My First Convention · 7:09am Apr 5th, 2015
It's not even midnight and I'm tired.
Anyway, yesterday and today found me at BABScon in San Francisco. My adventure started off by me getting on the right bus... going the wrong way. After about six stops, myself and one other convention goer found the fault in our directions and quickly changed course. One way to make a friend.
After getting to the hotel, I got to stand in line for another hour and a half to get my badge. The servers went down causing the extra delay. My feet were already killing me.
After that, things got interesting. I started my journey through the vendor halls, looking at some truly remarkable things. Posters, prints, jewelry, hats, buttons, plushies, you name it. Naturally, I sought out all things Sunset Shimmer.
So, I picked up a pin, a towel.... and a PLUSHIE! It's not quite the style I was hoping for, but beggars can't be choosers I suppose. I have a freaking Plushie of Sunset Shimmer! HA! And, I got it autographed by Rebecca Sochiet (who's last name I may have misspelled). She was so excited to sign it too! I also got a Coco Pommel plush, because, adorable!
I then got a picture with Tara Strong because I could. And I promised my friend I would and send it to her. She was very jelly. I will post pics as soon as my mom gives me my phone charger back.
I sat in at two panels on Friday. Why Are We on Two Legs, talking about humanized ponies HiE and Equestria Girls fics, head by Chelis (who I don't think goes by that on fimfic). It was cool. I asked more questions about professional publishing than fanfiction, but it was a cool thing to sit in on. I then hopped over to the MLP Writer's Panel where I got to see the wonderful folks who bring this show to life! People asked some very good questions, and the writers gave some very good, and funny, answers.
Also, we may see the Maniac return.....
I called it a day after that, needed to get up early for Saturday... Turns out, I needed to get up even earlier than 7 am.
Getting to the hotel at 8:30, I found myself in a line that stretched out the door. Yes, the line for the Season premier. There were more people than the con managers expected (poor planning in hindsight, it's the SEASON 5 PREMIER!). After the mane hall reached full capacity, they opened one of the other panel rooms.
Which reached full capacity just as I neared the front of the line. The show started, and I could hear bits and pieces of it through the walls. Needless to say, I was very, very bummed.
But wait, this story has a happy ending!
After calling up Discovery Family, they got permission to show an extra screening! The last 200 of us got to file in and watch the season opener to our eternal joy!
DF, you have no idea what you've inherited.
What did I think of the opener? You'll find out hopefully Monday...
After the show, I jumped across the hall to the VA Panel. Talk about having your cake and eating it too! I had to stand for the majority of it, but hey, it was tons of fun. Naturally, Tara received the biggest applause. I clapped the loudest for Rebecca though. We got the standard questions and requests for voice samples. It was awesome hearing all the voices live though regrettably, Rebecca didn't do many line sin Sunset's voice. Hearing Cathy voice Spike is a trip though.
When the VA Panel was done, I... really didn't know what to do with myself so, I decided to volunteer! I did badge checks for some of the activities and got to see the cosplay contest. (I took some really bad pictures with my shaky hands). There were some great costumes, like a couple dressed as Sombra and Chrysalis.
After volunteering, I played some Smash Bros. in the game lounge, then sat in on the EQD panel. Seeing Seth and Cal in person was pretty cool, got to find out about some of the inner workings of Equestria Daily (Seth really doesn't sleep!), and we looked at some of the mascot entries, and I was again reminded of the staggering levels of creativity in this fandom.
Really, after that, I decided to call it quits. There is on more day, but Sunday is Easter, and I'll be spending it at home with my family before going back to school. All in all, I had a nice time. I was honestly apprehensive about going to a brony convention, because, honestly as hard as I try, I do have it my head sometimes that a majority of us are large neckbeards living in our parent's basement.
I'm really glad I went now because it totally destroyed that horrendous stereotype.
I saw people from all walks of life, every style of living, and it was nice seeing everyone come together like that, united for one simple show about friendship. It was uplifting, and in a way cathartic.
Though sadly, I was enlightened to one fact about cons: go with friends. I went by myself and it seemed everyone already knew some one. It was like walking into school and everyone already belongs to a clique. I spent a majority of my time wandering by myself which was... a little depressing to be honest. I talked to people, but in the end, they were going in their own direction.
Overall, it was a fun experience, and is something I would like to do again. Maybe next year, I'll even be invited to sit on a panel of something. Maybe I'll bug Rebecca some more, because voice of best pony needs love too. But, it's something I would definitely like to do again with a friend next time.
Follw-up coming soon. Then pictures of me at a con! And my plushie!
I am glad you had fun. Going to your first con can be quite the experience. I went to my first one in November and I can't wait to go back again!
You've come such a long, long way...
I am jelly. I want those plushies.
*wobbles uncontrollably*
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Glad you had fun. ^^
Welcome to Con Life!
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Seriously though, once you get into the swing of things conventions are some of the most amazing and awesome places to have fun and meet new friends. My wife and I have been going to various sci-fi and anime cons (and now pony cons,
) for longer than we've been married, and we try to hit at least three major ones a year.
You're absolutely right about bringing friends too; even one other person more than doubles the fun (insert Princess Luna joke), but running with a posse is AMAZING.
Next step: Cosplay!
Really glad you had fun. Cons can be exhausting, but there's so much to do and enjoy that it makes the experience completely worthwhile.
And you are totally right about the friends part. I've definitely learned that this year.
The best advice I can give you is look for people in the writing community and hang out with them. I know horizon organized a number of meetups for people in the Fimfiction community. Watch out for stuff like that, and you'll have no shortage of people to hang out with at the next con.
That said, it's great that you had a good time. Maybe this means you'll go to Bronycon, eh? I'd love to give you a hard time about Long Road in person
I'm glad you had a good time a the con. I've been to three pony conventions and I agree that anyone going to those can easily see that we all aren't man-children.
2948347 I can't cosplay, mostly because I can't afford to make a costume.
2948865 And then I can show how much I actually care about your opinion.
2948987 Nah, we're man-children. We're just awesome man-children!
2949225
Wow, rude
So rude
I can't even fathom how rude
2949225
That's true, costumes can be expensive unless you're a hands-on kind of person who makes most of it yourself... luckily my wife is such a person, otherwise I might not do it as often either,
2949671
If my wife and I end up at Bronycon cosplaying as Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, we're going to track you down and make out right in front of you just to see the expression on your face,
2949794
But what if I'm wearing a helicoprion mask?
2949818
That'll just make it easier to find you,