Top ten reasons I LOVE DragonCon.

1) I get to see thousands of my fans (I LOVE YOU GUYS) and dozens of Ash’s and Simis and weres and gods and goddesses.

2) It always amazes me. Having seen it grow over the years is like watching one of my children mature. I couldn’t be prouder of what it’s become.

3) I get to visit with some of my all time fave peeps such as Derek, Mark, Pat, Jupiter Stitch, Nancy, Mike, Eddie, and many, many others. Unfortunately, I don’t get to spend nearly enough time with you guys because we’re all so busy.

4) I’m around a LOT of people who have the same love of SF/F, comics, manga and fandom that I do. Where else can you see both a Vulcan wedding AND a Klingon Ms. Universe contest?

5) No one thinks it’s strange that I wear fangs, a corset or swan hat or dress Goth or steampunk or whatever I want to wear. At DragonCon you can be who you are or who you want to be and no one picks on you or makes fun of you for it. We are a family and we LOVE every idiosyncratic and eccentric member. Heck, we think you’re cool whether you’re wrapped solely in caution tape, jeans and a t-shirt or wearing a toilet seat around your neck.

6) True Conners are polite and respectful. They hold the elevators for you and help you pick up the feathers that fall out of your hat.

7) It’s the best party of the year, bar none, and for four days the fun doesn’t stop!

8) Where else can you go that on the night it ends, you pick a good Chinese restaurant and walk in to find a couple hundred 501st members who are showing a cool film they made on the wall of the restaurant! You guys seriously rocked the FX.

9) I get to connect with old friends from my childhood and high school years, and to remember why I love them so much.

10) DragonCon is home. It will always be a part of me and I hope I’m able to enjoy many, many more years of it.

To all the organizers and volunteers, thank you. You guys do an awesome and amazing job every year. I’ve done many of your jobs over the years so I know how hard they can be.

And to all the fans who come from all over the world, thank you. It definitely wouldn’t be the same without you. You guys always do such a tremendous job on the costumes and in making the event as spectacular as it is.

God bless all of you. Hope to see you in Atlanta, Labor Day weekend 2010.