RetroWorld Expo 09/13/25 - Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, CT
By John A. Wilcox
Sooooo.... I have done more than my share of comic book conventions and anime conventions over the years. But this would be my very first gaming convention. It was at the same convention center I went to in July for ConnectiCon so I knew I'd be in good hands. It's very wheelchair-friendly and the staff are all mega-helpful! I'm pleased to say this day was no exception & I had zero issues getting around in my wheelchair.
My friend Pete was immediately impressed as we entered the main room and so was I. It was a videogame paradise and much more. I immediately stopped by Fae Fabricator and bought a beautifully handcrafted Pokeball magnet. I could not resist! After grabbing a Dr. Doom Burger King toy (still in bag) I went over to Player 2 Artwork and had a great conversation. Nice chats with the folks at Dice City Games, The Cursed Dice Company, Meta Mats, and Martharts Studio over the course of the day as well. Great people!
I was pleased to talk to a fellow comic book creator in the person of Tom Ryan. Ryan also designed the artwork for the event. Mighty fine work! I visited with all sorts of creators - Lambent Waifu, Nat N Kee, Cammie from NightShift Comics & TTRPGS, and Sarah Rae Cosplay to name a few. On the music end, Utami Hasegawa, Acorn Noir Records, and my pals from the band Lame Genie (who even gave me a hot pair of shades!).
Let me take a moment to focus in on a few conversations I had. Quinton Flynn is an actor, comedian, and voice actor with a resume that includes Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Men Behaving Badly, and countless videogames and anime including Kingdom Hearts, Bleach, Teen Titans, and Robot Chicken. He was gracious and inquisitive. I could've talked with him for hours while only scratching the surface! In a similar vein, Tim Clarke was a man of many talents and many stories. Creator of Boglins as well as working on The Dark Crystal, Fraggle Rock, and Sesame Street with Jim Henson & company. Clarke was a modest man who cracked up my friend & myself with a hilarious Bert & Ernie tale!
Landry Pop Auctions and Dragon's Lair merited visits. I was all-to-pleased to chat with Angela from Extra Life which is in support of Connecticut Children's Foundation. Such an incredibly worthy cause worthy of everyone's attention & support! More great chats: Gamer Ahmer was talented & very personable. Pete was sure that she & her friend were sisters! Dave, It's Me from The Weekly Warp Pipe Podcast was lots of fun to chat with and we had a nice discussion about photography.
Blitzkreig Wrestling was in the house! I watched a guy named CPA win a very fun match! Separately, I chatted with ECW legend Tommy Dreamer about everyone from Sabu to Big Dick Dudley, Kronus & Phil Lafon. Dreamer has a channel on Sirius with Bubba Ray Dudley. Must check that out!
A fair amount of cosplayers were there with some impressively inventive work. Lots of tricked-out cars on display including vehicles from Men In Black and Knight Rider. I played a very cool X-Men pinball machine and an odd rhythm-based machine called Jubeat. Being in a wheelchair had me in a very weird position, so I sucked at both. But I sure had a great time doing it!
Almost 5 hours after getting there, it was time to hit the road! Pete & I grabbed a fabulous Italian dinner at Carini's in Wallingford, and listened to a 1977 Genesis concert on the way home. I loved the day, I thank everyone running the show as well as all the fine folks I met! I will surely be back next year!!
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