What Happened at Wondercon? -- Part 2 (Friday)

It was Friday morning, the first day of Wondercon, 2019, and I was on a mission to find the nearest Stargate.

My first sight of the MGM/Stargate Command booth on Friday morning.
Nothing looks more beautiful to a harde-core Stargate fan!

I had done my homework and already had my plan of attack formed. I was able to make a beeline straight to the Stargate Command/MGM booth to find the Stargate and get the scoop on anything Gate-related that I didn't already know about.

I immediately lucked out. The promised gate was standing proudly in the center of the booth and there was absolutely no line yet. Also, all ten of the Stargate Superfans had assembled for a morning briefing. I lost no time finding out who could give me permission to take photos during the briefing for my blog. I was introduced to Jenny Seelman Stiven (MGM) and David Read (Stargate Command) who cheerfully gave me the go ahead. I had met Jenny once before and was amazed that she remembered me. As a photographer, I am usually trying to blend into the background. David surprised me further by asking to interview me about my involvement in the fandom for Stargate Command.

I got some great candid shots of the Superfans and confirmed the times for the two Stargate panels that were held the next day (Saturday). I also posed with the gate, spun the wheel and won myself a pin and a mini-poster and purchased one of the exclusive Stargate Command pins. I will post a photo of it at a later date. For those wanting a look at it, there is a great picture of the pin included in Stargate Command's post that announced their presence at Wondercon. I was also able to confirm that Saturday would be "Stargate-day" at Wondercon.

Being interviewed by David Read was really fun. I got to talk a little about falling in love with Stargate, my death glider and knitting my own SG-1. I don't know if any of it will get used on Stargate Command, but it was definitely a highlight of my convention. On the whole, I had an awesome morning!

Here is a photo gallery of my Friday at Wondercon, 2019.

Stargate Superfans Assemble!

From left to right: Jenny Seelman Stiven (MGM) and Superfans Marcia Middleton (USA), Bra'zat (France), Nicole Rodriguez Galdo (UK) and Yvonne Cahill (Australia)

Superfans Sommer Roy (USA) and William Murphy (USA)

Superfans William Murphy (USA) and Nicole Saelzle (Germany)

Superfans Sonia Melinkoff (USA) and Taylor Underwood (USA)

 

Superfans Yvonne Cahill (UK) and Noah Miller (USA)

Superfan William Murphy wearing his official Superfan Panel 2019 patch

Note that the Stargate was double-sided. Fans could pose on both sides at the same time to have their pictures taken.

Spin the wheel and win something cool.

I took this picture at the booth of the sticker and pins fans could win. Lucky me, I went home with a complete set!

A member of the SGC team with the mini-poster that was one of the prizes.

Con-going Tip:
I have been attending Wondercon for some years now, and Comic-Con since the late 1990s. Like most fans of these two events, I have developed a strategy. Attending either of these mega-conventions can be made much more fun by doing a bit of homework in advance. Prior to Wondercon, I downloaded the latest update of the Comic-Con App on my phone. I then marked all of the panels, booths and games I wanted to go to as "favorites". This meant I had a map and timetable well in advance. I also packed a charging cord in my camera bag, to keep my phone working. A charged phone is my number one friend at one of Comic-Con International's events, and not just so I can access the App. Finding friends in a HUGE venue can be... well "difficult" is an understatement. Wondercon is not as large as Comic-Con, but it is still spread over multiple floors of several buildings. For me, being able to text and go online are as important as having my favorite camera lens handy.

Name Change:
I have decided that I need a new moniker to go with this blog. GraphicNovelGirl was great for chatting about graphic novels for children in Library circles. From here forward I wish to be known as...

GateGabber