221b Con Wrap Up

Another 221b Con is in the books. Although this year was only my second time attending the largest Sherlockian gathering in America, it’s impossible to not walk away from Con impressed with the whole thing. The intelligence, passion, and fun on display is like nothing I’ve ever seen at any other gathering. 

If you were on social media at any point over the weekend, I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of stuff so this post will just be a quick recap of my weekend in Atlanta.

As soon as you walk into the Marriott lobby, you are greeted by plenty of your fellow Sherlockians. My drive from southern Illinois to Atlanta took longer than planned, so I missed the first two panels of the weekend. 

The first panel of the weekend announced that 2025 would not be the final year of 221b Con as many had feared. Lots and lots of discussions and work have allowed con to continue under new management of Heather Hinson and Johanna Draper Carlson. 

Before I get into a detailed rundown, a quick mention about the dealer's room at 221b Con.  Wow!  So many unbelievably talented folks out there.  I bough books from Liese Sherwood Fabre and art from Kyndall Potts but could have easily blown more money there.  Belanger Books were selling for the first time this year and almost sold their entire stock.  There is quite a market for Sherlockian goods in Atlanta!

A panel on chronology of all things had a packed room and buzzing with all of the things that go with that topic.  Brad Keefauver and Chris Zordan had well over 50 younger Sherlockians debating questions that have been kicked around by many luminaries before them: Is Watson a reliable narrator?  How many times was he married?  How important is Moriarty?  For anyone who bemoans the future of Sherlockiana and younger people not coming to this hobby, I say pfui.  Go to Atlanta if you want to feel secure about the future of this hobby.

A break in the panels was made specifically for a swap out by the food truck.  Books, ribbons, books,  bracelets, books, and more were out for the masses and many people walked away with big smiles and full arms.

A big highlight of this con was a Q&A session with the creators of the Sherlock & Co. podcast, Joel Emery, and Adam Jarrell.  Moderator Jones did a great job of getting inside stories from the two guys from England while allowing for lots of fan interaction and questions.  Will Sherlock and John go to America soon?  Will A.J. Raffles show up?  You'll need to listen to future episodes to find out!

After all of that talk of new adaptations, it was time to delve back into the Canon.  A panel on Mycroft Holmes had a room that was so full that people were sitting on the floor!  Was Mycroft actually lazy?  Could he actually have been the younger of the Holmes brothers?  Why am I describing panels with so many questions?

Like so many Sherlockian events, though, 221b Con is all about the people.  The nights are great for  hanging out with people.  Whether its catching up with people for a few minutes or an extended group hang, the Atlanta Airport Marriott is made for socializing.

Saturday night is the dance at con.  Last year I was completely unprepared and ended up borrowing one of Max Magee's outfits. (I shared a room with him this year.  He has plenty of outrageous things to share.)  This year, I at least had a Christmas shirt to wear, which paled in comparison to some of the other getups on display.  But it didn't matter, everyone was having fun.  From watching Erica Fair live her best life on the dance floor to a late night cheese tasting with Beth Gallego and Madeline Quinones, the whole night was a blast!

And yes, I had a little too much fun Saturday night and woke up with a raging hangover on Sunday.  I made it to a panel on the importance of John Watson before attempting to eat lunch.  After lunch was Curtis Armstrong and Ashley Polasek taking a look at women in the Canon and how the stories would have been told from their points of view.  And how did that presentation end in a group dance?  All I can say is, that's how things go at 221b Con.

The final panel of the weekend was the traditional Last Bow where the organizers accepted feedback and looked for ways to improve.  As this was Crystal Noll and Heather Holloway's last year as con organizers, it had a bittersweet feel to it, but they along with their team has created a Sherlockian event that has to be experienced and is paving the way for Sherlockian conversations and scholarship in the years to come.

My family had arrived in Atlanta by this point for us to head to Florida for family vacation the following day, but I did have time for a free-wheeling Watsonian Weekly podcast recording (Madeline's look in this picture may give you a hint at how slaphappy some of us were at this point), and one more group hang before we all drifted back to our rooms before leaving.

I can not stress this enough: if you have never been to 221b Con, you are missing out.  The discourse I heard during panels is top notch.  The atmosphere is so laid back that you can pick and choose how and when you engage with other people.  And you won't find a larger group of Sherlockians together in one place.  There's no way to walk away from this event and not have a glow about the Sherlockian world.