As you can tell by all the amazing
coverage and podcasts that have been posted here on Needless Things,
this week is the con of all cons, Dragon Con. Dragon Con is without a
doubt a nerds home away from home. For a lot of people, it is home
which has been stated by many people including myself. I have only
been two times to the convention and the second time which was last
year was such an incredible experience. Words simply can't do it
justice.
Just a few months ago I thought I was
going to be able to attend but alas due to circumstances beyond my
control I will not be able to go. I'm sure I am not in this boat alone.
There must be many others that want to go very badly but for
different reasons will be watching all the fun on various social
media accounts.
So with all the awesome posts going up
on the site about what they wanted to see at Dragon Con, I thought I
would write one about a few of the things I am going to miss. This
might also give people who are going an idea of some things to do.
Panels
Before I went to Dragon Con in 2014, I
only mildly enjoyed panels. Sure I went to some but it was out of
boredom and not usually on purpose. This changed last year when I
went to the Sci Fi Classics track, namely the Ghostbusters panel which
was on Thursday, I believe at eleven o clock at night. It was a
packed room of people that all had a love for one fandom and that
intrigued me so much, I hunted down as many panels as I could the
rest of the weekend. The Sci Fi Classics track had the majority of the panels that I enjoyed including their Roll-A-Panel which was just a
blast surrounded by like minded people.
Another panel that was right up my
alley was the LOST panel. Yes, this was a panel that was packed with
people talking about their favorite show LOST. It's one of my all
time favorite shows that deserves its own article one day, and in
that room I wasn't alone. We laughed as the two hosts opened up the
floor to questions and discussions about everyone's favorite
character, episode and the ending which got a lot of eye rolls.
I will miss these panels and others
including the Sci Fi Classics Track panel on the Disney Afternoon
which is happening this year. I highly recommend these fan panels,
sure some of them may not have the big celebrities but I find these
to be much better.
After Hours
This sounds dirty and if you want it
too, at Dragon Con it can be but after hours is just the best. What I
mean by after hours is long after the dealer, celebrity, and comic
rooms have closed, the night life begins. Just hanging out in any of
the host hotel lobbies can be a blast even if you don't have friends
to hang out with. I promise if you want too, you will meet people at
Dragon Con, it happens all the time. But more importantly you will be
able to see thousands of costumes and possibly wear your own costumes
if you are into that sort of thing. Which I highly recommend that by
the way.
There is such a variety of randomness
that includes music, dancing, and shows all of which can be impromptu
by con goers and not official programing. It might be a random guitar
player or tap dancer that catches your eye while providing
entertainment.
The ESO Network
I am an avid listener to podcasts. I
have about fifteen that I listen to on a regular basis. Most of those
podcasts are on the ESO Network which if you are reading this, you
probably know that the Needless Things Podcast is on the Network.
It's flagship show is the Earth Station One podcast which is
fantastic and listening to the groups over the years it really makes
me feel like I am part of their group. Some of them don't even know
me but they feel like old friends when I see them. In fact Phantom
Troublemaker and I have only met for approximately fifteen minutes
total in real life but I consider him a good friend.
Last year I had the pleasure to go to
the ESO meet up and hung out with Director Faber and Howdy Mike and
some of the others that have been guests or regulars. They have
always been very kind and awesome in welcoming into the group. I will
miss seeing friends that I only know on a one sided or social media
basis.
Puppetry Track
Even though this is a series of panels
and I have already talked about panels, I am giving the puppetry
track its own mention. After listening to episode 71 of the Needless
Things Podcast (yes I am not just a writer for the site but a huge
fan) I am going to miss all the awesomeness that the puppetry track
has to offer. Ive never been to any part of the track but the amount
of passion that Beau Brown has for it definitely is evident. There
are so many things that sound like so much fun, even if you are not
into the art of puppets, there sounds to be like some very
entertaining things to attend.
Buckets Of Rum
If you are even remotely aware of
Dragon Con then you have probably heard of Buckets Of Rum. They exist
at the Hyatt and its an obscene amount of alcohol in a small bucket.
The Hyatt is also a fantastic place to hang out in the lobby because
the bar is there and has no walls to block the view of all the
fantastic costumes.
Being A Nerd
This might sound silly to some because
you would think I could be a nerd at home. It's different though. I
feel in my normal life if I truly try to be myself, no one
understands me. Or I simply am not allowed to act a certain way due
to strange looks or the fear of being treated like back in grade
school. Dragon Con is a place where I can act a certain way, dress a
certain way, and talk a different way. No one will look at me odd or
judge me and I will miss that the most. Going to a place to see
people love the same things I love is few and far between. Sure there
are other conventions but I promise you none of them feel like Dragon
Con. People in the recent years have complained about the crowds but
I wouldn't want to be surrounded by any other kind of people.
-R.T.
R.T. Ewell (but you can call him Richard if you see him in public) is a nerd and self published author. While also being Needless Thing's resident Lego fanatic & reviewer. His first novella Fat Trapped was released in 2013 introducing the horror world to The Blankenship Family. Some random likes of his are the Batman villain Bane, Jeff Smith's cartoon epic Bone, and the 80's BMX movie RAD.
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