Last weekend, I packed up my truck and started on my journey to Washington D.C. for Awesome Con! I have only travelled through D.C. on occasion, never have I stopped overnight. And leave it to me to put together some rather rash choices on where to stay that end up with me trekking four blocks from parking to hotel, bags in tow. But that is another story for another time. And believe me, I could write up a sizable article on my short trip through the city! But this is about Awesome Con and the awesome time that I had once I managed to find my way to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center!
This year I decided to expand my horizons and drive to various cons. My choices for this particular weekend was between Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC, or Awesome Con in D.C.. It wasn’t hard for me to make my decision once it was announced that Stan Lee would be in D.C.. I knew this would probably be my one and only shot to meet the legend. So with that, my decision was made.
Awesome Con went on for three days; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If you ever go to Awesome Con, I highly suggest that you don’t miss going on Friday. The crowd isn’t as big and it is easier to knock things off your “to-do-list”. Getting my picture and autograph with Stan Lee was taken care of it. I paid a bit more for the VIP experience and it paid off. I waited in line, but not as long as some visitors had to. So I had plenty of time to hit up other attractions including the Stan Lee Museum, filled with costumes and props from various Marvel films, as well as an incredible number of sketches and other goodies! Pictures of said goodies are in the gallery below!
Getting Stan Lee’s autograph was #1 on my list for Friday. I stood in line, there was a lot of chatter, most couldn’t wait to see the legendary creator for the first time, myself included. Stan Lee appeared, the crowd went nuts, and things moved quickly. There was a complete assembly line in place making sure that people got in and out with the quickness. It staled the experience a little but it wasn’t terrible. One thing that blew my mind was no one was really talking to Stan. I heard some “thank yous” and “hellos” but a majority went through the line like cattle, getting their signature and moving on. This was my one and only chance to speak to him, so you best believe, I spoke. I don’t remember word for word what I said, I was still kinda in awe, which is rare for me, but this moment was understandable. I said something along the lines of “thank you for everything.” Stan in the process of signing my first appearance of Rocket Raccoon, looked up at me, smiled, and said “It’s all for you, my friend.” Bam! My day/weekend was complete!
Of course, Stan Lee wasn’t the only celebrity in town. There was a diverse group catering to everyone’s tastes. The impressive list of celebrities in attendance included David Tennant (Doctor Who), Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack), Felicia Day (Supernatural), Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Jason David Frank (Power Rangers). Comic writers and artists included Greg Capullo (Batman, Quasar), Scott Snyder (American Vampire, Batman), Tom King (Vision, The Sheriff of Babylon), Tini Howard (The Skeptics) and Christopher Hastings (Gwenpool). The ones mentioned here don’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the celebrities and comic creators that were there. There were many and all who I encountered was very pleasant to talk to!
As with your usual Con, there was an abundance of other attractions as well. There was a game room where you could go to relax and play some video games. Many vendors were in attendance selling everything from T-shirts, toys, DVDs, swords, and of course comics. If there was something specific you were looking for, you most likely didn’t walk away empty handed. There were numerous panels you could sit in on and ask questions. Most notable was Stan Lee’s Q&A, Citizens in Space! Explore the Universe! (yes, there were learning moments as well!) and Exploring the Creators of Gay and Lesbian Comics.
I can’t forget the Cosplayers! There were so many cool costumes at Awesome Con. Cosplayers always put in solid work for their craft, but in D.C. they crushed it! And the best part about it, there was a huge assortment of characters! I feared to see a million Wonder Woman outfits, but to be honest, it would be better than seeing the usual million Harley Quinn outfits. But it didn’t happen like that in D.C.. Indeed there were some Wonder Woman costumes, which were all good! There was the fair share of Quinn, one was paired with a well-dressed Joker and immediately became one of my favorites of the weekend. Other interesting choices were Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China, Dr Fate, Kitana from Suicide Squad, Barf from the 80’s comedy Spaceballs, and a very impressive mashup of Mary Poppins and Yondu, complete with a Rocket Raccoon plush peeking out from her purse.” I’m Mary Poppins, y’all!” I applaud all who dressed up for this fun event.
Overall Awesome Con was a lot of fun. I think they were successful in pulling off a wonderful event. All the volunteers were knowledgeable and helpful. This is a must for any con! There were lines, but they were well maintained and if unforeseen instances happened, they were there with a fix and delivered on it. Despite my own personal chaos I created for myself, I would indeed make another trip to D.C. and hit up another Awesome Con. They have already announced the dates for next year, it is earlier in the year, so if you are wanting to get tickets, make sure you mark off March 30th – April 1st! I have added some pictures below, enjoy!
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