PopSyndicate.com

Weller wraps up his Atlanta Dragon*Con ‘09 experience by examining its effect on him and his outlook on the outside world.

      At this point I’ve learned Storm Troopers are much more diverse than the Star Wars films lead you to believe, I’ve seen more exposed flesh than Hugh Hefner has seen in his entire lifetime, and I’ve also learned that the smell from hoards of costumed people after several days in Hotlanta will not come off no matter how much you scrub in the shower.  Not necessarily life altering insights, but then again this isn’t a con to brush up on the latest version of Photoshop.

While I still couldn’t tell you who Tom Felton or Tracy Scoggins are, I am becoming familiar with several of the Dragon*Con celebrities faces.  It is strange to know a complete stranger is famous while knowing absolutely nothing about them other then the fact they are in some way shape or form involved in Sci-fi.  I have even reached the point that celebrities may as well be complete strangers, they all just blend in at this point.  After running into Alan Ruck for probably the twenty-eighth time in three days the thrill is gone.

I’ve caught a few panels (the A-Team Reunion was my personal favorite- I was shocked to find this in the program guide) and I surprisingly enjoyed the random spur of the moment ones as much as the ones I had planned my day around.  The smaller panels, like the A-Team one, were much more laid back and interactive which usually meant funnier and crazier. It wasn’t unusual to find celebrities stop in the hall and chat briefly with fans after the panels. 

Probably the strangest side effect of the con is my complete disconnect with the world outside.  Our hotel room (and all host hotels for that matter) charged obscene rates for slow internet connections.  The only free wi-fi available was in the crowded and chaotic mall food court.  Due to the need to be constantly on the go I didn’t bother to check any of my internet accounts.  Major activities began at 10 a.m. and crowd watching would hit its peak usually around 1 or 2 am when intoxicated Supermen would hit on vampires in fishnet stockings.  Television watching was also out.  For nearly a week I have been completely disconnected to the outside world and at the same time been at the center of it all.

After being stuck for four days in what is basically Tom Petty’s music video “Don’t Come Around Here No More” with the addition of a handful of Mandalorians thrown in, my brain has closed for business.  While this may sound undesirable, it is something we all need every once in awhile in this unrelenting fast paced society we live in.  Sure, heading off for a week in the mountains will refresh you just as well, but good luck finding an alien that knows every dance step to Michael Jacksons “Thriller” in Aspen.  For those of you like myself that don’t think cons are for you, find a friend who does and go with them for a day.  You will most likely find something there you are into and if not, I assure you there is some excellent people watching to be had. 

0