Jack B Nimble

Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2015 – Heroes, Villains, and Anti-Heroes in Harry Potter: Who’s Who? Panel

I attended a panel titled Heroes, Villains, and Anti-Heroes in Harry Potter: Who’s Who?.

The panel was run by two college professors, a YA novelist, and 17-year-old Harry Potter enthusiast.

This panel was more of a discussion about villains and anti-villains in the Harry Potter world. Panelist Paul Draper, an anthropologist, started out by saying that Lockhart was his favorite villain. He said “Lockhart is a minor villain who is only looking out for himself, he is not a global villain.” He went on to say there are lots of minor villains.

He also gave an interesting blurb on the difference between a hero and villain.

A hero says “I have a good side and a bad side. I have to suppress my bad side and choose my good side.” A villain says “I only have a good side.”

It has been said that “everyone is a hero in their own story.” Voldemort saw himself as a hero. In his mind, everything he was doing was good.

There was some discussion that because horcruxes negatively influence people, were the Dursley’s such awful people because Harry “the Horcrux” Potter was living with them for so long? This question was quickly countered by the realization that Hermione and Ron spent all those years with Harry and they didn’t seem to be affected. Although things did seem to improve for the Dursley’s now that Harry was gone 10 months of the year. This question of whether Harry was a proper horcrux has been asked and answered.

There was quite a bit of discussion of how kids sorted into Slytherin are automatically hated at Hogwarts by all the rest of the students. They are viewed with fear and suspicion. When Malfoy is sorted into Slytherin he is immediately boo’d by the Weasley twins. The thing no one mentioned (which I suppose they forgot) was that Ron had just been teased by Draco for being poor. He likely mentioned this to his brothers. In my mind the twins were probably booing Draco the person, and not Slytherin the house. Maybe that begs the question of Why did Slytherin House not get disbanded? But of course, we have an answer to that question.

The panel could have benefited from an expert from Scifi.SE. Perhaps next year they’ll ask Slyterhincess (aka JKR) to be on the panel, in order to put these questions to rest.

Looking back, the panel spent only a minimal amount of time answering the panel topic. They named Lockhart and Malfoy as minor villains, Snape as an anti-villain, and Hermione and Ron as the heroes that enabled Harry to be the hero.

Related:

Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2015 – Tom Felton Panel
Harry Potter Movie Marathon Highlights

Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2015 – KIDCON and Disney Princesses

The Comic Con of yesteryear may have been for single men who loved comics and pop-culture, but the Salt Lake Comic Con goes out of its way to make sure families feel welcome at the convention. The number one rule of cos-play says “Salt Lake Comic Con is a family-friendly convention.” There is also a section of the convention floor titled KIDCON. This is an area with activities, games, and photo ops with Disney Princesses.

KIDCON corner, as seen through the laser obstacle course.
KIDCON corner, as seen through the laser obstacle course.
The bunny hop game.
The bunny hop game.
The laser line obstacle course with Princess Elsa in the background.
The laser line obstacle course with Queen Elsa in the background.
Hiccup and company.
HIccup and company.
Giant Big Hero Six at the entrance of Salt Lake Comic Con.
Giant Big Hero Six at the entrance of Salt Lake Comic Con.

The number of princess, both in cos-play and as features of booths, is staggering. There was a dedicated Princess Tea Party booth offering free tea parties with kids’ favorite princess. Many attendees came as their favorite princess. The children love it.

Last year after the regular Salt Lake Comic Con my three-year-old niece told my wife:

I know you met the real Elsa, I saw a picture of it.

She was referring to a picture of my wife posing with Queen Elsa her mother showed her on Facebook. You expect Elsa and Anna to be the most popular, because of the recent movie, but princess from all eras were present including: Belle, Snow White, Rapunzel, Aurora, Merida, and Ariel.

Princess Merida, Queen Elsa, Cinderella, and Belle (and others).
Princess Merida, Queen Elsa, Cinderella, and Belle (and others).
Elsa and Anna running a princess party booth.
Elsa and Anna running a princess party booth.
This stage coach was for promoting the new live-action Cinderella movie.
This stage coach was for promoting the new live-action Cinderella movie.
Cinderella and Rapunzel.
Cinderella and Rapunzel.
Princess Aurora, outside the Princess Tea Party booth.
Princess Aurora, outside the Princess Tea Party booth.

Salt Lake Comic Con Fan Xperience (and the regular one) is a place the whole family can enjoy.

Featured Answer: How long was Bill Murray’s character supposed to be in a time loop in the film “Groundhog Day”?

February 2nd is Groundhog Day.

How long was Bill Murray’s character supposed to be in a time loop in the film “Groundhog Day”? was asked by aceinthehole and originally answered on October 20, 2011 by DVK. He cited several different statements from the director Harold Ramis. The question quickly drew thousands of views and the answer was accepted.

Roughly 4 months later (5 days after the question was circulated on Groundhog Day) a new answer was submitted. Screenwriter of “Groundhog Day” Danny Rubin submitted this answer.

Allow me to jump in here. Hi everyone. As mentioned above my original intent was that Phil would live for longer than a single lifetime. That was the point of the original script: to see how a person might change if he lived longer than one lifetime (it was always about a man who could not escape life). The studio felt that the loop shouldn’t last longer than two weeks. They were afraid the audience would freak out if it lasted any longer. Because my bookcase calendar (also mentioned above) was a specific record of passing time, Harold chose to remove it from the script, and in that way he could tell the studio it lasted two weeks or whatever and nobody could point to anything in the script that contradicted that. This explains why the length of Phil’s incarceration strikes so many as a mystery: it was designed to be a mystery. Still, the sensibility of the characters as they progressed I think required a guiding clock, and Harold provided that. His sense was that it lasted about ten years, and I think the movie reflects that sensibility.

Still, I think it’s fun the way people keep guessing and counting and arguing. My answer shouldn’t discourage that pursuit. Who ever said that I know what I’m talking about, anyhow?

This answer was accepted and became the 4th highest voted answer on the site (203 votes at the time of this article). The “Word of God” is a powerful thing.

Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2015 – Tom Felton Panel

Friday January 30th at 3:00pm 2500 people filed into the South Ballroom at the Salt Lake Comic Con Fan Xperience 2015. They were there to participate in the panel featuring Tom Felton, better known to most as Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies.

Tom Felton comes across as a really great guy. When asked why he always seems to play evil or unliked characters he jokingly said he that is how he really is, and he just acts when he isn’t on screen.

TOM-FELTON-MASTER1-1030x832

The following questions were answered during the panel. While they were not personally asked by me, they lined up with the questions asked by members in the meta post.

How do you really feel about being sorted into Gryffindor (on the Pottermore website)?

I called JK up and said it must have been a glitch in the system. But she said I was sorted into Gryffindor because that is what I am.

Earlier in the day while taking photos with fans, a certain fan asked him to wear a Gryffindor scarf since that was his house. Relating this in the panel he said:

I very begrudingly wore a Gryffindor scarf for a photo op.

His general sentiment was that he would have preferred Slytherin.

Do you agree with JKR’s view expressed in interviews, that all the girls who are deeply attracted to Draco (as opposed to the actor) are way wrong and shouldn’t be?

Although he does have some redeeming qualities in the later films, he is still a slimy git.

How much input into the personality of your character did you have from JKR?

I picked her brain over the years to try and better understand his character.

In light of Draco Malfoy’s early characterization as a one-dimensional bully, if you’ve read J.K. Rowling’s updated information about Draco, what are your thoughts on Draco’s development into an almost reclusive figure, who eschews his parents’ Muggle-hating values, collects Dark Arts [artifacts], and develops a fascination with Alchemy? As Draco’s actor, does this surprise you?

I really enjoyed the background coming out on Pottermore.

I realized he really didn’t fit into the normal Malfoy family. So later in his life he got to reinvent what it meant to be a Malfoy.

From here are some questions which I thought were interesting or otherwise noteworthy.

In a special feature on Chamber of Secrets you mentioned being Draco hasn’t helped you get girls. How was that changed now that the films are done?

I actually met my girlfriend of 7 years in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. She was an extra, a Gryffindor (laughter from the crowd) At the end of the last film, when you see me with a wife and son, Jade got to play my wife. That is not really my son.

In case this isn’t clear, Jade, his girlfriend of 7 years whom he met on the set, played his wife in the epilogue scene where Harry sees Draco with his wife and son.

What are some of your favorite moments from being on the Harry Potter set all those years?

The robes they had us wear had really deep pockets. So I used to stuff candy and sodas and Redbulls in there. By the end of the day I’d get to wardrobe and he would find all this chocolate in the pockets. Eventually they decided to sew up the pockets on all the robes, probably because of me.

I actually used to give Redbull to ten-year-olds. I got told off on that too.

Michael Gambon hid cigarettes in his beard.

What is your favorite film from the series?

When I was a kid it was Chamber of Secrets. Now I would say Half-Blood Prince is my favorite.

What did you do to first prepare for the role for Draco?

I don’t have anything close to direct quotes, but I’ll relate the story he told. When he went to audition he hadn’t read any of the books. It was an open audition so there were hundreds of kids there. Chris Columbus (director) was walking down the line asking kids what their favorite part of the books were. It wasn’t until Chris asking the boy next to him that he realized he didn’t have an answer. And he heard the boy say how great is was going to be to see Gringotts.

So when Chris turned to me I said something like: “Those Gringotts, definitely. I can’t wait to see them fly. I love me some Gringotts.” He just looked at me, and I think he decided I would make a good Draco.

When asked about current or future projects Tom Felton said that he has a documentary coming out about super fans and conventions. He said it would air on the BBC in April of 2015, and hopefully in the United States sometime after that.

Related:

Harry Potter Movie Marathon Highlights

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