CONduit

Yesterday and Friday I attended my first sci-fi and fantasy convention ever. It was at the Sheritan Hotel in Salt Lake. I got to meet the author/illustrator/publisher of one of my favorite webcomics. I even got a free original sketch from him which he used to sign the book I bought from him. He's LDS and really funny too. What more could you ask for in a comic artist?

I also got to sit in on various panels and workshops on various subjects from military history to writing a story in an hour (flash fiction). I was expecting it to be fully of geeky men like myself. In reality there were a lot of men, women, and children from all walks of life.

Quite a few men and women wore costumes of various types. Some were very well crafted. One guy was a very convincing Borg from Star Trek complete with flashing lights. I just about burst into laughing when I saw him standing in the hall talking on his cell phone to someone. I was thinking, "Don't they have built in communication systems with the rest of the collective?"

One of the women on security was dressed as a pirate, a pirate with a red Security shirt and radio. "Argg, maty! Keep yer rum in yer hotel room. There be kiddies about! Argg!"

Jack Sparrow made an appearance at the convention. He played the drunken disney pirate to a tee.

Other honerable mentions include a faerie princess, a fox, and a wolf. There were quite a number of mideval dressed people. I wonder what the regular hotel guests were thinking about all the dressed up people wandering around.

CONduit has something for everyone. I should get some friends and family to come along next year.