Okay. I don't even know where to start here.

Back in March 2023, there was an account name "Johnny Yong Bosch" that came up on my Facebook page in the "People You May Know Section"

I was flabbergasted, that this could potentially be the actual Johnny Yong Bosch, stalking my Facebook page.

After all, that's exactly what the "People You May Know" section, essentially is for on Facebook.

Throughout the time frame for the next 6 months, I didn't dare attempt to say anything related to Power Rangers on any kind of social media.

Around August 2023 or so, I saw an advertisement for the "Big Texas Comic Con" coming to San Antonio (where I live) from October 6-8, 2023.

I saw Johnny Yong Bosch, appearing as a guest for the event and I knew I had to immediately go meet him.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Back pedaling up a little bit, the "Johnny Yong Bosch" account I saw on Facebook - which I took a screen capture off, print it out and then have Johnny look at it, when I get there.

The "Johnny Yong Bosch" account on Facebook, had his entire name spelled out correctly with proper capitalization in his first, middle and last name.

Not a single letter in the name was misspelled and it had a a picture of Johnny in his profile picture.

Could I potentially be catfished by this account? Was it really him?

Even if it was fake, that seems a bit classless for someone to impersonate Johnny's full name on Facebook.

After all, the guy is 47 years old.

What good are going to gain with doing something like that?

Buying tickets to the events was not going to be easy.

Entrance Fee = $50

Parking = $60

Photo With Johnny = $80

Autograph with Johnny = $60

Yes. I just coughed up and wasted $250, just to talk to Johnny Yong Bosch for two minutes.

I'm not kidding.

October 7, 2023. The event started at 10-7.

Actually, what happened was that Johnny was there on October 6, 2023 and that he had a Q&A panel for fans, for that Friday.

I bought a ticket for Saturday to see him on the 7th.

Tickets were $50, just to get in for one day.

So, I didn't know beforehand, that the Q&A was only for Friday and not for Saturday and Sunday.

Let me go back more for a minute.

Yes. I coughed up $250 just to talk to Johnny Yong Bosch for like 2 minutes of his time.

It's better than being at home, listening to my dad (who's name I won't reveal but, you surely can find out, the name of my dad on social media)

That's literally all my Dad does is when football season is on Saturdays and Sundays.

Preston Condra's Dad: Hey Preston! Do you want to be a football player?

I rather be dead than be a football player, any day of the week.

Anyways?

Somehow, I managed to make up all of this money just to see Johnny Yong Bosch.

I actually haven't taken a picture of myself for quite some time, in public.

I've always had a an issue with body dysmorphia and had an anorexic breakdown back in 2011 growing up.

They never really did a good job, promoting this event out to the public at all.

I saw a small advertisement of the event, on Facebook and I was like, wow. I should go.

Because the radio never mentions things like this, neither do they on television because television is shit in 2023.

There was going to be no way in hell, Daddy Condra, let alone even Mommy Condra, would drive me there.

I did a little practice drive a week prior, before the event started so I could figure out where it was at.

It was at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio, Texas.

There's no way my parents would take me to go there.

Even if I just coughed up all this money to go, they wouldn't ever take me there.

So, I get there.

I left my house at 9:46 am.

The doors to the center open at 10 AM and they close at 7 PM.

You have to print out QR codes, if you didn't bring your phone with you to the event.

And you cannot buy pictures with the celebrities, when you get there.

The photo op tickets have to be purchased, beforehand once you get there.

I decided to finally go, because people in my High School graduation class would always think it's dire to take a picture with a celebrity.

I would see a girl, who was snot-nosed back in High School take a picture with Kelly Clarkson.

Kelly Clarkson came to San Antonio, and the girl took a picture with her at the La Cantera Resort in San Antonio.

I personally think Kelly Clarkson is a fat slouch and a real bitch.

Anyways.

I left my house at 9:46 AM.

I get to the AT&T Center and it's about 10:20 AM.

The photos you had to take with the celebrities could only be taken at a very certain and specific time stamps on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Johnny's photoshoot on Saturday was at 12:30 PM.

I got lost and had to find a parking garage, coughing up, even more money before I could get inside.

I lost track of time for so long.

I managed to finally make it inside.

I was scared out of my mind, now like what am I going to do here?

I go inside the convention center.

It was a pretty classy place and set up nicely, which I was totally surprised by.

The place was spotless and there was roughly about 1,000 or so people that were there.

I loved being around these other people.

As I mentioned before, this whole ordeal cost me $250.

So, it did for much like the other 999 people that were there with me.

Thank God, I didn't have my parents with me.

They would've been total killjoys.

Almost everybody that was there inside the building were roughly around the same age as me.

There were hardly, any children under the age of 18 - if you could believe that.

Because everyone here, drove here. Payed the same amount of money as I did.

All around the same age group. 20's-30's crowd.

I finally head inside and it's about 12:20 pm.

Johnny's photo ops had to be taken in about ten minutes.

So how did the photo shoot go?

You have to show them, the QR code you have printed out or on your phone and they allowed you to take a photo with Johnny.

The photoshoot sucked.

You only have one take with the photo.

The photoshoot was similar to that have a yearbook photo.

You didn't even have the opportunity to redo the photo as Johnny didn't even get the chance to ask for your name, when you took the photo with him.

The whole process, as me and 15 other people that took a photo with him, lasted no more than 2 minutes.

Johnny wanted to give me a hug, in the photo.

And I didn't do that, and I did this cringe finger pose at the camera, instead.

The thing is, before I went to the event?

After you purchase your ticket to take the photo with him?

There were these, fine print letters in red ink where "You weren't permitted to hug, the male or female celebrity in the photo."

That's what I thought it told me.

When I say, there were only 1,000 or so people there I mean it.

There were tons of free elbow/breathing room.

You could walk, and even run around the whole place, if you wanted too.

There was only about 15 people (myself included) involved with taking the photo with Johnny Yong Bosch.

I should mention something.

Johnny's photo shoot was at 12:30 PM.

Once that time had passed, you couldn't take a photo with him for the rest of the day.

So, if you showed up just two minutes late - even after spending $80 to take the photo with him, beforehand?

Too bad, so sad - you missed your chance. He couldn't do that for the remainder of Saturday and it was like that for all of the celebrities that were there.

Each celebrity had prerequisite times, when photos were taken.

Heed of warning?

Make sure you have tons of cash with you on hand.

The autograph session with Johnny Yong Bosch only required cash as a form of payment.

Thank God, my parents weren't with me.

And one more thing.

You think I'm going to meet this man, ever again for the rest of my life?

In all respect to Johnny, I have no idea how this guy became a modern-day version of Mel Blanc with voicing over 1,000 characters in anime shows.

I only came by to visit him, regarding Power Rangers.

And well, to ask him - if that was really him, stalking my Facebook page.

So how, did the autograph session go?

Johnny Yong Bosch looked absolutely sour and miserable, while I was waiting in line.

He looked jet lagged.

Well, okay. Maybe not jet lag but sleep deprived as he had to be there - all day for 3 days in a row.

I should mention that one of his best friends - Jason David Frank - committed suicide on November 19, 2022.

It was October 7, 2023.

It hadn't even been a year yet.

Johnny Yong Bosch was very polite, soft spoken and nice to everyone.

He didn't like being there, for sure.

There was roughly about 60 people in line.

I was half-way through, caught up in that line.

Various people wearing Power Rangers outfits and dressing up, for showing up to the event to meet Johnny and other celebrities.

I had a blast, all things considered while being there.

Very well ventilated building and not too hot or cold at all.

So how this did all, finally conclude?

After waiting about another 20 minutes in line for him?

I was second in line.

All of a sudden?

Brian Donovan (who did the voice of Davis from Digimon Season 2 was sitting right next to Johnny)

Brian's table collapsed, or something.

I actually don't even know, what really happened.

There was stalling for like 5 minutes like what the hell happened.

The line was growing longer.

Brian and Johnny fixed it. It was finally cleared up. Yay, I guess?

Everybody in line, was largely sad and felt bad for Johnny. Not a lot of smiles from everyone.

For obvious reasons, I mentioned earlier.

Johnny was taking selfies with a few people in line, to try and cheer him up.

Johnny was sharing hugs with other people.

Johnny seemed to perk up and enjoy doing that. He loved doing that.

I just didn't think you could do that.

I was finally in line and talking to Johnny.

He looked a little displeased to see me. I didn't even say anything yet.

Probably because, judging with everyone wearing anime outfits, and Power Rangers costumes on behind me? I looked generic as hell as I wearing, formal clothes.

Johnny gave me a look of "How do you know me? Are you even a Power Rangers fan?" eyebrows raised at me.

I shook his hand and I said my name was Preston.

I had him autograph the photo we took, 30 minutes earlier.

And he kindly, did so accordingly.

I then, showed him the print out of him supposedly stalking my Facebook page.

Here we go.

Johnny had a look of "WTF?" on his face.

I showed him the picture and he looked at it for a good 1-2 minute, while holding up the line. Which I thank him for doing.

We need to get this cleared up.

Johnny: "People You May Now...Facebook right?"

Preston: "Yes."

Johnny: "...That's not me."

Preston: "It's not you?"

Johnny: "No. I have Instagram but, that's not me."

Well, that's that.

I coughed up $250 to meet, greet and see him to get this straighten out.

That page ended up being some impostor or some kind of fan page instead.

Thank God because what if, in fact - that was really him?

I was spellbound by the whole thing - thinking that the real Johnny Yong Bosch was stalking my Facebook page.

Well, that, and I wanted to meet him in person.

He's the only other person I can think of that uses his full name, besides me on the internet.

That's another reason why I wanted to talk to him.

I shook Johnny's hand one more time.

Preston "My name is Preston. See ya."

And that was it. Johnny didn't say another word.

I looked back at Johnny one last time, and he looked borderline drunk or drowsy.

Johnny looked like; he hated being there the whole time.

And with that?

I drove myself back home which took about 2 hours to get back home in San Antonio, Texas.

Because driving back home from San Antonio downtown, especially on a Saturday afternoon is dreadful.

And that's that.

The End.

Memories for October 7, 2023 – I surely never forget.

P.S. – There was someone in front of the line, while I was in the middle of it and I overheard Johnny say something like "the Red Ranger is coming here soon."

Wha-what or who was he referring to?

Austin St. John as Jason Lee Scott?

Steve Cardenas as Rocky DeSantos?

Why did he refer to him as the "Red Ranger"?

Never mind.