Another Comic Con has come and gone (actually several weeks
ago, but there was a delay in getting the photos), and my walls are now a
little more cluttered. This was my second such convention, and I’m starting to
get the hang of them at last: bring a lot of money, prepare to be crushed with
semi-hygienic people, and really think before making a purchase (this year I
was sorely tempted by a Portal
cookie-jar, but decided I didn’t want to be carrying a ceramic companion cube
around with me for the rest of the day).
Now, I know what some of you are
thinking: Tanaka, you oddly charismatic fellow, why would anyone go to such a
convention? What is there to do there? Well, there’s quite a bit to do. If
you’re confused or overwhelmed, however, here are some starter ideas:
1. Meet celebrities your friends have never heard of: this
year I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Savini; the make-up and effects artist
behind such films as Dawn of the Dead,
Friday the 13th, and Friday the 13th Part IV: The
Final Chapter (spoiler: it wasn’t). I’ve always been fascinated by special
effects and special effects artists, and Savini is one of the best of his
generation. I got his autograph, shook his hand (to put it another way, I shook
the hand that made Jason), and was so excited I almost forgot to pay. He came
across as a very friendly, good-natured guy, laughing and smiling the whole
time. When I almost forgot to pay for my poster he noted that it ‘happens all
the time.’
Meeting Bumblebee in person, on the other hand, was a
disappointment.
2. Admire the cosplay: there are some very good cosplayers
at these things, ranging from the professionals of the 501st Legion
(who do charity work all around the world like visiting children’s hospitals
dressed as Darth Vader) to some amateur, but very talented fans. The best I saw
were one fellow dressed very elaborately as the Scarecrow (the Batman villain,
not the Wizard of Oz character) and a couple of young ladies dressed as Chell
and GLaDOS. Then there’s the joy of seeing things like Deadpool, Lara Croft,
and Batman all posing for a photo together, or having a diminutive Death Star
gunner remove her helmet to reveal an adorable girl of about eight.
3. Abhor the cosplay: Ladies, if you want to go as Poison
Ivy, please keep the following points in mind: a). there are a number of Poison
Ivy costume possibilities, and some are not well suited to certain body types.
And b). there is a fine line between ‘cosplaying’ and ‘showing up in your
underwear.’
4. Misread the “Concessions” sign and unveil your deepest,
darkest secrets to the poor young man trying to serve you over-priced food
before realizing that what you thought was an ‘f’ was actually a ‘c’ and that
you’re not getting absolution any time soon.
*Note: I didn’t actually do this (this year), but it’s a
possibility.
5. Eat overpriced food: as alluded to above, the food at
these places is absurdly expensive: single hot dogs were $3.00 a piece, curly
fries $3.50, and so on. It’s become something of a standing joke in the geek
community how pricey the food can be at Conventions like this.
6. Admire the artwork: there’s a lot of very good artwork on
display at these conventions, mostly by professional or semi-professional
artists. You can pretty easily find something that caters to your precise
tastes with minimal trouble, such as this ‘Alien vs. Predator’ picture that
currently adorns my wall.
7. Be horrified by the artwork: a substantial amount of the
‘art’ on display is of the kind you ordinarily have to click “I certify that I
am 18 years old and no minors are present with me” in order to view.
8. Realize just how darn many different toys are out there:
there are lots and lots of toys on
display at these things, ranging from small action figures with half the pieces
missing (one booth had, among other things, a single arm of a particular
figure. The figure itself was long gone, but the right arm was for sale) to
foot-high, high-quality figures costing several hundred dollars a piece (oddly
enough, a ‘Rocky Balboa’ figure at one booth was about a hundred dollars more
expensive than a much-more-complex ‘Predator’ figure right next to it). That
Alien Queen Statue would sure look good on my bookshelf…
9. Bask/cringe in the sheer geekiness: you see all sorts at
these conventions, from attractive young people (like me) to middle-aged
parents and their little kids, to the weird, tattooed-and-pierced types. But
here we all speak the same language and when someone makes a ‘Resident Evil’
joke, everyone gets it.
10. Have fun: above all, these conventions are a lot of fun. You laugh at the hilariously
on-target motivational posters (“Expendability: Spock, Kirk, McCoy, and Ensign
Jones have landed on the planet. Guess which one isn’t coming back.”), toy with
the idea of shilling fifty-bucks over for a replica of the Master Sword, pose
for photos with your favorite voice actor, chuckle at the idea of a plush chestburster,
and just overall relish the fact that you have a whole day (or three) to
indulge in your rather-precise interests with thousands of people who share
them.
Bonus: for those so inclined, you can plan your elaborate
cosplay idea for next year’s convention. Like, oh, I don’t know, a Gordon
Freeman outfit that includes a crowbar-sheath, a storage-area for notebooks and
purchases, and which is strong enough to possibly defend you incase a Resonance
Cascade Scenario should occur during the convention…
See ya next year, folks!
No comments:
Post a Comment