Another year has come and gone. But before you curse the remaining days of 2002 and wish this year would just simply end, I think this year produced some great memories. In fact, there were some great moments that only the genius of itoop could have conjured. The fact that itoop still exists is a testament to that. So before 2003 rolls around, here's my pick for itoop event of 2002:

Toron Scifi Con 2002 capped off one of the funnest summers I've had in recent memory. After four months of cutting my teeth on my first coop work term in Toronto, I was excited to return home but was sad about leaving all the cool coops I'd met over the summer. It being the last weekend before leaving Toronto, it was the last opportunity to party hard before the summer ended. Sure, there were the usual weekend plans with the D1 monkeys (don't ask) but this weekend was extra special... yes, the itoop gang was trucking it all the way from Montreal for the weekend.

WAIT - itoop posse, leaving Montreal?! Hey, I was shocked too. In fact, I almost couldn't believe it. But the plans were all set, and even DroopyMcc found a way down there with the help of your friendly neighborhood CSG. Suddenly, it was a party.

So the weekend of August 23rd, 2002 went like this: FRIDAY was full of farewell dinners, foosball and bubble tea with the D1 monkeys, SATURDAY was an entire day at Wonderland, and SUNDAY was Toron Scifi Con 2002. Now don't get me wrong; Friday and Saturday were loads of fun. I mean, just looking at these photos, you can tell we had almost too much fun (especially berating.jpg and bighatdx.jpg). But in all honesty, Toron Scifi Con 2002 beats them all, handily.

First and foremost - the freaks. You couldn't toss MastaCSG's proudly purchased double lightsaber without hitting a socially awkward, and yet somehow proud-amongst-fellow-freaks, well... freak. They came by the busload, dressed as Jedi, Starfleet officers (every one of them a captain, of course), and obscure characters you've never heard of. We captured some of the better ones, and every third person resembled the Simpsons comic book store guy in some way. Needless to say, it was terrifying and amazing at the same time.

Next, the 'celebrities'. Only at a sci-fi convention could these people be elevated to the status of kings on Earth. To most people, mentioning names like John Billingsley, Billy Dee Williams, and Nichelle Nichols would result in A) a furrowed brow, B) a shrug, or C) a berating. But the concepts of rationality and infatuation are completed differently at a scifi convention. Some people spend hours in line to pay $30 for a autographed photo of someone who did their last significant work 25 years ago!

Right behind the celebrities, is the merch. A scifi convention is ideal for expensive stuff that you really don't need, and would probably feel embarrassed to buy otherwise. Comic books, action figures, old-school NES games - basically anything you can imagine yourself blowing inches of dust off of. Amazing.

And last, but not least, the company. From covertly hiding near the bathroom to catch even a fleeting glimpse of Brent Spiner, to watching Billy Dee autograph a Colt 45, to heckling Nichelle, to urging DroopyMcc to photograph that tall lanky trekkie while he scanned strangers with his tricorder, Toron Scifi Con 2002 wouldn't have been half as enjoyable if not for the itoop posse.

You might get the impression that it was a complete waste of time. Well, that's a completely different story, but I enjoyed every moment of it! Because truly, Toron Scifi Con 2002 is ground zero for itoop-style hyper cheese. None of you can deny it! Nor would you want to...

... yah, so who's planning Toron Scifi Con 2003?