A Request For Salt Lake Comic Con Committee...Get Us Some Downton Abbey!

I am in no way an expert on how a large Comic Con is organized. In fact, I've only attended two--both Comic Cons held in Salt Lake City. I would imagine booking guests combines the elements of luck, timing, acts of God, deals with the devil, and luck.

Having said that, I have a simple request for the next Salt Lake Comic Con in September, 2014.

Do what you can to book ANYONE from Downton Abbey!

You may ask yourself, what in the world does Downton Abbey have to do with a Comic Con? It's a fair question--a question that was answered at one of the panels at last week's FanX Comic Con. I was fortunate enough to be on a panel that discussed this very thing. The name of the panel was: Downton Abbey: How A Stuffy British Drama Became One of TV's Most Addictive Shows. Thanks to Bryan Young for suggesting the topic and doing a wonderful job as moderator.

We attempted to answer the initial question from the title of the panel. We discussed what we felt were the reasons for its success--excellent writing, relatable characters, an in depth looks at both the haves and the have-nots, and a chance to witness the decline of a society after a thousand years of tradition. We talked of other things as well, but when we finished up both the members of the panel and the audience in attendance agreed, it is a great show, a show we all love.

But would it work to invite a major character from the show to one of the nations largest Comic Cons? In my opinion, it would be a home run! The show has it all--distinctive costumes, a well-recognizable genre, and everyone from grandparents to grandkids could dress up (or be dressed up...) as their favorite Downton Abbey Character. I think the lines to get autographs and pictures would compete with any of the big names from either of the previous Salt Lake Comic Cons.

Of course, a Comic Con committee member might be thinking that getting a cast member from Downton Abbey would be great. They may agree or disagree with the points brought up in this post. Or they may just be working full-time putting on the best show possible for September and beyond. 

I suppose my 2¢ timer has expired so I'll end by repeating my humble request. From a fan, dear Salt Lake Comic Con Committee--if you would be so kind as to secure a cast member, writer, director, or even costumer from the extremely popular show, Downton Abbey, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.