Steampunk, comics deals and Star Trek

Here's an excellent example of how I'd like to tailor this blog. There certainly will be room for spirited discussion (hinted at in the previous post about whether pop culture conventions are kid friendly). But I'm going to try to concentrate on information you can put to work for yourself -- depending on your interests, of course. Here, then, are three potentially useful tidbits from last weekend's WonderCon:

-- The convention serves diverse tastes. My best overheard moment was when a young woman approached a dealer booth and exclaimed with loud joy: "Whoa, is this steampunk wear?!'' Apparently it was (my expertise on the topic is nil). If that means something intriguing to you, the web site for that dealer is here.

-- I had the best comic-book buying experience of my life. I was interested in a nice copy (approaching Fine) of the Justice League of America No. 3 (origin/1st app. Kanjar Ro). The dealer, whose New York-based company is HighGradeComics, was a no-nonsense type who told me there was room to dicker (after I politely suggested his price and condition estimate were slightly higher than I thought correct). I named a price I liked; he said, heck, he'd go LOWER, named the amount and I said, "Sold.'' I'll be checking out his Web site and you may want to as well. The link is here.

-- I had a nice chat with Suzie Plakson, who played the half-Klingon K'Ehleyr on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Plakson has plenty of other acting credits, but I focused on STTNG -- and the sculptures she makes from Polymer clay. She had some little ornamental pieces with her, and I bought one she signed as a gift for someone. You can get a better sense of everything about her, including her sculptures, at her Web site, linked to here.

Next up: I'll return to the subject of superhero rings from ArrobaSilver.