Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog

August 27, 2011: Wvrst! Geek Fest!

·

Last night, we checked out a place seemingly tailor-made for my buddy Carl: Wvrst.  The name is unfortunate and the room’s acoustics are terrible (Carl and I, sitting across from each other, had to shout to be heard), but the food is great.  On the menu: sausages and beer.  You choose between currywurst (sausage served with a sauce that’s a tasty mix of ketchup and curry) or sausage in a bun (along with two of four toppings: sauerkraut, jalapenos, sweet red peppers, or caramelized onions), then get to choose from a variety of sausages.

Carl, all smiles. I have a feeling this is going to be is home away from home while in Toronto. He'll just pack up his stuff at the hotel and move in here.
Banquet seating.

A terrific meal.  Akemi loved her Italian sausage because it was, to quote her – “shauwissen” (meaning it was just bursting with meat juices).  I loved my duck with maple and foie gras.  And we ALL loved the duck fat fries!  About the only thing nobody loved…

The Church Key Scotch Ale. Brutal. Carl likened it to drinking motor oil.

No dessert menu at Wvrst.  Fortunately, Soma was on the way home.  We stopped by for – oh, everything: chocolates, ice cream, flourless chocolate cake, and cookies.

Carl tut-tuts my boorish behavior.

Today, Akemi and I met up with Carl and dog park friends John and Nancy for lunch and Fan Expo.  We were really looking forward to enjoying a meal at our favorite Jamaican restaurant Ackee Tree…

Only to learn it had closed down. John was crushed.

We ended up at Bier Markt instead, another one of Carl’s favorite haunts.  They do a killer Ahi Tuna burger.  But the highlight of the menu…

The Markt Poutine.

 Finally, it was time to hit the Fan Expo.  And, after coughing up $40 to get in (Actually, Carl treated!) we were in…

Carl having the time of his life.
Akemi and her Japanese buddy. We watched a trailer for what looked like Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots: The Movie.
March of the storm troopers. Dispatched for crowd control.
At the Space booth: Mark Askwith and fellow producer prep for the big show.
As I was leaving the Space booth, I was approached by Andrew here who recognized me (and not from that America's Most Wanted episode!). We chatted Stargate for a while.
Speaking of Stargate – it was nice to see the fans representing.
And a little something for Das!
GORN!!!
I gave myself top points for actually recognizing this character from the Silent Hill video game.
DC Heroes on display.
Perhaps the worst case of jaundice I've ever seen.
Spirited Away!
No, not really.
You climb in, they lock you up, then bury you out back. Two hours later, they dig you back up.
Hmmm. I think I know why that Wonder Woman pilot didn't go to series.
The Joker and Harley Quinn out and about.
I score two more supervillain statues for my office collection: The Vulture on the left and Modok on the right.
Carl calls it a day.

 “This was my second geek festival.  I think pretty successful.” – Akemi, August 27 2011.

Discover more from Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Podcast also available on PocketCasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and RSS.

40 responses

  1. Lisa R Avatar
    Lisa R

    Looks like you had a great time. I found out yesterday that Atlanta’s Dragon Con next weekend would have been enjoyable—oh well, maybe next year. 🙂

    Have a great evening!!!

    Reply
  2. Thornyrose Avatar
    Thornyrose

    with the size of those models, you wont have any room in your office to work. Looks like you had a great time. At least all the walking offset the calorie intake.
    Few more hours and Irene will be far enough north for the winds to die. Lots of trees into houses here, but no injuries so far. Waiting to see what morning brings, and hope that irene’s losing strength translates into less damage to the Big Apple and points between. thanks for sharing the day’ makes for a nice smile before I try to head to bed.

    Reply
  3. sylvia Avatar
    sylvia

    Love it…the many of us fan girls and boys who go to conventions are attending Geek Festivals….yeah! I’m in.

    Gonna have to start thinking about other Geek places to visit.

    Reply
  4. Alfredo De La Fe Avatar
    Alfredo De La Fe

    You guys actually had to pay to get in to one of those shows?!?! I imagined the guys at door dropping to their knees and kissing you and Carl’s ring fingers… 😉

    Reply
  5. Airelle Avatar
    Airelle

    ok you got yourself something, did you perhaps get anything for Carl, he looks curious behind you…or confused. But it looked like a lot of walking and fun. And I am a bit scared to comment on the costumes, takes a lot of guts to wear that stuff in public, and they look like they are having fun?!? So you will sleep good tonight.

    Reply
  6. jojo Avatar
    jojo

    I was wondering if you were successful in your quest to harrass Michael Shanks. His Q & A sessions are quite entertaining. It would have been great if you and Carl could have been there to ask some very good questions!

    Reply
  7. sparced Avatar
    sparced

    i like carl’s evil look standing behind you guys holding the supervillian statues.

    Carl is the resident office supervillian. Isn’t he?

    Reply
  8. Nola Avatar
    Nola

    There’s a place here in San Antonio called Rudy’s Barbeque – Wvst’s ambience reminds me of it. Same look, same acoustics. Good food though.

    Looks like your geek fest was a success all around. What, no panels?

    Good to hear that Irene is blowing on by.
    Nola S.

    Reply
  9. Andrew Portelli Avatar
    Andrew Portelli

    Hello Mr. Mallozzi, it was a true and unexpected pleasure meeting you. I’ve been a huge Stargate fan for the last 10 years and meeting you today and seeing how gracious you were to take the time and talk to me and listen to me, it was the greatest pat on the back and acknowledgement a Stargate fan could hope for!

    And you posted my picture!

    I’ve been following your work for many, many years, which I’m proud to say is the only reason I spotted you in the first place. I was with my buddy and I said, ‘Man, I swear that’s Joe Mallozzi’

    You’re a true gentleman in your treatment of fans. Especially considering you went out of your way to introduce me to Carl Binder. What a total thrill.

    I will never forget this day.

    Thank you Mr. Mallozzi!

    Sincerely,
    Andrew Portelli.

    Reply
  10. Shiny Avatar
    Shiny

    Nothin’ beats a Geek Festival. Were there people in those big robots? The poutine is a thing of beauty.

    Loved the SGA dude with the P90; those were the sexiest uniforms of all of Stargate.

    Reply
  11. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    ROFLMAO, Carl should be in front of the camera with that expressive, albeit perennially sad, face. Looks like you had a good time.

    Reply
  12. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    @ Lisa R Dragoncon is always great, but each year gets larger and larger. I miss when it was manageable. Now, so much you get to see just a tiny portion. We aren’t going this year but I hope to next year. I only live about 45 mins away but it’s really most fun is you STAY there and that just is too much this year.

    Reply
  13. EnzoAquarius Avatar
    EnzoAquarius

    Hey Joe!

    How the hell did I miss you?! I was all over the Expo today and didn’t see you, despite keeping my eye out on everybody to make sure I don’t miss anything!

    Oh well! Glad you enjoyed it, despite how packed it was!

    – Enzo Aquarius

    Reply
  14. Lisa R Avatar
    Lisa R

    @Debra: We will just be getting back in range of Atlanta this coming Thursday. So, too much for us this year too.

    Reply
  15. archersangel Avatar
    archersangel

    to Lisa R
    i recommend dragon-con. if you’re local (or local-ish) to atlanta it’s not too late. if you want to go in 2012 the hotels put the rooms at con rates for next year up in october of this year. they go fast.
    they start selling tickets (badges) for next year around then too. starting at about $60-$70 & the price goes up every few months after that. for more info;
    http://www.dragoncon.org/index.php
    http://dragoncon.livejournal.com/
    http://dragoncon.dreamwidth.org/ (has some of the same posts as the above, but there are fewer to get through)

    looks like you’re happy with your supervillain statues score. i’m amused at carl’s photobomb on you.

    ”This was my second geek festival. I think pretty successful.” – Akemi, August 27 2011.

    they get easier to survive after awhile.

    Reply
  16. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Hey Joe!

    Place the nutritional supplements IN YOUR DOG’S NORMAL FOOD.

    He’ll then consume it happily AND NO ONE’S THE WISER !

    Reply
  17. Ponytail Avatar
    Ponytail

    So someone finally recognized you. I was beginning to think you weren’t Joe, but some Joe pretending to be Joe. I would recognized you anywhere, especially if you were with your posse – Akemi, Carl, dogs, etc.

    Reply
  18. Pamme Avatar
    Pamme

    Coffin rides… Yikes.
    Jaundice man… very funny.
    As was your Wonder Woman comment.
    Laughed out loud at your post several times tonight. Thx!

    Reply
  19. Ganymede Avatar
    Ganymede

    **GORN!!!**

    I *LOVE* GORN!! — Glaring ZIPPER in the Back and ALL!! 😀

    BTW, I can NOT *believe* that YOU had to PAY to GET IN??!! — Dude! Losing Your *Touch*! Or, perhaps, Shanks left Your Pic at the Ticket Booth?

    Reply
  20. Mike A. Avatar
    Mike A.

    After seeing Carl stone-faced in so many pictures, it feels odd to see him smile. Of course, I noticed everytime his wife was in the picture, he had a huge grin of his face. She must be a great girl.

    Now that I’ve seen almost every episode of the Stargate franchise multiple multiple times, I’m beginning to watch just the background stuff to see all the fun things you guys put in there as either a joke or whatever. Like today, “Brain Storm” was on and I noticed the “Carl Binder Memorial Theater” and something scribbled on one of the whiteboards called a “fork bomb”! What the heck is a fork bomb? That HAS to reference something good!

    How many “cookies” or “Easter eggs” are there sprinkled throughout the franchise? Too many to count, I’m sure.

    Reply
  21. Gina Avatar
    Gina

    Hey Joe,

    Looks like you had a great time, but yeah, what about the promised heckle fest for Michael Shanks?

    And yes, they should have comped you in…. sad…

    Glad to see you out enjoying yourself though. I’m sure that had to help a bit with the stresses of the last few weeks.
    Gina

    Reply
  22. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    Hey Joe, I was at FanExpo Saturday as well. Sorry that I didn’t bump into you – would have made up for not being able to catch Michael due to his late arrival and the ridiculously long line that greeted him when he finally did make it. It was my first time going to an event like that, and so wasn’t sure what to expect. As much as the website says otherwise, it is still a very comic-book oriented event I think. Loved seeing all the costumes (I too ran into the dude with the excellent Wraith costume). I think the most off-putting aspect were the prices of things, from the initial tickets to the price of a beverage ($2.56 for a can of pop?!), (my wallet) just wasn’t prepared for that.
    Thanks for the tip on Wvrst – will have to check it out sometime. I fully agree with you on the Church-Key beer – it sounds far better than it tastes. Gave it a try at the Festival of Beer a few weeks ago, so at least I didn’t have to choke down a whole pint. If you are looking for a tasty brew with a twist, I recommend the Nicklebrook Green Apple Pilsner. Their website has a list of places it is on tap around Toronto. Anyway, if you are treating Mr. Shanks & his wife to dinner tonight, pass on a hello for me as a long time fan.

    Reply
  23. SiSi Avatar
    SiSi

    Just read Jewel Staite’s blog about Buca, a restaurant she loves in Toronto. Have you eaten there yet? Based on the menu items she described, sounds like it might be a place you’d enjoy.

    Reply
  24. noelm Avatar
    noelm

    Well, it is wet here in the DC area, make no mistake, but mostly Irene came and went without too much damage. We had leaks in our usual leaking places, but my friend EV lost part of her roof and mucho water damage. We’re thankful it wasn’t worse. We are praying for Das and the other folks further north who are now in the midst of the rain and wind.

    Reply
  25. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    Woo! I can finally post! (Had to update hubby’s laptop…).

    Safe and sound in PA – off to go antiquing. They are not letting us back to Jersey yet (my house and the feral colony survived, according to my neighbor), so we’re making a vacation out of it now. We have to pass through Philly, and the main road was still flooded, so we’re just sitting tight and enjoying ourselves for now.

    Thank you, everyone, for your concern. 🙂

    das

    Reply
  26. 2cats Avatar
    2cats

    Well, I can report survival with little damage to self and property. Just some water seepage into garage and down chimney, small tree branches and tons of leaves sprinkled all over. All my trees withstood the wind which sounded terrible pre-dawn. I also never lost power. I think I was quite fortunate compared to many, many others. Storm is now hitting NYC, north of us.

    @das — Hope you and family came through this well & your home fared safely.

    To all other East-coasters, praying for you!

    Please give Max and gang a big, warm tummy rub from me. Love ’em up.

    2cats

    Reply
  27. Ava Avatar
    Ava

    Joe — You guys look like all the other geeks having fun!

    Did anyone besides Andrew recognize you?

    I’m joining the queue for wanting to know about the success of your evil plans for Shanks.

    You should let Akemi write a section on her impressions of the geek festival.

    You had to pay to get in – did you also have to stand in the long lines like the rest of us peons? Or were you just trying to have the immersive fan experience so you can know better what we go through at these events?

    Nola — Is it the same Rudy’s as we have in the Dallas area? Great BBQ in a working gas station?

    Thoughts to all those in the path of Irene.

    Reply
  28. DP Avatar
    DP

    @das -Oh, Daaaa — aaaas! There’s a Sauron zombie picture…

    Reply
  29. Lisa R Avatar
    Lisa R

    @das: Glad you are all right and that you are able to have some fun.

    Reply
  30. Barbaro Avatar
    Barbaro

    Here in Berks County,PA we still have a heck of a wind at 4pm. Got around 6″ of rain at my place even though the official tally at the airport was about 3″.

    @Das-Glad to hear everything is ok at your house.

    I got a new computer and a new picture, too, it looks like. I liked my old one better.

    Reply
  31. Barbaro Avatar
    Barbaro

    Yeah, that figures. I made the comment about the picture and when I posted my comment, it put my old picture up.

    Reply
  32. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    So…today’s adventure included: Blue Ball, Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse, and Paradise. Ah, yes…nothing’s better than Amish country…

    🙂

    das

    Reply
  33. Sparrow_hawk Avatar
    Sparrow_hawk

    @das: Whew! That’s great news. I hope they’ll let you go back home soon. But now you can relax and enjoy the rest of your unscheduled vacation!

    @noelm and 2cats: Glad all is well with you.

    I hope all the rest of you East Coasters are okay, too.

    @Joe: great pictures! I just love geek festivals. That one was really impressive.

    I had curry wurst in Hohenschwangau in June! I was kind of disappointed that the only “curry” was the spicy ketchup, but I should have figured as much – Germans are not so big on spicy food.

    Reply
  34. majorsal Avatar
    majorsal

    a question…

    i’d *love* mgm to give closure to the television franchise, via a combo movie for sg1/atlantis/sgu. BUT, if that won’t happen (didn’t say can’t), then i’d like mgm to either publish the sg1 and atlantis movie scripts, *or*, novelize them.

    finally, the question: let’s say mgm goes the movie script or novel route, would the stuff happening in the scripts/books be considered canon? would it be added to the stargate mythology, even if it didn’t show up on screen?

    Reply
  35. Airelle Avatar
    Airelle

    @das good to hear from you, and Joe is the tropical storm part headed to a place near you>>? be safe. mom and sis too.

    Reply
  36. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    Given Hollywoods penchant lately for rebooting everything if you had the opportunity would you reboot the original Stargate movie ?

    With completely new cast, story etc but following the same original idea. Locating a Stargate and then working from there. Who would you cast, storyline etc ?

    Not sure if you’ve already been asked that, sorry if that’s the case. I’m sure you’re sick to death of Stargate questions but no offense I’ve never seen a single Transporter movie and had no interest in that 😛

    Reply
  37. Kori Barnes Avatar
    Kori Barnes

    I was going to go to Fan Expo Saturday, but life got in the way 🙁

    Reply
  38. DALLAS MARSHALL (@MrsTigercat) Avatar
    DALLAS MARSHALL (@MrsTigercat)

    Where in your archives (month & year) do I go back to read about how you met Akemi and how she came to Canada to live with you? I came into your blog about last Christmas-ish, so I’ve missed a lot, but don’t have time to search through years of back posts. Anyone out there help me out with this? Thanks. {Doggie love}

    Reply
  39. Nola Avatar
    Nola

    @Ava – I don’t know if it’s the same Rudy’s. I believe it’s a Texas chain, but this one does not have a gas station. Exceptional turkey, beef, and cream corn though!
    Nola S.

    Reply
  40. Lady B Avatar
    Lady B

    LOVE the photo of the Wraith!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest episodes

Discover more from Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading