Dragon*Con 2007, SF and Fetish...

[LunarKitten]

And now I'm back to wondering if anybody is going to GenCon...the GAMING convention, people!

Not us, but we have a friend that has gone for the past few years as a vendor, but that mini company isn't in business anylonger

 

[coyotepondering]

GENCon is neat but I'm afraid I'm not a hardcore gamer or I am in doses. I can get in there and geek out with the best of them but there's a point I want to retreat to a land of corsets and wholesome reasons to strip them off.

Thus, why I have alwas loved Dragon Con.

 

[LunarKitten]

GENCon is neat but I'm afraid I'm not a hardcore gamer or I am in doses. I can get in there and geek out with the best of them but there's a point I want to retreat to a land of corsets and wholesome reasons to strip them off.

Thus, why I have alwas loved Dragon Con.

You just like to oogle the slavegirl Leah's

 

[FurryFury]

World of Warcraft by any chance? It was recently the topic of much discussion on one of our local lifestyle lists. I'd never try it. The rumor that I have a level 70 warlock being totally unverifiable. *looks over at lunar menacingly*

Nooooooooo!

I hear that is more addictive than crack! I can't find time for any more addictions right now.

*chuckles*

My heart was broken because the site blew up due to immature people being jerks behind the scenes.

 

[Evil_Geoff]

LARP's are great fun! I might actually get back to playing Dark Confrontation at Dragon*Con this year now that I'm not Director of Autographs for the con...

 

[coyotepondering]

LARP's are great fun! I might actually get back to playing Dark Confrontation at Dragon*Con this year now that I'm not Director of Autographs for the con...

The good friend that lunar mentioned above may be coming as well. I need to chat with him. He's a big autograph collector, something I have never understood. Truth be told, I've always been a bit reluctant to meet favored authors for fear they'll turn out to be such intolerable jerks I can't enjoy reading their books any more though that's only happened once to me.

 

[Evil_Geoff]

The good friend that lunar mentioned above may be coming as well. I need to chat with him. He's a big autograph collector, something I have never understood. Truth be told, I've always been a bit reluctant to meet favored authors for fear they'll turn out to be such intolerable jerks I can't enjoy reading their books any more though that's only happened once to me.

Well the only intolerable jerk author I've run across at Dragon*Con is Harlan Ellison.

Can you say "Napolean Complex"? But he's GREAT with his fans...

In my experience they've all been pretty damn nice. Though Caitlyn Keirnan is a bit... strange. *LOL* Laurell K. Hamilton was an absolute sweetheart, Kevin Anderson, Bob Asprin, John Ringo, Ray Bradbury, have all been great! Anne McAfferey is an absolute hoot. I love being able to talk with them and get to know them a little bit.

It was a fun ride running Autographs.

 

[Velvet Bubbles]

Why don't you do it anymore? (I don't remember seeing this answer before.)

 

[coyotepondering]

Well the only intolerable jerk author I've run across at Dragon*Con is Harlan Ellison.

Can you say "Napolean Complex"? But he's GREAT with his fans...

In my experience they've all been pretty damn nice. Though Caitlyn Keirnan is a bit... strange. *LOL* Laurell K. Hamilton was an absolute sweetheart, Kevin Anderson, Bob Asprin, John Ringo, Ray Bradbury, have all been great! Anne McAfferey is an absolute hoot. I love being able to talk with them and get to know them a little bit.

It was a fun ride running Autographs.

I've heard that of Harlan Ellison. lunar would love to meet Laurell K. Hamilton whose books she adores. I'm fond of them myself but not as much as she is.

I heard Anne McAfferey speak a few years back at Dragon Con and she had me chuckling and grinning. A lot of folks had these "did she just say that" looks on their faces. I've never been much of a fan. She's a talented writer but her voice doesn't catch me the way it does many. Not to say I don't enjoy her books but they don't hook me.

hmm.....

I did end up chatting with Tracy Hickman for a while several times and he and I come from not only different worlds but universes. He's a conservative Christian and I'm ... well, a spanko rigger half pagan. Still, I found him gracious and warm in every way that you could hope for. Same for my brief meeting with Margaret Weis.

Terry Brooks amazed me. I stood in line to get autographs for someone else and he remembered me from another Con several years prior. I don't know if he's just nice to fans or not but he had a way of seeming genuine even with just a 30 second quick signing.

The one writer I was very aggravated by my interaction with is one not likely to be at Dragon Con. I had the displeasure of meeting the mystery writer Kathy Reichs about six years ago. I don't think after that meeting I would make much effort to pull away from an on coming bus.

 

[coyotepondering]

Why don't you do it anymore? (I don't remember seeing this answer before.)

While I'm not trying to speak for Geoff I suspect its the same reason I don't. Time and availability. LARPing is fun but so little time in the world ....

 

[Etoile]

Did I already mention that Peter David is a jerk? Cuz...yeah.

 

[Lady Legs]

Anne McCaffery has a wicked sense of humour as does her son Todd (had breakfast with him last year) and Jody Lynn Nye is a lot of fun.

Going again this year. *panic as she has harely any costumes organised*

 

[Evil_Geoff]

Why don't you do it anymore? (I don't remember seeing this answer before.)

Are you asking me? And if so, are you asking why I don't do Director of Autographs any more? If so, here's the Reader's Digest Condensed Version:

Way back in the Pre-Cambrian period, there was but one Autographs area that was used for the authors (who typically do not charge for autographs) and TV/movie celebrities (who usually do). And there was one Director of the whole kit-n-kaboodle. I started working as staff in Autographs in '97

Then, in '99, because Dragon*Con was in the process of changing venues/re-organizing, not only were the authors spun off from the celebrities, but the signing areas for the two groups were moved to different locations about 2 blocks apart. T. G. who had been in charge of the united Autographs section was still in charge of the divided sectionS. But one director trying to run both areas was insanity. Having worked with Tom for a couple of years at that point, he left me in charge of the Authors area (called Signings at that time) while he dealt with the media stars (and accompanying prima donna egos) in the "Walk of Fame" area, and I was to call him if I had any problems that needed to be kicked upstairs.

Things ran very smoothly and there was a lot of positive feed back from the authors. They left things that way for a couple of years, with Tom being the overall Director and me the un-official "deputy director for authors". In '02, the Powers That Be saw the wisdom in making the Authors section it's own independent department, and I got my first official Director's badge/ribbon. I was Director of Autographs through the '05 convention.

After the '05 con, the convention was re-organized again, adding a new hotel and a lot of space and things were re-organized and shuffled around. The Walk of Fame and Autographs were put back together in the same area. T. G., being the senior director, kept the job. Me being the junior director, was out the nice blue ribbon on the badge and the accompanying perks. And while I was planning on remaining on staff last year, there was this little interlude with a heart attack and quad bypass surgery about a week before con and I missed it... *grins and shrugs* The first freaking Dragon*Con I've missed since 1994, dadgum it!

Such is life.

So I'm going back this year, changing Departments to Transportation (I get to play chauffer for the guests coming in to the con) since T. G. had to replace me last year. So while I lost the perks of being a Director, I have also lost the headaches and time consuming responsibilities that go along with the position!

And that, dear Velvet, is why I'm not doing it anymore. If you were asking me. About Autographs.

 

[Velvet Bubbles]

Yes, dear. It was you I was asking. And that is what I was asking about. Only because I was so surprised that you'd give up something that you seemed to enjoy so much. Makes sense now. I hope you have fun be a driver. Just be careful. No points for hitting Con-goers (unless they're the type that needs out of the gene pool that is - then I'll applaud you).

 

[FurryFury]

Anne McCaffery has a wicked sense of humour as does her son Todd (had breakfast with him last year) and Jody Lynn Nye is a lot of fun.

Going again this year. *panic as she has harely any costumes organised*

My fav costume was very little fabric, particularly on your back, spirit gummed on. A bald wig spirit gummed on and dots painted on the wig, then down the back!

You are now a Takenese (Am I remembering that right?) or if you want to be rude about it, Slag. The picture below was bought at a gaming con and is in my bedroom. It illustrates the effect I'm talking about.

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1745/9158847/17346901/269318905.jpg

 

[Evil_Geoff]

Several years before we divorced, my ex and I won the costume contest at Magnum Opus Con 3 with both of us in Tankenese costumes... I was uniformed cop and she was a dancer/hooker... Her costume was essentially a bikini with a buncha scarves tucked in and around to create a veiled effect and I was trying to "arrest" her. As I'd try to grab her and cuff her, the veils were pulled off... and she run to another corner of the stage... another "grab" and "miss" and she was off to the other side of the stage. *LOL* It was a hoot! At the end I caught her, cuffed her and marched her off the stage! picking up the scarves as "evidence"...

And she wondered why I scrogged the bejeesus outta her later that night...

 

[Velvet Bubbles]

What in the world is a "Takenese"?

Sounds like you had fun, Geoff.

 

[coyotepondering]

What in the world is a "Takenese"?

Sounds like you had fun, Geoff.

Reminds me of the aliens from Alien Nation. Good movie and TV series from the 90s but pretty much forgotten I think. I didn't look up the name but I think that's right.

 

[FurryFury]

Reminds me of the aliens from Alien Nation. Good movie and TV series from the 90s but pretty much forgotten I think. I didn't look up the name but I think that's right.

Yep, that's right!

http://epguides.com/AlienNation/cast.jpg

 

[Etoile]

Alien Nation was great!

 

[Velvet Bubbles]

That explains why it looked familiar then. I used to watch that show.

 

[Evil_Geoff]

That explains why it looked familiar then. I used to watch that show.

Gary Graham ("Sykes" on Alien Nation) later had a regular role as The Vulcan ambassador, Soval, in Star Trek: Enterprise.

 

[Velvet Bubbles]

Hmm, that might've helped. I'm big into Star Trek.

 

[Etoile]

Gary Graham ("Sykes" on Alien Nation) later had a regular role as The Vulcan ambassador, Soval, in Star Trek: Enterprise.

I never really liked Soval. It felt like he always treated T'Pol like a baby even though she was probably at least 50 at the time she served on Enterprise. (I never found a cite for her age, that's just a guess.)

BTW, if you ever read the Andy Mangels Enterprise book "Last Full Measure" there's a corporal in there who was named after me.

 

[coyotepondering]

I never really liked Soval. It felt like he always treated T'Pol like a baby even though she was probably at least 50 at the time she served on Enterprise. (I never found a cite for her age, that's just a guess.)

BTW, if you ever read the Andy Mangels Enterprise book "Last Full Measure" there's a corporal in there who was named after me.

According to Wikipedia she was 62 or 63 at the time she joined the Enterprise.

I vaguely recall his character. I saw some of the show and liked it but have never been good about seeing shows regularly. I need a DVR, lol.