Where Did THAT Come From – Springfield Convention Center

I’m gonna let my geek flag fly
I’ve been a geek all lifetime, but today I’ll be the king
I’m gonna let my geek flag fly
Wear it high up in the air for everyone to seeee…

Hey hey friends! In our silly lil game, we sometimes see things pop in that we have no clue as to their Origin. They seem familiar, but we just can’t pinpoint from where. So that is why we decided to make a fun lil reminder out of it. To let you know just Where did THAT Come From?

Woohoo! Geeks of the world unite! I seem to remember reading somewhere that the geek will inherit the Earth so maybe that time in TSTO has arrived. Of course, by now you may be completely lost and wonder what the heck the fuzzball is referring to. For this origin post, I’m talking all about the Springfield Convention Center. You may still be asking yourself, “Self… what IS he talking about?” Well, I’m getting to that point.

With Level 56, one of the freemium buildings included was the Springfield Convention Center. To some it may seem like a silly add, but to me… it’s the CONVENTION center! Who doesn’t love a good CON? Wondercon, comicon, D23, Star Wars Celebration! Sure the crowds can be daunting but there’s nothing more fun to me than dressing up as a Wookiee and enjoying the sights.

There’s free swag, comics, other cosplayers, panels, special decorations, video games… it’s like geekapalooza! I’m all about a great convention and thankfully, my beloved Simpsons do too! The Springfield Convention Center has been the site for so many different Cons you may or may not know about. I figured it’d be fun to take a look at this building and the assorted gatherings that have been held there.

Our first appearance is in the aptly titled “Three Men and a Comic Book” (S2:E21). Right at the beginning, Lisa and Bart are off to what Mayor Qiumby describes as “the Annual Funny Book Convention.” I love the name too… the 12th Annual “Close Encounter of the Comic Book Kind” Convention. Busman… smoking Radioactive Man, the first appearance of Comic Book Guy AND Shriners!

But that’s just the tip of the proverbial geek iceberg. The Convention Center is back in “Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?” (S3:E24), this time for the Baby Expo…. The only place to debut a baby translator. Also a good place to hold an Auto Show to look for a new car after you drunkenly smashed up both of yours. If it wasn’t for the Springfield Convention Center, there’d be no “Mr. Plow” (S4:E9). I think that should make it worth it for any Homer fan.

In “Homer Badman” (S6:E9), Homer is off to the Candy Industry Trade Show. Sure it says community center but the architecture is the same. Also gotta love the Gummi Venus de Milo. If candy’s not your thing, you could always head to the Franchise Fair in “The Twisted World of Marge Simpson” (S8:E11)… no franchise expo… no Marge’s pretzel wagon. Much better than a dumb Fleet-A-Pita but everyone is entitled to their opinion even if they are wrong.

The next appearance is probably one of the ones you thought of immediately when you first saw this building. In “Mayored to the Mob” (S10:E9), the Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con officially makes its appearance.. I rank this up there in my favorite episodes but that should come as no surprise seeing as Mark Hamill guest stars in it. Seriously, “the most astro-tastic event in the entire universe.” “Be there AND be square.”

You’d think the Best. Show. Ever. couldn’t possibly have room for more conventions but you’d be dead wrong. “Make Room for Lisa” (S10:E16) showcases the Best of the Smithsonian exhibit sponsored by Omnitouch. “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” (S10:E23) includes “how to live a Burt Reynolds lifestyle on a Matt Davis income” aka the Chuck Garabedian Mega-Savings Seminar. This little beauty brought us the Simpsons in Japan… nuff said.

Or How about awards shows? We see the Convention Center in “The Mansion Family” (S11:E12) right at the beginning for the Springfield Pride Awards. You could always enjoy the Totally Sick, Twisted, F***ed-Up Animation Festival in “HOMЯ” (S12:E9).

What about Marge’s trade show modeling at the Oven Mitt Convention or Shoe Expo in “Large Marge” (S14:E4). Anyone besides me read that last episode title and want to watch a certain movie involving a Big Adventure? Remember anything from that episode besides Marge’s maguppies?

Anywho… let’s veer from this Marge remembrance and over to some another body change episode for Marjorie Bouvier Simpson.  We’re still going to conventions too and off to “The Strong Arms of the Ma” (S14:E9). Marge becomes a shut-in after being robbed at the Kwik-E-Mart by a weirdo. Discovering Homer’s forgotten weight set, she becomes really strong and outgrows her agoraphobia. After reconnecting with Ruth Powers, she got super bulky in prison (and was Miss Mexican Mafia three years running), Marge decides to start taking “natural” steroids and becomes a bodybuilder. She even competes in the Women’s Bodybuilding Finals and wins 2nd place.

Wow.. so many awards shows, conventions, expos and competitions and we’re not even done yet. In “My Big Fat Geek Wedding” (S15:E17), the Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con is back. Agnes Skinner and Comic Book Guy find romance and almost have a Klingon wedding in Multipurpose Room B. The SCC shows up in the third segment of “Treehouse of Horror XV” (S16:E1). This time for the New Invention Expo including a Vagrant Translator and Professor Frink’s shrink-rayed capsules. Anyone who loves the 80s movie Inner Space should appreciate the journey into Mr. Burns’ bowels.

You could also check out “All’s Fair in Oven War” (S16:E2). Marge gets a new 100K dollar kitchen and becomes a popular chef in Springfield. She enters the Ovenfresh Bakeoff and guess where that is held? Also a view of the venue as the Springfield Convention Center. “In the Name of the Grandfather” (S20:E14) includes the SCC right at the beginning when Marge tricks her family into going to a Home and Garden Show. The perfect place to buy a hot tub and attract swingers. It’s the appearance in this episode that looks the most like our new TSTO building IMHO.

The SCC is also in “The Squirt and the Whale” (S21:E19). This time for an Alternative Energy Expo. Seems expos are more popular than cons in the newer episodes as Lisa takes Nelson to an Entrepreneur Expo in “Loan-a Lisa” (S22:E2) to convince him to stay in school. They meet Mark Zuckerberg. Not to fear though friends… one last Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con can be seen in “Married to the Blob” (S25:E10) during Kumiki and CBG’s manga montage. Sure we don’t see an exterior shot but we all know where this awesome con is held.

I debated prolonging this post just to mention the Expensive Electronic Entertainment Expo or E4 in “The Food Wife” (S23:E5) but that’s not the Springfield Convention Center so I probably shoudn’t or show a picture, right?

(You actually thought I’d post a pic after blasting this post with 12 images loaded with screenshots?  I said it wasn’t in the SCC… do an Oogle search or something, I can’t do all the work for you lol… Worst. Blogger. EVER.)

And that’s it. A geek tribute to a new freemium building I really dig. It’s the cat’s pajamas, the bee’s knees even. Now I just wish for a skin to show off different events. Maybe BMSFC in Superheroes Part Deux? Only time will tell. What’s your opinion of the Convention Center? Are you a big fan of cons like me? What was your favorite? Sound off in the comments and stay classy my friends.

TTFN… Wookiee out!