This was the year we decided to get serious about Archon, which meant two main needs going into this past weekend’s convention: foremost was getting a room at the official hotel, the Doubletree (it was sold out when I got around to booking); and, in a close second, arriving at the post-Masquerade hall parties of said Doubletree in cosplay (instead, I threw something together on Saturday and the results were predictably inept). Despite the self-defeating stuff, there was still plenty to see and do at the long-running, fan-run, sci-fi and fantasy convention’s 41st edition.
We went out to the Gateway Center in Collinsville on Friday and returned in the wee hours of Sunday morning, unable to rally for any Sunday afternoon programming. Bummer. Here, then, are some thoughts from the first two days, recollections compiled after a night of one-too-many free Bud Lights.
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The Filking Room: Last week, we highlighted the chair of Archon’s filking programming, Gary Hanak, in a piece noting his popularity and acclaim within the filking genre. In the filking room at Archon, he oversees a song circle that attracts folks singing anything from classic American folk tunes to originals. On Saturday night, after Archon’s popular Masquerade event, the filking circle kicked in and ran into the early morning, with a few notable moments. The best humor of the fest came from a fella dressed as Krampus; every time he moved, even if gingerly, a series of bells attached to his legs and waist began to set off, well, bell-like noises. Even losing the bell belt, every time he walked five feet, the whole room burst into laughter, thanks to his still-attached leg bells. Ha-ha. Ho-ho. And then there was a young guy from Urbana, Illinois, who sang a lengthy vocal cut, mostly unaccompanied, and did so with one of those voices that knock you over. Moments like that come from outta nowhere; they’re special when they arrive.
The Omnipresence of Quasi-Wolf: There’re some folks that you see, year after year, and you realize that you’ve made it to Archon. A dude who dresses like a wolf is one such person. Don’t know his name, don’t know his backstory. Did catch him host a session on creating cosplay once, and the guy knows his stuff. Running into Quasi-Wolf all over the convention grounds is always a treat, be it in the hallways, where he was handing out a tray of “kookies,” or in the bathroom, where his elaborate costume took a minute to reattach after a simple life’s act. The Bluetooth speaker above the tail was a nice touch.
Room Parties: When someone tells you that their room at the Doubletree’s been turned into an exact replica of Mystery Science 3000, you have to follow along. When it proves to be as amazing as they promise, you can only offer a hearty “well-done” and a link to the site of Two Plumbers Brewery + Arcade, the brains behind this operation. The art of creating dynamic room displays is a bit of a fading art at the con, but with the appearance of Tom Servo, a spinning globe and multiple tap handles of craft beer, this MST3K scene was a room party to celebrate.
Watch Out for the Authors: Every year, I run into author (and lawyer, teacher, biologist, guitarist, and actor) Ronald R. Van Stockum Jr. He sets up shop in the Gateway Center’s vending hallway and once he’s established eye contact, a passerby has little chance escaping without a book buy. This year, my feet were still moving with Van Stockum hooked me with a quick one-liner and, yes, I wound up buying a paperback of his title Markman’s Cave for $10. There’s little chance that this experience won’t replicate itself next year. There’s no precedent for it not happening. Like, I’ll be there; he’ll be there; the same conversation will happen. Mind you, Van Stockum’s only one of the authors who uses an engaging, person-to-person sales pitch, each of them looking for that one visitor who’ll pause long enough to become a reader. It’s a fascinating thing, as authors are often thought of as shrinking violets in personal communications. When it comes to sci-fi authors, that doesn’t hold true. They’re good fishers.
Everybody Loves Queen: Every year, the Saturday night dance party at Archon brings all the freaks to the dance floor, with a hits-heavy playlist that pulls from 30-plus-years of chart-toppers. There’s always a moment, though, that makes you second-guess if you’re seeing something that’s never been seen before. As an example: a room full of people, dressed to the nines in cosplay, offering up a lusty, rousing singalong to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” You’re watching, swaying, humming if not singing, only to look over at the doorway, where a young man in full Mario gear enters the room, dancing hard and immediately engulfed in the filling dance floor. Maybe you had to be there.
Many Marios, Though… If Mario continues to be a popular costume for the guys, seen year after year, he’s not the only character to have a recurring presence around the con grounds. Among women in their 20s and 30s, there’s no cosplay more appealing these days than Harley Quinn, whether the pre- or post-2011 version. They’re everywhere.
Go or Don’t Go, But Don’t Go to Make Fun: You’re in on the event or you’re not. At the Doubletree on Saturday, a five pack of garden-variety dudes in racing gear showed up, probably on hand after a big event at the nearby Gateway race track. It’s giving them too much play to even mention the moment, but there those who occasionally show up at Archon and wind up in heckling mode. It’s a good reminder to be a better human being; after all, there are things in life that interest us, things that don’t. Sometimes it’s best to just shut up and enjoy other people’s fun. Speaking of which…
“What Are You?”: My goal for Archon this year was to go as Hoban “Wash” Washburne, the pilot of the late, great Fox program Firefly. Why? Because it’s a fun, easy look: a flight suit, a Hawaiian shirt, maybe a toy dinosaur to take it to the next level. Problem being, it’s tough to find a properly sized flight suit a day before the event; this is what procrastination does. With Wash washing-out, we came up with the idea to combine on a two-person team: a raven and an adjunct professor in the English department, as if the teacher was, you know, teaching some Poe. The idea was matched to existing props. (Raven mask, check; adjunct prof clothing, check.) Problems being: the raven head kept moving around, making it impossible to see, so it had to be slapped onto the stick originally featuring the thought balloon message “Nevermore,” ruining that sight gag; along with an adjunct professor’s look not really looking like… much of anything, ‘cause adjunct’s just look like regular folks. So when someone finally does ask “what are you?” and you start stumbling over words, you eventually just say “me,” a lot easier answer than the truth that you put off actually executing cosplay until the week of the event. But next year!
Ah, next year. That will be the year when it all comes together! Archon 42’s gonna be a real blast, alright, back at the Gateway/Doubletree next October.
In the meantime, peruse some photos from this year, captured here/there and before all those Bud Lights combined to pause the photographic arts, just one more reason you shouldn’t drink too much Bud Light.
