Review: Raleigh Supercon 2017

SUNDAY

Despite being worn down from the previous two days, I decided to put on the Vault Suit again. Since I wasn’t able to get everything I needed for the Beyond the Blast Doors piece, I was pulling triple duty!

Upon exploring the floor for the last time, I stumbled upon another Star Wars podcast! Todd Canipe and Dork Side Productions had their own booth on the floor, with a field recording setup to interview both con-goers and guests alike. It was so inspiring to see another podcaster doing what we’d like to be doing with Beyond the Blast Doors. The Exhaust Port is an audio-only podcast, so Todd was there to capture the ambience and thoughts of the Raleigh Star Wars fans. Upon hearing that I help produce a Star Wars podcast in the Midwest, he invited me to sit down and chat about the beloved franchise. I was so inspired and excited to meet Todd, and I think we must have talked for a good 45 minutes about the evolution of the saga, the brilliance of Rogue One, and the direction we think Disney might take future movies.

After representing Beyond the Blast Doors in a cross-promotional piece for The Exhaust Port, I decided to wander over to the celebrity area to see who was still around. I looked for Michael Rooker, hoping to get another opportunity to see him after meeting him twice in St. Louis. I was thrilled to find Jason Mewes, more commonly known as Jay of Jay & Silent Bob, talking to a lone fan at his table. Quickly reaching for my phone, I took the opportunity to jump in line for a selfie. I couldn’t tell if he was a fan of Fallout, but Jay was blown away by my Pip-boy. We chatted briefly about the Jay & Silent Bob Get Old show a few months prior in St. Louis as well as the new movie. He took my Nuka Cola cup and we posed for several pictures together, which turned out pretty great. New Facebook profile picture!

While still exciting, most of our day dragged pretty hard. We spent most of the day hanging out at Jenn’s table and the 501^st booth. I was able to get a few more amazing shots before doing what was probably the most foolish thing I’d done the whole con. I had to shoot a stand-up for Beyond the Blast Doors, which is when the reporter talks directly to the camera. Obviously it would look weird for a guy in a Fallout costume to be reporting for a Star Wars podcast. So I stretched my BTBD t-shirt over my Vault Suit, smoothed out the bumpy parts, and had Stormy hold the camera while I performed my stand-up. To my surprise, the shirt didn’t make the suit all that much hotter, so I decided to leave it on for the rest of the day. Those BTBD shirts sure are breathable!

After taking care of the BTBD reporting, it was time to call the con complete. I scrambled around the exhibition floor one last time to purchase something adorable for my girlfriend, and then hit the road back to Jenn’s house. Several members of our crew went to enjoy a post-con metal concert while the rest of us went out to dinner. I only mention this because the place that Jenn and Sergei took us to was absolutely phenomenal.

The Aviator Brewing Company has a very impressive setup: a tap house, a beer shop, and a smokehouse all on one intersection. The Smokehouse’s selection of spicy beers and even spicier meats would make any BBQ enthusiast’s mouth water. Sergei showed up everyone at the table by drinking a Ghost Pepper Kolsch, which I sampled. I’m a big fan of spicy foods, but I had to put this beer down. I look for relief in a drink paired with spicy BBQ, and there was no relief to be found in the Ghost Pepper Kolsch. I stuck with a less spicy jalapeno beer.

With a full belly and the wear of the con pulling me down into sleepy town, we joined up with Ryan and Tank at Jenny’s house to watch the season premiere of Game of Thrones. It was a fantastic way to seal the weekend with a nice, big, nerdy bow. I thought I’d have to fight to stay awake, but the episode kept me guessing over and over. Arya’s expert execution of the Frey house, Sansa and John’s philosophical debate, Cersei’s preparation for war, and Daenerys’s arrival at Dragonstone all made for a great kick-off to what may be the best season yet.

Well after midnight, we finally left Raleigh with some great memories and an even greater anticipation for amazing things to come. Next stop, Dragoncon!