Your First Con

[Pyromancer999]

So, today I wrapped up my first con that I ever attended. It was a mixed bag of kittens-mainly touchy disagreeable kittens, but still some nice ones in there.

So, this got me wondering: How was everyone's experience at the first con they ever went to? Was it good or bad? Anything interesting happen? Did it make you more or less wanting to attend cons in the future?

Edit: By using the word 'con', I mean 'convention'

[Coidzor]

Still has yet to happen. Every time either a new job or lack of funds due to emergency expenditure, getting shanghai'd on the other side of the country, or something else just seems to have come up.

I suspect I'm really bad at planning. Still looking forward to wrangling one down, possibly this upcoming dragon con which would coincide with my first real road trip as well...

Hmm, that reminds me, I need to do research into con etiquette and plan my attack.

Edit: Although, I will admit that I am kind of worried how much of a social disadvantage not particularly caring for Magic the Gathering is at Cons.

[Mauve Shirt]

My first con was Dexcon. It's a LARPing convention that could fit in your mother's living room. It was awkward for me, as I was only there because my sister was going with some friends, and I'm not a very good performer so LARPing's charm was lost on me. But there was a Scrabble tournament that I got to play in, I came in 3rd out of 8 players.
Dexcon wasn't nearly as greasy as Otakon or Nekocon, the two other cons I've attended. They are both large Anime conventions. They were fun in their own way, I got to watch 3 Slendermans dance Gangnam Style. But I wasn't a fan of the crowds, or of the lack of alcohol, and since I didn't have a costume I felt kind of lame. The artists' alley was great at both, and I spent money there and in the dealer's rooms.

Basically, conventions aren't first on my list of funnest things evar, but if I have an admission fee burning a hole in my pocket and enough good friends are going there are worse things to subject myself to.

[Othesemo]

I walked into a restaurant with a violin, and ate dinner. Afterwards, I feigned shock and told the manager that I'd left my wallet at home. I offered to leave my violin as collateral while I went to get it. The manager agreed.

While I was gone, a friend of mine walked up to the manger, and said that he was something of a connoisseur in such matters, and asked to see the violin. When he saw it, he jumped back in 'shock' and announced that it was fantastically valuable, and mused that I must not know it's true value, and would probably sell it for much less than it's worth.

After a few minutes, I walked back into the restaurant, and the manager inevitably asked to buy my violin from me. I played hard-to-get for a while, but eventually settled on $2,500 (a fraction of what my friend told him it was worth). Afterwards, I payed for my dinner and walked away, my friend following me a few minutes later. Once outside, we met up, split the cash, and went to have a drink. In reality, the violin was the sort of thing you'd find in an elementary school- about $100 of craftmanship, and some nice looking varnish.

I've never been to a convention, though.

[Deathkeeper]

NY Comic Con for me. I know that the NY one isn't as good or popular as the San Diego one, but I still enjoyed the heck out of it. Nothing but wall-to-wall games, video games, comics. I mean, I didn't even buy anything, but it was really cool. And I saw a lot of really cool cosplays. Plus models and stuff that I totally would have bought if I had any money.
And if you remember the video on G4 with the ten guys dressed as Ezio Auditore playing Just Dance at 2011's Con, you can almost see me to the side of the shot.

[Phil Lactery]

My first con was in the Scottish highlands.... so it wasn't exactly big :smalltongue:

That being said, it was a blast. A group of people planned to meet up on the other side of town dressed as zombies and shamble along. A friend and I were a tad late so proceeded to do a two-man zombie horde through the town center. People were pretty confused :smallbiggrin:

Wasn't all that much at the con itself, but there were a few marvel freebies for showing up in costume which was pretty cool.

[Gamerlord]

New York Comic Con. Was about eight and my dad took me to it. Don't remember anything in particular, but I do remember having a good time.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Awwww, Othesemo got there before me. :smallfrown:

[CMOTDibbler]

I can't honestly remember my first convention, as I was only two at the time. My parents actually met at Archon, my local Sci-fi-Fantasy Con, and so I've been taken there many times. The first one I can remember is Archon, years later, when I was 12 or so. I was dressed as my paladin DnD character, and because I'd been so many times already, knew most of the staff. I recall getting a lot of "aw"s and "how cute"s, and being upset because the character I was supposed to be had just killed a village full of goblins and was supposed to be vicious.

[Karoht]

Con-Version 2001.
Went with a group, nearly got sold to the Gypsies, won some prizes for being awesome.

BEST Con-Version year was the year that we saved Princess Leia from Jabba the Hut by selling one of our friends to said Gypsies.

[Katana_Geldar]

I met my husband at my first con. We're a good sized community that knows each other and goes to the cons in Sydney.

I also go to Supanova, the sci-fi convention, with the 501st so I get a cheap weekend pass.

[Totally Guy]

I went to an anime convention called Amecon about 10 years ago. I was really excited because I didn't know anyone else at the time who was into anime.

I didn't have a good time. I decided to expand my interests soon after.


Since then I've been to GitP meet ups. I've been to Role Playing Conventions in the UK and in New York. I attended New York Comic Con by accident back in 2010 too.

[OverdrivePrime]

Gencon, back when it was Milwaukee. I think this was 199...3? Pretty sure. Anyway, I was a pretty sheltered kid, and so I was astounded to see all the people wandering around in costume, and some of them even looked good! It was fun.

The next year I went, my friend Keith and I got to meet and talk with Bob Salvatore (he said 'call me Bob!') and just as amazing for us - Larry Elmore and his gorgeous daughter. All three were incredibly nice and politely overlooked our wide-eyed fanboying.

[Aidan305]

For me it was Leprecon 26 in Dublin - a small games convention, but the oldest in the country. I met people but didn't play many games as I was a member of staff.

The first one I attended as a con-goer was Silicon, which sadly runs no longer. I played my first game of Aberrant and also, IIRC, I played a game of Fighting Fantasy where we ended up fighting against Balthus Dire. I also picked up a copy of Werewolf the Forsaken.

[Beacon of Chaos]

Bronycon 2012. Met fellow playgrounders, attended panels of various cool and important people. Bought a whole bunch of posters. Had a ton of fun. I'm actually not as invested in pony as I once was, but I still hope to go back this year. The con itself isn't as big a draw as simply hanging out with people who share similar interests as me.

There's also a Tumblrcon potentially happening in the UK either this year or next, which I'm hoping to go to as well.

[PallElendro]

Comic-Con in Anaheim.
This happened.
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/582789_410739638978677_1467951419_n.jpg

[Sajiri]

I went to Supanova in Brisbane when I was in high school. I wasn't really interested in games or anime or anything back then, but my friend was going and didn't want to go on her own. We didn't preorder tickets, so we were standing in line with a long wait ahead of us. Some volunteer guy was going up and down the line 'randomly' selecting people to stamp their hands and let them skip the line. Two high school girls standing in the midst of many older men >_> We didn't have to wait very long.

I came across some seniors from my school dragging around some guy dressed as the madman logo. One of them let go of the madman to wave at me, who then jumped at me screaming but they caught him..then let him loose on some guy standing next to me who got tackled to the ground. I then ran into my ex who I'd broken up with only days before who started trying to drag me around everywhere and be overly friendly.

And then I came across Jack Sparrow (I don't know if he was staff or a cosplayer but he looked and sounded exactly like him) who gave me balloons, for some reason. It was an interesting first con...

[Bastian Weaver]

It was ten years ago or so... Star Bridge, a sci fi/fantasy convention in Ukraine. It was cool. I met some writers that I really liked, got some autographs, had lots of fun.

[Mauve Shirt]

You know what is TEH MOST HILARIOUS about this thread? Everyone is posting their story, but no one is reading the stories that are being posted. :smalltongue:

[Coidzor]

You know what is TEH MOST HILARIOUS about this thread? Everyone is posting their story, but no one is reading the stories that are being posted. :smalltongue:

I meant to come back and read some but got distracted. x.x

[Drakeburn]

I read them all! *raises hand*

But alas, I've never been to a convention before. :smallfrown:

[Pyromancer999]

You know what is TEH MOST HILARIOUS about this thread? Everyone is posting their story, but no one is reading the stories that are being posted. :smalltongue:

I am, at the very least. Sort of the reason for creating the thread. :smalltongue:

[Bastian Weaver]

Everyone is posting their story, but no one is reading the stories that are being posted. :smalltongue:

I would've made an incredibly smart and funny response to that, but I can't, because I don't read what's being posted. Alas, cruel fate!

[Palanan]

Wait, I wasn't supposed to read these? Twenty-three posts later and now you tell me?!

:smalltongue:



My first major-ish con was a Trek convention back in the day, when ST:TNG was on the air. Two of the series stars were scheduled to appear as the main event, but the actors canceled at the last minute--and the convention people didn't mention this to everyone who was still buying tickets that afternoon.

I hadn't really had my heart set on seeing them anyway, but the rest of the convention didn't impress much either. I don't think I've been to one since.

[Scarlet Knight]

I walked into a restaurant ...
I've never been to a convention, though.

Ah! You make the funny, no? :smallbiggrin:

My first convention was Pointcon at the US Military Academy here in NY maybe 25 years ago? No costumes, but I learned you can have alot of fun & still take your tabletop battles verrrrry seriously.

Alas, POINTCON XXXVI was cancelled due to the budget crunch.

[Felandria]

MegaCon 2002, Kevin Smith was there and was hilarious, been going every year since.

Last week's was awesome, Patrick Stewart and Wil Wheaton were hilarious, loved every minute.

Hoping to make a pilgrimage to PAX in Seattle and ComiCon in San Diego one day.

[Dr.Epic]

Edit: By using the word 'con', I mean 'convention'

There are people who don't know what that abbreviation is?:smallconfused:

Also, still have yet to ever attend a con. Hopefully, when I finish my automail cosplay, I can go to one as Edward Elric.

[MikelaC1]

I read the thread, hoping to see if Ottawa's convention, Cangames, was mentioned. Guess there are no Ottawa people on here, except me of course.