GEN CON PICZ '17
 

THIS YEAR WAS GEN CON 50... kind of important. I spent my summers hiking in the woods, cooking for my friends (you're welcome <growl>), consequentially drowning my friends while boating, performing theatre, playing video games, and running Dungeons & Dragons in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. There may have been an excessive amount of time spent on the latter. My first year attending Gen Con (1992), the original gaming convention, was because a guy named Mike at Norman B. Barr Camp suggest I go because I liked Dungeons & Dragons. Hence, my Dad did what any father would do and dropped his young daughter off in the morning and told her he'd pick her up on the same corner later that night (you totally didn't read that, Mom). I had so much fun the first day I begged him to drop me off in the morning all the other days. SUCCESS.

I encourage players to draw their characters on their "table tents."

In 1994, I accidentally signed up for the D&D Open (with amazing judge Dan Cunningham) and was told you needed to be part of the RPGA (Role Playing Game Association), so to go sign up, pay my $25, get my Polyhedron magazine in the mail, and like it (and I did). I did not realize then how many life-long friends I would make. This "network" allowed me to meet so many people and look up how to play games everywhere in the country! This year at Gen Con, I ran adventures with Don Bingle's Paragons of the Past in the Horticultural Hall (see next page). I had the honour of running Jean Rabe & Robert Farnsworth's adventure Pond's Place (PINK FLAMINGOS!!!) This "classic" style adventure has pregenerated characters with in depth backgrounds to go along (or conflict!) with each other and match the adventure. We had a blast. Everyone here made my weekend. Thank you to Carol Clarkson for coordinating everyone and everything. Check out the Naruto cosplayer!

REGARDING COSTUMES/COSPLAYS... Back in the 90's (get off of my demi-plane!), you did not see many people in costume. You could typically find me in one of two outfits: a cute black, suede number my mother picked up for me at the Bristol Renaissance Festival (for my Living City character "Kyla Kon") or a Sailor Mars costume she made (I once found myself on the header for the RPGA website in the latter). Now in the 10's, you see EVERYONE in costume. And WOW. Some are simply phenomenal! I usually feel like I am wearing something the cat dragged in. By the way... do you know that this amazing lady, Anne Brown, is the one responsible for making the costume contest amazing at Gen Con? She also used to work for TSR! AND she co-wrote this COOL BOOK, The Storyteller's Thesaurus!! If you want to hear more about her, listen to this interview with The Wolf Doctor!!! I LOVE EXCLAMATIONS!!!!!

THESE WERE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE COSTUMES... Who doesn't like a good Sailor Scout? The "Zelda Breath of the Wild" guy designed his entire outfit. The hat, back of shirt, sleeves, armband, EVERYTHING was done up like the newest Nintendo title. Why have ONE Slave Leia when you can have TWO? Also, apparently I totally confused a lot of people I have known for years while wearing this costume for Plumeria from Pokémon. They did not recognize me in the former but said hi to me (by name) while wearing my "Kyla" outfit.

Maybe you just want to thief my  ZIP FILE?
 

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