San Diego Comic Con is one of the biggest pop culture conventions in North America. The sprawling event covers the entirety of the massive San Diego Convention Center as well as much of the historic Gaslamp district for the five days it’s in town. It encompasses many genres of geekdom from western comics to webcomics to video games to anime to popular TV, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. And it shows—the attendance this year alone was over 130,000 people. So what’s the best way to enjoy it? I’ll take you through my general plans for SDCC, tips on how to make it more enjoyable, and attempt to ascertain whether or not it’s worth the time and hassle.
Prep Work
For starters, the schedule isn’t ever up until the month of, which is absolutely ludicrous. You have to buy a badge, flights, and hotel accommodations in the hopes that the schedule is something you’ll enjoy. But don’t worry, it’s always worth it. Almost every fandom is present in some form from Supernatural and Game of Thrones to Avatar the Last Airbender and Adventure Time. You’ll just have to trust that what you want to do is there.
There’s two days you need to be on the lookout for – badge sales and hotel reservations. Badge sales are in a hybrid first-come-first-serve meets lottery style in which everyone gets into a virtual waiting room and people are picked in a random order to get their badges. This means your best bet is to get together a large group of friends and a shared document so whoever gets in first can buy badges for everyone and everyone pays them. Hotel reservations are even scarier as they’re far more uncertain. You put your name, how many rooms you need for what days, and your top 6 choices of hotels into a form and hit submit. Then you wait. Up to two weeks later, you’re told what hotel you’ve been selected for (if any) and it’s then that you need to pay. The convention recommends only one person sign up for the lottery per group, but let’s be honest, you know people are going to get everyone in on multiple reservations and cancel all but the best one.
For the advanced users that want to go the extra mile to make things even easier (totally not required):
- Sign up for the San Diego Groupon list and purchase discounted meals at Gaslamp restaurants
- Make dinner reservations for each day a month or two in advance
- Pack powerbars or quick lunch solutions so you don’t have to leave whatever you’re doing
Panels
I’ll sit down the day before my flight and look at the panels I want to see. I’ve learned not to expect to get in to a Hall H or Ballroom 20 panel without some form of camping out, so every panel in there has been forsaken to me. Plus, the convention offers replays of those panels in a replay room across the street, so why bother? For me, the best plan is to earmark the panels you’d like to see first. The only wildcard room is the Indigo Ballroom. You need to get there early, but not camping early, so three hours before the panel should suffice. Anything smaller than that should be okay to arrive an hour to thirty minutes early. Here’s some other things to keep in mind to keep the stress low:
- People aren’t ever kicked out of the panel rooms, so if a huge panel is on after yours, show up early because you can bet you’ll see Dean cosplayers if the Supernatural panel is after yours
Food
The food around SDCC is excellent. From places that get wrapped in show propaganda like Maryjane’s in the Hard Rock to Gaslamp Pizza, there are a bevy of places to get refueled, and all at varying price points. A safe place we pick regularly is Jolt’n Joes, a place that’s had the Geek and Sundry lounge above it for a few years now. The prices are cheap, it’s never that crowded, and the food is decent, especially for lunch. Not much variety, but enough to get you through a few days.
For dinner, many more restaurants open their doors on 4th and 5th street, but they can only hold so many. If you really want to chill out, call ahead to whatever place and put in a reservation, if they’re taking them, but you can also just walk around and see what you can find. It’s always an interesting area to walk around during SDCC.
Oh and for breakfast, you’ve gotta try Broken Yolk at least once. Their French toast is awesome, as is their tuna melt.
Expo Hall
If you’re anything like me, you’re used to smaller dealer’s rooms and artists alleys. The kind you can spend 20 minutes and see all of.
Not here.
Imagine an airplane hangar. Now fill up what you’d consider to be a regular dealer’s room with new video games and video game merchandise. Fill two more with artist’s alley. Fill another two more with web comic artists. Fill ten more with general merchandise and comic books. That’s half of this expo hall. Now fill the other half of the airplane hangar with the biggest brands, newest TV shows, biggest displays, and shops. That’s the expo hall. It’s like the Disney World of commercialism and I love every bit of it.
You can walk around it for hours and notice new shops or different merch each day. There’s also SDCC exclusive items, but I generally avoid those because I’m not terribly attached to items, nor do I want to profit off of people who can’t go by doubling the price of an exclusive. It just sounds like a bother anyway.
Extra Stuff Outside the Con
With how big SDCC is gotten, you almost don’t need a badge to experience it anymore. There’s so much stuff offsite to do that you can fill up the entire weekend just visiting things that aren’t SDCC. This year, there was Gotham ziplining, a Simpson’s display, the Xbox gaming lounge, the Nintendo lounge, the Pixels retro arcade, the Assassin’s Creed parkour course and demo booth, a Vikings exhibit, Adventure time shops, HBO pop up shop, Nerd HQ in the baseball stadium, Nerdist laser tag, Game of Thrones exhibit, Geek and Sundry Lounge, themed restaurants, and a ton of stuff I’m sure I missed because I was too busy waiting to play Layton vs. Wright (totally worth it). It’s almost overwhelming how much you can do at SDCC. At most cons, I wonder how I’m going to best fill my time. At SDCC, I wonder how I’m going to cram it all in. It’s sensory overload in the absolute best way.
Conclusion
There’s so much about SDCC that makes it seem unappealing. Hotel lottery is just a mess, it’s so hard to get a badge, it’s expensive to get there via plane, the hotels are always pricey, the crowds are always massive, and the wait for anything remotely popular is on a timescale of hours.
However, if you plan it right, or go in knowing what to avoid, it’s a god damned wonderland of adventure and nerdy goodness. I walked by Nathan Fillion one day. HE WAS JUST THERE. JUST WALKING LIKE IT WAS COOL.
SDCC is the convention I look forward to every year, and there’s not much that’s going to change that. If you’re even remotely interested and can scrape together the funds, you absolutely will not regret going.
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
SWM Seeks Fraulein for Good Time
91% Match | 9% Enemy
schmidt_skull1
103, Male, New York (ish)
My Self-Summary:
Ex-military agent, single father, passionate about politics, and seeking a lively fraulein with whom I can plot world domination & genocide. Oh, pardon me, my English is not too good. I meant submissive/dominant role-playing, and I love to enjoy a glass of apple cider.
I enjoy collecting WWII memorabilia, and ornate, powerful, cubes. Cubes are the square things that have powers, yes? I am not a cat person or a dog person, but I do own a small snake that I have named Hydra. He is quite sweet. Any spare time I have, I enjoy at the gym, keeping myself in perfect condition, and I also enjoy a challenging game of chess.
I’d prefer if you did not smoke. I quit some time ago, and the sight of cigarettes make me ill. Did you know they kill you!?
I also love to reinvent myself as the years go by, such as taking up painting, and reading up on new science.
What I’m Doing With My Life:
Currently, I am learning about the mutants, in an attempt to completely eradicate that population. Sorry, completely embrace the mutant people. This English is tricky!! I am also new to New York City, and am hoping some blonde, blue-eyed beauty would be kind enough to show me around.
I’m Really Good At:
Oh, I AIM very well, particularly with a gun in my hand that is pointed at Captain America ^_^
The First Things People Usually Notice About Me:
My natural ginger locks, and sensitive skin.
Favorite Books, Movies, Shows, Music, and Food:
Ich lieben filme, particular those “sleepers” hits, like Birth of a Nation, or Coming to America, and Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. The only thing I didn’t understand was why they would do Indiana Jones movies where he was the good guy. Those poor Nazis! They were only seeking to help their Fuhrer achieve world peace.
The Most Private Thing I’m Willing to Admit:
I am a little touchy about the size of my feet. Germans are a small people.
You Should Message Me If:
You believe in a free world, and can point me in the direction of Steve Rogers.
——————–
This is the second in what we will be making into a series, so if there’s a villain you’d like done, request it in the comments!
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
I attempted to travel back in time recently. I sat with a cup of tea in my humid kitchen without a phone or Facebook to distract me from an evening with 1938 and the radio drama The War of the Worlds. The hour-long broadcast transformed H.G. Wells’ original science fiction novella into a terrifying realistic moment in the history of horror fiction. While the production can be lauded as a drama and for the terror that it caused when it was originally aired, works of horror have their own finicky scale that incessantly weighs a work’s merit. No matter how well-written, how convincing the effects, or how well-received by its contemporary audience, the real judgement of a masterpiece of the genre will always come down to this question: “Okay, but is it scary?”
Honestly, I’d have to say no, not really. Creepy, sure. But right after the decades-old sign-off, the stillness of my kitchen did not freak me out as I happily made myself a midnight snack.Well, now that I’ve gotten that unfortunate truth out of the way, let’s talk about how completely awesome this production is. The adaptation passes as a real radio news broadcast, which begins with the announcement of a flaming object falling from the sky interrupts chipper orchestrated dance music. The bulletins grow more dire as “live” broadcasts describe the invaders with “V-shaped [mouths] with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate.” As the broadcast continues, it is clear earth is losing its most desperate battle to survive as resistance fighters vanish from the air in audible death throws.
While clearly produced with care and great effects, the best segments of The War of the World are unsurprisingly Orson Welles monologues. Through his singular voice and without aid of sound effects, listeners are dragged into a lifeless and helpless earth. From the opening narration that set the stage of an unprepared and blissfully ignorant earth to the final trudge through a decimated Time Square, Welles will have you mesmerized, if not quite terrified.
What did approach truly chilling was not the descriptions of Martians’ rays or the rapid elimination of all life on earth, but the interaction of Welles’ Doctor Pierson with the character only known as “The Stranger.” Their conversation is part of the last third of the production that moves away from the news broadcast style. The Stranger condemns the direction humanity has gone and almost gleefully muses how the majority of people are doomed.
STRANGER: I’m going on. . . right under their feet. I got a plan. We men as men are finished. We don’t know enough. We gotta learn plenty before we’ve got a chance. And we’ve got to live and keep free while we learn, see? I’ve thought it all out, see.
PIERSON: Tell me the rest.
STRANGER: Well, it isn’t all of us that were made for wild beasts, and that’s what it’s got to be. That’s why I watched YOU. All these little office workers that used to live in these houses — they’d be no good. They haven’t any stuff to ’em. They just used to run off to work. I’ve seen hundreds of ’em, running wild to catch their commuter train in the morning for fear they’d get canned if they didn’t; running back at night afraid they won’t be in time for dinner. Lives insured and a little invested in case of accidents. And on Sundays, worried about the hereafter. The Martians will be a godsend for those guys. Nice roomy cages, good food, careful breeding, no worries. After a week or so chasing about the fields on empty stomachs they’ll come and be glad to be caught.
Henrique Alvim Corrêa
It is The Stranger that I find scary and it his view of our world that I find unnerving. I think he captures what could be considered the only timelessly terrifying part the of radio play. Horror is so often dismissed as pulp or lowbrow, much to many fans’ displeasure. However, I’d argue that most horror is not wriiten to be a character study of the shrieking blonde running from a masked killer, but of the reader and the darkest fears within us all.
Back in the day, the original broadcast was convincing enough to convince real listeners, if only a few, into panic. It is unfortunate that it cannot invoke the same kind of terror. The crackling of old time radio through my itunes on my glowing macbook just doesn’t quite resonate as it was intended to. This makes me more sad than dismissive. In fact, Stephen King, in his introduction to Everything’s Eventual, discussed his attempts to write a modern radio play. He sucked, is the short of it. I’m glad for Welcome to Nightvale, the popular monthly horror podcast, that proves the art form isn’t dead.
Hallow-Reads | The Line by Rob Ferreri
Hallow-Reads | Grim Vol 1: Teen Spirit by Nicholas Meece
Book Review | ‘Leech Girl Lives’
Review | Put Me In The Story – Star Wars: The Force Inside
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Crysis 2 and Syndicate Writer Richard Morgan Launches New Dark Fantasy Gamebook
If you haven’t been paying attention to pop media (by I guess actually living a life like a functioning person who doesn’t analyze these things), “nostalgia rules” right now. When it comes to pop culture right now, the 80’s and now 90’s (to early 00’s in a way) in particular are back, and along with it the strong smell of nacho and cool ranch flavored snacks, and boy is it strong.
Now, being nostalgic is nothing new; society and pop culture is always nostalgic over something that came before. As a creative writer myself, hardly any of my original pieces or adaptations are modern. My work is set all over creation with a slight aesthetic bias towards 1900’s-30’s. If it is modern, there’s a decidedly mid-century aesthetic. I’ve been told I dress and look like a grandpa and or a 50’s/60’s singer. Despite actually being 300 years old, I’ll accept the latter. I’m all about nostalgia. I understand. Oh do I understand. But we’re in the midst of an epidemic of nostalgia when it comes to movies, television, animation and kid’s media. Is it a good thing? I say yes…and no.
Younger creatives having grown up or born in the 80’s and 90’s are finally starting to land big creative gigs, particularly the director’s chair. Thus many current cartoon series like Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, Bee & Puppycat, Steven Universe, The Amazing Adventures of Gumball and Regular Show, etc, all have pronounced “retro” aesthetics or leanings one way or another and show signs of their creator’s relative young ages and influences. It’s affectionate. Dare I say cute. The influence of anime on creators who grew up with it without exactly imitating the Japanese style is also showing up in shows more and more and that cross-pollination of influence is exciting (see Steven Universe, Bee & Puppycat in particular). So called “90s kids” and post 00′ current teenagers and tweens pushing the trend are generally innocuous (if not obnoxious). This is all good (in moderation).
Now, don’t get me wrong; in general the 90s was a crazy interesting time when it came to TV so I’m not knocking peoples fascination with the era here. While often cheesy, diversity was at it’s highest with live action prime-time shows, as was creator-controlled cartoons after the 80’s “Dark Ages”. Fox, WB, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network and to an extent Disney too killed it with their animated offerings. If looking at these eras and using inspiration from certain shows means we get good new media, so be it, bring it on.
However, this fascination for this 80s-00’s era has a side effect ; properties and icons of that era are now being resurrected, continued and or retooled en masse in a way I’ve never really seen before in terms of number. And it’s both awesome, but also sort of a problem.
2014 alone launched Girl Meets World, the sequel show to Boy Meets World. There is the highly anticipated but woefully deficient thus far (in my opinion, more on that later) Sailor Moon Crystal reboot and of course the new (and justly so) critically panned but successful Michael Bay‘s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action film reboot. Not to mention his continued mess that is the Transformers series (whose box office numbers while still astronomical are, after four films, starting to wane here in the States). Godzilla also stomped its way into a new American film (franchise) and another Jurassic Park film Jurassic World is forthcoming.
Toei (spearhead of Sailor Moon Crystal) has announced a new season of Digimon for the franchise’s 15th birthday, this time starring the original first (and possibly second) series cast after years of different casts and realities. The Powerpuff Girls (minus their original creator) returned in a TV special with a new look and a new series has been announced to return to Cartoon Network in 2015/2016. A live action Jem and the Holograms film has been announced, a Rainbow Brite and a Lion King sequel animated series are also in production. Disney also has a Snow White and the Seven Dwarves reboot of sorts with the new show The 7D. Former PBS darlings Magic School Bus and Reading Rainbow are set to return too. Netflix in addition to gaining Magic School Bus has also bought rights to Clifford The Big Red Dog among others so additional new series are also most likely forthcoming. Sonic the Hedgehog has additionally given a new look and a new upcoming show and game. Courage The Cowardly Dog’s creator John Dilworth has a short clip of presumably a new short in CGI which many believe will be a bid to a resurrected series (I’d say this is a good thing, since it wouldn’t content wise change much). The list goes on and on. (Know of any other resurrections going on? Comment and let me know any I missed.).
Now, all of this resurrection and revamping is not inherently a bad thing. Felix The Cat, Popeye, Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, Superman, Batman & Robin, all have persisted more or less for over seventy years due to reinvention. Everyone needs Magic School Bus and Reading Rainbow in their lives. Unless it’s sexifying Queen Frostine and then demoting her to a princess instead in Candyland (I’m coming after you Hasbro) most of the time these retools for properties are harmless and gradual and have been occurring as long as a property is seen as viable. Scooby-Doo and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are two examples of franchises (not just characters) that continue to go on via periodical retooling and repackaging, (Zombie Island & Witch’s Ghost are superior when it comes to Scooby, however in my humble opinion). It would be great for more franchises to perpetuate in such a flexible manner.
However the sheer number of titles being retooled or revisited all at once right now raises an eyebrow. Why revisit Lion King 20 years later? Why Rainbow Brite? Why now? And like the answer is “Why not?” and…they’re right. And that is what is frustrating.
With each of these backwards revivals, unless super unique, it means we have one less totally “original” show or content being worked on. One that could have very well become a classic if given a chance. And that is where the heart of my concern is. These sequels and revivals are great, but when is enough, enough?
The revamps can indeed be quality well made productions with distinctive art, etc, but there is no assurance they will be successes either (see Thundercats reboot, which looked visually amazing from what I remember, Sym-Bionic Titan as another gorgeous show ended too soon and ugh, Loonatics Unleashed as an example of what not to do period).
I find the reluctance to try new things with no ties to an established property a bit boring. I fear that when revisiting these properties as quickly as we are, executives will jump onto the “nostalgia” bandwagon and instead of something happening more organically; we’ll be getting many cases of hastily resurrected and sub-par material (who wanted a Dumb & Dumber sequel exactly?). It becomes more about making things just to make them and get those “nostalgia dollars” than actually retooling something. This is creativity-wise pretty bankrupt.
Ironic enough, for all it’s line’s previous saccharineness, My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic is a good example of a revamp avoiding such issues and stands alone in addition to being a new face to an old franchise.
An example of what I’m worried about will be the norm? Sailor Moon Crystal. Sailor Moon is a juggernaut of a franchise and an anime, but it’s new “closer to the manga” anime Sailor Moon Crystal is woefully deficient. I know it means a lot to people, it means a lot to me. Which is why I’m really frustrated. It’s not a particularly well animated production. It’s stiff and lacks fluidity and humor. The animation is wonky at best, hidden underneath CGI.
Now, it seems to be getting better, maybe as of episode 4, but up until now it’s been riddled with mistakes and an inability to really stay on model. I am hoping things get better; Sailor Moon Crystal was delayed for two years, the show is bi-weekly, and yet we still get a Doritos-skulled Usagi and company serving shades of middle school “How to Draw Manga” anatomy. The draftsmanship is just not there. Well maybe it will be. The recent episode looked much better and they just made a big departure from the manga this week plot-wise as well, so I hope this means good things.
The question is, considering the route they went with this show, the lack of being aired on TV, the supposed low budget, the really sloppy artwork (aside from backgrounds) is this really a new era f0r the franchise or are we just riding a nostalgia wave just to ride a nostalgia wave? Doesn’t Sailor Moon deserve better than this?
If we must revisit a property, why not take a chance to really mix things up and present a really fresh and entirely original new version of said franchise? I want things done well. I’m talking taking more creative risks. I also want to see new things, original things given a better chance. I see so many fresh new ideas and takes on things both for established properties and original stories and concepts from young people on tumblr, my friend’s own work, and elsewhere online. We’re hungry for cool concepts. There is so much we could be doing.
We’re being told to look back, and while I’m happy to, I think out of anyone we’re also more than ready to look forward too.
Max Eber
Staff Writer
Twitter: @maxlikescomics
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If you’re like me, there was a a period in your life where Aladdin was always in your VCR. The music was fantastic, the art was beautiful; but what always made the movie special to me was Robin Williams. I’d watch my little brother impersonate his whimsical, fun-loving portrayal of the Genie, while my sister and I sang “A Whole New World,” and we would all grin from ear to ear. Every time we had discussion of which Disney movie to watch together, Aladdin always won out.
When I heard the news of his passing, I was driving, and I thought, surely this was a hoax, surely this hilarious man still graced this world. I already felt the sting of tears as I quickly flicked through my Facebook feed, only for it to be confirmed that he had taken his own life earlier this morning. After quickly pulling into a gas station, I fired off a quick text to my sister and brother, before being overcome with emotion. Some of you may think me silly, but please allow me to explain that Robin Williams touched my life. I can tie so many childhood memories to his movies, and quote tons of them by heart, to the point where this particular celebrity death truly feels like I’ve lost a very dear friend.
If you’ve had the pleasure of viewing one of his many interviews, you would see just how authentic of a person he was. He never shied away from his flaws, never cared if he said the wrong thing; all while giving off this light–this pure comedic glow, as he talked about performing stand-up, the controversy with Disney, and his ever-present battle with depression and addiction. He was an avid gamer, a loving father, and an actor whose absence will be felt for years to come.
So, here is all I can offer you, Peter Banning, Patch Adams, Alan Parrish, John Keating, Leslie Zevo, Daniel Hillard, Batty, Genie, everyone else you’ve played onscreen, and off….just a letter of love from me, and one that’s maybe echoed by many, many more. The fact that 99% of my feed is people saying they’re watching their favorite Williams flick is telling of just the sort of impact he’s had. I am filled with sadness that he was hurting so much when he was loved by so many.
Nanoo nanoo, Mork.
Robin Williams
1951-2014
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
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September’s Twitch Giveaway!
The E3 Experience: Never too Late to Talk Hype
Rooster Teeth has been a staple on the internet for quite some time. Like Strongbad Emails or the Awesome series on Newgrounds, Red vs Blue is probably a part of your internet puberty. Since then, Rooster Teeth has grown to produce a number of web series, its own anime, and its own convention.
Rooster Teeth Expo is your source for all things Rooster Teeth, internet content, and gaming in Austin. There’s no other convention in the central Texas area that caters to those interests, so how well did RTX 2014 fill the need?
Gaming
The con is only three years old, but in that time, it’s grown in vendors, attendance, and featured guests. Last year’s expo hall had a number of indie titles, but nothing mainstream or particularly noteworthy to try for the first time. This year, however, 343 Studios came by to show off the Master Chief Collection to the public for the first time and allowed con-goers to play Halo 2 multiplayer on the Xbox One, a strange experience in and of itself. The entire experience takes you back to Friday nights on Xbox Live in 2005. Y’know, if you could also be watching TV while you play and you didn’t have to worry about people trying to make you say “Xbox go home.”
The indie games on the floor were also really interesting this year and definitely an upgrade from previous shows. Capsule Force is a platformer versus game with an 80s-anime inspired art style that looks simple until you play it and you’re suddenly shouting because THAT’S MY PLATFORM WHERE DID YOU EVEN COME FROM. NO. GOD, GET OFF THERE. It’s awesome. Devolver Digital also showed off a few demos, mostly stuff we saw at PAX East, but this time Broforce got a versus mode and it was as awesome as you’d expect.
The games weren’t just limited to video games though as there was an entire booth dedicated to Superfight, the game that takes visual cues from Cards Against Humanity, and its core mechanics from conversation between your friends in which every sentence started with “No dude, dude. Who would win in a fight between…” It’s highly addictive and will make you laugh that ugly laugh you try not to do on dates.
So the gaming portion was pretty good. Still not many high profile games, but that’s not really the focus for RTX anyway. If you want to see more new releases, make the trek out to PAX or even Quake Con, but if you’re cool with some indie titles plus Halo, your need will be satiated here.
Internet
On to the internet stuff! If you’re interested in becoming a content creator, this convention has a surprising amount of panels to help you get started producing videos or podcasts for the net. And if you already have a web show and just want to know how to take it to the next level, there are panels for that too. Unsurprisingly, this convention hosts a number of people that have made the internet their income source through creativity, and they’re willing to share how they’ve done it with you. Plumbing their knowledge through panels is a great way to remotivate yourself to get back to the e-grindstone.
This year also saw the invitation of one of the biggest groups on YouTube – the
Game Grumps. All five main Grump members—Danny, Arin, Suzy, Barry, and Ross—were present for a huge Q&A panel. The questions ranged from such sweet platitudes as, “Can I give you these roses and a hug?” to the definitely creepy, “Where are you going for dinner tonight?” A few questions were also asked about content creation, how they keep it up, and whether they prefer to work in a group, but those questions were definitely overwhelmed by gift giving and wolfjob (don’t Google that if you don’t know what it is).
As a content creator, I really enjoyed RTX as a learning platform to ask questions to or get suggestions from a large variety of successful internet businesspeople. And as a content consumer, however, I wish they had grabbed a few more of my favorite YouTubers to make it feel a little more well-rounded. I love Game Grumps, but maybe also Rocket Jump would have been cool.
Rooster Teeth
I mean. It’s Rooster Teeth Expo. There’s Griffballs on sale, panels for RWBY, autograph sessions, episode premiers, retrospectives, trailers, Achievement Hunter. If there’s something on Rooster Teeth, it was at this con. Duh, it’s excellent if you’re a Rooster Teeth fan, just get down here.
Bonus Stuff (Food, Booze, etc.)
The Austin Convention Center is near a number of hotels and has a wide variety of food in the area at a large number of price points. Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, French, Greasy Street Pizza, you name it, the area has it. It’s also a few blocks away from the infamous Sixth Street, a strip of about four blocks of solid bars. There’s nothing better than a group of Halo buffs drunkyelling on a bar’s roof about the benefits of the Needler in combat.
The convention also hosts a few parties in the area where you can hobnob with some of your favorite content creators. All in all, the convention center, hotels, food, and extra-con entertainment are pretty top-notch.
Conclusion
RTX isn’t the best in the nation in any of the categories it caters to. You can find better gaming and internet conventions elsewhere, but not in Texas and certainly not for this price. The con also doesn’t really advertise it, but it’s a great resource for beginning YouTubers to get guidance from seasoned vets. So if you’re a fan of Rooster Teeth, wanting to kickstart your internet media presence or just really want to see some cool games in the Austin area, pop down to RTX for the weekend. You won’t be sorry.
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
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