This End Up
As Cardboard*Con reached its 15th (and potentially most awkward) year its interests turned to the bawdy ribaldry of the Renaissance faire. To quote Thad Partridge: "it's about time".
Cardboard*Con 15 took place on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
This year's Guest list was short:
Only ONE of the guests appeared, which is a real problem because it's the guest that we already tried to get rid of. Due to this issue the convention is forming a Guest Selection committee.
Fake online tickets sales surged despite Cardboard*Con's strict "no transfer and also no charge" ticketing system, which was frankly broken before the convention was even founded.
Attendees arrived in their cardboard finery, most sporting crowns and fancy talk. It was perhaps the most romantic, magical con of them all.
Even the lady dressed like a stick of butter.
Cardboard*Con has long been associated with Rennaisance faires, mostly due to the odors, how loud the attendees are, and the romance of their similar periods of history.
Historic renniesauce boxtuming experts may disagree on the details of flaps and straps, but they all concur that it is eminently satisfying to be drunk while wearing cardboard boxes.
The cost savings enjoyed by boxplayers is an obvious advantage to the elaborate fabric-based garb worn by Renfaire patrons.
The City of Atlanta went wild when the RENNIESAUCE ad campaign was released to social media along with the long-delayed announcement of the event.
Per tradition, the First Legge of Cardboard*Con 15 began at Meehan's Public House, at the foot of the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel.
Early arrivals feasted upon thinly sliced fried potatoes and strips of fried chicken, hoisting their ales high into the air in hearty cheers of "Where is everybody else??" and "Maybe it's just us??" LOL.
That camaraderie went up three box sizes with the arrival of OTHER boxplayers in far better boxtumes, who made the place even CHEERIER with their shouts of "Come now, let us have a good time" and "Where art the bar wench?" and "So, this is a real thing after all?".
Boxplayers who took part in the 2024 Boxes On Peachtree Parade were vilified for their cardboard beliefs by street preachers using loud PA systems.
The staff of the Marriott Pulse Bar were attending a bris, so the bar was closed to all traffic. Cardboard*Con once again can confirm that the closure was not done in protest of boxplayers.
Much to the delight of all, the bartender at the nearby High Velocity restaurant provided drinks to our attendees with speed and aplomb THANKS TO THE LARGESS OF A MYSTERIOUS LORD DOWN IN FLORIDA!!
That surprise endowment allowed guests to mingle under the glorious soaring ribs of the Marriott Marquis! Thank you, YOU KNOW WHO ;)
The Cardboard Enthusiasm Choir met for one last rehearsal before launching into an incredible rendition of the Cardboard Anthem, perhaps the loudest yet?!
The way to Trader Vic's was beset by traps and snares (non-functional escalators and stairs) but our intrepid adventurers braved their way to the tropical shores of Trader Vic's where they found the JOLLY BOXERS (actual Renaissance faire circuit musicians Fiona Leonard and Charles Baugh) performing traditional cardboard renniesauce songs like "Flappy Lay Back"!
Our great and glorious thanks to the management and staff of Trader Vic's for providing us once again with such a fun playground for the final legge of our adventure: the costume contest!
This year's contestants included a variety of kings and queens and real "he men", as well as famous characters like Robin Hood and Maid Marion! Unfortunately, photos of some of these wonderful boxtumes were blocked by Shannon's boxtume of the MARTA bus ;) ("b, you do not ride with me").
The Badj for the 2024 was controversial. Was it a turkey legge or was it a chalice? Nobody can be sure.
Several of this year's attendees went on to the last and most seekrit legge of Cardboard*Con, the afterparty at the Metro Diner.
See you at Cardboard*Con 2025????
The fashion houses of Paris, Milan, New York, and Hong Kong turned their attention to Cardboard*Con to envision the future of fashion. This exclusive event was attended by aristocrats, rock stars, fashionistas, and leaders of industry. It was a place to see and be seen, wearing cardboard. Attendees fell in love. They fell out of love. They fell down long flights of stairs because they did not make their eye holes large enough.
Cardboard*Con 14 took place on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Guests from prior events were NOT invited due to a very intense online argument about the quality of packing tape from East Anglia.
The first evidence of this year’s event was an enormous skin covering renovation scaffolding outside the Théâtre de la Ville along the Seine, in Paris.
The electrifying artwork was soon released to social media, and a date was announced on the Official Cardboard*Con website.
When asked what “Artificial Cardboard Intelligence” is, famed boxplay designer Albrecht du Boite gestured fiercely with the hand that was not holding a wine glass and simply said “It is something we have never seen before, mon ami”.
Cleaving to convention, the opening ceremonies were a jumble of confusion with no clear indication of who was in charge. The loudest and potentially drunkest person in the room soon commandeered the crowd, leading them outside for a parade.
The Corrugation Day Parade along Peachtree was the talk of the town, particularly by out of town visitors who had no idea how badly things were going in Atlanta.
The Cardboard Enthusiasm Choir performed a perfectly adequate rendition of the Cardboard Anthem before sloping off in the direction of Trader Vic's.
Badjs for the 2023 event arrived on time, but were delivered to a cuy kebab cart in Bolivia. As a result, anyone who attended Cardboard*Con that evening was technically breaking the law.
Attendance was up from 2022 and the Card Board of Regents were grudgingly satisfied with the results.
See you at Cardboard*Con 2024!!
In a world gripped by war and disease the Card Board of Regents were evacuated to a secure dumpster, leaving behind a big spinning wheel of themes and a passing reference to a popular new word game annoying people around the planet, much like Cardboard*Con itself.
Cardboard*Con 13 took place on Saturday, March 5, 2022.
The 2021 Guests were invited (and disinvited, as the case may be) to the 2022 event (just to make things easier for our history section).
Despite great concern amongst the boxplay community Cardboard*Con returned to Atlanta in a triumphant live edition.
The theme for 2022 was left up to guests to choose from a spinning wheel with selections like French Parkour, Asimov Sidechops, and Firefly is Dead.
Due to scheduling conflicts Cardboard*Con Productions did not produce a 2022 commercial, must to the disappointment of our parents. But they are accustomed to disappointment by now.
The convention returned to all its usual venues, including Meehans Public House, the Parade Up Peachtree, the Tour of the Hyatt Regency, the Pulse Bar Mix & Mingle, the Trader Vic's Grand Ball, and the secret Afterparty at Metro Diner.
The Cardboard Enthusiasm Choir performed the best version of The Cardboard Anthem, almost as if they'd been practicing
Badjs for the 2022 event were lost in shipping, making the few copies made highly collectible. As a result, badjs from the 2021 event were recycled, earning Cardboard*Con Platinum Con status by the Earth Con Council (a subsidiary of Cardboard*Con).
Attendance was down from prior years however it was statistically higher than cons of a similar size to Cardboard*Con (data source unavailable). The Card Board of Regents are VERY excited about the 2023 convention and predict that it may break attendance records.
See you at Cardboard*Con 2023!!
Seizing on every opportunity to deliver a disappointing convention experience, Cardboard*Con canceled its in-person event in favor of the lamest Zoom event broadcast of the pandemic. This actually happened. We are still apologizing.
Cardboard*Con 12 took place on Saturday, March 6, 2021.
The 2021 Guests were uninvited because you just don't know where these people have been
Due to a widespread unavailability of cardboard the 12th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 6nd, 2021 as a live internet event. This cardboard shortage coincided with a global pandemic, which many theorize also affected the decision to make the event online only.
The theme for 2021 was tragically never communicated to anyone, which was probably for the best.
The 2021 commercial was superceded by a "live" news report from downtown by reporter Carl Bachsman, who travled around the usual locations unable to find a trace of the convention.
In lieu of an actual event where people meet and have fun together to share the same airspace and deep pattern infectious disease exhalation packets, the event was broadcast from an undisclosed location and featured talented performers dressed in cardboard. Included were Simone Artfinkel, CARDTHULU, Baroness Boom Boom, Ian O'Card-ell, and the puppet family of Mr. & Mrs. Cardboard. The event was ineptly hosted by Captain Drew Ferengo.
Badjs from the 2021 event were sent to front line workers, where they proved absolutely useless, just like they do at Cardboard*Con. Bless our frontline workers!!!!<3
It was widely agreed that a live broadcast of Cardboard*Con should probably not happen for at least another 95 years if at all possible.
BREAKING NEWS: Carl Bachsman at 12th Annual Cardboard*Con
Cardboard*Con 12 Keynote & Entertainment
Set in the last days of civilization, before the fall of humanity to the Covid-19 pandemic, Star Trak Disco was the incredible theme for our 11th Cardboard*Con Adventure. And what an adventure it was despite the gathering clouds that would ensure Cardboard*Con would be the last GREAT sci-fi convention of the year 2020 in Atlanta.
Cardboard*Con 11 took place on Saturday, March 7, 2020.
The 11th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 7rd, 2020, a pleasantly dry day in Atlanta, which had experienced a wet winter. The theme for 2020 was “Star Trak Disco”. This year’s commercial featured a team of red boxes from the Starbox Enterprise dying to deliver a disco box to Cardboard*Con to the theme song of “Staying Alive”, which was fitting since a novel coronavirus had begun sweeping across the world in the direction of Atlanta and nobody was talking (yet) about flattening the curve - we were all so innocent!
It was a busy night in Atlanta, and the opening of the Atlanta United Kickball game impacted our attendance, as many hipsters who normally tag along with us were required to attend that match. Also happening that weekend was Inhuele, a convention of tiki aficionados who were gracious enough to invite us to their dance party!
Confusingly, there were additional badges distributed to attendees this year, prompting many to worry aloud that they had actually spent money on the convention.
It came as a shock to parade marchers that the Pulse Bar in the Marriott Marquis had been closed due to low convention numbers that weekend. The High Velocity bar stepped in to cover for the Pulse Bar, and we proceeded to have many exciting and informative panels in the grand vault of the Marquis, topped off by a moving performance of the Cardboard Theem Song by the International Cardboard Chorus and Dry-Packing Consortium.
Trader Vic’s was a jolly good time as always, and a great deal of very silly things did transpire there, including a costume contest heavy on the Star Trak.
Surprising everyone, including themselves, officials from Cardboard*Con awarded all the attendees with badjs featuring the Dancing Spok poster. Really big hit thanks to funding from last year’s costum winner Eric!!!
Staying Alive for Cardboard*Con 2020 (Star Trak Disco)
Footage of Cardboard*Con 2020 Star Trak Disco
The Generic Cardboard Space Adventure was the 10th installment of an ill-advised campaign to rally workaday men and women to escape the routine of their normal day by donning cardboard costumes and gallivanting around downtown Atlanta, Georgia, to the delight and confoundment of boring people who don’t know how to wear cardboard.
Cardboard*Con 10 took place on Saturday, March 2, 2019.
The 10th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 2rd, 2019, an unseasonably warm day in Atlanta. The theme for 2019 was “Generic Cardboard Space Adventure”, and featured an advertisement for our new Generic Cardboard Action Heroes toy line! This year had soft attendance, meaning that the large number of people who showed up don't get much exercise. The parade was punctuated by an unusual amount of farting from Chewboxxxa Junior. Fortunately, he was only hurting himself. We are happy to announce that no box was left behind in a crosswalk, leading to a very joyous celebration at the Marriott Marquis. With cardboard availability at an all-time high, the costumes were especially jolly, as were the attendees. As we rolled into Trader Vics we were amazed to discover a competing convention in full swing!!! Thankfully, the organizers of Cornbread Con were ALSO boxplayers, led by that farting scamp Chewboxxxa Junior (turns out he's cornbread intolerant). We were pleased to reveal our special surprise guest Alton Brown, who was EXTREMELY SURPRISED to learn that he was a guest. It was just the best year of ever, and we hope you didn't miss it because it was really special to celebrate a decade of idiocy with such fun people :)
Surprising everyone, including themselves, officials from Cardboard*Con teased the lineup from their 2019 toy lineup, which was revealed at the 10th Annual Cardboard*Con on March 2rd. Orders are still pending.
Jurassic Box was the 9th installment of this American science fiction convention, dedicated to encouraging fossilized nerds to dress up in cardboard costumes. 2018's theme, “Jurassic Box”, was the least effective cardboard pun yet. Despite this fact it was expected to bode well for attendance, which typically numbers in the dozens. The convention had become so successful that it generated a string of successful sequels, despite the vehement refusal of Steven Spielberg to contribute a large cash infusion. Numerous articles based on the convention have been written by various news outlets, in spite of their best judgment and the strenuous objections of their editorial staffs.
Cardboard*Con 9 took place on Saturday, March 3, 2018.
The 9th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018, a lovely, warm pre-Spring day in Atlanta. The theme for 2018 year was “Jurassic Box”, the most widely adopted theme yet. This year marked the introduction of the wildly popular Cardboard Anthem, which was heard constantly being sung by roving groups of attendees. Cardboard*Con crossed paths with The Atlanta Salsa & Bachata Festival, and after the closing ceremonies attendees stopped by the Festival for salsa lessons by some of that event's most elite performers. The Bangladeshi pulp strikes did not affect costuming as initially feared, as most attendees had already switched over to Canadian primal forest pulp well in advance of the much-ballyhooed strike. Our convention crossed paths with the badly-splintered CardBeardCon once again this year, and in an attempt to help unify our sister convention we asked the faction representatives to work together to judge our costumes (results pending).
Cardboard*Con 8 took place on Saturday, March 4, 2017.
Did you meet a girl at the dumpster who was crazy for you? Did you meet a boy who was cute as he could be while wearing a cardboard box on his head? You may be suffering from Summer Love and there's no cure for it but a good old-fashioned Grease-themed Cardboard*Con!! This year the costume contest was been replaced by a DANCE CONTEST!!
Join a gang! Drop out of beauty school! Meet a boy or girl! Your worries are over now with the Cardboard*Con Prom because nobody can see your ugly face behind that cardboard box!! So ax that special lady or man (or whatever, because you can't really tell with all that cardboard in the way) to be YOUR date at this year's Grease Dance Off Prom Thing!!
The 8th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 4th, 2017 and was largely believed to have been the
Cardboard*Con 8 took place on Saturday, March 5, 2016.
In 2016 the Cardboard*Con Convention was transformed into an opportunity to give Cardboard Americans everywhere a voice in the world. Too long have we been marginalized, set aside, stacked, sorted, weighed, and delivered unto others who have a far greater voice than ourselves. NO MORE!! In 2016 Cardboard will have a say in the way this country is run!!!
This year we are encouraging everyone to cluster together and discuss the issues that affect us all, from the sorry state of shoddy cardboard quality coming from Eastern Europe to the way that none of the other leading party candidates will even mention the new organic inks being used (and abused) by fatcat barcode printing companies in coordination with insurgent socialist media(ist) groups. WHO WILL SAVE US???
The 2016 ProStaff & Volunteer Meeting was postponed due to a miscommunication about the location of the meeting and by the time the officers had decided upon a new location all of our volunteers had quit, so be prepared for long lines entering the Dealer's Room again this year. Mind you, our long lines are nowhere as ridiculous as those at an Atlanta-based Labor Day science fiction convention that shall go unnamed††. Also: we have decided to not hide our vendors in a strange building comprised entirely of alcoves. Our vendors will be at an unmarked hotel 7 blocks away. Let's see the other convention top that!!
Things got serious when cardboard-Americans gathered to decide who would reign supreme as Cardboard President! There were many campaign tricks and giant lies! The guests of a small start-up Star Track convention attempted to star in 7th Annual Cardboard*Con but we said "NO! You have to pay us!". They so jealous.
The 7th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 5th, 2016, which was also the 442nd birthday of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine. This year's event tested the very heart of the cardboard republic as a range of unqualified candidates vied for the role of supreme leader of cardboard. Many insults were thrown. Many feelings were hurt. Much food and beer was consumed.
In a by-now-completely-anticipated reversal of the reversal of the reversal of our 2014 policy, our Executive Board have demanded that we go with a brand new mission statement of "GET OUT OF OUR FACE!!!" and increase our attendance to 150,000 - which makes it imperative that you attempt to purchase your badj by the end of February before the rate increase to $350, the most expensive con perpetrated on the science fiction community in quite some time.
And we continue to challenge
It's our 6th Anniversary and my how we've grown!! This year we're going to have a sexy Senior Prom, so start working up your nerve to ask that special someone to put on their best all-cardboard sci-fi/fantasy costume and join you on the (to this point entirely theoretical) dance floor. Please: no making out in the gym. BE SURE TO ORDER YOUR BADJ EARLY to avoid crowding and Bavarians.
Cardboard*Con 6 took place on Saturday, March 7, 2015.
The 6th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 7th, 2015, the 101st anniversary of the Battle of Craonne. A few attendees told us that our convention "needed more nudity"‡" but we believe those attendees to have been a group of women on a bachelorette party and wholly unreliable in aspects of our science fiction and fantasy culture.
In a shocking reversal of the reversal of our 2014 policy, our Executive Board have demanded that we stick with our mission statement of "quality over quantity" and cap our attendance at 15,000 attendees so BUY YOUR BADJ as SOON AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE!! And we continue to challenge
Despite our enormous attendance levels, Cardboard*Con was able to guarantee that you would NEVER wait 2 hours in line to see William Shatner and we challenged our colleagues in the sci-fi convention industry to follow our example.
It's the 5th Anniversary of the biggest, most badass Cardboard*Con there ever was!! Will YOU be there? People not wearing cardboard will be escorted out of the dumpster dance.
Badj prices were cut in HALF and the fans responded enthusiastically! Even though this deep price cut reduced the quantity and quality of guests it seemed that this year will forever be remembered as the year that nobody fell into the dumpster at the after-after-after party. The profile of the event grew in 2014 and organizers are wondering if the hotels can contain the con in 2015.
Cardboard*Con 5 took place on Saturday, March 1, 2014.
The 5th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 1st, 2014, the anniversary of the founding of our sister city Rio de Janeiro. Attendees told us that our 2013 convention set the bar quite high and despite concerns about a pending garbage strike the traditional nighttime "Paper Parade‡" up Peachtree Street was executed flawlessly by many who were new to our nerdy science fiction convention.
In a shocking reversal of our 2013 policy, our Executive Board expressed a strong desire that we ignore our mission statement of "quality over quantity" and abandon our attempts to cap our attendance at 15 individuals. And we challenged
Cardboard*Con 4 will follow the same route from last year, beginning on the west side of Peachtree Street at Meehan's Public House Downtown, from whence we shall begin our 2nd ANNUAL PARADE!! (which simply means crossing the street at marked crossings to go across the street to the next location, obeying all traffic laws)
Cardboard*Con 4 took place on Saturday, March 2, 2013.
In a first for a major Atlanta science fiction convention, Cardboard*Con stopped selling badjs and refuse to sell them at the door. If you did not already have a badj you still could have come in and done everything, but people are lazy readers!
NOTE: rice cardboard from Tokushima Prefecture will be unavailable until MAY, so this year's panel on "sprightly honor cardboard challenge" has been rescheduled until NEXT YEAR. Sorry folks, it's been a hard winter for our friends at Grab Now Cardboard Happiness.
The 4th Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 2, 2013, the anniversary of the Bank of England issuing the one and two pound bank notes.
Cardboard*Con 3 is expected to follow the a slightly different route from last year, as we will BEGIN on the OTHER side of Peachtree Street at Meehan's Public House Downtown, from whence we shall begin our first PARADE!! (crossing the street to go across the street to the next location, see below for more.)
Cardboard*Con 3 took place on Saturday, March 3, 2012.
NOTE: J-45b cardboard supplies from Copehagen will be unavailable until AFTER this year's con, so the panel on European cardboard folding techniques has obviously been cancelled. Sorry folks. Write to BRODRENE HARTMANN with your complaints.
The 3rd Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 3, 2012, the birthday of American singer Tone Lōc.
Cardboard*Con 2 – This one's for the fans.
If you missed CC2011 you missed a fun time! Our convention crossed paths with the Southeastern Theater Conference (SETC) and we had to share the facilities with them. If you haven't seen the video take a couple of minutes to see what Cardboard*Con is all about!
Cardboard*Con 2 took place on Saturday, March 5, 2011.
Sadly, this year was not without controversy, as a schism developed between the cardboard purists and the cardboard decorationists. The purists insist that the most fun can only be had by wearing full cardboard costumes, made from real boxes. The decorationists insist that it's okay to use cardboard for more conventional garments and accessories. We hope that this debate doesn't cloud the 2012 convention.
Tagline: "Seriously: we're doing it again"
The 2rd Annual Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 5, 2011 much to everyone's surprise.
Cardboard*Con 1 – Serious street cred.
Cardboard*Con 1 took place on Saturday, March 6, 2010.
The very first Cardboard*Con was held on Saturday, March 6, 2010. It was widely regarded to be a scam and only the very bravest nerds showed up to participate. The rambling 3 hour opening ceremony speech was recognized as the best and the worst speech ever delivered at Cardboard*Con.
Our original web programmer spelled "badge" as "badj" and it has become a Cardboard*Con tradition to refer to it that way. If you've read the rules correctly you'll print out a copy and attach it to your costume - scale it as appropriate using your printer's advanced scaling features, the ones you probably don't understand. Please note that this Offishul Badj will NOT get you into Cardboard*Con. However, it's safe to say that it won't get you kicked out, either. In fact, it doesn't do a whole lot of anything.
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