I told someone I would post about this. Who, I have NO idea.
NOTES ON:
Boomer's Account of GenCon 2008: Year of "DAMN YOU, JOSH FROST!!!"
Yes, the trip to Indy this year was truly magical - a fun-filled, wondrous homecoming to a convention that I hadn't visited since 2000, the release of 3E, way back when I was a little 19-year-old college boy; a straight-edge, non-drinking, non-smoking, wet-behind-the-ears LARPer & D&D player who knew all of exactly two people at a 30,000-person Con: the two guys he rode up on the train with.
Note, of course, that GenCon 2000 was actually held in Milwaukee. So this was truly an odd-ball experience: my only other trip to Indianapolis, EVER, was way the hell back in the summer of '96 or '97, when Macomb High's marching band performed at the Indy 500.
To add wonder to amusement, Emily & I actually spent the trip in a lovely Hilton Garden Inn, right on the parade route that I had marched, in blazing and horrid summer swelter, more than a decade ago.
It's a lot prettier now, somehow.
But enough reminiscing - now is the time for REMINISCING!
First and foremost: this trip would not have been possible without the aid and love of three distinct groups and/or persons, who all deserve special mention right here and now:
1 - the lovely Ms. Emily, who was gracious enough to let me accompany her to GenCon. There are very few people who love conventions as much as she does, and even fewer people who are lucky enough to get to bang a smoking hot Booth Babe. I am both.
NOTE: for pictures taken by (and of) Ms. Emily, go here:
http://s293.photobucket.com/albums/mm67/EmmyLouAngel/GenCon%2008/
2 - my Mama & my Papa, who assisted in making this trip awesome mostly through emotional assistance - but I'll fucking take all the emotional assistance I can get, okay?
3 - the WereCabbages, especially my roommate Stefan Happ, who all made me feel like an integral part of the coolest Writer's Guild in the whole wide world.
The con was a whirlwind of awesome - Matt, my lawyer and close personal friend, along with his beautiful wife, joined myself and Ms. Emily on Saturday. That was, honestly, probably the highlight of the Con.
But there were a lot of other neat moments:
- I had to introduce myself to exactly ZERO people during the Con. Fucking EVERYONE knew who I was, including Lisa Stevens, the CEO of Paizo.
- On that topic: I shook hands with several dozen fans of the PSAs, who were each and every one of them super, super cool. Hell, I even signed a few PHBs, right next to Hennet ... SORCERER!
- My first for-pay, published work, "The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting" by Paizo Publishing LLC, went on sale on Thursday. It was completely sold-out by Saturday.
- Oh, and Paizo took home a breath-taking 8 Ennies (the Oscars of gaming) this year, including Best Publisher after being nominated by the fans.
- My second for-pay, published work, "PC Pearls" by Goodman Games, was also on sale at the Con, and sales were robust.
- I ran three games for Paizo, including assisting with "Ascension of the Drow": a six-hour, 126-player, 21-DM mega-session that simulated a vast, city-wide war for the throne of a massive Underdark city. Most importantly, my players had FUN.
- I went to White Wolf's company party, held in a goth-industrial bar called Club Ice. I had a damn good time, and was quite possibly the ONLY guy there in non-goth attire. I was turning the heads of guys with a half-dozen facial piercings, full-length sleeve tattos, and blue dreads.
- I got drunk with the WereCabbages (including Lou Agresta, Tim Hitchcock, Nick Logue & Adam Daigle) & the staff of Paizo, including James Jacobs, Wes Schneider, James Sutter, Erik Mona and Josh Frost.
- I didn't miss ONE SINGLE appointment the entire time.
- I've got several writing gigs lined up, as a direct result of attending the Con.
- I'm going to get to work on those now. After I have a smoke.
- Boomer
Boomer's Account of GenCon 2008: Year of "DAMN YOU, JOSH FROST!!!"
Yes, the trip to Indy this year was truly magical - a fun-filled, wondrous homecoming to a convention that I hadn't visited since 2000, the release of 3E, way back when I was a little 19-year-old college boy; a straight-edge, non-drinking, non-smoking, wet-behind-the-ears LARPer & D&D player who knew all of exactly two people at a 30,000-person Con: the two guys he rode up on the train with.
Note, of course, that GenCon 2000 was actually held in Milwaukee. So this was truly an odd-ball experience: my only other trip to Indianapolis, EVER, was way the hell back in the summer of '96 or '97, when Macomb High's marching band performed at the Indy 500.
To add wonder to amusement, Emily & I actually spent the trip in a lovely Hilton Garden Inn, right on the parade route that I had marched, in blazing and horrid summer swelter, more than a decade ago.
It's a lot prettier now, somehow.
But enough reminiscing - now is the time for REMINISCING!
First and foremost: this trip would not have been possible without the aid and love of three distinct groups and/or persons, who all deserve special mention right here and now:
1 - the lovely Ms. Emily, who was gracious enough to let me accompany her to GenCon. There are very few people who love conventions as much as she does, and even fewer people who are lucky enough to get to bang a smoking hot Booth Babe. I am both.
NOTE: for pictures taken by (and of) Ms. Emily, go here:
http://s293.photobucket.com/albums/mm67/EmmyLouAngel/GenCon%2008/
2 - my Mama & my Papa, who assisted in making this trip awesome mostly through emotional assistance - but I'll fucking take all the emotional assistance I can get, okay?
3 - the WereCabbages, especially my roommate Stefan Happ, who all made me feel like an integral part of the coolest Writer's Guild in the whole wide world.
The con was a whirlwind of awesome - Matt, my lawyer and close personal friend, along with his beautiful wife, joined myself and Ms. Emily on Saturday. That was, honestly, probably the highlight of the Con.
But there were a lot of other neat moments:
- I had to introduce myself to exactly ZERO people during the Con. Fucking EVERYONE knew who I was, including Lisa Stevens, the CEO of Paizo.
- On that topic: I shook hands with several dozen fans of the PSAs, who were each and every one of them super, super cool. Hell, I even signed a few PHBs, right next to Hennet ... SORCERER!
- My first for-pay, published work, "The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting" by Paizo Publishing LLC, went on sale on Thursday. It was completely sold-out by Saturday.
- Oh, and Paizo took home a breath-taking 8 Ennies (the Oscars of gaming) this year, including Best Publisher after being nominated by the fans.
- My second for-pay, published work, "PC Pearls" by Goodman Games, was also on sale at the Con, and sales were robust.
- I ran three games for Paizo, including assisting with "Ascension of the Drow": a six-hour, 126-player, 21-DM mega-session that simulated a vast, city-wide war for the throne of a massive Underdark city. Most importantly, my players had FUN.
- I went to White Wolf's company party, held in a goth-industrial bar called Club Ice. I had a damn good time, and was quite possibly the ONLY guy there in non-goth attire. I was turning the heads of guys with a half-dozen facial piercings, full-length sleeve tattos, and blue dreads.
- I got drunk with the WereCabbages (including Lou Agresta, Tim Hitchcock, Nick Logue & Adam Daigle) & the staff of Paizo, including James Jacobs, Wes Schneider, James Sutter, Erik Mona and Josh Frost.
- I didn't miss ONE SINGLE appointment the entire time.
- I've got several writing gigs lined up, as a direct result of attending the Con.
- I'm going to get to work on those now. After I have a smoke.
- Boomer