What's Archon FOR, anyway?

The comments from the Lothlorien post inspired me to start a new thought regarding conventions in general and Archon in particular.

Some small background.
I started attending conventions in the late 80's. I was a "tween" at the time, around 12 or 13.
The first few cons I went to were Star-Trek and Media cons. I saw Michael Dorn at a shitty little hotel in the city. I saw Ron Perlman at the last of the "Space-Trek" cons. I did not attend the first NTC, but I made a one day appearance at NTC2, and all the subsequent ones (except for "Copacobanacon.")

However, from '86 until about 92, my family would go to Michigan to visit my mom's family for 2 to 6 weeks during the summer. So, for the first several years that I was attending cons, I wasn't in the state during Archon.

Finally, I went to my first Archon in 1991 (I think.) It was Archon 14 (feel free to check my math. I am certain of the Archon number, not the year.)
It was at the Henry VIII. It was... large, and noisy, and crowded, and filled with new experiences. I competed in the Masquerade from the very beginning. I don't know if anyone will remember me, but my group of High School students put the "Space Pirates" act up on the stage that year.

The following year, (also at the Hank) I competed in the masquerade with what I would find out later is a sure way to be completely snubbed by the judges; A scene from my favorite fantasy novel, one that had never been translated to the big or small screen. It was a cute bit, but it didn't "Look like" anything anyone could recognize, and the costumes weren't good enough to stand alone.

Oh well.

I still managed to have lots of fun, and piss off my boyfriend. Some more.

Suddenly, I can't remember if the Kedrigern act preceded the Space Pirates or not.
Hmm.

At Archon 16 (the last of the Archons at the Hank), I didn't compete in the masquerade, but I had fun anyway. I flirted with many new and interesting people, and by then I had really gotten into the whole spandex-and-bodypaint cat costumes. (I am technically a "furry." I just can't stand to wear actual fursuits.) I acquired my first rat, and had a really great time. That was the summer after I graduated High School.

Now, up to this point, cons were filled with some things that I was seeking, for better or worse. Here's some of them, labeled good, bad, ugly, or all three.

Surrogate fathers. I was surrounded by intelligent, literate, male readers who were approximately my father's peers in age. And they LIKED me. They approved of me. They admired me, and occasionally (and genteelly) hit on me.
*GOOD.* This provided some filling in a hole that otherwise might have been tempting to fill with bad boyfriends, or worse.

Drooling FanBoys. By the time I got to high school, I figured out that I had a wider pool to fish in than my high school classmates. Who needs boyfriends? I had WORSHIPPERS. Let me explain; I was a size 9, with a hellova rack, long spiral curly hair, bright green eyes, glasses, and I dressed to KILL. PLUS, I was a gamer. I read books, avidly. I liked fantasy and sci fi movies and fanfiction. I was a costumer. And I was remarkably easy to talk to, because I cut a lot of slack for underdeveloped social skills if you had heart and something to contribute. I had to carry a large stick with which to "beat them off."
*GOOD, and UGLY.* This also meant that I wallowed in my sexual power over others. It meant that I made out like a bandit because there was always some poor fanboy who was willing to try to bribe me with presents.

Great Conversation. These were my PEOPLE. I could talk about the alternate ending that I envisioned for Star Wars. I could discuss the finer points and subtle references from my favorite novels. I could talk to people about which books I simply must read, and which ones are "standards" but frighteningly dull. I could share my "Oh my god, I can't believe I read the WHOLE THING" stories. I could hear stories that couldn't possibly be true, until I realized that truth is frequently MUCH stranger than fiction.


Costuming. I was the kid who "changed my mind" a dozen times before Halloween each year. In truth, I wanted to be EACH of the things I had chosen. Dressing up in costumes was something I never outgrew, in fact, it's something that grew up to fit my larger budget and time. Heck, it's become such an obsession that I am BOTH: working for Spirit and costuming Man of La Mancha this fall. (At least I get PAID for it, now.)

Now, I went through a phase where I floundered a bit. I discovered that I didn't seem to be having fun at cons like I used to.

Then I realized that the things I used to do aren't really that fun anymore. Maturity, new phase of life, change in interests. Whatever. So, I looked at what I *did* want to do, and found that cons still had something to offer me after all.
I no longer need to get the approval of older men. I no longer need (or want) a 24/7 entourage of worshippers. (I only need a few now and then...)
I no longer need to stay up all night hopped up on caffeine and sleep-dep toxins to feel like I milked the last ounce of fun out of the weekend.
I still want intimate conversations in unlikely places that last until dawn.
I still want good conversation.
I still want to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
I still want to learn.
I still want to teach.
I still want to perform. (It isn't so much about the competing any more.)
I still want to wear my unusual finery and feel comfortable in clothes that (to mundane eyes) are costumes.

I no longer need to be in spandex and body paint to express my inner kitty.
I no longer need to dress up like an Elmore painting and cruise the gaming room to attract stares.
I no longer need to host elaborate parties that spill over into neighboring hotel rooms, but I still do occasionally.


I admit, I am the kind of person who does not really expect to be entertained. I am the entertainment. If I am not having any fun, I make some up. I have been known to invent party games, hallway stunts, and spontaneous gatherings. I have been known to sneak new programming into the schedule. I have been known to make runs into the "real world" with groups of scary people, sometimes on purpose.
I have told bradhicks many times that if he wants to find out where the pretty girls, the good conversation, and the best costumes are... he should find me first.
Because either I am in the middle of all that, or I just left it for a breath of air and can tell you where I left it.

Cons (and festivals like the one I just came from) provide atmospheres wherein ANYTHING could happen, including NOTHING.

If NOTHING is happening, one has only to wander around and see if they can find some ANYTHING to play with. Or be some ANYTHING for someone else.

Here's an example. Person A (we'll call her "Jenny". There's a lot of them.) "Jenny" is at a con, but there's no programming that excites her. Most of her friends are playing in games that she doesn't have any interest in. She's kind of bored and doesn't feel like going back to the room to change.
She looks at the "freebie" table, and all the good stuff is gone, all that's left are some stupid square flyers for someone's band.
She picks one up, and starts (almost absently) to fold it into an origami shape. Then does another. And another.
By now person B (We'll call her "Amy." There's a lot of those, too.) comes along and sees what's going on. Amy asks Jenny to show her how to fold that particular flower (or grasshopper or frog or whatever.)

Pretty soon there's a small group of people folding someone's band flyers into various origami shapes. Ideas are shared, new friends are made, and for the rest of the con people find little carefully folded figures all over the hotel and the surrounding area.

And wonder what great panel they missed out on.


Weirder things than this have HAPPENED. IF you are uncertain of yourself, use props. Bubbles work well. Bring enough to share. Weird toys work well, too. Especially if you have some to share.


Here's an idea; bring a bag of candy. It can be cheap candy, starlight mints for example.

Now, go trick-or-treat every person that you see in costume. Walk right up and say, "Trick or treat." If they stare blankly, tell them to say "Trick or Treat." (Most of them will probably repeat it automatically.)
If they say it, give them a piece of candy.

These are all ice-breakers that WORK on fans.

Then there's managing one's expectations. I don't expect small events to be anything like Archon, and the reverse is also true. I try to leave room to be pleasantly surprised. I think I have managed to get to a point where my expectations are not pessimistic, just sort of "blank." I don't expect anything, particularly. I find when I can get to this space in my head, I can enjoy an event much more. I go with zero expectations. (Of course for one of these events, I usually overpack a lot.)
By not conjuring expectations, I am leaving space for amazing things to happen.
If I plan my weekend to death, I don't generally have that much fun.

The TAO of this is difficult to explain. I obviously need to brush up on my eastern metaphors, so that I can explain to people about being an empty vessel. Being empty does not imply loss or reduction. It means that one is prepared to be filled.

Eh, I am rambling now.

All I am saying is, Don't expect a con to be the same this time. That was then. This is now. We're in NOW now, and "then" has nothing to do with it. One can prepare a bit based upon past experience (Gee, last time I got laid. I should probably pack a few condoms just in case) But one shouldn't expect that this year's Archon will be identical to last year's. (Gee, last year I got laid, so this year I probably will get laid, too.)

One should ask oneself, "What do I want to get out of a gathering of my friends?"
Keep track of the answer, then seek THAT when you go to a con. I bet that you will find it, whatever it is.


As for ME, I don't yet know what I want "my" Archon to be. I may or may not put something on stage. I may or may not host (or cohost) a party. I may or may not help a friend run a dealer's table.

I might simply pack the things I like to wear, bring some random toys and just stroll along seeing what comes my way.

This will, of course, drive allura629 and thesigother completely NUTS. They, of course, are welcome to plan every minute of their weekend to their hearts' content. I think I will fly by the seat of my pants and see what happens.

If all else fails, look for me in a shady spot, in a chaise-lounge, wearing leaves in my hair and a few yards of filmy silk, and being fed chilled purple grapes by all my fans and worshippers.
cosx says that's where I ought to be, anyway. Heee hee hee...