Wednesday, December 18, 2024

July Cons: Contropolis, AC Celeb Con, Shore Leave

First in mid July, Contropolis in Jersey. The main attraction for me were the Police Academy names.

First up is Julie Brown from Police Academy 2, Earth Girls are Easy, A Goofy Movie, and more. Then Tom O'Connell (one of the Darth Vader suit actors in the Obi Wan tv show). Then my main want for the show, Tim Kazurinsky AKA Sweetchuck in Police Academy. 

Next big Police Academy want, Lance Kinsey AKA Proctor. I wasn't going to get actor Daisuke Tsuji but since I had a splitter I thought why not. My final guest for the con was Dennis Greene from the Bad Boys movies.

Tim Kazurinsky

Lance Kinsey

Full list of photo ops


Towards the end of July I would attend AC Celeb Con. I normally don't ever do cons on Sunday, and this is honestly a good reason why. But many factors were involved so it was sunday or nothing for me. I arrived and went to the admission table. It was $35. But they didn't have change. I told them I had $30 in change and they accepted that. 

After going in we learnt most guests were not at their table and had no plans to come back. PUNCH. Some just came back to get their stuff. The only person there that was on my list was Michael Horse (Twin Peaks) which I split with former board member Heelorton. Then came a point where they stopped selling admission and the con was officially canceled. I went to the admission table to try and get my money back to no avail as no one was at the admission table.

After we exited we went to the hotel to see what could be had. Ready to leave the building was Dana Ashbrook (Twin Peaks) which we got a free op with. Then inside the lobby was my top want from the con Harry Goaz (Twin Peaks, Eerie Indiana) just sitting there. We got the op and he gave us a signed 8x10 and signed book, all for free.  Right there it wasn't a total bust because I got all the Twin Peaks names that I came for (which was basically the main reason I came). I also got Matt Lintz (repeat), Katelyn Nacon (fresh), and 3 people from California Dreams (all fresh). 

So while I didn't pay for everyone I intended to get, I did get a lot of free stuff and I did get the main reason I came to this. So I was happy with that. After this I headed to Shore Leave in Lancaster. Some of the names I missed out on that I would have wanted included Brendan Sexton (Black Hawk Down), Taryn Manning (Orange Is the New Black, Sons of Anarchy), and Majandra Delfino (Roswell).

To time jump a little, when I got home that Sunday I sent them an email, left an instagram comment, and sent them a PM on instagram in an attempt to get my $30 back. I detailed my exchange with them at the counter and gave them my paypal address asking for my admission back. I wasn't rude, insulting, or anything. I was polite and diplomatic. I was of course expecting this to be completely futile. But the following Tuesday late evening, to my shock and awe, I got $30 back via paypal.

Keep in mind this was a cash payment they gave back to me. Not paypal or credit card where I would have had some power. So they could have just ignored me altogether and there would have been nothing I could do about it. This leads me to believe that they are not scammers but they are just inexperienced folks who bit off more than they could chew.

Full list of AC photo ops

Autographs


Back to that Sunday, after leaving AC I headed to Lancaster for Shore Leave. My main want was 87 year old actress BarBara Luna. Traffic delayed me by quite a bit, and I arrive there and apparently miss BarBara Luna buy like 20 minutes. PUNCH. I get Amanda Tapping AKA Samantha Carter from Stargate at her table. 

As the combo Gods would have it, I wait in the lobby and see BarBara Luna in the bar, and manage to get a photo op. She was nice as can be. Damn she looks fantastic for 87 doesn't seem like she's a day over 65. I didn't know it at the time but the traffic to Lancaster was a blessing. Sadly I did not get actress Teryl Rothery from Stargate who was next to Amanda Tapping. A regret on my part. 


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