MarsCon 2011 has come and gone. To start off with, a good time was had by all (and if you didn’t have fun, that’s your own fault, not mine!). Alexis Cruz, the Media Guest of Honor, was a cordial guest who was very personable and hung out in the party rooms during the evening festivities. Lois McMaster Bujold, Author Guest of Honor was about the place the whole weekend, and participated on many panels for those interested in writing. See photo gallery at the end of the post.
Some additional highlights include the Return of the Rocketman, Ky Michaelson, a panel by the team from Mad Science (always fun to see these folks here), a chocolate tasting, dementia concerts and a masquerade competition.
According to the Con Com, 767 people braved the March snows to come out to Bloomington for MarsCon this year. This is about what they have had for attendance for several years now. The hotel formerly known as Holiday Inn Select, continues to be a comfortable hotel for MarsCon.
Some of the panels that I was able to attend included a panel on collecting props, put on by the folks that run the Prop-A-Torium, a panel discussing the Twilight Series, which gave me food for thought on why I shouldn’t let my daughter read it (other than it probably won’t be around when she is old enough to read the series), a discussion of the Western as Fantasy over in Krushenko’s, just to name a few of the interesting panels that abounded at MarsCon.
The DOOM Squad put on a Harry Potter costume exhibition, while the World Defense Force did The Wizard of Oz (their party room earned a well deserved first prize for Best Party Room). On top of that there was a Steampunk Fashion Show and discussion.
Parties. Yes there were parties. The IKV Rakehell put on the Klingon Science Room, with lots of scientific drinks that could help you glow in the dark, while down the hall one could visit the Green Lantern Corps and do green (of course!) jello shots. There was partying all over the 13th floor, and a few parties on the 12th floor as well, which is where one would find that they were no longer in Kansas, or Minnesota, but were able to follow the Yellow Brick Road to Oz.
Some of us gathered for a solemn toast to the memory of Major Dick Winters (101st Airborne, WW2) and one of his troops, PFC Ed Mauser, both of whom joined their brothers in arms in January. This was followed by a toast to the memory of Frank Buckles, the last American veteran of World War 1 (only two British veterans remain, and represent the last of that era).
A great time was had by all in attendance, and lots of Scotch was consumed over the weekend by the members of RUF.
