Well, you said making the most out of my FAVORITE con. So that's different than just any con! Things that I try to do to it special for me:
No volunteering, no running panels, no judging, nothing that makes it feel like a duty. Fun only.
Cosplay, duh. And get one nice photoshoot.
Genuinely compliment as many costumes as I can.
Buy a stranger a drink.
Go out to eat with a group of friends - somewhere that's not the hotel room.
Hey you know what's not on this list? Anything *actually* convention related! It's not about the events to me, it's about meeting people, chilling out,...
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I hate to sound like a total cosplay nerd, but my favorite thing to do at cons is sit in the hallways and look at cosplayers. It's the ultimate people-watching experience for me. I also try to wander the dealer's room on Sunday and buy some keychains or phone charms, which I turn into crazy junky charm necklaces.
I like to check out the program and pick one or two things that I definitely want to attend. Then I proceed to not go to them, because it takes me forever to get in costume, meet up with people, walk anywhere, or get out of costume... so looking at the program turns into "this is what...
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I have entered plenty of masquerades and hallway contests. I don't put my awards on the site anywhere, but here is my list:
Best Journeyman Craftsmanship: ACEN 2003, Chobits group.
Saturday Hall Award: Anime Iowa 2003, Rydia (old version).
Best Craftsmanship: OhayoCon 2004, FFX-2 Berserkers.
Best Overall Weekend Hall Award: OhayoCon 2004, GoldenSun.
Best Craftsmanship: Anime Iowa 2004, FFX-2 Warrior.
Best Craftsmanship: OhayoCon 2005, FF Tactics Advance.
Best EGL non-competitive Award (ironic, ne?) ACen 2005, revamped Freya from Chobits
Best In Show & Judges Choice: Pacific Media...
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I don't like masquerades. I don't like spending my Saturday in a greenroom with overworked staffmembers. I'd rather be out chilling with people and going to panels! However, the competitions I've entered in the past have been for a group's sake, so I didn't mind too much on behalf of my friends. Now I judge at a lot of conventions that I previously competed at, so I personally think it would be pretty unfair of me to compete at those same masquerades!
I'm totally oblivious to masquerade drama because I truly, honestly don't give a crap. I don't own one trophy from any award I've won because...
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Anime Central in Chicago, IL is always fun for me. It's my home-state con, and it was the first con I ever went to in 2001. I didn't cosplay then, though. Actually, I didn't even know the word "cosplay" and was surprised to see it! Stepping into the ACen Hotel every May is what I imagine stepping through the Pearly Gates of Heaven is going to be like for me (a long time from now, I hope). I feel a wave of exhuberance and anticipation and camraderie rush over me, probably not unlike a druggie after doing a foot-long line of cocaine. Not that I'd know, or anything. But cons are as expensive as a drug...
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Ah, masquerades. I love watching them, and hate being in them. Given a choice, I'd rather have my Saturday afternoon free to socialize and not sit in a greenroom being herded like cattle. Usually by the time I got on stage, it was a relief to step into a wide-open area away from the cranky and nervous people. If this is your first time in a masquerade... you'll see what I mean.
Anyway, tips to get rid of jitters. It always helped me to think about the type of crowd at an anime convention. They aren't a bunch of theatre snobs or critics. They're just fans. No one's expecting an academy award-winning...
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My absolute favorite part of costuming, hands down, is people watching at conventions. I don't care if I'm in a costume or not - I love studying people in costumes and asking them how they did stuff. I hate to admit it, but I have excused myself from my friends at cons who were all goofing around to just wander the hallways by myself and talk to strangers in interesting costumes. I figure I get to talk with my friends everyday, this is my chance to meet some costumers, darnit. I am sure to some cosplayers I have come off creepy, staring at them from like 10 feet away for 5 minutes and then coming...
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![Jia Jem as Jack [Alt Version] from Mass Effect 2](http://jiajem.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2694-106x150.jpg "Jia Jem as Jack [Alt Version] from Mass Effect 2")
