Convention Etiquette

[BlackLantern]

Ok...I know we do this most every year, but with a new year comes convention season...Wizard Worlds, WonderCon, ComiCon, etc and its time to review some do's and don'ts of conventions

1. Bathe - and I'm not talking your regular 5 minute hosing, Im talking get in there let the water run to near scalding and WASH YOURSELF...if you're going to be travelling and in lines and such, be courteous and try to smell like a human, not like the bottom of a hobos shoe

2. Social graces - Eat like you've been in public before...this isn't your living room where you can shovel mac and cheese into your facehole at Mach 3.

3. Tip - we (the fandom) are notoriously cheap, we all know it. I get you want to save money for your limited edition variant The Box figure, but at least throw your waiter, waitress, or bartender an extra buck or two...goes a long way and theyll remember you if you come back

4. Q and A - it's really sad when staff has to give a list of things you can and can not say during a Q and A....don't ask for a job, don't sing, and speak clearly, also eye contact if possible...nothing worse when some jackhole is staring into the mike and mumbling

if anyone else has any other suggestions or remarks, please...this is for all of our benefit

 

[Erzengel]

Remember that a lot of women there are paid to be there and not to be frotteured against.

 

[BlackLantern]

yes...totally forgot about that, thanks Erz

Just because a booth babe or whatever they are called now is friendly with you, doesn't mean they like you...they are being paid to be there

 

[The Squirrel]

I've only to been to one con here in Dallas and everything seemed to go smoothly. The fact that the things on that list aren't common sense is saddening.

 

[Hobgoblin]

Dont stand in the middle of the damn walkway talking with your friends. People use walkways to walk from one point to another and you are getting in the way.

 

[Erzengel]

Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder-Woman don't have guts that extend over their belts. Please dress accordingly.

 

[Eggyman]

Do not stare at Harley Quinn's camel toe. She and your girlfriend will both notice and you won't get sex from either once you're home with your signed picture of some guy from some show.

 

[THE MR. TERRIFIC]

I like rule #1. You guys know I'm a convention pro and I take shots with a lot of cosplayers who don't wash their arses!! Please WASH!!!

 

[BlackLantern]

Fanny packs.


No.

 

[Prison Mike]

After reading all this stuff, I don't want to go to a convention.

 

[Erzengel]

I would go for the exclusives.

 

[BlackLantern]

and there are different levels of conventions...there is Comic Con and Wizard World and then there are the ones with fancy names that have Peter Tork from the Monkees as the big guest

 

[Mister J]

I could look at this thread title and who started it and knew it wouldn't let me down.

 

[BlackLantern]

I do it because I care

 

[FOOM]

I would think that these things would just be common sense as well. But after reading the OP and remembering at least one instance of each of these Etiquette rules being broken, I’ve changed my opinion from Wasted Thread - to Required Reading.

 

[BlackLantern]

a few more suggestions

- Don't get too wrapped up in the time you think you're going to have, make the best of what you do get to see and do...lots of convention goers get so focused on getting one specific collectible or seeing one specific panel, that if they don't it ruins their whole trip and anyone unfortuante enough to be with them

- Be friendly....everyone around is pretty much the same as you, even if you don't get a response. I say hi and try and engage a crapload of people in conversation and sometimes you may get a discount or some cool swag out of it

- try and loosely plan what you want to do and give yourself enough time to do so.....don't sit in half of a panel than have to run all the way to another because you're trying to cram in 4 panels in 90 minutes

- Best panels to go to are early morning ones...people are usually hung over and the filter is off...at Comic Con, I went into an Image panel reeking of booze on a Sunday morning and had a great time

 

[C. Lee]

If there are celebrity guests...try to know at least something about them or thier career before you ask them a question.


I was at a convention years ago where David Prowse was the guest. As I stood in line I heard some of the same questions over and over - which Star Wars film was your favorite, was it hot in the suit, which Star Wars actor did you like the best - he gave nice quick same answer to them over and over. When I came up I asked him his thoughts on Stanley Kubrick....he leaned back with a huge grin on his face and said "Let me tell you some things about Stanley." and talked about 20 minutes about Kubrick and all kinds of other things.

 

[BlackLantern]

I got Colin Ferguson to talk about clothes, I asked if he had it easy because all he has to wear on Eureka is his sheriff uniform and most everyone else has to deal with different wardrobe

 

[Aesop Rocks]

So, no one from the Hype that goes to a CC Convention bathes?

Damn, Mr. T, JP, AndThePickles, JustABill, and Colossal Spoons, learn2bathe.

 

[BlackLantern]

its just a general thing ive noticed and its not everbody, but a healthy chunk....some people smell like 3 week old cheese wrapped in a dirty sock

 

[Aesop Rocks]

yeah, it is pretty bad. My friend Dan went to SDCC 2010 and that was his first Con, and he was surprised at how badly the place smelled. He walked around with febreze and openly told everyone that they smelled.

 

[Wolfwood]

Ask to take pictures and don't "glomp" cosplayers. I've seen that a lot at anime conventions, where people have very intricate and delicate costumes.

For those that don't know:

Glomping is when you bum rush someone to tackle them in a hug.

 

[Manic]

Joses brother of Christ! I was thinking of going to WonderCon this year, but can there really be such a high volume of people who don't bathe before going out in public?

 

[Wolfwood]

its just a general thing ive noticed and its not everbody, but a healthy chunk....some people smell like 3 week old cheese wrapped in a dirty sock

I remember going to my first con and forgetting to put on deodorant cause I was in a rush. As soon as I got in though the smell of the con assured me no one would notice.

 

[BlackLantern]

Joses brother of Christ! I was thinking of going to WonderCon this year, but can there really be such a high volume of people who don't bathe before going out in public?

in this world, yea

I remember going to my first con and forgetting to put on deodorant cause I was in a rush. As soon as I got in though the smell of the con assured me no one would notice.

and that makes you part of the problem, stinky