August 28, 2010: Dragon*Con

With all the planning going into PAX Prime, it would be easy to overlook Dragon*Con. However, it would be quite silly.

Dragon*Con isn't in Seattle, which for my seafood-loving tastebuds is a down-check. It is in Atlanta, which is quite easy to get to by air. All of this is quite irrelevant to the real reason to attend.

Costumes.

Let me say it again: costumes.

Yes, if you spend hundreds of hours making an authentic stormtrooper uniform, not only are you not alone at Dragon*Con, you're among hundreds of other Star Wars fans who like white armor. There will be cosplay from every media outlet you can think of: I've seen Hellboy next to Harry Potter next to Mal Reynolds, all done up in a nigh-professional level of detail. Oh, and the steampunk gear is second to none. If you like taking "dress up" to absurd heights, this is the place for you.

Of course, you can also get autographs from some of popular culture's nerdiest, from Peter David and Neal Adams to Barbara Eden and Summer Glau to Doc Hammer and Adam Savage. Gaming, films, and general geekery are also plentiful.

Too bad Dragon*Con and PAX are on the same weekend. It isn't fair to make a geek choose . . . (No, we won't be in Atlanta, but Adventure Retail will, with tons of Munchkin, Zombie Dice, and Cthulhu Dice for all!)

-- Paul Chapman