pdt1984

You would think that, confronted with a photo like that and asked to sign it, on a basic human level you would feel compelled to go "Oh, sorry about that, I'm having a lousy day"... Though I guess when you're getting through hundreds of them in a day it's different.

I went on the Friday, and I loved the fact that it was busy but in no way crowded. The autograph areas could've done with a bit of work in terms of spacing in places, but for the most part it was all very easy and stress-free. The length of the panels was an issue - Sylvester McCoy and an entire team of Power Rangers both only got 25 minutes apiece - each panel ended just as it was getting going! And for the love of god, please stop hiring the bleach blond Scottish guy to MC the panels. I've never seen another MC who likes the sound of his own voice nearly as much as this guy (David I think?) does...

I took a punt on one of the Boom Boxes for my YouTube channel - if you search 'PDT Unboxes Boom Box' you'll find the full video. The box was full of Toonstar Toys content, including a few vinyl figures, a Walking Dead print and a terrifying Doc Brown money box. According to the ladies on the stall every box was different, but judging by the one other video I've been able to find it's all Toonstar content. I don't know if it was quite worth the £40, but it certainly wasn't the disappointment I feared it might be!

There was no signage outside the grand hall when I turned up around midday. Having already walked round the outside of almost the entire building it was frustrating to get to Olympia West and have to double back on myself. Something to sort out for tomorrow if anyone at the event is reading this...

Sorry, I realise that was a bit snappish of me, I apologise. It's rather frustrating to not have a choice but to pay more if I want to attend what is billed as a free talk, though...

Then maybe they should scrap the money-grabbing early-bird entry thing...

Why has Showmasters started scheduling 11am talks? In previous years the first talk was always 12am or later, meaning people could attend whether they'd bought an early bird ticket or not. But this year, if I want to see the Power Rangers talk, and I did, I have no option but to shell out extra. It hardly seems fair, does it..?

I think the Comic Zone was one of the few failings in what otherwise seemed like a really good event; there was a full panel of talks, but at no point did I see a schedule for them - just that a full programme of talks would be happening. On the plus side, it meant there were plenty of seats for having a sitdown - the show's other main failing!

Brilliant, will do; thanks very much, TooTall

I don't actually have a stand or anything, unfortunately...

What are the rules around handing out flyers at the con? I have a geeky comedy show on in London later in the month, and if I get the chance I'd like to hand out a few flyers while I'm at the show. But I don't want to break any rules or attract the ire of Showmasters - what are the rules around this?

So, to get this straight - it's £29 just to go into the Excel centre and hang around with fans, and everything else is extra?

Why does personalisation cost an extra £5 when this is part of the autograph charge?

to be honest i wasnt all that bothered in seeing him, i had to sacrifice his photo for the janet/peter stage talk and similar with his talk, the only time i saw him funny enough was at breakfast, he came and sat with me, i didnt know what to say but quickly he changed his mind seconds later and got up and left for another table, and that cemented my decision to sacrifice him for the other things on at the same time that I wanted. I don't know if my friend and I might have also contributed to the decision to get up and move... We were at the next table, and I wasn't entirely sure if it was him or not... I mentioned this to my friend when he was off getting his breakfast, and we briefly discussed it; he wouldn't have been in earshot, but it's possible he saw us talking in hushed tones, realised we were fans and legged it! Either way, I also didn't bother with the photoshoot after that - and I'm so glad; that Peter/Janet talk was simply unmissable!

I didn't pop in for too long, but I really enjoyed what I was there for... Met Steve Blum (Who did the Wolverine voice) and John Rhys-Davies (Who seemed a bit down today, poor fella), and went to the JRD and Star Trek talks, both of which were great. Not bad for a fiver! Oh, and it was a really good venue for this sort of thing - at previous CMs and LFCC I've felt a bit harrassed and crowded; nothing like that here. Something to think about, perhaps?

I'm probably going on my own on the Sunday...

The gents on the LOTNA and Laser-Tagging stalls were all damnedably handsome chaps

Bruce Boxleitner and I were so close to kissing, but then I sneezed and ruined the moment I did speak to a nice girl in one of the queues, but she was only in the country until Tuesday. At least, that's what she told me...

I'd love to see a bigger room, but with that I'd like to see an even bigger event!

Getting a photograph of the brilliant Bumblebee cosplayer in front of the Bumblebee car!

It is a fair system, but I can appreciate the OP's point - When a pre-paid person gets in after their pay-on-the-day friend who arrived at the same time, it does make you wonder why you pre-ordered in the first place! Sadly, though, it's just one of those things...

I didn't meet him (I'm one of those people for whom Phantom Menace is something of a repressed memory), but I did think it quite sweet when I walked by the autographs near the end of Sunday and Lloyd seemed to be chatting away with the kid who played Young Spock... :)

I met him on Saturday afternoon and, though he seemed a little tired, we chatted for a good couple of minutes... I told him how shocked I was when Sheridan died at the end of Season 3, and he told me how his favourite ever line was Sheridan's "I was dead. I'm better now"... He also told me he's just finished filming Tron 2 and another stint on Heroes. I think some people had issues with him, but I found him nothing less than a true professional :)

From what someone said in an earlier post, it seems Jake Lloyd wasn't really sure he was wanted at the con, and that perhaps he was just there so people could make fun of him... He may have been reluctant to take part in the panel for this reason!

Nicholas Courtney gave me a standard "To Peter, Best, From Nicholas S Courtney", but the unique thing is that he looked very puzzled, and revealed that he's never signed with his middle initial before! Whether true or not, it made me feel like I'd shared an extra moment with the Brig :)