And we did. We so did. But more on that later.
The Floor
The American Gods experience this year started as most Starz original series shows do: with seeing Jordan the Starz experience booth.
Which kind of looked like a big fake dog poo with white birches around it. It strangely had no context, and wasn’t quite as cool as last year’s Ash Vs The Evil Dead … a really menacing trailer that was cooler than The Walking Dead’s really menacing trailer this year. Nor was it as stunning as the Outlander booth from 2014. But the schtick was the same, rally around it, get a piece of swag, hope for a t-shirt or a tote or an autograph session ticket, walk through, get a pic, walk out suitably let down.
Bone Orchard. Buffalo Man. Neon Sign. Weird picture souvenir. Check check and check.
Would have been cool for it to have been a roadside attraction, or an homage to Jack’s Crocodile Bar, but this still a pretty popular booth, especially on Preview Night, when the line was 250 deep at one point (we did not stay).
The Panel
On Friday, I hightailed it down to Room 6BCF to make sure I had a seat for the late afternoon panel. Despite having missed Mr Robot the night before in the same room because the line was the large intestine of the convention center anatomy (it was long, and twisty and impossible to navigate, and gassy), I walked right into the 6BCF before American Gods. Which meant I had to sit through a panel in Japanese, a SHATNER panel about animated comics that was literally the most boring thing I’ve ever endured (until Stan Lee came out, but he left after about 10 minutes and the HORRIBLE PANEL WENT ON), a panel for People of Earth (looks great) and Powerless (looks like it will last one season), and finally IT WAS TIME.
Here are the highlights:
Yvette Nicole Brown: What a wonderful, honest, fangirl of substance Ms Brown is. I love her as a moderator, as an entertainer and as a person. She was thoughtful, sweet to the audience, perfectly impressed with the cast and showrunners and so well prepared she was almost OVER-prepared. She had prepared wonderful quotes from Mr. Wednesday so that she could ask thoughtful questions of Ian McShane. She had read through several scripts to know not just the source material, but the show itself. She roped in every panel member with ease. I love her.
Neil Gaiman’s ComicCon connection: I’ve been a fan of Gaiman’s for a long time. Fantasy is MY JAM. I read The Graveyard Book to my children when they were probably far too young for it not to be frightening, and I have no regrets. I’ve always known that Mr. Gaiman is one of us … a storyteller, yes, but also a story lover. And he had a wonderful story about where he was when he began writing American Gods.
Having attended Comic-Con since the 80s, he was on a train from Chicago to come to the 1999 SDCC, watching the vast middle America turn into the mountains, turn into the west when he wrote the first chapter of American Gods. I love this so much, it hurts a bit.
Ian McShane: Sometimes you find that the more distinguished or experienced actors on a show of this caliber can seem rather aloof about the show itself. They are here for the character, they are here for the job, and that’s it. And while Ian McShane is DEFINITELY keen to be playing someone as nuanced, grandiose and badass as Mr. Wednesday, he was full on killing it selling this show. He loves the source material, his show runners, his cast mates. You don’t always expect true effusiveness from someone like him, but he brought it, and it was glorious.
Kristin Chenoweth: I’m not going to lie, I cried. This cast has never once let me down, and constantly surprises me in a good way, but I was not prepared for Kristin Chenoweth to be announced as Easter. I may have spontaneously jumped up and shouted, sat down, cried, jumped up again, raised my arms in praise, and then cried some more. I love her.
Bruce Langley: This kid surprised me in all kinds of great ways. I’ve never seen him in anything, never heard of him until he was cast as Technical Boy, but he was smart, whip funny and cute. He knew when to cut off and not go on and on, he knows his character VERY well, and was totally adorable. Looking forward to what he brings to the role.
Other cast tidbits: Yetide Badaki is beyond gorgeous but I loved even more that she was an out and proud geek. She loves fantasy and sci-fi. She knew Gaiman before casting, and she seems so very lovely. Pablo Schriber, who I honestly completely forgot was Pornstache in Orange is the New Black because he is so handsome in person, was also very cognizant of his character’s place in the greater narrative.
Ricky Whittle? Oh Ricky. You so fine. And what a ham. I think he’s well suited to being the lead in this show, not only as the physical embodiment of Shadow Moon, but also just as the kind of guy who is 100% not like his character, so he’s able to bring levity to the room.
Bryan Fuller: What can I say about my favorite show runner? He’s so lovely. I feel remiss in not talking about Michael Green as well as they both made sure the audience knew their collaboration had them as equal partners and “husband budget murderers.” But something about Bryan’s enthusiasm for fans, for fanworks and for loving a project just shows on his face. When asked about his relationship to the source material and how he’s adapting it, he replied “it becomes fanfiction.” NEED I SAY MORE? He’s one of us.
Neil Gaiman: His chenille accent (chenille because it’s heavier, softer and cozier than velvet) makes everything he says something you feel you should be jotting down in your moleskin, but just having him right there … right in front of me, talking about his writing, all writing and his approval and approbation of this series was really fantastic. When he spoke about the chunks of American Gods that got cut, and his hope for a Japanese internment camp story, and the idea that there will be another book in this saga, I got chills. He has more. So much more. And that’s more than we could ask for.
You can watch the entire panel here:
The Aftermath
When the panel was over I hightailed it to the convention floor (which is oh-so-far-away), to get my goodies signed by the cast. Not those goodies. Just a book.
I met some really great fans in line, and it seems to me that Bryan Fuller is bringing along a WHOLE lot of Fannibals to Starz. They may never quit him (and I don’t blame them). The signing line was great. I got to tell David Slade about #EGBTT, got an adorable “You’re so cute!” from Yetide, and told Bruce how impressive I thought he was. I was bummed that Neil was not at the signing, but beggars cannot be choosers. I now have a copy of American Gods with 2 legible signatures, and several scrawls. I’m set.
I then literally ran out of the convention center in order to get ready for our party that night (again which I was late to). Totally worth it.
American Gods is not going to show up until 2017, but trust me, it’s going to be a sensational bit of tv. From the hero’s journey, to the epic conflict, to the most amazing supporting cast, to the showrunners that love every bit of the source material, to the approval of the author himself, everything is shaping up to give us something to worship.
We will have more American Gods coverage for you coming soon: a breakdown of the trailer, the cast, the party and the Nerd HQ event we attended later in the week.
