And just wow, I had an absolute blast. I took my 15 year old daughter, who is a big slasher horror fan to the convention as well. She loves to do her own horror make up special effects and made a fantastic costume, check her out (zombie prom date). We had a hard time walking around the convention because everyone wanted a photo op with her. She ended up winning third place in the costume contest at the end of the day. Go Lauren!
I also got to meet some big-time celebrities as well. I met the General from Chuck (Bonita Friedericy) and her husband John Billingsley, David Harvard Lawrence XVII (The Puppet Master, Heroes), and Addy Miller (Walking Dead) who is very cute under all that make up.
Of course the best part of the Con was watching all the people in costume. There were some really awesome costumes this year. The Mandalorian Mercs group caught my eye. (BAK: Go Mandalorians!) The detail they put into those costumes was amazing. The Ghostbusters were a fun group to hang around with, and I sure wasn't afraid of any ghosts. But in my opinion, the best costume there was a husband and wife that hand-made their dragon costumes completely out of leather. It was beyond words. They even wore special contacts to add to the overall effect.
I also learned pretty quick that you don’t bother the “gamers”. They say they don’t leave the room for the whole three days and it starts to smell in there. I was also educated on Furries. If you don’t know what this little group does, count yourself lucky. There was only one there, thank goodness .
I, of course, targeted the authors with my newly forged Sheep press badge. I got to meet Kalayna Price the author of one of my favorite debuts last year, Grave Witch. I also got to meet Jana Oliver; I plan on getting a copy of her book The Demon Trapper's Daughter very soon and Faith Hunter as well. I met a few new authors like Brandy Wayne, a husband/wife writing team from whom I got a signed copy of Sheleasoun: Book 1 of Beneath the Echoes of Memory. It is a light adventure fantasy which I plan on reading this and giving away in the near future.
I also picked up a copy of Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO by Zachary Steele and I can’t wait to try Stephen Zimmer’s work.
I also got to meet some big-time celebrities as well. I met the General from Chuck (Bonita Friedericy) and her husband John Billingsley, David Harvard Lawrence XVII (The Puppet Master, Heroes), and Addy Miller (Walking Dead) who is very cute under all that make up.
Of course the best part of the Con was watching all the people in costume. There were some really awesome costumes this year. The Mandalorian Mercs group caught my eye. (BAK: Go Mandalorians!) The detail they put into those costumes was amazing. The Ghostbusters were a fun group to hang around with, and I sure wasn't afraid of any ghosts. But in my opinion, the best costume there was a husband and wife that hand-made their dragon costumes completely out of leather. It was beyond words. They even wore special contacts to add to the overall effect.
I also learned pretty quick that you don’t bother the “gamers”
There were tons of artists at the con as well. My favorite was James Christopher Hill, and you should totally check him out. I loved the eerie landscapes like this one called Midnight In the Graveyard. If you are looking for a cool graphic for a website or cover, you should definitely give this guy a gander.
There was a comic book Con going on somewhere close by so there weren’t as many comic authors as I had hoped. But I did get to meet Bobby Nash who writes novels, comic books, short prose, novellas, graphic novels, screenplays, and even a little pulp fiction just for good measure. He has quite an eclectic collection. He gave me a signed copy of this Fuzzy Bunny comic. The title alone gets 5 Sheep from me .
One of the coolest things Bobby Nash did was to take a public domain heroine from golden age comics and write a new prose story to go with her adventures. There is an anthology called Golden Age Good Girls, that contains Nash’s story Moon Girl.
That about wraps up my experience for my first convention ever. As a bonus I’ve got two prize packs to give away! This wasn’t as big a Con as the ones on the West Coast, but I got a comic book called “Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell”, and you definitely don’t see that everyday.
Sharon Stogner
writer & marketing
Contest time!
Just leave a comment telling me what you would dress up as, if you could, at your next Con.
This contest is for anyone, anywhere, any dimension (although you will have to pay for inter-dimensional postage). Please indicate which pack you would like!
Pack 1: signed copy of Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell, lots of Nash signed swag, signed pic of Addy Miller, trading cards, copy of the anthology Alternate Generals II, awesome swag for all sorts of sci-fi/fantasy books (lovely art work), secret Sheep Swag
Pack 2: DVD of James Christopher Hill's art, signed Kalayna Price bookmark (newest design), Price magnet, and buttons, The Demon Trapper's Daughter patch, tattoos and sticker (with British logo) and signed post card, sample book The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron, Jane Yellowrock buttons, signed Nash bookmark, secret Sheep Swag
Contest will run until June 17th at midnight!
Please make sure you leave a way for us to contact you. Email, snail mail, worm hole coordinates etc.
I love your pics and your write-ups:) My cos-play would be, A Zombie Doctor, complete with dirty ripped jeans, and a really loud hawiian shirt, blood stained lab coat too as I love zombie films and it would fit in with the recent revivial:)
ReplyDeletePhil Wilce - See you on facebook (im always on the FTN page too:)
What a hoot - thank you for sharing today. I have always wanted to attend one of these events! If I could I would dress as a borg, but of course I would weigh a lot less and be much more attractive, something like 7 of 9. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity. I would like a chance to win Pack 2, well who wouldn't!
ReplyDeletedz59001[at]gmail[dot]com
I would be Zombie Cinderella, haha ;-) It would be awesome, yo.
ReplyDeleteI would love prize pack #2!
Psssh I would easily dress up as Gordon Freeman, or a Prinny from the Disgaea series.
ReplyDeleteCool post - now he's dead, a Zombie Bin Laden could be a hoot!
ReplyDeleteLove the site, and enjoy hearing your ramblings on FTN. I'm going to my first con type thing this year and i'll be going as "Bank Heist" joker (from The Dark Knight).
ReplyDeleteThough if money was no option i'd get myself a working Iron Man suit! (or settle for a replica)
I'd like pack 1.
Love the pic your daughter costume was really cool
ReplyDeleteKtalley28@gmail.com
Hey, the con looks amazing, and so does your daughters costume, not surprising she won. Where I live we never have anything close to any kind of con so I never really got to dress up like this, but i have had several ideas. One of my favorite ideas is definitely to dress as Rorschach from Watchmen, I was planning on a while ago and i found a thermal ink that would change its pattern as you breathe through the mask. I would also love to go as something crazy like a big daddy from the video game Bioshock or wear a full set of storm-trooper armor from Star Wars. Or perhaps just a kind of zombie or other horror character like your daughter, so many ideas. :D
ReplyDeleteMy email address is Gnoctor99@hotmail.com and I would love Prize pack #1 if I won.
Ha! Now we're talking! I have to get out of Waco and find some of these Con's (when I'm not attending UFO/Paranormal/Conspiracy venues of course!) I have a friend who does costuming for these kinds of things so I think I'm going to come as a steampunk female aviator. Kind of classic but with a techno edge. From one Sassy Street Siren to another: keep it 'comin, I'm all in! :)
ReplyDeleteTerrific blog, very informative. Now I want to go to a Con!
ReplyDeleteFor pack 1, and if my wife would relent, I'd dress as John Hurt's character from Alien. I'd carry my newborn daughter in a chest harnass made to look like the alien bursting from my chest. How many horrified looks would that get me?
ReplyDelete@Phil - zombies are always a good choice when going to a con .
ReplyDelete@Denise - find a con and go! This was my first and now I am looking for my next one. I really want to find a readers con.
@Chelsea - zombie Cinderella would be fun. You could wear a beautiful gown and throw blood all over it!
@Crowbar - had to look up who you would be . Go for the penguin! Don't see many of those.
@William - not to soon for that. Of course someone might try to kill you again ;)
@Brian - I want a working Iron Man suit too! Joker would be great. There weren't any at this con :( lots of steampunk though
@Keisha - thanks, I'll tell her. Did you want to enter the contest? which prize would you like!?
@Firstprime - Rorschach would be awesome! but hot . I felt sorry for the guys Merc and Stormtrooper guys. They had to be melting in those outfits.
@Autumn - Steampunk is getting big. Those guys put a *lot of work into their costumes. There was a guy there that sold steampunk weapons that light up and make noises.
@DANI - find one! This was my first and now I am hooked. Just google cons in your state.
@Michael - that would be to funny. Everyone would want your picture .
Pack one:)
ReplyDeleteAmazon warrior woman who carries a silver whip:)
Heehee
Great blog and giveaways:)
Sassy Siren heather
Hmmm.... Either something very gothy with lots of black and a set of vampire fangs or something very anime... I'm not sure who though. No, I know. Tiffa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7. Yeah. She is awesome!
ReplyDeleteand great pics! Looks like you had a wonderful time. Congrats to Lauren! I loved her costume - the makeup was awesome. I had no idea she did that herself! Does she use a kit or is she just that good?
Glad you had such a great first Con, Sharon. I agree the dragons "are" amazing, but so too is your daughter's zombie outfit. I'm curious about "furries" because my experience of the crew here is just folk dressed in animal costumes, but your 'don't ask' suggests they may go further in your corner of the world?
ReplyDeleteThe Steampunk guns didn't make any noises that I am aware of. I added those sound effects to the video afterwards. :-)
ReplyDeleteAlso, besides making the con video I was an author guest of the con, and you didn't buy or mention my books. Waaaaaaaaaa! LOL
~Randy Richards
www.Dreadmire.com
Sorry, that I missed you, but remember seeing your daughter--the zombie just looks too familiar.
ReplyDeleteI'd dress up as a powerful witch.
ReplyDeleteaikychien at yahoo dot com
Your pictures are AMAZING. I really should attend this con next year (I considered going this year and should have, darn it). What would I dress as? That's a toughie. Hmm...If I had the resources I'd love to have a costume made like Yuna wears in Final Fantasy X.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience with all of us!
Oh, and I love the first package from the zombie girl alone! WOW.
ReplyDeletecontest over!!! I will be picking a winner Saturday and posting the winners as well as contacting you via email! Good luck!
ReplyDelete