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A plethora of podcasting!

Posted in comic books, movies, podcast, pop culture, TV shows with tags comic books, conventions, movies, Nerd Lunch Podcast, Nerdy Roadtrip, podcasts, The Atomic Geeks, TV shows on April 28, 2015 by Paxton

Lots of podcasting goodness to get you through this week.

First off, check out the latest episode of Nerd Lunch with returning guests Shawn Robare and Reilly from ReillyGeek who makes her celebrated return to the show after a two year absence. This episode we are doing the Summer Preview episode in which we all reveal things we are looking forward to doing over the summer. We discuss movies, TV and even food items. Check it out.

Download this episode from iTunes, Stitcher or listen to it on Feedburner or online right here.

Also, the nerds and I make TWO appearances on the Atomic Geeks this week. Check out CT, Jeeg and I on episode 30 of The Atomic Geeks which was recorded LIVE in Chicago during C2E2! The group of us take on a giant episode of Versus in which we pit pop culture things together in a giant battle royal. Check out Swamp Thing vs Groot, Angry Whopper vs Big Mac and The Duke Boys vs Miami Vice. It’s an action packed episode that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

While in Chicago with the Geeks, we all recorded an extra special Supplementary episode. Check it out on The Atomic Geek’s feed. It’s all of us talking about C2E2, the stuff we saw, toys, celebrities and cosplay. Lots and lots of fun discussions.

All of this is waiting for you to drop in your ears.

Star Wars Celebration II: The 10 Year Anniversary

Posted in movies, pop culture, Star Wars with tags anniversaries, anniversary, conventions, Indiana, Indianapolis, pop culture, roadtrip, Star Wars, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Roadtrip on May 3, 2012 by Paxton

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of Star Wars Celebration II. The event started on May 3, 2002 and went until May 5, 2002.

I was there with my friend Jason Collier. Above is a card advertising the event. It’s autographed by Daniel Logan, the kid who played Boba Fett, and RA Salvatore who wrote the novelization.

Jason and I also attended Star Wars Celebration I in Denver. I talked about Celebration I on it’s 10th anniversary in 2009.

So Celebration I was held in Denver. The powers-that-be decided to move it to what they thought was a more “central” location. It was announced that Celebration II would be held at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, IN. Honestly, I was a bit excited about the announcement. I’d never been to Indianapolis and I heard it was a really nice city. So with my wife’s blessings Jason and I planned our second trip to a Star Wars Celebration.

Right away, this convention proved that it was going to be a lot more “formal” than the last convention. There was going to be a proper “Autograph Alley” where fans could get autographs of their favorite stars which Celebration I didn’t have. And there were going to be really big stars putting in appearances like Hayden Christensen, the newly minted Anakin Skywalker, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams and the return of Anthony Daniels as emcee of the festivities. Also, there was going to be a LOT more convention merchandise as well as an exclusive action figure developed to be sold only at Celebration. This Celebration was shaping up to be a “real” convention as opposed to the loose “gathering” of Celebration I.

Jason and I bought three days passes, which had a picture of Hayden as Anakin.

Celebration I had Darth Maul on the three day pass.

I took off work on Thursday and Friday and we arrived in Indianapolis on Thursday night and showed up at the convention several hours early on Friday morning. Here’s the front of the RCA Dome. I was able to catch it when the sign flashed up Star Wars.

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Star Wars Celebration I: The 10 Year Anniversary

Posted in Colorado, Denver, movies, nostalgia, personal, pop culture, Star Wars with tags Colorado, conventions, Denver, movies, pop culture, Star Wars, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Roadtrip on April 28, 2009 by Paxton

Well, I was going over some pictures a few months ago trying to pick some good ones to upload to my Flickr blog when I came across pictures of my trip to Denver, CO in 1999 for the first Star Wars Celebration. While looking at them, it dawned on me that this trip happened 10 years ago this weekend. TEN YEARS!!! Man, time flies.

The Star Wars Celebration I occurred from April 30 – May 2, 1999 in Denver, CO. It was held as a “celebration” (obviously) of the original Star Wars trilogy as well as a “release party” for the new Star Wars prequel, The Phantom Menace (which was set to release in less than a month from that time).

At that particular time I was on a client site in Tampa and I went to the Celebration with my friends Jason Collier and Jonathan Loden. Denver had inclement weather the entire weekend so it was either rainy or sprinkling at all times. Plus, since this was the first official Star Wars convention in many years, some of the mechanics of the operation were not as well oiled a machine as you would come to see in Celebration II and Celebration III. Despite that, it was a lot of fun and I’m glad I went.

Let’s take a little photo walk through some of that weekend’s festivities.