LTUE XXIII is over. It’s an odd convention, in that it’s not really a convention at all — it’s a symposium. It doesn’t have dealer’s room, room parties, or even much cosplay (cosplay does happen a bit on Saturday) For all that, it’s a great time.

I’ll probably be lending them my services on the organizational front next year. They did a few things really well (running on a shoestring budget), but did a few things less than well. Fortunately most of what went wrong did so behind the scenes, and the attendees never noticed. Regardless, these are things I know how to fix, provided I can find enthusiastic people who will listen to me.

I had a great time. I posted myself in the Registration area, commandeered a table, and started dishing out free sketches. These “sketches” were 10-20 minute marker-art jobs, which attracted a LOT of attention. It was good practice for me, and the people watching me do it had fun. They also took URL cards. This went on for a good two hours.

My panels were fun, too — especially since most of the attendees were NOT Schlock Mercenary readers… YET. I did a good job balancing my “I can talk about anything and sound like an expert” persona against the “learn something from the other panelists” persona, with the exact result I desired — the other panelists felt pleased with their own performances, and the audience felt compelled to figure out what this whole schlockmercenary.com thing was.

Panels are odd beasts that way. I want to entertain the audience — it’s good for the convention, it’s fun for me, and it’s great marketing. I also want to EDUCATE the audience — this isn’t a stand-up routine, Jerry Springer, or “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?” I have to be super-careful not to talk too much. I know I can fill 50 minutes all by myself… that doesn’t mean I SHOULD.

The final banquet was great. I sat with Dan Willis, Bob-is-not-my-wife Defendi, L.E. Modessit, Jerry Pournelle, and a guy whose Utah license plate reads “SFWRITR.” No, I didn’t get his name. We talked until the buffet line got short enough to stand in, during which time we discussed politics, education, nuclear power, hunter-gatherers, and How To Be A Successful Husband. Jerry gave us two rules — “Men, if you are ever arguing with your wife and discover that you are right, apologize immediately.” Oh, and “Learn To Grovel.”

In the buffet line, Jerry dug into the mystery barbecue crock pot and announced “Donner, Party of 20!” He paused for a moment, and then said “Donner, Party of 19.” No barbecue is complete without long pig humor.

The door prizes were announced, and Jerry won a Farscape VHS tape. “What’s this? I’ve never heard of it?”
ME: “It’s… um… space opera with puppets, Jerry.”
Jerry: “I liked ‘Firefly.’ Is it anything like that?”
Me: “Umm… puppets.”

(Note to Farscape fans… cool your jets. You’ve got a muppet space-opera right there and you know it.)

All told, we had a great time. I’ll be back next year. This thing is right in my back yard. How could I NOT be back?

Link.

Summary: a security camera triggered by the passing of the burglar’s van was kept “awake” by falling snowflakes, and ended up capturing their whole robbery. Ah, serendipity.

–Howard

In the “What is Hard Science Fiction” panel I got scolded by Jerry Pournelle when I admitted that I don’t always do my own math. (Hi, Ryan!) I’m leading with that bit, because it was the first session of the day, and that really was the only thing I could consider a “blemish” my Friday. And it’s not even really a “blemish.” It’s just accurate criticism that I can think about the next time I don’t have time to do my own math.

Those of you who think that Schlock Mercenary is “hard science fiction” have probably watched too much Star Trek. 🙂

Following the session with Jerry, I sat down and did a little concept work for a commercial project. Hey, I’m ALWAYS on the clock, these days. I also took a half-nap in a comfy chair with my iPod and Vangelis Oceanic.

After lunch I had a session with Jake Black (Smallville writer and researcher), Lee Allred, and Jeanette Atwood about “writing for comics and graphic novels.” It was fun. Mostly, my contribution was “I’ve got it easy. The artist and the writer are the same person, so I don’t have to write what I’m thinking the action will look like.” Hardly helpful for aspiring writers, but hey, it’s the truth.

I spent a little time between sessions preparing for the Schlock Mercenary session (which I’ve discussed in the previous LJ entry). Afterwards I sat down with some folks and started drawing.

I was pretty jazzed, pretty pumped, and just a little full of myself. Then Sandra came in (she missed the session, but she got to come for the rest of the evening) and I inadvertently introduced her to “my wife Bob Defendi.”

Yeah, I’ll never hear the end of THAT. Bob, you know I can only have one wife, and besides, you and I only just met.

I whipped out caricatures and character sketches (with marker colors, for FREE, no less) and then I did the “Webcomics” panel.

There were a dozen webcartoonists on the panel. I did my best to talk LESS than half the time, but MORE than 1/12th of the time. This crowd was almost entirely Provo-local webcartoonists, and I’d seen exactly NONE of their work before. And you know what? The panel was GREAT. The discussion was solid, the questions were to-the-point, and nobody was pimping their own work (at least not once we’d finished the obligatory introductions.) We had a wonderful discussion of the medium, the community, promotion, crossover, etc.

After the panel, Sandra, Dan, Bob-is-not-my-wife, and I went to Denny’s and shot bull. I drew a Bob caricature (I’d already done one of Dan, and Bob had been watching me crank them out for fangirls earlier that evening, wondering covetously whether he could get one), we talked about LARPing, and basically wound down.

Speaking of winding down, now that I’ve WRITTEN about all of it, I need to get to bed. My first session tomorrow is at 9am.

–Howard

The best session of my day, and one of the very best sessions I’ve ever delivered — EVER — was the 4:00 “Schlock Mercenary” session. It was a solo-session and I nailed it. The crowd had fun, I had fun, and I did something that I’ll probably never do at any convention not being held on-campus at Brigham Young University: I talked honesty, frankly, and with sincere testimony about religious stuff, and I did so using my “Sunday School Teacher” vocabulary.

long-winded semi-sermon behind the cut