50 Days of Dragon Con Day 8

Podcasts

In my preparation for Dragon Con I listen to a lot of podcasts.  I find anything and everything that I can get my hands on.,  There are some that are informational and educational and there are those that are more just entertainment.  I have been listening to different ones all year and most especially for the last several weeks. 

So my favorite two podcasts have been the Needless Things podcast and Debriefing Dragon Con.  These are totally different from each other.  Needless is put on by Phantom Troublemaker on the ESO Network and is the more entertaining of the two.  He has guests and tidbits of what is to come at con.  Debriefing is put on by the leaders of the Dragon Con for Newbies Facebook group.  This podcast while entertaining, is more for informational for con newbies than anything else.  Having con to con for many years some of the information is kind of redundant BUT every year I get new tips and find out about some changes that are coming to con this year.  Both are amazing and great to listen to.  Debriefing is about 15-30 minutes whereas Needless is usually over an hour.  I recommend checking out both of them.  They are available on iTunes and Stitcher for download. 

Thank you to all of those who put these podcasts on.  They are great to listen to and oh so much fun.  I appreciate all of the information. 

Have fun and you can NEVER be too prepared for con.

50 Days of Dragon Con Day 19

Walk Throughs

A long time ago in a town far far away there was a little convention called Dragon Con.  Dragon con has been around for 25+ years and has gone through many changes.  There have been additions and subtractions of locations and changes of dates.  Things can get kind of confusing some times.

One year I was jonesing for the con so bad I started watching random Dragon Con related YouTube videos and found some by a gentleman named Rich Colvin.  He posted a walk through of all of the hotels and even the food court.  This was sooooo amazing.  These not only helped with the con withdrawal but it also provided lots of good information for those who had never been to con.  OMG it was AWESOME.  Since the time the originals were posted he has done several updates and changes.  Check some of them out here: Rich Colvin Dragon Con Walk Throughs.  Rich did these a few years ago.  Since then, Darren Nowell and Mike Faber of the ESO Network have done one of their own walk throughs which is also extremely helpful.  As I have said, there are many many changes that occur every year.  Check theirs out here: ESO Walk Through.  Even though I have been going to con forever and ever and know where all of these videos take me, I like to remember the happier times.  These videos help take me there.  HEE HEE

Since seeing these, Marc and I have done some on our own.  These are not posted to any channel because, well, they are not appropriate for people of all ages.  (wink wink).  I love watching these in the spring when the con withdrawal starts getting bad.  This year we have two GoPros and will do battling walk throughs so it will be totally different.  I can't wait. 

What I Did Last Night

I am a nerd, geek, dork whatever you want to call me.  I keep it pretty private in reality but in here I am as open as I can be.

I go to conventions.  I have dressed up in the past but at this time I do not feel it is a priority.  I go to see celebrities, go to panels and learn new things.  I go to meet new people and hang out with old friends.  I like conventions.  Some of the smaller conventions I have been to were kind of meeh. I have to say my favorite one is Dragon Con.  Every year I think I need to go to ComicCon in San Diego.  That being said, I heard horror stories year after year and have never really tried to go.  I have even heard that celebrities like Felicia Day have had issues there.  Instead, I will stick with my small more local cons and of course one big one. 

For many years I have gone to Dragon Con in Atlanta.  I love it. LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT.  I have met several friends there and have learned of many new fandoms.  Currently we are 118 days away from the con and I am in total "I can't wait" mode.  This year I am taking my brother with me.  In the past I have gone with my best friend and also I have made my Mom go with me.  She had a blast and I hope she gets the opportunity to come again.  

In my preparations for the con (the BIG ONE) I listen to several of my favorite podcasts and what they have to say about the Con.  See The Khan Report.  This is just one of the many podcasts I listen to.  These are both very specific to Dragon Con and it helps me to deal with the waiting-for-con-funk.  I also watch all of the Youtube videos including the Last Dragon Con parody.  There are many other links if you would like to check out DragonConTv.  I have to do something to get me from the post-con-funk through the waiting-until-con funk until the it-is-almost-here-joy.  

Last night I was suffering through the waiting-for-con-funk and decided to watch the documentary Four Days at Dragon Con.  While watching, I was thinking of what I have done each year and decided to get out the old printed pocket programs.  I looked at what I did each year and what I wanted to do but did not make it to.  Wow, have things changed.  When I started going, there were 30,000 people going and last year there were over 65,000 attendees.   In the beginning there was a paper pocket program that you had to use.  Now, there is an online app that you can use to plan your con.   HOLY crap it has grown.  The most important thing I have discovered in my years of attending cons is that each con is unique.  Make it special to yourself and there is no way you will not have a fantastic time.