AC 2006 report, sorta

[chipotle]

So. Back from AC. I’m all but expected to give a convention report, but I’m not all that good at such things. Short form, though, it was a great con. One of the best ACs I’ve been to in years.

Yes, the convention center was big, and they weren’t perhaps making the best use of space—although I don’t know how much of that really had to do with the convention center’s assignments and such. Finding a way to better utilize the skywalk between the hotel and the center would be a great thing.

Having gotten the requisite nits out of the way, it was just a helluva lotta fun. Random highlights, not all of which are directly related to the con:

• The Sofawolf party, and hanging out with people I don’t see very often. This included the Germans who actually, like, remember my old stories and are still fans, and who also kept plying me (and anyone else who didn’t actively resist) with Jaegermeister. It was also amusing watching unclekage act as Crux’s de facto agent for a bit.

• Getting badge art from Ursula Husted, one of the relatively few times I’ve (gasp) gotten a small comission done at a con.

• Meeting kereminde and malkith0 for the first time, and Missy Vixen and Miateshcha’s players again.

• Being subject to krdbuni’s “Iron Author” contest as a judge of horrifically bad stories, yet again. (Wait, this was a highlight?)

• Dinner with jadedfox at Tonic, the surprisingly good restaurant and bar right across from the hotel.

• A long random conversation with Wendingo, who I only know in passing online but who was pretty cool in person.

• Being amused at how, well, visible the con was in Pittsburgh. Despite pot shots from a few bozos (I suspect mostly spurred by the morning bozo radio show that reality_fox heard), the considerable media attention was fairly positive, and some businesses stayed open just to catch convention attendees.

• One of those businesses was a sandwich shop a block away from the hotel. In addition to having great food for the price, they have entertainment, sort of: while we were there a (non-congoer!) guy angry that the “restrooms for customer use only” was being enforced broke off the valve lever from one of the soda machine spigots. A clerk spotted this, shouted, and three of them chased the vandal onto the street and pummeled him as he fled.

• Flying Midwest Express. Despite the godawful time I had to leave Monday morning to fly out, it’s the best airline experience I’ve had since, well, airlines actually had service. (Remember that?)

There are complaints I’ve seen that AC is just “too big” for you to see everyone you want to see. Yet you don’t have that frustration at a smaller con precisely because not everyone you want to see is there. I saw cargoweasel, animakitty, bluedeer and a few others entirely in passing (in fact, with Anima, I believe it was after he passed by that I thought, “Hey, that was Anima,” and I never saw him again!). My favorite smaller furry con has been Conifur Northwest, but since they screwed the pooch this year,* maybe I’ll consider something else—depending on budget, which is going to take a while to recover from the spending over the last month, though. (I’m spending money like I have it.)

On the plane ride back, I read an advance copy of ursulav’s novel. Not a graphic novel, but a prose novel. I’ll write more about that later, but for now I’ll just say I’m pretty impressed.

* While I understand they had difficulties with the hotel, they knew they’d have to switch from the 2006 hotel before the 2006 convention. Given that we’ve seen other cons in similar circumstances figure out something other than “damn, gotta cancel,” it’s hard not to suspect the con committee just dropped the ball on this one. (And let the ball roll under the sofa. Then set fire to the sofa.)

Comments

[aureth.livejournal.com]

Come to Midwest FurFest in November. People keep telling us we still feel like a small con.

[bluedeer.livejournal.com]

*hug* Sorry we didn't hang around too much. Story of my life, always moving around. I woulda liked to have hung out s'more. New people always make me nervous, though, until I actually get to know you s'more. It was good to see you, though!

[shaterri.livejournal.com]

My favorite smaller furry con has been Conifur Northwest, but since they screwed the pooch this year,*

Hey, wait! I demand a footnote to go with this asterisk! (Yes, I'd heard that Conifur won't be this year, of course; I'm just befuddled by the hanging reference. :-)

"Seeing Nobody Is Better Than Not Seeing Everybody"

[xydexx.livejournal.com]

I continue to be confused by the logic of people who insist the con is "too big" to see everyone, and how their mind-boggling solution to that problem is to not attend—which guarantees they won't see everyone. It's amazing. Given the choice between hanging around with lots of cool furries or sitting home while everyone else has a blast, these folks choose the latter. Seriously, I don't get it.

(I managed to meet up with 70% of the folks on my friends list who said they were going to AC and I wasn't even trying.)

Re: "Seeing Nobody Is Better Than Not Seeing Everybody"

[dajagr.livejournal.com]

If Anthrocon were the only game in town (figuratively), I could see that logic working. But I think that a fuller explanation would be people saying this:

I can only afford to travel to one furry convention this year. I want to organize it with my friends so that we make it to a convention where it's not difficult to find each other; the art show, dealer's room, and panels aren't crowded; and it feels more like we're hanging out with friends instead of in a faceless crowd.

Based on what I heard from the people that I talked to, most of the people who were unhappy with things were the ones who went there for the socializing/interpersonal interaction aspects of the convention, who felt like they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. And most of the people who were happy with things were the ones who went there for the more commercial side of things—to buy and sell art, zines, and so forth. There are exceptions on either side (I go to cons more and more for the people, and not for the stuff, and I had a pretty good time, though I suspect I wouldn't go so far as to call it "a blast"), but this seemed to be a fairly accurate generalization from my experience.

[graveyardgreg.livejournal.com]

Once again Ursula has earned my ire! *shakes fist at Ursula dramatically*

[padfootsm.livejournal.com]

"Crux’s de facto agent for a bit."

I'm intrigued...he like...tried to whore out Crux's artwork or something? XD

Seriously...just curious.

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

Mostly, he took the initiative in showing Crux's artwork to Sofawolf's editor. It should be noted Crux was present at the time, so this wasn't a particularly devious act, I was just a bit amused. Crux seems rather quiet and not prone to active self-promotion. Kagemushi is, well, not quiet, and quite comfortable with promotion. :)

[kellyasmith.livejournal.com]

A couple of my fiance's kids went to that convention. I told them I had a friend also attend that convention. Patty just asked me if you went behind the pink board. I have no idea what that means. I thought I would ask you anyway.

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

I don't know either, but now I'm curious.

There was a 'message board' people pinned notes to (usually 'I'm in room #!' messages) which was pink, come to think of it, but I didn't think about looking behind it...

[kereminde.livejournal.com]

Behind the pink board (Scratching Post) someone had started a "post your Dead Dog Parties here" section, and there were some others there.

Nothing blatantly different from the front though

[tyrc.livejournal.com]

(Just peeking in! Its a Jaql from the con, Jaded's former roomie, and so forth..!)

Hey, you were pretty cool to be around, for what little time we did talk; I had wanted to try Tonic, but I hadn't heard from anyone who had. I'll bug Vicki on it, when she next visits, I suppose. :>

[dorallizard.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, I can't believe I missed ya. :(

[malkith0.livejournal.com]

You reminded me vaguely of Eugene Levy from his performance in A Mighty Wind.