When My Favorite Zombie-Killer Saved Me From Embarrassment

I have been reminiscing about Comic Con recently. My dad and my sister went to one in Chicago last week, and it reminded me of the one that I went to over a decade ago in my 20s. 

A friend had offered my younger sister and me an opportunity of a lifetime: tickets to Wizard Con in Chicago where there would be a panel on The Walking Dead with my favorite character, Daryl (Norman Reedus). I was a big fan of Norman Reedus’ portrayal of the character: a badass who knew how to fight and survive on the land. He is the one you hope would be in your party if the apocalypse ever happened. I was nervous about going to the comic con because I am not fond of big crowds. As wary as I was, I was determined to go. When else would I get the opportunity to do this?

Before going, we had to prepare, which consisted of figuring out how to get me through the comic con safely because of my limited mobility due to my disability. My family had wanted me to use a wheelchair to get around because of my physical limitations. I was a little offended back then because I could still move around just fine, but after a lot of pushback, I relented.

We borrowed a wheelchair, gathered spending money, and then we were off. When we got there, I was shocked by how big the place was and how many events were taking place. I was glad that I had the wheelchair because I wouldn’t have been able to walk around the humongous space without taking multiple breaks.

Exploring was pretty fun. The staff was helpful with my disability needs and made sure I was okay, which I found very considerate. Seeing people cosplay was pretty awesome. It reminded me of Halloween when I marveled at all the costumes based on well-known fantasy, sci-fi, and horror characters. There were so many places inside to shop for apparel, comics, and artwork. I ended up getting a lot of posters and my most prized possession: a t-shirt with the " Soft Kitty " song from The Big Bang Theory. 

We ended up running into Jon Bernthal (Shane on The Walking Dead and The Punisher in The Punisher, Daredevil, and Spider-Man Brand New Day). He was so nice, especially since we asked for a photo while he was wandering around. We also got to see voice actress Tara Strong from afar. Some of the voices that she did are Timmy from Fairly Odd Parents, Bubbles from The Powerpuff Girls, Raven from Teen Titans, Ben Tennyson from Ben 10, and much more. I was able to get a picture of her from a distance, but her line was too long for us to get a photo with her or an autograph. 

After rolling around the comic con for a while, we finally got to the event that I was looking forward to most: a photo with Norman Reedus. As the photo line inched forward minute by minute, my mind started spinning. What would I do when I met him? Would I make a fool of myself in front of him?

Before I knew it, I was next in line. The attendant at the photo booth asked me to come forward. I waited to be pushed forward in my chair, but nothing happened. I looked behind me and discovered that my sister, who was pushing me in the wheelchair all day long, was gone. She is just as big a fan of Norman Reedus as I was, but she got scared to meet him and bolted. My mind went blank at that moment. Since the wheelchair didn’t have the brakes on, it moved when I tried to get up and ended up landing back in the chair. I almost started to panic since I was holding up the line. 

However, something incredible happened. Norman saw me stuck and pushed me toward the photo area and took a picture. Then he wheeled me back outside the booth, where my sister and Rheba were waiting for me. In that moment, I was on cloud 9. My favorite actor helped me out so that I wouldn’t be embarrassed.

Overall, I had a good time. I got to meet my favorite actors and be around people who loved the same things I did. I am also happy that the place was accommodating for my disability. Not all large gathering places are accessible to people with disability, and I am glad that the venue was very inclusive. I will always treasure this moment and hope I will have another opportunity to go to the comic con in the future.