CONsole Room Doctor Who convention recap
CONsole Room is a new Doctor Who convention that was held in Minneapolis/St. Paul on May 16-18. The guests were Sophie Aldred (Ace), Deborah Watling (Victoria), and authors Christopher Bahn, Arnold T. Blumberg, Graeme Burk, Lars Pearson, Robert Smith?, and Kathryn Sullivan.
About 535 people attended. I was one of the out-of-towners, flying out from Michigan and making a connection in Chicago. On the way over, my plane was delayed two hours, but my long O'Hare layover meant I had no trouble making the connection.
Just a note before I talk about the con itself. I had leg trouble starting in early May, and unfortunately, it got worse as the convention began. So I basically spent the weekend limping on both legs, relying on my handy new cane to help me get around. This turn of events meant that I couldn't do everything at the con that I had originally intended, but I got by.
So: I went with the Sponsor membership, which was more expensive than the basic membership but came with a lot of perks. I think it actually more than paid for itself. One of those bonuses was admission to the pre-con mixer on Thursday night. We got to eat, talk, and mingle with the guests. Definitely a highlight!
FRIDAY
The dealers' room opened on Friday afternoon and contained a good mix of merchandise, including Big Finish audios, t-shirts, scarves, hats, magnets, buttons, books, and action figures. Trying to keep my budget in check, I looked but didn't buy. Yet. Instead, I headed to the first autograph/photo session with Sophie Aldred and Deborah Watling, banking that the lines would be really short. They were, and I got everything I wanted very quickly. On Sunday, incidentally, the lines snaked all the way out of the room and across the lobby.
Friday's programming slate started at 3pm and featured panels about DVDs, The Sarah Jane Adventures, cosplay, Target novelizations, and much more.
Deborah Watling was onstage for The Web of Fear commentary and was especially into it because this was one of the serials in which her father Jack had appeared. (She lit up on seeing him onscreen: "There's Daddy.") Highlights included stories about how she got into acting in the first place and how she got the role of Professor Travers for her father.
I stayed in Main Programming for the Reality Bomb podcast, which included a segment about The Ambassadors of Death, Graeme Burk telling the story of the first time he met Sophie Aldred, and Sophie adopting a very good American accent for a comedy segment.
Opening Ceremonies (Ceremony?) is always good because you get an introduction to the con and a few words from the guests. I made it this far into the evening's programming, then went up to my room for the night because my legs were killing me. Missed a lot of good programming too, sigh.
SATURDAY
I crammed in as much programming as I could: a Sophie Aldred interview, a Deborah Watling interview, the masquerade, a Torchwood panel, an Eighth Doctor panel, etc. The masquerade was really good. It featured twenty-eight entries, which seemed like a lot to me for a new con. Twelfth Doctor and TARDIS costumes were popular, and a Weeping Angel was a crowd favorite.
Deborah Watling related some fun anecdotes, such as the time when she and Frazer Hines were shooting a scene where they were supposed to run over to a helicopter and climb inside. Nervous about heights, she asked Frazer to let her get in first so she could take the middle seat. He agreed, but when the action started, he sprinted at top speed to the helicopter and nabbed the middle seat, leaving her to cling to the outside seat, cursing him.
Deborah also talked about what a private person Patrick Troughton was. However, at some point, he invited her to his home to meet his family. She went over, and then the following week, he again asked her over to meet his family. When she reminded him that she'd already done this, he said that he was asking her to meet his other family. That was when she realized he had two families, both with children.
Other stories included how she got into acting (she wasn't interested at first but perked up when told she would no longer have to attend school) and remembrances of her father. Deborah said that she thinks she was her father's favorite child, and they were obviously very close. When she saw the role of Professor Travers in The Abominable Snowmen script, she told her father about it and asked if he'd be interested. He replied with a short: "No!" But she told him he was doing it, and he did, plus he reprised the role in The Web of Fear. In response to a question from the audience, though, she said she didn't really pick up any acting tips or techniques from her father, that every actor has to develop their own style.
I also attended a panel about how to make a DW scarf, which, as I expected, focused on knitting a Fourth Doctor scarf. While I'm at the stage where I will only make that scarf anymore as a gift for someone who really, really wants it, I thought it was worth attending the panel to hear about other knitters' techniques and advice as well as to see a few of their projects.
When I saw a Torchwood panel on the schedule, I knew I had to go to it. I don't care how many people disdain the show; I just plain liked it and miss it. And I still have to knit that Torchwood scarf I've been wanting to make for a couple years now.
At the end of the night, I almost went to karaoke, but I also wanted to attend the Eighth Doctor panel. I chose the one that required less energy. The Night of the Doctor, along with The Five(ish) Doctors, far outshone the actual anniversary special in my eyes.
SUNDAY
This was a short day of programming as the con wound down. In Main Programming, a fairly small group of people gathered at 10am to listen to Sophie Aldred talk about her children's show, Tree Fu Tom. Her son Adam appears in both the opening and closing bits of every episode. David Tennant no longer plays Twigs on the show, as he's now too busy. A few clips from the show were featured, which gave me a better idea of what it's like.
The panelists at All About ATB Publishing then discussed past and future books, such as Outside In 2 and Zombiemania Rises. This panel helped me decide whether I'm interested in buying any of the books, either for myself or for someone else.
I skipped two interesting-looking panels in order to attend CONsole Room Feedback. Probably around twenty people showed up, though not everyone commented. Any concerns that were brought up appeared to be relatively minor and/or pretty easy to fix (along the lines of better signage needed, add author autograph sessions next year). Mostly, the people who spoke up said they enjoyed the con, liked the range of programming, thought the volunteers did a great job, etc.
Closing Ceremonies then followed at 2pm. At the beginning, Graeme Burk redid his "how I met Sophie Aldred" bit from the Reality Bomb podcast of Friday--apparently, the first recording was lost. I enjoyed hearing it again, and then the guests all came onstage and said goodbye.
Fortunately, two more panels were still scheduled after that, because I had pretty much nothing to do for the rest of the day and in fact the following morning. (My plane home didn't leave until 2:30 on Monday afternoon, and no way was I doing anything that required much walking.) I attended the Music and Who panel, then the Panel of Lists. Panel of Lists was absolutely the final panel, at 5pm. About seven people attended--I was grateful that it wasn't cancelled! It provided a nice, relaxed wrap-up to the con.
And then on Monday, my plane was almost two hours late leaving Minneapolis and I missed my connection in Chicago and had to wait until the following morning for the next flight. Nice job being considerably late on both legs of my flight, United Airlines. If I attend next year's con, driving for twelve hours to Minneapolis starts to seem more appealing than flying. Unless I can get a direct flight.
Would I go back to CONsole Room next year? Sure, if it works out financially and I can fit it into my schedule. It was a good con. And I'll definitely be at Chicago TARDIS this November. Hopefully without a cane!
A lot of people at the con asked about my Seventh Doctor scarf that I wore quite a bit. If anyone wants to try knitting it, the pattern is here. Best undertaken if you like question marks a lot and are very patient (or determined).
Other CONsole Room reviews: here (this person says the con had room parties, which is news to me, and I stayed in the hotel!) and here
Below, some photos I took at the con. My leg issues meant that I took far fewer pictures than originally planned--I got virtually none in the hallways because I couldn't balance myself properly while handling a camera, and I didn't have the energy to stand in line long enough to get a good seat at the masquerade for taking clear photos. The con's Facebook page has some nice shots, though.
The Mixer
Dealers' Room
The Guests
Masquerade
Dalek
Weeping Angels
About 535 people attended. I was one of the out-of-towners, flying out from Michigan and making a connection in Chicago. On the way over, my plane was delayed two hours, but my long O'Hare layover meant I had no trouble making the connection.
Just a note before I talk about the con itself. I had leg trouble starting in early May, and unfortunately, it got worse as the convention began. So I basically spent the weekend limping on both legs, relying on my handy new cane to help me get around. This turn of events meant that I couldn't do everything at the con that I had originally intended, but I got by.
So: I went with the Sponsor membership, which was more expensive than the basic membership but came with a lot of perks. I think it actually more than paid for itself. One of those bonuses was admission to the pre-con mixer on Thursday night. We got to eat, talk, and mingle with the guests. Definitely a highlight!
FRIDAY
The dealers' room opened on Friday afternoon and contained a good mix of merchandise, including Big Finish audios, t-shirts, scarves, hats, magnets, buttons, books, and action figures. Trying to keep my budget in check, I looked but didn't buy. Yet. Instead, I headed to the first autograph/photo session with Sophie Aldred and Deborah Watling, banking that the lines would be really short. They were, and I got everything I wanted very quickly. On Sunday, incidentally, the lines snaked all the way out of the room and across the lobby.
Friday's programming slate started at 3pm and featured panels about DVDs, The Sarah Jane Adventures, cosplay, Target novelizations, and much more.
Deborah Watling was onstage for The Web of Fear commentary and was especially into it because this was one of the serials in which her father Jack had appeared. (She lit up on seeing him onscreen: "There's Daddy.") Highlights included stories about how she got into acting in the first place and how she got the role of Professor Travers for her father.
I stayed in Main Programming for the Reality Bomb podcast, which included a segment about The Ambassadors of Death, Graeme Burk telling the story of the first time he met Sophie Aldred, and Sophie adopting a very good American accent for a comedy segment.
Opening Ceremonies (Ceremony?) is always good because you get an introduction to the con and a few words from the guests. I made it this far into the evening's programming, then went up to my room for the night because my legs were killing me. Missed a lot of good programming too, sigh.
SATURDAY
I crammed in as much programming as I could: a Sophie Aldred interview, a Deborah Watling interview, the masquerade, a Torchwood panel, an Eighth Doctor panel, etc. The masquerade was really good. It featured twenty-eight entries, which seemed like a lot to me for a new con. Twelfth Doctor and TARDIS costumes were popular, and a Weeping Angel was a crowd favorite.
Deborah Watling related some fun anecdotes, such as the time when she and Frazer Hines were shooting a scene where they were supposed to run over to a helicopter and climb inside. Nervous about heights, she asked Frazer to let her get in first so she could take the middle seat. He agreed, but when the action started, he sprinted at top speed to the helicopter and nabbed the middle seat, leaving her to cling to the outside seat, cursing him.
Deborah also talked about what a private person Patrick Troughton was. However, at some point, he invited her to his home to meet his family. She went over, and then the following week, he again asked her over to meet his family. When she reminded him that she'd already done this, he said that he was asking her to meet his other family. That was when she realized he had two families, both with children.
Other stories included how she got into acting (she wasn't interested at first but perked up when told she would no longer have to attend school) and remembrances of her father. Deborah said that she thinks she was her father's favorite child, and they were obviously very close. When she saw the role of Professor Travers in The Abominable Snowmen script, she told her father about it and asked if he'd be interested. He replied with a short: "No!" But she told him he was doing it, and he did, plus he reprised the role in The Web of Fear. In response to a question from the audience, though, she said she didn't really pick up any acting tips or techniques from her father, that every actor has to develop their own style.
I also attended a panel about how to make a DW scarf, which, as I expected, focused on knitting a Fourth Doctor scarf. While I'm at the stage where I will only make that scarf anymore as a gift for someone who really, really wants it, I thought it was worth attending the panel to hear about other knitters' techniques and advice as well as to see a few of their projects.
When I saw a Torchwood panel on the schedule, I knew I had to go to it. I don't care how many people disdain the show; I just plain liked it and miss it. And I still have to knit that Torchwood scarf I've been wanting to make for a couple years now.
At the end of the night, I almost went to karaoke, but I also wanted to attend the Eighth Doctor panel. I chose the one that required less energy. The Night of the Doctor, along with The Five(ish) Doctors, far outshone the actual anniversary special in my eyes.
SUNDAY
This was a short day of programming as the con wound down. In Main Programming, a fairly small group of people gathered at 10am to listen to Sophie Aldred talk about her children's show, Tree Fu Tom. Her son Adam appears in both the opening and closing bits of every episode. David Tennant no longer plays Twigs on the show, as he's now too busy. A few clips from the show were featured, which gave me a better idea of what it's like.
The panelists at All About ATB Publishing then discussed past and future books, such as Outside In 2 and Zombiemania Rises. This panel helped me decide whether I'm interested in buying any of the books, either for myself or for someone else.
I skipped two interesting-looking panels in order to attend CONsole Room Feedback. Probably around twenty people showed up, though not everyone commented. Any concerns that were brought up appeared to be relatively minor and/or pretty easy to fix (along the lines of better signage needed, add author autograph sessions next year). Mostly, the people who spoke up said they enjoyed the con, liked the range of programming, thought the volunteers did a great job, etc.
Closing Ceremonies then followed at 2pm. At the beginning, Graeme Burk redid his "how I met Sophie Aldred" bit from the Reality Bomb podcast of Friday--apparently, the first recording was lost. I enjoyed hearing it again, and then the guests all came onstage and said goodbye.
Fortunately, two more panels were still scheduled after that, because I had pretty much nothing to do for the rest of the day and in fact the following morning. (My plane home didn't leave until 2:30 on Monday afternoon, and no way was I doing anything that required much walking.) I attended the Music and Who panel, then the Panel of Lists. Panel of Lists was absolutely the final panel, at 5pm. About seven people attended--I was grateful that it wasn't cancelled! It provided a nice, relaxed wrap-up to the con.
And then on Monday, my plane was almost two hours late leaving Minneapolis and I missed my connection in Chicago and had to wait until the following morning for the next flight. Nice job being considerably late on both legs of my flight, United Airlines. If I attend next year's con, driving for twelve hours to Minneapolis starts to seem more appealing than flying. Unless I can get a direct flight.
Would I go back to CONsole Room next year? Sure, if it works out financially and I can fit it into my schedule. It was a good con. And I'll definitely be at Chicago TARDIS this November. Hopefully without a cane!
A lot of people at the con asked about my Seventh Doctor scarf that I wore quite a bit. If anyone wants to try knitting it, the pattern is here. Best undertaken if you like question marks a lot and are very patient (or determined).
Other CONsole Room reviews: here (this person says the con had room parties, which is news to me, and I stayed in the hotel!) and here
Below, some photos I took at the con. My leg issues meant that I took far fewer pictures than originally planned--I got virtually none in the hallways because I couldn't balance myself properly while handling a camera, and I didn't have the energy to stand in line long enough to get a good seat at the masquerade for taking clear photos. The con's Facebook page has some nice shots, though.
The Mixer
Dealers' Room
The Guests
Masquerade
Dalek
Weeping Angels