Dragon Con 2023
Recap
Another Dragon Con has come and gone, and I forgot to take photos! But I did meet Adam Savage (while wearing my Savage Industries jumpsuit from the Expanse!). And I DID get a photo with him, so not all is lost!
I did get the con crud this year, though. It was extra nasty and lingered for about two weeks, which was a real bummer!
This year was definitely Barbie themed (hence my Barbie pink Expanse jumpsuit). The Barbie movie made such a splash even non-cosplayers were cosplaying Barbie. Kudos to their marketing team!
This year’s cosplay line up included my big build (and the first dress I’ve ever sewn) Alina Starkov from Shadow and Bone, a Clarissa Mao/Barbie crossover, Yennefer of Vengerberg from The Witcher, a casual Moana for the aquarium, and Amy from Superstore!
Most of this year’s cosplays were casual and comfortable. It’s been a busy year, and I wanted to keep all of my projects light. Next year though, we’ll be going heavy!
Jack and I did something a little different this year. We made a quest board! As The Witcher and Yennefer, we posted up in the Marriot lobby on Thursday night and handed out quests. He 3D printed coins for people to collect when they completed their quest. It was a lot of fun and got us to interact with more people than we normally do (probably where the crud came from!).
We also handed out certificates for Best Cosplay dressed as Cloud9 employees. That was another fun one of interacting with some amazing cosplayers and getting to talk shop!
Jack competed in the Friday Night Costume Contest (FNCC). He did great, but didn’t win. It was a good experience for both of us.
Takeaways from the experience are: always pack snacks and drinks. Plan to be there all night. Don’t bring extra stuff.
We were there from about 6 PM to 11 PM, but had been out and about since 2 PM for various photoshoots and meet and greets. So by the time we got through with everything I was hangry, freezing cold, and my arms were tired from carrying things around.
It was fun being backstage with other phenomenal makers though. There were some truly incredible builds.
Dragon Con 2024
I already have some ideas for DC24 and I’m excited about it!
I would love to compete in the Page to Stage competition on Thursday night and I already know it’s going to be a costume from the Shadow and Bone universe - I’m torn between Nina Zenik and Zoya Nazyalensky. I’ll likely build both costumes and see which one is better.
My friends group wants to build (the MOST complicated) costumes from Wheel of Time. And I’m all for it.
I’m thinking Triss from The Witcher and maybe Laena Valerian.
We will see though. A lot can change in a year!