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thessalianSo I went to MCM Comic Con, and have made an executive decision: I am so not cut out for the convention thing.
I mean, Dragonmeet is one thing: you pay your admission, you go in, and while you can shop, there are other things to do. Going alone is not such a big deal because all you have to do is sign up for a game or two and you're hanging out with cool people for a few solid hours, doing a bit of one-off RP and having an awesome time. And I don't recall having to pay for John Kovalic's autograph while I was there the last time ... though I suppose he's not in quite the same league as some of the people at MCM this year.
But, see, therein lies the problem. There are things I just don't do. I'd happily run around in costume potentially making an idiot of myself, if it didn't mean that half the planet would be pointing a camera at me. I don't hug random strangers, however they're dressed. I barely know how to use a decent camera and my phone's camera is kind of crap, so pictures are kind of out. And I have a serious objection to spending a sum that would buy me a week's worth of groceries on a single autograph - a name scribbled on a piece of paper elevated to that level of financial worth just because the name is a famous one - particularly after the amount I spent on the entry fee. I know they have to pay the appearance fees for the famous folks, but seriously, some of that struck me as just a liiiiittle excessive. I didn't have the kind of money to shop, I certainly couldn't have afforded the three autographs I most wanted and on the whole, I felt unutterably out of place and alone.
Meeting the awesome folks off the DA fan communities I'm in ... didn't entirely help, I have to admit. They all knew each other, I didn't even know where to start having a conversation with any of them (beyond the one lovely lady whose name I have since forgotten who left at around the same time I finally got around to visiting the convention hall proper on Saturday) and, beyond taking a few pictures, a few random additions to conversation and a hug from the utter sweetie dressed as Merrill amongst the group, I mainly sat on the fringes and watched everything. Actually, that's how I spent a lot of the weekend - sitting on the fringes and watching things. This is where I prove that however I come across, I really am way too shy for this kind of shit. I can manage to have conversations with people I've never met in person, but that's only after I've talked to them online for months. And while the DA crew seemed like really nice people who I'd love to get to know, I didn't even know if I knew any of them. So on the whole, MCM comic con was a slightly depressing and socially awkward experience...
And I find out via Twitter that I have just entirely missed meeting Adam Howden with the rest of the crew I met up with yesterday, because I couldn't find them this afternoon and went home. FML completely.
Yeah ... I suck at this con thing and am now just really depressed. Fantastic.
Hope y'all're having a better weekend than I am.
I mean, Dragonmeet is one thing: you pay your admission, you go in, and while you can shop, there are other things to do. Going alone is not such a big deal because all you have to do is sign up for a game or two and you're hanging out with cool people for a few solid hours, doing a bit of one-off RP and having an awesome time. And I don't recall having to pay for John Kovalic's autograph while I was there the last time ... though I suppose he's not in quite the same league as some of the people at MCM this year.
But, see, therein lies the problem. There are things I just don't do. I'd happily run around in costume potentially making an idiot of myself, if it didn't mean that half the planet would be pointing a camera at me. I don't hug random strangers, however they're dressed. I barely know how to use a decent camera and my phone's camera is kind of crap, so pictures are kind of out. And I have a serious objection to spending a sum that would buy me a week's worth of groceries on a single autograph - a name scribbled on a piece of paper elevated to that level of financial worth just because the name is a famous one - particularly after the amount I spent on the entry fee. I know they have to pay the appearance fees for the famous folks, but seriously, some of that struck me as just a liiiiittle excessive. I didn't have the kind of money to shop, I certainly couldn't have afforded the three autographs I most wanted and on the whole, I felt unutterably out of place and alone.
Meeting the awesome folks off the DA fan communities I'm in ... didn't entirely help, I have to admit. They all knew each other, I didn't even know where to start having a conversation with any of them (beyond the one lovely lady whose name I have since forgotten who left at around the same time I finally got around to visiting the convention hall proper on Saturday) and, beyond taking a few pictures, a few random additions to conversation and a hug from the utter sweetie dressed as Merrill amongst the group, I mainly sat on the fringes and watched everything. Actually, that's how I spent a lot of the weekend - sitting on the fringes and watching things. This is where I prove that however I come across, I really am way too shy for this kind of shit. I can manage to have conversations with people I've never met in person, but that's only after I've talked to them online for months. And while the DA crew seemed like really nice people who I'd love to get to know, I didn't even know if I knew any of them. So on the whole, MCM comic con was a slightly depressing and socially awkward experience...
And I find out via Twitter that I have just entirely missed meeting Adam Howden with the rest of the crew I met up with yesterday, because I couldn't find them this afternoon and went home. FML completely.
Yeah ... I suck at this con thing and am now just really depressed. Fantastic.
Hope y'all're having a better weekend than I am.
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Date: 2011-10-30 03:21 pm (UTC)If it makes you feel any better I dislike paying for autographs too and refuse to do so on principle, especially after paying an entry fee. It's getting quite silly.
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Date: 2011-10-30 05:20 pm (UTC)That said, it does sound like you got to experience a few things worth treasuring, even if it didn't outweigh the corporate communism of consumerism. Granted, they're little things, but even they wouldn't have happened if you hadn't braved the con. You got to meet some of the fandom, got a hug from 'Merrill', and tried something you'd never done before. You can't put a monetary value on that. :)
no subject
Date: 2011-10-30 10:17 pm (UTC)Besides, the expression on the face of the Varric cosplayer when I provided her with the 'Hard in Hightown'-covered autograph book I mocked up for her was probably worth it all by itself. I just wish it'd printed out better; my printer is craaaap...
no subject
Date: 2011-10-30 08:47 pm (UTC)If it was your first time going, maybe it was just too overwhelming and you could try again next year? Perhaps try hanging out at night, when there are less people with cameras walking around? Because it sounds like you WANTED to enjoy it, but if you really think it'll just bring you grief if you go again, then of course do whatever you think is best. I've never been to that con, but I've been going to a local anime con that has gotten pretty massive over the years, so I know what you must have had to experience.
And feeling alone and awkward in a group of like-minded fans definitely sucks (speaking from experience).
no subject
Date: 2011-10-30 10:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-30 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-30 11:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-01 01:11 am (UTC)I hope you make it to another con that you enjoy more in the future!