SoldierCon El Paso 2024 Panel Recap

SoldierCon El Paso 2024 was held September 6-8 at the Starlight Event Center. The event brought together fandoms from comics, cosplay, custom automobiles, film, TV, role-playing games, and more. I had the distinct honor of hosting the weekend’s panel entertainment. Here’s a brief recap of my weekend panels.

Fireball Tim Lawrence and Steve Johnston

The convention began on Friday night, but we didn’t have any panels scheduled for that evening, until a conversation sprung up at lunch between Hollywood concept artist Fireball Tim Lawrence and Vegas Toy Shack’s Steve Johnston. The pair was talking about iconic automobiles in TV, cinema, and pop culture, a subject with which Lawrence is all too familiar, having designed the 1989 Tim Burton Batmobile. Johnston’s expertise on the subject springs from marketability of iconic autos when they hit the toy and collectible markets. It ended up being such a banger of a conversation about two of the main fandoms represented at SoldierCon that we had to make it into a full panel. 

Projekt Cars’ Deadpool Wide Body Mustang

Projekt Cars’ Business Development Director Carlos Molina has designed and built an astonishing 300+ custom cars for SEMA, one of the world’s most prestigious after-market automobile industry conventions. Mostafa Moussa has created art for Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, and many other comics publishers. Previously, Moussa and Projekt Cars collaborated on The Hellbat, a heavily modified Dodge Hellcat themed to DC’s Batman. For SEMA 2024, Projekt Cars and Moussa team up again, this time to build a custom Deadpool-themed wide body Mustang for Vegas Toy Shack’s Johnny Jimenez Jr. 

Jimenez, Moussa, Molina, and Fireball Tim discussed the concept and genesis of the Deadpool Wide Body Mustang, how design language shapes style and equipment choices, and the process of going from concept to execution. 

Sonic Voice Actors Reunion

Ryan Drummond (Sonic the Hedgehog), Jon St. John (Big the Cat), Scott Dreir (Knuckles the Echidna) , and David Humphrey (Shadow the Hedgehog) were in the same place at the same time for the first time in two decades. They discussed different aspects of voice acting, including the development of character voices, auditioning for roles, challenges and rewards in the industry, and how their working relationships and friendships evolved over the years, before a Q&A session was opened up for fans. 

The Wilson Effect

Earl Hindman played Wilson on Home Improvement for eight years. Viewers never saw his face until the very last episode’s curtain call, where Hindman finally dropped the little hand held fence mask that he had specially made for the live tapings. Despite having never seen his face, he was one of the most important and memorable characters on the show, as Tim’s unseen conscience, mentor, and confidant. 

Martin Klebba, Leilani Shiu, and Matthew De Meritt discussed their roles in massive TV and film franchises and the importance of character actors within those franchises, told favorite stories from behind the scenes, and answered fan questions. 

Vegas Toy Shack

Pawn Stars premiered on History Channel on July 19, 2009. Viewers tuned in to see Gold & Silver Pawn Shop owners Richard Harrison and Rick Harrison, Rick’s son Corey Harrison, and Corey’s childhood friend Chumlee interact with customers, buying and selling all manner of old, rare, and sometimes valuable items.The Harrisons would frequently call on their friends Johnny Jimenez and Steve Johnston to evaluate and appraise vintage toys. Johnny and Steve discussed their relationship with Gold & Silver Pawn, how celebrity status changed their business, their rivalry-turned-business partnership, favorite episodes of the show, their own personal toy collections, and the strangest items to come into Vegas Toy Shack over the years. 

In a little bit of a twist, my guests brought up a guest of their own when they called up Sam De La Rosa, known for his contributions to Venom and Spider-Man, among other iconic franchises.

Projekt Cars’ Dark Dragon Tacoma

The Dark Dragon collaboration between Fireball Tim Lawrence, Heather Edwards, and Projekt Cars’ Carlos Molina began life as a 2024 Ford Mustang. It was then shifted from the Mustang to a Toyota Tacoma to better embody the notion that creativity starts in the Unknown and journeys to the Known. Powerful, Soulful, and FAST, a depiction of a spirited dragon was whipped up by Master Artist/Illustrator Heather Edwards and applied to a concept design by Fireball Tim Lawrence. This massive serpent lies across the sides of the Japanese truck, coming out of the darkness and into the light. Dark Dragon will be featured at SEMA 2024 in November if all goes to plan.

Forever Hector: Noel G Spotlight

With nearly three decades of film and television acting experience going all the way back to “Latin guy on bicycle” in The Offspring’s Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) music video in 1998, Noel G is instantly recognizable for his roles in the Fast & Furious franchise, Mayans MC, Training Day, and literally hundreds of other films and television series. Noel broke down his experiences on set, how acting changed his life, Latino typecasting in Hollywood, and his personal evolution and range as an actor before taking questions from fans in attendance.

Fanhome US supported this panel with five 1:43 scale models of iconic Fast & Furious vehicles that were given away to fans in attendance.