OzDariaCon

Written, hosted and loved by Tafka.

OzDariaCon is a beast that evolved with very little help from me, its host and organiser. What began in January of 2001 as a small gathering of Australian Daria fans has grown into an annual gathering of people whose friendships grow stronger with the passing years.

At the first ODC, a tradition was born. Usually themed and always an adventure, the ODC Outing is the most anticipated event of the Con. The first Outing was a chance to mock the locals while wearing bondage gear, a tradition that only changed when Lew and I moved somewhere nice. Over the years we have had Outings in parks, nightclubs and nature reserves, in tourist traps and mazes. Each year the themes get more and more bizarre, often involving hastily cobbled costumes and vast quantities of sugar.

As the years have passed, the Con date has moved about the year erratically, and in some years more than one Con was held. We have discovered in recent years that March is a fantastic time to get together as most of us celebrate anniversaries or birthdays around that time. So the March date is slowly becoming enshrined in tradition, as is the ODC dinner party, which is taking on a popularity of its own.

OzDariaCon, a random, spur of the moment idea, has evolved into a grand event on the average Aussie Daria Fan’s social calendar. Or at least it is on mine. I’d go nuts without an ODC to plan.