AWA 13 con report!
Well, I am a day late, sorry about that, but here is the con report that I said I would post. It's a bit long, so I broke it up into days.
Thursday- After getting off of work at 9 PM, I headed down 385, then 85 south towards Atlanta. Despite being nervous about my car, it acted fine the whole way.
It was a nice drive, and when I saw the Atlanta skyline at night, it was really beautiful. That was worth the 2.5 hour+ drive.
I guess I must have gone the long way around both on 185 and on 75, because it took me at least half an hour more than it should have, but I eventually got
where I needed to go. I was staying at a friend's house in Atlanta before heading to the hotel the next morning.
We talked for a little while, then I went to sleep on a little inflatable mattress. It was a pretty fitful sleep. I was waking up pretty much on the half hour
exactly for a while before getting a little sleep.
Friday- I got up early and chatted with my friend for a few minutes, then got directions to the hotel. It ends up that he lives less than a mile away. When I
called him last night, I did drive by it, but it was dark. It was huge at night, the next morning it looked even more enormous!
I parked in took in only my bookbag and walked in and looked around for a while. I gawked as I walked in. The place is even huger on the inside!
I just walked around for a while getting my bearings and kind of seeing how everything was laid out. There were already cosplayers out, which was very
cool!!!
I didn't have to wait long for my roommates to call me and we met up down in the lobby. It didn't take long for all of us to get our stuff all set up in the
room. I didn't hang there long, I wanted to look around more!
I went down to opening ceremonies with Richard- a friend of my roommates who came along to the con with them. It ended up that I hung mostly with him the
whole con. We really clicked, and I loved hanging out with him!
Anyways we walked in about 30 minutes late, about 12:30 or so, but it was just in time for them to announce the guests. That was the first time I got to see
Vic Mignogna, Mike McFarland, Greg Ayers, and the rest of them. That was good timing! They announced that Chris Patton (Greed in FMA) couldn't come. I had
read it on the AWA forums a couple of nights before. Apparantly, he got a really juicy VA part (that he couldn't name) at the last minute that had like a 5
day limit on the recording. Oh well.
Afterwards, I went back up to the room and got dressed in Raccoon Mario for a short time. We went to the Dealer's room and walked around. Man, that place is
huge! I can't even describe how massive it is! It was pretty fun, and I got alot of pictures, including one with Luigi and Peach.
This also started a weekend full of Ebola. Let me tell you about the story behind it.
About 6-7 years ago, I went to a webiste called giantsmicrobes.com and bought a little plush representation of the Ebola virus. I didn't do much with it for
years, but for some reason, I decided to take it with me to AWA. On a lark, I put it on my badge and carried it with me, hanging around my neck the whole
con. I was joking with Richard that no one would know what it was. Three people got it on the first day. On another lark, when I was taking pictures of
cosplayers, I decided to give someone the Ebola plush and took a pic. Richard and I started joking that we should get a bunch of people with the Ebola and
put it on a website.
Three days and over 300 pics later, I have at least 100 of those with Ebola, and I am working on the website now. I hope to get the details worked out soon,
about aquiring the domain name and web space. Over the course of the con, I got voice actors, staff, volunteers, and normal congoers to get thier pictures
with Ebola.
So we walked around a bit, looked at stuff but didn't buy anything, and got some pics with and without the Ebola.
A little before 2 PM, I changed back and went back down to the Dealer's room and talked to, got autographs from and gave Ebola to Mike McFarland, Rikki
Simmons, and Greg Ayers. Cool!
I walked around for a while, and eventually went back up and changed into Gluttony, then went back to the Dealer's room and got autographs from Vic Mignogna
and Monica Rial. I also gave both of them Ebola, and Vic was dissapointed because he didn't have his camera with him to take a picture of me as Gluttony.
I wandered for a while, then changed out of the costume, then went to the main ballroom to hear Vic in concert. It was him and a keyboard, and a litte
background music for a couple of songs. He has a beautiful voice, and he did "Brothers" which is what I was really hoping to hear, and "Soldier A" with the
help of a couple people from the audience. Hilarous!
Earlier in the day, during the autograph session, I asked Vic about a rumor I heard (which was actually just what an FMA fan online told me), that if someone
gives him a pic of Roy, he will draw a mustache on it. He said he might. So after the concert I handed him the little Roy plush that always hangs from the
rear view mirror of my car, and he gave Roy a mustache and goatee. Funny!
I watched Totally Lame Anime for a while (which is what it sounds like, some of the worst Japaneese, Chineese and Korean cartoons, and the guy running it
does some commentary over it. After that was Anime Hell, which was random things from Japan, the US, and all around- from the infamous "Duck and Cover"
informational short film from the 40's, to intermission trailers of the 50's and 60's Japaneese and US ads for robots and games from the 80's and more.
I tried to retire for the night after that, but due to some noises in our room, I really got little sleep at all. Oh well. It was okay.
Saturday- I got up, got ready, and walked around a little, desperatly looking for someone to help me with my makeup for Gluttony. I needed it for 10 AM. I
eventually found one of my roommates and was ready by about 9:45 AM. I went to the Vic Q&A panel as Gluttony. He told us some great stories. It was a good
time.
After that, I went down to the Dealer's room and stood in line. I didn't get anything else autographed, but I got to chat with Vic for a second, and he got a
pic with Gluttony. :) I have to admit that it was cool. He was happy to see me when I got to the front of the line. "Hey, it's you!" he said.
I walked around for a while with Richard afterwards and got lots of Ebola pics!
We hung back in the room for a short time, resting weary feet and relaxing for a while, and I put on the World of Warcraft South Park episode. I can never
watch that enough, it is so funny!!!
At about 5 PM, I went downstairs and met up with some Risembool Rangers, and a group of us went with Vic to Joe's Crab Shack. It was a great time! I was
laughing my head off with the people around me, especially one couple, where one was cosplaying as Ed and her boyfriend was an AWESOME Scar! And such a nice
guy!
At the end of the meal, we were all outside and I was talking to my hubby on the phone, and got Vic to talk to him for a second, which was funny. He was
mentioning about me being Gluttony and all. It was embarassing but funny. At the end, we all grouped together, and got a group pic!
I had missed the costume contest, but that was actually okay. I hung out with a couple if really cool Rangers, including the Ed/Scar couple. They were going
to go see the Captains (a J-Pop group), but it took too long for the concert to start, so I just hung with them until close to 10 PM, when I ducked out to go
see Mike McFarland unplugged.
I think that had to be the highlight of the con. I was front row, close to center. And for a warm up, he played "Driver 8" by R.E.M, who is my favorite band
of all times!
He played 12 songs, but the best one was definatly "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. Like I said in the quick update, I can't listen to that song and NOT
think about Havoc. That was the coolest thing in the whole darn world! He did a great cover of "Hurt", and "Blister in the Sun" was hilarious!
My hubby loves the song "Mad World" from Gary Jules, and I tried to call him while he was playing it, but he wasn't close to his phone. Oh well.
After the concert, I told Mike that he did a great job and that I loved the "Driver 8" cover, because R.E.M. is my favorite band. He shook my hand and
thanked me.
After the concert, they had to clear out all the chairs from the middle of the room, so a bunch of us from the audience helped them move themto the back.
Since we helped, we got to stay inside the room instead of waiting ouside in a MASSIVE line while Greg Ayers set up for his "rave" dance. We all got to chat
briefly with him while he set up. It was funny- he told us how he puts dirty socks in his bags so they wont go thru them, and showed us the dirty socks, but
they apparatnly had gent through it anyways, because there was that slip of paper they put in when they open it. I asked him if he would try "tighty whiteys"
and he said even he wouldn't touch those! Hahah!!!
I actually left as soon they start letting people in. I am a little too old to be going to raves. Besides, I guess I must have forgotten my neon glowsticks
at home :)
I went back to the room where I uploadedmy pics and watched Bleach on Cartoon network. I am so far behind! Eventualy I fell into a somewhat more peaceful
sleep then the night before.
Sunday- woke up and went dowstairs about 8 AM or so, found a nice place to sit, and wrote out the con report so far, so I wouldn't forget anything important.
I met up with Richard and we watched some AMV's until about 10 AM, when I went to Reflections with Vic Mignogna. It was'nt really a church service more than
it was a little bit of music and talking. It was very entertaining and informative, and even a very non religious friend of mine said that he liked it
because it wasn't preachy or anything. That actually really made me feel good.
Richard and I wandered around a little bit. I took one last time around the Dealer's room, and I bought a couple of more things. At 2 PM, I went to the FMA
Q&A panel, with Vic and Monica Rial. Before it started, Monica came around and gave out chocolate covered espresso beans. YUMMY!
The panel was very funny, and there were some very good questions asked.
When it was over, we went up to the room and I packed to head home. I am glad all my roomies ended up being there, I didn't want to leave without saying
goodbye. I said my goodbyes and about 4 PM or so, I headed out of the hotel and back home, both happy and sad.
I don't know what con I am going to next, but I know come hell or high water I will make AWA 14 in Septemmber of 2008!!!
Here are a couple of pictures out of the 300. I will try to organize and upload the rest soon!
I am sorty guys. I don't know why, but I cant get the links to work, so just copy and paste.. Sorry. :(
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 099.jpg Greg with Ebola!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 113.jpg Mike and Ebola!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 119.jpg Monica and Ebola!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 125.jpg Vic and Ebola!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 258.jpg Vic, Roy, and I
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 251.jpg Scar... with MEAT!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 278.jpg Mike in concert
Overall it was awesome. I only have a couple of regrets. I wish I had been in Gluttony when there was a FMA group down in the lobby. I wish that I could have gotten to meet Chris Patton, but I wish him the best on that VA job. And I wish that some of the panels hadn't been scheduled at the same time, because I had to miss some things I really wanted to see.
I REALLY regret that I lost Binary's number and never found her.. I am sorry. I REALLY feel terrible. Don't hate me, please!
But the biggest regret was not having a video camera. I am not sure how I wil afford one, but I *WILL* have one next year for sure!
Thursday- After getting off of work at 9 PM, I headed down 385, then 85 south towards Atlanta. Despite being nervous about my car, it acted fine the whole way.
It was a nice drive, and when I saw the Atlanta skyline at night, it was really beautiful. That was worth the 2.5 hour+ drive.
I guess I must have gone the long way around both on 185 and on 75, because it took me at least half an hour more than it should have, but I eventually got
where I needed to go. I was staying at a friend's house in Atlanta before heading to the hotel the next morning.
We talked for a little while, then I went to sleep on a little inflatable mattress. It was a pretty fitful sleep. I was waking up pretty much on the half hour
exactly for a while before getting a little sleep.
Friday- I got up early and chatted with my friend for a few minutes, then got directions to the hotel. It ends up that he lives less than a mile away. When I
called him last night, I did drive by it, but it was dark. It was huge at night, the next morning it looked even more enormous!
I parked in took in only my bookbag and walked in and looked around for a while. I gawked as I walked in. The place is even huger on the inside!
I just walked around for a while getting my bearings and kind of seeing how everything was laid out. There were already cosplayers out, which was very
cool!!!
I didn't have to wait long for my roommates to call me and we met up down in the lobby. It didn't take long for all of us to get our stuff all set up in the
room. I didn't hang there long, I wanted to look around more!
I went down to opening ceremonies with Richard- a friend of my roommates who came along to the con with them. It ended up that I hung mostly with him the
whole con. We really clicked, and I loved hanging out with him!
Anyways we walked in about 30 minutes late, about 12:30 or so, but it was just in time for them to announce the guests. That was the first time I got to see
Vic Mignogna, Mike McFarland, Greg Ayers, and the rest of them. That was good timing! They announced that Chris Patton (Greed in FMA) couldn't come. I had
read it on the AWA forums a couple of nights before. Apparantly, he got a really juicy VA part (that he couldn't name) at the last minute that had like a 5
day limit on the recording. Oh well.
Afterwards, I went back up to the room and got dressed in Raccoon Mario for a short time. We went to the Dealer's room and walked around. Man, that place is
huge! I can't even describe how massive it is! It was pretty fun, and I got alot of pictures, including one with Luigi and Peach.
This also started a weekend full of Ebola. Let me tell you about the story behind it.
About 6-7 years ago, I went to a webiste called giantsmicrobes.com and bought a little plush representation of the Ebola virus. I didn't do much with it for
years, but for some reason, I decided to take it with me to AWA. On a lark, I put it on my badge and carried it with me, hanging around my neck the whole
con. I was joking with Richard that no one would know what it was. Three people got it on the first day. On another lark, when I was taking pictures of
cosplayers, I decided to give someone the Ebola plush and took a pic. Richard and I started joking that we should get a bunch of people with the Ebola and
put it on a website.
Three days and over 300 pics later, I have at least 100 of those with Ebola, and I am working on the website now. I hope to get the details worked out soon,
about aquiring the domain name and web space. Over the course of the con, I got voice actors, staff, volunteers, and normal congoers to get thier pictures
with Ebola.
So we walked around a bit, looked at stuff but didn't buy anything, and got some pics with and without the Ebola.
A little before 2 PM, I changed back and went back down to the Dealer's room and talked to, got autographs from and gave Ebola to Mike McFarland, Rikki
Simmons, and Greg Ayers. Cool!
I walked around for a while, and eventually went back up and changed into Gluttony, then went back to the Dealer's room and got autographs from Vic Mignogna
and Monica Rial. I also gave both of them Ebola, and Vic was dissapointed because he didn't have his camera with him to take a picture of me as Gluttony.
I wandered for a while, then changed out of the costume, then went to the main ballroom to hear Vic in concert. It was him and a keyboard, and a litte
background music for a couple of songs. He has a beautiful voice, and he did "Brothers" which is what I was really hoping to hear, and "Soldier A" with the
help of a couple people from the audience. Hilarous!
Earlier in the day, during the autograph session, I asked Vic about a rumor I heard (which was actually just what an FMA fan online told me), that if someone
gives him a pic of Roy, he will draw a mustache on it. He said he might. So after the concert I handed him the little Roy plush that always hangs from the
rear view mirror of my car, and he gave Roy a mustache and goatee. Funny!
I watched Totally Lame Anime for a while (which is what it sounds like, some of the worst Japaneese, Chineese and Korean cartoons, and the guy running it
does some commentary over it. After that was Anime Hell, which was random things from Japan, the US, and all around- from the infamous "Duck and Cover"
informational short film from the 40's, to intermission trailers of the 50's and 60's Japaneese and US ads for robots and games from the 80's and more.
I tried to retire for the night after that, but due to some noises in our room, I really got little sleep at all. Oh well. It was okay.
Saturday- I got up, got ready, and walked around a little, desperatly looking for someone to help me with my makeup for Gluttony. I needed it for 10 AM. I
eventually found one of my roommates and was ready by about 9:45 AM. I went to the Vic Q&A panel as Gluttony. He told us some great stories. It was a good
time.
After that, I went down to the Dealer's room and stood in line. I didn't get anything else autographed, but I got to chat with Vic for a second, and he got a
pic with Gluttony. :) I have to admit that it was cool. He was happy to see me when I got to the front of the line. "Hey, it's you!" he said.
I walked around for a while with Richard afterwards and got lots of Ebola pics!
We hung back in the room for a short time, resting weary feet and relaxing for a while, and I put on the World of Warcraft South Park episode. I can never
watch that enough, it is so funny!!!
At about 5 PM, I went downstairs and met up with some Risembool Rangers, and a group of us went with Vic to Joe's Crab Shack. It was a great time! I was
laughing my head off with the people around me, especially one couple, where one was cosplaying as Ed and her boyfriend was an AWESOME Scar! And such a nice
guy!
At the end of the meal, we were all outside and I was talking to my hubby on the phone, and got Vic to talk to him for a second, which was funny. He was
mentioning about me being Gluttony and all. It was embarassing but funny. At the end, we all grouped together, and got a group pic!
I had missed the costume contest, but that was actually okay. I hung out with a couple if really cool Rangers, including the Ed/Scar couple. They were going
to go see the Captains (a J-Pop group), but it took too long for the concert to start, so I just hung with them until close to 10 PM, when I ducked out to go
see Mike McFarland unplugged.
I think that had to be the highlight of the con. I was front row, close to center. And for a warm up, he played "Driver 8" by R.E.M, who is my favorite band
of all times!
He played 12 songs, but the best one was definatly "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. Like I said in the quick update, I can't listen to that song and NOT
think about Havoc. That was the coolest thing in the whole darn world! He did a great cover of "Hurt", and "Blister in the Sun" was hilarious!
My hubby loves the song "Mad World" from Gary Jules, and I tried to call him while he was playing it, but he wasn't close to his phone. Oh well.
After the concert, I told Mike that he did a great job and that I loved the "Driver 8" cover, because R.E.M. is my favorite band. He shook my hand and
thanked me.
After the concert, they had to clear out all the chairs from the middle of the room, so a bunch of us from the audience helped them move themto the back.
Since we helped, we got to stay inside the room instead of waiting ouside in a MASSIVE line while Greg Ayers set up for his "rave" dance. We all got to chat
briefly with him while he set up. It was funny- he told us how he puts dirty socks in his bags so they wont go thru them, and showed us the dirty socks, but
they apparatnly had gent through it anyways, because there was that slip of paper they put in when they open it. I asked him if he would try "tighty whiteys"
and he said even he wouldn't touch those! Hahah!!!
I actually left as soon they start letting people in. I am a little too old to be going to raves. Besides, I guess I must have forgotten my neon glowsticks
at home :)
I went back to the room where I uploadedmy pics and watched Bleach on Cartoon network. I am so far behind! Eventualy I fell into a somewhat more peaceful
sleep then the night before.
Sunday- woke up and went dowstairs about 8 AM or so, found a nice place to sit, and wrote out the con report so far, so I wouldn't forget anything important.
I met up with Richard and we watched some AMV's until about 10 AM, when I went to Reflections with Vic Mignogna. It was'nt really a church service more than
it was a little bit of music and talking. It was very entertaining and informative, and even a very non religious friend of mine said that he liked it
because it wasn't preachy or anything. That actually really made me feel good.
Richard and I wandered around a little bit. I took one last time around the Dealer's room, and I bought a couple of more things. At 2 PM, I went to the FMA
Q&A panel, with Vic and Monica Rial. Before it started, Monica came around and gave out chocolate covered espresso beans. YUMMY!
The panel was very funny, and there were some very good questions asked.
When it was over, we went up to the room and I packed to head home. I am glad all my roomies ended up being there, I didn't want to leave without saying
goodbye. I said my goodbyes and about 4 PM or so, I headed out of the hotel and back home, both happy and sad.
I don't know what con I am going to next, but I know come hell or high water I will make AWA 14 in Septemmber of 2008!!!
Here are a couple of pictures out of the 300. I will try to organize and upload the rest soon!
I am sorty guys. I don't know why, but I cant get the links to work, so just copy and paste.. Sorry. :(
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 099.jpg Greg with Ebola!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 113.jpg Mike and Ebola!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 119.jpg Monica and Ebola!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 125.jpg Vic and Ebola!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 258.jpg Vic, Roy, and I
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 251.jpg Scar... with MEAT!
www.seaweedotter.com/Picture 278.jpg Mike in concert
Overall it was awesome. I only have a couple of regrets. I wish I had been in Gluttony when there was a FMA group down in the lobby. I wish that I could have gotten to meet Chris Patton, but I wish him the best on that VA job. And I wish that some of the panels hadn't been scheduled at the same time, because I had to miss some things I really wanted to see.
I REALLY regret that I lost Binary's number and never found her.. I am sorry. I REALLY feel terrible. Don't hate me, please!
But the biggest regret was not having a video camera. I am not sure how I wil afford one, but I *WILL* have one next year for sure!