I-CON 30

Chessex Dice

I-CON, Long Island's Science Fiction convention, once again descended on the campus of Stony Brook University on Long Island for I-CON 30 and brought with it excited convention goers eager to see the guests, show off their cosplays, and spend too much money in the dealer's room. 

Though this year saw a media guest list that was lighter than previous years, the full guest list was pretty extensive and can be seen here. Some of the bigger guest's panels and Q&As filled up quick which was a great sign for the convention. Panels ranged from "What Comics You Should Be Reading" and "Humor in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror" to "Zombies: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore" to "Medieval Torture and the Modern Day Pleasure It Brings". So as you can see panels ranged from one extreme to another. Which is what you are looking for in a convention because you want a wide variety of options.

Pokemon (myself on right), Princess Mononoke, Battlestar Galactice, Star Wars, & Doctor Who

I-CON 30 had all of its regulars in attendance as well as many new attendees and it was clear that attendance had risen this year. In attendance this year were the hordes of cosplayers looking to show off their favorite and new creations. They had plenty of chances to present their new cosplays from the Cosplay Competition, random photoshoots/gatherings going on around campus and The Masquerade Ball. I'm a big cosplayer and its one of the reasons that I love going to conventions. It amazing to see the creativity and depth that some people go into to make some amazing costumes. I-CON is no exception and gets some amazing cosplayers. Though I-CON has cosplayers from all genres it's also great to see all the sci-fi cosplayers around the con.

I had a great time this year and like every year I helped out the convention by being a volunteer throughout the weekend. I was really happy to see some of the regulars there again this year such as LI Jedi, the 501st and Rebel Legion, and all my favorite vendors. Which may be a bad thing since its so hard to not spend more money than you want in that giant dealer's room. Another thing that I love about I-CON that other conventions miss sometimes is the helpfulness of the staff. Though some con goers may argue this point, if you just approach the staff without the usual con anger and drama that some tend to carry around they can be quite helpful.

Ghostbusters, Final Fantasy, & Star Wars

This is my hometown convention that I love going to year after year. This is a convention that I always walk away from with great memories and at least one or two new friends. I would recommend checking it out and if you happen to be in the Tri-State area then definitely keep it in mind for next year.
You can check out my photos from I-CON 30 in my Flickr set.

I-CON Official Site