Tombstone Redemption 2023 Recap: Part 1

Imagine my surprise – and excitement, of course! – when a couple of months ago I stumbled on an Instagram reel from Rob Wiethoff (John Marston in Red Dead Redemption & RDR2) talking about an event he was attending this summer in Tombstone, Arizona – and not just ANY event, an entirely Red Dead-themed event called “Tombstone Redemption”!

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The event was actually originally announced in March of this year, so it was disappointing to realize we discovered it too late to snag a hotel in Tombstone itself. But I kept it in the back of my mind, and about three weeks out started checking availability twice a day. And hey, my persistence paid off – about two weeks ago I lucked upon someone’s cancelled room at the Tombstone Bordello Bed & Breakfast! So after work last Thursday Dean and I packed my car full of Red Dead costumes and began our trek to Arizona for this event.

We spent Thursday night at a friend’s house in Tuscon, which was great because we didn’t leave home until about 5 PM and ended up stuck in traffic on I-10 for over an hour thanks to a monsoon that literally blew TEN tractor trailers over. We also both had to work for a bit on Friday, but we still got to Tombstone, settled in to our B&B, and were out and about to explore the town a little before 2 PM…

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After getting the lay of the land (which wasn’t hard; downtown/historic Tombstone is technically less than 5 blocks long and 3 blocks wide) we went back to our room to freshen up before grabbing dinner and drinks. (It also helped that it had already started to cool down!)

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It was exciting that we were back out for less than an hour before we ran into our first cosplayers!

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We ended up chatting with them for a bit under the overhang because there was a surprise rain shower…Dean and the Arthur cosplayer bonded over the impossible knot on Arthur’s hat, haha. And the rain shower made for a beautiful sunset!

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We had dinner at Big Nose Kate’s, explored the little store/mine area in its basement, and then made our way to the Oriental Saloon, where we ended up spending quite a long time drinking and talking with some other fans…so long, in fact, that we got a much later start than expected on the first official day of the event.

Dean really wanted to sign up for the costume contest, but by the time we’d eaten breakfast it was already after 10 AM, so we walked over to Schieffelin Hall to sign up. Neither of us had ever done a costume contest before, and to be honest I wasn’t into the idea, but sometimes you gotta compromise with your SO, I guess 😉

Sign-ups took a lot longer than we expected (at least half an hour) because they were talking to everyone about their costumes. We found out the next day – AT the contest itself – that they were considering this “pre-judging”, so needless to say it felt a bit odd that it wasn’t explained that way/there was no announcement that you had to (or at least SHOULD) wear your contest costume when you went to sign up.

Anyway, we ran back to our room to finish getting ready and headed out a little after noon, with Dean dressed as RDR John Marston and me as Bonnie MacFarlane!

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We grabbed coffee from the local espresso bar and then wandered around a bit with some friends (new and not-so-new), did a mini photo shoot in front of the Blackwater bank sign (see above) and then had a quick drink at the Crystal Palace before getting in line for autographs/photo ops with the actors at about 2:10 PM.

And we waited. And waited. And waited and waited and – okay, you catch my drift. Seriously though, it was probably about 100 degrees out, and 90% of the line wasn’t in shade. We would creep forward a few feet every 15-20 minutes, or so it seemed. We did at least have time to chat with the friends who were with us, meet some new people, and even got high fives from Steve Palmer (Bill Williamson) when he came out to walk the line and thank everyone for waiting so long <3

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The actors were supposed to stop signing at 5 PM to do their 5:30 PM panel, but they ended up delaying the panel until I think about 6:30. We finally got into the signing area at about 5:45 but *only* because someone came out and said that anyone who didn’t need to meet Rob Wiethoff (John Marston) or Benjamin Byron Davis (Dutch Van der Linde) could go in. Thankfully we had Ben and Rob’s autographs from previous events so were able to get in and meet Alex McKenna (Sadie Adler), Curzon Dobell (Hosea Matthews), Gabriel Sloyer (Javier Escuella), Peter Blomquist (Micah Bell), Michael Mellamphy (Sean Macguire), and Kaili Vernoff (Susan Grimshaw).

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All of the actors were super lovely despite having been in the sweltering Oriental Saloon signing for nearly 7 hours at that point. And at least we got to say hi to Rob on our way out – while I was lucky enough to moderate the Red Dead actors panel *and* run the Blackwater Squares game show at Dragon Con 2023, Dean wasn’t able to attend last year and was so excited to finally get to meet Rob – however briefly – in person 🙂

I definitely have more to say about the rest of Saturday evening/night, the costume contest on Sunday morning, and the event as a whole, but I’ll save that for part 2, so stay tuned!

Dragon Con 2018: 23 Days To Go!

As per the usual, it’s already August and I’m just now starting to get my ish together for Dragon Con 2018…but I’ve made a lot of progress in the past couple of weeks and my schedule is coming together, so I’m nearly at the point where all I have left to do is wait…impatiently, of course.

First things first, the second annual Drinkin’ Con webcast is scheduled for Saturday August 18th at 5 PM Eastern! I definitely suggest following the Facebook event I created for it to get updates and so that you can post any thoughts or questions you might have between now and the 18th. Like last year, this webcast will feature news and tips as well as Dragon Con 2018 prep discussion.

dragon con 2018 webcastNow, barring any schedule changes on the part of the three tracks I’m working with, my Dragon Con 2018 panels – and events! – are pretty much set in stone:

Friday 8/31
@ 1 PM Author Reading: Excerpts from The Way of Reckoning, How to Start Living in the Zombie Apocalypse, and She’s Kinda Hot, But Then She Talks: Essays & Insight from a ‘Fake Geek Girl’ (Hyatt Vinings)
@ 2:30 PM
Join the Resistance: Dystopias of Change (Apocalypse Rising (Westin Chastain F-G)
@ 4 PM Sons of the Dragon: A Song of Ice and Fire Novella (Marriott L401-403)

Saturday 9/1
@ 4 PM Friend Zone: The Importance of Platonic Relationships in an Apocalypse (Westin Chastain H)
@ 5:30 PM There Must Always be a Stark at Dragon Con (Marriott L401-403)
@ 10 PM The North Remembers How to Party: A Game of Thrones-Themed Bash (Hilton Grand East Ballroom)

Sunday 9/2
@ 2:30 PM Religion in High Fantasy (Marriott L401-403)
@ 10 PM Loony ASOIAF/Game of Thrones Theories (Marriott L401-403)

Monday 9/3
@ 1 PM White Walkers, Wargs, & Weirwoods (Marriott L401-403)

Cosplay-wise, most of my ‘schedule’ for this year involves repeats. A couple of these will have some minor upgrades, and I have two entirely new costumes, although one of them is just a party cosplay for Friday night, so it’s not stressing me out TOO much (minus some drama with the wig I ordered).

Of course, I say all of that, and just this past weekend I realized that the belt I was going to use for one of my new costumes is suddenly about two sizes too big, so who knows what will happen between now and the convention itself!

dragon con 2018 cosplay

THURSDAY
Day: It’s Always Sunny-themed t-shirt
Night: Suicide Squad-style Poison Ivy

FRIDAY
Day: A Disney-themed Dapper outfit – possibly not the one pictured, but it will be close…
Night: Secret Cosplay!

SATURDAY
Day: Aurora-as-Prince-Phillip
Night: “Hot Mess” Party Melisandre

SUNDAY
Day: Victorian-era Captain America
Night: Steampunk Hufflepuff

Finally, a Reddit user who clearly doesn’t know me at all has been going on a rampage, reporting every single thing I post to my local subreddit…and when they make these reports, they leave some pretty interesting comments to go along with them. Some have been more rude than others, but my favorite ‘epithet’ of the lot was “Fantasy Bitch”. So if you see me at Dragon Con, ask me for one of my Fantasy Bitch stickers! (Just please don’t approach me after a panel that I’m on, as I’ll almost always be rushing off to another panel or to do a quick costume change.)

dragon con 2018 fantasy bitch

I also have some Fantasy Bitch koozies to give away at my author reading on Friday, so if you’re interested in one of these bad boys, make sure to come to the Vinings room in the Hyatt at 1 PM on the 31st! (And yes, I might also have some Ice & Fire Con water bottles on hand…)

dragon con 2018 fantasy bitch

So yeah, 23 days until Dragon Con (at least for those of us arriving on Wednesday)! I can’t wait!

Tara Lynne’s A Geek Saga Podcast: Episode 1, The State of the Cosplay Community

tara lynne's geek saga podcast

I’ve been meaning to share my webcasts and the panels I’ve been on at conventions as podcasts for some time now, and I finally got around to separating out the audio and adding some little intros – so welcome to the first episode of Tara Lynne’s A Geek Saga Podcast: “The State of the Cosplay Community”.

This podcast was originally aired as a live webcast on March 25, 2017.

SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES

What is cosplay bullying? How do you recognize it, and how do you avoid it? What about being “cosplay famous”? Is it problematic to buy likes for your cosplay page? We discussed all this and more!

 

geek saga podcast episode 1 webcast tara lynne

MegaCon Tampa Bay 2017: Come Say Hi To Me This Weekend!

Convention season is starting to wind down (for me, at least), but it wouldn’t be complete without MegaCon Tampa Bay 2017. My booth is located in the celebrity autograph area in the exhibit hall, so make sure you come say hello!

megacon tampa bay 2017 tara lynne a geek saga

I had a great time at the first ever MegaCon Tampa last year, and I’m super excited to be returning as a cosplay guest this coming weekend. Check out my cosplay lineup:

megacon tampa bay 2017 cosplay toothless cersei lannister jessica jones tara lynne a geek saga

Fellow cosplay guest Scarlett Rose is wearing a Daenerys Targaryen cosplay on Saturday, and I decided to reprise Cersei Lannister so that we could get some fun photos together! We’ll also be decked out in party Game of Thrones attire at the live rock band karaoke after party Saturday night, so make sure you get your ticket for that event, too!

In addition to my booth, I’ll be hosting two panels. Both take place in Room 1 at the Tampa Bay Convention Center:

Saturday 9/30 @ 11 AM: Game of Thrones Season 7 Lookback
Sunday 10/1 @ 4 PM: Ladies’ Guide to the Apocalypse

MegaCon Tampa Bay 2017 kicks off at 2 PM this Friday, September 29th. I hope to see you there!

Three Weeks ‘Til Dragon Con 2017!

A lot of my Dragon Con 2017 plans have been up in the air for a while now, but it finally seems like everything is coming together, which means I’m finally getting excited!

First things first, barring any schedule changes on the part of the three tracks I’m working with, my Dragon Con 2017 panels are pretty much set in stone:

Friday 9/1
@ 5:30 PM History’s Vikings S4 Review (ASFFM Marriott Track Room)

Saturday 9/2
@ 11:30 AM Game of Thrones S7 Review (Marriott L401-403)
@ 10 PM ASOIAF/GoT Loony Theories (Marriott L401-403)

Sunday 9/3
@ 1 PM Ladies Guide to the Apocalypse (Apocalypse Rising Westin Track Room)
@ 2:30 PM Game of Toxic Masculinity (Marriott L401-403)
@ 5:30 PM Defenders Unite! (ASFFM Marriott Track Room)

Monday 9/4
@ 1 PM The 100 Fan Panel (Apocalypse Rising Westin Track Room)

Cosplay-wise, I’m in *far* better shape than I was last year around this time – shoot, two weeks before Dragon Con 2016 I still had a couple of costumes up in the air. This year I’m wearing a couple of previous cosplays – a couple of which will have some minor upgrades – and only two entirely new costumes, come to think of it – so anything I have left to do is pretty minor. I’m almost…dare I say it…relaxed about my to-do list.

(Watch me suddenly remember ten things that I’ve totally forgotten about, now…)

Dragon Con 2017 cosplay

THURSDAY
Day: Liberty Belle from Glow
Night: Efffie (Hunger Games) for the [Playboy] Bunny Hutch

FRIDAY
Day: Suicide Squad style Poison Ivy
Night: Team Casterly Rocket (Pokemon Team Rocket & Game of Thrones House Lannister mashup)

SATURDAY
Day: Secret Cosplay 😉
Night: “Queen Bitch” Party Cersei

SUNDAY
Day: Gwen DeMarco from Galaxy Quest
Night: Steampunk Hufflepuff

Now, last year I planned on having a secret cosplay and then ended up doing a preview of it nearly two months before Dragon Con – that being my original Disney Princess Kylo Ren mashup, of course. But after a very strange case of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery at Dragon Con 2016, I’m keeping my Dragon Con 2017 secret cosplay a mystery. I think I can keep my lips sealed long enough…

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Suicide Squad Style Poison Ivy Cosplay


tara lynne a geek saga suicide squard poison ivy cosplay
As much fun as I have putting together screen accurate(-ish…) cosplays – or ones that are based on fan art – sometimes it’s simply more fun to let my creative side loose. I have quite a few mashup/AU cosplays in my repertoire, some of which I have yet to write about and one being, of course, my Disney Princess Kylo Ren.

While the Suicide Squad-style Poison Ivy cosplay that I debuted at MegaCon Orlando over Memorial Day wasn’t the first mashup cosplay I’ve put together this year, I’m really excited about it and already have plans for some minor upgrades before I bring it back at Dragon Con. In fact, originally I wasn’t planning on wearing it at DCon, but then I had an absolute blast with it at MegaCon!

suicide squad poison ivy cosplay tara lynne a geek saga

The idea for this particular cosplay came to me after stumbling on some fanart that depicted Ivy and Harley together, with Harley in her Suicide Squad outfit and Ivy in one that was somewhat SS-inspired, but without as much…shall we say…pizzazz…as Harley’s outfit. At first I thought about creating something entirely based on the fanart that I’d found, but then I decided it would be more ‘me’ to put an outfit together that was more closely based on Harley’s outfit…especially knowing that my friend Bekah was going to be donning a SS-style Harley cosplay and was more than willing to tweak it so that instead of focusing on Harley Quinn’s relationship with the Joker, she would be with Ivy (which is hands down a far healthier relationship for Harley, plus ?️‍??️‍??️‍?).

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Hence, green lace up boots with heels, green fishnets, green sparkly booty shorts, a raglan-style shirt (but with green sleeves), and a green choker necklace made up my original version of a Poison Ivy cosplay. As you can see I wore the wig down, but for Dragon Con I might go with pigtails…that’s just one of the handful of changes I’m considering, anyway! My plan is to wear it on Friday of DCon, and either shortly before or after that I might even have prints of me in this cosplay available for sale 🙂

MegaCon Orlando in Just One Week!

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That’s right, one week from today is the first day of MegaCon Orlando! I’m there as a guest again this year, and while my cosplay plans are always subject to change, these ones are pretty set in stone.

You’ll find me at booth #103 in Artist Alley (hint hint: see the star on the map below!), where I’ll be on hand to talk about cosplay (of course), my ‘Geek Saga’ brand, Saga Event Planning (and therefore Ice & Fire Con and Beach City Con), The Geekiary, and my novels!

MegaCon Orlando 2017 Tara Lynne A Geek Saga

I’ll have copies of both The Way of Reckoning and How to Start Living (in the Zombie Apocalypse) for sale, and I mean *really* for sale – buying my books in person gets you not just the chance to have them signed right then and there, but I price them a bit lower than what you’d pay if you purchased them online.

As for cosplay, my current plans are Liv Moore from iZombie on Thursday, Queenie Goldstein from Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them on Friday, a Suicide Squad-inspired version of Poison Ivy on Saturday, and Melisandre from Game of Thrones on Sunday…

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So definitely stop by and say hello at booth #103 in Artist Alley, or keep an eye out for me wearing one of the aforementioned costumes! Hope to see you next weekend!

These Weeks on The Geekiary: 4+ Months of Highlights

The Geekiary

I feel bad because I was really enjoying sharing my Geekiary articles, but the past five months have been VERY busy, so my somewhat regular posts have long been pushed to the wayside. In order to play a bit of catch up, here are just some of the more important Geekiary articles that I’ve written since July 31st (more important in my opinion, at least) 🙂

Because it’s been so long, this time around I’m going to go back in time starting from some updates I made today…

The Geekiary The Walking Dead Season 7December 17th, 2016
UPDATED: The Walking Dead Season 7 Masterpost
Check out my reviews and news of the current season of TWD!
UPDATED: Steven Universe Masterpost
I’ve written several SU news posts and episode reviews since I last shared my Geekiary articles 🙂

December 16th, 2016
Rogue One: Dark, Gritty, & Reminiscent of The Empire Strikes Back
Let’s be honest: Star Wars hasn’t always done the best job of telling a story to which we know the ending (see the prequels). Yet in Rogue One they did just that, and while it didn’t give me quite the sense of amazement that I felt when I saw The Force Awakens, there is no denying that it is a success in nearly every respect.

The Geekiary Ashley Eckstein Ashley Taylor Her Universe Walt Disney WorldDecember 6th, 2016
Ashley Eckstein and Ashley Taylor at Walt Disney World
When I found out that Ashley Eckstein and Ashley Taylor were holding a signing at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World, I couldn’t wait to attend.

November 20th, 2016
Tara Lynne’s Geekiary Gift Guide 2016
I had so much fun putting together my 2015 Geekiary Gift Guide that I knew I had to reprise it this year. So for 2016 I aimed to do what I did in 2015 – include geeky items that not only speak to me, but are also suggested by both Geekiary writers and fans.

November 26th, 2016
Netflix Gilmore Girls Has its Moments, But Leaves a Lot To Be Desired
The Netflix Gilmore Girls revival is both not enough and too much, at least for this fan. Despite the fact that there was plenty that I didn’t love, I keep hoping to hear that we’ll get more than just those four episodes/six hours…although sadly it doesn’t seem like that will be the case. (At least not in any foreseeable future.)

The Geekiary Fantastic Beasts and Where to FInd ThemNovember 19th, 2016
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Screenplay is Where It’s At
I made it very clear that I felt there were a lot of issues with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but I have to say that if you’re a big Harry Potter/Rowling fan, the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them SCREENPLAY clears a lot of things up.
Katheryn Winnick Wakes Up, Kicks Ass, Repeats on Vikings
The first half of Vikings season 4 ended on an odd note, with an episode that saw Rollo vanquish Ragnar and his fellow Vikings as they attempted to attack Paris again and then featured a time skip of several years. Season 4 returns on November 30th, and this past week Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha) was on hand to give some juicy details about what has happened and what’s to come.

November 17th, 2016
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: A Fun Frolic with Some of That Harry Potter Magic
The absolute first thing that I have to say about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is that I wish I could write a spoiler-free review – one that people could read before seeing this movie – because I think that before you walk into a theater to watch it, you should ask yourself, “What am I expecting from Fantastic Beasts?”

The Geekiary Good Girls RevoltNovember 14th, 2016
Good Girls Revolt is Mad Men for Smart Women
If you want a history lesson combined with a scary reminder of how crappy things can still be for anyone who isn’t a straight white man, all wrapped up in the drug-, alcohol-, and sex-fueled setting of the late 1960s/early 1970s, then Good Girls Revolt is the show for you.

October 31st, 2016
MegaCon Tampa Bay: A Successful First Year
I’ve been to a lot of conventions, and I’ve hosted several first-year conventions. That said, MegaCon Tampa Bay was one of the best first year cons I’ve ever attended, which was honestly a pleasant surprise.

October 20th, 2016
First Red Dead Redemption 2 Trailer Finally Released!
Here’s to all of my fellow Red Dead Redemption fans who have waited so long for the oft-rumored Red Dead Redemption 2…because not only do we have a vague release date (Fall 2017), we also have the very first Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer!

The Geekiary BoJack HorsemanOctober 16th, 2016
Bojack Horseman: A Difficult Yet Worthy Recommendation
Listen, the first half of the first season of BoJack Horseman is really, really hard to get through. And to be honest, there are parts of the third season that are difficult to watch as well. But as a whole, the payoff is worth it. Trust me on this.

October 11th, 2016
Gravity Falls: Season Two Makes It Worth a Watch
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t really sure about Gravity Falls after watching the first season, but now that I’ve binged both seasons, I’ve added it to my must-watch cartoons list along with Steven Universe, Polar Bear’s Cafe, Kuroko no Basuke, and more.

September 27th, 2016
The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is Perfect in its Imperfections
I was surprised when the CW renewed their entire lineup for this coming season, and one of the more shocking renewals was that of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a show whose first season had some of the lowest ratings on television.

…and last but not least, there were also quite a few updates to The Geekiary’s Dragon Con Masterpost in September!

Dragon Con 2016 Thor Cosplay

I know this was a lot to take in all at once, but I *will* try to do a better job of keeping up with my “These Weeks on The Geekiary” posts throughout the coming months…but you know, please keep your fingers crossed that I can actually do so 😉

My Fifth Dragon Con (And the Best One Ever)

Dragon Con 2016 Thor Cosplay

I’ve had some good Dragon Cons, I’ve had some great Dragon Cons, and I’ve had some horrible Dragon Cons…but until this year, I’d never experienced a perfect Dragon Con.

More than anything else, this is because I have absolutely found MY PEOPLE. Throughout the past five years, I’ve made friends and lost friends (never by choice, mind you), and among all of that, I’ve grown closer to some people and pushed others away. I’m only human, after all.

But it was this year that I finally realized that I was surrounded by an absolutely amazing group of friends. Some were old, some were new. Some I saw every day, some I saw only twice. What mattered is that we were there, we hung out, and we had fun.

Thursday was my “no way am I going to cosplay” day, and yet we ended up with a roving group of Pokemon Go Team Valor members with a Pokestop and lure. We didn’t get a lot of pictures, but we did get a lot of shout outs…although it was hard to keep our mouths shut when people got insistent about being on Team Instinct or, more especially, Team Mystic 😉

Dragon Con 2016 Pokemon Go Team Valor

Dragon Con 2016 Pokemon Go Team Valor

Dragon Con 2016 Pokemon Go Team Valor

Thursday night was Bunny Hutch, and the first time I’ve participated in the Playboy Bunny costume…thing. We had a group of Hunger Games characters, and though we never did find our Katniss, I had a blast as Bunny Hutch Effie Trinkett!

Dragon Con 2016 Bunny Hutch Effie Trinkett Hunger Games

Dragon Con 2016 Bunny Hutch Effie Trinkett Hunger Games

Dragon Con 2016 Bunny Hutch Effie Trinkett Hunger Games

Honestly, I expected Friday to be an easy day. It was the one day I wasn’t on any panels, and I was just wearing another Cersei cosplay…but I had more people take my picture than the previous two times I wore Cersei cosplays at Dragon Con. I have to be honest…I completely credit my awesome wig 😉

Dragon Con 2016 Cersei Lannister Cosplay

Dragon Con 2016 Cersei Lannister Cosplay Iron Throne

Friday night was something of a mess, if only because Brian and I cosplayed Charlie and Dee from the “The Gang Beats Wade Boggs” episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Yes, we started with the tallies from the beginning of that episode, but thirteen beers later, it was obvious that I was doing my Dee Reynolds best to try to keep up.

Dragon Con 2016 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Cosplay The Gang Beats Boggs

Dragon Con 2016 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia The Gang Beats Boggs Cosplay

Dragon Con 2016 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Cosplay The Gang Beats Boggs

 

Dragon Con 2016 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Cosplay The Gang Beats Boggs

Saturday was the day I finally debuted my original Disney Princess Kylo Ren at a convention. Thankfully, my lovely friend Tanya also made a Disney Princess Leia cosplay, and even though my gown was hot as hell and I was on a panel at 2:30 – meaning I couldn’t just hang out and get pictures taken of me all afternoon – I thoroughly enjoyed portraying this original character and can’t wait to do so again!

Dragon Con 2016 Disney Princess Kylo Ren Disney Princess Leia

My first panel was “Game of Thrones: Concepts of Honor” and despite some hiccups I really enjoyed most of my fellow panelists and the discussions that ensued. As soon as it was finished, I was ready to change out of the heavy, hot Disney Princess Kylo Ren cosplay I was sporting, and after a bit of rest Brian and I donned some silly Thor costumes, put together a bunch of signs, and lugged a trash bag full of mini Mjolnirs to the Westin in order to campaign against our friend Scott, who was cosplaying Loki…

Dragon Con 2016 Thor Campaign

Dragon Con 2016 Thor Campaign

Despite the fact that we never met up with Scott at the Heroes & Villains Ball at the Westin (we got in almost right away but alas, he arrived too late and got stuck in line), we did camp out at the Pulse bar in the Marriott and mock several other Lokis…and eventually Scott, as well, who was a very good sport and even had an “I <3 TS” tank top under his Loki cosplay!

Saturday was supposed to be my “take it easy, go to bed at a decent time” night, but as Dragon Con would have it, that didn’t happen. This meant that getting up for my 11:30 AM panel on Sunday was a bit rough, but thankfully I rallied and that panel – “Netflix, Cable, and the Mainstream” – was my favorite of the three I was on that weekend 🙂

When I finally got back to the room, it was time to get into cosplay. I was wearing a tuxedo and a borrowed wig as Pearl from Mr. Greg (thanks again to my friend Carly for lending me her wig!), so it wasn’t a time-consuming cosplay…I was just too lazy to get out of  bed and wear it to my panel.

Dragon Con 2016 Steven Universe Cosplay Pearl Mr. Greg

Honestly, I was again surprised at how many people loved my Pearl cosplay. I’m pretty tall, and not particularly slim (not like Pearl, I mean)…and although my friend Bekah did a great job with my makeup, I certainly didn’t go all out like some Pearl cosplayers did. I did, however, get to sing “It’s Over, Isn’t It” several times, which kind of made may day. (Someone even snapchatted me doing it. I wish I could have seen that…)

Also, I got to meet Will Friedle! He was very interested in my current state of affairs (it’s apparently a thing he does, asking what he calls ‘somewhat uncomfortable questions’) and it was overall a fun five minute conversation 😉

Dragon Con 2016 Will Friedle

Sunday evening I was on another panel – the American Sci-Fi Fantasy Media track’s “The Expanse: Politics and Power” discussion. While I enjoyed the panel, I was previously unaware that The Expanse was based on books – completely my bad, but as someone who watched and loved and knew the show on its own, I suddenly understand how Game of Thrones fans feel when they go to a show panel and people can’t stop bringing up the novels.

I have to admit, that tuxedo ended up being very hot (not generally uncomfortable, just hot), and I was ready to change out of it and into my “Party Hufflepuff” outfit. At this point I was all play and no work, after all, and despite claiming yet again that I would go to bed at a decent time, of course that didn’t happen. This was, after all, the last night of Dragon Con.

Dragon Con 2016 Hufflepuff Cosplay

Dragon Con 2016 Hufflepuff Cosplay

Dragon Con 2016 Hufflepuff Cosplay

In fact, we had an afterparty in our hotel room, and not surprisingly, had security called on us. What can I say? I invited three friends, and each of those friends brought a half dozen or more people with them. I’m not going to say I regret it, though I do understand that at least one of our neighbors was pissed, and I am sorry for that.

We were up and out of the room on time Monday, though I’m seriously considering adding Monday night to our room reservation next year. I love the Hyatt, and I try to use the elevators as little as possible, but when it’s necessary – such as that one thing you can’t carry up or down the stairs during mass checkout time – man is it a pain in the ass. The best part was that we were still able to take our time visiting the vendor hall (finally, the first time I’d done so all weekend), eating a decent sit-down meal, and then still being able to get our car and get home by dinnertime. I even got to leave some Thor signs behind not far from where they were created…

Except for the fact that the Hyatt valet *lost* our car for a good thirty minutes. Don’t even get me started on that.

Were there some snags at Dragon Con 2016? Of course. I ran into one person i didn’t need to see far too many times. I missed a couple of panels because I couldn’t bring myself to walk all the way to the Sheraton to visit disability services (as press, I pick up my pass in the Hyatt). I absolutely ate pizza that was not fully cooked at one point (and that’s why that pizza place in the food court didn’t have a line; lesson learned).

Dragon Con 2016 Thor Cosplay

The thing is, I’ve finally found my Dragon Con niche. I enjoyed wandering through the Walk of Fame. I loved being able to participate in three panels. But above all, my friends made this Dragon Con great. I could never name them all, but they know who they are. Thank you. Thank you for reminding me how amazing and fun and drama-free people can be. Thank you for the cosplays, and the drinks. Thank you for the laid back hangouts, and the crazy nights. This Dragon Con was my best Dragon Con because of all of you.