Up Next...Salt Lake Comic Con, 2017 Edition!

For those of us living in Utah with an "inner nerd" living inside, this is a big week. It's the week we look forward to all year, the week we make final adjustments to costumes, do a little extra research for panels, and order more books to hopefully sell to future fans.

This is the week Salt Lake Comic Con comes to town!

It's one of the best weeks of the year.

If you've followed this blog (or know me in person...), you know that since 2013 I've been fortunate enough to help put on Utah's best convention. Though I've met very few celebrities, and I've never dressed as my favorite superhero (unless that superhero is Scott William Taylor, the author...), I've had some amazing experiences at these events. 

This one should be no different. And I've been asked to help out on two panels, one I'm moderating. I'll blog about those later this week. It's been a crazy month so far and adding Comic Con only adds to the craziness.

People who have never attended these events ask me why they're so popular, why people go again and again, year after year. And I alway say the same thing. For three days (and even more, if you count FanX...), people come from all over, dress up in a way that's generally not acceptable most places, and interact with others just like them, all the while feeling safe and accepted. It's something that people yearn for, search for, pray for. Whenever I'm at a Comic Con, almost everyone is smiling, all the time.

And in just a few days, I'll be lucky enough to get to see those people again.

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Discovering Harry Potter...All Over Again

Next week the crowds will gather in Salt Lake for the next installment of our own Comic Con. And some will find their way to the panels. Several of those panels will focus on the Harry Potter franchise talking about the books, the films, and the future of the Potterverse.

I'll be on two of those panels.

I've got a lot of homework to do.

There's no way I can re-read the books before next week, but I can watch all the films again. Today I finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and I had forgotten just was an adorable film it was.

There's an innocence in that film, an innocence that mirror's the main character. We learn of the magical world through the experiences of Mr. Potter as he himself experiences the wonders of Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, and everything in between.

I can't believe it's been almost fifteen years since these children entered our lives. We've grown with them, re-lived our own childhoods with them (well, without the magic part...). We've shared their successes and their failures. They're almost family.

Episode one is done. Now, on to the rest!

This Month's FanX Panel Schedule...

First, I'd just like to say that I am honored to be a featured guest at this month's Comic Con FanX. If you've followed this blog since September 2013, you know I've been lucky enough to be part of each Salt Lake Comic Con. There's been three so far.

I was blown away when my friend Blake asked me if I wanted to help out with the first Comic Con. I jumped at the chance, but when the doors opened, I had NO IDEA what I was doing. Fortunately, I made some friends that first day who had done conventions in the past. They helped me out a lot and I ended up having a great time. As I did with the next one and the next.

But, this is the first time my picture has been included with so many great talents. Hence, the honored part.

We got our schedules yesterday so I'm letting you know, that if you're coming and you'd like to see, here's the details.

Looks like I need to brush up on Harry Potter. You can also go to the FanX website to find out who else will be on these and all the panels. I'm going to be with some good friends on some panels and hopefully make new friends and contacts on the others. 

In a few weeks we'll meet and have a good time. I'll also have a booth with other local Xchyler authors. I'll have details on that on an upcoming blog post. Please come by and say "HI!" I'd love to see you there.