'Lost': Zap2Locke Con is almost here!

It's getting closer, "Lost" fans. Can you feel it? No, not the start of Season 6. The impending start of Zap2Locke Con! Sure, it's not national holiday on the level of Christmas, Easter, or Arbor Day. Yet. But maybe, just maybe, when the history of civilization is written by future generations, they will point to Zap2Locke-Con and say, "Aye, verily, this was the moment at which humanity achieved its greatest peak. We were forced to pick a particular moment from said event in which transcendence occurred, we would point to Ryan screaming, 'We have to go black out!' in an ill-fated attempt to join the end of 'Through the Looking Glass' with his sixth Flirtini of the night."

For those of confused, a primer: in less than ten days (September 18th, to be exact), I'll be co-hosting a "Lost" meet-up for readers of this blog with Zap2it's Andy Greiser and Long Live Locke's Erika Olson. All the information for the meet-up exists over on Facebook, but I'll give you the basic gist here as well. We'll be meeting at The Dark Horse Tavern and Grille in Chicago, Illinois starting at 7 pm and going until the party fizzles out, the bar closes, or The Island decides our work is done. Need more info? Erika's dropped an exhaustive breakdown over on her blog. Even more reason to go? We've designed a logo for our very own station, inspired by the host bar that features a name Kate Austen would appreciate.

Currently, we have approximately 40 people signed up for the event, which is about 39 more than I anticipated, quite frankly. (I figured even Andy and Erika would bail.) We'll have prizes, swag, and a "Lost'"-inspired food and drink menu. Now, this is sadly a cash event, so don't think The Hanso Foundation paid for this shindig. What I originally envisioned as a small get-together while visiting Chicago has turned into a much larger affair. While this is a nice problem to have, it means I'll need a touch more help from you all.

First up, if you haven't signed up yet, do so! If you have, please write on the wall how many will be coming with you. (Unlike Evite, FB doesn't have a feature that accounts for guests.) If you're part of my Facebook group for this site, you should already have your request. If you are not part of the group, or not on Facebook at all, just email me your RSVP and the number of guests you'll be bringing. If they aren't "Lost" fans, they won't feel out of place. We won't be wearing Dharma jumpsuits and projecting the Room 23 video against the wall or anything. Love of the show is just the connective tissue linking most of those attending; in-depth knowledge of the show is far from a prerequisite. In fact, if I have to talk about the show all night I might actually drink six Flirtinis to dull the pain.

This is all about meeting people that read our respective blogs and would like to meet face-to-face for one night. We've secured the back patio of The Dark Horse for al fresco drinking, dining, and general cavorting. Sure, we'll be giving away box sets of the show and generally trying to out-nerd each other at various points about arcane trivia, but really it's just a chance to interact in a way that doesn't involve a keyboard. While we're planning a few surprises for the evening, this is at its heart a low-key way to put some names to the faces we see so often in the comments sections, or meet a few lurkers who enjoy reading but don't feel comfortable adding to the discussion. We're the hosts, but you're the guests of honor.

If you can't make it, I'll have a full write-up of the event the following week. We'll also be posting plenty of pictures from the event, while using the hashtag #Zap2Con to Twitter live from the event. If this event goes well, I may host smaller meet-ups in NYC and Boston this Fall as well. That hashtag will carry over into subsequent events, so keep it handy. If you can make it, we look forward to seeing you there!

Ryan invites you to join the hundreds already in Zap2It's Guide to Lost Facebook group.