#AwesomeCon 2019: Top 10 Things I Learned From My Time There

Denise Kitashima Dutton | May 2, 2019 | No Comments

Yes, it’s several days after this year’s Awesome Con has ended. But I’ve been having crazy asthma issues since Saturday, so finally tapping this out. Sorry about that. Onward!

There’s lots to do and see at Washington DC’s Awesome Con, and with this year being the biggest one ever, how’s a gal to cover it all? Easy; I couldn’t. But what I did do was hit what struck my fancy, and I had an absolute blast. What do I have to report? This.

Cosplay: There’s lots of it. And because AC doesn’t focus on any particular genre, you’re bound to see several folks dressed as something you recognize. And if you don’t recognize someone cool? Ask! These folks are friendly. Just remember though; cosplay doesn’t equal consent, so ask before snapping pictures. Then thank those good folks. That’s the way to go.
The Central Intelligence Agency: Yep, they were there. And the Agency was just like any other vendor in the Merch/Art hall, complete with folks eager to talk about what’s going on with them. What’s new? Well, they’ve been thinking about putting out their own comics, there’s an Agency-created “D&D”-esque game that folks got to play in the gaming rooms, and the booth had samples of career-types playing cards that are available (soon to be a full set with an extra fun card!)
The Short Film Fest: Friday had a collection of horror, sci-fi and action films. Most were from The 48 Hour Film Project, but the day started with superhero short Sidekick, starring Josh Dallas (Once Upon a Time) and Tom Cavanaugh (The Flash). Kudos to all the filmmakers though gotta admit The Legend of Pumpkin Face was a low-budget horror hoot that was my fave of the day.
Good Omens: Good Theology?: As Amazon Prime’s Good Omens miniseries is coming soon, it was fun to hear a Methodist minister discuss “good theology”. From how mysticism plays out in real life to how zombies influence death rites – and of course the end of the world, aka Eschatology – it was a lively panel full of laughs and deep thoughts. Yeah, they can co-exist. Cool, huh?
History of Zombies in Film: Oh yeah baby. Two horrorhounds with a history bent dig (heh) into the history of zombies. Fun fact; the first zombies weren’t interested in brains at all. They were loosely based on “spooky” voodoo rites. One of the first, White Zombie – yeah, the band partially named itself after this film – starred vampire fave Bela Lugosi. #themoreyouknow
Germ Warfare: A Very Graphic History: Max Brooks! Gotta love the World War Z author, and how he’s using his platform to get the word out on a real threat, viral outbreaks. He’s come up with a graphic novel (well, novella) on the subject with the help of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense. They talked about “…the real World War Z…and how easy it is to stop.” Number one on the agenda? “Vaccinate your kids!” Good advice. Especially after Brooks dropped this bomb; “Any of you of Irish descent? You’re here because of [a viral outbreak]…because of a blight.” Whoa. Then questions were asked, and everyone got a free copy of the comic. You can download a copy for yourself right here; the link went live this weekend. So go for it, and share it wide y’all. As Max said, “Feeling anxiety? The best thing to do is learn about it.”
The Fannish are cool: It’s one thing to be surrounded by people who share the same likes as you. It’s another to be surrounded by truly nice people who share the same likes as you. Everyone was obliging, people stopped to chat about fannish stuff, and we all squee’d over the cool stuff we’d seen. Feel like you wouldn’t fit in if you went to a con? Ever watched or read something you liked? Then you would. YOU WOULD.
Friday Is Best Day: Sure, Saturday is when most of the action happens. But boy howdy is Friday a wonderful day to be at Awesome Con! The halls aren’t as crowded, the lines are all but non-existent (okay, for autographs and photos there can be a line; stick a pin in that though), and you get first pick of merch if you’re a shopping sort. Plus, wanna grab a few pics with a special guest? Friday’s the day, and sometimes – I say sometimes – you can get a deal before dinnertime, as guests seek to add to their queues. Keep an ear out when downstairs, that photo op you’ve been dreaming of could be easier than you think!
Hydration: Ever seen one of those shiny Buffalo Bills Soda mugs and wondered about grabbing one…but figured it’d be a waste “just for three days”? Well, for one it’s a great way to keep hydrated all weekend. One purchase = drinky drinks all weekend (I’m a big fan of the diet root beer.) But you can bring an older mug and pay just for soda! I KNOW. I’ve had a mug for about three years, and only just brought it back this year. For a fiver I got all the root beer I could drink. That’s a lot y’all. Don’t wanna go soda? Bring yourself a water bottle (or that old mug) and fill ‘er up at water fountains for free. Mmm H20, all filtered and glorious.
There’s always something to do, even if you’re too tired to do anything: Saturday’s pollen level hit me like a ton of bricks, so I went home early. But for a while I just sat and watched people go by. Hearing snippets of conversation about panels I hadn’t seen, discussions of Game of Thrones’ latest fan theories, and how hot/cold someone was in their cosplay (tip: bring a fan and/or a shawl) was lovely. The people watching is wonderful, if only to see so many happy people enjoying what they love. And hey, you may just strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you. I did. And it was great.

There was so much I wanted to get to, but didn’t get the chance. Harry Potter & Genetics, a panel held by CIA librarians, Astrophysics 101, the science of Aquaman…and of course everyone’s favorite guest John Barrowman! But there’s always next year. ‘Til then, enjoy these pics!

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