Princess Kraehe & Princess Tutu at Connecticon 2012

Finally the photos from Connecticon 2012 are ready! Here are a few highlight pictures from my Princess Kraehe cosplay, with accompanying Princess Tutu. You can find  more details on the construction of the costume on the Princess Kraehe Page! So be sure to check it out!

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Review of Connecticon 2012

I have returned from Connecticon 2012, and will now share with you my review of the convention.

Thursday night I attended Connecticon’s formal dance for preregistered guests only. I think that this dance was a fantastic way to encourage attendees to preregister. However, Connecticon wasn’t able to even announce the dance until a few days before preregistration closed. As a result, several people that I knew personally who would have attended the dance, we’re not able to because they didn’t get word of the event until it was too late. I am sure that there are many other con attendees who also missed out because of the late announcement.

Tardiness aside, I thought that the formal was a great success. They played great, popular, danceable music, and everyone seemed to be having a really great time. As the con-chair put it, “it looks like a prom in there.” It wasn’t nearly too crowded, and people for the most part, did abide by the formal-attire-only rules. I think this is the start of a wonderful pre-con tradition.

The rest of the weekend however, I found things to do to be lacking. The convention significantly downsized their dealers room, and artist alley. I found nothing of interest to buy, could spend only twenty minutes or so browsing before I had seen everything for sale, and what’s worse is that I heard the convention is planning to have all of the same vendors back again next year. That is no way to attract new guests! We want new merchandise, not the same stuff we didn’t buys this year.

Interesting panels were also in short supply. I didn’t attend a single panel on Friday, and on Saturday nothing caught my interest until the 18+ panels started running at 10pm.

Fortunately on Sunday the panels were a little less disappointing. I attended a very exciting demonstration of medieval combat, followed by a sword lesson, as well as a spot-on panel on how to talk to girls (which wasn’t nearly as bad as it sounds, nor was it a joke. The panel was actually really impressive).

The dance Saturday night looked to be a great time, though I mostly hung around outside because of the long line to get in. It was a beautiful night and the convention had plenty of outdoor space for socializing and hanging about. There are also a lot of bars in the area that are walking distance from the convention center.

The cosplay at the convention this year was a little sparse. I expect that a lot of serious craftsmen went to San Diego this weekend for the big one. But still, there was plenty to look at, and I found more variety than usual (as in the entire convention wasn’t dominated by one series for once, i.e. Naruto, Soul Eater, Bleach, Homestuck). Cosplayers were also very well received by those not in costume, as usual.

I did not personally have any bad experiences with Convention staff this year, though I have heard stories of others who did. The convention center staff on the other hand, who are associated with the building and not the convention, are always an absolute nightmare. They are rude, pushy, intolerant, judgmental and mean. I have come to expect this from Connecticon because of the consistently bad treatment year after year.

Other changes that I was disappointed to see where with the schedule. I know in the past people had requested larger type on the printed schedule, but I think things went a little too far here. The “pocket schedule” this year was as tall as a nine year old in a wig and wider than a lolita skirt. It was impossible hold unfolded, and an overall pain in the ass to carry and look at. I miss the one-day, one-sheet schedules of old.

The badges also got bigger this year, had no pockets for papers, and couldn’t fit in your pocket for pictures.

Overall Connecitcon this year was a disappointment. I had a grand time dressing up, having my picture taken, and hanging out with friends, but those are all things that I arranged. The convention didn’t really enhance my weekend other than providing us with a place to congregate.

If San Diego Comic Con overlaps with Connecticon again next year, I might be buying a plane ticket.

I will have pictures up here next week. Thanks for reading!
shaunart.net

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Connecticon is here!

Connecticon has begun! But I won’t be arriving until 4pm on Friday afternoon. Here is my cosplay schedule for the weekend:

Friday 4-10 – Princess Kraehe (Princess Tutu)
Saturday 10-8 – Claudia, Gaston’s Red Bimbette. (Beauty and the Beast)
Sunday 10-3 – Tentatively Princes Kraehe.

Sunday is my whatever day. I always like to take it easy on the Sunday of a con so if I get lazy Sunday morning, I won’t be cosplaying.

If you see me, please feel free to introduce yourself. I love meeting other cosplayers, crafters and artists.

Now, for your entertainment, here is a preview of my Claudia costume. Make sure to check back here after the con for new pictures of both Claudia and Kraehe in full costume, hair, and makeup.

Thanks for reading!

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