Over Labor Day weekend 2006, a few of my friends and I finally bit the bullet and attended Dragon*Con, which is, according to its website, "America's largest, multi-media, popular arts convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film." Clunky syntax aside, this definition is pretty accurate. It's also woefully inadequate.
Going to Dragon*Con is a transcendent experience. There is literally a parade of people in costumes, organized by fandom: Browncoats, Stargate, Harry Potter. Princess Leia slave girl costumes are dispersed evenly, every ten feet. I saw someone dressed as a Lego man, and there were endless iterations of costumed heroes. Unlike Halloween, where people wear costumes but maintain their subjectivity, Dragon*Con attendees adopt, to a degree, the persona of the character they are dressed as. I sat for a solid fifteen minutes and watched Solid Snake stalk a guard with an exclamation point over his head through the lobby of the Atlanta Hyatt. I think he finally garotted him somewhere near a throng of pirates, or maybe Bizarro Superman.
God bless this event. At Dragon*Con, people walk around enjoying themselves completely unironically, and it's a sight to see. It's a four-day party for people who normally don't get invited to parties (at least ones that don't have "LAN" in the name).
But this is a forward-looking blog, and as such, should concentrate on Dragon*Con 2007. So I have a few questions to ponder as I plan my experience:
1. What panels should I attend?
2. Should I go in costume? If so, what costume should I wear?
3. How much booze should a bring? A lot? A ton?
I'll keep you guys updated.
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4 comments:
you should go to heroes con in charlotte this weekend! i would go, but i can't because i have to go to my parents' house for father's day.
Costume = Definitely
Are you driving down? I ask, as I'm attending this year for the first time ever.
Whee, geekdom!
Costume wise I would try to figure out something that no one is going to go as. Go as Silver Surfers Surf Board.
Corey: My buddies and I could have an accessory theme. We could go as the surfboard, Mjollnir, a Batarang, and Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet.
Think about that one.
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