MTAC Review

Despite a maddening combination of distance, broken timing belts and other assorted conspiracies of fate, Geekademia managed to have at least one pair of feet on the ground when the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention combined forces with the Lone Wolf Horror and Tattoo show to form a Voltron-like super show.

While I was unable to secure any time with the many voice actors and stars of various films and television, interviews were made. Jason David Frank, star of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, made it clear that he was not to take any interviews, but we would be able to listen to his words of wisdom from a press conference assuming he felt human enough to grant us one. I was sadly busy at the time, engaged in a manner of great importance. That importance was talking to the stars and creative minds behind Kaiju Big Battel.

The head announcer, Louden Noxious, was kind enough to not only give me a few minutes of his time but to also grace Geekademia with a theme song. You’ll be hearing that quite soon. I also ran into the infamous Dr. Cube, who gave me the lowdown on his actions and the history of Kaiju Big Battel.

I was also fortunate enough to talk to former WWE and current Crossfire Wrestling superstar “Grand Master Sexay” (better known as Brian Christopher) before he joined the fray at the Kaiju Big Battel event held on the convention center floor. I also learned that you are to never refer to him as Brian Lawler, but he was cool enough not to put me in traction for the slight.

I also spoke to Rick Prince, founder and CEO of Malice in Mind, one of the premier special effects shops in Middle Tennessee. Mr. Prince was, besides showing his company’s many impressive makeup creations, gathering donations to recreate a full scale Bumblebee made from an actual Volkswagen Beetle.

Running into the Sci-Fi Janitors was also a pleasure, as well as famed actors Tony Todd, Kane Hodder (who was celebrating his birthday Sunday), Robert Carradine, Michael Beck, Leslie Easterbrook, and a score of others, as well as getting a glimpse at the back of KISS member Ace Frehley’s head.

Also on hand were artists from around the country. Good friends of the show Sam Flegal and Paul Bielaczyc of Aradani Studios were on hand, and well as too many to list at once. There were also belly dancers, importers of various anime related items, and plenty of live tattooing. When I walked around the tattoo booths I felt like I was surrounded by a swarm of angry bees.

The show was amazing. Anyone interested in anime or horror owes it to themselves to check out the scene at MTAC and Lone Wolf Horror. If you are kicking yourself for missing out, you should stop as that can hurt, then console yourself with attending the second Lone Wolf Horror and Tattoo fest in Chattanooga, TN on September 21st through the 23rd.

Editor’s note: It is totally my fault that Geekademia didn’t get to do more at this con. My timing belt snapped on Friday, and as such I was stranded in Chattanooga, along with Anime correspondent Catherine Bieter. Special thanks to Dave for bearing the full con burden for the rest of us.  –Jesse