Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Dude, we're not in Kansas anymore

The title of this post was something I overheard while weaving my way through the lobby of the Atlanta Marriott this past weekend. It was spoken by a hotel guest who was not there to attend Dragon*Con, and it pretty accurately describes the event. Having attended my first Comic*Con this year as well, I can report that I much preferred Dragon*Con. It was far more about getting your geek on, whereas Comic*Con was a bit too Hollywood for my tastes.
Memorable moments from my first (but not last) Dragon*Con:
Learning the Thriller dance* alongside several hundred geeks in a wide variety of costumes, then doing it an hour later for the official attempt in a ballroom with 902 others, thereby breaking the world record. (Guinness hasn't blessed it yet, but it will. I'm sure.)
Turning to a complete stranger afterward and receiving a zombie fist bump. :)
Credit card receipts from vendors like "Intergalactic Trading Co" and "World in Chains."  (I bought myself an awesome white katana -- since I already have kimono silk waiting to be sewn into costume awesomeness -- and a pair of green cat's eye contact lenses, plus gifts for my kids.)
Having the delightful Felicia Day autograph a Coming Together T-shirt that we'll auction as a charity fundraiser.
Attending Babylon 5 & Stargate ensemble cast panels. It's fun to watch them interact! (Would've preferred to see Claudia Black & Ben Browder on a Farscape panel, since I'm not a Stargate aficionado, but it was still fun!)
Watching the first two seasons of The Guild in a ballroom packed with several hundred other fans.
Abney Park! Oh, and the fan steampunk marriage proposal during their show. Lots of folks got teary-eyed, even the band. :)
There are a few photos uploaded to Facebook (friends-only access), and I'm sure I'll add more as they surface.

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

* I'm the occasionally-visible pirate wench behind the dude in the blood-spattered white T-shirt.

2 comments:

JAlexander said...

Oh sounds like fun. I went with my husband to E3 once a few years back. It's kind of video gamer heaven/expo. Lots of activities, beta releases, programmers, people in costumes, etc... he loved it.

I didn't get caught up in the hoopla. At one point I was talking to some guy and my husband comes running up to me after saying: "Do you know who that was?!"

Ahh - no. :-)

I guess I had a brush with greatness and didn't even know it.

Sorry - I can't remember who he was or even why he was so fantastic. Maybe he invented the X-Box or something.

Michelle Houston/Houston Michaels said...

I am so jealous! I have wanted to attend a Dragon Con for a while now, especially since I am a major Stargate, sort-of Farscape and B5fan. Ben Browder and Michael Shanks are my FAVS from Stargate.

Hubby and I are getting our daughter hooked on the shows (she's seen all of B5 and Stargate, hoping to be able to afford Farscape sometime this century) so maybe when she is a bit older we can attend.

Cool that you got to do the Thriller dance. : ) What a fun way to spend part of an afternoon!

Michelle