Hill Country Comicon New Braunfels Day 1

Today, NewBraunfelsDogs.com had the opportunity to attend day 1 of the Hill Country Comicon in our very own town. And let me tell you, it was an amazing good time!

One of the highlights of the day was getting to see some special celebrity guests. From actors to artists, there was no shortage of talent at the Comicon. We even had the chance to meet some of our favorite stars from TV shows and movies. It was like a dream come true for us!

List of celebrity guests:

Mike Lookinland is known for playing the youngest Brady brother and has also featured in the 1974 disaster movie “The Towering Inferno” and the 1970s TV series “The Secrets of Isis.” He reunited with his Brady Bunch co-stars for the show “A Very Brady Renovation” and the Lifetime Christmas film, “Blending Christmas.”

Susan Olsen is an American actress and former radio host. She is best known for playing Cindy Brady, the youngest member of the Brady family, in the sitcom The Brady Bunch throughout its entire run from 1969 to 1974.

Stephanie Nadolny is an American voice actress recognized for her English dubbing work as the young Son Goku, the main character in the Dragon Ball series, and as the young version of Goku's son, Son Gohan, in Dragon Ball Z. She has also reprised these roles in various Dragon Ball-related video games and other media.

Josh Martin portrayed Barney the Dinosaur in several episodes of "Barney and Friends" and participated in the live tour "Barney's Big Surprise" in 1997. Funimation selected him to voice Majin Buu, Kid Buu, and Evil Buu in the English dubs of the Dragon Ball series. Additionally, he provided the voice for Commander Red in Dragon Ball. He also performed in comedy clubs, creating a rapping parody called the Pillsbury Homeboy, based on the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Linda Young is an American voice actress known for her work in Japanese anime series. Her son, John Burgmeier, also collaborates with her. She is best recognized for voicing Frieza in Dragon Ball Z, Baba in Dragon Ball, and Genkai in Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chris Rager is a talented voice actor known for his work on English adaptations of Japanese anime series. In the realm of video games, he provides the voice for Mr. Torgue in the Borderlands series. He is best known for voicing Mr. Satan in Dragon Ball, Will Powers in Ace Attorney, and Arlong in the Funimation dub of One Piece.

Kevin Jeffrey Clash is an American puppeteer, director, and producer, renowned for his role as the puppeteer of Elmo on Sesame Street from 1985 to 2012. I think Elmo is the most popular Sesame Street character of all time. He also worked on puppets for the movies Labyrinth, Dinosaurs, Oobi, and a bunch of the Muppet productions. He is literally one of the finest puppeteers on the planet, and he is here in New Braunfels today!

David Alexander Newell is well known for playing Mr. McFeely, the delivery man on the famous PBS show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." He also served in the public relations department at Fred Rogers Productions. His character was famous for the catchphrase "Speedy Delivery!". As someone who grew up on Mr. Rogers, this was a surreal experience.

Noel MacNeal, is an American puppeteer, actor, director, singer and writer. He is best known as the performer of Bear on Bear in the Big Blue House. He also starred as Kako on Oobi, Leon MacNeal on The Puzzle Place and as Magellan on Eureeka's Castle. I will have to admit, I am not familiar with some of these shows. However, MacNeal is the resident puppeteer and performed various characters on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Wow!

Lindsay Sheppard is a professional in the animation and "tween" voiceover industry. Based in Austin, TX, she frequently travels to New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Lindsay has provided voiceovers for global companies from her cutting-edge, broadcast-quality studio. Her vocal range includes sweet and innocent, playful and flirty, as well as seductive and villainous tones. Spanning over three octaves, she can voice anything from a baby to a toddler, a child to a teen, and a young adult to a mature narrator, making her voice unparalleled.

Lindsay is passionate about voice acting and cartoons. She has excelled in professional work across commercials, promos, narration, animation, video games, e-learning, and more. With a degree in digital arts and animation and as a co-owner of The Sheppard Agency, a national voiceover talent agency, she possesses the expertise and experience to bring any voice to life.

François Clemmons, born on April 23, 1945, in Birmingham, Alabama, moved to Youngstown, Ohio, where he began singing in church and community events. He later led a rock band called the 'Jokers'. Clemmons earned a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin College and a Master of Fine Arts from Carnegie-Mellon University. In 1968, he won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, leading to a seven-season tenure at the Metropolitan Opera Studio. He performed with numerous opera companies and orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, where his recording of 'Sportin' Life' from 'Porgy & Bess' won a Grammy in 1973. Clemmons also played 'Officer Clemmons' on the TV show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. He founded the 'Harlem Spiritual Ensemble' to promote American Negro Spirituals. His publications include "Songs For Today" and contributions to spirituals' literature. In 1997, he premiered 'My Name Is Hayes', a stage work about Roland Hayes. Clemmons has toured internationally, offering workshops and concerts. He is working on his autobiography, a children's story, and a poetry collection. In 2004, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Carnegie-Mellon University. He resides in Middlebury, Vermont.

Bettina Bush launched her professional career at the age of 5, starting with modeling and acting. Her acting pursuits eventually led her to voiceover work, including roles in My Little Pony (as Megan), The Get Along Gang (as Dotty Dog), The Littles (as Lucy Little), Rugrats, All Grown Up!, Stargate Infinity, Ben 10 (as Kai Green), Age of Empires III (as Nonahkee), and God Hand (as Olivia).  She played Maria, a teenage Native American girl, in the film Journey to Spirit Island (1988). She is perhaps most recognized as the voice of Rainbow Brite and Gloria in the Madagascar video games. Of course, since we love Mcdonalds, we cannot overlook that she has sung the jingles for McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" commercials.

McKenna Michels is a pop artist that is from Austin, Texas. She invites listeners into her world through her creative songwriting. Her songs are about inspiring and vulnerable stories reminiscing about her experiences with childhood abuse and the process that followed, resulting in healing. She has succeeded in creating a comforting space with music The music speaks to many who may be suffering in silence, and to help break the silence of trauma. In addition, McKenna has been a cosplayer and a fan of comics and anime for over a decade, incorporating this passion into her performances, so obviously this was an excellent guest for the Con.

Lee Quick  is an actress, best known for Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back and Pokemon 3 the Movie: Spell of the Unknown.

Wendy Powell

is an American voice actress and agent, renowned for her contributions to anime dubs. Among her prominent roles are Envy in Fullmetal Alchemist, Miss Merry Christmas in One Piece, and Mukuro in YuYu Hakusho.

Ian James Corlett is a Canadian actor and writer, recognized for his work in Dragon Ball Z (1996), Greyhound (2020), Sausage Party, and Dinosaur Train. He is also the creator of the animated series Being Ian and Yvon Of The Yukon.

Charlie Schlatter, an accomplished musician, is proficient in playing the guitar, drums, and piano. He spent his summers performing in summer stock theater. During one performance of George Bernard Shaw's 'Misalliance', a casting director noticed him and invited him to audition for "Bright Lights, Big City" (1988), where he played the younger brother of Michael J. Fox's character. This was his first professional audition, and it was a success. 

Tiffany Vollmer is an actress known for her roles in Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, The Stranger , and Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993).

We look forward to seeing who else may be attending the convention on Day 2, tomorrow!

Vendors are my favorite.   The vendors at Hill Country Comicon were out of this world. From comic books to collectibles, there was something for everyone. We couldn't resist buying some new toys and collectibles to take home.

And speaking of toys, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness the lightsaber and the force training. It was a blast watching younglings wield a lightsaber like a pro I believe they also could harness the power of the force. The insturctors/actors that ran this event were truly outstanding.

Overall, our day at the Hill Country Comicon was a wonderful experience. We can't wait to see what day 2 has in store for us. Stay tuned for more updates on our adventure at the Comicon!

Pictures:

Pictures of merchandise