TITANCON: Day One – A New Hope
TITANCON! Front row from left to right: Lord Jo, Miltos, Sophie, Maisie. Back row: everyone else.
(For the uninitiated, “Lord” Jo “The Favourite Spearwife” is a professional fight choreographer and stuntwoman from Clann Ulaidh, a band of well-skilled battle-ready blokes ready-to-hire for stunt work, period fight demonstrations, and Bar Mitzvahs. Jo helped with Miltos’s Water Dance demonstration, and is a close friend of George and Parris; she was Parris’s Maid of Honour at their wedding. Be ready for her band, Dothraki Deathmetal, soon to be unleashed upon the world.)
Nearly as big as its name and only half as destructive, TitanCon strode into Belfast the weekend of September 23 – 25 like the giant it was named for. It boasted a gaming hall, a Magic the Gathering tournament (I really should have brought my all-white/millstone deck from 1996, just to irk the general gaming populace), costume contest, masquerade ball, an odd little performance by Wireless Mystery Theatre, and more…
But mostly for everyone involved, this was all about Game of Thrones. Sophie Turner! Maisie Williams! Kristian Nairn! Miltos Yerolemou! Art Parkinson! Callum Wharry! (Partially!) (He had football!) And many more.
There were three panels and two press meets; the first gathering was for media only (of course we were there) which featured Sophie, Maisie, Kristian, and Art.
We were able to ask a few questions, as was some of the local media. Also present was the UK geekblog, Following The Nerd; FtN also joined us in a later private interview.
(I was privately hoping for an appearance by Adam Whitehead of the always-salient Wertzone, but sadly the Colchesterian was not in Belfast for the event.)
That private panel was followed by two public ones that also included Miltos and Callum, as well as William Simpson, the storyboard and concept artist for Game of Thrones. The last two panels were moderated by author and GoT fan Peadar Ó Guilín.
As I’m still in the midst of (semi-successfully) (hey, it’s me) editing video, I thought a few pictures would more than suffice to whet the whistles of our populous Game of Thrones fandom.
All pictures taken are shown courtesy of TitanCon, with permission. Special thanks to Ser Mountain Goat, Jackie, “Get Joe on the Show” Joe, and Rimshot for their indelible contributions.
Speaking of Jackity MacMackity, she’s already got a BLOG of the events up. Feel free to peruse at your leisure. And for the Westerosi-minded, Ser–errr, LORD Mountain Goat begat a TitanCon thread over at Westeros.
We have more perusal opportunities than you have hours in a day, people!
So! Day One Photos!
(Don’t blame me if you click on them and they’re sideways. Or upside down.)
Gathered at McHugh’s. Back row: a sexy HmR and his HmRette.
Front row: a monkey, a Scot, a Rabbit, and a tree (pre-tree).
Hodor gives some Hodor to FaBio. Kristian is actually not that tall; FaBio is just 4′ 11″.
Maisie takes all comers during Miltos’s Water Dancing exhibition. Her bloodied victims included “Lord” Jo and “Get Joe on the Show” Joe. Maisie ended the day 35-1 and was crowned champion, until…
…she was cruelly betrayed and murdered by her “sister,” Sophie. (Go Team Sansa!) Maisie had enough wits about her to kill Sophie even as she died horribly. Thankfully, Miltos is skilled in mummery and miraculous resurrection, and was able to bring them both back to life.
They then both promptly turned on Miltos and murdered him where he stood. So sad.
Callum Wharry, aka Tommen Lann–errr, Baratheon. He is Irish, and thus is not impressed with you. With any of you.
A passing paparazzo caught FaBio with an extreeemely gorgeous Sally Turner (Sophie’s mum). The photographer was clearly overcome by Sally’s natural charm, and was shaking, making the picture blurry. (That or FaBio’s breath made him woozy.)
“Uh oh. She’s grown just a bit. Might be time to consider re-casting…”
Maisie gives her love to FaBio as only she can. “This is how an Englishwoman deals with American breath!”
Lord Two Feathers says: “Fashion faux pas, FaBio! We’re wearing the same shirt!” (This picture is as good as can be expected, truth be told; what you are seeing is an image viewed through tears of joy at meeting someone as illustrious as Two Feathers, aka “The guy who walked behind Rickon during the episode one Stark archery scene.”)
Jackity MacMackity as Hodor-and-Bran. JacMac took first prize in the costume contest with this one. We’re still not sure why Hodor has bare feet though.
Sam the walking weirwood. She was robbed. Robbed!
Thus end my pictures for Day One. (There was a bit of dancing after the costume contest, but the lights were low, and “Get Joe On The Show” Joe has threatened me with bodily harm if I ever release the compromising photos I took of him with a certain horn.)
Video soon to come!
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