Convention Fans

Halloween is about a month away, which means a half dozen Halloween stores have probably sprung up in your neighborhood. If you have always wanted to wear a costume to a convention, but lack the sewing skills or money to have something amazing, picking up a pre-made costume from the local Halloween store can be pretty tempting. However, some hardcore cosplayers look down on Halloween costume cosplayers. They think you should find a way to make a costume yourself, or not bother.

There’s also a concern that someone may enter a costume contest with a costume they didn’t make themselves. Clearly there are several pros and cons to picking up a pre-made Halloween costume and wearing it to a convention, and here at Convention Fans we’ve put them into a nice little list so you can make an informed decision.

The Pros of Wearing a Halloween Costume to a Fandom Convention

1. There are numerous officially licensed Halloween costumes from the big fandoms, including Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Watchmen, Pirates of the Caribbean, and various anime series like Naruto. You can easily find costumes for the specific character your looking for, and it will (usually) closely resemble the original. Basically, you can buy everything you need in one bag, and people should recognize your character instantly.

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Here at Convention Fans, I try to put out some helpful convention advice articles now and then. But there’s plenty of other bloggers and websites that have advice to offer as well. I know I haven’t covered it all, so I wanted to provide a nice long list of advice for anime conventions, sci-fi conventions, Star Trek conventions - hell, all fandom conventions! Below you’ll find articles from this blog, eHow, AnimeCons.com, fandomfashionista.com, and more. The list covers everything from tips, budgeting, costuming, staying healthy and comfortable, how to pack, and more.

If you still have questions about anything related to conventions after reading these articles, feel free to post a comment with your question. If I can’t answer it, I’ll help you find someone who can!

General Fandom Convention Advice:

What to Pack for a Convention
Hey Con-Goers: Take Care of Your Feet!
Top 5 People You Don’t Want to Be at a Convention
5 Ways to Beat the Heat at Summer Conventions
Dos and Don’ts for Convention Websites
How Much Will the Convention Cost Me?
How to Survive Sharing a Hotel Room
So You Want to Bring Your Kid(s) to the Convention…
Hey! Watch Where You’re Pointing That Thing! (a.k.a. About Convention Weapon Policies)
Keeping the Con Crud at Bay: 6 Tips for Staying Healthy at Conventions
8 Easy Convention Food Ideas!
So, You Want to Lose Weight for Your Costume. Now What?
Anime and Sci-Fi Convention Going for Beginners
How Not to be an Asshole Photographer
How Not to be an Asshole at Q&A Sessions
How Not to be an Asshole in the Exhibit Hall
Advice for first time convention-goers?
Convention Tips, Tricks, and Conduct
Convention Ettiquette: Discussion and Advice on Do’s and Don’ts

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This weekend, I began the arduous task of packing for Dragon*con. We’re leaving in the wee hours of Thursday morning, and since my significant other and I both work during the day, Sunday was pretty much our last full day to finish getting everything together. And yes, we’re actually driving from Philly to Atlanta.

Pirate costumes had to be washed and ironed. World of Warcraft shirts had to be located. Our precious highlighted pocket program print outs had to be secured. When you’re traveling almost 12 hours to attend a convention, you can wind up with a pretty extensive packing list. And since this is a conventions blog, I’m going to share with you what’s on my Dragon*con 2009 packing list.

Note: This is list is somewhat geared towards Dragon*con specifically, but it can easily be adapted to any convention for which a hotel stay is required. If you’re trying to decide if a large convention like Dragon*con is for you, be sure to check out my articles on the Pros and Cons of attending a large convention.

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A convention can sometimes be an exercise in masochism, at least when it comes to your feet. This is especially true for those who attend conventions for an entire weekend, and are doing it in costume. Just like in everyday life, cute shoes don’t always equal comfortable shoes, and this is even more true in the cosplay world. How many times have you seen someone in a pair of shoes for a costume, and wondered how the hell they were managing? (I’m looking at you Gothic Lolita girl in the 6 inch stilettos!)

By the end of the first convention day, you can end up with blistered, swollen and bloody feet if you’re not careful, and you’ll still have two more days to go!

Although it can be tempting to sacrifice comfort for the sake of screen accurate reproduction costume shoes, you don’t want to be doing serious damage to your feet, especially early on at a con. Below are some basic tips for taking care of your feet, and advice for breaking in a new pair of shoes. Remember, this isn’t just for the cosplayers!

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I’ve attended a lot of different fandom conventions over the years. No matter what genre the con caters to (anime, Star Trek, fantasy, comics, etc.), there always seems to be a few particular types of con goers in attendance. Now, I’m sure some readers may think I’m picking on con goers. I assure you that I am not trying to be mean spirited here.

I am a proud convention attendee, and I’m the first to say that the types of con attendees depicted in popular media are not the norm. But, the stereotypes do exist, and they tend to make the rest of us feel uncomfortable, and can make the con experience a bit less enjoyable. Below are descriptions of some of these stereotypical con goers. Feel free to add your own in a comment.

 Top 5 People You Don’t Want to Be at a Convention

1. The Fandom Know-it-All

Have you ever been on a panel discussion at a convention, and had an audience member interjecting every five seconds to correct you? Or how about that time you were talking to a friend, and the person beside you felt compelled to correct you on your pronunciation of Wingardium Leviosa? It’s The Fandom Know-it-All, and they are hell bent on making every single person aware of how much more they know about a topic than you. They tend to interrupt and belittle others, and make an otherwise pleasant panel discussion or gathering an anger inducing experience.

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