Epic Cons Chicago 2 was last weekend and it was a blast! Most of my past fan convention experience has been with New York Comic Con, but unlike that sprawling and jam-packed event, this one was much more manageable, intimate in size, and refreshingly laid-back. The con was also much more centered around television, with a particular focus on first responder shows.
Here’s some of my favorite moments.
5 Highlights From ECC2
1. The Panels
Panels are one of my favorite things to do at conventions and the ones at ECC2 did not disappoint, especially the ones moderated by Chicago P.D.’s LaRoyce Hawkins.
That’s not to say the other panels were any less fun. In fact, Bart Johnson aka Coach Bolton led the audience in the High School Musical chant, “What team? Wildcats! Getcha head in the game.” at the end of another panel. I honestly haven’t ever seen more than a few scenes from the franchise, but I still appreciated his willingness to embrace the role and make a memorable moment.
All panels are now available on the Epic Cons YouTube channel.
2. The Autographs
Epic Cons are heavily talent-focused and as such there’s no shortage of ways to meet your favs. I opted to get autographs from some of the One Chicago cast members in attendance and now have this nifty one-of-a-kind Infection crossover poster!
3. Selfie with Josh Segarra
I also splurged for a selfie with Josh Segarra because I really loved him in the series The Other Two. When I told him as much he quickly slipped back into the character of Lance and dabbed and I returned the gesture. Now I can officially say the only time in my life I have ever dabbed is with him. He also shared some fun behind the scenes anecdotes about the making of the episode, “Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play”. Not only did I love the picture I got with him, but I also loved how kind, genuine, and enthusiastic he was.
4. Quick Hello with Riley Voelkel
When answering a fan question during a Chicago Med panel Riley Voelkel mentioned working on the Starz series Hightown, another show I loved. As one does in these settings, I woohoo-ed, but I was the only one… Thankfully she was very cool in the moment and just chuckled and said that was not normally the response she got. Later on I found out she was at her merch booth so I worked up the courage to more properly say, “hi” and tell her how much I enjoyed Hightown, and I’m glad I did. She could not have been kinder. She gave me a big hug and it was nice to be able to actually have a conversation about the recently ended show.
5. Meeting the MUAM Fam
And last but certainly not least, was getting to spend the weekend with many of my fellow Meet Us At Molly’s podcast patreon members. The Facebook group for the pod has turned into a lively online community spanning way beyond the One Chicago universe of pop culture and while a few of us have had the chance to meet in person, this was the largest get-together yet. Plus, we actually did meet up at Molly’s aka Lotties Pub one night after the con for drinks, tater tots, and more.
The following night we all crammed into one hotel room to eat takeout and watch the Emmy awards. It was such a wonderful experience to hang with these people in real life and the con just made it that much more special.
