Convention True Horror Stories?

[HeyItsLindsey!]

Anyone got horror nightmare that happen to them at the convention? There costume came apart, or they lost all there money? Or got terribly sick day of the convention?
 Stuff like that, any convention too

[CatDancer]

I caught sight of myself in a mirror and I said, "Eeep!! Where did those FEATHERS come from?!!"
_{...and why am I wearing nothing but spandex??}

[Knarpulous]

I learned that if you bring and room with someone who slightly annoys you in a normal setting, this will be multiplied up to ten times at a con.

[HeyItsLindsey!]

I caught sight of myself in a mirror and I said, "Eeep!! Where did those FEATHERS come from?!!"
_{...and why am I wearing nothing but spandex??}

LOL, catdancer.

You should have that on a tshirt with your cosplay as the image!!!  I would buy!!

[PatrickD]

Horror stories:
* I once got stranded at a convention two extra days because they don't know how to clear snow in the DC area.

* I once went to a convention and paid $35 only to realize that the convention consisted of nothing more than a dealers' room with 2 dealers, an "art show" room that only had someone's used and broken He-Man toy collection on display, and 3 cosplayers at the whole place...including myself.  (Worst. Con. Ever!)
http://animecons.com/reports/article.shtml/545/TOTEMCon_2002_Report

* I went to a large convention in Georgia and was spotted by a very popular voice actor who waved me over to his autograph table to tell me how much he'd like to be a guest at Anime Boston.  ...but after I explained how I retired as chair after 2006 and was not in charge of the convention or the guest selection process anymore, he totally blew me off without excusing himself, without a thank you, or without saying goodbye and turned back to talk to his friends at his table about other stuff.  ...leaving me awkwardly standing there.  Yeah...he won't be coming to PortConMaine on my watch.  Jerk.

* A few years ago, I got invited as a guest to a convention in Houston and they offered to fly me down and put me up at the hotel, but after getting all the details for my panels, they never contacted me again.  All attempts I made to contact them to get more details never got a reply.  A few days before the convention, I posted on their forums to let people know that although Anime Unscripted was on their schedule, I would not be there because the convention never replied to my emails for several months.  I finally heard back AFTER the convention when other staff saw what I had posted about it on their forums and AnimeCons.com and offered their apology.  ...and this con just tried to invite me back again next year.  (It's on Anime Boston's 10th year...so obviously I said no.)

[Shika]

The first Portcon I went all weekend to. I cosplayed as Kakashi, I stayed with a friend who thought it would be a great to stay at his dad's unfinished house in Cape Elizabeth meaning no shower. I went all con with no shower. Not only did I smell bad I had gotten a rash in a very bad location. When I got home that Sunday I decided I would always stay in a hotel with a shower.
Another one was when I was at AAC 07. Not only did I get tired of hearing "OMG my boob fell out" usually coming from a 15 year old girl who was crossplaying Shippuden Sasuke without binding. A 13 year old girl almost broke some of my ribs. I was walking away from her and she saw me. I was cosplaying Shikamaru and she was Temari. She literary ran from like 20 yards away and glomped me from behind driving me into a chair that I fell onto. I turned around to yell but when I saw how happy she was I just couldn't. My ribs where killing me for the rest of the weekend.

[Ugly Bob]

Horror stories:
* I once got stranded at a convention two extra days because they don't know how to clear snow in the DC area.

* I once went to a convention and paid $35 only to realize that the convention consisted of nothing more than a dealers' room with 2 dealers, an "art show" room that only had someone's used and broken He-Man toy collection on display, and 3 cosplayers at the whole place...including myself.  (Worst. Con. Ever!)
http://animecons.com/reports/article.shtml/545/TOTEMCon_2002_Report

* I went to a large convention in Georgia and was spotted by a very popular voice actor who waved me over to his autograph table to tell me how much he'd like to be a guest at Anime Boston.  ...but after I explained how I retired as chair after 2006 and was not in charge of the convention or the guest selection process anymore, he totally blew me off without excusing himself, without a thank you, or without saying goodbye and turned back to talk to his friends at his table about other stuff.  ...leaving me awkwardly standing there.  Yeah...he won't be coming to PortConMaine on my watch.  Jerk.

Interesting stories, Patrick. I'll have to remember that one about Totemcon, if only to keep in mind what NOT to do when setting up a con. Thanks for the review.

As for the Georgia con, yet more proof that just because you're a guest that doesn't make you special. You get what you give.

[MrFabulous]

weeaboostories.tumblr.com


<3

[Keyblade Prime]

I went to Bangpop 2010 and the cosplay contest was canceled so I was the only one in cosplay there, I was forced to spend my entire time at the event stuck as Tai from Digimon. There where no toy venders only comic book venders which made the goodd selection bland so I ended up buying two Static comics and two copies of X-Force #1. 

[Zicora]

One year I went to Portcon with my friend and her friend (whom I didn't know). We stayed at her Mom's house in Augusta and drove in (with two cars). I was cosplaying as Tsukasa and had to do the face makeup. She helped me the first day and then JUST LEFT without me on the second day. Then, she ignored me the entire time for her other friend, who got "sick" at one point but didn't give a crap at what I was doing. I've learned very carefully who I go to the convention with.

[Kitteninstrings]

Hmmm.. Nothing too bad has happened to me at Portcon but some other cons have had a LOT of stuff happen.

~ I was at a con out in NY a couple years ago and was cosplaying as Jessica Rabbit. This girl started following me around. It was obvious she was drunk and party hopping. I went and changed into my Lee Loo cosplay for a party I was attending and she followed me there and pushed me against a wall to shove her tongue down my throat that it slammed my head into the wall and I had a migraine the rest of the night and had to go to my room.

~ I went to a convention this year in RI and was staying with a friend of mine. When he was checking in, the hotel said "sorry! we made a mistake!" They'd double booked BOTH rooms that he had pre registered for at LAST year's convention. They were 2 of the suites as we had 8 people staying in the rooms and was one of the con photographers. They were only able to give us ONE room, with one double bed and a fold out couch instead of the 2 rooms with 2 double beds each. The fold out couch had no mattress. I ended up staying with another friend whom I was working for for the weekend.

~ At a con in NY I was asked if I would Chair Programming for them for the next year as their normal chair was going to be at a wedding. I said sure and gave them my contact info. I sent several e-mails through out the year and FINALLY at the end of January at another convention, see the Con Chairs at the con we were at and talk to them. They said sorry, we don't do much til this month anyways... The con was in March. I had a MONTH to throw together a 3 day, 24 hour convention with 12 rooms for programming worth of stuff. I did it... The con had panels and programming.... but there was a lot of flack and miscommunications b/c of various things. Talk about a nightmare!

~ At same con because of paneling. I got, literally, lynched in the hallway. I was working with 2 of the guests of honor, as I'm also guest of Honor staff, and a panelist came up to me and grabbed my lanyard and literally dragged me off my feet and down the hall. Luckily one of the GOH's clotheslined him and sent him directly to the con chair to deal with.

I have more, but I should stop there... :p

[Rose Riku]

Portcon 2009 was my first con. I was a complete noob. I barely had any time to research cons or anything. I just knew that it was for people who loved anime, gaming, and cosplay so I was immediately like... SIGN ME UP. I whipped together a first cosplay which looked bad (it was School Uniform Kairi - and at least people knew who I was) and I dragged my friend with me (she tried to be Namine, fried her hair from bleaching it, and got a dress off ebay that just didn't work)

My dad had to bring us back and forth EVERY DAY from his house in Gardiner. We were 16 and too young to get a hotel room on our own, and didn't have a friend living down there. But on our way back from Portcon at 12:30 am on Thursday night, it was pouring out and dark and my dad's car broke down on the interstate. We were stuck there for two hours - my friend and I hadn't eaten in literally 14 hours and we were JUST on our way to get food when the car died. THEN when the tow truck came we had to get in the tow truck with the tow guy so he could give us a lift into town so my stepmom could pick us up... at 3:00am. The guy was scary, had tons of tats, was playing country music - and my friend kept falling asleep on me and making me lean into him. PLUS we were all dressed up from PortProm. IT SUCCCKEEED. XD Ever since, I was like, NO WAY ARE WE DRIVING BACK AND FORTH AGAIN. He got his car fixed Friday afternoon and we got back to Portland for the rest of the weekend. But still.

You will have a horror story if you live more than an hour away from Portland and are driving back and forth to Portcon.

[MrFabulous]

I remember at PCM 08 I lost my badge on Saturday and someone was nice enough to buy me a new one. D: I was piiiiissed.

[Rose Riku]

I remember at PCM 08 I lost my badge on Saturday and someone was nice enough to buy me a new one. D: I was piiiiissed.

This reminded me of last year when I left my badge at my friend's house that I was staying at. Didn't realize til RIGHT. BEFORE. THE RAVE. And I thought that I'd lost it somewhere, so I was having a massive insane heart attack.
Then I felt bad having her drive back to get it with me. ;-;

[ladyhawke]

US Airways lost my luggage when I flew in for Portcon 2007.
I was a dumbass, and packed my medications IN MY LUGGAGE.

Conventions are NOT fun when you are doing through withdrawl from psych meds. JUST SAYIN'
PROTIP: WHEN FLYING TO A CONVENTON (or anywhere...) NEVER PACK YOUR MEDICATIONS IN YOUR CHECKED BAG.