It was last July when I learned two of my passions were on a collision course. It was then I found out the Sniffapalooza Fall Ball 2012 was going to be October 13 and 14. Inside my head I’m yelling “KAAAAARENS!” the way Kirk yelled “KHAAAAN!” in Star Trek II. I had just purchased a VIP ticket to New York Comic-Con which was running from October 10-14. At first I thought I’d just do Comic-Con but once the list for Fall Ball came out I felt a pressure building in my chest…No I’m not going all Alien on you I just wanted to have my cake and eat it too. Karen Adams and Karen Dubin the creative force behind Sniffapalooza had put together a line-up that had me as excited as the line-up Lance Fensterman had at Comic-Con. As I pondered my dilemma I realized this could probably work. In my mind I began calling this weekend ComicSniffaConPalooza. I’d spend Thursday and Friday with my friends who love zombies and Superman (Comic); Saturday I’d go meet my friends who love perfume and then back to the con for the afternoon panels (SniffaCon) before spending Sunday speaking at lunch at Barolo and wandering The Fragrance District (Palooza). So here is my re-cap of ComicSniffaConPalooza.
Thursday and Friday: Comic-Con or Surrounded by Zombies
SOTD: (Thursday) Atelier Cologne Vetiver Fatal and (Friday)A Lab on Fire What We Do In Paris Is Secret
There is too much multi-genre crossover happening at Comic-Con to say that there is ever one theme but the one thing which was most apparent was that this year’s edition would be a lot about zombies. The TV series, and comic book series it is based upon, The Walking Dead, was the biggest genre thing going. Our badges had zombies on them, herds of zombies walked the show floor, and anything that could be zombified had dangling limbs and rotting flesh; including one booth which had posters of Zombies Eat Republicans. I guess Democrats were already dead.
First order of business on Thursday was to hit the vendors and pick up Comic-Con exclusive swag. Once that was done there was a panel on Superman with all of the artists and writers talking about all things Superman for the coming year.
Actually that wasn’t true, the first order of business when I arrived in New York City was to go visit Sylvie Ganter at the Atelier Cologne store to get my preview of next spring’s release. I did do that and while I can’t say much I can say it is a masterly constructed breeze of a fragrance which I am excited to try again after the first of the year. Jerome Epinette is the perfumer.
Me with author Kim Harrison
Now back to Comic-Con on Friday which was where I indulged my love of the written word as two of my favorite authors were signing and speaking; Terry Pratchett and Kim Harrison. Around that I wanted to hear about my favorite mutants The X-Men. I took it easy because I knew Saturday was going to be the big day where everything came together.
Saturday: SniffaCon or Mark Behnke vs The Posse
SOTD: Arquiste Boutonniere No. 7
I catch the Subway uptown and arrive at Bergdorf-Goodman very early but perfumistas are a mostly punctual bunch and soon I was surrounded by those who I’ve known for a while. Judith Tabron (The Unseen Censer) and I share a love of the late lamented Joss Whedon series Firefly and we were talking about that when I first spied Musette. One of the things I was most looking forward to on this weekend was meeting the women of Perfume Posse. Patty, March, and Musette were all going to be here and after reading them for so many years I felt I “knew” them; this was my chance to have it be more interactive and I was looking forward to it. In many ways they were the rockstars of Sniffapalooza because they were among the original bloggers of perfume and they are just as fun to be around as they are to read. Musette and I hugged as if old friends and then in short order March and Patty arrived and we were allowed inside to the café at Bergdorf’s.
Bergdorf Breakfast
Breakfast was a parade of new releases and for the first time, for me, I had tried all of these prior to breakfast. So it was much more interesting to observe other’s reactions to the new fragrances as they were passed around. Based on my unofficial survey the new Guerlain Les Deserts D’Orient collection had the most smiles and blissful looks behind the strips handed out.
After breakfast it was time to hit the shopping floor and meet-up with the remainder of the perfumistas. It felt more like a gathering of the fragrant tribe as I spent most of my time meeting people, I only knew on Facebook or their blog, in person.
Musette at the Lectern
We all headed to lunch where Alyssa Harad read from her book “Coming to my Senses” on her first Sniffapalooza. As she read the passage many of the same people were in the room still. One of my favorite parts was her description of Ida Meister/chayaruchama as “The Fairy Godmother of Perfume”. It is so true. Musette then spoke about and I’m paraphrasing, “You don’t need to know nothin’ to write a blog you just have to love perfume.” It has always been Musette’s passion which makes me eagerly read her posts on Perfume Posse and she is right in what she says about blogging. Now that lunch was over it was time to head back downtown to Comic-Con.
I hoped in a cab so I could get to the panels I wanted to see. Before I could head to the theatre I was on a mission for Musette to get a piece of exclusive The Walking Dead merch she could take back to El O. It was here where I had one of those hysterically funny moments. Andrew Lincoln plays the hero in The Walking Dead TV series and he was walking through the show floor on his way to something and he was trailed by a bunch of fans trying to get autographs, mostly made up to look like zombies, life imitates art.
Bruce Campbell at New York Comic-Con 2012
When I got to the panels I saw the cast of the new version of “Carrie”; the reboot of “Evil Dead” where Bruce Campbell shows he gets this crowd. In response to a question asking him to recite a line of dialogue from the movie he responded, “If I was your little monkey, I could.” The cast and creative crew of The Walking Dead teased us for the upcoming season and then the highlight of the entire con, for me, was the 10th anniversary panel for Firefly with a surprise appearance by Nathan Fillion.
By this point all of my geek receptors in my brain were as satiated as my fragrance ones.
Purple Flowers from Molton Brown
Sunday: Palooza or Into The Fragrance District
SOTD: Olfactive Studio Lumiere Blanche
Sunday was only for my perfume peeps and I headed down to The Fragrance District to meet everyone at Molton Brown where they debuted the new addition to their Navigation Through Scent line, Valbonne. After that I strolled over to Atelier Cologne and Le Labo on Elizabeth St. followed by MiN New York a few blocks away. After all the time on my feet the past three days I was very happy to have all of these great fragrant destinations so close together and easily walkable. At MiN the new fragrance everyone seemed to be sampling and enjoying were the three Jul et Mad perfumes. Perfumer Dorothee Piot has created three very memorable fragrances.
Me talking about clicks
Lunch at Barolo was next where I started things off by talking about that moment when you “click” with a fragrance you love and how the lunch highlighting emerging perfumes is a place to have a unique “click” experience. The three fragrance lines we were introduced to were 8 Count, Atmysphere, and Hayari. All three presenters introduced us to their fragrances and passed around samples. I think somewhere in the room I heard a “click” or two.
Wall of Minis at Osswald
Final stop of the weekend was the newest store in The Fragrance District, Osswald. For most of the attendees this was their first experience at Osswald but it was also their first chance to sample some lines which had never been sold in New York before. It started with Pierre Guillaume’s two lines Parfumerie Generale and Huitieme Art Parfums to M. Micallef, and Parfums MDCI. Many, as am I, were taken with the wall of minis behind the counter although I wouldn’t want to be the one responsible for dusting it.
My Badges
My last act of ComicSniffaConPalooza was to sit down and share gelato with my fragrance friend Deborah. After re-charging ourselves we headed to Penn Station to catch our different trains. I shuffled to my seat on the train like a zombie…..the best damn smelling zombie you’ll ever meet.
–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor