Comic con was all that and more

Ewan McGregor

Hayley Atwell

“Hello there!” Ewan McGregor shouted as he walked on stage inside the Freeman Coliseum at the Superhero Car Show and Comic Con last weekend in San Antonio.

The catch phrase from Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Star Wars character he portrays, was uttered once or twice during the four-day show. Not only did he say it, but he wore it on his t-shirt along with a picture of Alec Guinness, the actor who debuted the character in the original “Star Wars” 45 years ago.

McGregor topped a crowded marquee for the comic con that was everything and more that I had anticipated it would be when I wrote about it a few weeks ago. And I wasn’t alone in my assessment of the convention. B.J. Jones, a member of the Texas Area Comic Cons group on Facebook, offered a review of all the state’s comic cons this year and drew the same conclusion.

“Super Hero Car Show and Comic Con (AKA Celebrity Fan Fest) (San Antonino) THE best Texas con in years! They have consistently brought major talent for every show, and this year was no exception. Well organized, plenty of room, top-ranked entertainment, and vendor diversity (not all the same merchandise with vendors competing),” he wrote.

He also validated my decision to stay away from Houston’s Comicpalooza this year.

“Comicpalooza (Houston), more like yawn-a-palooza. Great venue, but they’ve gone downhill and it almost seems like they don’t care. Hoping they put a little more effort into it next year,” he wrote.

I couldn’t attend the first two days of the comic con but spent Saturday and Sunday there with my daughter Heather, who flew in from Colorado. We were joined Sunday by my youngest sons, Luke and Colton. Tickets for the show were a gift from my mother-in-law and wife (thank you!). Heather and I were celebrating our birthdays. Mine was on Saturday and Heather will turn 30 on Aug. 15. (By the way, she frequents comic cons and anime shows in Colorado and agrees this show was outstanding.)

The main stage in the coliseum was used for top-tier celebrities such as McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Giancarlo Esposito, Stephen Amell, and Simi Liu. A smaller Celebrity Theater inside the main Expo Hall served as a platform for the rest of the guests. Although access to the top-billed actors was tightly controlled and limited to those who shelled out $240 a pop for autographs and photo ops, the rest were very inviting and friendly to chat with.

I got to shake hands and spend time visiting with the likes of Spencer Wilding (Darth Vader in “Rogue One”), Burton Gilliam (“Blazing Saddles”), and voice actors Chuck Huber, Eric Vale, and Jason Liebrecht. Most notable to me and my kids was Huber, who spent what must have been hours visiting with us, posing for pictures and signing things. My kids love the anime cartoons he voices and I know him from the web series “Star Trek Continues,” where he portrayed Doctor McCoy. I really feel like we made a friend with him.

Others that we got to see but didn’t meet included Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”), Rupert Friend (Grand Inquisitor in “Obi-Wan Kenobi”), Sam Jones (“Flash Gordon”), Stephen Amell (“Arrow”), and more. Celebrities who were there on the days before we arrived included Hulk Hogan, Dave Bautista, Nasty Boys, and a concert by the Blues Brothers – Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi.

Aside from the actors, there was a large vendor area, contests, artists, authors, a video arcade, and, of course, the car show.

The car show was held in a smaller expo hall, and featured a huge collection of replica TV and movie cars. Of special interest to us was the 1966 Batmobile. Heather and I had our picture taken in the original one 28 years ago. We posed together in front of the one on display to try and replicate the original as best we could.

Colton got so caught up in the show that he is spending this weekend with friends at Anime Houston at the Hyatt Regency.

A week after the show and I’m still riding an emotional high from it. After years of declining celebrity access at various comic cons, this was so welcoming and refreshing. I had a real sense of belonging. I know the show isn’t local, but it’s a good day or weekend trip from here and I would encourage anyone interested in comic cons to keep an eye out for it next year. If you go and we happen to cross paths, just say “hello there!”

Joe Southern is managing editor of the Wharton Journal-Spectator and the East Bernard Express. He can be reached at news@journal-spectator.com.