I held my tail on the trolly as I approached my dream come true. I was on my way to Comic-Con 2013, a haven for young artists such as myself. This is a place where professionals and those aspiring to become professionals can show their art to people who care about it. This is a place where all kinds of fans from all kinds of fandoms can get together to enjoy and admire their favorite things. This is a place to become all that I strive to be.

I walked along the crowded path to the convention center in awe at all the different colorful costumes and events. But, I couldn’t stare for long. I was on a mission to find Ian Flynn, the writer of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” Archie comics. This is the comic that inspired me to follow in his path. As I waited for my badge, I noticed someone in a Marvin the Martian costume and smiled from ear to ear. However, thoughts of Flynn and what I could possible say to him rose in my mind, so I went on without taking a picture. At the time, I wasn’t even aware of who recognized me as Blaze the Cat and who didn’t. At last, I reached the huge exhibition hall. I was overwhelmed and overjoyed. There was so much to see and experience! But that would have to wait. With a quick glimpse at the map, I was off to the Archie booth. As I worked my way through the crowd, Dr. Eggman and I glanced at each other and smiled. Again, I decided the Archie booth was more important than a picture. Finally, I saw it. The small booth that distinguished itself from everything else, and the man in the hat that stood out from all the others, Ian Flynn. He was busy talking, so I waited, eying the stacks of comics on the table. I decided to buy a Sonic - Mega Man crossover, a Comic-Con exclusive. The man at the register took it and handed it to Ian Flynn for him to sign and then gave it back. I took it and smiled. This was nice, but I wanted to talk to him. What could I talk about? I looked to see if Elson Wong was around anywhere. Elson had made a magazine that contained art from a contest he’d created, and I had a piece in it. He intended to present the magazine to the staff at the Archie booth. The only thing I could think to talk about was the contest. At last, Ian Flynn noticed me lingering nearby.

“Nice costume,” he said.

“Thanks!” I replied with a smile.

Come on, think of something to say! I came all the way down here for this moment, and -

“Shard!” I gasped.

I hurried over to the person in possibly the only costume of one of my favorite Sonic characters. I was absolutely giddy and couldn’t resist taking a picture with him.

“I was actually thinking of being Shard,” I told him, “because I thought no one would ever be him, but I didn’t know how to make it. This is really cool!”

I continued to compliment his costume, and he replied as if we already knew each other. That's one of the fantastic aspects of events like Comic-Con. You can tell automatically if people are into what you’re into and can talk to people and make friends you wouldn’t have otherwise.

With that, my day finally kicked off. Next I went to possibly one of the best things artists can do for their careers at an event like Comic-Con: the portfolio review. As I waited for my name to be called, I exchanged portfolios with a girl slightly older than me. We glanced through each other’s art, giving compliments here and there. At last, I heard my name and went to sit across the table from a teacher at the Academy of Art university. Normally, I would have been nervous, but I was more excited to receive feedback. He flipped through my folder, giving me tips about using perspective, drawing backgrounds, and how to get into on-line classes at Academy of Art. This is the reason I go to events like Comic-Con; the art. I get to be immersed in everything I love about being an artist.

Finally, the day came to a close. I was a little disappointed I didn’t get to talk to anyone at Archie about art, but, as Elson Wong told me afterward, “there’s always next time.” My feet were sore and I was tired, but I couldn’t have been happier. My tale ended as my tale began; holding my tail on the trolly.