Recap and Review of the new Atlanta Comic Con @theatlantacomiccon #convention #geeks #nerds #press

I was invited to attend the new Atlanta Comic Con as press in exchange for my pre-post and posting a review at the end.

I have to admit, I was rather disappointed by the turn out of attendees, especially on Friday.  I knew it would be low (workday and all that), but it was still smaller than expected.  It didn't start until noon, so we picked up our passes and got lunch before diving in.  Our only real confusion Friday was thinking that the convention was in building A (like Momocon), when it was actually in building C.  I mostly wandered to see what was going on where.  There were free 80's type arcade games to play on as well as a room set up to play various XBox games.  I did go to a family friendly freestyle D&D panel, which was interesting (and funny) to watch.

Optimus Prime

Saturday was considerably more interesting.  A lot more people came out for the convention, so there was a lot more going on.  I started my day out by going to the panel featuring Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings and more recently in Stranger Things).   I stayed in the panel area and sat in on Linda Larkin and Paige O'Hara (voice of Jasmine and Belle respectively).

cosplay

I followed that up by going and visiting with the men from Helluva Productions.   They showed a short film of what they HAD and followed it up with some examples of work from a new animator.   Barring any production or other issues happening between now and then, look for a potentially good new animation out in October (may not be appropriate for younger audiences).

goodies

I watched the girls for a while and checked out some of the games in the 1UP game room.  We also took our time going through the exhibitors hall.  I picked up 3 themed mystery boxes while there (the main one being Harry Potter themed) and a hand crafted phoenix figure from HP.  I finished my day up on an HP note with the Matthew Lewis (Neville from Harry Potter) panel.

guests!

Sunday we discovered that there was an Atlanta United game.  It made getting in/out of the convention center challenging to say the least.  Otherwise, I attended Renee O'Connor's panel as well as Cary Elwes'.
My son and I attended the Sadie the Science Lady presentation and then finished our con out by watching another freestyle D and D panel, this one aimed at the 18+ group.  Considerably more humorous, but definitely not for the younger set.

Science Rap

There was definitely a good selection of guests in attendance (certainly aided by the fact that Stranger Things is filming in Gwinnett).  They had an app that you could use to keep track of the schedule.  My request on this one would be that you be able to pick the panels you're interested in and make your own calendar to track them (similar to the one used by Momocon).  For the bigger panels, they used 3 rooms together with a lot of chairs.  If the crowd had actually filled the room, the people on the sides would NEVER have seen the panelist.  There were no monitors for them to watch.  Also, the acoustics in the room weren't very good either.  There was a definite echo at times and the speaker would occasionally get lost in clarity.

My daughter would love to see a "quiet space" for those that get overwhelmed or just need a time out for a while.  She and her best friend were also concerned by the price.  It wasn't cheap for a 3 day admission, even getting them online early.  Talking with another attendee, she was concerned that there hadn't been enough advance notice for the cosplayers to really come out in force.  Apparently another con was this weekend and most had travelled for that one.  Hopefully if this one happens again next year, there will be plenty of notice so they can attend.

A kudos to the Gamers on the Edge group that sponsored the 1UP video game room.  The girls really appreciated being able to play games aimed at multiple players and fewer single person games.  I liked the fact that they were supporting the Children's Miracle Network with both a raffle and an item sale.  We entered the raffle (didn't win) and I got a beanie.  Though I suspect the beanie will be taken over by one of the children at some point.

 If it does happen again next year and a larger number attend, they'll need more panels.  My son would suggest fan-run panels or something similar.  He appreciated the scheduling tasks, but isn't one to appreciate sitting an hour in between panels he finds interesting.  The panels he DID attend, though, he definitely enjoyed.

All of us agree, for a first year con, well done!

Atlanta Comic Con! #fangirl #HarryPotter #MatthewLewis #LordoftheRings #SeanAstin #Disney

So I'm off to the World Congress Center to check out the new Atlanta Comic Con.  Follow me on instagram to see more up to date photos and impressions during the weekend.  I'll post an update next week on all that I've seen.  In the mean time, I'm off to fan girl over some of the guests and check out some of the panels.

I went to Momocon #crafts #sights #panels

I didn't do many of the things I usually do at Momocon.  Usually you can find me at the tabletop gaming area, in the RPG area, workshops and people watching.  This year, my main thing was to go to workshops and make stuff.  I sculpted a merman, painted a Pop!, and created a terrarium.  I also made a keychain, but I don't have good photos of it.  In my "down" time, I sat and played Pokemon Go!  I only took one photo of a cosplay, I didn't go to the RPG area, and I didn't go tabletop gaming.

These were in the vendor area, back corner near Artist's Alley.

The one non-crafting panel I went to was Okinawan Karate.  Being involved in Martial Arts myself, sometimes it's fun to learn about other disciplines.

My son went to panels on Friday & Saturday.  My daughter doesn't do much in the way of panels, instead she does a lot of people watching.  She did cosplay Friday & Saturday for a while.  I think we went home earlier each day this year than we usually do.  I don't know if there just wasn't as much that we were interested in, or if we just weren't in "Momocon' mode for the weekend.  There were a LOT of people, though, so the con itself seems to have been a success.  Next convention up for us: ComicCon in July.

A new convention is coming to town @TheAtlantaComicCon #ad

My kids and I enjoy going to several different conventions in the Atlanta area:  Momocon, Anime Weekend Atlanta, Seishun Con, Conjuration Con, etc   There's a new one coming to Atlanta that I'm looking forward to checking out.  I'll admit it.  When I first heard about it, I was a bit skeptical.  It sounded like one that already existed and there wasn't much information being provided.  They've started announcing guests and it's really starting to sound fun.  Anyway, it's the Atlanta Comic Con (at the Georgia World Congress Center), not the same as the one day Atlanta Comic Convention (at the Marriott-Hotel Century Center).  A bit of confusion on the names, but hopefully it will distinguish itself this July.

Atlanta Comic Con debuts on July 13-15, 2018, at the Georgia World Congress Center. Tickets range from $30-$60, and kids 12 and under are admitted for free. Atlanta Comic Con is produced and promoted by Imaginarium LLC, who produce four other comic conventions around the country. For information regarding hours, guests announced so far, programming, and other details about Atlanta Comic Con, visit: https://atlantacomiccon.com/

I am being given a press pass in exchange for letting you know about this upcoming event.  I'll post about it after it's over too!

Atlanta Sci-Fi and Fantasy Expo @scifiatlanta

I heard about the Atlanta Sci-Fi and Fantasy Expo online as well.  I took my daughter and one of her friends on Saturday afternoon to check it out.  We didn't attend any panels, though we did look around to see where they were being held.  We did the main thing and checked out the vendor and artist area.  It was set in the middle of the mall with a LOT of vendors.  Quite a few authors, artists and gaming companies were in attendance as well.  I was suitably impressed.  For a relatively new con, it had a good selection of vendors and panels offered.

Our haul from the show.  The requisite candy/treats, a stuffed Dopey head, small Hello Kitty (we had been at the cafe earlier in the day after all), a book (signed by the author) and some rings.

Since this one is so close to home, I'll likely keep an eye on it. It may become one we try to attend regularly. I also liked the cost of admission (free).

Anime Weekend Atlanta #StarWars #Slacker

I was slack this past weekend.  I took very few photos.  Part of it was lack of knowing what character I was looking at.  Part of it was just distraction.  My daughter, for once, didn't plan her panels in advance, so she floated around.  We did go to two of the KPop panels together, she went with her brother to a Crunchroll panel.. beyond that I think she just wandered.  My son spent most of Saturday in 3 different Crunchyroll panels and a Marvel Universe panel. I think he hit a couple others, but I don't know for certain.  Me?  I mostly watched people and listened in on conversations.

I did get these two photos. I at least recognized these guys.

Loot from @ConjurationCon #ConjurationCon2015 #HarryPotter #LotR

Just to show they had some awesome stuff for sale in Diagon Alley this year, I thought I'd share my loot.  My daughter has her own loot, totally different from mine.  This first item is a hand made leather bag.  Two pockets on the inside, one on the back.  LOVE IT!  This was my big purchase of the weekend.

The "mass" of my loot.  There's a Hogwarts Running Club with cool shirts for each house.  They sponsor many virtual races to support different charities.  Books-a-million was there, where I picked up my coloring book and my Sherlock Holmes pocket book.  I found a hand tooled leather Ravenclaw house crest and a Deathly Hallows leather band.  I even found the Ravenclaw house crest on a necklace and Snitch earrings.  My last item isn't HP related at all, it's the Eye from Lord of the Rings.  I picked it up for fun to cover my currently messed up eye.

Lots more stuff was there, each author had their own table with books and other stuff available.  For once, I didn't visit the authors as much.  

Conjuration Con - 3 days of magical fun #magic #HarryPotter #ConjurationCon2015 @conjurationcon

I was given the opportunity to attend this event again this year.  I took my 14yo daughter along as well.  There were some wonderful additions to the convention and a great new venue.  

One of the panels was a session by the Georgia Reptile Association.  They were the charity of the year with the proceeds from the tea party and donations to the group by house jar.  The group is very passionate about their animals and helping others understand and learn about snakes and reptiles in general.

I also attended Harry Potter yoga (taught by a member of Slytherin House), made a wand (more on that one later) and learned how to do basic prosthetics.

My daughter, on the other hand, attended Creature Cosplay and Culinary Conjuration.  For those that know her, neither one is a hugely surprising choice.  We both attended the tea party where she even went and had her tea leaves read.

Lots of cosplay this year.  A good variety, though most centered around Harry Potter.  My photos of the costume contest didn't come out very well.  The costumes included Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Box Trolls, Beauty and the Beast and my daughter in her Alice costume.

They even had an area where you could "visit" Narnia's lamp post. 

For once I didn't visit the game room (hosted by GigaBites Cafe) and end up staying there.  I wandered through, but never stayed more than 10 minutes.  Not long enough to really play any of the bigger games.  The convention did offer a bigger interactive game for attendees on Sunday.  It was a Hunt for the Horcrux.  A linear choose your own path story/game.  They read the basic start to everyone in one room, from there you made choices along the way.  You either lived to choose again, or "died" and were marked by a Dark Mark.  My daughter and I lost at the 4th stage.

They had several different performers as well, from Draco and the Malfoys to the Harp Twins.
All together, a wonderful selection of panels hosted by guest authors (and there were 20+ authors to visit!) and guests.  Next year's con will be November 11-13 at the same venue (Marriott Century Center).  I'm already looking forward to it!

CONjuration- a magical little convention #magic #HarryPotter #LotR @CONjurationCon #winpasses

An awesome little con!  I attended CONjuration Con last year (it's first year ever) and had a blast.  You can see some of what I wrote about it here.   If you love anything magical (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc), you'll find something there for you.  Lots of great authors and performers.  Maybe I'll even see you at the special Tea Leaves & Tastings!

The convention runs November 13 - 15 at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center.  Adult tickets are currently $49.  The price will go up at the door.   For now, you can even try to win passes!  Winner will be contacted (and have 24 hours to respond) to send a mailing address so that you can receive your letter from Hogwarts.  Good luck!


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@CONjuration Con Review #magic #cosplay

I was invited to go to CONjuration Con as a member of the press.  I attended Friday night and again on Sunday.  Unfortunately, I'd already made plans for Saturday that couldn't be undone, so I missed a lot of cool panels.  On the other hand, I did get to meet some very interesting people on both days and got to go to a couple of panels on Sunday.  There was a selection of authors, including the ones pictured below, to talk to.   Southeastern Reptile Rescue was on hand as well with some cool animals.

My daughter and I attended in costume on Friday night.  We attended the opening ceremony, explored the vendors (very cool selection), the gaming room and the Festival.  The two panels I attended on Sunday were Fantasy Parties (how to throw awesome fantasy type parties) and Crystal Magic.  A lot of useful information out of both.

I also went to the charity tea party Sunday afternoon.  This was to benefit Noah's Ark, a local animal rescue facility.   We were treated to music by Louis Robinson while we waited for the tea to begin.  There were 12 fandom teas from Adagio.  I think I sampled 6 before I floated away.  There were also shortbread cookies, British tea cakes and cheesecake samples.  I thoroughly enjoyed the samples and the company.  I met a couple of very nice ladies at my table and had a wonderful afternoon chatting.

By the end of the day Sunday, I'd thoroughly enjoyed myself.  It's a small con with a lot of heart and potential.  I'm looking forward to next year and am hoping I'll be able to attend.  Location hasn't been set yet, but you can reserve the dates: November 6-8, 2015.

There's a new CON in town @CONjurationCon #HarryPotter #LoTR #magic #winpasses

If you are a fan of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, Once Upon a Time, Supernatural & Classics like Wizard of Oz; this is the CON for you!

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Join us at CONjuration (Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, 2014 in Atlanta, GA) where we come together to celebrate everything MAGICAL! Pay tribute to the fans, characters, stories and related theories and usage of magic in literature, fan fiction, movies and tv series. Geek out with some of your closest fandom friends and meet film, lit, art and theater actors, creators, authors, and fellow nerds who all love magic.

The schedule isn't quite set, but there is a market place and a lot of activities planned.  You can even go Trick or Treating at the Con!  Several authors are already scheduled to appear as well, including one I reviewed after last year's book festival - Jonathan French.  It looks to be on course to be a great first year for a new convention.  I love the fact that it's close by, too!

3 Day passes are currently $40/person, though the option for single day tickets are available.  Prices will go up to $50 at the door.  Or - you can win a pass!  Two separate people will each win a 3-day pass to the convention.


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A run down of my @Momocon experience #MomoCon2014

This was the first year my kids and I attended Momocon.  They're both big into anime, my daughter has a passion for crosplay as well.  We'd tried going to DragonCon a couple of years ago, but really didn't enjoy the experience.  So we looked for an alternative to give them some of the same opportunities.  For those that haven't had the chance to go, I thought I'd give my point of view of the con and let my kids (eventually) speak for themselves.

Friday was the start of the craziness that is a convention.  We arrived around 10a and checked in (we had preregistered).  The crew consisted of myself, my two kids and my daughter's best friend.  I was actually in costume as Mary Poppins (in her black outfit including her umbrella).  I didn't get any full photos of me though quite a few others did. If one crops up, I'll share it later.  My daughter was a hunter from the video game "Left for dead" and her friend was a survivor.

At any rate, I did catch a couple of panels.  The first was one for a potential new kids show called True Tail.  They had the "commercial" that would run to preview for the show on TV as well as a mock up of the first full episode.  I thoroughly enjoyed it as did my daughter.  I also went to a panel that was changed at the last minute called "Steampunk and Recycled Cosplay".  My type of panel with the recycling.  My Mary Poppins costume was completely put together by thrifting at Goodwill and my daughter wants me to turn one of the outfits I have at home into something Steampunk.

Beyond that, mostly on Friday I people watched.  The kids went to various panels and checked back in regularly.  We headed home around 6p.

Saturday the kids did most of the con on their own.  I was costumed sort of as an elf dragon trainer.  My daughter was Jack Frost for part of the day.  I went to the tabletop gaming room to check it out and ended up in a couple of RPG games.  One called Dream Catcher that isn't published yet, hopefully to eventually be released on Kickstarter.  She pulled me from the first game to go to what was supposed to be a photo shoot for the "Big 4" (Jack Frost, Elsa, Rapunzel, Merida).  Turns out the time they put on facebook wasn't correct and they held it 3 hours before we expected it.  They posted on facebook about the time change, but we weren't monitoring facebook at the con, so we missed the photo shoot.  My daughter was disappointed, as were the extra Jack Frost's she'd recruited to go too.  She changed after that into a "royal elf". Unfortunately, she couldn't find her ears so she wore mine instead.  I simply morphed my outfit into a Dragonrider of Pern, which didn't really fit with Momocon, but I was gaming so I didn't care.  She took back off with her friend and I went back to the gaming room for my second RPG game, Eclipse Phase.  I missed seeing the Animaniacs reunion while I was gaming, though my daughter did attend.  She even videoed some of it for me.  The kids finished up about the same time I did, we came home around 8:30p.

Sunday my son had decided there wasn't anything that he was interested in seeing, so he stayed home.  I dressed in my Wonder Woman running costume and took the girls back up to the con.  My daughter dressed as Kenny from South Park.  The girls only had a couple of panels, but there were none I was interested in. So I took the chance that the game room would have something else new that I could play and headed back there.  I ended up playing an intro round of Shadowrun, followed by a full module.  When I finally finished (about 2p) the girls had decided they were done and we came home.

I did take pictures of some of the costumes I saw.  I didn't recognize quite a few and since the kids weren't with me I didn't have a good way to identify them.  The pictures I took are available on pinterest if you want to check them out.  The one labelled "Beatrice" was a cool costume. The lady told me which show it came from, but I can't remember it now.  Next year the con is at the World Congress Center and is expanding to 4 days.  While I suspect we'll go, I'll wait a bit before getting tickets.

MomoCon Fan Contest #WinIt

Win prizes up to and including a free lifetime membership! Check it out and enter today!