con weekend
Hello the internet! I am back from Dragon*Con, as caught up on my rlist as I can be bothered to be, and feeling completely dazed and flattened, although not actually ill (yet). I had an entirely fabulous time, and circumstances permitting I very much want to go again, though I don't think it will ever be the con of my heart -- far too terrifyingly crowded. That said, this was certainly one of the best weekends I've had in recent memory.
I'm mostly going to natter on about actors rather than all the awesome fangirls I met, but let me say, so many awesome fangirls. My roommates were phenomenal, I always had at least one line buddy before panels, and there were lots of drunken shenanigans and bonding over fannish ~feelings.
Highlights:
+ Tom Felton! I went to see one of his panels on a whim, and because I am still a bit on a Harry Potter kick. He was ridiculously charming and engaging, and absolutely lovely to everyone who asked questions. I remember that directly after the panel I urgently wanted to blog about every single thing he said, but at some days' remove what I took away was that, in response to a question about what roles he wants to take in future, he said he absolutely wants to keep being villains. Villains are fascinating and fun to play! He basically wants to have Alan Rickman's or Ralph Fiennes' career when he grows up! Basically I want to be friends with this man. (Also: the awkward Voldemort hug wasn't in the script, but everyone liked it so much they kept it. Also Tom Felton thinks it's great that American audiences find the Voldemort hug hilarious. Yes. Yes we do.)
+ The Buffy cast panel's standout moments were mostly down to Eliza Dushku, who fielded the expected Buffy/Faith question with grace and said that she'd absolutely been playing Faith's crush on Buffy, and that it's a shame they were on the WB at the time and couldn't make it text. Also, when a woman in the audience prefaced her question with something along the lines of "Eliza, I think you're really beautiful," Eliza smiled out at her and said, "You're looking pretty great yourself," and, I suspect, made that woman's day.
+ The Buffy shadowcast for Once More With Feeling was good fun. Their Buffy particularly was really excellent, but possibly my favorite part was how![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rayruz was having a callback fight with the entire audience. Apparently it is A Thing to yell "Shut up, Dawn!" after Dawn says anything, and Ray was a one-woman comedic Dawn defense team, and made the audience laugh quite a bit herself.
+ Sylvester McCoy! He was adorable and completely mad, as expected. He had lovely stories about Pertwee and Ainley and Nicholas Courtney, and also about the time he totally saved Sophie Aldred from drowning and electrocution during Battlefield. He played his spoons, and kept Not Saying Things About The Hobbit, and had us laughing pretty much the entire time. When it came time for questions from the audience, he climbed down off the stage with his mic and went about through the audience, taking questions and making us all crack up more. Basically he is a compact ball of joy. (He also did a cold read of the Doctor's Pandorica speech, though not at the panel I went to. It gives a very good sample of what he's like.)
+ I went to the Yule Ball with![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
srevans, as Azkaban-era Sirius and Professor Lupin. (My Lupin costume was essentially a tweed jacket I borrowed from holli's Eleven costume and some fake scars across my face, but it worked, because Sirius was recognizable.) I found a dementor for Sirius to dance with, and then had a conversation with a Hufflepuff about how long Sirius and I had been dating. It is possibly one of the most adorable conversations I have ever had.
+ And finally, because this is DEEPLY IMPORTANT: Mark Sheppard. MARK SHEPPARD, YOU GUYS. I went into his panel thinking he was pretty awesome, and I came out MADLY IN LOVE (and also with the resolution to catch up on Leverage). He's a straight cis white guy who actually Gets It, for starters; he said intelligent things about Canton and Crowley that made me all starry-eyed. He also said lovely things about why he likes doing sci-fi shows: for the story, and because well-told what-ifs are so compelling; he was completely, wonderfully articulate about it, too. I think my very favorite thing he said, though, was in answer to the inevitable "Tell the story of your weirdest/most awkward/most memorable encounter with a fan." And he basically said, "Look, what I do is a dialogue. But because I mostly work in television, in order to actually get audience feedback, I go to cons, I talk to fans, I love it. There's no such thing as a bad or stupid or awkward moment with a fan; you're all a wonderful gift." And he meant it. I just. You guys, I fucking can't, and also I need to re/watch everything Mark Sheppard has ever been in. Right now.
So that was essentially my con! I loved the hotel we were staying in, because it looked like something out of Star Wars, and I loved the three-plus days of intense fannishness and all the enthusiasm, and I am so glad I went, and now I am going to sit quietly in a corner for a while until I am functional again.
I'm mostly going to natter on about actors rather than all the awesome fangirls I met, but let me say, so many awesome fangirls. My roommates were phenomenal, I always had at least one line buddy before panels, and there were lots of drunken shenanigans and bonding over fannish ~feelings.
Highlights:
+ Tom Felton! I went to see one of his panels on a whim, and because I am still a bit on a Harry Potter kick. He was ridiculously charming and engaging, and absolutely lovely to everyone who asked questions. I remember that directly after the panel I urgently wanted to blog about every single thing he said, but at some days' remove what I took away was that, in response to a question about what roles he wants to take in future, he said he absolutely wants to keep being villains. Villains are fascinating and fun to play! He basically wants to have Alan Rickman's or Ralph Fiennes' career when he grows up! Basically I want to be friends with this man. (Also: the awkward Voldemort hug wasn't in the script, but everyone liked it so much they kept it. Also Tom Felton thinks it's great that American audiences find the Voldemort hug hilarious. Yes. Yes we do.)
+ The Buffy cast panel's standout moments were mostly down to Eliza Dushku, who fielded the expected Buffy/Faith question with grace and said that she'd absolutely been playing Faith's crush on Buffy, and that it's a shame they were on the WB at the time and couldn't make it text. Also, when a woman in the audience prefaced her question with something along the lines of "Eliza, I think you're really beautiful," Eliza smiled out at her and said, "You're looking pretty great yourself," and, I suspect, made that woman's day.
+ The Buffy shadowcast for Once More With Feeling was good fun. Their Buffy particularly was really excellent, but possibly my favorite part was how
rayruz was having a callback fight with the entire audience. Apparently it is A Thing to yell "Shut up, Dawn!" after Dawn says anything, and Ray was a one-woman comedic Dawn defense team, and made the audience laugh quite a bit herself.+ Sylvester McCoy! He was adorable and completely mad, as expected. He had lovely stories about Pertwee and Ainley and Nicholas Courtney, and also about the time he totally saved Sophie Aldred from drowning and electrocution during Battlefield. He played his spoons, and kept Not Saying Things About The Hobbit, and had us laughing pretty much the entire time. When it came time for questions from the audience, he climbed down off the stage with his mic and went about through the audience, taking questions and making us all crack up more. Basically he is a compact ball of joy. (He also did a cold read of the Doctor's Pandorica speech, though not at the panel I went to. It gives a very good sample of what he's like.)
+ I went to the Yule Ball with
srevans, as Azkaban-era Sirius and Professor Lupin. (My Lupin costume was essentially a tweed jacket I borrowed from holli's Eleven costume and some fake scars across my face, but it worked, because Sirius was recognizable.) I found a dementor for Sirius to dance with, and then had a conversation with a Hufflepuff about how long Sirius and I had been dating. It is possibly one of the most adorable conversations I have ever had.+ And finally, because this is DEEPLY IMPORTANT: Mark Sheppard. MARK SHEPPARD, YOU GUYS. I went into his panel thinking he was pretty awesome, and I came out MADLY IN LOVE (and also with the resolution to catch up on Leverage). He's a straight cis white guy who actually Gets It, for starters; he said intelligent things about Canton and Crowley that made me all starry-eyed. He also said lovely things about why he likes doing sci-fi shows: for the story, and because well-told what-ifs are so compelling; he was completely, wonderfully articulate about it, too. I think my very favorite thing he said, though, was in answer to the inevitable "Tell the story of your weirdest/most awkward/most memorable encounter with a fan." And he basically said, "Look, what I do is a dialogue. But because I mostly work in television, in order to actually get audience feedback, I go to cons, I talk to fans, I love it. There's no such thing as a bad or stupid or awkward moment with a fan; you're all a wonderful gift." And he meant it. I just. You guys, I fucking can't, and also I need to re/watch everything Mark Sheppard has ever been in. Right now.
So that was essentially my con! I loved the hotel we were staying in, because it looked like something out of Star Wars, and I loved the three-plus days of intense fannishness and all the enthusiasm, and I am so glad I went, and now I am going to sit quietly in a corner for a while until I am functional again.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Which hotel did you stay in?
no subject
I was in the the Marriott! ELEVATORS AND BALCONIES FOR MILES.
no subject
When you say "catch up on" do you mean on this season or period?
:D I think when I went in 2004 we stayed in the Marriott? That sounds familiar and awesome, so.
I am being ridiculous premature and over-planning BUT if you do go next year do you have rooming ~plans?
no subject
And re: rooming plans, I think at least some of the fangirls I was staying with will be my roomies again next time, if I go? However, if I do attend I would be totally happy to coordinate/see if we can share a room/&c!
no subject
(This is far more dire than I anticipated.)
Well I am glad you are following up because oh my god amazing. PS have you see the vid for High Five (I think that's the title)?
:O! :D Huzzah! One of my friends and I are making srs bsns plans for next year and, in trying to find roommates, discovering that basically everyone we know who would go, uh. Already does. *shifty look*
no subject
Also MARK SHEPPARD. Alot.
no subject
YESSSS. (Although: do you know about the Hyperbole and A Half Alot? Now I am picturing a Mark Sheppard alot, and it is THE MOST ADORABLE ALOT.)
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
MARK SHEPPARD MARK SHEPPARD MARK SHEPPARD
(and I have 2 Remus/Sirius pictures on my camera if you wants them)
no subject
And most excellent! I would love it if you'd send 'em over -- ariastar at gmail.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
*ahem* Oh, he was Badger, you say? I hardly remember Badger.
no subject
I was also pleasantly charmed by Tony, the guy who was running the panel for Mark, he was kind of hilarious and I loved the mini Walking Dead panel!
no subject
Tony was GREAT. Actually, if you were still in the room when a group of five or six women ran up to the front to talk to Tony after the panel, I was one of them! We all wanted to go up and tell him how much we'd also enjoyed him. :D
no subject
We've already booked rooms at the HIlton for next year (although I'm leaving the boy at home lol)