So...I went to my first ever Big Texas Comicon over the weekend. For me and my wife, having never been to any type of convention like this before, it was kind of like traveling to a foreign land for the first time. You’ve read about it. Seen images or depictions online, on tv, or in movies. You think you have an idea of what to expect...and then you go. While I wouldn’t put the two of us in the Comicon fan category...there was certainly enough stuff to hold our interest.
I was instantly pulled in by a couple of the autographed memorabilia booths. While I expected the wide array of movie and comic book collectibles...I was not expecting to see all of the sports memorabilia that was available. It took all of my will power to walk away without purchasing a Troy Aikman-signed jersey for the bargain price of $350. I already own signed items from Michael “The Playmaker” Irvin and Neon Deion Sanders. Troy and Emmet are the two from that era who would complete that set for me. Someday....
There were also a host of celebrities on-hand to sign autographs and take selfies. Basically the entire cast of Cobra Kai was there...including Ralph Macchio. Pretty trippy as a kid from the 70s and 80s seeing Daniel-san in person. We chose not to wait in line to actually meet him...but from our vantage point...he looked to be a very personable guy who was enjoying himself with the fans. The hidden celebrity gem (at least to our family) at the event this year was Steve Burns...the original host of the long-running kids tv show “Blues Clues.” Our three boys were right at “that” age when Blues Clues was at its peak. We had Blues Clues-themed birthday parties, multiple handy dandy notebooks, and even an inflatable red thinking char. Obviously, Steve is an actor, musician, and voice-over artist who worked the Blues Clues gig from 1996-2002. But to our kids...Steve was larger than life. So yes...we took the time to stand in line...purchased a photo for him to autograph...and then were able to spend a few minutes chatting with him about everything from the show & the positive impact it had on our kids, to sharing Sammy Hagar stories. (He’s a self-proclaimed Van Hagar fan!) It was the absolute highlight of the day.