Mars, the Bringer of Slack
I headed off to this year's MarsCon with a single objective: to get drunk. I'll be the first to admit that classier goals exist, but with one thing or another, 2010's started off rough for me, and I needed some release. Besides, I drink so little that half a glass of dessert wine once a year is enough to make me pretty loopy.
I never got that drink, but I never needed to. A weekend of friends, costuming, laughs, and even a little gaming turned out to be just the prescription; by the end of the weekend, my body hurt, my head was spinning, my legs wouldn't hold me up, and life looked so much better than it had a few days ago. In the short time since NekoCon, I'd forgotten why I devote so many resources to con-going.
I've avoided gaming at cons since I burned out on MechWarrior: Dark Age. Con gamers can be so angrily competitive that even winning leaves a sour taste. (And let me tell you, I'll never play Button Men again.) This weekend, I got to game the way I enjoy it: Jesse Braxton brought a cards-and-custom-dice game called "Inn-fighting", which was fun, fast, arbitrary, and not worth getting angry over. I've missed that kind of convention gaming so much.
Tom Monaghan and I began rebuilding our friendship this weekend. He's not the same man he was a few years ago, but he's more like the friend I remember from high school, older and wiser. He rediscovered BattleTech this weekend, and wants to get me into a game soon; we even discussed resurrecting Artificial Intelligence, or a descendant, as a webcomic. Do I have the time and resources for that? I don't know. Am I fascinated by the idea? Yes, though I'm not sure who should draw: Tom is a better artist than I am, but a regular drawing gig would likely refine my skills a great deal.
I really do have some relatively traditional fan costuming planned for the future - I made contact this weekend with someone who could help me with some old-school anime outfitting I've always wanted. But from various (positive) comments I received this weekend, I'm developing a reputation at MarsCon for my over-the-top outfits, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying the rep.
The capper for the weekend? A casual enquiry about a costume commission led to a possible acting gig. Nothing's set in stone, but I'm really stoked: I love the stage and screen, and I haven't done any serious acting since Space Rogues. (Yes, I took it seriously. No matter how comedic or surreal the material, it's not the actor's job to laugh at it - only the audience's. That's often forgotten in low-budget work.) This is thrilling news!
Don't know how long I can hang on to it, but I found my center again this weekend. Thank you MarsCon, for the opportunity.
I never got that drink, but I never needed to. A weekend of friends, costuming, laughs, and even a little gaming turned out to be just the prescription; by the end of the weekend, my body hurt, my head was spinning, my legs wouldn't hold me up, and life looked so much better than it had a few days ago. In the short time since NekoCon, I'd forgotten why I devote so many resources to con-going.
I've avoided gaming at cons since I burned out on MechWarrior: Dark Age. Con gamers can be so angrily competitive that even winning leaves a sour taste. (And let me tell you, I'll never play Button Men again.) This weekend, I got to game the way I enjoy it: Jesse Braxton brought a cards-and-custom-dice game called "Inn-fighting", which was fun, fast, arbitrary, and not worth getting angry over. I've missed that kind of convention gaming so much.
Tom Monaghan and I began rebuilding our friendship this weekend. He's not the same man he was a few years ago, but he's more like the friend I remember from high school, older and wiser. He rediscovered BattleTech this weekend, and wants to get me into a game soon; we even discussed resurrecting Artificial Intelligence, or a descendant, as a webcomic. Do I have the time and resources for that? I don't know. Am I fascinated by the idea? Yes, though I'm not sure who should draw: Tom is a better artist than I am, but a regular drawing gig would likely refine my skills a great deal.
I really do have some relatively traditional fan costuming planned for the future - I made contact this weekend with someone who could help me with some old-school anime outfitting I've always wanted. But from various (positive) comments I received this weekend, I'm developing a reputation at MarsCon for my over-the-top outfits, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying the rep.
The capper for the weekend? A casual enquiry about a costume commission led to a possible acting gig. Nothing's set in stone, but I'm really stoked: I love the stage and screen, and I haven't done any serious acting since Space Rogues. (Yes, I took it seriously. No matter how comedic or surreal the material, it's not the actor's job to laugh at it - only the audience's. That's often forgotten in low-budget work.) This is thrilling news!
Don't know how long I can hang on to it, but I found my center again this weekend. Thank you MarsCon, for the opportunity.