Yesterday, my son drove me and my daughter (Luka) to Nottingham for Todd Stashwick EM-Con. The journey took an hour and twenty, and I’m really glad he was doing the driving. A state that only increased throughout the day due to the various things wrong with me. Oi.
First port of call was Todd’s table. Luka wanted a Dracula photo signed and I wanted to say “hi.” Oh, and to gift him the little something I’d crocheted for him: Teddy Deacon (IYKYK). He was utterly delighted, recognising the bear immediately, and proceeded to take a photo to send to Terry Matalas (showrunner of 12 Monkeys and Picard S3). Todd’s assistant asked if I wanted a photo and this was the result:
Luka and I then wandered the very many trader stands. Most were geared towards games I don’t play and anime I don’t watch, but there was cute stuff. And a guy selling Doctor Who stuff that I managed to refrain from buying. Go me!
Though I had gone for Todd, there were other actors I wanted to meet; notably the Doctor Who folks. The show is my first sci fi love, after all! I bought a photo op that was a duo with Peter Davison (aka David Tennant’s father-in-law) and Paul McGann, and Luka had bought me one with Jemma Redgrave.
Jemma’s was just after lunch, so I did that and we went upstairs so Luka could get an autograph from her. She was very sweet. Anita Dobson (who was in the last two series of Who if you’re not a fan) was absolutely adorable and I wanted to adopt her.
However. *sigh* I’ve already mentioned to the organisers that having trader tables opposite the signing ones was a Bad Idea. It was crowded. I needed to get back downstairs for Todd’s fan meet, but between the slow going and even slower lift, I missed it.
I must shout out to Rebecca Jayne Leggott and Amelia Osborn – the two lovely ladies who helped me here. They could see I was upset, though desperately holding it together as I was about to do a photo with Todd, and organised for me to get an extra thing in replacement; either a selfie or an autograph. I opted for the latter so he could sign the photo op. I was then able to go in not about to break down (once is enough, to be quite honest) and asked for a hug. “Of course! I’m made of hugs.” In the end it was a full-on squidge and holy heck, did I need that.
Immediately after the photo ops was Todd’s panel with Marina Sirtis (Troi in The Next Generation). Oh lord, is she a card! ‘Ackney out of Greece, and hysterical. I have never known Todd be so quiet for so long! It was really fun, though, and there were some interesting questions. I’m still confused about the status of the Marvel series and I’ve given up on trying to work out what’s going on there. It’s not called Vision Quest. And Emily Hampshire is now involved as well. Beyond that, I’ve no idea.
Following the Q&A was my photo op with Peter and Paul, after which time it was getting towards the end of con. I had to wait half an hour for the photo to be printed: perfect time to go and get Todd’s signed and get the photo of Deacon that I wanted. Oh, and natter more.
I wasn’t going to mention missing the fan meet. I’m not sure if it was his assistant telling him, me giving him the bear, him being him, or a combination of all the above, but… he signed Deacon’s pic and then the photo op. Meanwhile, Luka was chatting to his assistant about Supernatural, something I’ve only watched a couple of episodes, including “a weird black-and-white one because of some dipshit”. At which point, he decided to sign one of the Dracula photos. And then the other Deacon one. See:
I was laughing so hard at him, I could barely manage to say I had a Shaw photo already just in case he decided to sign the entire table. To which I got “I know” like I’d pointed out that the sea was wet. He had signed one at Cross Roads. A year and change ago. His recall is occasionally scary.
He also decided he wanted a photo of me as I was wearing a Nerd Circus t-shirt. That got me telling his assistant about Cross Roads… only I distracted myself and lost my train of thought. I glanced at Todd. He smirked at me. “It’s gone, hasn’t it?” he said, and laughed. I told him to give over, but then I was laughing because he was, and there was no hope for me getting the thread back at all.
He wasn’t being mean. He was recognising that my ADHD had come out to play, and again this was how his recall can be scary, because it was a year ago that I asked him about his diagnosis. The generous reply I got set me off on my own path to diagnosis. Shared weird brain moment, ftw.
I got my phone out to message my son, but he’d already sent a text. With the half hour I needed to wait up, it was – sadly – time to say goodbye. Todd asked if we were heading off, and I said yes. He got up and gave me another hug. I managed not to bawl all over him. Gold star achievement, lmao.
However, if – and that’s a big if – there was a chance that I was ever going to be normal about Todd Stashwick, it was well and truly over by the time yesterday was up. He is just the sweetest, funniest, most generous person, and he has my nerdy little heart forever.
