Greetings my fellow con goers. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting at my local library listening to some EarthBound music and catching up with my season finales of various shows (dont worry, no spoilers in here), I’m starting to see pictures of various cosplays from ACEN 2013…and it finally hits me, ACEN 2013 is over. Back to regular life, back to the old routine. Of course there is a feeling of emptiness. This my friends, is Post-Con Depression (PCD).
In my opinion, everyone in some way shape or form gets it. It might just be from the fact that you might not be able to go to a con for a while, see your friends, etc. It sucks. I remember the very first con i went to (ACEN 2002, Saturday). I was so excited because at the time, i felt like i was the only person into anime. I didn’t know there was a huge community of it. I had a blast…then i went back home and it felt like nothing happened at all, and that no one understood it. So it hit. I got over it, but it took a few days. 11 years later, i still get it, but not as strongly…and I feel like i have more ways to deal with it. I’d like to share some ways to deal with it (both from my own experiences and from others).
Get some rest. Chances are, you got little (or no) rest during the weekend and your sleep schedule is very messed up. Im sure you have work/school the next day, so try to get to bed early when you get home. Trust me, sleep will help. (Sidetip: unless you have the day off or are sick…dont skip work/school)
Get out of the house! Don’t mope around because the con is over. Get outside, go to a park, walk around the mall, go to the library, and just get some fresh air and a new environment outside of being at home. Trust me, it’ll be good.
Plan for your next con. If you know what the next con that you’re going to is going to be, start making plans for it. Figure out which cosplay you want to make, actually make it, things like that.
Get into some new series. Im sure you saw a ton of costumes from series that you’ve never heard of. So, why not check them out. Who knows, maybe you’ll actually like one of them. This goes for movies, tv, anime, and games
Talk to new friends you’ve made. Chances are you got some contact information from the new friends you’ve made. Send them a message and talk to them. Maybe get to know them better. It could be the start of a new friendship…or even something more. Just…don’t turn into a creeper (Thats a future article).
Go to/Plan a Meet up. Meet ups probably happen around where you live. Try going to one and you’ll probably see some of the people you met. If there isn’t try hosting one…just make sure that you can at where you want to do it at (future article)
In the end, just because a con is over doesn’t mean your life has to end. There are plenty of other things that you can do until your next con. You can survive PCD, we’re in this together.
As usual, if theres anything you’d like to add, just comment and the post will be updated accordingly.
Next week, I’ll start a series on At Con Pointers and tips, in regards to Hotel Room etiquette, photoshoots, and the actual con floor itself. First we’ll start with the hotel room.
With ACEN approaching this week, I’ve decided to do a post about what i feel like the best way to prep for a con is. This is going to be a long post so I’ve separated into separate sections. Hopefully you guys will find some of what I write helpful.
Choosing a Con Its easy to see a bunch of cons that you are interested in, but lets be honest, going to a bunch of cons is very expensive. So, there are a few things that you should consider when choosing a con.
Location: Is it a place that you can get to easily? Would you have to stay in the hotel, or could you commute.
Quality: How have reviews of the con been from others? Is it a con that is usually well known, or has it been bad. Sometimes that’s a call you have to make, but always consider reviews from word of mouth and other people who have gone.
Size: Big cons can be a bit overwhelming for some people, but they can also be very fun with more stuff going on. Smaller cons on the other hand can be a great opportunity to meet new people and bond with other people you’ve met, but it might not have as much going on. That all depends on your comfort level.
Guests: This one actually can go either way. Ive been to small cons that have guests that people have heard of. Large cons aren’t just the only ones who have guests. Also, smaller cons also have the opportunity to have more time to meet talk to the guest, which you might not be able to do at a larger con.
Price: Pretty self-explanatory. See if you can afford the con. That includes the hotel. There are ways to save for money on these too (more on that below).
Preparing for a Con Now that you’ve chosen a con, here are some steps to try and save money so you can spend it AT the con along with some other con keeping tips.
Badge: As many of you know, the closer it comes to con day, the more expensive a con badge will be. So if you know you can go to a con, by all means purchase the badge early to save money. Also, chances are if you order it early, some cons will mail you the badge. Protip: If you go to cons, sometimes representatives from cons will be there selling badges. If you buy one at the con, it might be at a discounted price.
Hotel: BOOK YOUR HOTEL EARLY! I cannot emphasize this enough. Hotels will book up and they will book up quickly (especially for larger cons). Dont room with yourself either, that’ll cost an arm and a leg. Make sure that you ask some people to room with you. (I could go more into this, but that would be probably better for a whole different article)
Costume: IF you want to cosplay, try to plan it in advance. When looking for fabric and materials, check to see if they have deals on the fabric you need (I know that Joann and Hancock Fabrics do deals very often). make sure you get enough so that 1.) You wont run out when making your costume 2.) In the event that you do run out, you wont run the risk of not being able to find the fabric. (In regards to selecting a character to cosplay, I’ll do a possible article about this later)
Being at the Con Its finally here! You’ve got your cosplays ready and your in the room waiting for Friday for the con to start (or you’re fixing your cosplay right before the con starts. Hey it happens). But before you go, here are a few things that might help you to save a few bucks that could be used in the dealer room.
Try not to buy Hotel food. Its expensive. Instead, try coordinating with your roommates about bringing other (Healthy) stuff. Water, energy drinks (I didn’t even know i put this there, i meant to say things like Gatorade and Powerade. Thanks for the heads up F*ckyeahroosterteethproductions), granola bars, etc. Dont make it junk food. If you guys do want to get something from the hotel, try to pitch in money together. That way you wont be paying as much. Also, be sure that you do eat, and keep hydrated. We dont want any accidents to happen.
Dealer Room: Its easy to get overwhelmed at a dealer room (especially at a large con). Sometimes you might want something right off the bat, or other times you might now know what it is you’re looking for. Its hard to give tips on this, but I’ve come up with a few that might help.
If you’re iffy on an item, I’d say wait til the last day to get it. Some venders do offer discounts on the last day (this is up to the vender) so maybe you’ll save a few bucks. But if its an item thats selling pretty hot, it might be better to just get it right away if you think it wont be in stock later.
If you’re looking for something in particular, it might be best to pick it up right away for above reasons.
Check out all the vendors. Some might have the same item for less than a previous vendor. Condition might be better too.
Added by Hoshinotabi: Also for Dealer’s Room: Make a list of things you are thinking about looking at/picking up at a Con. Sometimes the dealer will hike up the price for con when you can get them for cheaper else where like Amazon or possibly other import stores. :3)
Carpool. Theres no point in having multiple people driving to the same place especially if they live around you. Try to have a carpool (if you have the space). Offer money for gas and parking, and you’ll help each other out.
Be sure to pack EVERYTHING you need. If you dont have everything you need, try to find a local store for what you forgot. Once again don’t buy it at the con cause it’ll probably cost more.
Dont be stupid in the room! Don’t break stuff, cause you’ll be charged more on the room…plus it makes not only you look bad, but the entire convention (and to a greater extent the cosplay community) bad.
Thats all I can think of for now. These are just some guidelines for convention going. Im not saying that this is a law for the con, but I personally think that it’ll help you have more money and have less to stress out about. In the end, have fun, and use your best judgement. And if you’d like to add anything else, please let me know.
Next week: The con is over, and you feel down. A few tips on how to handle the dreaded Post-Con Depression (PCD for short).
Also, I hope to see you guys at ACEN this weekend.
Hey everyone. I figure this is something that not alot of people have addressed so i decided, why not write something about it.
On April 27th I had the opportunity to go to C2E2. I had a blast at the con, and I also had the opportunity to meet Felicia Day. It was funny because right when i met her, she was super excited to meet me. When that happened…well, i ended up becoming speechless. Throughout my years of going to cons and concerts, I’ve met numerous people and I’ve kinda figured, there has to be a proper way to meet guests. So, this is what I’ve come up with. Also, unless I’ve noted otherwise, this is mainly for when you’re in an autograph line unless i otherwise note differently.
First off, when in doubt, look at the program. It’ll tell you things to do and not to do. Its very clear on what you can and can’t do (including not proposing to the guest. I haven’t seen anyone do this yet).
When approaching the guest, remain calm. Its easy to get overwhelmed by someone that you look up to. Just remember that in the end, they’re a human being too. They’re not there to look down on you. In fact, they’re probably very excited that you’re there to see them.
Talk to them. Chances are, you’ll only get a few minutes to talk to them, so try not to spend it being starstruck. Ask them how they’re enjoying time in the area, tell them which role of theirs is your favorite, etc. Just make sure its appropriate and respectful
Ask them if its ok if you take a picture. Some guests will only allow it at designated areas or at certain times. If they say no, then don’t argue.
Be weary of time. There are probably other people that want to meet the guest too, so try not to take too much time talking to them. Chances are, one of the staff members will have you come along, but if not, they try to read the cues of the guest.
Some guests like it when you ask them to recite your favorite line, but some dont. Try to use your own judgement about that
Of course, you might see a guest outside of the signing table. I remember one year I went to Anime Iowa, i saw Kyle Hebert sitting casually on the couch talking to some people. I thought it was rather cool seeing him just having a normal conversation. If that happens, see if you can join them or talk to them. I always like to think that most guests like to be treated like they’re a normal person and actually love to talk. You might get some nice insights about them as a person.
In the end, try not to be too nervous about meeting guests. It can be a fun experience and one that will make for some memorable moments. Guests love to meet their fans, so treat them with respect and they’ll enjoy their brief time talking to you.
Next week, I’ll have an article about surviving con in the room, at the con and even at Artist Alley.
Of course, if you have anything you’d like to add, feel free to let me know.
The other day I was talking to someone (who will remain anonymous) about how they didn’t go to C2E2 because of an ex. I saw that and I realized…that shouldn’t be the case ever. You shouldn’t ever feel like you can’t go to a con because of an ex. So, because I’ve somewhat dealt with this in a sense, I wanted to post some tips on how to deal with exes. Also, if you have any more advice that you’d like to put down, feel free to either reply with it, or let me know, and I’ll add it.
Break ups happen, and they suck, but they shouldn’t ruin your con. I’m going to be looking at this on two ends. One end being that you are the person who broke up with the other person and the opposite end of the spectrum, because I think they’re both very important.
I Broke up with him/her
Yes, you might have broken up with the person, but its still not a fun position to be in. It could have been a mutual decision, a nasty break up, or…just something that oddly just ended. Regardless of how it happened, here are some things to remember:
Your ex is probably hurt. Don’t make things awkward by going up to them. If they really want to talk to you, they’ll probably walk up to you and talk to you.
They probably are at the con to get away from the pain of their break up. Use some common sense and try not to do things like go in front of them and (if you’re now seeing someone else) make out with them. That’s just rude.
Don’t say crap about them to their friends. This is also rude, and its how rumors get started. If you don’t have anything nice to say about them, don’t say anything at all.
If they’re flirting with someone else. Let them. At this point its none of your business.
If they do want to talk to you, that is entirely up to you. If you feel like its too soon, kindly let them know that and try to find another time to talk. If you are ready to talk to them, (I cannot emphasize this enough) DO IT IN A PUBLIC PLACE. DO NOT GO TO THEIR ROOM. There are plenty of places where you can talk in public without others disturbing you. Try to be respectful.
In the end, just remember, the other person is probably going through a lot with their breakup, so don’t add to it by making it worse for them. Be respectful and let them enjoy their con.
He/She Broke Up With Me
This situation sucks as well, especially if it was recent. But worry not, your con doesn’t have to suck because of it. There’s plenty to do and plenty of ways to handle it:
Be around friends. Usually your friends are the ones who know the most about what happened.They’ll keep your mind off of your ex and give you other things to do.
If your ex is trying to be friendly toward you, don’t be a jerk. Be friendly. If you don’t want to talk to them, just kindly excuse yourself from them and say you’ll see them around. Yes, its possible that they hurt you, but if they’re at least trying to be civil.
On the flip end, if they’ve been spreading nasty rumors about you, confront them about it. Don’t make a big deal about it, just take them off to the side and let them know you don’t appreciate them saying things about you and that they would kindly stop. Don’t be rude, because that will only make things worse.
If you do want to talk to them, make sure they’re ready to talk to you. And do it in a public place, and not in private. If they’re not ready, ask if there’s another time that you guys can talk. Maybe online or over the phone. If they keep blowing you off, then its probably just better off to let it go which i know, is easier said than done.
I know you might be very upset, but please, don’t go have a con hook up. Yes, sex might be satisfying in the moment, but afterwards you’ll still be feeling bad, or most of the time, even worse.
If your ex is harassing you, or making you feel like you shouldn’t be there, get a friend. If its a very bad and extreme case, then get someone on staff. You have a right to be there and they should not make you feel like you can’t be there. This goes for both guys and girls (it happens to guys too).
If your ex now is now with someone else, leave them alone. Don’t go seeking their new significant other and plot some sort of revenge against them whether it be humiliating either of them. Leave them be and let them enjoy the con. They have every right to be there.
It might be uncomfortable to see your ex at a con, but it doesn’t have to ruin your con weekend. Do your best to have fun, and be civil. You both have a right to be there. In the end, dont let anyone prevent you from going to a con and enjoying yourself.
IF you have anything else you’d like to add, let me know and I’ll try to add it (and i’ll even give you credit for it).
I have a pretty lengthy post coming up soon…Im kinda intrigued to see how people respond to it.
