Mostly I just answered questions about pricing and what the experience itself was like.
Which, if you're wondering, was stressful. I got to walk through it with some of the other Fear Factory people who were also volunteering, and by the time we were done, I was shaking and sweating to the point that I needed new deodorant. So, it was expensive (not for me, I went through for free) but hands down I would say it was worth the money. You definitely got what you paid for.
Also last year (September 2016), I got to attend the actual ComicCon with Ben. I had originally taken the day off, but he texted me saying he had a backstage ComicCon opportunity that his wife wasn't interested in, and did I want to "staff" him?
Absolutely.
Your wife is a crazy woman, whom I love, but there is no way I'm passing this up.
Turns out his "backstage opportunity" was having access to the VIP room where the main stage speakers gathered before and after they went on stage.
I met Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker.
And as as a cherry on top, I also met Bo Duke.
After chatting for a minute with John Schneider (Bo Duke), we were anticipating the arrival of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). I was standing in front of the refreshment table when suddenly someone was right in my face, reaching around me for a bottle of water. I turned and looked at them, getting ready to adjust to get out of their way when I realized it was Mark Hamill himself.
And thus ensued a funny conversation about refreshments and then a light political conversation (as we were right in the middle of the presidential elections with Trump and Hillary Clinton) when he found out Ben was the Mayor. No commitment from Mark Hamill on which way he was voting. Seriously though, he was the nicest guy and seemed to be in such a good mood. He was cracking jokes and taking pictures with us.
And then we stepped back out into the backstage area and listened to him speak, which was entertaining.
We then heard that William Shatner (Captain Kirk) was arriving soon so we hung out in the VIP room in hopes of being able to meet him as well.
We were not disappointed.
William Shatner is getting up there in age and seemed to always want to sit down when he wasn't be asked to do something.
Who can blame him?
We spent several minutes talking to him about politics as well. It was a hot topic with so much conflict and controversy. If you ask Shatner what his stance is, he pulls out the, "I'm Canadian," and leaves it at that. But he's more than willing to grill you on your stance on it.
This day was off the charts amazing.
To have grown up with these figures on my TV screen, but then to find them all really great guys in real life as well; I was on cloud nine excited and could not believe the day I'd just had.
I seriously have the best boss, who would let me tag along with him on such an experience.
