The View of an Outsider:

Pam's take on the Pittsburgh Comicon and meeting the DOTD cast.

Matt and I left Shippensburg at 6 am on Friday. I can’t say that I was fully looking forward to this experience, I didn’t know what to expect. So we got there and checked in and then went over to the mall to eat and look around a little bit. Around 1:30 we got our tickets and finally got inside at 2:00. But before we even got our tickets, Scott and Ken had both passed by us in the lobby. Matt was so excited he could barely contain himself. It was sweet to see him so happy about something, especially this. Dawn makes him so happy to begin with...meeting and hanging out with the guys just puts him over the top. We were both a little nervous going in there trying to find the guys...he was nervous because this is his favorite movie and he loves these people....I was nervous because I had no idea what I was getting myself into. We found the guys right off the bat (well after we had gotten our tickets for the mall tour and a kickass DOTD print) and Matt got some autographs and pictures. They all seemed very cool and very nice (and I had already taking a liking to Scott). ; ) We were in and out of the convention the rest of the night. I finally got to meet the guys my boyfriend talks about all the time....and it was great! They were all so nice, funny, down-to-earth, and willing to talk and tell stories for hours. I also got to meet Chris the Greek; he is one cool guy. I had fun this first day but little did I know that it would only get better.

Here we are on Day 2, 9 am in the lobby of the Radisson waiting to head out on to the mall tour. I was expecting this to be a big mob of crazy fans just running amuck, but Marty organized the whole thing and it went very very well. Matt had the camcorder in hand and I had a camera. I learned a lot of new things from this experience in particular. It was fun! Later this day, there was a question and answer session for about an hour. Some of the guys were late because there were lines of people waiting in the con room for autographs, so they stayed until the line was gone (how sweet!). They were all very fan friendly and genuinely happy to be there. They are also a group of very funny guys! After this, Matt and went to the mall to eat and I went shopping while he was visiting with the guys. I wanted to give him some time alone with these guys, because after all, it’s his favorite movie, not mine...he’s the one who grew up admiring these people and not me. So after 2 or 3 hours of shopping, I went to sleep (which I will pay for later, lol). At 8:00 pm, we watched Dawn. Lenny Lies sat right next to Matt, who just couldn't stop smiling. This was a dream come true for him....sitting next to a cast member, getting feedback and stories as the movie was playing. I was happy to see him so elated. Matt went up to the after hours party after this to hang with the guys in a more social environment, while I studied for a final. From what I hear, he had yet another great time. He watched Scott play the piano, Taso take a well-deserved nap after a 28-hour drive from Florida, and walked around and talked to some cast members.

I would have to say that the last day was by far the best in my book. After packing up the car, we went in for some final pictures and autographs. Ken teased me endlessly about sleeping the day before after shopping in the mall and Scott was in and out (probably chasing after the playmates, lol). Everyone was just so nice I could hardly believe it! They all knew me by name and really took the time to get to know Matt and I. They told stories and let us in on their lives. Having known nothing about this movie until I met Matt, I was really taken aback by this whole experience. I’ve seen this movie probably about 10 times now (I know that’s nothing compared to the number of times most of you have seen it) and I really learned a lot this weekend. I learned not only a lot about the movie, but about the people in it. I had a lot of fun and a great time! I felt right at home with the Dawn cast and I know my boyfriend felt like they were family. I must admit that I really didn’t want to say goodbye.....I had taken quite a liking to both Scotty and David. Matt would have moved into the con room if they would have let him I’m sure. He wanted to stay as long as possible and after all, these are such great guys and he bonded with them all weekend. He got some awesome memorabilia and footage though to remember the trip. But at a little after 3, it was time to go. We made our final rounds and said goodbye to every cast member individually. When we got to David Emge he announced, "If you think you’re getting out of here without a hug, you’ve got another thing coming to you." : ) So after I got my hugs and kisses on the cheek from Jim, David Emge, and Scott : ), we were on our way home. I could never express to all of you how great these guys truly were! This is definitely an event to talk about for years to come and I hope I’ll get to see these guys again. After this convention, I have a new appreciation for Dawn of the Dead and why my boyfriend loves it so much.