Phoenix Comicon Fancy Photo Comic

Wil Wheaton and I got excited and made a thing! Check out our University of Gallifrey Fighting Time Lords Shirt over at Sharksplode.

Gallifrey University Fighting Time Lords Shirt - Doctor Who parody, geeky tees, funny t-shirts, nerdy shirts

I am closing out some current t-shirt and print designs. Please check out this blog post since the stuff on closeout probably won’t be available again any time soon.

NEWS! I will not be attending HeroesCon this weekend. Read more HERE. Sorry, Charlotte Fancy Bastards.

My mother freakin’ 30th birthday is tomorrow! How can you help celebrate my 1/3 life crisis? Oh I don’t know… maybe donate, get something off the wish list or buy something from the store or Sharksplode? Sure. Why not. Whatever.

Phoenix. Oh, sweet dear Phoenix. How I have fallen under your siren song. Or perhaps I am just light headed from the dry heat. Either way, I can say without a doubt that the time I spent last week in Phoenix, AZ was some of the most fun I have ever had in my entire life. What a way to usher out my 20’s and begin the long, slow crawl towards the grave. I hope the (unbearably lengthy) comic above illustrates just how amazing of a time it was.

Phoenix Comicon, while still firmly rooted in its anime-con upbringing, was one of the better comic/pop culture cons I have attended. The fans were just fantastic. Enthusiasm and fandom abounded. People in fur suits also abounded, but you take what you can get, right? It was really my kind of show. 1000’s and 1000’s of kids literally wearing their fandom on their sleeves. Their weird, hand crafted, often cardboard sleeves. If I could do 5 shows like this a year I wouldn’t do any others. I actually sold out of all of merch for both Phoenix AND Heroes Con (which is one of the main reasons I had to pull out of that show). I have already signed up for next year, so look for me in your sandy, parched grasp in 2012.

After the show each night I met up with Wil Wheaton, his wife Anne (“Molly” in the final panel), their son Ryan (hurphing next to his facepalming dad) and his friends John Scalzi, Boyan Radakovich and Amy Black. While I was already well acquainted with Wil, I did not expect to make such fast friends with his family and assorted cohorts. Our little group of creatives, writers, and Internet vagabonds spent every evening after the show together exploring downtown Phoenix, dining, drinking, playing games, and crashing the occasional geek prom. I know this is sappy, but it was really a magical time. When reflecting on the lives we live, Wil commented, “I hope I never wake up.” That really sums up my feelings. I am so grateful for the opportunities I am given to meet wonderful people and integrate them into my life.

I also want to mention and say thanks to Cherie Priest, a sci-fi writer and a friend of John and Wil’s who makes a cameo in panels 13 and 24. We are both from the same area in Southeast Texas and we had fun commiserating on our mutual escape from the region. Additional thanks to Nerdchick, who’s video of Wil’s performance of The Last Unicorn Pegasus Kitten inspired those panels above, and “grown up” film star April O’Neil who portrays Counselor Troi in this comic, as well as in the “grown up” Star Trek: TNG parody. I also need to shout out to Eric Fiallos, the photographer who took the prom picture in the final panel. The image captures one my favorite things that has ever happened. Evar.

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37 Comments

  5. if i wasn't a fan before this comic (and i was), i am a fan now after that amazingly unexpected breakfast club reference.

  6. This is not your 30th birthday, it is your 2nd annual 29th birthday, or the 1st anniversary of your 29th birthday – whichever way you want to see it. Trust me, the delusion works.

  10. So, who asked who for that Troy picture? Has Wil watched his parody porn self, and recognized April? Or is April really just a geek at heart, and knew exactly who Wil was?

    • Both actually. Wil and April already knew each other. I asked them to pose for the pic. And as far as I know there is no Wesley in the porn parody.

  11. Great comic! I love Wil's word bubbles. "Hocky hocky hocky hocky TNG hocky hocky Picard/Riker hocky unicorn hocky hocky hocky neeeerrrrrrrrd." I'd watch that episode!

  12. I love your webcomic so very much. But there is something about these con-comics (con-ics?) that part of me enjoys almost more than the normal comics. It's a side of web cartoonists that is never really seen. I look forward to them every time I hear you are going off to a convention. And happy 30th 😀

    • im glad you enjoy them. I dont get to do them that often, but I always have fun with them. Better than a long recap blog post after each con in my opinion.

  15. The more I think about it, the more I think that while Wil didn't quite get Anthony Michael Hall's expression, he totally nailed Emilio's. Also, yay Eric!

      • "and just a geek" that was Juda's kiss don't you think even if it is rela†ed to †he name of his book . even "Sheldon" don't get that kind of effect and you call yourself his friend sir I still laugh at that pun hat off to you Joel.

  17. This… this… Joel… it's YOUR birthday and yet you gift us with excellence like this. If I hadn't already bought both Doctor shirts, I would buy them right now. I think I need to buy my 6 & 9 year old sons some shirts they won't understand as soon as I have another paycheck!!!!

  19. Now I can die happy – for I have seen the Epicness and the Glory of the Phoenix Club, and know that All Will Be Well.
    Verily, forsoth, and so on.

  20. Happy Birthday and thank you for this hilarious inside look into your con experience, you fancy geeky bastard you.

    ~is jealous of every moment accept the cheese beer~

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