The Convention Thread


dc20willsave

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

My ability to attend the convention is going to hinge directly on my income tax return and my student loans. If I end up owing the IRS, which actually could happen to my wife and me this year, I'm screwed (in multiple ways) and won't be able to go. However, in the event that happens, I will either wire or mail some money to Will to offset the cost of the hotel room so it doesn't affect you guys as badly. Sorry about this in advance if that happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All right. Fed, rested, con drop dealt with.

All right, a little backstory: Arisia is the largest fan-run con in the Northeast; picture 3500 hardcore nerds without a single detached professional person there to be sensible or have any kind of a sense of proportion about what's important and what isn't. It took me about half a day or so to mentally adjust myself to things, and I had been there for an hour on Friday when I said "I'm already tired of nerds." However, by the time I watched the radio play version of "Trouble With Tribbles" I was pretty much acclimated.

I was on seven panels over the weekend. This, it turns out, is a lot. I was talking for six hours straight on Sunday alone. However, it was a really good time, and it turns out paneling uses the same muscles as podcasting, except the people listening are actually in the room with you. I wish I had more time to attend panels I wasn't on, and one panelist on a "Marvel movies" panel was a thoroughly unpleasant toad who clearly had a problem with women, but it was overall a very positive experience.

I was actually really well-behaved in the dealers' room. Usually I can drop hundreds of dollars at a con, but I was pretty good. I did find some old G.I. Joe Find Your Fate books for under a buck, and those were fun, as well as some old Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Gamebooks from TSR, which almost but not quite finishes my collection of those. I also got a copy of William Shakespeare's Star Wars, which is a pure firestorm of awesome and HAS TO BE PERFORMED somehow. It is every bit as amazing as it sounded when it was coming out.

The big professionally run shows are a lot of fun, and I love going to them, but there's something to be said for the old-fashioned fan-run conventions. There's a very different vibe, and it's something to experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you do O'hare, looking it up on FareFinder, the cab would cost about 47 bucks. Kellen and the Brits could probably give better advice on it but looking at it, if you take public transit, the Blue Line connects to the Green or Orange Line then walk five minutes to the hotel and it would all cost you five bucks from O'hare.

If you do Midway, looking it up on FareFinder, the cab would cost about 30 bucks. If you take public transit, you just take the Orange Line then walk five minutes to the hotel and it would cost you about 3 bucks.

In the long run, Mike can probably tell you which airport or Line is better to ride on but if you're taking a cab, do Midway. Otherwise, Midway is a shorter transit time on the train.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.