Okay, no, actually Macintosh rules. But walking through the "Walk of Fame" at Dragon*Con was still a very humbling experience. Especially for a person such as myself, who doesn’t feel humble that often. Walking around this area (located in the back of the dealer room section of the Marriott), you see all of these great actors, writers, wrestlers, and other famous individuals and you can't help but ask yourself...why am I here? And then you remember, you're there to do a job. And then you decide that your job sucks and so you act like a little kid in a candy store and bother all of the nice, famous people with the annoying questions they've heard countless times before you...just to get your two cents of time in with each and every last one of them. You shake their hands, touch them, feel them, and giggle like a school girl. And after the fun of four days is over with, you realize you're going to be fired for goofing off instead of getting some work done. 

It seems to be an endless cycle, that. Many of our prestigious press succumbed to these very temptations during the course of their stay at DC this year. I watched them...saw them. Saw it happen with my own eyes as they slowly drifted from professionals of the craft to mindless school children at recess. It saddens me, truly. So therefore I have created this small guide for the press in what to expect regarding the trials and tribulations of a Sci-Fi convention. Learn everything you’ll need to know to survive these few days of your life and pick up on the traits needed to sustain a professional air about yourself while stationed there. Voyage into this article and learn how to cover the many uncovered territories you wish to explore. If you're looking for a detailed account of anything that transpired at Dragon*Con, this is definitely not the article to read. However, if you're looking for something to skim over in the bathroom or something to eventually catch droppings in your bird cage...this is the place to be. 

My adventure began at the end of a week. It was Thursday, it was warm in Los Angeles. I decided that because Atlanta had more than five cars on the highway, I would let someone else do the driving. Therefore, I bummed a ride off my good buddy Eric and his wife Jennifer (who did all of the driving...and Joss bless her for it). The long ride to Dragon*Con was eventually met with the wreckless drivers of Atlanta. As soon as you begin to feel like you're in a Daytona 500...you've reached the city limits of this famed Olympic village. Housing nearly half the citizens of the state of Georgia, Atlanta is a city that needs no introduction. Therefore, I am skipping the intro and moving right into the body and conclusion.

 Before we get into the details of being members of the press at Dragon*Con, I would like to recommend the Mandarin Chinese Restaurant that was located right down the street from the Hyatt (where we were staying). If you need to save on money, this is definitely the place to go. They undercharge you for everything. While your bill might say you owe fifteen bucks, chances are that they’ll only charge you for ten. Not that the food is particularly great, but hell if it's less for you to spend then why not check it out? After all, if you're thinking of relying on the Con Suite to feed you the entire time...guess again. Those chips can only go so far...and after your first serving you're likely to be spending a great deal of time in the restroom of your esteemed Hyatt hotel. Something about the food in the Con Suite was just...how shall I say...unfun. The drinks served there, however, were quite nice. So if you're looking for free beverages...check it out. If you're looking for a meal, try the Chinese Restaurant where they can't read your bill correctly.

 And how was the hotel, itself, you might ask? Well, we had a little trouble getting a room at the Hyatt, to be quite honest...which I guess is kind of explainable due to the massive nature of the con. However, when you book a double-bedded room a year in advance...you’d tend to think that they’d get it right. Well, we didn’t get the room we ordered and it took the staff a while to realize they’d charged us twice for another one of our rooms. But after the hassle of getting through the front door, we were finally on our way upstairs. It can be quite a stressful first day...so be prepared for that. It turns out that not only did they give US the wrong room...the exact same thing happened to actor James C. Leary while he was staying there. He’d ordered a double-bedded room only to get a single-bedded one instead.

 The food court was rather nice...branching off right into the little mall area from our prestigious Hyatt. The food wasn't anything to brag about, but despite that it was still very uncrowded. Possibly for a reason. But who knows? Anyhow, the food won't make you sick (at least not as bad as the Con Suite), and the atmosphere was extremely easy to breathe within. So if ever you begin to feel claustrophobic while walking through the crowded lobby (and if you get claustrophobic easily, you WILL get claustrophobic in the lobby at one point or another), just check out the food court and have some fun and fresh air. The food is going to cost you a pretty penny, but the service is extremely friendly...especially after coming out of an environment where Dragon*Con security was.

 I remember on one particular occasion, I found myself ordering something at the little Dairy Queen restaurant in the food court area. I waited for about thirty minutes before asking them where my food was. Turns out they’d closed the kitchen and then taken my order. But they were really nice about it and offered me a discounted ice-cream in place of a meal. So...just be nice to the people who work there and try to be patient with the massive numbers. It’s a chore some days, but you’ll be fine.

 Getting your Dragon*Con passes should be an easy enough process, right? I mean, hell, you’ve already paid for them and all you have to do is show up and offer your little card to claim your ticket. It might be a long line to wait in, but there shouldn’t be any real trouble. Right? Hm...

 Well, guess again. We had a little trouble getting one of our member’s passes due to a screw-up on behalf of our convention staff. It took a little longer to fix than I think it should have taken. The only reason I’m bringing this up is because the convention was notified about the problem regarding getting this pass fixed long before any of us arrived there in an email. In fact, they even replied to that email...and that member had it with them while standing in line. Apparently Dragon*Con had duplicated a pass. In other words, they charged twice for one pass...and made the same pass twice instead of creating a different one for someone else who had ordered it. You’d think there would be a computer that would locate a problem like this. That is, unless the convention’s staff truly believes that there are clones of us all walking about on the Earth.

Basically, we ended up waiting in a “problem line” that was waaaaay too damn long. Looking at how many people were standing in this “problem line” I had to wonder to myself why they didn’t have more than one available. I thought about forming a complaint line to complain about how damn long the problem line was. But that idea slowly died as I realized it might become even longer than the problem line. And besides, my legs were beginning to swell from standing so damn long.

 Moving on to the brighter points of the convention...the dealer room area of the Marriott was very massive and very nice to visit. I really enjoyed this feature to the con and actually wish I could have spent a little bit more time there than I did. I had a chance to visit the dealer area on Friday, but after that my time there was pretty limited. The first time I went, I actually met actor Richard LeParmentier (Admiral Motti from Star Wars). He was standing outside one of the dealer booths and had his own little table set up out there to sell autographs. We talked with him a short while and then went on to check out the many offerings our wonderful dealers were selling that day.

 I was most interested in seeing what Buffy-related items were up for grabs. Mostly because I was there to work and I write a Buffy-related article. There was the ‘Buffy red leather pants costume’ and a few different action figures available. We saw one in particular action figure that was quite nice of Buffy. It looked more like a Season One version of her than anything, but the detail in the face was much better than any of the others. And then, of course, there were a lot of figures of Buffy in the red leather pants and a few of her in the costume from Once More With Feeling. Basically, the usual. And not many other characters other than Buffy. 

There were some interesting little name tags featuring Buffy characters, though. The one that I remember the most was a ‘night school pass’ for UC Sunnydale that had Spike’s picture on it. But aside from these and the few postcards and photos being sold...there really wasn’t much to check out Buffy-wise. A few towels and maybe a patch or two...but not much.

 The dealers, themselves, were a lot of fun to chat with, though. Don’t just go to check out what they’re selling. Engage them in light dialogue. You’ll find out a lot of cool information regarding not only what they’re selling there but also what they know about other items on the market. I found them to not only be helpful, but also a lot of fun to hang around. It’s true that you will possibly annoy the tar out of many of them by doing this. But they’re forced to act friendly due to how badly they want to sell their stuff to you. So do it anyway.

 And I certainly can’t move on without saying at least something about the art exhibit. This was a fun little room to go in. Not very crowded...and possibly due to how many different aisles of artwork there were. A few of the painters were in the back and were signing autographs for a while...but to be honest none of them looked very happy. Regardless, their work was still outstanding. Certainly worth at least one visit while stationed at DC.

 And on to the panels. But before I get into those or any of the other Buffy activities hosted by DC this year...I would like to take this opportunity to speak directly to anyone who wishes to go to Dragon*Con on behalf of any form of press...

 To those of you who attend conventions on behalf of the press, I would urge you to think carefully before attending Dragon*Con. For if it is anything like this year was, chances are you're not going to be able to cover very much. My suggestion to you is to pick the one thing you most wish to cover and stick all the time and resources you have into landing that spot. Otherwise, you are likely to fall behind and get absolutely no slack from the convention security when looking for some help to get coverage on certain events.  

Not only was security not helpful, they were also extremely rude about it. It almost seemed as though they were programmed to hound anyone wearing a press badge. I actually had a chance to speak with other members of the press while there (from other portions of the country) who were having the exact same problems...so I know it wasn’t just a fluke. However, there were some DC staff on hand to help out every once in a while. Problem was, they were rarely around to do this...as most of them were generally working the entire time themselves and on completely opposite sides of the building than yourself. Most of the time, you’d end up having to talk to the security. And believe me, you might as well be talking to yourself in the mirror. Wait, no. Let me rephrase. You might as well be yelling at yourself in the mirror.

 Organization within the security at Dragon*Con proved to be absent at most times. They are the ones you will most deal with, so be forewarned. You will try your best to follow the instructions of one member of security only to be yelled at by another member of security for doing exactly what you were told to do. This happened on occasion quite often.

 So don’t even bother trying to appease them. It is indeed a wasted effort. It really got to the point of being completely ridiculous at times. Honestly, if I really wanted to be yelled at as much as I was at Dragon*Con I would have just committed a crime and gone to prison. At Dragon*Con, security does not treat you as a guest or as the press. They treat you as if you are a criminal. So be prepared for that. If you’ve ever had to reenact a Nazi death camp scene...you might have the mindset to make it through this weekend, though. 

And yes, this is probably best attributed to the fact that DC was massive this year. Security was stressed with keeping the peace and all that good stuff. And no doubt they were possibly underpaid for doing just that. However, as a person attending this convention and paying good money to do so, I would expect better regardless of what they’re being paid or what their hours were. They knew the job when they signed on, just like the rest of us know our jobs when we sign onto them. There are some days that we feel like yelling at the top of our lungs to relieve our days of stress...but the vast majority of us do not yell at ‘customers.’ Why? Because when you take on a job you take on the responsibilities of that job. And if those who took on a job of security were not ready for the added pressures associated with that occupation and wanted to rather vent out their frustrations and feelings by yelling at the people who were staying as guests to the hotel there...well...I find that rather pathetic.

 Okay, enough bashing on the security. Let’s hit the real highlight of the convention. The brightest point of the weekend was the very heart of it. You guessed it. The actors. Spending time in the "Walk of Fame" was one of the most relaxing of choices for any environment to be in. It was definitely wonderful to be in the presence of such talent as Danny Strong and Andy Hallet...but it was also relaxing for more reasons than just the friendly actors who stayed there. After all, the security never would yell at you if you were near the actors. This proved to be true during our interview with James Leary. As soon as Mr Leary stepped out of our range, the security didn't waste a second to come into the room and yell at everyone to clear out...despite the fact that we were obviously already on our way out and not but thirty seconds behind Mr Leary, himself (due to packing up equipment). Ah, look. And I am bashing on the security boys again. Oh, I really did love those boys in blue deep down inside. It just baffles me why a person can’t ask politely...or just keep their mouths shut all together when there’s no reason at all for them to speak unless to piss people off. 

The reason I keep bringing this up is merely because if you are in the press you will not be treated as though you are in the press. This is your warning. I am trying to make that as clearly as I can possibly do it. Don’t go expecting to be treated politely by the boys in blue shirts. However...you will be treated kindly by other members of staff. So don’t get too upset if you’ve already ordered those hotel rooms. And now it’s time to pay those members of the staff who were courteous homage for the wonderful things they’ve done.

 I didn't have any real time to spend on any other track other than the Buffy one...partially because I was there to work that weekend...despite being unable to do so in a lot of instances. Therefore, all of my notes are basically on the people who ran the Buffy Track. The Buffy Track representatives and staff proved to be a wonderful addition to the Dragon*Con world. And I truly mean that. I wouldn’t say it (err...write it) if I didn’t. Had it not been for the track employees, I might have said this entire convention were unorganized. But it wasn’t. The Track proved to be amazing.

 Why?

 The track was not only organized, but also lots of fun to spend time around. There were plenty of Buffy-themed activities to keep fans entertained during the slow portions of the afternoon. I sat in on an Angel Jeopardy session that a certain Hellhound kicked ass in, for instance. And even some of what might be considered the "boring" panel discussions turned out to be quite entertaining to the true fan of the series. But if you came with a mindset of anything other than "Spike is always right" you were undoubtedly going to be outnumbered to the irrationality of the heroics of an unsouled murderer.

 In truth, I could not say enough kind words about the track. At just about any event, you had the chance to meet Amber Benson's uncle and aunt who were spending the weekend there to help promote their niece's independent film "Chance." Also, there was a small table set up for Buffy collectibles and a Buffy raffle. In short, if you love Buffy the series, you would have found at least something worthy of attending regarding the track, itself.

 Watching the many Buffy actors take part in panel discussions as well was rewarding. I sat in on three of these. The first I saw was a James Marsters Q&A session toward the beginning of the con. Next I saw Andy Hallet and James C Leary bringing many laughs in their panel-like discussion of Q&A. And finally, but certainly not least, on Monday I watched all five Buffy actors (James Marsters, James C Leary, Iyari Limon, Danny Strong, and Andy Hallet) take part in a Q&A panel. These were all enjoyable and lots of fun to take part in.

 Also, regarding the Buffy-themed activities of the week, I certainly can’t forget to mention the “Buffy Horror Picture Show” that featured many Hellhounds as well as other Buffy-enthusiasts who took part in reenacting the “Once More With Feeling” episode to a very enthused audience. Singing the songs as they were played in the room was a lot of fun to take part in. Also...the many audience members who lit their cigarette lighters during the “Walk Through the Fire” song added a lively environment as well. A very audience-involved spectacle, taking part in the “Buffy Horror Picture Show” was one of my more favorable moments at the con.

 Also, Hellmouth Central took part in many of the panel discussions being presented at the Buffy track this year. I sat in on two of these to see how things were moving along. The ones I saw hosted Mac and Eric as they talked about the end of season four of Angel and Buffy on the Internet. There were a lot of folks at the internet panel who had been to this wonderful site of ours...and it was nice meeting them all there as well.

 And speaking of meeting people...

 I have to end this article on the brightest point of all brightest points regarding the weekend in Atlanta. Meeting the Hellhounds. Now, I haven’t really been a part of Hellmouth Central for an extremely long time. I started these articles back in April of this year. But regardless of the fact that I barely knew anyone or that anyone barely knew me, I honestly can say that immediately I felt welcomed as a member to the HMC community. If you ever have the chance to meet any of the Hellhounds in person, I would stake money on the fact that you will never meet a more open and friendly group of people.

 So, yes. There will be a lot of memories I take from the Dragon*Con that were more fond than others. I hope I remember the more brighter moments than the less brighter ones. Now that it’s been about a week since I’ve gotten back, I’m very happy to say that the weekend was fulfilling in some ways...and in other ways, perhaps not. But still fun overall. A part of me hopes I will be able to forget, for instance, hearing Eric talk about musicals all one night. But hopefully the brighter moments will shine through in the very end.

 And before I go...I have an obligation to fill you all in on this tad bit of information... 

As many of you know, Hellmouth Central was supposed to have an exclusive interview with actress Iyari Limon at DC this year. Unfortunately, due to schedule problems, this never actually took place. Yes, I know. An extremely sad thing. Trust me, nobody is more sad over this than myself. 

I was actually the only staff from HMC who had a chance to speak with Ms Limon about our interview, and she was extremely friendly about it and after speaking with her we both realized what had happened. It seems that there were some backstage miscommunications as to when the interviews were to take place. In other words, we were told one thing and she was told a completely different thing. So, I apologized on behalf of HMC, and for some reason she felt compelled to apologize as well. Ah, what a nice person. We had a fun little chat and then I was on my way back home. 

In the meantime, however, we did get our James C Leary interview. Mr Leary was quite a character. Not only is he always smiling, but he’s so damn friendly he would possibly even come across as genuinely amazing even on a bad day. And hell, if he can put up with Eric and Mac hounding him for ten minutes he can’t be all that bad, right? In short, take part in helping Mr Leary get on Angel. He deserves it. And I think we’d all love to see Clem as a guest star or even as a series regular in the future.

 Well, that concludes my DC report. Not much of a report, actually. Just a few notes and words. Hopefully you found at least something of interest here. If not, then I have wasted your time...but I do not apologize for it. Rather, I bid you farewell and hope you’ll find something of interest next week. Until then, I’ve got some work to finish up here. See you all around.