So, the 2023 Raleigh GalaxyCon has come and gone and once again, it pretty much lived up to the promise. The guest list was impressive and for the most part, stayed consistent. There were a few creator cancellations and a couple of celebrity cancellations. One due to a scheduling conflict and one reportedly due to the SAG/AFTRA strike. However, everyone else showed up as scheduled and greeted the fans.
Celebrity Q&A’s
Not that the aforementioned strike didn’t have any effect. Celebrity Q&A’s were limited as those who were members could not discuss on going or former productions that were considered struck. This required those panels to use some prescreened questions submitted by fans in advance or the host chatted it up with the celeb. No fans lined up to ask questions this year (at least for the celebrities with SAG/AFTRA connections.) This was no doubt frustrating for those who wanted to discuss their favorite films and TV Shows but was totally understandable considering the circumstances. It didn’t change the fact that the guests made themselves available and were as friendly as they usually are.
Creators
The same could be said for my favorite part of the cons, the creators. They were open, conversational and friendly as always. My goal for the con was to get a book signed by iconic writer Steve Englehart, Writer, Creator and former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, Star Trek Artist David Messina and Psychologist, Author and friend of GVN, Dr. Travis Langley. Check, check, check and check. In fact, most I got within the first hour I was there. The benefit of a popular and active Photo Ops section. Later on, their tables were as crowded as I suspected they would be. The only one I had to wait for was Dr. Langley. Mainly because one might expect, the good Doctor was involved in a number of panels. But we hooked up with him later on Saturday.
Noel McNeal
Another benefit of the robust Photo Ops was we were able to visit early on with puppeteer, performer and the man inside Bear in the Big Blue House, Noel McNeal. He was great and so nice to us. Although we probably put him in a higher tax bracket with two autographed photos and a selfie, not to mention a later Photo Ops. Cha-CHING! But he was a favorite of our son and now our grandson. So, we felt justified. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be Tutter the mouse, even for a bit?
Photo Ops
Speaking of the Photo Ops, this was a task of monumental proportions for them to swing logistically and Raleigh and the Galaxycon handled it pretty well. I’m sure there were some glitches along the way but none of the five Photo Ops we did were affected. Other for some slowdown in printing after our Christopher Lloyd photo. But our approach was the same for all five. Take the photo, immediately step out and retrieve the photo, and then head to the area that sold protected sleeves for $5.00 and another GalaxyCon bag to keep it in. We were on a first name basis with the young man by the time we left. Not really…but we should have been. Besides Christopher Lloyd and Noel McNeal we snagged Richard Dreyfus, Ming-Na Wen and legendary animator Don Bluth. It was a great day.
Vendors
In between Photo Ops and signings, we looked over the myriad of vendors selling all kinds of things. From comics to posters, from T-Shirts and light sabers to Mandalorian helmets. If it was cool, someone was selling it. We picked up some retro T-Shirts for family members and they were quite nice. Although, my wife was disappointed that we didn’t see the fudge shoppe we found in Richmond’s GalaxyCon. She had herself set for some fudge. Oh well, maybe in Richmond next year.
Cos Play
If you didn’t do anything else, you could just stand and be amazed at some of the Cosplay costumes. It was obvious that some of these costumes took quite some time to create. The detail involved was spectacular. I really wished I had taken more time to take pictures of some of these awesome creations. But believe me, there was some next level stuff on display here. As well as some characters on display.
What to Expect Next Year
Overall, it was a fun experience and was well worth the almost three-hour drive to attend. If you plan to attend next year and haven’t before, I have some suggestions. Be prepared for large crowds. Not SDCC or NYCC levels but pretty darn packed. Be ready for that. In fact, it was recently revealed by the Raleigh News and Observer that Raleigh set a record for attendance this year with over 50,000 people and over 8.5 million in revenue for the city. That’s not too bad. On the plus side, the folks attending the con are quite friendly and if you navigate carefully, you will have no problems. But it is hot with that many people so that is something to keep in mind as well. In addition, finding a place to sit down and rest is problematic as they really don’t have sections for that. There are a few tables about but more often than not, you will be sitting on the floor, trying to stay out of people’s way. Not ideal but it is what it is.
Parking
Another suggestion for you. If you are planning to drive yourself to the convention center next year, get there early. Parking filled up in a hurry this year. Or perhaps, do what we did, which was hire an Uber to pick us up from the hotel and drop us off at the Convention Center. It was a great way to go. No worry about parking or paying for parking. No long walks from your car to the site and at least from our hotel, very reasonable in price. Plus, both of our drivers were friendly and informative. Next year, we will likely do it again that way.
See You Next Year
Congrats to the City of Raleigh and Galaxycon for another successful event. Hopefully the studios and SAG/AFTRA will get their differences settled soon and things will be back to normal for next year. If so, I have no doubt that the 2024 Raleigh GalaxyCon will surpass this year. And that’s a pretty high bar to reach. Watch this Instagram montage, courtesy of GalaxyConRaleigh.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
