Growing up a theme-park-obsessed kid with a pension for all things fun and fantasy, immersing myself into a character is really not that far from immersing myself in worlds like Hanna-Barbera Land, Oktoberfest or Yankee Harbor back in the day. A convention like Dragon Con brings that side of me to the forefront all over again.  Movies that made me smile, books that engaged me, characters that meant something and themes that keep me going are all represented there. So no matter how much I’m dragging, or stressed about everyday things, I have a long weekend once a year guaranteed to set me right and to regain some perspective. Above all, it’s just so damn creative!

I went to art school and I see these amazing original ideas and characters being recreated by their fans and I feel so inspired. It’s also a great way to allow yourself to be silly, or goofy, or someone else for just a few days.  If you aren’t sporting a costume or at least some sort of geek/pop-culture related shirt, you are in the minority.

For instance, my family and I at least try to make a nod to the Geek culture each year. One year we were Clue characters. One year we sported “I’m With The Geek” shirts and tried to get our pictures with as many cool looking characters as we could. We try to at least throw our hats in the creative ring in some small way.

So in honor of a weekend that fills with me joy, here are a few highlights from past cons:

No idea what this is, but it is SUPER cool and awesomely done. One of my all-time favorites.

From left to right: Miss Scarlett, Mrs. White, Mr. Body, Mr. Green, and Mrs. Peacock. An ode to a great game.

The I Dream of Jeannie panel was amazing. Brabara Eden is still beautiful. Bill Daily is HILARIOUS, and Larry Hagman was my hero …

Geek shirts: a convention must-have.

Just one more great reason to attend a comic/pop-culture con: You’re guaranteed to make new friends.

Why do you attend comic/pop-culture cons? What are some of your most memorable convention moments?