I wasn’t even sure I was going to write this, but I have so many memories bouncing about in my head in regards to this whole situation, and I just... it seems like it might help if I just explain?
Back in 2013, I was going through some stuff, as most people tend to do. My long term role playing partner/roommate/friend had discovered tumblr, and had essentially abandoned role play writing to get in deep with the Supernatural fandom.
I didn’t understand Tumblr back then, so, I started getting interested into video game... videos on youtube. No one big ironically, there was a small group I followed, and still follow today. Joshscorcher, Fawful’s Minion, RabbidLuigi, and Alex Rochon to name a few. Alex and Josh were the two big ones I followed, I liked their style, thought they were funny, etc. I had never even heard of tgwtg or anyone affiliated with them at that point.
Then I heard Josh mention in one of his videos that the Nostalgia Critic was a big influence for him, so, as you do, I went and checked him out. I got hooked. So much so, that when Alex tweeted about Doug coming to a local con, I decided I wanted to go, and meet him.
Now, I had only ever been to one can before. I’d gone to AnimeNorth in Toronto, my first year moving to Toronto the year before. I’d also realized my Anxiety disorder, was not that nice when it came to bigger cons. Toronto gets two major cons, AnimeNorth in... the north, and FanExpo downtown.
FanExpo scares the living hell out of me, just the prospect of being around that many people. Let alone paying that much money!!!
Either way, the con that Doug was going to was in Hamilton, and it was at a Convention centre connected to a Sheraton.
I work for Sheraton, which means, I was able to get a cheaper hotel room. Not to mention, the convention, ConBravo, was relatively cheap.
So, I went to ConBravo... and found myself at home. It was a smaller con, with nice people, and a calm atmosphere for a ball of anxiety like me.
I even ‘cosplayed’ as a genderbent Nostalgia critic.
I remember so many of my first interactions there. At AnimeNorth, I hadn’t seen anyone who was listed to be there. I found myself seeing everyone all over the con though, and I got to take pictures with them, which was amazing. Even better, after Doug’s panel, myself, another genderbent NC, and a guy dressed up as him, all approached the podium to ask for his picture (we’d found each other throughout the con and bonded as you do). He then surprised us by asking US for a picture of the three of us together.
I hadn’t been that big into watching everyone on the site at that point. But I did get pictures with ThatScifFiGuy and ToddintheShadows, which was awesome!
I went back the next year, when they had an even bigger lineup, and at that point, I’d started watching more shows, and exploring the Con more. AngreyJoe had even been there, and his interaction is one I will especially never forget. I’d been exiting a panel room (D20 Live!!) and he was there, outside the room taking pictures with a fan. I smiled, and waved at him (still wearing my NC cosplay from the year before) and I swear to god. This is how he replied.
“Oh wow, you’re beautiful.”
Now, I’m not saying this to brag. I have rather low self esteem, I’d just been floored that this guy, whom I’d never met before, would say this to me of all people. Silly little story, but one I’ll never forget. Also, I got pictures...
I didn’t Cosplay NC after that, but I continued going, every year but 2016. I even brought my girlfriend to ConBravo last year, and we’re excited to go this year too.
We got to talk a lot to Malcolm, and even Doug at one point. Doug even got interested when he found out Liz does special effects for movies and such. (She has a wicked scar she does for Zarya and he was super impressed by it) He’d been curious if we lived in the Chicago area, and seemed sad when he found out we were Canadian.
I had also been a big fan of Alyson though, and seen quite a few Phelous reviews I enjoyed. So, when it came out they were gone... and why. My view of the NC began to shift south. I started to watch a lot less, especially since I began to grow tired of his... antics in his videos. I found myself liking them less, and the ‘clip-less’ reviews, especially the ones of movies still in theatres were ones I outright avoided.
Then #ChangetheChannel happened, and I watched as people began to leave the site. People I truly loved watching, like MikeJ, Linkara, ToddintheShadows, FilmBrain. It was Linkara’s leaving that did it for me though, that brought me to click that ‘unsubscribe’ button. Reading the document broke my heart, knowing I own the anniversary specials, breaks my heart. I only keep them now for the signatures scrawled across them... Heck, I’ve only seen Kickassia, and like the first video of Suburban Knights (I have difficulty watching anything with too much second hand embarrassment)
I instead subscribed to everyone as they left, and began following their own channels. I followed them on twitter, and in the case of the smaller channels, like ERod, I added them to my Patreon. I even added Tamara to my Patreon. I just wish there was a way to support Malcolm too... he was so nice to me and Liz, and we loved him and Tamara the most in the newer NC videos.
I’m sad to see something that was such a big part of my life such as ChannelAwesome go down like this. I hope that the producers get the apology they deserve. Naive little me hopes that Malcolm and Tamara are treated better, and that if Doug and Rob really are looking at the legal stuff behind leaving, that they LEARN.
tldr; if it wasn’t for Doug attending a Convention in 2012, I never would have found my favourite con, or found the courage to try new things. I’m just sorry it had to end this way...
