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DRAGON*CON
2008 Show Report
Posted
9/03/08
This report is going to be all over the place
because I've got so much to talk about. And
I have to vent.
First of all, I guess we have a new DragonCon
tradition when it comes to artwork: "At
least one original must get knocked down by
a friendly neighboring vendor." Last year
it was the Persian Prince, and this year
it was the Sorceress. Shattered glass
was everywhere. Luckily it was during the final
hours of the show.
Secondly, I have to say that people in Georgia
are SOOO friendly. Man I'm really thinking about
moving there. Even the homeless guys asking
for money are friendly! Floridians are just
terribly rude, especially down here in southeast
Florida, where we have significant cultural
and language barriers. The only bad thing about
Georgia is there are so many Waffle Houses.
Really, we've dropped the W and they are just
Affle (get it, "awful"?) Houses. Don't
eat there. Seriously.
Speaking of places not to eat, on the third
night, a group of 25 of us, including Ruth Thompson
and LA Williams, went to one of the convention
hotel restaurants, Trader Vic's. Ok, now this
place boasts that they are Zagat rated. Apparently
that doesn't necessarily mean the average person
will enjoy it. I accept that we had a huge dining
party, but the place was practically empty.
It took them 25 minutes to get our drinks, and
we found out that the $3 soda, which came in
a cocktail size glass, did NOT include refills!
The prices were insane for the food. It's a
polynesian restaurant, and most of the menu
items seemed unpalatable to us. Andrew and I
ordered pork chops, thinking they would be safe.
Not only were they dry, but they were tiny.
AND they were $24 each. With one dessert, and
the mandatory pre-added gratuity, our portion
came to a whopping $80. Oh yeah, they refused
to break up the bill. Trying to get everyone's
share calculated and paid was a bitch. It was
like trying to retire Hillary Clinton's campaign
debt. *Sigh* Don't eat at Trader Vic's.
And speaking of insane billing, we stayed at
the Sheraton in downtown Atlanta. The place
was nice overall, but their "honor bar"
system is absolutely ridiculous!!! Most places
have the housekeeping staff check to see what's
been taken and bill you accordingly. Well, with
technology advancements, the Sheraton charges
you as soon as you PICK UP an item. That's right,
they've got sensors under every food and beverage
product that automatically bills you when the
item is removed -- even if you put it right
back! And of course, the front row is all the
candy. I feel really bad for anyone staying
there who has kids.
Stupid honor bar.
Okay enough venting, now on to the positives
of the show! I met sooooo many awesome people.
Long-time fans and first time visitors! And
I got to see all the cool vendors I've come
to love over the past few years. My fans are
so awesome. You guys have the best ideas for
illustrations.
I was surpised at the best-seller of the show:
the Penitent Hero illustration of David
Boreanez. Although, on the female side, my Harley
Quinn was definitely the big hit with straight
guys and lesbians. And not a single person didn't
laugh when they saw the dirty Harry Potter in
the tub asking who wanted to see his "other
wand". Also, the dirty Jonas Brothers pics
were a huge hit, and I got great ideas for other
celeb hardcore illustrations, including Zac
Efron and the brothers from Supernatural.
You should have seen the reactions when they
saw the uncensored pic!
In fact, I came home with SO MANY new drawing
ideas. Males, females, celebrities, cartoons,
porn. I know there will be something for ALL
of my fans. But now's the time for you to request
something. I'm so inspired and have so much
drawing-energy, I'm open to just about everything.
So email me with your ideas! And remember, the
dirtier the better!
DragonCon has exploded with the crowd. Even
with the slowing economy, the show was still
PACKED. And now that it spans 4 huge hotels,
there is even more to do!
Andrew spent most of the show taking photos
of the people in costumes, so for all you guys
who complain that I don't post enough pics of
the attendees, these are for you:
As always, I want to thank all my fans for your
support! See you at the next show!
-- Brian
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