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.
It’s good you’re enjoying it, and keep clear of the tornado.
Last year was a little odd over in Yokohama. An amazing setting, but much of the usual fandom wasn’t there, and it did feel much smaller. I think a lot of that was the difficulty in getting the Anglophones mixing with the locals.
As for us – we’ll be in Montréal for next year’s, and I hope I’ll have the chance to buy from you then.
When sales beat hotel costs and airfare for 4 kids, you know you’re doing well…
You are on the cusp, sir. Soon we will discover a way to spur on the next stage of economic success, which I call “Making ‘Penny-Arcade’ money”.
Hey Howard,
Someone made a cartoon comparing World Con with the Democratic National Convention. Do know who did that and maybe even have a link to it?
Getting down to Texas anytime soon? Or ever?
I am glad you’re enjoying it. I wish I could be there, but I’m at a professional conference up in the mountains.
I had a friend stop by yesterday with a gift for you. I hope you enjoyed the chocolate.
–G
I wanted to say thanks again for the wonderful cartoon you drew for me (me being the belly dancer with the really jingly clothes), and for having the TPBs available for sale. I’ve finished the first two and I’m halfway through Tub of Happiness (because, of course, I had to make sure they were good before sending them on to Dad who paid for them 😉 ), and really happy to have finally been able to dive full tilt into Schlock.
Wait, that came out wrong….
Anyway, the comics are funny and awesome, and I’m glad you had a good time at WorldCon; I’m looking forward to seeing both of you again in Montreal.
I wanted to say thanks again for the wonderful cartoon you drew for me (me being the belly dancer with the really jingly clothes), and for having the TPBs available for sale. I’ve finished the first two and I’m halfway through Tub of Happiness (because, of course, I had to make sure they were good before sending them on to Dad who paid for them 😉 ), and really happy to have finally been able to dive full tilt into Schlock.
Wait, that came out wrong….
Anyway, the comics are funny and awesome, and I’m glad you had a good time at WorldCon; I’m looking forward to seeing both of you again in Montreal.