Greetings one and all! My name is Kyle and I work for Toynk. I’m also one of the biggest Doctor Who fans we have here on staff. I think my Sonic Screwdriver tattoo was what put me over the top.
And so, when Toynk offered to send me down to Pensacon in lovely Pensacola, Florida to meet some of the Doctors themselves, I grabbed my fez and my scarf and headed to the Gulf Coast.I’ve been to shows all across the country, from the temple of FOMO known as San Diego Comic Con to charming one room shows like Mad Monster and everything in between. And I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like Penscon.
In many places, when a Con rolls into town, they tend to treat us nerds like wild animals. They put up barricades and park a few food trucks, all the better to keep us contained and to stop any of our geekery from spilling out into the workaday world.
But not in Pensacola. I could tell something was different from the moment I stepped off the plane. Because the airport had been transformed into the Pensacola Intergalactic Airport. Each gate was now a StarGate, complete with images of famous transports like an invisible jet and even a TARDIS.
And it didn’t stop there. It seemed like the whole city was in on the party. As I bopped from place to place in several ridesharing services, all of the drivers knew about the show, and had either already been or were planning to visit later. They knew what guests were in attendance and what booths to hit. I made sure they swung by the Toynk booth to see all the cool stuff we had brought with us. Just the Geeki Tikis alone are worth a visit.
But enough about that, we’re here to talk about Doctor Who! The helpful staff of Pensacon, who are all volunteers by the way, (yep, this is an entirely fan run show) were kind enough to bring me over to the cozy little hotel where their VIPs were staying. And it had a really cool atrium/lounge area with a balcony that was perfect for my video shoot.
As I was setting up, Janet Fielding walked in. As true Whovians know, she played Tegan, a companion to both the 4th and 5th Doctor. And I managed to keep my cool. She ended up being right on the other side of the wall during the interviews, so if you hear some background conversation, know that one of the most popular Companions was taking care of important business right nearby.
And with a cry of “Halloo!” I heard my first Doctor. But where was he? Looking up, I spotted Sylvester McCoy, the 7th Doctor, leaning over the balcony. He told us he was on his way down, though he did offer to do the interview from the balcony, suddenly turning it into an extended bit about Shakespeare.
Sylvester came down and we got him settled in so I could ask him a few questions.
Here’s our chat about not only Doctor Who but also some info about his time in Middle-Earth working for Peter Jackson:
He was an absolute delight, and I’m sure you can tell who my next Doctor will be.
Check back for my next trip report, when in true Doctor Who fashion, I jump back in regenerations and chat with the 5th Doctor, Peter Davison.
