#SLCC17: Victoria Atkin talks about 'Assassin's Creed' and BYUtv's 'Extinct'

Several days before Salt Lake Comic Con 2017, the official Salt Lake Comic Con Twitter account retweeted something I posted about the upcoming convention. That retweet was seen and liked by a voice actor named Victoria Atkin, who would be appearing as a celebrity guest at the event. Little did I know, Victoria provides the voice for Evie Frye, the first playable female character in a main entry in the "Assassin's Creed" video game franchise. I had played the game "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate," so I thought it was cool that she acknowledged my tweet.

I sent her a quick message, saying that it would be fun to meet her at the convention. To my surprise, she responded, and we messaged back and forth a little a few times.

Over the next couple days, I helped Victoria promote her booth on the vendor floor on social media and finally had the chance to meet her at Comic Con, where we talked about her role in "Assassin's Creed" and her upcoming BYUtv show, "Extinct." Behold:

Signs of the Times: All right, Victoria. First of all, welcome to Salt Lake City.

Victoria Atkin: “Hello! I’m happy to be here.”

SotT: Have you ever been here before?

VA: “I have. I’ve been here for most of last year.”

SotT: Oh yeah, for filming, huh? Well, we’ll talk about that in a second. Do you like it here?

VA: “I do. I really like it. The people are amazing and the landscape is incredible. Beautiful place.”

SotT: All right. Can you tell me a little bit about your career – stuff you’ve done in the past?

VA: “My career? So I graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama, where Judy Dench and Vanessa Redgrave went to, so I started off in a great school. Then I was on a show called Hollyoaks for a couple of years, as my first job, which was a fun, fun thing to do. And then, from there, I decided to come to America and seek my fame and fortune… and found ‘Assassin’s Creed’ and ‘Extinct,’ found some other shows, and the rest is history, I guess.”

SotT: Awesome. Ok. Well, tell me a little bit about “Assassin’s Creed.” How did you get involved in that? Were you a fan of the games before that, or was that just something that came up?

VA: “Well, I grew up playing video games on my PC, but I actually wasn’t very aware of the franchise, and I didn’t know what I was auditioning for. A lot of the video games are very secretive, and they give you a code name, so I was auditioning, but I didn’t have script from ‘Assassin’s Creed’ or anything like that. They knew that they wanted to have a female Assassin and they wanted to make sure that it was the right person. I did about four or five rounds and ended up in Quebec, and on my last round, they said, ‘This is for Assassin’s Creed,’ so I said, ‘Great! How great!’ I was launched into that and I went to Toronto and filmed for six months on the motion-capture stage.”

SotT: Tell me a little bit about “Extinct.” That comes out in like a week and a half, right?

VA: “I know! Not too long at all, now.  Yeah, it comes out October 1 and it’s going to be free for everybody to watch on the byutv.org website – you can stream it or you can download it on the app, which is free. It’s set 400 years in the future. Human race has been extinct, but they’re bringing them back, and I’m one of the first females to be reborn. Then we discover how to navigate earth without anybody here.”

#SLCC17: A chat with BB-8 puppeteer Brian Herring

When Salt Lake Comic Con 2017 kicked off this past weekend, I had the opportunity to do a couple mini interviews during the press conference on Thursday morning. The first guest I spoke with was Brian Herring, who is one of the most talented puppeteers in the entire world. Instead of starting this post by running through his filmography, I'll let the man speak for himself:

Signs of the Times: Hello, my name is Aaron.

Brian Herring: “Hello, Aaron.”

SotT: Nice to meet you. I just wanted to ask you a few questions. First of all, have you ever been to Utah before?

BH: “No.”

SotT: No? First time. Ok. Any impressions so far?

BH: “I have seen the outside for about an hour, so, at this point, not huge amounts of impressions. The mountains are lovely – lovely view. I’m sure it’s going to be great.”

SotT: Great. Well, we’re happy to have you hear.

BH: “Thank you very much.”

SotT: I was just wondering if you could talk to me about your career a little bit. Was there anything you’ve worked on – anything, like a project or anything, that was memorable or made a big impression on you?

BH: “I’ve been a puppeteer for about 25 years. I became a puppeteer completely by accident. I was a little economic with the truth in an audition for a TV show in the UK in the early ‘90s and, since then, I’ve worked for the Jim Henson Company and I’ve done a lot of stuff on UK TV, I have worked in movies and in film and … I’ve been all over the place, really. I did a little film a couple of years ago called ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’”

SotT: I… think I’ve heard of it.

BH: “Yeah… It found an audience. So, I mean, to do that – because I was seven in ’77 – I was that kid. So, to be involved with that, even slightly, was a big deal, but to end up… I was the puppeteer consultant for the whole movie, and then I wound up as BB-8 – the lead form for BB-8 – so that was just an amazing experience. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

SotT: All right. And you’re currently working on the future Star Wars movies, as well?

BH: “Yes. Yeah.”

SotT: Awesome.

BH: “We’re right in the middle of that, so that’s a lot of fun.”

SotT: All right. Did you have a favorite Star Wars character growing up?

BH: “Chewie. Chewie. Yeah, Chewbacca. So to get to work alongside him was quite a thrill.”

SotT: That’s really cool. Ok. Perfect. Is there anything that you would recommend – like a TV show or a movie that you’re currently watching – that you’d recommend?

BH: “I’m currently really enjoying the third series of ‘Gotham.’ I’m really enjoying that.”

FanX17: That time when I asked Khary Payton for Walking Dead spoilers

One of my favorite interviews from FanX17 was with actor Khary Payton, who is best known for his current role as King Ezekiel on AMC's hit show "The Walking Dead" and for his voice work as Cyborg in the "Teen Titans" animated series.

It was a good-natured and light-hearted chat that Khary and I had for my alotted three minutes, and I knew, if nothing else, that I'd at least have to try to get some "Walking Dead" dirt out of him. I watched about two and a half seasons of the zombie drama but, with the show now in its seventh *rubs eyes* seventh season, I was hoping he'd help catch me up quickly. Here's how that panned out:

Signs of the Times: All right, Khary, tell me this – Ok, I’ve watched a little bit of “The Walking Dead,” but I’m a little bit behind… so I need you to tell me a little bit about your character [King Ezekiel] and convince me to catch up.

Khary Payton: “Convince you to catch up? I’m not gonna convince you to catch up! You catch up if you want to! I’m fine. I’m just fine, man, you know? If you… if you don’t want to watch the show, that’s fine, but there are tigers…”

SotT: All right…

KP: “There are dreadlocks, you know? And there are walking Walkers, and all kinds of human intrigue. You should know this by now!”

SotT: I know, I know…

KP: “You should know this by now!”

SotT: I need more time to watch shows!

KP: “I totally get it. I totally get it.”

SotT: So… do you ever kill anybody on the show?

KP: “[Scoffs] You know, you’re just going to have to tune in. You’re not getting that! You’re not getting the Cliff Notes from me, dude. [Laughs] I’ve been keeping secrets way too long. I can keep them from you! I can keep them from you. But you know what? Fifteen million people can’t be wrong.”

SotT: I got caught up with some other stuff. I need to catch up.

KP: “Exactly! Exactly! These things happen!”

SotT: When did you get into acting? Was that something you always wanted to do?

KP: “Yeah. Since I was a kid, I was dabbling in it. I don’t know. … I got kinda serious about it in high school and decided that I would try to pursue it. I was from a small town in Georgia and everybody said, ‘Ah, Khary, you’re gonna do really great,’ but I didn’t want to be one of those people who goes on ‘American Idol’ and nobody told them they couldn’t sing, you know? So I auditioned for a bunch of theater schools, and I was like, ‘If I can get into these schools, then that means, ok, that I’m not [deceiving] myself and I should try this as a profession. And I got into all of them, took the one that gave me the biggest scholarship and I’ve been studying and following my passion ever since, which is to get to tell a great story."

SotT: All right. Have you ever been to Utah before?

KP: “Yeah, I came here about nine years ago. I shot a really funny, really crass movie called The Legend of Awesomest Maximus. It’s hilarious, but it’s not something you would watch with your mom. It’s like a National Lampoon’s kind of thing – like a spoof of 300 – but yeah, yeah. I was here for a while. I’ve come to find that Salt Lake City [has gotten] new restaurants and new places to go, so explore a little more.”

SotT: Yeah, we’ve got some March Madness going on this weekend. It’s a great weekend to be here. It’s great weather – it’s not snowing.

KP: “Oh yeah! You know what? Great weather tends to follow me around. I was just in London and it was pretty good, too.”

SotT: You have to keep coming back, then.

KP: “That’s what I’m saying. Yeah, exactly. Well, if I want snow, then you’re gonna be in trouble because I want to go up to Park City and get my snow on.”

#FanX17: Amy Gumenick talks about growing up an actress and inspiring youth in the arts

During the Salt Lake Comic Con FanX17 press conference, I got a few minutes to talk to actress Amy Gumenick, who is best known for her roles as Carrie Cutter and Cupid on the superhero drama "Arrow" and Young Mary Winchester on the wildly popular show "Supernatural." During the convention, she appeared alongside Danielle Panabaker of "The Flash" for a special "Arrowverse"-themed panel. Throughout my brief interview, Gumenick shed some light on her decision to start acting and also told me about some other facets of her life. Take a look:

Signs of the Times: Can you just tell me a little bit about your career? Maybe some of your favorite roles and things like that?

Amy Gumenick: “Sure! Favorite roles is such a hard question for me. I feel like…”

SotT: I know, right? It’s like the most horrible question, but I always have to ask it.

AG: “I can pick, like, pieces of every role that would be my favorite. I’m very grateful to have been working consistently for, gosh, going on eight years, which seems impossible. Obviously, the main reason I’m here is because I’m doing ‘Arrow’ and ‘Supernatural.’ I would say that they’re among the favorites. For an interesting reason, I had no idea… ‘Supernatural was one of the first roles I booked; it was right after I graduated college, and I had no idea the incredible fan base I was gaining and joining and, truly, the family that comes along with these shows. That’s something that I cannot possibly put into words – how grateful I am, and they have followed me from project to project and supported me, no matter what, and jumped on board at charity events that I’ve done or planned. It’s really been incredible.”

SotT: Was acting something you always wanted to do since you were young, or was this something that you got into at school?

AG: “Yes! Yeah, you know, I can’t remember a time that I haven’t known that this was what I wanted to do and, perhaps, was meant to be doing, or whatever you believe in. My first kind of tangible memory was when I was 5 and I saw a production of ‘Chicago,’ the musical, and memorized the entire show and informed my parents that I would be Roxie Heart someday, which, as a five-year-old, is probably frightening. Ten years later, when I was 16, I auditioned for a random production of ‘Chicago’ and was cast as Roxie, and so that was sort of my first… the first time I really remember setting an acting goal and accomplishing it. I grew up doing community theater and competitive dance, but my parents were pretty adamant about me having a normal childhood and going to school and all of that. The deal that they made with me as a child was that, if I went to school and completed college and still wanted to act, that they would support me 100 percent – and they absolutely have. So, here I am!”

SotT: Great! Awesome. Do you do a lot of conventions?

AG: “Um, I do some. Not a ton, but a few a year.”

SotT: Ok! Well, we’re glad to have you here. One last question: other than acting, what do you think is your greatest accomplishment?

AG: “Oh man. I work with kids. I teach dance and theater. I feel like I am constantly inspired by them, and to be part of the process of teaching kids… I think their potential and sort of watching them discover who they are and the things that they love and how they can make a difference with their art is really incredible. I think that’s an accomplishment.”

#FanX17: Jennifer Hale discusses her voice-acting career

Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2017 guest Jennifer Hale has been acting and voice-acting for nearly 30 years. Her staggering 348 IMDb credits date back to 1988 and include an impressive blend of television, film and video games. She is perhaps most widely recognized for lending her voice to the female version of Commander Shepard in the "Mass Effect" video game franchise, but has also acted as superheroes (in animated incarnations of "X-Men" and Marvel's Avengers, and as Captain Marvel in "Disney Infinity"), as princesses (she's been Cinderella quite a few times), as characters in "Halo" and "Star Wars" video games and - my personal favorite - as the dimension-hopping scientist Rosalind Lutece in "Bioshock Infinite," to name just a few of her many roles.

Hale brought her proverbial bag of tricks to Salt Lake City last weekend, where she appeared on several panels, including the fan-favorite "Twisted Toonz" panel, which you can watch in its entirety at the bottom of this post. But before all the craziness of the convention began, she appeared at the opening press conference, where I had a chance to chat with her about her career.

SotT: All right, Jennifer, tell me a little bit about your career and, also, have you ever been to Utah before?

JH: “This is my first time to Utah. It’s absolutely beautiful. I love it.”

SotT: It’s good weather this week. You picked a good week to come.

JH: “Oh, my gosh. Completely lucky. I love it. I’m primarily known for cartoons, video games, that kind of thing. I’ve been voice-acting for a long time. I’ve done, I think, around 190 video games now, and a lot of cartoon series. I don’t even know how many, but that’s what I do.”

SotT: What was the first voice that you ever did professionally? Do you remember the first job that you got?

JH: “Yes! The first job I got was at a production house called Babble Studios. It was a commercial… I don’t remember what it was for, but I was [in distinct voice] doing a valley girl, because that’s what I could do at the time…”

[INTERVIEW IS INTERRUPTED BY VOICE OVER PA SYSTEM]

SotT: Do you have a favorite voice or a go-to voice that you always do?

JH: “I don’t have a go-to. I have, like, a million things that I like to do. My favorite thing is to mix it up. [Deepens voice] I like to be everything from a superhero [changes to high-pitched voice] to a psycho! [Laughs]”

SotT: When did you realize that you could do different voices? Was that at a young age or was it when you were a little bit older?

JH: “No, I really didn’t think about it, honestly. I was working in a video production house… [A radio station] asked me to come next door to an audio studio and do a radio commercial, and I … didn’t even know you could get paid for that, and that blew my mind. Then I was fortunate enough, when I moved to L.A., my first job was a cartoon series, and I jumped in and learned from the best!”

SotT: What is one voice that you’ve never done that you’d like to do? Like, a dream role?

JH: “Anything Jess Harnell does. [Laughs]”

SotT: Good answer. Good answer.

A beginner's guide to Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2017

As each Salt Lake Comic Con event approaches, I'm often asked by rookie convention-goers what they should do, where they should go and what they should expect. With Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2017 coming up this weekend, I figured I'd post a few suggestions for anyone to read over, first-timer or otherwise. My hope is that these tips will be informative and useful as you put together your game plan heading into FanX 17.

What should I do before I go?

• Look at the FanX 17 schedule. You can see the programming schedule online by clicking here and you can download the mobile app, which is super helpful for use at the convention by clicking here.
• You may want to get stoked for the convention by watching some movies or TV shows with some of the celebrity guests. My top personal suggestions for any last-minute entertainment cramming would be "The Princess Bride," and a few greatest-hits episodes of "Psych" and "Chuck."
• Follow Salt Lake Comic Con on social media. Their Facebook page is typically the main point of contact but you can also get live updates on Twitter (which I'll be helping manage again during the convention this weekend) and fun (occasionally behind-the-scenes) pictures and videos on Instagram and Snapchat. Be sure to use the hashtag #FanX17 during the convention to help us go viral!

How should I plan ahead?

• This is something I wish I would have done better for my very first convention back in 2013. I didn't really know what to expect, so I didn't make a plan. As I mentioned, be sure to check the schedule beforehand and have the mobile app handy for any on-the-fly adjustments.
• I would recommend that you use the mobile app to create a schedule for yourself. You can even set timers throughout the day to remind you about upcoming panels or events that you're interested in, which is very handy.
• Have a back-up plan. Sadly, there is so much fun stuff going on during the event that you might not be able to make it to everything you had your eye on. It's sometimes tricky to get from one side of the Salt Palace to the other before the panel fills up, so you may occasionally miss out on some things. Have a back-up plan or two, just in case. You may have to prioritize along the way, but having multiple options means you'll never be left with nothing to do.
• Transportation: I have typically driven downtown for most of the conventions, but parking is as expensive as all get out, so if you're taking your car, be prepared to pay - especially since the NCAA basketball tournament is in Salt Lake City this weekend, as well. Parking is going to be crazy. TRAX is a great option; it's inexpensive and drops you off about two blocks away from the convention center. TRAX is going to be packed all weekend, though, so I hope you're not afraid of germs.

Do I have to dress up?

• No, of course not. For my first convention, I went in thinking, "I'm not going to dress up like those losers!" Come to find out, I was the loser because dressing up is a totally normal, acceptable, popular thing to do. I confess that I now have a couple costumes that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't worked for Comic Con - and dressing up is pretty fun - but don't feel like you can only go if you're in costume. Such is not the case. A nerdy t-shirt would suffice or you can be a nerd like me and wear a polo shirt or button-up, as is expected for me as a member of the staff.

What should I bring?

• Money. Everybody accepts cash, so I usually bring a little bit (read: too much), but there seem to be more and vendors that accept credit/debit cards, so don't feel obligated to bust out the Benjamins.
• Snacks. Bringing a few things to munch on will end up saving you lots of money. Food is available on-site, but meals ain't cheap at these conventions. The Salt Palace is usually pretty lax if you bring in some granola bars, fruit snacks, salted peanuts and a water bottle, but don't try to sneak in Cafe Rio or anything. Use common sense.
• A back-up battery for your phone. I'm not sure how I ever lived without one. I'll also be bringing a wall charger to use from time to time since it'll be my job to be on my phone all weekend, but for you good people, a pocket-sized charger to leave in your purse or backpack should do the trick.

Where should I go once I get there?

• Check out the vendor floor. You'll find a ton of awesome merchandise and memorabilia on the floor, from paintings to clothing and everything in between. Whether you're window shopping, adding to your art collection or discovering new toys, there's basically something for everyone.
• Points of interest: I'd recommend grabbing some free photo ops with the many Features around the floor, watching ambidextrous Rob Prior do a live painting and, if you're taking children with you, stopping by the KidCon area.
• Hit up some of the smaller panels. During my first convention, I spent most of the time attending smaller panels. These, typically, will consist of a panel of local experts discussing (or occasionally arguing) about any number of topics. A few conventions back, I was on a panel about the TV show "LOST," which was a blast (read the full transcript of that panel here). You also can't go wrong with a good, old-fashioned "Marvel vs DC" comics debate or a nostalgia panel about Disneyland or the Harry Potter series.
• Brave the lines and check out the celebrity panels in the Grand Ballroom. It's sometimes a chore to stand in line (pre-Comic-Con-employment, I think my brother Cody and I waited in line for almost an hour and a half to see Stan Lee the first time he came), but being in the same room as some of the biggest stars in Hollywood and on television is a lot of fun. The panels are largely interactive and provide a lot of insight into the personal lives of the stars. I've really come to admire and respect some of the guests that have come to comic con and FanX over the last four years, including some of my all-time favorites, like Christopher Lloyd, Henry Winkler, original cast members of "The A-Team," pro wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and John Cena, the legendary Mark Hamill and many, many more.
• Pro tip: Once you're in the Ballroom, you can stay in the Ballroom. At first, I kind of hated that concept, but it is nice that they don't completely empty the room in between panels. That will save you from having to stand in line multiple times. Try to plan out blocks of time where you can stay in the Ballroom for several panels in a row.

Which celebrity panels should I see?

With more than 30 major celebrity guests appearing at FanX 17, you've got plenty of options, but here are my top picks for this weekend:

• Stan Lee, comicbook creator, best known for being the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics
• This is slated to be Marvel big wig Stan Lee's final appearance at a Salt Lake Comic Con event. Aside from the fact that he's already come here twice, sitting in the presence of the King of Comics is a really cool experience. If you haven't seen one of his panels before, you've got to go this time.
• Note: He cancelled a comic con appearance in New York last weekend, due to health concerns, so here's hoping that he'll be feeling well enough to come out to FanX.
• Zachary Levi, best known for "Chuck," "Tangled"
• This was my favorite guest announcement of the convention. Levi is a "dream guest" of mine because of his starring role as Chuck Bartowski in the nerd-spy series "Chuck." Levi co-founded a pop culture convention called Nerd HQ, so he knows how to work a panel. It's not often that he travels out to be in other conventions these days, so I think seeing him in person is an absolute must. Levi is also known for his work as the voice of Flynn Rider in "Tangled," and for his role in the NBC reboot "Heroes Reborn."
• Carey Elwes and "The Princess Bride" reunion
• When Cary Elwes made his first appearance at a Salt Lake Comic Con event, I was surprised - shocked - at how good his panel was. That experience alone is enough to make this panel a must-see at FanX 17. Elwes worked the crowd like a rock star and was even so popular that he convinced the programmers to give him an encore later on that weekend. He's genuine, kind and funny, and seeing him on stage with the Sicilian (Wallace Shawn) and Humperdink (Chris Sarandon) should be a lot of fun.
• James Roday and Dulé Hill, best known for "Psych"
• I've only seen a couple episodes of "Psych," but I know my sister Amy loves these guys. If their chemistry during their panel is anything like their characters on the show, this should be a pretty entertaining hour.
• "Twisted Toonz" voice actors panel
• The "Twisted Toonz" panel quickly became a Salt Lake Comic Con favorite since being introduced a couple conventions back. The beloved "Animaniacs" voice actor Jess Harnell is back with a new gang of friends this convention, and the rumor is that they'll be reading the script of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," which, in my opinion is a great choice, considering that the live-action remake of the animated classic comes out this weekend, as well. For those unfamiliar with this panel, Harnell and a handful of other talented voice actors will take the stage and read well-known scripts in the voices of animated characters. For instance, they've done a couple of the "Harry Potter" movies the past few times, which have been a riot. (See them read "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" at SLCC 16 by clicking here.)
• This is one of the most popular panels each convention. You'll want to make sure you get there early.
• SLEEPER PICK: "Weird Al" Yankovic
• This is my sleeper pick, people. This is my pick to be the unexpected hit of FanX 17. "Weird Al" is a crazy, crazy dude. He's never been here and who knows what he'll do? I have no idea, but I bet it involves an accordion. Take my word for it. It's an educated guess, but I bet I'm right. "Weird Al" is going to blow the roof off the joint.

Can I get a photo op with A-Town?

• Absolutely, yes. If you're at the Salt Palace, let me know. I'll be a bit busy running around and tweeting like crazy, but I'd love to see you and take a quick picture. Fifty dollars.

Do you have any other questions? Do you have any advice of your own for comic con-goers? Let me know in the comments section below. Let me simply end by saying this: if you haven't gone before, come check it out. I've never in my entire life heard anyone say, "I hated it." You'll either go, have a surprisingly good time and decide that it's maybe just not the thing for you, or - you never know - you may go and have the time of your life! It's worth a shot, in my opinion. Tickets are still available online at saltlakecomicon.com, so don't delay and get your tickets now! See you at FanX 2017!

Unpopular Opinion: 2016 actually didn't suck

You can't escape the negativity these days. It's all over Facebook, moreso than on Twitter lately - although I did get my first-ever death threats this year, over something that I ended up being right about, which is hilarious - and, quite often, getting online is super depressing. Everybody has an ax to grind, a fight to pick and a reason to complain. People are still upset about the election results, Latter-day Saints are losing their faith over the Mormon Tabernacle Choir accepting an invitation to perform at the Inauguration, cop-killing has become a viable outlet for frustration, we're protesting everything (remember when that guy started a petition to shut down Rotten Tomatoes??) and the nerds won't stop blaming 2016 - the year - for killing their favorite celebrities. As if it has a mind of its own. As if it decides who lives and who dies. They're clamoring for 2017 to hurry up and arrive so famous people will stop passing away. (Sorry, kids, but it's not like people will magically stop dying on January 1.) I've seen people on Facebook making ridiculous statements like "Let's never do 2016 again." (News flash: that's literally impossible.) The culmination of it all is driving me nuts.

2016 is the angriest year I can ever remember. We are constantly looking for others to blame for our problems. This leads to a whole lot of arguing and a whole lot of unhappiness. Many times, I think it's like we are looking for reasons to get mad. This generation (my generation) has the thinnest skin in the history of the world, and when we've run out of reasons to be offended for ourselves, we go so far as to look for reasons to get offended for others. (For example, white people becoming outraged over the name of the Washington Redskins or straight non-Mormons trashing the Church for its so-called "policy change" a while back.)

I'm trying to think which would be a better slogan to sum up what happened this year: "2016: Protest everything!" or "2016: The butt-hurt was real." I'm open to suggestions.

But, of course, I can't post any of this on social media because it's 2016, the year in which my opinion and most of the things I believe became wrong. You read that right. My opinion is wrong.

Uh, ok.

Back when I used to blog all the time -- I can't imagine writing a weekly, un-fact-checked, non-P.C. opinion blog these days - I'd get crucified -- I used to have people vote for the best Signs of the Times in that particular year. In 2016, I realized that A) nobody really reads my blog anymore (thus the lack of posting) and B) nobody really cares what I'm doing in life, so I've decided to scour my Facebook and Instagram posts and determine 2016's best moments myself.

As far as I can see, I'm in the vast minority here - call it optimism, call it stupidity - or maybe I'm just wrong again, but I actually think 2016 was a pretty good year. A pretty awesome year, in fact. I'm not going to make you do anything, but I think it might be good for you, if you haven't already, to take a few minutes and think back about all the good things that happened to you this year. It certainly made me feel better about life. It has helped me realized that I'm doing ok and that a lot of the crazy stuff going on in the world usually has no direct impact on me, personally. (R.I.P. Carrie Fisher, for sure, but, no offense, her death does not truly affect my life whatsoever.)

In chronological order, here is a list of good things that happened to me in 2016:

1. I got a new nephew, #MegaMax, and he is the cutest little Charlie Brown doppelganger you'll ever see. Max is awesome!
2. I got to work for Salt Lake Comic Con for FanX 2016 and met some cool celebrities, like LeVar Burton, Jason Isaacs, Dean Cain and Jeremy Renner!
3. My sister, Amy, got married to Cole Morgan! Cole is an awesome guy and we're so glad to have him in the family.
4. Austin and I got laid off from Allstate. That pretty much sucked because being laid off is never fun, but I basically got two months of paid vacation, so that was fun.
5. Whilst unemployed, I took my first spontaneous road trip and drove to San Diego with Austin, Lex and Max! We did some fun things down there, including going to a Padres game, where they beat the Yankees on a walk-off home run. We met up with my Uncle Ryan during the game, which was cool, and Austin and I bumped into Yankees manager Joe Girardi outside the stadium.
6. I also go to help the Comic Con social media team for Salt Lake Comic Con 2016, where I met WWE legend John Cena! (My Halloween costume this year was spot on, too, by the way.)
7. I saw some great concerts this year, including Chicago, one of my all-time favorite classic rock bands. Coincidentally, it was one of the worst dates I've been on in years, but I had a great time, regardless of how bored she was. Her loss.
8. Check this one off the bucket list: I finally saw my absolute favorite band in concert - WEEZER! It was everything I hoped it would be, and it was the first concert I can remember where I actually knew all the songs that were played. I had a great time with Amy, Cole, Cody and my friend Laura.
9. I got a chance to go back and work for the Deseret News again in August! I had a great experience and was able to write some great articles and do some good interviews. They didn't choose to hire me full-time, but, if I'm being honest, I knew they wouldn't. Their loss. I got a different job in September and I'm doing just fine.
10. My mom let Cody and me bum along on her business trip to Baltimore. In a week-long trip, we toured Baltimore, Washington D.C. and even spent a day in Philadelphia. It was one of the greatest trips I have ever gone on, and I totally fell in love with National Harbor, Maryland. Look at that sunset!
11. While on the east coast, I went to Major League Baseball games in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., seeing the Orioles and Nationals play on back-to-back nights. We also took tours of the Orioles, Nationals and Philadelphia Eagles' stadiums, which was a lot of fun. Best of all, I got to meet the Racing Presidents before the Nationals game! It was a dream come true!
12. My family finally moved out of their rental house in Sandy. We had some great memories in that place, but we're sure glad they were in a position to get out. They're in a nice, brand new house in Bluffdale now and that has been a real blessing for us.
13. But that new house was out to get me! I took a tumble on their hardwood floor on Halloween night, partially dislocating my kneecap and straining some of the muscles in my left leg. Thankfully, with the help of a knee brace, some compression pants and some self-imposed physical therapy, I'm feeling a lot better now. Not 100% yet, but I'm getting there.
14. I turned 30! Oh, gosh, I'm old.
15. I'm still not married, but I did make some good friends this year, including the guys in the Union YSA elders quorum presidency. The four of us chipped in to buy a photo shoot during a service auction and I think the pictures turned out great. Additionally, one of my favorite things from 2016 was the creation of Men's Night, which started out as an idea to get all my brothers and brother-in-law together to go see Batman v Superman, but morphed in to an almost-monthly tradition of going out with my friends (and sometimes even my sister, sisters-in-law and other various female friends) to see action movies. This year, we saw BvS, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Apocalypse, Suicide Squad, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and Assassin's Creed, and had a great time. I can't wait to continue this tradition next year.
16. I got to spend Christmas with my family! I love the holidays and it was a lot of fun having everyone together for the weekend.

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There's my year in review! What are some of the best things that happened to you in 2016? Feel free to comment, if you feel so inclined.

I know it's easy to focus on the negative, to dwell on everything bad that happens and to complain about everything. I do it quite often, myself. Bad things happen to everyone. I've tried hard these past 12 months to make a conscious effort to look for things that are going well in my life. For things that make me happy and for the many blessings I receive on a daily basis. I'm even thankful for you, whoever you are, for actually reading this post. But, more than that, I'm eternally grateful to God, who has blessed me with an amazing family, some really good friends and a lot of great opportunities in my life, even in 2016, that dreaded year that so many people are calling the "worst year ever." Good things are happening each day. It's up to us to find them.

Here's to a happier, kinder and even better new year in 2017! Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.

Happy New Year,

Aaron

#SLCC16: WWE superstar John Cena discusses his career at Salt Lake Comic Con

The following is a transcription of John Cena's Q&A panel at Salt Lake Comic Con 2016. After the transcription, I have included my personal thoughts about Mr. Cena, including a couple behind-the-scenes stories praising his character. Enjoy!

***

Moderator Jay Whittaker: What’s up, everybody? How are you all doing? You already know this man ­– who’s this man right here?

Audience: JOHN CENA!

Whittaker: John, what’s going on, man? How are you doing? Take a seat.

John Cena: Thank you, guys. This is rather overwhelming. I’d like to thank Salt Lake Comic Con for having me here today. Of course, I’d like to thank you all for coming out to Salt Lake Comic Con, because without you, this is just an empty, big room, so thank you for the energy – all of this. It’s amazing. I don’t always get to do this sort of thing. I think what could be special about today and what’s special about this experience, especially for you people who are coming here today, is that you get some candid time with me. It is very rare that I can do candid situations like this. I will do my best to answer absolutely any question you may have. It’s an honor to be here. It’s even more of a privilege to be able to speak to you guys. I have 45 minutes and 15 seconds, and I would like you to get the most of your experience, so, without further ado, I don’t want to waste any of your time. If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to give you guys answers.

QUESTION: A fan asks what Cena’s favorite match is.

Cena: That’s a great question. I get asked that a lot, and my answer is always the same. My favorite match is always my next one.

Whittaker: Yes! Yes!

QUESTION: A fan asks, “What is your favorite meme of yourself?” (Audience laughs and cheers)

Cena: I guess the meme… it’s a picture of me, and it says, “No more John Cena memes, please.” I kid. I kid. I don’t quite understand the whole thing. I’m truly thankful and grateful that the internet has made me the butt of all these jokes, so… Thank you, internet, yet again!

QUESTION: A fan asks why Cena dropped his wristband at the end of his Summerslam 2016 match with AJ Styles.

Whittaker: Shots fired! Shots fired!

Cena: That’s a very good question. That has a…

Fan: A-J STY-LES! (Other fans begin to boo and chant for Cena)

Cena: That’s all right, that’s all right, that’s all right. Trust me, I’ve been called much worse than “AJ Styles.” (Audience laughs) That actually has a lot of significance, and was a very important piece of symbolism. Unfortunately, right now it’s just for me, and you’re going to have to wait to find out what it actually means.

QUESTION: A young fan asks how it feels to defeat another champion.

Cena: How does it feel to defeat another champion? Well, when you do that, you actually win a championship, so it’s really nice, unless it’s that weird red belt that they just debuted that not a lot of people like. (Audience laughs and claps) I kid! I kid! The red belt would be nice. But no, it always feels good to defeat another champion because that means you win the championship!

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena to try on his replica belt to show the fans that he is looking forward to being a 13-time world champion.

Cena: Well, that is a great request, but it comes with a bit of sacrilege because, if I were to try that on, I would say that I’m going to become a sixteen-time champion…

Whittaker: Yeah, see? Get your stats. Gotta know your stats. (Audience laughs)

Cena: …and that record is held in fairly high regard by people from the Nature Boy Ric Flair.

Audience: WOOO!

Cena: So, until that moment happens – if it actually happens – I’ll wait and save that significance for that moment.

QUESTION: A fan says Cena is one of her favorite memes and asks what his favorite meme is and why.

Cena: I saw a Dave Chappelle one, where he’s… there was this skit where he’s a junkie and he’s got, like, drugs all over his face… (Audience laughs) …and he’s looking up and the caption is, “Y’all got any dank memes?” (Audience laughs) That’s my favorite one.

QUESTION: A fan asks what Cena’s superpower of choice would be.

Cena: Well, I’ve mastered the power of invisibility, so… (Audience cheers) So there’s that. That’s a great question. I think I would want to find some sort of teleportation device so I could be more places at once and do more things. So, there’s a lot of good going on and I’m involved in a lot of good, but a lot of that time is taken up just trying to get from one place to the next, so if I could teleport, that would be awesome.

Whittaker: John, I’ve got a follow-up question for that: are we ever gonna – you clearly fit the part – are you gonna suit up with Marvel or DC? (Audience cheers) I mean… it needs to happen! (Audience cheers louder) Marvel, cut the check! DC, cut the check! Please!

Cena: So, we’ve got Hype Man over there… Apparently, although I would certainly love to be a part of an animate-franchise-brought-to-life, apparently those places can’t see me yet, so… We’ll see. We’ll see.

QUESTION: A fan asks how Cena feels about the current tag team championship on Smackdown.

Cena: The tag team championship tournament on Smackdown? I think it’s a wonderful opportunity. That one tournament kind of encompasses what we’re doing in the WWE right now; we’re doing the “New Era,” and I think it’s a fantastic thing. You see a lot of new tag teams – and a lot of veterans tag teams: Rhyno and Heath Slater; the Headbangers came back last week, after a 16-year hiatus… but it gives opportunity to a lot of new teams, and that’s what the New Era is about: opportunity for individuals to go out and show that they can be superstars, so I am all for the tag team championship on Smackdown.

QUESTION: A fan thanks Cena for inspiring him and his friends to get out and lift weights (Cena: “Appreciate it. Thanks, man!”) He goes on to ask Cena how he, as a person, differs from the “John Cena” character on TV every week.

Cena: Now, I mean… I woke up in this [outfit], I went to sleep in this, I took a shower in this, so it’s kind of me… The weird thing about me, and I think this is what’s developed such a reaction, whether positive or negative, whether you hear people cheer for John Cena or shout out “AJ Styles,” is because, over the years, I’ve been (a fan yells something out) on television… There is not an AJ Styles fan over there; that’s ok… Over the years that I’ve been on television… I’ve been on TV a lot, like, it’s been 15 years, every week – sometimes twice a week, sometimes pay-per-views on Sundays, so, unless your character is authentic, it’s not believable. When I started, I was able to use hip-hop as a vehicle to identify with all of you guys, but that was only a part of me – and a very small part of me - and a very true part of me, but a very small part. And nowadays, you kind of just get me and who I am, and I think that’s why people are driven in such a strong direction, whether they really like me or they really hate me, there’s not a person that’s been like, “Eh…” (Audience laughs) …because they get me, and I’m not afraid to be me. A lot of young superstars so badly want to showcase their technical ability, but they are afraid to be identifiable with the audience. I’ve had moments of success, of failure, of excitement, of humility, and I share them all with all of you guys, and I think that’s what makes the connection very special – it’s because, when it comes to me, yeah, I do have a bright-colored shirt, I change my hat up about every six months, but you get me, and it’s extremely close to who I am as a real person. (Audience cheers and one fan yells, “Thank you!”)

Whittaker: That was my favorite question so far.

Cena: Oh, thank you!

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena at what point in his life he chose this career.

Cena: The very first time someone said that it was a possibility. I remember graduating from college and not knowing what I was going to do with my life. I moved out to the west coast, just to spite my father, who said I wouldn’t make it more than two weeks in California before I had my tail between my legs, dragging back home to Massachusetts. And it’s weird because I don’t know if he was a genius or just (pardon my French) a dick, because when he said, “You won’t make it two weeks,” the first thing I did was said, “All right, man. Whatever. I’m out of here.” But he probably said that so I would go and stay and try to do the best I could to make something of myself, so while I was out there, literally doing nothing, just holding on to a dead-end job, a friend of mine said that we always used to talk about [WWF] RAW and [WCW] Nitro and he said, “Man, you always talk about this and you’re built for it – would you ever consider trying to be a wrestler?” And I didn’t know, back in the days, it wasn’t very publicized… “Back in my day…” it wasn’t very publicized how you could be a wrestler, and this was the first invite I had ever seen to something like that, so I said yes, and as soon as I saw a physical ring that I was allowed to step through to get my feet into, I knew right then that either I would make it a hobby – that I would work my whole life to support my hobby – or I would make it my career.

QUESTION: A fan asks what Cena’s most memorable match was.

Cena: Well, you know, when it comes down to being “most memorable,” I kind of leave it in the hands of people like you. I think a lot of people remember the few matches that I had with The Rock... (Audience cheers) …because those were on a really, really big platform. I know that some of the matches I had with C.M. Punk are quite memorable. (Audience cheers) There was a Summerslam match with Daniel Bryan that was extremely memorable. (More cheering) And, [heck,] I’d like to think the match I just had with AJ Styles was pretty decent. (Audience cheers again) I always look forward. The WWE moves so very fast, and its fan base demands new and it demands next. So I don’t really sit back and look at the matches I’ve done; I look more towards what I can do and what I’m going to do. So, if you ask me, the answer is the same: I look forward to what I’m going to do. But I think, judging by some of the responses, those were three or four matches that were pretty good for the time.

QUESTION: A fan tells Cena that his work with Make-a-Wish has been inspirational to her. She asks what his favorite Wish that he has granted was.

Cena: You know, being able to meet so many families and be a part of so many great moments. Just being at the finish line of the Wish. I think WWE is a perfect vehicle for Make-a-Wish because the Wish family gets the entire experience. A lot of times with Wishes, when you meet, let’s say, a pro athlete or an actor – and not to take anything away from them – but sometimes it’s in a setting where it’s not game day or where there isn’t a show. With us, they get to meet John Cena – and not the John Cena that’s in a suit and tie, like this John Cena, but the Monday Night Raw, the Smackdown Live John Cena, and they get to meet me at the event, and they get to be swamped with all the latest gear and sit as close to the ring as possible and enjoy the whole scope of everything and meet so many other people that it doesn’t just become a handshake and a conversation; it becomes an experience, and the whole experience is designed to provide an escape and provide hope. So, the favorite Wish and favorite part about a Wish is making it happen. Thank you to anyone out there that’s ever done anything with Make-a-Wish because the miles that are donated, the monies that are raised, the volunteer hours that are given… I am at the end of all of that and I see it and it’s lovely and it works awesome, so thank you.

QUESTION: A fan asks about Cena’s acting career and what it was like to act with LeBron James in “Trainwreck.”

Cena: You’ve… You’ve seen those movies, right? And you still call me an actor? (Audience laughs) (Whittaker laughs exaggeratedly) Well, thank you very much, sir. I appreciate that. I didn’t get to work a ton with LeBron because we were on different schedules, but I not only thought that “Trainwreck” was hysterical – it had a cast of extremely funny people being funny – I also think what was great about it was it gave a few people that you would never expect a chance to be funny: myself, LeBron… It was really cool to see the whole movie be a tremendous laugh the whole way through. [Director] Judd Apatow is a genius for a reason. He seems to find people that are ok with letting loose and just kind of going for it and will do anything for a laugh, so it was a pleasure to be a part of. I didn’t get to do much with LeBron, but I certainly had a lot of fun.

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena about speaking Mandarin Chinese and what he had to do to prepare for being the WWE’s ambassador to China.

Cena: I didn’t. I did nothing that I didn’t want to. I went to Shanghai in 2010 and saw the enormity of the city and the entertainment that WWE brings around the world, and China was the last place that we were not. And I began to ask questions of “Why?” And the first thing was that the culture does not relate to our product, and I figured that, maybe, if one of the superstars spoke the language that there would be a better connection, and we are about to head back there next week for our first live event on September 10 in Shanghai in Mercedes Benz Arena.

Whittaker: That’s awesome! (Audience applauds)

Cena: But I basically… whatever little time I had off, I studied Mandarin and I’ve been doing that for about three and a half years, now. Thank you to the WWE because they offer second-language programs free to all superstars, so I actually think that I’m the only one that takes advantage of it! (Audience laughs) And I learned to speak a second language free, so that’s pretty good.

Whittaker: What other languages are you interested in speaking?

Cena: (Responds in Chinese) Right now, I just speak Chinese.

QUESTION: A young fan asks if Cena would “ever verse Roman Reigns” again.

Cena: Would I ever verse Roman Reigns? I would love to, and this – what I’m about to say next – is probably going to get a little bit of mixed reaction in here. I would love to because I believe Roman Reigns is a pivotal piece of the future of the WWE. Would I ever verse him again? Heck yes, because if I get to verse him again, that’s because I did really good the first time.

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena which movie was his favorite to act in.

Cena: I dug “Trainwreck” a lot because they just kind of let me (whistles). (Audience laughs) Uh, maybe, looking back on it, might have shown a little too much of myself…  (Audience laughs) …but, uh… Can’t take that one back.

Whittaker: I think the ladies disagree. (Women cheer)

Cena: It was fun because the crew… (Fan shouts a dirty “Trainwreck” reference and audience laughs) (Cena takes a drink of water and audience laughs)

Whittaker: Just sip water when it gets awkward.

Cena: The crew was filled with funny people, and this was my first time doing something like that, and they could have been really stand-offish, but they were all so awesome, and the director was so awesome, and they were encouraging me to, like, “No, don’t worry about if you say something and it’s not funny. Just go with it.” And it made for some really cool, funny moments, and every day I stepped foot on that set, I just laughed myself silly, so when you can go to work and laugh all day, then clock out, it’s not really work, so it’s fun.

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena what his favorite wrestling move to do on people is. (Fans begin to shout names of moves)

Whittaker, nervously: You don’t need to demonstrate at all, because… (Fans begin cheering loudly) Hey! Hey! Hey!

Cena: No, it’s ok. It’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right.

Whittaker: I got Obamacare, ok? The coverage is… decent.

Cena: Well, believe it or not, of all the things that I do, I take the most pride in being invisible – and I’ll tell you why. Two reasons: because people have actually believed, now, that they can’t see me. (A fan yells something) It’s like that… person over there… And because it started out as a joke. My little brother dared me that I wouldn’t do it on television, and I said, “I’m your big brother, so not only am I going to do it on television, but you’re going to like it, too. So whenever I go like this (Cena demonstrates his signature taunt by waving his hand in front of his face), that’s probably my favorite thing to do.

QUESTION: A young fan asks, “How did you win the Big Show?”

Cena: Well, I believe, you know, in life, me winning the Big Show is me just being a better person than he is. (Audience laughs) I kid. I totally kid. I totally kid. How did I pick him up? I will tell you that I couldn’t have done that without the electricity of the WWE audience. Because, although he is big, he also carries a certain odor about him (Audience laughs), and when you get too close, man, it’s like adding an extra 150 pounds to human weight! But when everybody’s excited and everybody makes a lot of noise, amazing things happen and, all kidding aside, Paul Wight, the Big Show, has been instrumental in my success because – this is a little bit deep down the rabbit hole, young man – but way back at Wrestlemania 20, a lot of people always think that I was, like, the “privileged one,” and, like, “Hey, he’s John Cena! He can do whatever he wants.” There was a large opposition towards me, who I was, what I stood for, and Paul Wight, in his very big and gentle-giant ways, stepped up and said, “No, this young man has something and I will prove it,” and had the guts to step out on there in the middle of Madison Square Garden at Wrestlemania 20 and give me a moment that I will never forget. So, there wouldn’t really be me without people like the Big Show, and I am forever indebted to him – as much as I make fun of him…

Whittaker: How much does he weigh? Seriously, how much does he weigh?

Cena: It depends on when you ask him. Right now, probably… (jokingly coughs) 500-plus…

Whittaker: I see your Instagrams – you squatting like 600-plus…

Cena: He’s the reason I have to do all of that!

QUESTION: A young fan asks what Cena’s favorite movie is.

Cena: What is my favorite movie? That’s a good question. You know what? I just saw the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” last night.

Whittaker: Rest in peace.

Cena: And I forgot how good a movie that was. One of my favorite movies of all times – something you can’t see for at least another two and a half years – is “Blazing Saddles.”

Whittaker: Oh yeah. (Audience cheers)

Cena: Trust me, like 80 years from now, you’ll think it’s funny – because it’s always funny. And I think, in the realm of movies – and this may also stir up a lot of controversy – I like the entire package of “Star Wars.” (Audience cheers loudly) This is really going to jab some people, but I like One all the way through the end because the movie is the most fantastic setting of the story I try to tell every day – the struggle of good versus evil – so I think they did a wonderful job in “Star Wars” and I think that is a movie that I try to represents what I try to do on a daily basis.

QUESTION: A fan asks if Cena is a fan of any other forms of martial arts, other than wrestling.

Cena: That’s a great question, and… and not really – and I’ll tell you why – because I understand the discipline and the technique. I’m certainly appreciative, especially of the self-defense that martial arts provides to an individual, but WWE is about the entertainment. WWE is about giving you, the ticket-buyer, the most for your money. WWE is about creating an experience where you can walk into an arena and sit down – and I hopethat you only sit down for a second because the rest of the show you’re on your feet, either cheering or booing those you love or those you hate. It is a whimsical, imaginative society that we all kind of share and enjoy, and martial arts is very literal. It is very athletic. Although it does have mental and spiritual disciplines, it is showcased in the form of just pure exhibition, where we are more apt to be showmen and showpeople – and I think that is fantastic because I’m really just an imaginative kid, at heart.

QUESTION: A young fan asks what Cena’s favorite colored shirt is.

Cena: Well, you know…

Whittaker: I love her.

Cena: Favorite colored shirt, right now, it would probably be something olive with a pink French bulldog on the front. [Note: Because of the way he described it, this may have been referring to the shirt the young girl was wearing, although I cannot be certain.] It’s a very nice shirt. It reminds me of a very adorable French bulldog that is waiting for my lovely lady in Arizona called Winston. Second, of course, anything black with red, white and blue.

QUESTION: A fan asks, when AJ Styles presumably defeats Dean Ambrose for the current WWE championship, whether Cena would be the one to take the title from Styles.

Whittaker: Say yes. Say yes, please.

Cena: Here we are, trying to trumpet in a new era, and you want me to go back and vie myself for the championship yet again.

Whittaker: Say yes. Say yes.

Cena: Here’s a weird fact: I don’t think I’ve had a championship opportunity for a year and some-odd something! I don’t know. I don’t know. What I like about that question is the names you put aside from me in that conversation: Dean Ambrose as champion, AJ Styles as challenger – two guys who have worked their butts off to get to where they’re at and are relatively new names in the WWE – and, if we are to have a strong future as a company, we need the new superstars to step up and excel. And I, having been in there with both Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles, I will say that Dean Ambrose has his work cut out for him because AJ Styles is pretty […] good.

QUESTION: A fan jokes(?) that his mother is blind, so she actually cannot see John Cena. (Audience nervously laughs) (Whittaker: That’s solid. That’s solid.) (Cena takes another drink of water) The fan goes on to ask whether Cena ever thought about joining the military.

Cena: I did. I told a story about how I got into sports entertainment, and I was literally on the cusp of enlisting for the United States Marine Corps… (Audience cheers) I had taken an exam to be a California Highway Patrolman and failed miserably. So the cops didn’t want me and I figured the Marine Corps would take me, but, literally, the weekend that I was contemplating my decision was the first time that I stepped in the ring. So, now that I’ve garnered success in sports entertainment, because I’ve always had a passion for the military and what it stands for, I always do what I can and give back and give those men and women the respect that they deserve. (Audience cheers)

QUESTION: A fan asks who the most difficult person to wrestle is.

Cena: Without a doubt, Brock Lesnar. (Audience nervously laughs) Without a doubt. Every single second you stand in the ring with Brock Lesnar, you are, essentially, earning everything you are ever given. He is the most gifted, athletic individual I have ever been able to be associated with.

QUESTION: A fan asks, “What is your favorite part of being you?” (Cena and Whittaker laugh)

Cena: Man, that’s, like… deep. (Fans laugh and one fan chants, “NIK-KI BEL-LA!”) (Cena laughs and takes another drink) (Whittaker: We’ll get to that!) I have great perspective that anyone could be chosen for my position – that I am where I am out of hard work, but also out of a lot of luck and a lot of opportunity, and I have great appreciation for that. What’s the best part about being me? …is that I am lucky enough to do what I love for work and call it “work.” I love… Like, I… this is going to sound weird, but I love life because I’m sitting here, talking to you guys about life – about really deep, personal issues – and about what we’re doing in WWE and movies and all of that stuff, and it’s fun. And then, when I’m at a WWE event, I get to race down that ramp and be a superhero, and that’s fun. And then, when I get to go on screen, I get to tell R-rated jokes, and that’s fun. So, the best part about me is to be able to appreciate the fact that I can do what I love and actually call it “work.”

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena how he likes to be in the ring.

Cena: How do I like to be in the ring? It’s where I feel most comfortable. It’s where I feel the most at home. I’ve had a lot of circumstances happen in that ring that not a lot of other superstars have, and I still always keep a smile on my face because it is truly where I belong and it is where I feel the most at home.

QUESTION: A fan in an inflatable muscle suit steps to the microphone. (Cena: I see you’ve been working out.) The fan asks what encourages Cena to do so much charity work, giving back to his fans.

Cena: It’s not an obligation. It’s not like I feel I have to. I do it because I want to, and I think, once you reach a level of success in any field, you feel like you want to try to give back. I’ve found a wonderful home in Make-a-Wish, where we can make some amazing things happen and, if you talk to a different celebrity or somebody who’s had success in their life, they may give you a different charity and say, “No, this charity is fantastic!” I just love what we do for Make-a-Wish, I love what I’m able to do for the Armed Forces, and I don’t do it because I feel obligated; I do it because I want to, so it’s easy to make the time.

QUESTION: A fan says that Cena’s rap album came on Pandora the other day. (Cena, nervously: Oh, boy.) (Fan: Bars! My boy got bars!) The fan asks whether fans can expect another album soon. (Audience cheers)

Cena: Every one of you who just cheered obviously did not listen to the first one. Those who were quiet probably bought the first one, and for that, I’m sorry. Hip-hop… I’m a huge fan of hip-hop. I really am. Hip-hop still pumps through my heart. But it is a music of the youth. It truly is. It is a rebellious form of art and it is music of the youth. And if I did it today, it would be… it would be real weird. It would be like me standing up here in wristbands and a ball cap and a t-shirt… That would be real weird. (Audience laughs) No, there probably won’t be another album.

QUESTION: A fan asks who some of Cena’s favorite rappers are.

Cena: So, if you’re under 35, this is going to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher. (Cena mimics the cartoon teacher’s “Wah-wah” style of speaking) (Audience laughs) Brand Nubian; Nas; (Audience cheers, covering some of Cena’s talking) … Jay-Z is fantastic; Eminem is probably the one name you guys know; Black Moon; Black Sheep; Smif-N-Wessun; Snoop Dog, obviously; … Notorious; Big. The names can go on and on, but I was into hip-hop in the mid-80s and fell in love with it, and I was in a really small town where they just didn’t listen to that type of music. It hit stride for me in like ’95, so anything between, like, ’86 and ’95, I was completely attached to.

Whittaker: That’s what’s up.

QUESTION: A fan says he has watched all of Cena’s wrestling. (Cena: Where do you find the time?) The fan says he has also watched all of Cena’s other work, including his appearances on the “Fred” series. (Cena: I was living in a refrigerator.) Finally, the fan asks how Cena’s reaching out into kids’ TV programming affected his life.

Cena: I guess, the same way the opportunity to become a WWE superstar did. It’s just another opportunity to show people what you can do, and hopefully you do well enough that they want to see it again.

QUESTION: A fan asks whether Cena has any stories about working with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Cena: I do. I do. Would you like to hear one? (Audience cheers)  (Whittaker: Gossip!) Would you guys like to hear one? (Audience cheers even more loudly) Ok, this is actually… this is the first time I’ve told this story. (Clears throat) So, for two years, The Rock and I kind of made fun of each other. A lot. (Fans shout “Fruity Pebbles!”) Um, it got pretty heated and it got pretty personal. I said some things that were less-than-nice. He said some things that were less-than-nice. And I can assure you, in our line of work, there is a gray area where imagination becomes very real, and we were right in the sweet spot of that gray area, each watching each other’s every move and not too happy with the other party. We had a match in Miami at Wrestlemania, of which I finished second place – and I’m very proud of that… That’s a light way of saying, “I lost.” (Clears throat again) But we had a follow-up match at MetLife Stadium and I was good enough to finish first that day. And when I did, I’m well aware of the amount of work that Dwayne Johnson has on his plate, and the fact that he did not need to come back to the WWE, and I talked all that trash many years ago, just to try to get him to come back because I, like you guys, am a fan of The Rock. So, he comes back and stays for the better half of two years, only to lose in one of his final matches in WWE. And after the three-count of the match in New York, we had a moment where we had an embrace and I said something to him, and there’s been a few people to ask me what I said, and my answer is always, “Well, that’s between me and him.” I actually told him that he had taken a picture with me when I was an employee at Gold’s Gym back in the year 2000, when The Rock was, like, meteoric and he didn’t need to pay any attention to anyone but people who could possibly do things for him. And here’s this low-level employee at Gold’s Gym, wowed by the unbelievable personality that is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and I went up to him and said, “Rock, is it ok if we get a picture together?” And he gave me the picture and he gave me some advice on how to further my career, and didn’t have to do any of that. And now, being in the return seat, I understand, truly, how valuable his time was and how much that meant to me, as a person, and I held him close and I said, “You’re never going to remember this, but you took a picture of me in 2000. It helped me stand here today and, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here today.” And then I thanked him very much for all the work that he’s done for the industry and for all he’s done for me, and we went backstage and had a shot together in celebration. That is my “Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson” story.

Whittaker: That was an awesome story! (Audience cheers)

QUESTION: A young fan asks when Cena came up with the “You Can’t See Me” gimmick.

Cena: The gimmick… (Whittaker: It’s a gimmick?? Thanks, kid. A gimmick!) (Audience laughs) Like I said, my little brother dared me to, and the reason he did was because, when I started and I was, like, the “Ruthless Aggression” John Cena, which was way before you were born, I didn’t look any different than anyone else, and then someone from WWE overheard me rapping and said, “Would you like to do that on television?” And I said, “Yes.” But it’s not like they just threw me on RAW right away. Like, I wasn’t in the big matches. I was still, like, not even barely on television, and there was this show that was barely even watched called “Velocity,” which I was on every single week. And I didn’t take it as, like, “Aww, I gotta do this.” I took it as, like, “Man, I own that show!” – and I did! So, my brother was, like, “You won’t do that on television.” And I was, like, “Well, I own this show, anyway, so of course I’m going to do it!” And that’s kind of where it started, and now it’s become “a gimmick,” so I’m very happy. (Audience laughs)

QUESTION: A fan thanks Cena for making wrestling interesting, explaining that she and her cousin are on “opposite ends of the Cena Spectrum.” (Cena: Your house must be really interesting.) The fan goes on to ask where Cena’s trademark military dog tags came from.

Cena: I’m one of the very few people that doesn’t have a tattoo on his body… (Some applause from audience) No, you don’t have to clap about that. I think tattoos are great, I just… My mom would kill me, straight up. She would literally… and it would be weird. It wouldn’t be, like, a quick death. I would get stoned. It would be bad. Or grounded indefinitely. So, the dog tags have the names of my mom, my dad, my brothers and Nicole [Bella, John’s co-worker/girlfriend], and I wear them to all the high-profile matches because the “plus” of doing what I do is I get to travel the world and see a million great people and do some great stuff, but the drawback is I don’t ever see the people closest to me, so it is a way for me to let them know that they are always in my heart, no matter where in the world that I am.

QUESTION: A fan thanks Cena for coming to Salt Lake Comic Con. (Cena: I’m having a great time! Are you guys having a good time?) (Audience cheers loudly) (Whittaker: Yeah, there we go! All right!) The fan asks what the strangest thing is that has happened to Cena while overseas.

Whittaker: Oh, I wanna hear this!

Cena: That’s a good question. This didn’t exactly happen in Iraq or Afghanistan, but on the flight back, because we were in the military transport carriers, we had to stop at the air force base in Germany… and at the air force base in Germany, they have a wonderful officers’ pavilion. We made it a lot less wonderful… because when you get, I don’t know, when you get 40 tired, sometimes-cranky WWE superstars and you land them with, like, an eight-hour delay and there may or may not be an open bar, eh… you know? (Audience laughs) Stuff happens. We had a lot of fun in Germany. We have always had fun at those shows, but the trips there and back were especially fun and we were always very well taken care of, no matter how rowdy we ever got.

QUESTION: A fan dressed as a medical professional steps to the microphone. He comments that Cena is “a big guy.” (Cena: And you’re not a doctor, but you did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.) The fan asks whether Cena has ever gotten goosebumps out of intimidation as an opponent has walked to the ring. (Fans begin chanting for Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker)

Cena: To me, that moment’s all the time. It is. It is. You guys don’t see what I see. At the events, you literally can’t see me because I’m sitting in a random seat, just as one of the fans, peering through the curtain trying to get a feel for the live audience, or watching backstage on the smallest of televisions, as close as I can to the audience to try to hear their energy - and those moments happen to me all the time. When a superstar who doesn’t necessarily get a reaction maybe gets an ovation that I didn’t expect, it gives me goosebumps. When a match goes out there and the expectations are low and it exceeds expectations, that gives me goosebumps. When the expectations are high and it comes in way low, that gives me goosebumps. Every single time those trumpets that I have nightmares about sometimes hit and I get to go down to the ring and run and do what I do, that gives me goosebumps. There have been moments where the crowd response is louder for some than for others, but it doesn’t take away the energy. Honestly, I feel as if I’m doing what I was born to do because I truly feed off of the energy of the people and I’m always aware of what’s going on.

QUESTION: A fan asks about Cena’s experience seeing his infamous meme on the internet for the first time.

Cena: A quick impression of me seeing that for the first time: (Cena sits back in his chair, checks his phone, makes a surprised noise and shakes his head repeatedly while putting his phone away)

Whittaker: You liked it!

Cena: Thank you, internet, again.

QUESTION: A young fan asks what the hardest part about WWE is.

Cena: I don’t want to say it’s not tough, because I love it. I think the hardest part for anyone is to connect with you people. To get you people to develop an opinion on the action in the ring. I think there are some really gifted performers right now – one of them I’ll name is Cesaro… (Audience cheers) …who is a fantastic athlete but is still struggling to connect with the audience, and once a fantastic athlete can connect with the audience, then it becomes really, really fun. But the toughest part is making you believe in me, and that’s what I try to do the best I can every single day.

QUESTION: A young fan asks, “Can you see me?” (Audience laughs)

Cena: You can’t use me because I have poor eyesight, so I can’t see anybody.

QUESTION: Who is the best person you’ve ever RKO-ed? [Note: The RKO is a finishing move belonging to a different wrestler, Randy Orton.]

Cena: Uh, that’s a great question. People are like, “Ooh! She said RKO and that’s not his maneuver!” Wait! Watch me move the pieces right in for a checkmate: Randy Orton, because he’s the only person I’ve ever RKO-ed! (Audience cheers) So, yes, your question is very, very relevant! …and it was “out of nowhere,” by the way.

QUESTION: A nervous young fan bumbles through asking where Cena’s motto – “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” – came from.

Cena: Well, believe it or not, that is directly borrowed from the United States Armed Forces. (Audience cheers) They operate with words such as “honor,” “code” and “country,” and I took “honor,” “code” and “country” and kind of switched it around to “hustle,” “loyalty” and “respect,” because, essentially, if you work hard, you stay loyal to the friends – people that are loyal to you – and you respect everyone, even if they are your enemy, then you will operate at a peak level and do nothing but good things. (Cena notices that his time is nearly up) The red light is here, but, like I said, I don’t do this a whole lot, so we’ll get a little bonus time. I’ll do a little bonus stuff.

Whittaker: We’ve got two more here.

QUESTION: A fan asks who Cena’s favorite tag team member has been.

Cena: Definitely Shawn Michaels because we won the tag team championships. (Whittaker: Yes! Yes!) And I thought that would never happen! So yes, definitely HBK.

QUESTION: A young fan asks how Cena learned to wrestle.

Cena: How I learned to wrestle? Well, it depends on who you ask. If you ask some people, they’ll say I still don’t know how to wrestle. (Audience laughs) …so there’s that… But, I had a bunch of really, really great coaches. I think one that really, really stands out – actually, a few – Jim Cornette was one, Arn Anderson was another, Pat Patterson is one of the last ones and, believe it or not, I learned a lot about wrestling from Vince McMahon, himself. (Audience cheers) Four good coaches! (Cena looks at the line of fans waiting to ask questions) We have one more? Fire away! We have two more!

QUESTION: A fan asks whether it’s allowed to be a Cena fan and a Rock fan. (Cena: Of course it is, man!) The fan asks whether Cena smells what The Rock is cooking.

Cena: I do! I do. (Audience laughs) What day is it today? Is today Thursday? (Fan: It’s Friday.) Friday? Because Thursday is Pancakes Day… Friday? I believe he’s cooking a poutine! It’s… very spicy! So today is Poutine Day for The Rock. That is what he’s cooking. It smells very “bayou.” We got one more? (Cena looks at the monitor, which indicates that his time is up.) Oh, I know time is up, guys. Don’t… You’re not the boss of me, digital world! I got real people here, talking about real stuff, like what The Rock is cooking!

Whittaker: Yeah! Yeah!

QUESTION: A young fan asks what Cena’s everyday car is.

Cena: Ah! Yikes, I guess that would be a bus. (Fan: Because I know you have a dope car collection.) Is “dope” still good? Is that still a good word? Or am I going to get arrested for narcotics? (Audience laughs) I don’t know. Anything fast. (Fan: Anything fast?) Anything fast. But I don’t drive fast. I always drive the speed limit. That’s a lie. I drive fast. (Audience laughs) That’s it. That’s a good last question, though.

Whittaker: Thank you, guys, so much for being here! Please make some noise!

Cena: They’re going to tear me off stage! Thank you, guys, so much! I greatly appreciate it! Thank you, Salt Lake Comic Con, for having me – and remember, this place does not exist without you! Thank you, guys, for being here!

Salt Lake Comic Con MC Chris Provost: Everybody, JOHN CENA!! (Audience cheers loudly)

***

As Cena wrapped up his panel, many young fans (and some parents) hurried to the front of the stage. Cena graciously approached them and shook a few hands before being ushered off the stage. I saw, to the right of the stage, one special-needs fan being rushed up to the front of the Ballroom by his father, who was frantically trying to flag Cena down before he left. Cena did not notice them, however, and was walking off the stage as a volunteer ran up and got his attention. Cena came back onto the stage and spoke to the young fan momentarily. At the end of their conversation, unseen by probably 99% of the people in the room - except for me and a photographer, apparently - he shook the boy's hand and gave him one of his wristbands before finally leaving the Ballroom. I thought that was a cool moment.

Later in the afternoon, I had a photo op with Cena, which I was looking forward to all weekend. As I got back to the photo op area, the volunteers were, obviously, doing their job and telling fans how to appropriately carry out their photos ("As soon as you see the flash, step up for you picture, and, please, no handshakes... No handshakes, please," they repeated several times.) Despite the volunteers' instructions, John Cena shook hands with every single fan that I saw while I was back there, including me. I thanked him for coming and he reiterated that it was a pleasure to be there. From my very brief interaction with him, he seemed like a genuinely nice man.

This practically pales in comparison to a story I heard told of him the next morning at the Salt Lake Comic Con staff meeting. A former Comic Con co-worker of mine was having a bad weekend; she lost her wallet, including all of the cash she had on hand, which was apparently over $300. She was understandably upset by the theft and was not in good spirits, from those who witnessed her reaction. The woman is a huge pro wrestling fan, apparently, and she credits Cena for helping her work through depression and some difficult times in her young adulthood. When she approached Cena for a photo op on Friday, she gave him a three-page letter that she wrote him, thanking him for his example. Reportedly, Cena told the photographers to hold off for a moment, and he embraced the woman and gave her a big confidence boost. They took the photo and that was that. Later on, the woman got a notification saying that Cena had followed her on Twitter (I verified this last night). He sent her a direct message, explaining that he read her letter and was grateful for her kind words, then giving her one more confidence boost online.

That's awesome. While I don't quite understand the level of commitment/obsession that some fans experience over certain celebrities, movies or TV shows that they claim have profoundly impacted or changed their lives, I think it is so cool of Cena to have reached out personally to this former co-worker of mine and encouraged her to keep her chin up, especially considering the difficult circumstances that she was experiencing after losing her wallet.

I know that a lot of people can't stand pro wrestling. They whine about it being fake (so is every other show on TV, by the way) and they think the wrestlers are phonies. Despite it being a gigantic, sweaty soap opera, I do understand the entertainment value. I watched as a kid - and even a little bit as an adult - and I'll (mostly) defend it under a broad variety of circumstances. I even blogged about it once.

I had heard a lot of good things about John Cena before his appearance at Salt Lake Comic Con last weekend - and all those stories and compliments were validated after seeing him up close and personal. Listening back to this panel as I transcribed it reminded me of how polite Cena was - especially when addressing kids. Good on you, John. Thanks for your example and for actually being a good role model for young people. (There aren't many of those anymore these days.)

I see you, John Cena. And I like what I see.