Pros:
The waterslide remains a delight
We had good luck in the dealer's room this year. Last year we'd been a bit disappointed on the 80s toys side of things. This year, despite the "no big reset," we came home with MLP, Gundam and Macross stuff. So maybe it was just luck of the draw - this year catered to other interests for us as well as TF's.
Retro Joad's booth is always a delight and provided me with some CHUG toys at fair prices
I got the con exclusive Drift and Howlback/Garboil, which were great
I do notice more big dealers and fewer smaller ones but I ended up patronizing both
I enjoyed Ninjatron's panel about Transformers around the world and Matt's panel about differences between Japanese and North American Transformers. These obscure little weirdnesses are so delightful. Both panels were excellent.
David Wise was a delight and I'm so glad he came. I really like the idea of getting cartoon writers and I'd be happy to meet more in future years.
I'm always entertained by James Roberts' panels and scripts. He mentioned to me that he'd like to do cons even after Lost Light ends, so I hope that happens. This year I felt as though most of my questions might be spoiler-y so once the comic is over he'll be able to talk much more freely about answers to any other questions.
It was great to see Alex, Sara and Nick in artist's alley.
Cons:
The most obvious con of course would be what happened to Nick, but kudos to the folks who made the pins to support him. I was happy to do some holiday shopping there and throw money for pins. I had also restrained myself to buying just one print, but on Sunday I went back for the other print I wanted, to show Nick some support, and he told me that what he'll remember isn't the thief/thieves but the community rallying behind him. He also said he wants to come back
The other con is the Quest Bar's food, which hit a nasty low this year. I've eaten there regularly in past years and tried most of the menu items, and until this year I enjoyed the food, but this year when I joined my friends, they had: nachos that were cold and soggy when they were served; chicken fingers that were hard and dry (possible freezer burn?); and a burger that they set down after just two bites. While I like the atmosphere of everyone hanging out in the bar, I had no desire to pay those prices for seriously bad food. So, this year the only thing I had in the bar was one of the con drinks. The rest of the time I was taking my business elsewhere. (I strongly recommend Skyway Jack's, the diner next to Burger King, for good prices, HUGE portions and delicious food.)
