During the four days that FAN EXPO took over Chicago, a father and daughter made their way to the north end of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center to find the person they were looking for: actor and writer Todd Stashwick.

The Chicago native has played a part in some of the biggest fandoms - Star Trek, Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, American Horror Story - but it is not his acting roles that the father and daughter were most curious about. They have sought out Stashwick to ask him about the perfect beginner’s guide to Dungeons and Dragons.

“I was 11 in ‘79,” Stashwick said. “I was that first wave of late 70s and early 80s kids that were playing D&D when it wasn’t cool. My nerd blood runs deep.”

When asked about where to start, Stashwick didn’t give advice right away. Instead, he got up from his table and took the father and daughter through the crowd to one of the booths nearby that was selling books. He showed them which ones he recommended and made sure they were well taken care of before making his way back to his table and greeting the next fan.

His first convention experience was a big one - San Diego Comic Con 2010. He was established as an actor at that point, but could not be found in the designated autograph area. Instead, convention goers found him in Artist Alley alongside Dennis Calero, a DC and Marvel artist who co-created the online web comic Devil Inside with Stashwick.

Devil Inside tells the story of Jack Springheel, also known as The Devil, who escapes hell and has no intention of returning. He tries to stay one step ahead of those who intend to drag him back while journeying through who he is and who he wants to be.

They had launched the comic on Stashwick’s personal website the night before San Diego Comic Con, and showed up to the convention the next day with a box of postcards to help promote it.

“It was wild because people would walk by and be disconnected as to why I was sitting there, but it was a cool way to get people to stop and pay attention to your work,” he said. “It was a very genuinely comic con experience because I was selling a comic there.”

When asked about a memorable fan interaction, he immediately recalls a time where a fan asked to smell him. She was thrilled to hear him say yes and offer his shoulder to her. What did this fan get a whiff of? Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling. (“Let’s be honest, it covers the stink of bourbon,” Stashwick jokes.)