First off, taking a week off when you write weekly features for a blog only makes it harder to get back in the habit. I doubt anyone will read this post (does anyone read any of my posts, anyway?), but I need to write something, or I'll never get back into it.
So, tomorrow, I leave for Wizard World Chicago, aka Chicago Comic Con, which is the first big convention I've been to in a while. I guess I've been going to conventions for the past 10-12 years, so I'll recollect what memories I have of the conventions I've gone to.
My first convention was a tiny ass fantasy/sci-fi con in Louisville, KY. I used to work at a comic book and gaming store, so I sometimes got the "privilege" of going to cons with the boss. Let me tell you, you don't get to do very much when you are a dealer except sell shit. Sure, I got to play a bunch of Diablo in the gaming room and I watched Princess Mononoke for the first time (a low quality fansub copy, before the Disney release), but that was it. In hindsight, that convention kinda sucked, but it was my first one and I still remember it. I found out that the convention died the next year - no big loss, really.
My second convention was more exciting. I got to go to the Mecca of gaming conventions, Gen Con. Right now, Gen Con takes place in Indianapolis (in fact, it happened last weekend), but I went back when Gen Con was at MECCA (Milwaukee Exposition & Convention Center & Arena) in beautiful Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The boss took me and the girl I was dating (we both worked there) up there. During the day, we peddled crap, but we did get a chance to actually partake a little in the convention this time around. I purchased a metric buttload of AniMayhem cards (a card game that I may discuss in the future), got roped into playing the Spellfire card game (which I will never discuss, because it sucks), went to the Safe House (a fun, spy themed restaurant and bar -- if you're ever in Milwaukee, try it), ate at an excellent German restaurant, got to meet some writers and game designers, etc. All in all, I had a good time, there. It's a shame I haven't been back there since (more so that it's not in Milwaukee, anymore). One year, I'll head up to Indianapolis with a few of my rpg buddies and experience Gen Con again.
After Gen Con, I didn't get to go on many conventions for work. The boss left me at the home store while he went out for convention season. My next convention wouldn't happen until I met my wife and we started dating. As everyone was interested in anime, we decided to try a little convention, Anime Iowa, which wasn't that bad of a drive from St. Louis. We've been going there for years, though a lot of us feel we've outgrown the convention and it's just not as fun for us, anymore.
We did go to one big anime convention, A-Kon in Dallas. While I did enjoy the bigger production of a larger con (hell, they had arcade games), the two day drive didn't suit me. On top of that, I will never stay in Muskogee, OK again (unless it was that decent hotel that gave us a room for $20 and had the Golden Axe cabinet).
So, that's about the breadth of my con experience. I know, it's not much. I wish I had the time and money to attend more conventions (I usually have one or the other, not both). As far as Wizard World Chicago is concerned, I'm probably going to end up finding a couple of panels to go to and wishing I had more money in the dealer room (as it stands, I have none). There are some celebs showing up that are of interest to me, but I'll probably just walk by their table, since I can't afford an autograph. Maybe I'll have pictures to show -- we'll see.
Man, being poor sucks.
I know this post is a bit whiny, but I'm tired of writing it and you're not going to read it, so what do I care?
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