This is the longest we've stayed at Dragon Con. Usually we only go down for Saturday, but this time we splurged and bought memberships to the entire con. We still didn't get to stay in one of the host hotels, though; we'll save that dream for another year. Commuting in each day from Alpharetta was much cheaper. We used a website that lets you book parking spots in advance, so that was one less headache.
The parade was fun, but it's getting harder and harder to find a good place to sit. You have to get there earlier every year. This year we got there nearly two hours before the parade, and Peachtree Street was already full. This meant we had to go further down the parade route, on an East-West street instead of a North-South street. This is significant because it means instead of the sun being blocked by all the skyscrapers, the sun now shines directly upon you.
So we sat in the hot sun for about two hours before the parade even started. We misjudged how much water to pack, so by the time the parade was over, we both had a bit of heatstroke. We were so worn out that it affected our energy levels for the rest of the day.
But the parade? Worth it. There were so many people in creative costumes, some 100% movie authentic, others clever mashups or puns, and some so obscure or meta that they only make sense at Dragon Con. There were a couple of celebrities - John de Lancie, Joel Hodgson, maybe more. The crowd went crazy for them.
We didn't go to any symposiums this time. We rarely do. For us, Dragon Con is mostly about seeing all the geeks and taking lots of pictures. In the artists hall, I got to meet comic book writer Gail Simone. To be honest, I know her more because of her politics than for her actual writing, but she's still one of my favorite people.
At first I was too nervous to approach her. It wasn't just that I was intimidated, but I also just didn't know what I wanted to say. When I told my wife about my embarrassment, she pulled me over and introduced us. "Hi, are you Gail Simone? This is my husband, Matt. He's a huge fan, but he's really shy." That didn't exactly make me less embarrassed, but at least it broke the ice.
She was signing things for free, and I wanted to buy a comic for her to sign, but she didn't take plastic and we rarely carry cash. A stranger behind us was so sympathetic that he bought me a comic book. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't hear of it. Again, embarrassing, but really nice. I swear they must think I'm mentally challenged or something.
On Sunday I had a photo op with Felicia Day. This is the third celebrity photo op I've done (the others being Matt Smith/Karen Gillan, and John Barrowman). I'd really like to start a collection, but it's an expensive hobby.
You don't get to talk much at the photo ops (if you want a longer conversation, go to the autograph halls), but Felicia was extremely friendly and made a point of saying something to everyone. When it was my turn, she told me she loved my MST3K shirt, and I tried to say "thank you" but I don't think any actual sound came out. After the photo, she said to make sure I watch the new season, and I think I replied something like "larfleglimph."
They had a deal where if you give blood, you get a free T-shirt. There were people all over the con holding up signs for the blood drive, usually announcing "No waiting", but I didn't want to risk not having enough energy for the rest of the day. So once we were nearly done on Sunday, since I knew my wife would be driving home, I decided to go for it.
And everyone else had the same idea. There was a pretty long line to give blood, but I got to listen to a lot of interesting people. It was strange to see all these costumed people giving blood, especially when some are dressed like creatures you wouldn't want to receive blood from. Even the Flying Spaghetti Monster was sitting in line.
The actual process was relatively painless, no different from having blood drawn at the doctor, it just took a little longer. I strongly encourage others to give blood if they can.
When I got home, I posted my Felicia Day pic on Twitter, and Felicia Day herself liked it. Okay, she probably "likes" every post she's tagged in (and she might even hire somebody to manage her Twitter account), but it still gave me a little thrill.
All in all, it was a great trip. I don't think we're going to go to Dragon Con very often any more; it's just getting too crowded. Attendance has nearly tripled since the first time we attended, and between the heat and the people, we just don't have the energy. The only way I will go there from now on is if we can actually stay in one of the host hotels, which requires a lot of money and fore planning. My dream vacation would be to stay at the Marriott from Thursday all the way until Monday, so I can just go back to my room to rest whenever I want.
Maybe some day!
