2012 Montreal Comicon – Day Two

“Will my talk be moderated, or am I setting the agenda?” I asked Dan, my convention liaison, as we got ready to head across the show floor to the theater were I’d be speaking.

He told me that I wasn’t moderated, and I could spend the hour however I wanted. I grabbed a copy of Sunken Treasure off my table and began putting together my mental setlist.

When we got into the theater, the Munchkin episode of Tabletop was playing on giant screens. About a thousand people were watching it while more people filled the remaining seats.

I’m not going to lie, Marge: seeing my show on a screen, ten feet tall and luminous, was awesome.

While I waited to go on stage, I looked through the book in my hands. I love the stories I put in there, but none of them really felt right. I cursed my damn brain for forgetting to remind me to remember to bring my iPad to the con, so I had access to the complete works of me,  Wil Wheaton, to choose from.

I looked up at the back of the screen, and saw myself playing games with my friends … and I knew exactly what I’d talk about.

When I was introduced, I walked out to a wonderful audience that made me feel like I was playing for the home team the entire time I was out there, even when I teased all of Canada about my Los Angeles Kings having the Stanley Cup. It was a great hour, where I spent about half talking about why I created Tabletop, and why gaming is so important to me. The second half I spent taking questions from the audience, talking about things from Sparks McGee to Stand By Me.

Even though I’m supremely jet lagged, and my scumbag brain has woke me up in the middle of the night and kept me awake for an hour two nights in a row that I’ve been here, I felt invigorated and damn good when I walked off that stage.

I know the talk was filmed and recorded. I hope it shows up online.

This is where I’d put a clever segue, if I wasn’t so fucking deliriously tired. Here are some pictures I took yesterday at the convention:

This adorable drawing was done by this adorable lady.

I made some more custom Cards Against Humanity cards:

I ran into two of my favourite people, and their booking agent photobombed us.

When someone asks you to sign a poster of the cast of Firefly, YOU! SAY! YES!

And then you sign right across Nathan Fillion’s junk.

So the the face I think I’m making is “oh my god this is so cute!” But it turns out that the face I’m actually making is Overly Attached Wil Wheaton.

The day ended with a game of Settlers of Catan. I started out fairly well, and then got trapped against the coast with 6 points. Luckily, I was able to build out toward the center of the board, get another city, and WIN THE FUCKING GAME with largest army and longest road.

I got so excited, I jumped up onto my chair, and nearly fell off the damn thing. I know the entire game was filmed by some guys, and I assume it will get online at some point. I’m red, if you want to try to put it all together. We’re playing on a beautiful, giant board.

I ended the day having a local beer (Maudite by Unibroue) with my friend Sam Witwer, who it turns out is on location in Montreal.

In about an hour, I’ll check out of my hotel and go back to the con for the final day. If the previous two days are any indication, it’s going to be great.

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30 thoughts on “2012 Montreal Comicon – Day Two”

  2. *sigh* Wish I could have made it. Maybe next year if they sign you up for an appearance. Otherwise, it will probably be SDCC. Have a good trip home!

  3. I’d like to point out a few things:
    1) You’re the best public speaker I’ve ever seen. I thought it was because you prepared carefully, but now seeing that it was *not* prepared just blows my mind
    2) Did you notice we didn’t misspell your name? Oh yeah! Even if we Frenchies can’t say the fucking H, we still know how to use it
    3) Did you notice that in the “Special Guests” list, you are listed *before* Brent Spiner? I think you should point that out to him. http://www.montrealcomiccon.com/invites_speciaux.php

  4. I am really glad I was able to attend your talk yesterday! You are a wonderful speaker and story teller, and I wish your discussion could have lasted longer. It was very entertaining. (I’m amazed to learn that you basically “winged it” – your talk had a very good flow to it.)

    This was the first convention I’ve ever attended, and my wife’s, too. (She added a four-sided die to your collection, but couldn’t remember the name of the site where she got it. She checked when we got home and asked me to tell you that it comes from “Q workshop”). You helped to make it our first con very enjoyable. Thank you!

    I hope that you enjoy the rest of the convention, and wish safe travels home.

  5. Dear Wil,

    I had an awesome time at your panel yesterday, and left with the same invigorated feeling that you described above. I’ve been a fan of yours for a while, because I have a lot of respect for you as someone who has experienced hard times but just said “screw this, I’ll make my own success”. (Well, maybe not in so many words, but that was the end result!)

    I wanted to come and meet you after and get your autograph, but when I saw the lineup I got a little claustrophobic and chickened out. Of course, when I got home later I regretted it, but I knew I’d had a great time anyway. HOWEVER: my girlfriend, who is working at the con, saw me go home without your autograph, and WAITED IN LINE HERSELF to get a signed photo for me. When she got home and gave it to me it was just about the sweetest thing I could possibly imagine (and she got MAJOR brownie points for it). So, thanks for making my day twice yesterday, and thanks for being such an awesome guy. Have fun today!

    Charlotte

    1. When reduced to a tiny size in an RSS syndication tool, the image looked like a sculpt of Miss Piggy cosplaying as Beverly Crusher. Which is not merely “cute,” but a concept pretty much made of weapons-grade awesome. As a result, it is my new headcanon that the Muppets go around to cons doing cosplay of various SF properties.

      As far as I’m concerned, you win an internet for the sculpt, plus a second bonus internet for the resulting mental image. 😀

  7. Wil was hoping you were doing Star Trek London convention 🙁
    Its difficult in England, the only major cons happen in London and are spread out and are rare..why i’m eager to get to an american con in which you appear ..one day i hope 🙂

  9. As a Canuck (unfortunately, not one who lives in Montreal, so I missed this comicon), I’ve tasted most of Unibroue’s products. While Maudite is quite lovely, my favourite is Ephemere. It is delicious apple beer, made with tart apples (like Granny Smith).
    It is like if cider & beer had a tasty, tasty baby. If you get a chance, It is freaking delicious!

    1. I’m not a Canuck but a semi-regular visitor to Toronto, and Unibroue are probably my favourite brewer anywhere. Wish I’d tasted Ephemere while I was over there, but I do love me some La Fin Du Monde.

  10. Pingback: Nerd Culture Exists Outside of the U.S.: Montreal Comiccon | LeakyNews

  12. You made my daughter (and son, of course) SO happy today ! Kali felt very special when you waved to her upon your return after the photo session and we were waiting in line to have our photos signed by you. They have been quoting you and Sheldon ALL day ! Thank you for the time you took to chat with them (and us) … you are very sweet ! Signed, a very proud Mommy, Christine

  13. I can’t wait until I can manage to get to a con at the same time as you, Wil. You are one of my real life heroes; from the genuine appreciation you show for your fans to the embracing & welcoming attitude you show to everyone (except dicks, obviously), down through the personal motto and the embodiment of geekdom everywhere. Keep being awesome!

  15. Dear Wil,

    Firstly. Thank you so very much for taking the time to come to Montreal. I saw many panels this weekend…. many big names that I had high hopes for and was excited beyond all reason to see. I had decided to see your panel thinking “Well, I liked him on Big Bang Theory; this will probably be fun… but it probably won’t be as awesome as this other person.”

    Oh man. I am eating my words– thoughts– whatever, you get it, right?

    Your panel was by far, the biggest surprise and delight; bar none. A lot what you said made me howl with uncontrollable laughter. Other things touched me deeply. However– what struck me the most was just how excited you are about life and how baffled and delighted you are to be where you are today. It blew my mind (I think there actually may have been an audible pop!) to sit in on a panel where the guest wasn’t a bit jaded or a touch megalomaniacal or reciting answers they’d given so often that they were on mental autopilot. And that was such a joy to see. Don’t ever lose that spark.

    I do hope to see you do our Comic Con again in [near] future years. If only to give you a high-five….

    …and maybe gloat about the Stanley Cup returning home. (It could happen!!)

  18. I think that face actually looks like Bearded Wesley’s “Honey, I Shrunk My Mom!” but YMMV.

    On review of the comments, I’m all over the idea of Miss Piggy cosplaying Dr. Crusher, as it would be the woman I thought was most awesome in my teens being played by the woman I thought was most awesome as a pre-schooler.

  19. What cracks me up so much about your great photo with Brent and Patrick and anonymous B.A. is that you appear to have gotten excited and started, mid-picture, the process of literally making things.

    It is recursive in a metaphysical way.

    Too bad William F. wasn’t around in the pic, or you could have captioned it: “Taking a Shatner.”

    Incidentally, is Patrick Stewart wearing the background drapery as a kilt? If so, he’s even cooler than I thought.

    [Seriously though, that is a really great candid shot. How fun is that?]

  21. After a rough weekend, I was just telling my wife how listening (liiiiiisssstening) to Soul Coughing makes everything a few shades brighter. And then I see your Screenwriter’s Blues reference, and I get a warm fuzzy, and my point is made for me. Thanks for that.

  24. This is what should have happened: I read this entry at home and laughed heartily while in the safety of my well-insulated walls.

    This is what actually happened: I read this entry on the quiet floor of my University library and in a poorly executed attempt to stay quiet while laughing riotously, I ended up crying my eyeliner off.

    Thanks, Wil.

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