Fantasy Con has come and gone and now the time for recollection is here. The inaugural fantasy themed convention in Salt Lake marks the fifth convention I’ve attended in the last 12 months so I’m left with the task of weighing it against my other experiences. At first blush and after analysis I can confidently say that Fantasy Con was an excellent time and a convention that absolutely should continue into the future. It had all of the usual things that attract convention goers: vendors, special guests, panels, and sweet costumes, among other things.
There were convention staples like comic book artists, t-shirt vendors, and the required Spider-Man/Deadpool duo…
.jpg)
But what made the convention special wasn’t what made it the same, but what made it different. The focus on fantasy themes resulted in attendee costumes that may not have been seen at a “normal” convention. Things like this lady who was wearing a unicorn skin, making her both the most badass, and most terrible person in all of fiction.
.jpg)
Killing a unicorn is like…. killing a unicorn.
Or these ladies dressed as… dragons? Demons? Either way they had pointy teeth and head prosthetics, and who doesn’t love a dog dressed as a dragon? Soulless jerks are the only people I can think of.
While many a convention may offer an opportunity to be the lunchmeat in a sexy Sean Astin/Summer Glau sandwich (which totally happened, so long as your definition of sandwich allows for each slice of bread to be roughly 15 feet away from me in opposite directions) we’re here to talk about what was special and unique about Fantasy Con, so let’s get back to it.
The first thing that struck me upon entering was the arena laid out in the center of the convention floor. Complete with stadium seating, it offered the opportunity to watch complete strangers beat the foam covered crap out of each other as often as you could possibly desire. If you were so inclined, and 16 or older, you could jump into the melee.
There were fighting lessons, and archery lessons available at no additional cost. I no longer have to worry how quickly I would have died had I lived during that time. Spoiler: it would have been super fast. In truth, I was pretty good at archery, provided the arrows were padded, the target wasn’t moving, and I was in no actual danger. Though, there were tarantulas and giant snakes within eyesight so I’m counting it, I’m totally a kick ass warrior.
The advertised centerpiece of the weekend was the three story tall dragon with impressive expansive wingspan, but it was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A functioning dragon/warrior statue, a giant stone goblin dude (they look like such strong hands), stockades, guillotine, photography set pieces and more meant that you could spend a significant amount of time enjoying the scenery and included activities, and that’s before you even get to a panel. Oh and I forget to mention, some of the most impressive beards I’ve ever seen.
I have many wonderful memories from last weekend’s festivities that it is impossible to relate them all to you, which is why, if you missed out this year, be sure to attend the next time around. I promise you won’t be disappointed, and if you are, I’ll see you on the battle grounds.
Speaking of next year, check out the press release on how Fantasy Con went and what plans they have for the future.