Doing it Wrong: My Experience at Birmingham's Comic Con

If you’ll excuse this brief interruption of film reviews, I want to tell you about my experience of Birmingham’s Comic-Con last weekend, where I had an incredible amount of fun at the same time as wanting to pass out or throw up.

It’s nothing on the scale of San Diego or anything else my American friends pull off, but I love our little convention, it’s the only time I can wear a geeky tee and squeal over Pokemon plushies without looking like an escaped mental patient. I’ve been going every year for about 4 years now, and it’s the best chance to bag some pretty cool merchandise that otherwise I’d have to buy online and import from the US. There’s a lady that makes great cupcakes too.

This year I brought a friend with me who’s a pro at these conventions. She’s a huge Supernatural fan and has been to almost all the official conventions, met the whole cast multiple times, etc, etc. I’ve never met anyone famous (that I know of!) and the thought of meeting a beloved star fills me with nausea. 

Well, one of the guests this year was Tom Mison (Who?! I hear you all cry). He’s the star of the current TV Series Sleepy Hollow, he’s delightful, and I’m a little bit in love with him. My friend convinced me to buy a photo shoot pass for him, and told me everything would be fine. 

Roll on last Saturday and we had a great time. The whole show had been taken over by Funko Pop figures, and I scored an absolute bargain on these three little exclusive cuties, thanks to the kind people at the stall not realising their true value. 

My friend had a photoshoot with Chris Gorham from Covert Affairs and Laurie Holden from The Walking Dead around lunchtime, so I waited in the queue with her for a while feeling positively sick, even though it wasn’t my photoshoot. I vaguely hear her mention Tom Mison’s name in a question and turn around to see him walk past, and I freaked. Seriously, I thought I was an actual grown up and I couldn’t cope!

Turns out the photoshoots ran over and whilst I was lingering around waiting, a tiny crowd of about 5 people gathered by the curtains. A staff member wandered over and asked if they were waiting for Tom, which they were, so I grabbed my bags and ran over to join them, in the nick of time, as 10 minutes later the queue snaked back right across the hall! I found myself stood very close to a guy who did not concern himself with personal hygiene, and right in front of a lady with a screaming baby. Awesome.

I hadn’t had time for lunch and at the point my friend and fiance found me, I was feeling faint, shaky and sick to my stomach, I must have looked an absolute mess! They made me practice my smile, and no sooner than the queue started moving I was alone again. In the photo shoot area. In front of Tom Mison. Without the ability to speak. I managed a ‘hello, how are you’, and even a ‘very good thanks’ when he asked me the same before wrapping my arm around him for the photo. He was an absolute sweetheart and did look a little concerned at one point. After the flash, I thanked him profusely before walking straight into a staff member, and then headed to the nearest burger van. Here’s the evidence! Please excuse the psycho killer smile I’m wearing.