Con Quest!
“Congratulations, Team DoubleTrouble.” Corwin pumped his fist in the air and the crowd cheered. Cat turned and stared out into the restaurant in shock. This was real. This was really happening!
“As a reward for your excellent detective skills and your otherwise impressive Quest score,” Corwin said as Cat stared up at him in awe, “you’ll be having dinner with the Paranormal cast and crew tomorrow. We’ve brought out all the stars, our directors, writers, and even our art director! Congratulations, Team DoubleTrouble!”
Cat looked over at her brother in shock as the room exploded into applause yet again. She knew that the expression on his face must have matched the one on hers. Dinner?! With Corwin Blake?! A chance for Alex to talk to their art director?! This was more than Cat ever could have imagined.
Alex flung out his arms and Cat threw herself into them. Together, they jumped in a circle around the stage, Corwin Blake laughing behind them. Out of the corner of her eye, Cat saw Fi run over to Team Dangermaker to sweep Rowan up in a huge hug, too.
They did it. They did it. Cat didn’t want to jinx herself, but …
“Best. Con. Ever,” she yelled in Alex’s ear.
“Best. Con. Ever!” he yelled right back.
Well. Not quite. Cat looked over one more time at Fi and Rowan with a renewed sense of determination.
Yep. It was time to start planning for next year!
Tips for Having An I-CON-ic Con Experience!
Do you want to hit up a comic convention of your very own, just like Cat and Alex? You should—they’re amazing! Here are some fun tips for getting your con on:
- Ask your adults to help you find a con in your area. There are so many comic conventions out there now, so chances are great that there’s a con within a couple hours’ drive of your house! (P.S. Sometimes you get in for free if you’re under twelve. Aww yiss.)
- Check out the convention’s website ahead of time to scope out who’s going to be there, what you want to do, and who you want to see. Con guests can range from the legit famous (like TV and movie actors) to the lesser known (but no less cool) nerd variety (like comic book writers and artists).
- You can meet guests at autograph and photo sessions, or you can see them speak on panels. If you go for an autograph or photograph, prepare something you want to say in advance, just in case you get nervous in the moment. You’ll be ready!
- Dress up! If you want to go full cosplay (dressing up in costume), that’s awesome. If not, wear your favorite geeky T-shirt to let everyone know which fandom is your number one. Still awesome!
- Pack a backpack with your essentials for the day, and don’t forget to include a book or a portable console. Sometimes, lines for panels or autographs can be really long, and you don’t want to get bored. Make sure you leave space for anything you might buy, or bring a folded-up cloth bag for any bigger purchases!
- Wear comfy shoes—you’re going to be walking on concrete floors all day, so a good sneaker is a must. And pack a healthy lunch and snacks?
?apples and a refillable bottle of water are always good bets!
- Bring a camera, or stick close to someone with a camera! There are endless opportunities for fun photo ops, from LEGO statues to mega lines. If you see someone in a cool costume and you want a photo with them, just remember to ask politely first!
- Go see a panel you know nothing about! You might learn something cool and leave as a fan of someone new.
- Visit Artist Alley and come home with a small souvenir from a local artist! You’ll be supporting someone’s comics career, and you’ll never forget your first con.
- Many cons have a Kids’ Day! There are tons of fun activities—I’ve seen everything from wand dueling to comic creating. Kids’ Days tend to be on Sunday, the final day of most cons, which is also a less busy day on the floor—and when lots of booths are trying to get rid of the rest of their goodies. You might even get something cool for free!