WorldCon 66: Days One and Two…
Posted August 7th, 2008 by Howard Tayler
WorldCon 66 has been amazing thus far, and I don’t expect to be at all disappointed for the remaining three days.
As always, the highlights are the people. Countless (or at least “I lost count”) fans have stopped by to say hi, buy stuff, gush, or otherwise interact. It’s great fun for me, and Sandra has been enjoying it as well.
Then, of course, there are the fellow professionals with whom I’m privileged to rub shoulders. We had dinner with Phil and Kaja Foglio and friends on Wednesday night, and Steve Jackson and Monica Stephens on Thursday. After each of those meals we wandered the room parties and the con suite as a posse, meeting and greeting other notables, fans, and friends along the way.
And for all that there are still a million-zillion-bobillion people here I don’t know, but who I can meet if I want to. I expect I’ll be meeting a bunch more tomorrow, because the comic I created for the newsletter has no dialog — it’s a “caption this” contest. I hold out reasonable hope that in this festival of creative minds SOMEBODY can make me laugh hard enough that I give them free books.
For those of you who have been by to buy stuff — THANK YOU. Sandra and I were worried that the large expense of this trip (flying our children off to California for fun at Grandma’s falls under “babysitting,” for instance) would make it unprofitable, but apparently we’ve more than broken even already.
For those of you who plan to come by to buy stuff — HURRY. We’re already running out of T-shirt sizes, magnet sets, and mouse-mats, and at this rate it looks like we’ll run out of books before Sunday. Yes, you can buy this stuff online, but here at WorldCon there’s no shipping fee, and we’re eating the sales tax.
My only complaint with WorldCon 66 here in Denver is that it’s very spread out compared to WorldCon 64 in Los Angeles. We’re in six or eight different hotels, the Convention Center is being shared with two other events, and the result is that fandom doesn’t seem to be developing the critical mass it did two years ago. We’re just a little too far apart, and when we leave the Convention Center for hotels, we scatter, rather than clumping up and raising the ambient temperature of the networking.
Still, it’s a good event. No, a GREAT event. I’m having a fantastic time.
Explore posts in the same categories: Uncategorized, Conventions
August 8th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Sorry I can’t be there - hopefully your voice will hold out (or your signs will…)
Today’s strip (Friday) has an oddity… At first glance, it appears that Lt. Ebbirnoth has grown a tentacle which is reaching for his food. If it were a different colour, one might think Schlock was trying for a sample of Ebby’s food.
I realize it’s just the strap for his gun - but that was the first thing I thought when I saw it.
August 8th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Hey, if you get a chance tomorrow, stop by the art show (right next door) and say hi! I took today off because of my cold, but the whole family will be in tomorrow, right back to work in the art show. I’ll be the easy one to find… the plump, long-haired woman with the racking cough. =g=
August 8th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
good to hear you’re doing well at denvention howard, the last time i went to a worldcon in denver i found the natives very friendly, at least one of them, fond memories…
“gunner”
August 8th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
So what? They picked up half the booths from Comic Con and just moved them straight to World Con?
August 9th, 2008 at 1:26 am
I can’t wait to go next time!!
August 9th, 2008 at 7:36 am
I doubt I’ll be exhibiting at either of the next two WorldCons, since the expense of getting hundreds of pounds of books across the border to Montreal or across the Pacific to Australia is oppressive. Still, it’s possible I’ll attend. I’ve had a GREAT time here.
August 10th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Howard:
I know at least three Aussie schlockfans. We’d love to see you here!
My place isn’t really set up for guests to stay over, unfortunately (used to be fine before we ended up with two kids! :) ), but I’d certainly invite you over for a few meals, and I bet there’d be people who could help you out. Right folks? :)
‘Course, that’s a pretty lame inducement considering all the costs for you, but it’s all I can give!
PS. PLEASE RESCUE EBBY! :S
August 10th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Sunday: I don’t think either mercenary is responding to well-aimed sniper fire quite as seriously as they should be.
August 10th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Yes, I’d love to see you at http://www.aussiecon4.org.au/
(This has been an unpaid ad for a Worldcon in my hometown.)
August 10th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I have to agree with CrazyDreamer, Schlock and Ebby aren’t responding to the situation like seasoned veterans of a firefight. Even I, a REMF that has never been shot at in anger, would be crab crawling at a respectable speed to the nearest cover and concealment. The impact of a bullet has a distinctive sound, you never forget it. The sound a bullet makes as it passes by or over head is unmistakable. And then there the report from the weapon muzzle… Schlock should have kicked in to Yeee-HAH mode in less than a second after the bullet impact. Just my 2 cents worth; apologies to the artist and author for butting in.
August 10th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
One is immune to bullets, and basically everything below plasma on the weapon list.
The other is suited up, aside from a non-essential appendage (well all suited up now…)
Schlock seems to be in scoping out the scene in order to eat a shooter - though distance may make that hard :)
The existence of nanny-bags might change their perception of danger as well. Oh and the funny beats the realism every day of the week…
August 10th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Hi, guys.
This is NOT where comments on the strip go. Take it to the forums, please.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Sorry Howard - I thought this *was* the forum. I must have eaten an extra bowl of stupid this morning. This won’t happen again! Cheers! :)
August 11th, 2008 at 5:12 am
You had dinner with *Phil Foglio*
Did you hear Howard? Casually, he mentions in passing… he had dinner with Phil Foglio.
I’ve been following the man’s work for decades. Can’t believe you spoke to him, let alone had dinner with him!
*whimper*
August 11th, 2008 at 8:22 am
@cartoon-gal
My inner fan-boy screams “SQUEEE” a lot at these events. I’ve learned to keep him from embarrassing me. As it turns out Phil, Kaja, and their oldest child are all fans of my work, which is only fair since Sandra, our oldest child, and I are all fans of theirs.
I’ll blog more later today about the fun people I met.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
@cartoon-gal
Ditto too.
And *whimper* too.
I’m going to head downstairs and spend some quality time with my Dragon magazines now.
D.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Phoenyx: So if Howard comes down with con-crud, we’ll know who to blame?
Johno: I think Howard was complaining to CrazyDreamer, Curt, and sholden. Your first comment was on-topic, except for the last line.
As for your attempt to induce Howard to come to Australia… It’s a big country. Even NSW’s bigger than Texas, which seems to be the Seppo standard comparison for really big places. How many Schlockfans do you know who can actually get to the con?
August 12th, 2008 at 1:18 am
I know that if Howard is here I’ll be there, that’s for sure. And I know a couple of other guys who will be there too.
August 12th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Glad to know I’m not the only whimper-ee ;)
C
~ who is very happy that her 11-year old finally found the old Dragons I carefully ‘hid’ on the bookshelf last year ;)