As I prepare for this year’s DragonCon in Atlanta next week, I’m looking back at the first DragonCon that we attended in 2013…what a blast from the past! And wow, things have changed in 6 years! This was before I learned how to sew, before I knew any of you awesome nerds, before the blog, and at least 2 or so iPhones ago, so photo quality is terrible.
DragonCon, if you’re not familiar, is one of the largest pop culture conventions in the United States, so it was us and 60,000+ of our not-yet-closest friends. To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. We didn’t know where to stay, what to do, who to hang out it, what the hell was up with those lines, none of it! Add to that, I had to fly home to Houston that Saturday morning for a grad class, and I flew back to Atlanta that night after class. I was definitely overstimulated and exhausted. But we geeked out, like everyone in costume was basically a celebrity to me, and we fumbled around the convention like a couple newbs.
We did bring a few costumes we had purchased online (remember, this was before I learned how to sew). One of my favorite costumes from that pre-sewing era was Star Trek: The Next Generation. I’ve mashed up a season 1 skant uniform with Orion green body paint before, but at DragonCon I painted Trill marks on me…and I caught a lot of shit for it. People are unnecessarily rude and judgey (looking at you, random “lady” at Starbucks who wasn’t even in costume!). But the uncharacteristically charming Klingon at the Star Trek panel made up for it the next day.
We also dressed up as the 9th and 11th Doctors from Doctor Who, and Littlefinger and Catelyn Stark from Game of Thrones, and mingled with strangers. Our first impression wasn’t a good one. It was such an odd convention with many hiccups, it’s a wonder why we even went back at all. But we started to meet a few people and got talked into giving DragonCon another (more informed) shot. And I needed to up my costuming game, obviously…
Previously Posted:
Ghosts of Costumes Past: DragonCon 2016