The second day of OCC 2017 was much busier than the first, full to bursting with cosplayers attending for the masquerade, or just there to show off their hard work. There were also more panels than the first day, including a Q&A with Arryn Zech (RWBY, Red vs. Blue), “Your Fuzzy Sidekick: Puppet Building 101” and a concert from Rock, Paper, Cynic.
HIGHLIGHT PANEL: John Barrowman Q&A
John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Arrow, Torchwood) is known for his antics both on and off-set, but that didn’t stop a cheer of joy from the audience as he danced onto the stage in a TARDIS dress and leggings. He kept the energy going all the way through his panel, with a wonderful mix of hilarious and heartwarming answers. The panel was definitely geared at an older audience, with raunchy jokes galore. Barrowman was definitely one of the most energetic guests of OCC 2017.
One audience member asked if he’d ever considered funding Torchwood, his canceled Doctor Who spin-off focusing on Captain Jack Harkness.
“No, because that would look desperate. I’ll leave the crowdfunding up to you. It’s not about the money, it’s about the politics – there’s always an excuse,” said Barrowman.
He also welcomed a shy LGBT+ teen up to the stage, giving her words of encouragement – another LGBT+ teen who called him a role model got a selfie with him. Barrowman, as an openly gay man, proved in this panel that he continues to be an inspiration to people both in and out of the closet.
“Don’t cry for being you. Celebrate being you. Never cry when describing who you are. Have a voice,” SAID BARROWMAN.
Another highlight was his musical performance of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”, in which he encouraged the audience to participate. It’s easy to forget that half of his career has been on Broadway, especially after his roles in Doctor Who, but after this impromptu performance, nobody in the audience is likely to forget again.
HIGHLIGHT ARTIST: Peter Chiykowski of ‘Rock, Paper, Cynic’
Peter Chiykowski went full-time as a webcomic artist eight months ago, but it’s far from the only thing he does. His concert on Saturday was packed to bursting, as he performed classics from his album ‘Borken Telephone’, as well as new songs. Some of the highlights of the concert included his rendition of ‘The Internet Doesn’t Make You An Asshole”, “Hello NSA” and “Ivan the Worst”.
“The internet doesn’t make you an asshole,
being an asshole makes you an asshole,
don’t blame being an asshole on the Internet!” said Chiykowski, “The InternEt Doesn’t Make You An Asshole”
At his booth, Peter sold prints of his one-panel comics as posters, as well as his first book, H.M.S. Bad Idea, and USB keys with all of his songs and comics on them, minus the most recent year. He is a frequent and welcome guest at Ottawa ComicCon, and OCC 2017 was no exception.
Rock, Paper, Cynic can be read here!
HIGHLIGHT COSPLAYER(S): Voltron Paladins
These amazing cosplayers got the Voltron Paladins dead-on! From left to right: Shiro (anonymous); Pidge (kaneki_ken_cosplay), Keith (cipheral), Lance (summ.jpeg), and Hunk (anonymous).
HIGHLIGHT MERCH: Pascaluna
Selena Pascal is an Ontario artist specializing in handcrafted polymer clay figurines. At her booth, she sold her figurines alongside notebooks and other creations from her store.
Pascaluna’s products can be found here!
