couple people ask for our picture.

First thing Friday we stopped by Timothy Zahn’s booth. He only had a couple people in line, so it was easy to get our books signed and get a photo taken with him.

We went to a panel on writing grief by Aaron Lee Yeager, author of the Isle of Wisteria series, which I had just finished. It was a packed room, which surprised me because it was at the same time as Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Excuses podcast panel. It was good, and after I told him I’d just read his book, and he was just thrilled.

We talked a little while in the hall after about his story, and he said it just made his day, and he asked for a hug, and I got my picture taken with him. We had a little bit of time then with not much to do, so Glenn came with me to see Wil Wheaton and Gates McFadden in the ballroom. Despite talking with Aaron for fifteen minutes, the panel was just starting when we arrived. That was fun.

Next we went to a panel on writing villains, which included Jim Butcher, Charlie Holmberg, and Dave Farland. Then Glenn stayed for a query letter panel while I went to Brandon Mull’s key spotlight panel. I saw a couple from our ward there. After that we were free for a while, so we toured the vendor hall again and finished seeing pretty much everything.

At 6 Glenn went to Character Writing, but I really wanted to see Richard Dean Anderson instead. Then we ended the night together with Turning Ideas Into Novels (except on my notes I’d written “novels into ideas”). On the way home we got a cheese pizza to eat for dinner. Corin saw it and asked, “Is that like a pepperoni pizza without pepperoni?” Yes, son.

Saturday we had to get up extra early for Comic Con. Because they expected a big crowd for the Elijah Wood panel, there was a lottery for seats. We won seats but had to be there by 9. We ended up pretty close in the front; it started at 10. At 11 was the Michael Vey panel, which was set up as a trivia contest between two teams (Electroclan vs Elgen).

At noon I met Glenn again for Fantasy Tropes, which included Jim Butcher, Larry Correia, and Brian McClellan on the panel. At 2 I went to see Catherine Tate in the ballroom while Glenn went to another writing panel. She was so funny; it was awesome.

I left a little early to go to a panel that featured Brandon Mull and Brandon Sanderson and a few others. I was surprised that I beat Glenn in there. It was a full room. They had a game for the authors: They had submitted two weird true events from their lives, and Dan Wells’s brother invented two untrue events. Then they drew one from their pile and had to sell it as true. It was hilarious. I didn’t believe Sanderson about giving a talk in Primary and listing by name all the swear words in the dictionary.

The next panel was Brandon Sanderson only; it was in the same room, and Glenn and I were able to move seats to be together this time. We were lucky to be there; we were told the line was all the way across the Salt Palace down to the ballroom. Sanderson took some questions and read the first two chapters of Apocalypse Guard, due out next year. I was completely star-struck by Brandon.

Then we stayed in the room for a third hour for Jim Butcher’s solo panel. The line continued to reach the ballroom. We’ve still only read one of his books, but he is such a funny, fascinating guy. After that, we were getting a little crazy from being packed like sardines in the same bland room for three hours.

Next we went to two separate writing panels. Then at 7 I went to see Kirk Thatcher for the fun of it. He’s worked on Star Wars, Star Trek, and all the Muppets stuff. Amazing. At 8 I met Glenn again for a final writing panel. That was the end of the con. On our way out, we noticed a woman in a steampunk costume with a blue flute that had gears all over it, so we went over and ended up chatting for half an hour.

She was a flute performance major and was trying out this cheapo flute she’d bought for her costume. Her skirt and tights were decorated with treble clefs; it was awesome. She was waiting for her group to get out of Dr. Horrible. We never did exchange names. I then got a few last-minute photographs since the cosplay costume was ending and the most awesome costumes were there. We went to Chili’s for dinner. It was hard going to bed even though I was exhausted.

I didn’t take a ton of pictures because I’m still shy about walking up to strangers and asking for a picture, and most people were hurrying to a panel somewhere. I also want a new camera really, really badly. Can you tell by how well the focus works?