BronyCon 2017
| “ | Magi-Chan was my escort and bodyguard the whole weekend. Even though, to most, it appeared I was dancing a duet solo, I was literally dancing with Magi-Chan, my guardian angel. | ” |
| Chris on interacting with one of his imaginary friends.[1] | ||
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BronyCon 2017 was the ninth iteration of the annual convention for fans of My Little Pony. The 2017 convention ran from 11 August to 13 August 2017 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
This was Chris' first BronyCon, and it would prove a major influence on the direction of his Sonichu comic – the notable outcome being his Pony fanfiction, Sonichu #12-9. The trip also marks a point in Chris's rejection of reality – during the convention, he believed his imaginary friend Magi-Chan was present with him, even dancing with thin air under the belief that Magi-Chan was his dance partner.
Background
Chris drove all the way to Baltimore to visit the convention, staying for the full three days, spending the money he had taken from Patreon instead of on bills (causing a two-week delay in shipping his August books to patrons).[2] While he was there, Chris took many pictures with some of the show's staff, as well as other fans. He also made several new drawings over the course of the event; some of these were signed by voice actresses from the show.
Several fellow bronies from 4chan's /mlp/ board,[3] Twitter, and Kiwi Farms provided photos and reports on their sightings of Chris.
Unlike his last out-of-state trip five years before, he left Barb behind, however she did make him call her twice a day to check up on her.[4] One of his friends implied that she was helping Chris by promising to be on call for Barb if she needed help during the weekend.[5]
Overall, Chris's trip to BronyCon went abnormally well and seemingly without incident. He even described feeling "the MOST Love I have ever felt in my life" after returning home.
Day 1
Chris met Cathy Weseluck, a voice actress for MLP, talked to her about Sonichu and CWCville,[4] and got an autograph and a photo with her. He also met Clare Porter, a fan of his. Chris can be seen toting three large bags throughout the convention which apparently contained "the original copies of Sonichu",[4] snacks, and toys.
Gallery
A wild clopper has been spotted!
In line for a panel.
Donning his brand new unicorn cosplay.
With Cathy Weseluck, a voice actress.
"Spike loves Sonichu too. :)"
"Also, Fluffle licking Vinyl. LOL"
"Fluffle Puff looks smart with my glasses; she Knows a Lot. 😋"
Miiverse card, which he handed out. Note the lazy correction of Christian to Christine.
Day 2
An /mlp/ user got Chris's autograph.
| I don't know anything about this year's CWC drama, but I'm glad to have my own little souvenir from the Con. After the panel Chris was showing a little girl a binder of Sonichu stuff with a Sonic Rainboom in it, so I took my opportunity.[3] |
The same user provided an audio clip, apparently of Chris.
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0TkJ0kRIb17 As of July 2020, file no longer exists.
Another user reported playing against Chris at poker and accidentally misgendering him, and answered a few questions:
| Okay. So who's this Christine? I played poker against her in the tournament and she got really, really fucking mad when I accidentally called her - him.
I never care to call someone by their shitty preferred gender, but fuck you got to give me some time to figure out what you fucking want to be called. I met her again at the gala and shes been glaring at me. Lol. I didn't realize she was a meme until I saw pictures. Who is she? |
| How did he smell like? Did he joined you at poker? Did you beat him? |
| Bad.
It was a paired tournament so we didn't have be a choice who we played. And she can't play worth a shit. But she did manage to build off of idiots. She lost it all chasing though. |
| Did he say anything else at all? Talked about his comic? Was he alone? |
| Nah. Just a lot of shit about people needing to respect correct genders. |
A fan complimented Chris on the Sonichu merch he had brought with him:
| I found Chris-Chan at a panel and gained his trust.
I asked him if his Sonichu Medallion was authentic, and he said "I am the she that used to be that he that.." and then quickly showed me the first edition of Sonichu. He wanted to take a selfie with me, and here it is after cropping myself out. Then he shook my hand for some reason. |
A 4chan user claimed that Chris was "told off" by convention officials for "going up to guests and saying he's horny," apparently in reference to his plastic unicorn horn. However, there is no solid evidence backing up this claim, and at this point it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Chris appears in voice actor Claire Corlett's vlog for Day 2. Chris is seen briefly at 4:32 in the background, above the Brony wearing the rainbow wig.
| BRONYCON DAY 2! Claire Margaret Corlett | |
| Direct link | Youtube, archive |
| Stardate | 12 August 2017 |
| Made By | Claire Margaret Corlett |
| TRUE and HONEST Sonichu Fan Videos | |
Awkwardly attempting to socialize at the Gala
| Grand Galloping Gala BronyCon2017 | |
| Stardate | 12 August 2017 |
| TRUE and HONEST Sonichu Fan Videos | |
Dancing with Magi-Chan
Takes place directly after above video. Chris dances with imaginary friend Magi-Chan[1] at the Grand Galloping Gala:
| Grand Galloping Gala BronyCon2017 | |
| Stardate | 12 August 2017 |
| TRUE and HONEST Sonichu Fan Videos | |
During the early morning hours, Chris was spotted walking away from a parking garage which had closed for the night, leaving him unable to access his car.[3] He took an Uber back to his hotel. Chris would later recap this event in a tweet the following year:
| I was feeling really tired from the shock of the Parking Garage I had my car in CLOSED at Midnight while I was at the Grand Galloping Gala, Immune to Adagio’s manipulations, and dancing with my then future husband, Magi-Chan Sonichu. YAY![6] |
Gallery
Viewing "Keeping Friendship Magic: The Odd Pony Out" panel.
"Me and Kelly [Sheridan], Times Two!"
Spotted again at Bronypalooza, a BronyCon concert.
Chris at the Grand Galloping Gala.
Cropped selfie with a fan.
Shut-in minds think alike.
Chris in his Gala dress.
With a gal-pal/potential sweetheart.
Chris posing for a photo, legging holes on full display.
With two other unicorns.
Chris's belongings.
Locked out of the parking garage.
"Just helped out @CWCSonichu with an uber. Worth it."
Browsing a vendor table.
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Day 3
Chris spent his final day at BronyCon attending a panel, taking pictures with cosplayers and other fans, and no doubt buying more crap he doesn't need with his Patreon and tugboat money. He wore a multicolored poncho as a top, somehow managing to look even worse than he did for the previous two days.
| He's in the Fan Project panel now. He's spent three minutes complaining about his trolls and how autistic he is, and he turned away the microphone so no one can hear what he's saying. |
Another anon elaborated:
| Sat near Chris-chan at Bronycon today.
It was at the fan project panel, and he even asked a question and rambled on about how he had comics and a fandom (though never explicitly stating it was Sonichu). He even said the "high functioning autistic" line. He also mentioned being trolled, not having many friends, and all that, and I honestly felt kinda bad for him. Though most of the shit he's gotten over the years was his own self inflicted stupidity, so can't feel too bad for him. But yeah, that's been the weirdest thing at this convention by a loooong shot. Like, at most like 5-10% percent of the thousands people I've seen and heard were weird or cringy, but nearly everyone here is either normal or just standard nerds. But seeing and hearing Chris-chan, dear God that was hard to deal with...[7] |
Day 3 pictures of Chris confirm that he wore the same ripped pair of leggings for three consecutive days. Based on his lack of basic hygiene habits, it can be assumed that they were not washed for the entire weekend.
After the con, Chris drove back to Virginia, car-pooling with Magi-Chan.[8]
| On our way back home; Son-Chu, Magi-Chan and I. #BronyCon2017 was Awesome! See y'all next year (or sooner). 😉 ⚡️💖💖💖⚡️ |
Videos
Chris was recorded asking a difficult-to-understand question about ad-libbing at the aforementioned panel, but not before greeting them in a jarringly high-pitched voice. He later shared the video on Facebook, with the caption "So cute! :)".
| CWC at Bronycon 2017 | |
| Stardate | 13 August 2017 |
| Made By | BB Rocket |
| TRUE and HONEST Sonichu Fan Videos | |
Chris: [extremely high pitched voice] Hi again!
Panel: Hello. Hello.
Chris: [creepy laugh] Ohhhh. But in the ad-libbing talk, ya'll did answer one of my questions, starting with: Y'know, "I like kites," from that episode of My Little Pony.[9] I did see ad-lib and [unintelligible] so [mumbles]. Um, what ideal ad-lib would you like to contribute eventually in any show, including My Little Pony, and uh, which ones have you done so far are your personal favorite? Not counting "I like kites". [laughs]
Panel: Is that a question for all of us?
The panel's response to Chris is as below:
|
THAT IS MY VIDEO
This video has been removed from YouTube and/or elsewhere by Jerkops, and requires immediate replacement.
|
| Chris Chan at Bronycon 2017 | |
| Stardate | 16 August 2017 |
| Made By | The Last Tendie |
| TRUE and HONEST Sonichu Fan Videos | |
[Continuation of Chris's question from previous video]
Panel: Is that a question for all of us?
Chris: Yes.
Panel: Okay.
Ad libs? Well, the whole thing with ad libs is it's kind of hard to pre-plan an ad lib because that's the nature of it, is to just kind of make it up on the spot. Kind of as you're saying the lines. So, uh, I mean I guess I'd want to say one that was popular, maybe. I feel like an ad lib for Tho- I don't know if there's Thorax ad libs, but for Vinny I had a lot of ad libs in Littlest Pet Shops, uh, he did [character voice] "Uhhhhh, I don't know!" He had lots of weird ad libs.
Normally, we don't get- We're not allowed to ad lib. Whatever is written, uh, in the script is pretty much what we have to say, so, unless you're coughing or laughing or [unintelligible], it stays. It's really standard not to do that. But if I were to pick something I would say, I would love to ad lib more Spike in his sleep. Sleep talking.
Gallery
Chris fueling up before the con at the Holiday Inn Express.
Chris, presumably carpooling to the con.
The panel Chris visited his final day at Bronycon.
A head-to-toe view of Chris's Day 3 outfit.
The second drawing of Spike in a Pikachu costume. This one's only nominally less disturbing than the first.
"Lots of Fluffle Love. :)"
Looking uncomfortable with a fan.
Chris performing the dab to attract a potential sweetheart. Pictured with Clare Porter.
Chris's drawing of his dance with Magi-Chan (Sonichu #14)
Souvenirs and autographs
After the around three-hour drive back to 14 Branchland Court, Chris shared images on Facebook, showing pieces of merchandise he purchased along with some new drawings he made. Some of these were autographed by other visitors to the convention, notably several MLP voice actresses:
| Image | Description | Chris's commentary |
|---|---|---|
|
Chris had Cathy Weseluck, the voice actress for Spike the Dragon, autograph his "personal copy of Sonichu #0". | Cathy Weseluck autographed my personal copy of Sonichu #0, she remembered my name, and me kindly when I greeted her again. She is super wise, and left such an inspirational impression on me! Thank You, Cathy. |
|
Kelly Sheridan, voice of Starlight Glimmer, signed one of Chris's drawings. | Kelly Sheridan; I was looking forward to meet her so much. She even loved my Night Star bringing up Schultz's Kite-Eating Tree. She even related to me with how I was being trolled and bullied, with such a quote that will be in my memory forever. With that many trolls, and fans, "You have made it." As in how successful I have become. Thank You, Kelly. |
|
Claire Corlett, Michelle Creber, Madeleine Peters, and Brynna Drummond all "read" about Chris's "many talents" and signed his ego-stroking drawing for him. | Awesome Bonus, All of the CMC actresses were there, I was inspired to draw and write Night Star putting forward a question to really test the four of them on how to figure out the extensive meaning behind a single Cutie Mark that defines ALL of your multiple talents. They each loved and agreed on how I imagined their respective CMC responded. Not to mention more lasting impressions upon me and each of them. Thank You, Maddy! Thank You, Brynna! Thank You, Michelle! Thank You, Claire! To each of all of you, I want to say that You Are Awesome! 🌸🌸💖💖💖💖🌸 |
|
Daniel Ingram's autograph on a picture of two ponies. | And let's Not forget the Music from the show and the movies and special shorts. In General, minus Heavy Metal, music moves me, and to me, there are certain ones that send a Shiver of Happiness, Literally, throughout my whole body! To name a few, Sonic CD's "Sonic Boom", "Watashitachi Ni Naritakute", the Sailor Stars Theme Song, and even a number of Daniel Ingram's songs make me feel that musical joy. Between the Cafeteria Song, Shine Like Rainbows, even the Rainboom's Half of the Battle Song between the Dazzlings and Rainbooms. And even just Now, in the New Episode of MLP I finally watched today, I related to this episode, in short: Matched My Surprise and initial inability to cope with suddenly being That Famous, and being harassed/trolled when not used to or ready for that. And, YES, even in my Sonichu Books, like the Leasons, I never said I was as Super Powerful Perfect, I had my flaws, and they were written and drawn in ink. I, too, was and still am a Work In Progress. Daniel, Thank You for producing the Most Tracks that can fill me with the Positivity I can feel to further empower myself emotionally and mentally. And, just to repeat, Let Vinyl Scratch Speak, Soon, Please! 🎵⚡️🌸🌸⚡️ |
|
He wanted Nowacking to autograph his Vinyl Scratch figure, but didn't meet her. Nowacking would later block Chris on Twitter. | Also, and I Wish I knew sooner, Nowacking, and Doctor Wolf; I am a huge fan of them both; they were there too! I would have loved to not only Selfies with them, and Nowacking autographing my Minis Vinyl Scratch's skirt, but also a little chat, to share a positive memory with them. An intelligent chat with Doctor Wolf, singing in an impression of her "All About That Bass". I would have visited their panels, if I knew with a better highlight of those respective ones from the schedule. Then, I take a deep breath, mindfully meditate, and remind myself that I can reach out to them online, and that there's always next year. |
|
Finally, FluffyMixer signed Chris's bag with mysterious brown stains. | Oops, I forgot one. FluffleMixer, of the Fluffle Puff series on YouTube, singed the bag that came with my Fluffle Puff plush. Thank You! 😊 |
Aftermath
Chris described his enjoyment of the event:
| And, once again, I had an Awesome Time throughout the weekend! What really made it for me was being able to actually shine as the actual kind and open-hearted person that I was, and still am, to a LOT of people, who already knew me, and those just getting acquainted, and those who now I would delight in further communications now and then or so. And all of the Kindness and Heartfelt, Honest Love I have found, enjoyed, and will always treasure in my heart forever; the MOST Love I have ever felt in my life.
And to All of You who found me and shared at least a joyful greeting, Thank You All! I Love You All! And I truly mean that from the bottom and fullness of my smiling heart and soul, and I Loved making Each and Every one of you Smile too. 🌈🎵⚡️🖍📝🌸💖😊💖🌸📝🖍⚡️🎵 |
Although not without some muscle soreness from hauling his Sonichu crap, souvenirs and fat gut everywhere.
| I will say the enduring price I had to pay for the weekend, and to match tie Grand Galloping Gala's Dress Code; pinched toes and hurt heels And my calves still hurt from the weight of carrying my Sonichu books; next year, a backpack on wheels, and try for a size 7 slipper. Everything Positive still worth all that endurance on my part. Earned my enjoyable weekend more ways than one. 😊 I'm alive and okay; I will recover quick like normal. |
Chris would go on to attend the following BronyCon.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 File:MergeComic6.jpg
- ↑ August 2017 Patreon posts#Blew patron funds on BronyCon, can't ship books
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://archive.is/lHRYe
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Clare Porter
- ↑ https://kiwifarms.net/threads/twitter-8-11-2017-chris-spotted-at-bronycon.33187/page-19#post-2507095 "a friend asked me to be on call for her mom while she is out of town."
- ↑ July 2018 social media posts#BronyCon thoughts
- ↑ https://yuki.la/mlp/30721666
- ↑ August 2017 tweets#Back from BronyCon, carpooling with Magi-Chan
- ↑ Editor's note: This is presumably a reference to this clip from the show, which also suggests that Kelly Sheridan was in the panel.
| ⇐ N/A | BronyCon | BronyCon 2018 ⇒ |