I normally don’t do convention recaps, but some people over the...
I normally don’t do convention recaps, but some people over the years have mentioned that I ought to, so this will be my first one. It’s probably a good habit to get into.
I came up to Montreal Friday afternoon. It was about a seven hour drive through upstate New York, which was pretty if a little bit dull. Canada was very pleasant. The scenery along the road reminded me of the Midwest (farms, fields, etc). Switching from miles to kilometers was surprisingly easy and the drive from the border to Montreal was under an hour. The only real jarring aspect of the trip was that, it being in the province of Quebec, all of the signs were in French. Fortunately I found my fairly rough understanding of French to be sufficient for navigation.
Comiccon arranged for me to stay at the Westin hotel right across the street from the convention center, which was very convenient. The hotel was beautiful, comfortable, and the staff was extremely pleasant. After checking in and freshening up, I headed over to the convention center (the Palais des Congrès), had a look around, got my guest badge, and checked in with Daniel Proulx of Catherinette Rings, who was carrying some copies of my book in addition to his jewelry. I also said hello to the very talented Adam Smith, whose booth was adjacent.
Afterward, I made my way up to the green room for a late snack. I was surprised (though impressed) by the level of security. In order to get in, I had to show my badge to the security man on duty, who then unlocked the glass door to the hallway and scanned me through the door to the green room. The room itself overlooked the vending hall, which was a wonderful view (and on Saturday morning gave me a good idea of what the crowds were like before venturing down!) Afterward, I headed back to the hotel for a good night’s rest.
Saturday started bright and early. I got breakfast in the green room and enjoyed a little quiet before heading down to the convention floor. At noon I had a panel on steampunk with Daniel Proulx, Evelyn Kriete, Adam Smith, and Edith Chartier. It was very pleasant and the attendees all seemed to have a good time.
A little while later, I went upstairs to have lunch, and ended up eating with a few of the other guests, including Patrick Stewart and William Shatner, who were having a very interesting discussion on climate change. The convention had a lovely selection of tea, fruit, and sandwiches, which were most welcome by that time of the day! I also was able to enjoy Canadian Coca-Cola, which differs from American coke in that it is made with real sugar, which is delightful. I highly recommend it if you’re ever in the area.
Naturally, I spent some time on the convention floor at the booth, where I autographed copies of Blood In The Skies and answered questions. When evening came I went back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. There was quite a to-do going on involving clergymen, but I could not make out who or what it was for. I planned to go swimming, but the pool was in the tower on the opposite side of the hotel, which was something of a marathon to find. Later, I changed and went to dinner before attending a gathering at an absinthe bar in the Intercontinental Hotel (which, by the way, is gorgeous, with some really amazing tile and old woodwork). I had a good time, but couldn’t stay long.
On Sunday I was up early once again (but let’s be honest, that’s par for the course at shows like this). I had breakfast and went directly to a morning panel on steampunk fashion. Again, all the attendees seemed to have fun and asked some very good questions. I was asked to stop for photos with fans, which is always very nice. I spent a little more time at the booth (though all the copies of Blood In The Skies had sold out by Saturday evening, so there wasn’t anything for me to sign) and I grabbed another bit of rest and food upstairs (did I mention that Canadian coke is amazing?) I ended up having a very nice conversation about modern culture trends with a couple of guys from a band (one of whom was Johnny Yong Bosch, who I understand was a Power Ranger for a couple of years before turning to music) and some folks from an indie horror film from Texas.
I had planned to stay over in Montreal until Monday but unfortunately by later afternoon I was beginning to sense a cold coming on. Since my programming and appearances for the show were all done, I decided it was best simply to head back home in case I woke up properly ill the next day. I said my good-byes and headed off for the long drive back home. In all, it was a lovely event. I met some great people, I was reminded of just how polite and wonderful my fans are, and I got to spend time in a truly beautiful city.
Au revoir, Montreal. I’ll certainly be visiting again soon. You have awesome noodles.
