Chattacon, you are a fickle mistress.
Just as I found myself getting used to the whirligig-like fever dream induced by three days of geek culture worship last weekend, it was over, and I was facing the unhappy prospect of another week in the “normal” world.
Although its stay might have felt all too brief, no one could accuse Chattacon of being boring. Far from it.
I used Sunday to recover, but for 48 hours, I wandered the Choo Choo, taking in the sights and basking in the glory of allowing my inner nerd to roam free.
What I saw during my second Chattacon outdid even last year’s zaniness.
Something would inevitably be lost in an attempt to catalog the reasons Chattacon 36 was such a glorious experience. Even if I had the space, many of the crazy things that inevitably happen when zombies and Norse gods are rubbing terrycloth with Arthur Dent aren’t exactly fit for print.
If I had to point to one reason this year was so fantastic, though, it would be one key difference: Wearing a costume.
There is a prevailing conception of fan convention attendees being uniformly dressed as Star Trek ensigns and Wookies. Yes, plenty of people do dress up, but there are even more who never wear anything less mainstream than a shirt from Hot Topic.
Last year, I was in the latter category, but this year, I let my geek flag fly and joined my friend Don in dressing as the sonic screwdriver-wielding titular character of the British sci-fi show “Doctor Who.” He wore the duds of the current lead, Matt Smith, while I donned the — admittedly low-key — pin-striped suit and sneakers of David Tennant, Smith’s predecessor.
For obvious reasons, the experience of attending a con in costume is like an off-season version of Halloween, only with beer instead of fun-size Snickers. Every time I saw someone’s flash of recognition or was asked to have my picture taken was a thrill. I know I’m not as cool as the real Doctor, but it was hard not to want to strut a little and pretend.
Strangely, when I returned for day two wearing street clothes, I felt out of place. The costume had come to feel like a part of my convention identity, and I missed the sly winks and cries of “Doctor!” By the end of the day, I begged my ride to take me home so I could put it on again.
Dressing up was definitely a plus, but there were so many other memorable moments. I’ll be hard-pressed to forget partying with a woman dressed as a body turned inside out and her companion, who came as the titular serial killer from “Dexter.” Musically, it’s going to be hard to top the return of former “America’s Got Talent” contenders ArcAttack, whose show featured a man dancing while getting shocked by Tesla coils and renditions of tracks from “Tron: Legacy.”
If any of this leaves you jonesing for your own convention experience, the year’s second, Con Nooga, will take over the Choo Choo on Feb. 18-21. Advance registration at $40 continues until Tuesday.
I know I’ll be there. Now, I just have to figure out how to improve the costume.