Honeymoon at Galaxycon

By Ashley Rosson

If you have been reading my column over the past 3 years, you would know that every year I attend Raleigh Supercon and share my experiences.  This past year the Supercon was bought out and changed to Galaxycon.  It is the one time of the year I stray from the “social media” banter, and let my inner “nerdness” shine. I usually only go to one or two days of the Con, but this year I went to all 4 days, and let me tell you, I could have been there for 4 more! This Galaxycon was extra special this year, because it was essentially my honeymoon, since I had married Stephen the Saturday before it started.
As usual, the convention was full of people dressed as some of their favorite pop culture icons! After the success of the Marvel franchise, I saw way more than just one person dressed as an Avenger. The heart of GalaxyCon, and primary draw for many, is the lineup of celebrity guests. This year included George Takei, Tim Curry, Ron Perlman, John Cusack, John Cleese, Pauly Shore, David Tennant, Catherine Tate, and actors from, “The Office.”

Attractions included cosplay wrestling, in which pro wrestlers dressed as fictional characters like Skeletor, Black Panther, Spider-Gwen and Bane, duked it out.  There was table-top gaming, console gaming, and viewings of classic animated TV shows from the 80’s, I went to the Care Bear showing myself!

Throughout GalaxyCon, the floor of the Raleigh Convention Center is packed with vendors selling collectibles, comics, vintage toys, and props on one side and celebrities selling autographs and photo ops on the other. My husband, Stephen, surprised me with a photograph, autograph, and meet and greet with Tim Curry. Unfortunately, Tim Curry suffered a stroke a few years back and was not able to really speak, but he still radiated a presence you would only expect him to have. Another highlight for me was seeing Jodi Benson, who was Ariel in, “The Little Mermaid.” She was sweet and kind and took plenty of her time to answer any questions her fans asked. She surprised everyone at the end of her Q&A with singing, “Part of Your World.” There was not a dry eye in the house for those who grew up watching the movie, and you could sense the nostalgia. Three members of the cast of “The Office” did a Q&A – it was the actors that played, Meredith, Stanley, and Creed. They talked about how much fun it was on set, and about how Steve Carell never failed to make them laugh.

As always the GalaxyCon brought droves and droves to Raleigh. Businesses saw huge profits and the attendance was the highest recorded since they started. Some might find it weird to have spent my honeymoon at a “nerd” convention, but it was something my husband and I have done every year since we started dating so there was no question on whether we would go or opt for a more traditional honeymoon. I look forward to next year and can’t wait to see who I might have the chance to meet!