This time the guys sit down with Ben Andrews, creator of RenCon, Renton Comicon. RenCon is a celebration for comic book fans, technophiles, cosplayers, & nerds of all ages! It is a place where you can buy your favorite comic book, find that collectable you have been looking for, & purchase a t-shirt that proudly displays your geekdom! It is a place to listen to the latest from leading science gurus, attend a panel on robots, & listen to the making of your favorite podcast! It is a place to come dressed as you are or as your favorite character. It's a place to learn about the craft of cosplay, enter a contest, & take a selfie with awesome cosplayers! Mostly it is a place where anyone & everyone can come enjoy a weekend of family fun and let your inner child come out to play! (Borrowed from RenCon's Facebook page)
The show kicks off with a story from an old friend of the guys, Bill Baker. Bill tells the guys about his 1998 world cup trip and his crazy adventure while riding the bullet train from France to Italy. After Bills story, Ben dives into how the convention started and his decision to get into entertainment at age 30. He talks about his first visit to Norwescon and how people that are interested in volunteering at the convention can get involved.
15:01 – Ben discusses his producing and acting career, his love for Renton, and him becoming the event director for Renton’s Chamber of Commerce. He talks about putting on events to get the millennials in the community involved and how he incubated the comic book convention through the Chamber of Commerce. He discusses the drama behind the convention, where it’s held, and other communities outside of Renton getting involved.
25:20 – Ben talks about the guests that attend the convention, the expectation of 5,000 attendees this year, and them being the first comic book convention to shoot their own original content. Justin talks about smaller conventions being eaten up by larger ones and Ben talks about how the convention takes care of their guests that fly into Seattle. He also talks about the premier of their film airing during the convention at the AMC Theater at the Southcenter Mall.
The show winds down with conversation on space travel, the company Planetary Resources, and the new Lost in Space show on Netflix. They also chat about if they would live underwater and if they had to pick between underwater or space which one they would choose.
Thanks Ben for joining the guys for a great conversation and spreading the word about RenCon!!
Special Guest: Ben Andrews.