The post Dragon Con blues

Dragon Con 2013 is over, and you've no doubt you've slumped back to your regular life. It's always tough resuming a mundane existence each year after the con. We find that you need at least until the following weekend to fully recover. Maybe more.

What does PETA think about dragon slaying?

With recovery in mind, we thought it'd be good to rehash some of the most memorable moments at this year's Dragon Con. When you're feeling down, think of these gems and maybe things won't seem so bad.

Or your longing for the con will grow exponentially and you'll cry to the heavens for just one more Buffy panel. Either way, enjoy:

* The wedding at the end of the parade that got interrupted.

* The endless wait for the elevator that almost made you take the stairs that one time. Almost.

* That "Last Dragon Con" song that's now stuck in my head forever. THANKS OBAMA.

* The food court. You despise the thought of visiting it, yet you're also drawn to its tantalizing culinary options. In January you'll find yourself standing in its center weeping for what could have been.

* "Doctor Who" actor Sylvester McCoy speaks to a crowded ballroom of Who fans. Did you participate in the scarf limbo? 

* That moment when you parked your car, realizing you wouldn't move it for four days, and had finally arrived at Dragon Con.

Hope everyone had a great con. See you next year.

The Mechanical Masquerade

Sunday was unfortunately the last night of Dragon Con 2013. Attendees refuse to let such things go lightly. That's why they held the Mechanical Masquerade -- a party billed as the time travelers place to be.

A Steampunk grin without a cat?

What that typically means is plenty of Steampunk outfits. Not that we're complaining. People put immense amounts of time into their costumes. Additionally, pretty much any costume can be made Steampunk.

For those of you scratching your heads: Steampunk is a subculture that envisions a world filled with machines powered by, you guessed it, steam. That means zeppelins fill the sky, clockwork gears are always in vogue and everyone has a pair of goggles atop Victorian hats.

The goggles are so you can see through the ether when you're piloting your skyship. Or something.

Like most events at Dragon Con, you must get there early just to stand in a line for at least 15 minutes before the doors open. The masquerade was one of the better events with timing. We were in the ballroom before Unwoman had started her set.

You've been naughty.

Great show, by the way. Cello, haunting voice. Every masquerade needs both.

As the musicians played, the costumes made their appearance. You got your typical fare of top hats and shiny vests, but there were a few surprises. Like the spooky evil witches who still haunt my dreams.

Yours truly also got a chance to meet his future self. Dr. Clayton Forrester made an appearance, though that picture is sadly in the hands of another at the moment. You'll have to check back or follow ARiquelmy on Twitter for a chance to see two, I said two, Dr. Forresters in the same place at the same time.

Meanwhile, at Dragon Con central

There are some great costumes at Dragon Con 2013.

We're not just talking about the parade. Some of the best costumes don't come out until Saturday and Sunday nights. That's when people go con walking.

You. Are. Awesome.

Never heard of it? No problems. Con walking is an ancient tradition handed down by Dragon Con forebears in which attendees dress up, wander the various con hotels, have people randomly ask them for pictures and in return take pictures of others.

Some people may imbibe. This is optional.

Saturday night we met with the aforementioned Stevie D, whose picture is restricted from appearing on this blog for safety reasons. From there we found winged goddesses, men with gills and at least one Colonel Sanders.

And, of course, the seemingly endless supply of Matt Smith and David Tennant Doctors.

Waka waka waka. It's Fonzie stormtrooper.

What's next on our plate? Sunday is the last full day of Dragon Con, and it's another chance to hit the dealers room and a few panels we haven't seen yet. Be sure to check out the Museum of Alternate History if you already haven't. It's in the Westin.

If you're here, give us a shout on Twitter at ARiquelmy. Give us a shout even if you're not here.

Pictures from the Dragon Con 2013 parade!!

Here's a few quick pics from this year's Dragon Con parade:

The pic to the left is of Doctor Who's TARDIS. You can see multiple Doctors working the controls. The Doctor, the show's main character, will completely change his body when he's about to die. That's why you see multiple Doctors wearing different outfits.

The pic to the right is one of many Judge Dredds that participated in this year's Dragon Con parade. Judge Dredd is like a cop, but with the power to convict and sentence you on the scene. Yeah. So don't speed.

This pic, to the left, is a bunch of pirates in a boat. Sailing down Peachtree Street. But it's Dragon Con, so this is expected.

Women with strange markings on their faces. This is pretty much par for the course at Dragon Con.

The periodic table of elements marched in this year's Dragon Con parade, as it does every year. Each person represents a different element. They like science. A lot.

Doctor Who party at Dragon Con

Things really kicked off at Dragon Con Friday night. Sure, there were plenty of room parties and some bands Thursday night (and maybe a few parties Wednesday ...) but a vast majority of folks weren't here until Friday.

Here's one reason to avoid libraries.

That means lines. We missed the Timey-Wimey puppet show because the room was already full when we arrived, and staff refused entry to anyone else. So we made sure we got to the Doctor Who costume party early enough to make the cut.

The line just outside the ballroom was too long, so staff herded us into a holding room nearby. There were stood for about 45 minutes until the line slowly began to crawl.

The costume contest hadn't yet started when we entered the ballroom, yet the DJ already was spinning and the party was in full swing. We found a table, where one guy had a great Vashta Nerada costume. Some Time Lords in full regalia stood nearby.

Then, of course, was the nearby limbo line.

Noel Clark (Mickey Smith), Peter Davison (Fifth Doctor) and Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor) all made a quick appearance on stage before disappearing. The crowd roared for McCoy, who's recently played Radagast the Brown in "The Hobbit."

Faithful readers of the Dragon Con blog will be happy to know that Stevie D made an appearance Friday night. We would show the pics, but we keep it clean here.

Keep checking this blog and ARiquelmy on Twitter for updates!

The dealers room -- buyer beware ... of bad smells

Already trekked through the dealers room at this year's Dragon Con? Pretty intense. Long a staple of the Marriott, it's been moved this year to AmericasMart.

Saw this on a wall in the dealers room. It's literally a bad sign.

The move is welcome. Stuffed in the bowels of the Marriott, the dealers room constantly was packed with people. It made walking difficult and buying something near impossible.

Now there's a lot more floor space, though things got a bit claustrophobic in some areas. Usually that wouldn't happen until Saturday afternoon. Now it's happening on Friday and in a space larger than in years past. You've been warned.

Despite the limited times spaces get really cramped, this year's dealers room is an improvement. It looks like there are more vendors selling more stuff. Like autographed pics from movies and TV? Check. New games and classics? Check.

Leather corsets fitted just for you? Giggity check.

Be sure to check out the vendors. The dealers room is open until 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

Finally, at the con!!

It's about noon Friday, and some of you might not be at Dragon Con yet. No problem. Things won't really kick off until later today, so take your time. Double check your luggage. Don't forget the toothpaste. Seriously. You know who we're talking about.

Plenty of people already are walking around in costume. We've already seen the obligatory Empire admiral from Star Wars. There was a woman dressed as a bunny rabbit with blood on her face. Didn't get a picture the first time. Too scared. We'll work on that.

They may have built the Ferris wheel just for Dragon Con

Since things haven't really gotten ramped up yet, here's some ideas of things to do before your favorite panel starts:

Play some games: Head down to open gaming in the Hilton. There's games sitting on tables you can just grab and play. People are more than willing to hop in and play. Make some new friends.

Dealers room: The dealers room is in the AmericasMart, right next to the Westin. It opens at 1 p.m. Friday. You probably shouldn't be one of the first people there, since there will likely be a crowd. Wait until 2 or 3 p.m., then swing by. Make sure you have your con badge.

The Timey-Wimey Puppet Show: This should be pretty amusing for all Doctor Who fans. It's at 5:30 p.m. in the Marriott, A704. It's described as Doctor Who meets Punch and Judy. Yucks all around.

We are two days away from Dragon Con 2013!!!

It is now just two days until Dragon Con 2013. No doubt you are furiously packing your suitcases, prepping your costumes and hunting down that extra cell phone charger. 

You are in a room that's very high up in the Marriott. There is a mailbox here.

That's all well and good, but don't forget to start planning what you're going to do at the con. It's easy to get swept up in the size of Dragon Con. You need to know now where that BritTrack panel is, not when you're halfway across the con stuck in a Saturday afternoon crowd.

That's why you should get the Dragon Con app. Gone are the days when you were forced to flip through that flimsy con booklet buried somewhere in your backpack. With this app, you know when, where and why you're supposed to be somewhere.

For example, did you know that Noel Clarke, best known as one of the Doctor's companions, will be at the Sheraton Grand Ballroom at 1 p.m. Friday for the Doctor Who Companions event? It's not the only place he'll be at Dragon Con, either. Get the app and start hunting what you want to do.

Getting to your panel is one thing. Something as nebulous as the dealers' room is something else. The dealers' room has moved from the various Marriott ballrooms it's inhabited for the past several years, and this year will be at the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart, Building 1, floors 1 and 2. It's next to the Westin.

This hopefully will provide some much needed elbow room. That's good. But you should still plan the times you hit the dealers' room. Definitely shoot for mid-Friday afternoon, if you're lucky enough to get to the con by then. Also make a stop before you leave Monday. Many times vendors will slash prices because they don't want to haul their product back home.

You also should pick a good spot for con watching. The costumes come out at night, and you want a good vantage point to see them. Try the floor just above the lobby of the Hyatt. It's been good in the past, though con rules change regularly and they don't like people milling about in certain areas.

Got hints and tips for those going to the con? Are you from Rome and going to be at Dragon Con? Give me a shout on Twitter: ARiquelmy. Or email me at ariquelmy@rn-t.com.

Your low-impact Dragon Con 2013 packing guide

So, you've secured a place to crash and possibly even preregistered for Dragon Con 2013. What now?

A serious amount of thought into packing, that's what. Maybe you're one of those folks that has the cash to pay $80 to $100 for parking at some fancy downtown Atlanta hotel. The rest of us get the cheapest parking we can and huff it to wherever we're staying.

We don't care what Neil Gaiman says. Time Lords cannot regenerate into cats.

That means you want to get as much of your junk into the least number of suitcases, or trash bags if you go the Angelina "Jersey Shore" route. We prefer suitcases. It'll be a lot easier when you're parking at some Marta station and taking a train in. Trust us.

Get your biggest suitcase, one with wheels, preferably. Clothes on one side, food on the other. You'll buy some food while at Dcon, but not every meal. Bring some bread, jelly, whatever. Bring mac and cheese, if your place has a kitchen.

We recommend toting in your food and avoiding the dreaded food court for the most part. Get some Tupperware that will fit in your suitcase. Put anything that'll get squashed in there. Your Pringles are OK next to the clothes. The Wonder Bread ... not so much.

You won't need as many clothes as you think you do. This is pretty much just like vacation. You always bring too many T-shirts. You're going to be there for four or so days, and you know you're only going to wear one pair of jeans the whole time. Don't lie to us.

Once the suitcase is filled, think about your backpack. You'll likely carry your backpack as you wander the con, filling it with random swag or books and the smaller games you buy.

Fill it with the stuff you want handy at a moments notice. Maybe your checkbook. People still use those, right? Stick the toiletries in there because you'd already filled up the suitcase. You probably have some pain medication tucked away as well. We know.

The, hopefully, final item you'll be bringing is a garment bag. This is really for those who intend to wear a costume at some point. There's fancy clothes you want looking nice, and you don't want them all crumpled in your suitcase. Solution: garment bag. Stuff a few things in there you know you'll need later, or that didn't make the suitcase/backpack cut.

That's it. Now for a quick list of things you'll likely need and wish you had brought:

Scissors
Duct tape
Emergen-c (it's all about prevention, people)
Booze (you don't want to pay con prices)
A hand-truck (load your junk on it, wheel it to the hotel)
Aspirin
Cash (Have you seen the fees these ATMs charge?)

That's about it for now. Check back for more essential information. Or don't. We still get paid.

Dragon Con 2013 is almost upon us. Look busy.

To: Geeks and freaks, sci-fi nerds, fantasy scions, occult investigators, svirfneblin wannabees and all Neo-Maxi-Zoom-Dweebies
From: Dr. Clayton Forrester

It is with mind-numbing anticipation and just a touch of madness that I welcome you to the Dragon Con 2013 blog, courtesy of our good friends with The Rome News-Tribune.

Meanwhile, at a Dragon Con far, far away

Dragon Con touts itself as the largest multi-media, popular culture convention that focuses on sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, comics, literature and art that exists in the whole universe. Even if that's not true, it's still a pretty impressive con.

You've no doubt been drawn to this blog because of your seething undercurrent of interest in Dragon Con. Good. As of this writing, we're just a week away from the con. That's a positive. What's negative is that you've got a lot of planning to do.

Do you have a hotel room or people you can crash with? Do you have the cash to get into the con and still buy food? What will you do once you're there? Are they serious with this $25 a day parking fee?

Those are just a few of the questions that need answering immediately. Thankfully, the operators of this blog have the experience, wherewithal and je ne sais quoi to help out.

This blog will provide tips on preparing for the con and what to do once you're there. It'll also be updated throughout the con with pictures and whimsical meanderings.

Follow ariquelmy on Twitter for your up-to-the-minute con fix, and email me at ariquelmy@rn-t.com with your cool pics and con plans.

In the meantime, dust off your suitcases and apply the duct tape to your costume. Dragon Con is almost here.