Jaz Got His Geekinomicon On!

[Jaz at Geekinomicon 2016 -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

This weekend is Geekinomicon 2016 in downtown Oklahoma City, and I was so excited to go see it. What is Geekinomicon, you ask? It’s a gathering of entertainers, artists, writers, and purveyors/collectors of sci-fi/fantasy memorabilia and collectibles. It’s also a place where cosplayers, both amateur and professional, can show off their costumes.

First, my Saturday morning kicked off with a shock, of sorts.

[An Early Morning Earthquake -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

An early-morning 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck at 7:03am with the epicenter near Pawnee, Oklahoma…a small town located approximately 100 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. It rumbled through my area and rattled my house all the way to the rafters for duration of nearly 25 seconds, which was astounding for Oklahoma. Fortunately, I haven’t found any visible damage, but it rattled my nerves for sure.

However, I wasn’t about to let a moderate earthquake ruin my holiday weekend. I rose and prepared to leave the house to pick up a friend who agreed to accompany me.

My friend and fellow writer, Traye Steele, and I arrived at the event early Saturday morning just as it was opening. The arena area was reserved as a massive convention hall for exhibitors, retailers, and artists, and the smaller conference rooms in the building served break-out sessions and hourly seminars or presentations surrounding various topics, including “How to Build Your Own Tardis.” Regrettably, we only happened upon that session as it was wrapping up. Finally, upstairs on the second floor was the grand ballroom where attendees gathered for autographs and photos with many of the celebrities who attended the convention.

As we entered the main area, I spotted a restored DeLorean automobile from the film Back to the Future. Traye was kind enough to snap a photo of me standing before it (see below).

[Jaz and the DeLorean -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

Then we encountered a team of artists who created one of the largest, most detailed replicas of the Rancor (aptly named Roxy the Rancor – see photo below) from the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi.

[Jaz and the Rancor -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

Fortunately, it only wanted to shake hands and wasn’t especially hungry.

As seen in the photo below, there was also a BB8 droid sitting beside another creature from one of the Star Wars films, which one of the creators told me was the only one of its size built to specs provided by Lucasfilm technicians. It was incredibly detailed and realistic-looking, and I was assured the only other one in the world like it was in the Lucasfilm archives display.

[BB8 Droid and Creature -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

You never know who you will run into at these conventions. I, for one, was surprised to see Harley Quinn there (see photo below)!

[Harley Quinn Cosplayer -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

The young lady did an amazing cosplay of Harley from the recent Suicide Squad film, and she was kind enough to pause for a photo.

I was impressed by how many artists and artisans attended the convention. I happily secured a couple of items, as did Traye. In particular, I purchased a signed print of Wonder Woman by artist Richard Jennings that looks amazing ! (See photo below.) It’s already in a frame and ready to hang in my home. As a huge Wonder Woman fan, I’m very excited about this!

[Jaz with Artist Richard Jennings -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

As we wound our way down the numerous aisles of exhibitors, we came upon the Orcish Armory, where I picked up three very sharp and well-made throwing knives (see below).

[Throwing Knives for Jaz -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

They’re very well-balanced and come with a staggered holster.

As we perused the aisles of vendors, I met a fellow author, James Wylder, and purchased a signed copy of his book of poetry titled The Eloquence of Time and Space, which hosts a poem for every episode of Doctor Who dating all the way back to the very first 1960s episode titled An Unearthly Child.

[The Eloquence of Time and Space -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

And at 500 pages, it’s quite a book to hold, I can tell you. I was impressed because James did his own cosplay of the 11th Doctor, complete with bow tie. Nicely done, James!

I also met a wonderful artist who was with Sourbunny Productions, an entity who donates a portion of all sales toward researching cures for childhood cancer. Their motto is “Creativity for a Cure.” I purchased one of their amazing watercolor artworks, and the artist even signed it for me. However, because it’s intended as a Christmas gift for a dear friend, I don’t dare post the photo of the artwork. *Spoilers!* Perhaps I’ll post about it around Christmas once the gift has been bestowed. Suffice to say, it’s VERY impressive and a great rendition of a very popular comic book character!

Traye and I paused for lunch and walked to the nearby Flint Restaurant, where I ate the tastiest beef burger and crisp shoestring fries that were seasoned with a Mediterranean spice. So satisfying!

We also saw a parade of Star Wars characters, which was impressive...most impressive. (See how I sneaked that phrase in there?)

[Star Wars Procession -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2016 BY JAZ PRIMO]

All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I had a lot of fun. By late afternoon, I dropped Traye off at his place and headed back home. Having only recently recovered from a heinous sinus infection, I found that I was completely exhausted when I returned to my house. However, it was completely worth it, and I thoroughly enjoyed the day out with Traye. Good times, for certain. The remainder of my Labor Day weekend is being spent resting and reading from a comfy position on my couch. Hopefully, I’ll be recuperated and well-rested for work on Tuesday.

I hope that you’re having a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend, as well! Drop me a comment and let me know what YOU’RE up to, okay?

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.