coming down from convention high...

[aely]

I've been at a Starfury convention over the weekend - Serenity Forever - and had the best time. We had a very special guest that we didn't know was going to be there in Bruce Boxleitner (Sheridan from Babylon 5 and he was also in the original Tron movie). Even more amazing we had a very special gatecrasher to the party on Saturday night - none other than Joss Whedon! I'm still recovering (which is why I've not been around). http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/56110/joss-whedon-crashes-serenity-con-london/

 

 

Bearing in mind that Starfury are running a Holmes convention in December (Loo Brealey is the only announced guest so far), this bodes quite well.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Lucky you!

[Caya]

Wow, sounds like you had the time of your life!

[aely]

Funny you should say that as the last song in the Sunday night disco was (I've had) the Time of my Life and Sean Maher did the whole 'lift' thing at the end with one of the attendees (with some help as I don't think he was completely sober).

 

 

 

photo by Grant Gowdy

[Caya]

That's really funny - but sounds like the song was a fine choice for the venue and circumstances . And help or not, that's still an impressive lift (and a brave thing to attempt on a hard disco floor ).

[ToniLianne]

that sounds amazing!! I attended Cardiff Film and Comic Con earlier in the year, it was the first time I had been to a convention and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I was quite overwhelmed by it all and found it very surreal to be in such close proximity to people from TV shows I have watched and I got to meet one of my favourite actors too! Unfortunately there wasn't a Saturday night event at this particular con, which is a shame, but Joss Whedon, wow just that's incredible!

 

Have you been to other conventions or planning anymore Aely? I hope to get to more if not this year then definitely next year, I'm hooked!

[aely]

I have Vampire Ball 4 coming up soon, which is another 3 day convention run by Starfury. I also did the Asylum convention (Supernatural) in May which is run by Rogue. Next year I have Discworld con, Miracle Day (a Starfury Torchwood con) and possibly Asylum again in May. Starfury are also trying to get a Sherlock Holmes (all versions) convention off the ground - was originally supposed to be in December, but I think they've rescheduled for February now. I also make a point of trying to go to my local convention - Wales Comic con - in Wrexham, they've had some good guests as I've met both Eoin Macken and Tony Head at WCC (amongst other guests).

 

IMO the residential 2 or 3 day conventions are much better than the likes of the comic cons or expos, mostly due to a more intimate and friendly atmosphere, even if you don't have the sheer numbers of guests.

 

I also go to Whitby Goth Weekend once a year (twice if I  can afford it, which I haven't been able to the last 2 years - conventions are expensive hobbies) and that is happening in less than 2 weeks.

[ToniLianne]

Are these all in the UK? I had never even heard of a comic con until a couple of years ago, I never realised there were so many different conventions, especially in the UK! I have heard of a couple of the residential weekender ones like Hallowhedon, which sounds right up my street and I would love to go to one, but its getting time off work, and getting someone to go with, I went Cardiff on my own, which is fine for a day at a comic con/expo and people were friendly enough and happy to talk to me but I'm not sure about going alone for a 2/3 day event and yes they are expensive, I only attended Cardiff on the Sunday, but still spent a small fortune when you take travel and accomodation into account, it's not the nearest one or easiest to get to for me, but Tony Head was there too and I'm a big fan of his and that probably makes me sound like a right fangirl but I knew I would regret it if I didn't go, and I'd been wanting to go to a comic con for ages and I'm so glad I made the effort I had a fantastic time and met Alexander Vlahos and Colin Baker too, I would have like to have met more but I couldn't afford too!

 

A Sherlock convention would be brilliant, I would definitely try and make that one. I think if I did go to anymore this year it would just be the MCM Birmingham one, as that isn't too far I think Birmingham events are the closest to me. It depends on the guests though, I'm not a comic book reader or cosplayer myself, I go for the TV/film side, although it does fall on the weekend of the Doctor Who 50th so I'm tempted to go purely for the atmosphere and costumes. I'm interested in the Wales Comic Con next year myself too as I've seen Mark Addy and another actor from Atlantis, which I'm watching and really enjoying are going to be there, although with it being a new show I guess they'll be doing a few conventions next year.

[aely]

Yup, all in the UK. I don't do cons abroad as I can't afford it.

 

My very first convention was in 1998 and I went with a friend. My second, a couple of months later, I went on my own and met up with people I knew from online or from having met them at the first con. OK online might be stretching it a little - it was usenet - but I still 'knew' them anyway.

 

http://www.starfury.co.uk/

 

http://www.rogueevent.co.uk/

 

http://www.walescomiccon.com/

 

http://showmastersonline.com/

[ToniLianne]

Thanks for the links I've seen at least 8 I'm interested in for next year and could probably make 5 of them! I better start saving now! I was thinking of trying online to find people to go with. I did find one girl I "knew" in Cardiff but she has stalls at these events, and I also found some people from my twitter who maybe I could meet with. I did make quite good friends with one lady who goes to a lot of these events but stupidly didn't stay in touch.

[aely]

Give a shout out on here - I go to a fair few cons and admins Tim and Banshee have been known to attend the odd one and all.

 

I'm always happy to meet people I know from online - I met Carol and Alex in May when they were over in Liverpool and a Sherlock friend I know from LJ, and with whom I wrote a fic, in August on a flying trip to London. It's been a habit of mine for years - I went to my first Discworld con on my own, but was sharing a room with an online friend and meeting up with others.

[ToniLianne]

Ok I will do, that's great, thank you. I know I'm fairly new on here, but I would be happy to meet up with anyone who wants to, its always nice finding people with similar interests to yourself. Hopefully I can get to some of them, and maybe even convince my friend, known as Liselle on here to come too!

[aely]

She's not around on here so much any more (been consumed by Tumblr, twitter and other shows) but I go to a lot of cons with my fried EvigMidnat - then she usually gets abandoned to talk to her friends as I run around catching up with the million or so people I know.

[ToniLianne]

Well I'm hoping that if get to enough of them, I will eventually build up a repertoire of people myself