Dealing with the post-Dragon Con blues

Did you have to go to work today? Are you currently staring at your computer screen, bereft of happiness and longing for a stroll through the Marriott?

Push the button, Frank. Frank! Push the button! Can't you hear me? I'm two people!

You're likely experiencing what's known as the post-Dragon Con blues. Sadly, there's no cure. Yes, you'll be like this forever, or until Dragon Con 2015, whichever comes first.

Thankfully, there are some quack remedies that I've come up with to help ease the pain you'll feel sinking back into mundane life. They follow:

- Look at amazing pictures taken at Dragon Con. Here's a gallery. Here's another. How about this gallery? And, of course, this one over here.

- Plan for your next con now. If you need a list, then check this out. Then attend all these cons, report back and let me know how things went. Thanks.

- Get your friends to nominate and then choose the most valuable person at the con. In this sense, "valuable" means most odd, interesting, horrifying, goofy, memorable or actually valuable.

Here's a selection of what my besties came up with:

That random guy we ran into in the Underdark of the Hyatt late one night. He had difficulty making eye contact and spoke incoherently about his job. What did he want? I don't know.

Rogue, the singer for "The Cruxshadows." While on stage he lamented that his massive tour bus broke down and needed a new transmission. He also sang a gothy version of "Happy Birthday." So, yeah, valuable.

The Batgirl bikini woman from the Mechanical Masquerade. Ma'am, I salute you. Thank you for saving Gotham.

Kissing booth guy. This guy was great. His costume was a walking kissing booth. He accepted dollar bills for kisses, and apparently was making bank. We ran into him Sunday night in the Marriott, and I will totally steal his idea for next year.

Until then, party on Bane. Party on Darth.

Dragon Con -- the final night

You knew it would come, despite your protestations of the never ending con suite: the last night of Dragon Con.

Why didn't they just fly to Mordor? Maybe she knows.

How to spend your final evening in a makeshift city of some 62,000 people? There's really only one answer -- dress up and walk around.

The costumes this year were, as expected, insane. Check out a few of them here. You can see parade pictures here.

Sunday night wasn't nearly as crowded as Saturday. You could actually walk at a steady pace from the Hyatt to the Marriott via the overground walkways and not have a sense of overwhelming claustrophobia sink in.

Some of the best costumes that I stumbled upon include a robot built out of a Segway. You can find it in the first photo gallery linked above.

Then there were Frodo Baggins and Gollum -- two kids walking around the Marriott during the day. I couldn't tell if they'd be the coolest kids at school or scarred by Dragon Con memories in their teens. Maybe both.

Be sure to check this blog for a final wrap-up of the con, a succinct list of my hopes and dreams for next year and quite possibly a few more pics.

The crowds of Dragon Con

Stuff -- and things -- can get a little intense at Dragon Con.

What I'm talking about here, of course, is the overwhelming press of people you'll find wandering the halls and streets of the con.

We are the sword that guards the realms of men ... from a hotel lobby.

Saturday hopefully was the worst that's now done. If you were here, then you know the sensation of being part of a faceless horde. If you couldn't be here, then know that Dragon Con can resemble Mardi Gras in New Orleans in more ways than one.

Despite my best fears I ventured out Saturday night for some quality con walking and costume seeing. The Marriott is the best place to see people. That will still be true tonight, which is the last real chance you'll get this year to see some amazing costumes at the con.

Many find a spot at "Pulse," the bar just above the Marriott's lobby. You can watch the masses mill about below you, but you're not going to get the best pictures.

You might want to brave the crowds of the lobby itself, where you can get the best pics. Hit the lobby about 10 p.m., stay for a bit and then find a ballroom party where you'll see even more costumes. The party, however, will have tables and chairs you can sit at.

See you there.

This ... is Dragon Con

You can typically be assured that you're going to see some Storm Troopers when you venture into the night-fabled halls of Dragon Con.

I just ... I don't ... what?

Mash-ups, however, are always a gut-twisting yet enjoyable surprise.

The Marriott is the place to see and be seen and pay an unholy amount of money for a simple gin martini, so put it on your bucket list now. You'll want to visit to the Marriott both Saturday and Sunday nights to show off your costume. The crowd is a madhouse by 10 p.m. It'll start thinning by 1 a.m. Plan accordingly.

Make sure you don't get lost in the press of the crowd and miss out everything else the con has to offer late at night. Bands are always playing in one of the massive ballrooms in the Marriott and Hyatt, and you usually don't have to wait in line.

Can't make it to the con but you desperately want to be a part of geekdom? Easily done. Check out some of our pics here, and of course, over here.

Thursday night con walking

The Marriott has rarely been this busy on a Thursday night at Dragon Con.

Whenever there's a quack in the night, he'll be there.

Much like a mild winter foretells a rough summer, so go the days of our Dragon Con. If you're lucky enough to be here, expect even more costumes tonight, more people tonight and a much, much longer wait at the bar.

What I'm trying to say here is that while Thursday night was good, Friday night will be great, despite the press of the crowd growing ever closer to you.

Here's some tips:

Find a spot in the Marriott by a wall and stay put. All the great costumes will pass by and you can get pictures of your favorites without having to move terribly much.

Alternatively you can find a spot on the mezzanine level of the Hyatt and watch the con from a pleasant vantage point.

A third option: dress up yourself and bask in the self-esteem boost that comes when people ask you for a photo. Make sure you have a costume that will elicit said photos which result in self-esteem boost.

Now, on to the con.

Low-impact packing for Dragon Con

It ain't pretty, and it sure isn't fun but we all gotta pack for Dragon Con.

I've done this a few times before, and I figured I'd sprinkle some tips before you just fill up a garbage bag with your clothes, toss it in the car and head to Atlanta all Jersey Shore-style. I'm looking at you, Angelina.

A Doctor Who scarf, pimp stick and Burger King crown. Yup, I'm ready.

First thing: don't forget the necessities. Sure, you're going to wear your fairy wings and glitter 24/7, but that doesn't mean you should forgo a few T-shirts, a pair of jeans and some really, I mean truly, comfortable walking shoes.

Think of how many days you'll be there and pack accordingly. You'll need your fair share of socks, pants, shirts and unmentionables.

Second: Don't forget the food. You can wait in line at Sbarro's for 30 minutes if you want, but I'm bringing some snacks to tide me over. I'll likely eat out a few times at the con, but I'll always have a stash of food in the hotel room when I'd rather play a game.

Third: Booze. There's a liquor store across from the Hyatt and another near the Sheraton. Frequent these in emergencies only. You can get your liquor cheaper at home. You'll save time, money and hassle. Just be sure it's packed securely and won't break on the trip to the con.

Everything else: If possible, pull up to your hotel, get all your stuff out and then have someone park your vehicle in one of many parking decks in downtown Atlanta. You'll still pay a hefty sum, but it'll be cheaper than parking at the hotel. Also you get the added bonus of putting your luggage on a cart when you take it to your room, instead of hauling it three blocks down Peachtree.

Any questions? Good. See you at the con.

An excerpt from The Rome News-Tribune article I wrote about Dragon Con:


It’s a crunch most Dragon Con attendees feel at some point — the desperate search for that final costume piece.

Picture unrelated. Or is it? I'll never tell.

Tim Groves was under the ray gun, if you will, last week. Scrounging for the final pieces of his Captain America outfit, Groves needed red gloves and boots to make the costume complete.

“We’ve always liked sci-fi and comic books,” Groves said about himself and his son Alex, who will attend the annual convention in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend. “That’s one thing that drew our interest.”

They’re not the only ones drawn to science fiction and superheroes. Dragon Con, which bills itself as the largest multimedia, popular culture convention focusing on sci-fi, fantasy, comics, literature and movies, among other facets of geekdom, brings tens of thousands of people to downtown Atlanta each year.

Like Star Wars? This is the place for you. Prefer high fantasy? Not a problem. Interested in fan fiction involving Tyrion Lannister sharing a drink with Doctor Who?

Check, check, check.

Read the complete article here.

This Is Dragon Con!!!

We have been patient. We have remained subdued. For 12 long months we have silently cried in dark rooms, waiting for the seasons to again return us to this time.

This trio is no doubt yearning for its sweet return to Dragon Con

Dragon Con time.

Billed as the largest multi-media, popular culture convention that focuses on sci-fi and fantasy, Dragon Con will inhabit five downtown Atlanta hotels over Labor Day weekend. Tens of thousands of people will descend on the con in less than two weeks, donning costumes and rubbing elbows with the upper crust of geekdom.

You should be among them.

This blog is a pseudopod of The Rome News-Tribune, the daily newspaper of Northwest Georgia. On this blog you will read firsthand accounts of the con as I cover it. Photos will appear here and on the Rome News' website. Your commentary, while not compulsory, is appreciated.

If you're going to the con and you're from the Rome area, give me a shout at ariquelmy@npco.com. I'd like to catch up with you while you're learning Dothraki or scrounging for a steal in the Dealers Room.

If you can't make it to the con, make sure you keep returning to this blog for your necessary, perhaps even vital, updates.

Over the next few days I'll sprinkle some advice across this blog and generally build excitement for what is the most scintillating experience of our feeble lives. We are T-minus 11 days to Dragon Con!