Tom Foolery Review

by Brian Stascavage

Walk through the door and you immediately see a hopscotch lane chalked to the ground. To the right there are two girls playing Mario Kart, their arms jerking wildly as they attempt to run the other off the road. Ahead are four people bent over a table, trying not to Break the Ice. 

Only his friends get to call him "Tom"
(logo from Tom Foolery's website)

Someone else sits in the corner, crown on their head and walkie-talkie in their hand. What seems like the best playhouse ever to your inner 10-year old is actually Tom Foolery, or "Thomas Foolery", the newest nostalgia-influenced bar in DC. Located in Dupont Circle, Tom Foolery seeks to combine craft beer, milkshakes, board games, and various other elements of our childhood into a wonderful blend of entertainment and service.

DC has embraced the microbrew craze over the years, and Tom Foolery does not disappoint. With over 40 different beers in stock, from Dogfish Head to DC Brau, there is plenty for any beer lover to enjoy. What sets Tom Foolery apart though, is there adult milkshakes. On top of traditional mixed drinks, they offer milkshakes spiked with liquor, an offering that is more rare in DC. 

To further their nostalgia theme, Tom Foolery offers a variety of other foods from our childhoods. From custom made ice cream sandwiches, where you get to pick out the cookies and the ice cream, to grilled cheese sandwiches - for those more picky children. Tom Foolery also boasts 15 unique sodas on tap, which can be combined with their multiple ice cream flavors to make any float you desire.

Why wait until Halloween? (image from Tom Foolery's FB)

Besides a wide assortment of drinks, Tom Foolery contains a wide range of entertainment. Sitting in the corner is a TV with a Wii, allowing for the quick game of Mario Kart after work. One wall contains a mirror and various hats and fake facial hair, which led to some wacky dress up fun. There are various board games you can check out, including a Ouija board and Don't Wake Daddy among the pile. Smaller toys, such as Wooly Willies, a miniature pinball machine, Connect 4, and various Etch A Sketches mounted to the walls. Most of them are toys you haven't thought about in over a decade. And the rush of glee when you realize, "I remember this!" is always a pleasure.

Of course, bars with board games or even video games are not new. Multiple venues in DC have been catering that market to great success. What sets Tom Foolery apart from the rest is their list of crazy, nonsensical rules (listed here). The Rules encourage the childishness and a somewhat cathartic outlet after Being an Adult all week long.

You can even order by yelling "I want a Magic Hat NOOOOWWWW!" like the tantrumming toddler above, and during Angry Hour (5:00-7:00PM every day) get $1.00 off your beverage of choice. Showing off your hopscotch superiority or doing your best Alfonso Ribeiro impression can both reward you with discounts and goodies. Each bit off oddity contributes to the spark of childhood nonsensical wonderment that is lacking from other bars. 

What other establishment let you put on a crown, sit on a throne, and order drinks with a walkie-talkie, solely because you got their first?

Washington DC's Edo Period

by Pres James

As you may recall, right around this time last year, I wrote a review of Anime USA 2012. After having such a great time, I happily decided to go back again, and I attended Anime USA this year on behalf of DC Geeks. Even after a year getting back into the con circuit, AUSA once again impressed me.

These Kingdom Hearts cosplayers caught everyone's attention.
(image from the AUSA 2013 Facebook page)

The staff of Anime USA has been consistently great, and they kept that up this year. Despite a few communications snafus, bound to happen at any large event, everyone I talked to was cheerful and happy to spend a few minutes answering questions. The staff was helpful, even to the point of reopening their press office after-hours on Friday to make sure I could get a badge. 

The attendees spoke and the staff listened, because last year’s major complaint of the parking was addressed. Obviously, they couldn’t magically create MORE. However, the staff let everyone know that it would probably be a problem, and printed up directions to the nearest reliably empty garages, as well as including metro accessibility information. Lots of attendees took advantage of that, and I didn’t hear ANY transportation grumblings. Big improvement!

One of the first things I noticed at this year’s AUSA was the integration of the con theme, Edo-era Japan. Honestly, whenever a con announces a theme, it’s a fair bet that you’ll see that theme in the art style of the con’s signs, a few nods to it in the guide book, maybe. But that will probably be all. Not this time. The staff set aside an entire panel track to talk history, era-appropriate crafts, cultural issues, and additional focused events. 

"Prince Hanzoku Terrorized by a Nine-tailed Fox"
(Public Domain via the Wikimedia Commons)

From what I could see, the themed panels were well-attended. Overall, I would love to see more cons go all-out with their themes. If you’re going to go through the effort of choosing a one, play it up! Squeeze something fun out of it! The bigger conventions could take a few lessons from Anime USA and even MarsCon. (Editor's note: Don't let the website fool you, MarsCon has hands-down the most elaborate themed decorations I've seen at any convention, bar none). Next year's dates and promo images have been released, but the theme remains a mystery.

Speaking of fun, two of AUSA’s main attractions, the Maid Cafe and Host Club, both reappeared for another year. As usual, both the servers and the clientele were having a wonderful time. If you come to this con with a group of friends, it’s definitely worth sitting down in there for a snack and a little time playing games. Who knows, you might even make a new friend!

The real gem of this year’s AUSA for me, though, was the Cosplay Burlesque showing. Artist Jessi Pascal of the Geeks Next Door webcomic convinced me to give it a shot, and it was well worth the time. It included stripteases from such favorites as Carmen Sandiego, Chip and Dale from the Rescue Rangers, and no less than three DIFFERENT versions of Loki, including one pretending to be Sailor Jupiter. Between the wonderful cognitive dissonance of familiar characters, the obvious chemistry of the performers, and the amusing, if slightly heavy-handed MCing by comedian Uncle Yo, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend seeing it to anyone I know (well, anyone who happens to be 18+ and mature enough to handle burlesque).

At night, of course, is when the video rooms and panels start to get a little… weirder. There’s no time like 1AM to watch sleep deprived Japanese men get chased around a gymnasium by people dressed all in black who want to do things like hit them with pies, or knock over their dinners.

Although given Japanese game shows, maybe not so weird.
(image originally found via Reddit)

I’m still not exactly sure what that was, but if I knew, I’d be watching more of it. I can’t even tell you why. 

The setup of the artist’s alley was different this year, and while I can’t tell you how the artists felt, I can definitely say that as an attendee it felt much brighter, less tucked away in the corner than it had been last year. Definitely a plus! Of course, from what I can tell the only reason it was changed was due to construction on the hotel, so whether it will continue next year is anyone’s guess.

As usual, cosplayers practically dominated the hotel for the weekend. While there was an unsurprisingly large representation of current anime, such as Attack on Titan, there was also quite a bit more throwback and retro costumes than usual, including one of the most impressive Lina Inverse cosplayers I’ve ever seen - the detail in the armor was astounding. In addition, the number of characters customized to fit a theme or character type was impressive. There was steampunk Sailor Moon (yet no steampunk Joss Whedon) and Magical Girl Kyuubei; all of which were great demonstrations of this community’s cleverness and imagination.

Steampunk ALL the characters!
(image by Marnie Joyce)

Even more so this year than in the past, Anime USA was a slickly run, well-attended weekend. If you enjoy anime and you’re in the area, this should be a part of your con rotation. No questions asked.

DC Geeks Happy Hour Tonight!

by Samantha Tynes

DC Geeks is now hosting happy hours the second Wednesday of every month. That means tonight! This time, we're hosting movie night! And if you can't make it, don't worry. Just set aside August 14 on your calendar for video game trivia.

You know, the one where we show you where best to drink,
while absolutely PWNING at Scrabble (image by Geoff Parsons)

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re familiar with our "This Week in Geek" articles. Every Monday we here at DC Geeks provide you with the latest list of fun, nerdy, niche, and off-the-beaten-path events in the Washington metro area. And we show some love for Southern Maryland, Northern Virginia, and sometimes even Baltimore. 

We like doing things. We like having fun and meeting people and being a part of the community that we've adopted. But one day, an idea began to form:

• What if we had our own events?
• Why not a happy hour?
• What about a totally geeky venue?
• How about Atlas Arcade?

Insert whatever intimidating or awe-inspiring music you prefer here.
(image adapted from AZAdam's photo)

Great idea, right?  We’ve talked about Atlas Arcade quite a few times before. I don’t need to tell you again how awesome it is. But I will anyways in case you're new. Atlas is a great little bar on H Street filled with classic arcade machines, 80's movie posters covering the walls, and G.I. Joe figures hanging from the ceiling.

It’s also the only bar I know where I can order PopTarts with my beer. This 80's and 90's kid dream bar has also been gracious enough to provide space for our Geek Happy Hour. Our inaugural event, A Night with Mega Man, was the second week of June, and we had a blast. We rocked out to Mega Man music from Protomen, The Megas, and more (Get it? Rocked? If you do, you'll enjoy this AMV Hell throwback - the clip only runs from 16:53 to 17:02). Meanwhile, we tried our best to beat levels on the big screen.

One last pun: Megaman knows how to rock.
(image by - EMR -) 

We arrived for set-up to a mostly empty bar, only a handful of people milling about on a Wednesday night. For a moment, I was nervous no one would show. But we went ahead and put up posters and set up games, the Mega Man melodies filling the air and people started to trickle in. Some people were pleasantly surprised to find a themed happy hour going on, joining in in watching as people breezed through levels, or cheering them on as they did their best to stumble through.

As the night progressed, we got an impressive crowd for a Wednesday night, especially since it was our first event. We met new people, saw old friends, and when 10 o’clock rolled around and our original time slot came to an end, people stuck around. I am very much looking forward to tonight (as I mentioned before, it's movie night)! We're eager to see everyone who made it out last time as well as some new faces.

Atlas Arcade & Church and State: Nostalgia and the Speakeasy

by Brian Stascavage

Located in a two-story building on H Street, Erik Holzherr has opened two radically different bars. The lower level is the geek haven, Atlas Arcade. On the upper floor is Church and State, a self-proclaimed speakeasy that uses only American-made spirits. "I'm a cocktail geek," Erik explains as the bartender hands me a gin and tonic, "[and I wanted to open] a museum to the American cocktail." Having experience with mixology with his first bar, Wisdom, Erik sought to bring that experience to H Street.

The decision to use American-only liquors  in Church and State was inspired by the passion that Erik saw in American distilleries and their stellar products. As a result, he sought to make them the focal point for his bar. They follow this mission statement to a tee, even going so far as to say "If we can't find it [made in America], we'll make it ourselves." 

DC isn't a state, and this is no church, but it'll keep your spirits up.
(image from Church and State's website)

The low lighting, wooden pews, and adorned stain-glass windows help give the bar a unique feel combined with the usual cozy and intimate H Street environment. It felt strange, drinking in a setting that reminded me of Mass, but it also provided a feeling of tranquility, a contrast to an usually-chaotic Friday night.

Church and State is a stark contrast to the downstairs bar, Atlas Arcade. I went from the quiet, peaceful atmosphere to one filled with the lights of arcade cabinets, music blaring from the jukebox, and a giant projector screen. The change was jarring at first. Above the bar are large TVs with SNES and Atari machines attached and GI Joes, all relics of Erik's childhood. 

Nostalgia is a powerful force, a reminder of a simpler, kinder, more cheerful time. This feeling seems to be magnified in my generation, the children of the 90s. The rise of the Internet has allowed us to preserve those memories and feelings and to easily revisit the mediums of our childhood through cartoons via Netflix and NES emulators. 


It should come as no surprise that a bar on H Street, DC's newest expanding district, sought to capture that feeling for their patrons. Filled with old arcade machines, movie posters for "Jaws" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark," even GI Joes hanging on the walls, make Generations X and Y feel right at home, our old memories resurfacing as we once again hold a real Nintendo controller (A and B buttons and all).

Dreams do come true. (Image from Thrillist)

To use Erik's words regarding Atlas Arcade, "I wanted to build a bar that the eight-year-old me would think was cool." After a chance meeting with a guy who could repair arcade cabinets, Erik went about acquiring cabinets for its opening last August. He is constantly looking for new games, new attractions for his arcade, and is very attentive to feedback in order to provide for his patrons.

The arcade also has an abundance of DC-local microbrews, both bottled and draft. However, Atlas does not support a kitchen. It instead offers childhood snacks such as popcorn, Gushers, and other candies. The space that would normally be used for a kitchen was put to better use as floor space for the arcade. This simple design works well, triggering memories of playing in movie theater arcades before a show started. While arcade games, such as Ninja Turtles and Donkey Kong, do take quarters, both serving as a callback to simpler times and a reminder of a forgotten nuisance, the console games are free - but also first come, first serve.

An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age. (Image from Thrillist)

Atlas is much more than a arcade with alcohol, though. In the center of the bar is a giant protector, used for Atlas's monthly Rock Band nights (held on the first Tuesday of each month), Michael Jackson's "The Experience” dance parties, and sporting events. Their cozy but presentable setup has been praised by many, even to the point of being declared the second best place in DC to watch March Madness. 

Atlas believes very strongly in engaging the DC community, and frequently partners with groups such as Rock Band DC and even our own DC Geeks to host nerdy events; their layout and provided entertainment making it a natural spot for geeks and video game enthusiasts. Atlas Arcade is the perfect mix of 80's and 90's nostalgia and modern nightlife: the games' cabinets, like the Simpsons Arcade Game, have been fitted with cup holders. Crushing my friend in Street Fighter II was even sweeter with a drink next to me and a small crowd watching.

As a reminder, DC Geeks hosts a monthly happy hour at Atlas Arcade. Our next event is July 10th. For more about these bars and their origin stories, please check out our podcast with the owner of Wisdom, Atlas Arcade, & Church and State - Erik Holzherr.

The Board Room: Pick One Thing and Do It Right

by Samantha Tynes

Conveniently nested only a couple blocks north of the Dupont Circle metro station is a real gem for board game fans, serious and casual alike. Peering in the oversized front window will give you a peek into a busy, but not crowded, collection of tables and chairs with enthusiastic patrons huddled close over colorful, durable cardboard and a smattering of equally eye-catching plastic pieces. The Board Room opened in the latter half of last year with much anticipation. Barcades and board game bars were things saved for places like New York and Chicago, and DC got one of each in one year.

Baseball, beer, and Sorry! (image © The Board Room)

The bar stretches almost the entire length of the building, my friend waiting all the way at the end of it. I apologize for being late. “It’s alright,” he replied with a shrug, a tumbler of something dark resting on one of the many Uncle Pennybags cartoons that decorated the bar’s surface. The barman interrupts, “What can I get you?” With twenty-one beers on draft and a very well-stocked bar, it takes me a minute to decide. The cabinet at the front end of the bar is also packed full, but with all the classic games from childhood: Operation, Sorry!, Battleship, even Mousetrap. The extra fun comes in from the vintage games they have to rent. You could try your hand at MiamiVice: the Game, Kommissar, or even a game about the Kennedy family.

With matching glasses in hand, we head upstairs. The few tables in the downstairs area can fill up quickly once peak hours start, but the second floor is much more spacious, quieter and with larger tables. A second fourteen tap bar and tabletop Pac Man game round out the area for being the better of the two for actual gameplay. For all their games to rent, you don’t have to feel restricted to Connect-4 or Yahtzee. The Board Room is happy to let you bring your own games, they encourage it, in fact. I came prepared with a bag full of options, and one set of instructions later I was getting my ass handed to me in Ascension. 

Bird's eye view before the rush (image © The Board Room)

There isn’t a kitchen on site, unlike most other bars in the area. But as afternoon transitioned to evening and the tables upstairs filled, delivery men began to appear. They wandered the building balancing stacks of pizzas or loaded with arms of brown paper bags, looking around with that lost, yet hopeful expression of somewhere, in this building, this pizza belongs to someone. Just like bringing your own games in, they don’t mind if you order in. Ask the bartender about food and he’ll supply you with a thick stack of takeout and delivery menus that would do any college dorm proud. 

It’s a unique approach to the bar and restaurant scene. They don’t try to offer everything, or pretend that they do. It’s a bar, yes. But you aren’t confined to sitting in a row at a bar or little isolated booths. There are couches and chairs and nooks and open areas and room for a game in each. The casual atmosphere makes it feel like a little more than that. Across from us, an awkward first date was stumbling through semi-personal questions and a round of Battleship. While next to us, a loud group of friends were destroying a pizza and striving to cement their own monopoly. The Board Room feels less like a bar and more like a hang out spot. Just remember to be kind and give the delivery guy your cell number.

TableTop Day at Labyrinth Games

You guys may remember Labyrinth from DC Geeks' podcast chat with them a few weeks ago.

By Samantha Tynes

So many games, so little time.
(image via Labyrinth's site)

I almost walked past Labyrinth the first time I went there. Hardly a five-minute walk from the Eastern Market metro station, it’s an unassuming front with colorful letters painted over the door and a large front window displaying stacks of family-friendly puzzles. I thought I had missed all the fun when I got inside, there were only a few people milling about the front half of the store checking out some of their many very cool, and very challenging wooden puzzles. But the buzzing hum of far-off conversation and that special kind of oppressive heat that comes from shoving too many people in a small area let me know otherwise.

Going down the stairs, the back half of the store was packed from wall to wall with people chatting, laughing, playing their old favorites, and testing out new ones on whatever flat surface they could find. People were huddled around tables, sitting on the floor, and one group even repurposed a shelf display for their own makeshift gaming space. I could tell when I walked in halfway through the event that the place had been bursting with people since it started earlier that day. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and still very upbeat and chipper despite (or because of) the mass of board game enthusiasts that had taken over to celebrate TableTop Day.

Even the US Antarctic Program's Amundsen-Scott South
Pole Station joined in (via TableTop Day's FB page)

International TableTop Day is the brainchild of Geek and Sundry’s popular YouTube series, TableTop. Watching Wil Wheaton and friends sit around and play a game didn’t sound like how I wanted to spend my internet time, but the series does grow on you. Some episodes are better than others, yes, but it does not pander to “mainstream” geek and games. They cover gateway games, like Munchkin and Settlers of Catan, to a little more serious, but still casual, games. It’s an entertaining and popular introduction to board games for people that may be looking to break out of Monopoly territory.

In addition to the wide variety of games to demo, there were prizes and swag to be had. The fine fellows at ThinkGeek provided items for a raffle every hour (I won an Alien chestburster; now it hangs from a lighting fixture, its sole purpose to startle visitors), and the demo team from Steve Jackson games had all kinds of Munchkin goodies to hand out. North Star games and game designer Dave Chalker were also there wandering about and promoting their respective games, giving everyone a chance to play and chat with them. Chalker’s game, Get Bit!, is definitely worth a check out and was featured in an episode of TableTop. It’s a fun and quick pick-up game to play when you have some time to kill. A few of us even got a sneak peak at the new Ascension expansion; only a few days before it’s release but hey, it was still a preview.

Labyrinth wasn’t the only place around the metro area that was celebrating. Victory Comics in Falls Church and Looney Labs up in Bethesda also hosted some festivities. TableTop Day’s first celebration was met with enthusiasm and widespread support throughout the area. It was a great opportunity for people to get out to their local gaming shops if they hadn't before, meet others, try new games, and support their community. I sincerely hope the trend continues and if you didn't get a chance to get out this year, definitely mark it down for next.

Sakura Matsuri

By Pres James

Everypony was there. (Image: Flickr)

On April 13th I had the pleasure of attending Sakura Matsuri once again, the yearly Japanese street festival hosted in downtown DC set to coincide with the blossoming of the city’s cherry trees. As soon as I stepped inside the fenced off area, I knew I was among fellow geeks.  On my right, a group of cosplayers posing for pictures in long, flowing clothing that must have been QUITE hot on the inside. On my left, a herd of bronies with a boombox, blasting j-pop and dancing. One stage had a kendo demonstration and on another Taiko drummers performing a cover of Gangnam Style.  The rumbling of barely contained excitement, flashes of colors both neon and muted, bright sun to show off the beautiful clothing and decorations, and a cool breeze to keep everyone refreshed.

It would be a good day.  A good day indeed.

Along with several of the other editors I made my way around the festival, perusing what was on offer for sale and seeing some of the demonstrations.  Some of the more notable ones were a booth selling handmade stuffed sushi and another with bonsai trees.  Anime memorabilia and Japanese-American outreach groups were well represented also.  Games of Go were being played, arts were being crafted, and friendships were being forged.  Three different stages highlighted singers, dancers, and performers, perfectly coordinated swirls of movement and sound.

Oh, did I mention the food?  I haven’t yet, have I?

Well.

You could smell the wonderful scents of street festival food from blocks away.  It was a mixture of traditional American fare (hot dogs, funnel cakes, meat on a stick) and things with more of an asian flare to them, though not always Japanese.  Yaki soba, red bean buns, and my personal favorite... squid on a stick.  There’s really no better place to get squid on a stick than at this festival.  Imported Kirin beer was also available at roped off tents throughout the festival.  It seems that they’ve learned from previous years, since it nearly always sold out.  This year, even trying to eat fairly late in the day, there was plenty to be had.

Fun despite the crowds (Image: Pres James)

That surprised me because the most notable aspect of this year’s festival was crowds.  There were so many people that the central avenue became an impromptu picnic at one point.  There were no places to sit and little open space, so people simply took it into their own hands.  A roadblock for sure, but also a great way to talk to some of the other attendees!  While there are usually lots of people wandering around, attendance increased this year but the space did not.  Expect that trend to continue!

After the festival started to wind down, I found my way over to the tidal basin where the cherry blossom trees actually reside.  While there wasn’t much in the way of signage to direct you between the two, it was easy enough to just follow the roving packs of tourists in the general direction of the mall and eventually you’d reach the trees.

Unfortunately, getting there involves being in the middle of a thousand other people with the same idea.  If you’re looking for a classy shot of a cherry tree with the blossoms blowing in the breeze you might want to come a little earlier than the festival.  Between the thousands of tourists pressed into the tiny walkways and the vendors on every corner selling unofficial t-shirts and water bottles, I was shoulder-to-shoulder almost the entire time I was in the area. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful sight.  Just be careful about your timing.

And yet, despite the crowding, despite dealing the Metro track work or parking paralysis, I wouldn’t miss the Festival.  I’ve gone for many years and plan to go for as long as I live here.  Relax and be a part of the crowd for a day.  You won’t regret it.

RavenCon Review

By Erik

 In the corner of the consuite there couched a mysterious chocolate-smelling chest. Leaning against it was what appeared at first glance to be Kevin J. Anderson’s newly launched book, Clockwork Angels. The only explanation given was a small placard stating simply “DO NOT TOUCH”. The most peculiar aspect was the clicking noise that seemed to come from within every few minutes. What could it be? I’ll get to that in a minute.

(Image: Erik)

RavenCon is a smaller literature-focused convention hosted in Richmond. It was replete with all of the standard con inclusions: a dealer’s room, charity auction, guest signings, consuite, and a costume contest. Notably, the 24-hour tabletop and gaming room and the nonstop 36-hour long LARP kept the interest of many until the wee hours of the morning. The panels presented included a myriad of topics ranging from many different writing workshops, designing a scientifically-accurate fictional planet, to alien species, a discussion of the Doctor’s companions, and even a guide to hosting a great room party. I also loved the smaller convention footprint of the Holiday Inn – I kept running into friends the entire time, both old and new.

Speaking of parties, one of the particularly novel aspects of the con was a friendly competition for “Best Room Party”. During the opening ceremonies the award for last year’s Best Party went to a 1984/Brave New World-themed party, where the prize was a plaque and a small attached bottle of Goldschläger. Open parties were advertised on a whiteboard adjacent to registration and included pertinent information like times and theme. The party my friends and I attended on Saturday night was quite congenial and pretty laid-back, but it was cool enough that I got to rub shoulders with several of the staff and guests of honor there.

All the musical performers were great too. Jonah Knight was absolutely sublime with his folksy filk songs with subjects ranging from ghosts, spooky Christmas tidings, and particularly badass ballad about pirates. The location of a smaller panel room made for quite a friendly, intimate setting. Mikey Mason, a comedic guitarist, describes himself best in his song “White Trash Geek” and rocked out with his YouTube hit “She don’t like Firefly” as well as the crowd favorite “Best Game EVER”. And need I mention the midnight Bella Morte concert? Absolutely amazing.

Don’t let yourself be misled, though; events geared toward younger geeks were in full swing the entire weekend. There were a track of activities aimed toward the younger crowd, including a children’s writing workshop and a make-your-own steampunk goggles. At the end of the weekend the kids had a special farewell panel to say goodbye to their new friends.

(Image: Erik)

Would I return to RavenCon next year? Absolutely. If you’ve got a blank spot in your convention-attending schedule next April and are near Richmond, VA, I can’t recommend it enough! You won’t regret it.

Oh, and that chest? Turns out it was actually a gorgeously designed and absolutely delicious cake created by long-time RavenCon attendee and President Carla Brindle. The book was constructed entirely out of fondant and edible ink. Inside the chest-shaped cake was a smaller cake of devil’s food cake designed to look like a heart; a reference to the Poe classic “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Sadly, nobody there ate it khaleesi-style.