OMG OMG OMG DragonCon!!!!
So I did a few things this year at DragonCon.
Used to be, programming didn't start til 1pm on Friday, and I was working a normal day job, so we didn't check in until Friday evening. Nowadays, *official* programming starts on Friday morning, and the pre-parties and bands start Thursday night. And even that's not as hard-core as it gets--some hardy souls got here on *Wednesday* night and attended a pre-pre-party. We're not that hard-core. But still.
Also used to be I didn't bother costuming for Thursday night. I mean, nothing was going on except a few concerts, right? But I've gotten to the point where I simply feel naked going around in jeans and a t-shirt at DragonCon. I still don't do one of my full character costumes, but what's a con concert without at least a light-up crinoline and a pair of wings?
...
On Friday, I decided there was nothing worth getting up early for, so my first panel was a belly dance lesson at 11:30. I was about half an hour late, though, because I kept getting distracted by all the shiny DragonCon. Where there used to be a restaurant on the Hyatt ballroom level, there was a giant booth set up to demo a video game called Flavor Monsters. They put me in front of a video screen and told me to do a bunch of silly things, which is very little different from the work I do on DCTV, so I felt right at home.
...
So, right, anyway. The bellydance class was actually quite good, well taught and fun. I left the room and got right back in line to see the next thing, the Jedi lightsaber battles. Every year I put them on my schedule, and never quite get around to seeing them. Since they were in the same ballroom as the bellydance class, I didn't have to run across three hotels, and I got a good spot in the line. It was fun; basically stage-fighting with glowy swords. They were pretty good at the martial arts, less so at the witty dialog.
...
Having discovered that the best way to get a good spot in the ballroom line was to be in the previous panel in that ballroom, I left the Jedi a bit early and sat back down outside the room to wait for David Prowse, who played approximately 1/3 of Darth Vader. Technically there were four Vaders: Prowse in the costume, James Earl Jones in the microphone, a stunt man (though Prowse, as a former body builder, did many of his own stunts, including throwing the Emperor off the balcony of the Death Star), and another guy who played the dying, maskless Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi.
Prowse is a sweet, mellow guy, who really enjoys being at DragonCon. There are some celebs who definitely throw off vibes of "I can't believe all you people are here, I'm only here because they're paying me." Not Prowse--he really loves coming and talking to us. He talked about his background in body building, and his accidental entry into stage and then film acting, and also his 10-year stint as a public safety super-hero character in the UK. I don't usually stand in line to see celebrity actors, but I'm glad to have spent some time on this one.
Then I met Aaron for some much-needed nourishment, and we decided to take in a movie. Peter Linz, the voice and puppeteer of Walter, the star of the new Muppet movie, gave commentary while the film played. Another sweet guy, completely thrilled to be here. After his talk, he hopped down from the podium and let people have pictures with him--something of a novelty, he said, because usually it's the puppet people want pictures of. Even being on stage talking, where everyone could *see* him, was a little strange to him.
Puppetry got its own track this year, by the way, and it was *wonderful*. In addition to Peter, Heather Henson was there talking about her father's work, and her own studio, Ibex Puppetry. Voltaire did a talk on his stop-motion work, and there were were workshops on hand puppets, bun raku, and marionettes.
...
Well, it was only 8:30, and DragonCon runs pretty much round the clock, but I was fried. Aaron, having slept past noon, would likely be out late listening to bands, but I'd been up at 10 lacing myself into my corset. Figuring I'd better pace myself, especially since I'd be getting up early for the parade Saturday morning, I made it an early night. (Speaking of corsets, R234DD was a great success again, though the lights on the hat were only working intermittently. I need to check the wiring. I also need to sew up a seam that started to split, and touch up the fabric glue in a couple places.)
So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Used to be, programming didn't start til 1pm on Friday, and I was working a normal day job, so we didn't check in until Friday evening. Nowadays, *official* programming starts on Friday morning, and the pre-parties and bands start Thursday night. And even that's not as hard-core as it gets--some hardy souls got here on *Wednesday* night and attended a pre-pre-party. We're not that hard-core. But still.
Also used to be I didn't bother costuming for Thursday night. I mean, nothing was going on except a few concerts, right? But I've gotten to the point where I simply feel naked going around in jeans and a t-shirt at DragonCon. I still don't do one of my full character costumes, but what's a con concert without at least a light-up crinoline and a pair of wings?
...
On Friday, I decided there was nothing worth getting up early for, so my first panel was a belly dance lesson at 11:30. I was about half an hour late, though, because I kept getting distracted by all the shiny DragonCon. Where there used to be a restaurant on the Hyatt ballroom level, there was a giant booth set up to demo a video game called Flavor Monsters. They put me in front of a video screen and told me to do a bunch of silly things, which is very little different from the work I do on DCTV, so I felt right at home.
...
So, right, anyway. The bellydance class was actually quite good, well taught and fun. I left the room and got right back in line to see the next thing, the Jedi lightsaber battles. Every year I put them on my schedule, and never quite get around to seeing them. Since they were in the same ballroom as the bellydance class, I didn't have to run across three hotels, and I got a good spot in the line. It was fun; basically stage-fighting with glowy swords. They were pretty good at the martial arts, less so at the witty dialog.
...
Having discovered that the best way to get a good spot in the ballroom line was to be in the previous panel in that ballroom, I left the Jedi a bit early and sat back down outside the room to wait for David Prowse, who played approximately 1/3 of Darth Vader. Technically there were four Vaders: Prowse in the costume, James Earl Jones in the microphone, a stunt man (though Prowse, as a former body builder, did many of his own stunts, including throwing the Emperor off the balcony of the Death Star), and another guy who played the dying, maskless Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi.
Prowse is a sweet, mellow guy, who really enjoys being at DragonCon. There are some celebs who definitely throw off vibes of "I can't believe all you people are here, I'm only here because they're paying me." Not Prowse--he really loves coming and talking to us. He talked about his background in body building, and his accidental entry into stage and then film acting, and also his 10-year stint as a public safety super-hero character in the UK. I don't usually stand in line to see celebrity actors, but I'm glad to have spent some time on this one.
Then I met Aaron for some much-needed nourishment, and we decided to take in a movie. Peter Linz, the voice and puppeteer of Walter, the star of the new Muppet movie, gave commentary while the film played. Another sweet guy, completely thrilled to be here. After his talk, he hopped down from the podium and let people have pictures with him--something of a novelty, he said, because usually it's the puppet people want pictures of. Even being on stage talking, where everyone could *see* him, was a little strange to him.
Puppetry got its own track this year, by the way, and it was *wonderful*. In addition to Peter, Heather Henson was there talking about her father's work, and her own studio, Ibex Puppetry. Voltaire did a talk on his stop-motion work, and there were were workshops on hand puppets, bun raku, and marionettes.
...
Well, it was only 8:30, and DragonCon runs pretty much round the clock, but I was fried. Aaron, having slept past noon, would likely be out late listening to bands, but I'd been up at 10 lacing myself into my corset. Figuring I'd better pace myself, especially since I'd be getting up early for the parade Saturday morning, I made it an early night. (Speaking of corsets, R234DD was a great success again, though the lights on the hat were only working intermittently. I need to check the wiring. I also need to sew up a seam that started to split, and touch up the fabric glue in a couple places.)
So the evening and the morning were the first day.