Well, I got home from Genericon 2016 last night. I was tired (I’m still a little tired, truth be told), my belly was full of Sushi, and I had a damn good time! All of the people I knew were there, and I managed to come across some new folks as well. The con & it’s staff have always treated me well, and have provided me with a damn good experience! Well, let me not waste anymore time with this intro, and give all of you a review of Genericon 2016. Enjoy!
Good Points
I know I may repeat some things from last year’s review on this convention, but I can’t help myself!
First things first. The convention goers are always great! People from all over the city of Troy & the state of New York (Not to mention some outlying states as well) flock to RPI for a weekend of fun & friendship. There are normal folks, average cosplayers, and some of the best costume wearers you’ll find along the east coast! I saw people in costume from classic shows, and individuals who were wearing creations from recent series as well. Regardless of whether they were in costume or not, it was always a blast running into someone and talking. Even if it was just for a few seconds, they were always interesting in some way. Leading to interesting people....
Genericon 2016 had a great cast of guests as well! Robert Axelrod made a return (His last appearance was Genericon 2010), and Uncle Yo (The geek-specific standup comedian & all-around incredible human being) put on a fantastic show as he always does. Special panelists The Con Artists put on great event of their own. Also, while they’re not necessarily guests in of their own right, I do want to mention the inclusion of the various student associations, plying their wares & being quite friendly to us con-goers. There’s was the Chinese Association, Hawaiian Association, and I believe the Japanese Association as well. It was a really great addition to the convention, and I hope that RPI & Genericon continue to partner up in the future!
The convention staff was great too! I’ve always found them to be highly helpful, friendly, and very speedy. At no point did I ever hear one of them complain about anything, apart from maybe a lack of sleep, which I can definitely understand. Considering how I’ve felt after a long night at the con, I can definitely sympathize.
Artists & Dealers were on top this year! I had an issue with last year’s Genericon when it came to the dealers (The artists were fine), but this year it felt like there were more vendors, and thus more options to choose from when it came to purchasing something. In a change of pace, the dealers were moved from the rather cramped dining hall, to the armory across the room. The space in which the dealers and artists gave far more space to everybody involved that the ones before. In fact, the new artist & dealer space feels like a miniature Connecticon, and anyone who’s gone to that convention will probably know what I’m talking about.
Lastly, I’ll conclude this section with food. In recent years, the Genericon staff teamed up with Jazzman’s Café, the food station that was located in the great hall. I said it last year, and I’ll say it here: decent food, and decent prices. If you don’t want to go for Jazzman’s café, there is the cafeteria across the bridge. While a little more expensive, you’ve got your choice of pizza, burgers & fries (My choice for this year), a Subway-like sub shop, and even a miniature Ben & Jerry’s! Good options in all of these, and the general convenience shop is also open to convention goers as well.
Okay Points
Honestly, I really don’t have anything major to complain about for this year’s Genericon. This was a damn fine convention! Even Sunday, the day that normally doesn’t have much going on, had a good amount of stuff to do this year! Apart from perhaps one thing (See below), my only nitpick was the pre-registration/registration line. Due to the moving of it to the armory, it may have been given more room, but things weren’t labeled properly. I didn’t have to use these lines, as I was a panelist, however I did pass these lines on the way to the dealers & artists, and let me tell you that there weren’t labeled well. The lines themselves were quite long as well, circling a fair amount of the armory, and going through the lines was a little annoying.
Bad Points
Okay, now it’s time to talk about the bad stuff. Even though there’s something bad I want to talk about, I have to admit I may be a little childish. Maybe even whiney. So yesterday afternoon, I had wandered to the dealers & artists to get a autograph from Robert Axelrod, the voice of Lord Zedd from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I even brought along my original tape of the Power Rangers movie for him to sign. Sadly, he told me that it was 20$ for an autograph. I was a little heartbroken, but in defense the price was considerably more reasonable than most other actors (Voice or otherwise) might say an autograph costs. I know this is something I shouldn’t complain about, but it just bugged me.
Overall Opinion & Rating
Genericon 2016, you did a bang-up job! Minor quibbles aside, this has to be one of RPI’s best. Events were varied & fun, guests were great, and the venue itself was filled with some very entertaining panels. Come next year, RPI is gonna have Genericon XXX.....here’s hoping to have a convention with a more adult edge.
Genericon 2016 gets a 9.2 to 9.4 out of 10.
So that was Genericon 2016. A pretty damn good convention, if I do say so myself! So I’ll see you all next week, when I’ll get some proper reviews & such up. See you soon!
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If you want to see what I thought of last year’s Genenricon, click the link below & enjoy:
Genericon 2015 Review
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