2023.

The Cult of Marriott Carpet is the original parade group that “Eternal Zan” founded in 2015. We marched for the first time in the parade in 2016. The motto on our parade banner is “You Can’t Pull the Rug Out from Under Us!”

Due to the pandemic, the parade was held virtually in 2020. For 2020 and beyond I will be working with all of the group’s leaders to ensure we don’t have any duplicate registrations. These take away spaces from the hundreds of people on the parade’s waiting list. My parade sign up form will list the other carpet-related groups that march in the parade. This way you can sign up with the group you prefer to march with.

– “Eternal Zan” Bowden

AS OF 2020 THERE ARE NOW MULTIPLE CARPET RELATED PARADE GROUPS.

1) The Cult of Marriott Carpet is the original parade group that “Eternal Zan” founded in 2015. We marched for the first time in the parade in 2016.  The motto on our parade banner is “You Can’t Pull the Rug Out from Under Us!”

2) The Marriott Carpet Cheer Squad. Their Facebook group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/874517122886549. They were founded in 2018 and marched with the Cult of Marriott Carpet parade group for the first time in 2019.

3) The Marriott Carpet Marching Band & Color Guard was founded in 2019 and their first year marching in the parade was 2021. If you have questions, please contact Mera Rose in https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragonconparade.

4) The CarpetsaurusRex group was founded in 2019.  Their first year marching in the parade will be 2020. Find their sign up info at https://www.facebook.com/CarpetsaurusRex. You may need to scroll back and read recent posts.

For 2020 and beyond I will be working with all of the group’s leaders to ensure we don’t have any duplicate registrations. These take away spaces from the hundreds of people on the parade’s waiting list.

– “Eternal Zan” Bowden

2018.

• MARRIOTT CARPET EVENTS AT DRAGON CON FOR 2018
• HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN COSTUME WITH A CARPET FILE THAT TILES

I’m new to Dragon Con and I don’t get it. Why do I keep seeing people at Dragon Con wearing this crazy colorful pattern?  Why do I keep hearing everyone talk about the Marriott carpet and what is the big deal? Is it true that many people worship carpet that isn’t even in the Atlanta Marriott Marquis anymore?

A: Yes. Dragon Con has a long standing reputation as the best convention for cosplayers in the world. Every year more people join in on the Marriott Carpet trend!

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. It all started in 2013 when the Harrison Krix, owner of www.volpinprops.com, and some of his friends decided to make their own soldier costumes but instead of the standard camouflage coloring they used the pattern of the carpet used by the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, a hugely popular host hotel for Dragon Con. Their clothes blended into the floor and the costumes were an immediate viral internet sensation!

This is one of many examples of the photos of the Marriott carpet camouflage soldiers that started it all in 2013.

The colorful carpet pattern was replaced in 2016 but we honor its memory. Always. See some fantastic photos of Marriott Carpet cosplay all over the internet.

Below: This is actual photo of the original carpet.

Um, okaaaaay. That pattern is very colorful and is maybe making me a little dizzy right now. How did this fashion trend start?

The Marriott carpet pattern was popularized at Dragon Con in 2013 by amazing camouflage soldier costumes made by Volpin Props. Photos went viral online and their popularity soared when they were threatened with legal action. Here is one article about the story and there are more further down this page. Read this and come back. https://io9.gizmodo.com/cosplayers-threatened-with-legal-action-for-hotel-carpe-1366152096

Okay, are you back now? That was a crazy story, right? Yeah, everyone else thought so too. Of all the things to get in legal trouble over – carpet? Really?? That is just bizarre! In response, every year more people started making their own Marriott carpet outfit. A quick Google search shows tons of photos. As long as you aren’t making a profit it seems to be okay.

The last of this famous carpet design was removed from the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Wed, Dec 23, 2015. People went to the Marriott dumpster to save it for themselves. Some was sold online. The carpet fad continued to grow.

In 2016 the Cult of Marriott Carpet was formed by longtime Dragon Con attendee “Eternal Zan” and marched in Dragon Con’s annual Saturday morning parade for the first time. Yes, some Atlanta natives were confused as newly-formed group walked by in the parade but the Dragon Con fans immediately got the joke and cheered loudly! The parade group continues to march in the parade every year to this day. The creativity of their members is impressive – even by Dragon Con standards, and that is saying something! More people join the parade group every year.

THE REPLACEMENT CARPET IS SO VERY BORING

This new replacement carpet was installed in December 2015 after the old pattern was removed. Dragon Con fans do not like it! It has ugly brown stripes and has been dubbed the “Skid Marks” carpet. People enjoy making fun of it and woefully pining for the good old days when the original, colorful carpet was on the floor. This photo was taken during the original installation of the new carpet. That mismatched square has since been replaced but just the sight of it makes still people twitch.

MARRIOTT CARPET EVENTS AT DRAGON CON FOR 2018

PRE-CON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, Free Photo Op with “Trashy” in the Marriott

Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 11:00 p.m. Time subject to change, follow the Facebook event for updates.

Description: In 2018, Trashy will be sitting on some old, familiar carpet that will once again suddenly appear out of thin air. This will be the the third year in a row this happens for a short time on pre-con Wednesday night. It is kinda like when the ghost of Christmas past magically reappears. This is a free photo op for all! Join the Facebook event to get news and updates during Dragon Con! https://www.facebook.com/events/337437316702791

HOW CAN I MAKE SURE I REMEMBER TO ATTEND A WEDNESDAY NIGHT EVENT?
This is an unofficial fan-run meetup and is NOT associated with Dragon Con so this event will NOT be listed on the official Dragon Con schedule or app. You can manually add your own custom events to the schedule in the Dragon Con app when it comes out a few days before con. Until then, please add this to your phone’s calendar or whatever organizational system you use.

DO I NEED A DRAGON CON BADGE FOR THIS?
Nope. This is a free, unofficial, fan-run Wednesday evening meetup that takes place BEFORE Dragon Con starts on Thursday so no Dragon Con badge or hotel key will be required to enter the hotel.

I DON’T GET IT. WHAT IS TRASHY?

The original image for the famous Trashy Thread on Facebook

In August 2014, Jimmy Burns was sick of people complaining about petty things and then proclaiming that “Dragon Con isn’t the same any longer because of X and I’m not going to attend any more” so he made a post on the now-closed original official Facebook group.

“Folks, I just got word from someone “in the know” that this trash can will not be available for use this year at DragonCon. Apparently it is under maintenance. They said they are putting out 5 more trash cans in areas nearby, but I think this is just another sign that DragonCon doesn’t care about its attendees anymore. I don’t know that I’m going to go this year, it obviously just isn’t the con I have come to love over all these years.”

This post got over 1,000 hysterical comments and Trashy became a long-running inside joke among Dragon Con attendees.

You can only see the original “Trashy” thread if you were a member of this group before it got shut down, they stopped accepting new members when the new, current official Dragon Con group was created. Original “Trashy” Thread: https://www.facebook.com/groups/64957418128/permalink/10152340504308129/

The new Trashy memorial thread is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialdragoncon/permalink/1712928308947990

SATURDAY MORNING PARADE

Join us as the Cult of Marriott Carpet returns for their third year in the Dragon Con parade!

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HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN COSTUME WITH A CARPET FILE THAT TILES

By popular demand, a pattern for the Marriott carpet that can be tiled! Download all my files at this Dropbox link. Keep reading to learn about larger downloadable files suitable for printing.

This file is brought to you by “Eternal Zan” Bowden, the leader of Cult of Marriott Carpet parade group.

Witness us! When you use the file please tag/credit both Zan Bowden and https://www.facebook.com/VolpinProps . I’d love to see what creative uses you find for it!

See the original thread I shared these images to at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204785158/permalink/10154398627995159. You must be a member of the unofficial, fan-run Dragon*Con group to see that thread –  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204785158

Lots of helpful information and links are below. *Cracks knuckles* Let’s do this!

I modified the original files from Volpin, which didn’t repeat, to create this perfectly tiled pattern. It took a loooong time. It wasn’t as easy as you’d think. But it was totally worth it because now I’m winning at wallpaper :D It took me many, many revisions to modify the file into a version that could be tiled. It was much harder than I expected to get it exactly right.

You can download the original, larger files for my free, tileable pattern from this Dropbox link. These can be used for printing on fabric and other materials.
https://www.dropbox.com

This text file is in the same Dropbox folder as the graphics files and has helpful info.
“READ THIS FILE. TRUST ME, IT IS PRETTY AWESOME. – ETERNAL ZAN BOWDEN.TXT” The contents of it are further below.

Want to see more discussion of the carpet file and how to use it?
Marriott Carpet Lovers(and scavengers) group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarriottCarpetLovers. Join this group and read the Pinned Post (always the first post at the top of the group) for helpful resources. Scroll back in the group to see recent posts from others. People are often sharing photos of their recent creations and tips on how to make things.

Get the original, free file. It cannot be tiled. Just like Volpin Props, I giving away my modified files free of charge for your own personal, non-commercial use. Don’t use the pattern to make a profit. Here is the original, free version of the carpet pattern by Volpin Props. It is a very large file and NOT a repeatable pattern. http://www.volpinprops.com/product/dragoncon-carpet

Get clothing, accessories and merchandise printed with the pattern at www.artscow.com . Artscow is located in China and has very long processing and shipping times. My last order took a month to arrive.

Get your own custom fabric printed at www.spoonflower.com. View my Spoonflower fabric swatch samples in the comments  at https://www.facebook.com/groups/402396229957538/permalink/448949885302172/ You must be a member of the Marriott Carpet Lovers(and scavengers) Facebook group to see that thread. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarriottCarpetLovers.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DOWNLOADABLE FILES IN DROPBOX

This text file is in the same Dropbox folder as the graphics files and has helpful info.
“READ THIS FILE. TRUST ME, IT IS PRETTY AWESOME. – ETERNAL ZAN BOWDEN.TXT” The contents of it are below.

Witness us! When you use the file please tag/credit both Zan Bowden and Volpin Props. I’d love to see what creative uses you find for it!

WARNING. DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER. You should be aware that if you sell an item with this pattern, you risk legal action by the creator of the Marriott Carpet pattern. I swear I’m not making this up. Do not sell items made with the carpet pattern for profit. You could end up with lawyers coming after you.

These files are being provided free for your own personal, non-commercial use. Don’t try to make a profit from this pattern. Be cool, man, be cool. Think of the children. The innocent, cosplaying children.

Here some internet articles about the legal action.

https://www.facebook.com/VolpinProps/photos/a.113042158715817.12891.112981562055210/636520186368009/?type=3&permPage=1

http://io9.gizmodo.com/cosplayers-threatened-with-legal-action for hotel carpet

http://www.dailydot.com/…/marriott-hotel-carpet-cosplay-legal-action

http://www.themarysue.com/cosplay-carpet

https://nerdsincourt.wordpress.com/…/cosplay-copyright-and-carpet-analysis

ABOUT THE ORIGINAL FILES

Get the original files in Adobe Illustrator and PDF format from Volpin Props at http://www.volpinprops.com/product/dragoncon-carpet . The original version does not tile. The creator of the file said this on the download page.

“Here we go again. The hideous pattern that Just. Won’t. Die. Even though it’s torn out of the Marriott in downtown Atlanta, this beast still shambles onward, and now you can have your very own copy! Provided in this download is the fullsize 12′ x 5′ file in Adobe Illustrator CC, as well as a PDF.

It doesn’t tile because it’s enormous and I really didn’t expect anyone to stitch this into a file wider than five feet across.

I don’t own the rights to this design, but the file is of my own creation. That means I can distribute it for free for use as satire. I don’t think anyone here is going to be using this to make more carpet. Please don’t do that. If you’re thinking of doing that, and selling bootleg carpet, I implore you to re-evaluate your life.

Again, I would like to reiterate that you are not purchasing this file, and you can download it gratis! That said, if you feel like making a charitable donation to the upkeep of my website and my studio, you can do so above in the “name your own price” box. If not, I won’t be bummed. Free is pretty great.

To everyone who won’t let this die: I hope you’re happy.

You monster. – Harrison Krix”

ABOUT THE TILEABLE VERSION OF THIS FILE

I don’t have Adobe Illustrator. I’m not a graphic designer. It took me a long time to modify the file into a tileable/repeating pattern version. Twenty two versions, in fact. I left my original file names for my future reference. That is why the file names contain the number 22.

I used Paint Shop Pro X8, which has the native, default file format of .pspimage.

Want to see more discussion of the carpet file and how to use it? Join these and scroll back to read past posts on this topic.
Cult of Marriott Carpet parade group – https://www.facebook.com/events/616888815080229
Marriott Carpet Lovers(and scavengers) group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarriottCarpetLovers

Just like Volpin Props, I am giving away my modified files free of charge for your own personal, non-commercial use. Don’t use the pattern to make a profit.

REFERENCE PHOTO OF THE CARPET

Above: This is a an actual photo of the carpet.

Above: These are the samples I ordered.

MY NOTES:

Below are actual fabric samples that I ordered from http://www.spoonflower.com. While some of the photos below may appear a bit blurry, that is just the photo. The actual print quality on the fabric is crisp and clear. I didn’t notice the photos looked out of focus until I posted the full-size version of them here. They looked fine in their original Facebook posting at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/402396229957538/permalink/448949885302172.  You must be a member of the Marriott Carpet Lovers(and scavengers) Facebook group to see that thread. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarriottCarpetLovers.

These are my notes on each of the fabric samples below. More information about fabric types is at http://www.spoonflower.com/spoonflower_fabrics .

1 – Fabric: Cotton Poplin Ultra. File: 1000 pixels. 150 DPI. Sample 1 of 8. This feels like a heavier fabric, very easy to iron. The colors are stand out well, I’d say it is the 2nd brightest of the 4 fabric types. It has a matte finish.

2 – Fabric: Basic Cotton Ultra. File: 1000 pixels. 600 DPI. Sample 2 of 8.This feels a bit lighter than the first sample. The colors are very similar to the first sample, only slightly duller but that could be because I increased the DPI. I’d say it is the third brightest of the four fabric types. It is very close. It has a matte finish.

3 – Fabric: Silk Crepe de Chine. File: Volpin full size. 150 DPI. Sample 3 of 8. This fabric is very light and has a slight shiny sheen to it. The colors are the dullest on this fabric, they appear slightly faded.

4 – Fabric: Cotton Poplin Ultra. File: Volpin full size. 2400 DPI.

5 – Fabric: Basic Cotton Ultra. File: Volpin full size. 4800 DPI

6 – Fabric: Organic Cotton Sateen Ultra. File: 1000 pixels. 300 DPI. The colors appear the brightest on this fabric. It is heavier and easy to iron. Matte finish.

7 – Fabric: Silk Crepe de Chine. File: 1000 pixels. 450 DPI

8 – Fabric: Organic Cotton Sateen Ultra. File: Volpin Full size. 1200 DPI.

1 – Fabric: Cotton Poplin Ultra. File: 1000 pixels. 150 DPI. Sample 1 of 8. This feels like a heavier fabric, very easy to iron. The colors are stand out well, I’d say it is the 2nd brightest of the 4 fabric types. It has a matte finish.

2 – Fabric: Basic Cotton Ultra. File: 1000 pixels. 600 DPI. Sample 2 of 8.This feels a bit lighter than the first sample. The colors are very similar to the first sample, only slightly duller but that could be because I increased the DPI. I’d say it is the third brightest of the four fabric types. It is very close. It has a matte finish. The photo may appear a bit blurry but the actual fabric printed just fine.

3 – Fabric: Silk Crepe de Chine. File: Volpin full size. 150 DPI. Sample 3 of 8. This fabric is very light and has a slight shiny sheen to it. The colors are the dullest on this fabric, they appear slightly faded.

4 – Fabric: Cotton Poplin Ultra. File: Volpin full size. 2400 DPI

5 – Fabric: Basic Cotton Ultra. File: Volpin full size. 4800 DPI . The photo may appear a bit blurry but the actual fabric printed just fine.

6 – Fabric: Organic Cotton Sateen Ultra. File: 1000 pixels. 300 DPI. The colors appear the brightest on this fabric. It is heavier and easy to iron. Matte finish.

7 – Fabric: Silk Crepe de Chine. File: 1000 pixels. 450 DPI . The photo may appear a bit blurry but the actual fabric printed just fine.

8 – Fabric: Organic Cotton Sateen Ultra. File: Volpin Full size. 1200 DPI. The photo may appear a bit blurry but the actual fabric printed just fine.

WHICH FILE SHOULD I USE TO PRINT?

That depends on how big you want the pattern to be and the requirements of where you are printing them. To print the full size pattern on Spoonflower, use this file name at 150 DPI. “22 – full size 150 dpi – resize 85 percent, can be uploaded to spoonflower, kept original print size.png” This file is available from the Dropbox link above.

To print a smaller size, follow the instructions on whatever site you are using. You can also use my files as a starting point and modify them to your liking.

I strongly recommend that you print your own samples before placing your full order.