Creation Boston 2025 - Supernatural Convention

Last weekend, Mrs Dex and I went to our first Creation Entertainment convention, which was also our first Supernatural convention. 

 

 Creation has been around since 1971 and they specialize in fandom specific conventions. I've been to I don't know how many local comic conventions and a handful of Star Wars Celebrations but this was definitely the most intimate con I've attended. And I have to say, it was probably the best run con I've been to with regards to making sure people got their autographs and photo ops. Of course there were lines, but they did a great job calling up people by rows to get in the lines and keep them relatively short.

 

Supernatural fans are called family. Now, before you start getting in your Fast & Furious jokes, let me tell you I now know why that is. Everyone we interacted with from fans, to vendors, to the celebrities were all incredibly nice. They were also welcoming and excited for us when we mentioned it was our first Supernatural con. 

 

Even though Boston is about 20 minutes away, we made this our "big vacation" for the year; splurging on a hotel room, upgraded tickets packages, and a few photo ops. It was definitely nice to only be a few floors up and not have to travel into the city every day.

 

Being a smaller con, the majority of the events took place in the hotel ballroom. This was nice because there wasn't much in the way of counter programming where you had to choose one event over another. Most of the events were panels of one or more actors talking to the fans and doing Q&As. Our tickets included assigned seating which was great because we were close to the stage and it also meant we were sitting next to the same people all weekend so we got to know a few folks.

 

Book Report - Dungeon Crawler Carl

 A couple years ago, an ad for Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC from here on) popped up in my Facebook feed. It sounded like fun so I promptly add it to my "books to check out" list...and there it sat. Recently, the book has come up in a couple of podcasts so I figured now was the time to check it out.

 

 The apocalypse will be televised!

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

 DCC falls into the LitRPG genre. This is my first dip into LitRPG which I find kind of funny because it sounds like the kind of thing I'd really be into. LitRPG is short for literary Role-Playing Game but you probably could have figured that out. LitRPG smashes up traditional fantasy/sci-fi books with video game RPG elements.

 

DCC is a seven book series and I am currently halfway through book 2, so if you know the series and I present inaccurate information, this is why.

 

 In the tradition of Hitchhiker's Guide, aliens arrive on Earth but instead of a hyperspace bypass, these aliens are mining the planet. To enact their plan, they flatten the surface of the Earth. From cars to skyscrapers, it's all flattened, wiping out a good chunk of the population that were not outside. Those that are left alive are given the choice to compete in a galactic dungeon crawl reality show. 

 

The book has plenty of humor and action. One of the main things that made this book so much fun for me is the dynamic between Carl and Donut. The only reason Carl is alive is because Donut got outside in the middle of the night and Carl had to hurriedly get dressed to chase her. Unfortunately for him, he was only in his heart-decorated boxers and grabbed a leather jacket and his ex's too-small Crocs. One of the running jokes is that Carl isn't able to find pants or shoes.

 

 Another effect of the alien's arrival is that Donut can now talk! Carl is an every man and Donut is his ex's prize winning show cat so they aren't exactly best friends from the start but their relationship evolves as they rely on each other to get through the dungeon.

 

Speaking of dungeons, that's the other contributing factor to my enjoyment: the Diablo-esque escapades of killing monsters, getting loot and achievements, and leveling up. It's very much like reading a video game, which I guess is what LitRPG is usually. It also seems like there's some world building as the story goes on and Carl finds out more about the dungeon itself and those behind it.

 

And just like a video game, the book is addicting. If you're one of those gamers who just has to see what's in the next room or tries to get that gear upgraded before bed, I think you'll really like this series.

Monthly Media Recap - March 2025

 This year, we are the April Fool's...and the January, February, March...

 

Anyway, on to the stuff I watched last month. I won't be using any Amazon affiliate links for the foreseeable future.

 

Series

 

Dexter: New Blood (Paramount+)

We got Paramount to check out the new Dexter prequel series because we loved the original. Despite that, we never watched the sequel series and decided to knock it out before the prequel. I heard a lot of not good things about this season but really enjoyed it. I suspect people didn't like the way it ended but I think it was well done.

Movies 

 

Becky (2020, Paramount+)

Imagine Home Alone but Kevin is a teenage girl that could give Rambo a run for his money and instead of the Wet Bandits, you've got a gang of neo-Nazis lead by Kevin James. Did I mention the horror movie-level violence? The plot behind why everything is happening could be better but I was having so much fun watching Becky murdelize people, I didn't really care.

 

Rating: 6/10