Comic 614 – “Leezet Hosts”
Errol: I wonder how the Filk con is! I imagine we had tons of fun! 😀 (Yes, this was posted two days ago.) Debs is probably mad at me. Manpans is probably anxious. I’m probably annoying someone. Nothing changes in our world.
Puppy pictures?
I’m glad you pluralized on memories, here comes a wall of text of my own.
One time we were at a con that was across several different buildings, the largest of them was the building with the dealer’s room, autograph line, and snacks. We were heading away from the weapons exhibition which was hilarious in its own right, when we saw at the top of the stairs to the building are some of the Storm Troopers from the dealer’s room, hanging out on break. Two cosplayers dressed as Jedi were heading up the stairs. I wish I had been close enough to hear… but one storm trooper nudged the other and nodded to the Jedi, one slowed, the other kept going so the slow one moved again trailing just behind. The storm troopers intercepted the Jedi, and the Jedi in the lead made the motion, you all know which motion, the storm troopers shook their heads, lowered their weapons and backed off. I think that was the moment I fell in love with cosplay!
Then there were some amazing moments in LARP, that I could chew your ear off for an hour or so over, one of which being Tsubasa Andou from Gakuen Alice and getting to shadow manipulate an ASTEROID to save the Earth. Another time was when I was playing a villain running for president of Neo-blatimore (From the LARP standpoint, that’s essentially the world). I set up an assassination attempt at the debate, and got Yomiko Readman to think *I* was the target, so she gave me a briefcase of paper to defend me (Read Or Die). The assassin hits, thanking down one of the Yuyu Hakusho characters. I kicked down the briefcase, Yomiko jumped onto the stage and put up a shield of paper, isolating us from everyone else. While the GMs tried to deal with this, I asked the person next to me who they thought could have done this. It was like playing telephone. It went all the way up the line of candidates, and oddly enough… came back to me. The person I asked asked me who in the world could have done this. I was in shock, but I seized the property. I said, more or less, “you don’t think Jinnai had anything to do with this, do you?” (He had been my target, the assassin had missed. Jinnai is from El Hazard) Up the line it went, and it came back to me, to my shock, as the person I had spoken to said “We think Jinnai did it.” Well, not one to let this slip through my fingers, I asked what she thought we should do. Up the line it went, back down, she asked me what we should do about Jinnai. I said that I really hate violence (ha!), but if they really wanted to go after Jinnai, I would do my part to help. Up the line it went and back to me as “We’re attacking Jinnai.” So I responded “If you think that’s best…..” So the GMs were just finally ready to handle what had happened, when the group told him, (And I do feel so badly out of game) that we were attacking Jinnai. I don’t know who looked more shocked, the GM or Jinnai. They both kind of stared at us. I scribbled a note and handed it to the gm that said “I know this isn’t how my power works, I’m going to lie” so they didn’t correct me when I acted. When initiative came around to my turn and Jinnai’s (he lost a turn to surprise, and I demurred from violence the first time, and since our initiatives matched, I got to go at the exact same time) And I said I cast my attack at Jinnai, but my attack was Area Of Effect, not targeted. But Jinnai’s move paralyze us all, letting my attack – a swarm of rabid purple butterflies – swarm free without “control”. It was great! Everyone nearly died, and only the klutziness of Sailor Moon piloting a giant mech saved the day. We all had one round to flee. I got martial law declared. It was awesome. That same year I also got to steal Cloud Strife’s weapon, and gave it to Kenshin and Yahiko, so that when the final fantasy crew came to kill me to take it back, I pointed them at the others and got away unharmed. It was fantastic.
One of my fave con moments I wasn’t there for, but I’ve heard the story a million times and love it, it involves a web comic and unfortunately spoilers, so I’ll tease you with that tidbit.
This past year I got to see a friend come to the con for the first time, and an author she loved was there. The look of joy she had getting a photo with Peter S. Beagle and getting his autograph on practically everything he’d ever written is one of my favorite con memories for sure.
And the cosplayers who play musicians and can actually handle their instruments… a fantastic Link playing to Ocarina, and Amiboshi (Fushigi Yuugi) playing Nocturne on his flute.
Oh, the Otaku Duet concert also was AMAZING!
Um… there are a lot more, but I probably should give other people a chance….. but much love to our corner, and I’m glad to have missed the hug line descending, and gladder still to have heard the story. Fresh fish, free food, love luck and glomp (someone else).
I have two favorite con memories, one was hosting a both at the first Origins convention in Columbus Ohio back in 1996 where I also got to meet and talk to Michael A. Stackpole. who wrote X-wing Rogue squadron. And also meeting Walter Koenig back in 1985 I think was really neat. His was the first signed photograph I ever got – Well actually other than a signed photocopied picture of Evel Knievel Jr. who I walked to a race track before he did a jump!