Reflections on Dragoncon 2012

Id like to begin by acknowledging that this post is long overdue. My apologies. That little thing called life got in the way of writing about my experience about my first Dragoncon convention. This year was the 26th show held in Atlanta, Georgia and had over 52,000 people attendance. The show took place Labor Day weekend August 31st-September 3rd. Known as the best costume show in the United States, I was thrilled to be going to the shangri la of the cosplay world.

In addition to being excited about Dragoncon I must admit, I was also a bit nervous. Not only are the best costumers in the world present but people are known for dieting and training for months to assure that they are at their very best. No pressure, right? Luckily my nerves quickly dissolved after remembering that Im 100% satisfied with my costumes and I am a confident individual. I took part in many shoots including the Gotham City shoot, Young Justice, the DCU, Celebrity Cosplay as well as two private shoots. I only stayed at the DC shoot long enough for the Young Justice group because I wasnt feeling well and chose to retire to my room. On Friday I was the modern day Catwoman for most of the day before changing into the 1950s Catwoman for the Gotham shoot. For the Young Justice and DCU on Saturday I was Zatanna then switched to Lois Lane for my session with Dustin Dorough. I then changed into Angelina Jolie for the Celebrity Cosplay. On Sunday I was Belle then made a wardrobe change for my fashion  session with Grace Moss.  Sunday night a friend and I ran into actor Lee Arenberg, who plays Grumpy on the television show Once Upon A Time. I also attended a panel for artist George Perez and the Once Upon A Time panel with actors Lee Arenberg, Raphael Sbarge and Tony Amendola.

The costumes that I saw were most impressive and surpass anything Ive seen before at previous shows. Meeting with friends was the highlight of the event for me as well as making new ones. I have to say that this was my favorite show I have ever attended. The atmosphere was laid back and the show is about the love of costuming. Hollywood has successfully invaded comic and costume shows which isnt necessarily a bad thing. Im not suggesting that Hollywood actors and writers have no business being there. They are a welcome addition but Hollywood has seem to have taken over. Events like the San Diego Comic Con are more focused on television and movies rather than comics, collecting and costumes. Dragoncon was a breath of fresh air from all of the industry crap. I greatly enjoyed it and look forward to returning next year. Up next: the New York Comic Con taking place October 11th-14th.

                              For the full gallery, be sure to check out my Facebook Fanpage.

Related Posts by Categories