Am I Getting Too Old for This?
Dragoncon is a sacred space
GUESS NOT, CAUSE I LIVED, BITCH.
…barely.
It’s always my favorite con of the year, and this year was no different. But oof it knocked me on my ass. Signing at the table most of the day and running around with friends most of the night - with panels running non-stop - exhausts you quickly.
It’s always amazing to see friends, fellow pros, fans of the books, and cosplayers. I got to do a Harley Quinn spotlight panel with Sweeney Boo, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Amanda Conner, and it was every bit as fun as that sounds. It was a blast to sit up there and talk with two of the architects of Harley’s modern mythology, and to share how we built on that mythos.
Here’s a pic from the Wrestling in Comics panel. That’s Andy Belanger talking - he’s a brutally cool artist and wrestler, and as you can see we’re all listening in rapt attention to another story about him getting kicked in the head (not a joke.)
Those ribbons at the bottom are a DragonCon trend that started up within my time of going there, but I love ‘em. Usually acquiring them is a bit of a scavenger hunt - they’re a reward for expressing interest in someone’s costume, dressing up as something that someone recognizes, or joining in a spontaneous activity. They gamify reaching out and encourage socially awkward nerds to interact, and I love that. The “Healed Morale +1” and “Hard Core to the Mega” ribbons were a gift from a congoer cosplaying detective Harry DuBois from Disco Elysium, a favorite game of mine , as a reward for recognizing his costume. “In Bhaal’s Name” came from a friendly Orin from Baldur’s Gate 3. The Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab ribbons came with purchase (from one of my favorite fragrance shops,) and the Crab Rave came from, well—
—these two lovely young women cosplaying the Crab Rave. With the music and everything. You know, the Crab Rave!
For dancing along with them in line, I was rewarded with a ribbon. This was not some sort of special sidequest, no, this was merely an ambulatory walk, but at Dragoncon, little treats and rewards practically rain from the sky. I played games people set up and wore around (both The Price is Right and the Nude Egg Game from I Think You Should Leave), won multiple prizes, cheered with and for strangers, met a real live astronaut (gonna see if she’ll talk to me for the ‘Stack, if you guys have questions), and absolutely dominated a trivia game at 11PM fueled by espresso and Dragoncon’s absolutely gasoline-wild vibes.
I coaxed some friends into seeing it for themselves for their first time, and I think I did the right thing. I think as many people need to see Dragoncon as possible. There are so few things like it in the world now, so few spaces that are almost totally non-commercial: the con is run by volunteers and fans, and doesn’t attract industry like San Diego or New York Comic-Cons. Despite all that, it treats its guests better than a lot of cons in this biz.
All this to say - if you haven’t been, go. It’s one of the rare spaces like it that’s still around. It’s impossible not to make friends at Dragoncon, there’s something about it that’s so safe and fun - it’ll always be home to the weirdoes.
CATWOMAN #68 - 9.18.24
HARLEY QUINN #43 - 9.25.24
LA COMIC CON - LOS ANGELES, CA - 10.4-10.6
THOUGHT BUBBLE - HARROGATE, UK - 11.11-11.17
Bullet points this week -
Didn’t love Alien: Romulus, (though the creature stuff was great) but I’ve been playing through Alien: Isolation for the first time. It’s terrifying and I love it. Like all good horror games - there is no killing the xenomorph…you can only stun it and run like hell.
Reading the Ursula K. LeGuin adaptation (not technically a translation) of the Dao de Ching, and it’s a great bang-for-your-buck read. Only have five minutes to read, but want to think about it for the rest of your day? The Dao de Ching has you.
I’ve been crocheting again, and it’s a lovely way to get the kind of satisfaction that only comes with handmaking something. When I feel classy, I do a Brittany Jackson pattern, and when I feel crafty, I whip together a grocery bag out of grocery bags, like this.
Stay weird, talk soon.
-TH 9.6.24 22:31
I NEED TO GO