State of the Fennec 2011.05.25
State of the Fennec
2011.05.25
Its been quite awhile since my last State of the Fennec journal entry, so I figured it's about time to post another.
Wow...! Morphicon!
So the reason why I haven't posted in quite some time is because of the leadup to Morphicon... and the reason for that is because Morphicon was to be the home of the first Frozen Oasis as a convention event. Because of... improvements... that we were making to the Frozen Oasis show, in addition to producing all the media (posters, playlists, handouts, visualizations etc) to put on the best show possible, I simply haven't found the time to post regularly in my LJ. Sorry about that, guys.
That having been said, Morphicon is now over and I'll be back to posting as-usual. And my first post is... Morphicon 2011 was awesome! In fact, I'd go so far as to say it was my favorite convention ever. That's not to say it was perfect, but it was as near-perfect as I think anybody has any right to expect. And I'm not just talking about Frozen Oasis, but the con in general just went so smoothly! So many good things, and so few bad things. It was a wonderful experience, and I'm looking forward to next year's.
I'll be sure to post my con report about it in the next couple weeks.
Frozen Oasis 24 - A Living Legend
Not to toot my own horn too loudly, but Frozen Oasis 24 was the best part of Morphicon 2011, at least for me. It was epic in scale and went off perfectly - which is exactly what I expected, of course, but you never know... something could always hit the fan, and to be honest, there were a couple minor hiccups, but it was so awesome that those things are totally overshadowed. Its hard to justify the amount of work that goes into Frozen Oasis... all the preparation and anticipation, all for one night. But this year it was definitely worth it. For the first time ever, Frozen Oasis was taken out of the confines of the hotel room and allowed to stretch out in a venue more appropriate for what it is - a traveling nightclub - and placed into one of the hotel's ballrooms. It made a lot of difference. Before, our equipment was a bit of overkill for a hotel room. But now we were in a space similar to what we had actually designed the 'Oasis to be in, and it was magical.
Anyway - thanks everybody who came out to it, especially those who chipped-in in our 'tips' bucket or participated in the charity pet auction that we held. You guys help to make all of this possible.
So yeah... Frozen Oasis 24 was just another in a long line of “firsts” that Frozen Oasis has pioneered, but will be spoken of with reverence for years to come. Songs and poems will be written of its epicness and passed down from generation to generation. It is the turning point - the moment that the back of the dusty ol' authoritarian furry establishment was broken, and the dawn of a new era in the furry fandom had begun.
The Job Search
So I've gotten hints of a verbal offer in the works. I'm slightly suspicious of it because they keep increasing my compensation. Not only are they talking about paying me more than I had asked for, they have an extremely lucrative bonus program, and a ridiculous 401K matching program. The last time I took a job that “overpayed”, it was a horrible shitstorm of a place to work and I hated every moment of it. Later I looked back and wondered if they were trying to compensate for being a little piece of hell on earth by their overblown pay and bonus programs, which makes me suspicious that this new job might be even worse. But... I won't know until I give it a try, right? Besides... I'll be getting an office this time. No more cubicles for me.
So here's hoping I get the offer, and here's hoping also that it doesn't totally suck.
Anthrocon Looming
The world's largest furry prison is coming up again, and I am seriously considering attending. With the new job on the horizon, I would definitely need to keep my visit there short... possibly only Friday-Saturday-Sunday... but I am considering it. I don't really like Anthrocon, but it's close, and its a good opportunity to see friends that one doesn't run into very often. That means I'll be seeking a room again. This is still up-in-the-air, mind you.... but it does intrigue.
The Arts
I haven't been able to keep my artistic attention on one thing since Morphicon, which is a pity because this week has pretty-much been wasted as I bounced from one interest to another. Been dabbling in music, my video game engine, and a bit of art with no real forward progress. Oh well... here's hoping I can get my act together.
New Arts Up On FA!
It's been awhile since I posted any of the art I put on FA in this journal... mostly because (as I said earlier) I've been so busy getting ready for Morphicon. But I have been posting there, so there's a bit of a backlog. Here's what I've posted recently:
Walkies? by ChewieMonster - a pic that she did for me as a gift art after we met (I believe it was at FWA, but it could have been MFM... anyway...) The thing I like most about the pic is that she captured Jas's demeanor spot-on... something that many people who've known me for years manage to miss so epically it surprises me... especially when they act on it. I suppose I should just come out and say it - but I won't. People might consider that impertinent. Besides it takes some of the fun out of it.
Join the Vault! by Moody Ferret - a commission that I got from Moody in anticipation of the release of Fallout: New Vegas, which I uploaded for the Apocalypse-Themed "FA:United" this year.
Overwhelmed (aka: Deth By Snu Snu) - a commission that I got several years back from Max BlackRabbit at MFM featuring the lovely blue she-wolf Raven riding Jaspy until he loses consciousness. MBR came up with the content, and it is kinda cute... Anyway - it was black and white, and I finally got around to coloring it myself and I put it up.
And then, of course there's the poster for Frozen Oasis 24 which was made by me, but is posted up at the Frozen Oasis FA page. If you haven't started watching that user, its a good way to stay in touch with us at FO in terms of things like announcements and artwork. Check it out! This art took me a very long time... due to the crazy amounts of detail, of course... and it features Jaspi, Soron, Pixycat, Bastian, Mystee, Jewel, Savant, and Jadaira, as well as White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat. I think the art went over pretty well...
Hope you guys like 'em!
And that's it for now. Thanks for reading!
- jaspian