I was a big sci-fi fan at uni (guess it goes with the science curriculum), attending conventions and helping organise one or two, travelling interstate to visit other uni SF groups. I don’t read much fiction these days, although I do enjoy Terry Pratchett’s novels, “Doctor Who” and intelligent (in my own humble opinion) genre fiction (like, yes folks, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and anything Joss Whedon).
Last November we’d gone to the media convention “SupaNova” in Brisbane. We’d arrived early, got in the cash queue (much quicker than the credit card queue) and were just about third in the door. But going on Friday to avoid the weekend crowds meant we missed out on the cosplayers (people who enjoy dressing up as their favourite characters from the movies, graphic novels, animation and sci-fi/fantasy fiction).
This time the event was much closer, at the Gold Coast. The merchandise stalls were not open on Friday, so we opted for Saturday. We’d stopped at the Uki farmers’ market on the way, so arrived at the convention centre half an hour after the opening. The car queue for parking was immense, but kept moving. Then it took us 30 minutes to actually get in the doors. Luckily the organisers were very organised, as it seemed all 23,400 attendees from November’s event were there that morning, and there were plenty of staff to shepherd people in the right direction. The cash queue was long but still the fastest way to get in, as the credit card queue was hundreds of metres long.
A plus side of waiting in line was getting a good look at the many costumes as we shuffled along. Some people had made their own; others had bought them “off the rack”. I particularly enjoyed this pair – it’s not every day you meet the Warrior Princess away from Ancient Greece …