Eclecticon con report
Life is conspiring against me. I meant to take a simple trip to the library, but the bus, he did not come for half an hour. I finally gave up on that. Also, I meant to be writing this con report, and the girlfriend, she call and talk for half an hour. We don't talk enough, so talk to her I did, but now I only have forty-five minutes until Prison Break. Aarrgh!
natlyn and lanchid picked me up Thursday morning and we drove to Red Bank to see a comic store. They were beside themselves because we got there several hours before the shop closed; apparently, the usual plan is to get there just before it closes and run and buy things fast.
I was walking around going, "Huh, picture books. And, um, teeny statues. Do I want any of these t-shirts?" I can barely read comics. I can't browse them. Too often, the series has been running for years, they're not very well described on the back, and it's just…not my scene. I almost, almost bought three issues of the second series of 1602 (because then I would only have to buy two more, and I would be done.) Then lanchid Nat taunted me with the idea that I was stepping onto a slippery slope and lanchid agreed that would be just the beginning, and 1602 The New World went back in the bin.
We met up with brak666 and got a tasty supper (our next to last good meal all weekend), and experienced a modicum of customer service at a liquor store and yet more inept New Jersey signage before heading to the hotel.
They showed me Shaun of the Dead and Black Books. And they were good.
(Also, on Thursday night, we had adventures in New Jersey. It wasn't going to Target that was the problem. It wasn't stopping at White Castle on the way back that nearly broke our spirits. Getting back to the hotel was a nightmare trek, almost as difficult going to Mount Doom. We even took casualties [good bye, fair Mozzarella Sticks, I hardly knew you!])>
Friday, I ate breakfast with Nat. It was edible, although my poached eggs were weirdly watery. On no occasion did the hotel restaurant say that an item on their menu was discontinued, so I was satisfied. I sort of drifted between the con suite and the dealers' rooms until my panel.
I'm Just In It to Fi(c)x It!
I wanted to know why some very good shows that many fans watch do not get much fan activity, and why other shows of lesser quality get a lot of motion momentum. In my panel, we came up with the answer.
Fannish, not watchable Watchable, not Fannish
Ex. Smallville, Supernatural, Harry Potter, SGAEx. Homicide, West Wing, Babylon 5, Sports Night
We wound up the hour by speculating on a Fannish but Unwatchable Show. Much time was spent during the weekend speculating on how the pilot would work. I almost want to run a virtual season, but of the people I was talking to about it, I am the most prolific writer. Ack!
Did some more bouncing around the dealer's room and consuite, dinner with I'm no longer sure whom, and then I went to a panel m_j_ ran on Fandom and Academia. I think the conclusion we came to is that we're not sure we want to be research subjects, there's not enough studying of sports fans and non-Internet media fans, if fans are to be studied at all, and what we really need are librarians and historians to get interested in fandom and preserving some of our stuff.
I also, at some point, watch an episode of Dr. Who with the 9th Doctor. My esential problem with Dr. Who had been that the sets were so cheap that I couldn't suspend disbelief. That's been overcome with that series, and I think I would like it, if only it were on Region 1 DVDs.
I covered the con suite from 9 to a little after midnight (Nat, that's why I missed your Dr. Who panel. No one came to relieve me. I'm sorry if I never said that straight to you, I really had intended to go.)
Now it's time for Prison Break, so Saturday and Sunday will have to wait for tomorrow. Or at least 10 p.m. This will include information on SGA pairings other than John/Rodney and http://del.icio.us/
natlyn and lanchid picked me up Thursday morning and we drove to Red Bank to see a comic store. They were beside themselves because we got there several hours before the shop closed; apparently, the usual plan is to get there just before it closes and run and buy things fast.
I was walking around going, "Huh, picture books. And, um, teeny statues. Do I want any of these t-shirts?" I can barely read comics. I can't browse them. Too often, the series has been running for years, they're not very well described on the back, and it's just…not my scene. I almost, almost bought three issues of the second series of 1602 (because then I would only have to buy two more, and I would be done.) Then lanchid Nat taunted me with the idea that I was stepping onto a slippery slope and lanchid agreed that would be just the beginning, and 1602 The New World went back in the bin.
We met up with brak666 and got a tasty supper (our next to last good meal all weekend), and experienced a modicum of customer service at a liquor store and yet more inept New Jersey signage before heading to the hotel.
They showed me Shaun of the Dead and Black Books. And they were good.
(Also, on Thursday night, we had adventures in New Jersey. It wasn't going to Target that was the problem. It wasn't stopping at White Castle on the way back that nearly broke our spirits. Getting back to the hotel was a nightmare trek, almost as difficult going to Mount Doom. We even took casualties [good bye, fair Mozzarella Sticks, I hardly knew you!])>
Friday, I ate breakfast with Nat. It was edible, although my poached eggs were weirdly watery. On no occasion did the hotel restaurant say that an item on their menu was discontinued, so I was satisfied. I sort of drifted between the con suite and the dealers' rooms until my panel.
I'm Just In It to Fi(c)x It!
I wanted to know why some very good shows that many fans watch do not get much fan activity, and why other shows of lesser quality get a lot of motion momentum. In my panel, we came up with the answer.
Fannish, not watchable Watchable, not Fannish
- Many gaps in plots and poorly illustrated character relationships
- SFF
- Amusing or light-hearted tone
- Episodic in nature
- Substantial worldbuilding with many underdeveloped and undeveloped areas
- Characters have a goal which defines but does not structure the show
- Pretty characters and visuals
- At least one OTP
- Show thoroughly explores its own plot premises and character relationships
- Not SFF
- Unhappy tone
- Must watch each episode to keep up
- Universe is constantly jossed
- Distinctive dialogue
- High quality
- No fannish evangelist demanding fic of friends
Ex. Smallville, Supernatural, Harry Potter, SGAEx. Homicide, West Wing, Babylon 5, Sports Night
We wound up the hour by speculating on a Fannish but Unwatchable Show. Much time was spent during the weekend speculating on how the pilot would work. I almost want to run a virtual season, but of the people I was talking to about it, I am the most prolific writer. Ack!
Did some more bouncing around the dealer's room and consuite, dinner with I'm no longer sure whom, and then I went to a panel m_j_ ran on Fandom and Academia. I think the conclusion we came to is that we're not sure we want to be research subjects, there's not enough studying of sports fans and non-Internet media fans, if fans are to be studied at all, and what we really need are librarians and historians to get interested in fandom and preserving some of our stuff.
I also, at some point, watch an episode of Dr. Who with the 9th Doctor. My esential problem with Dr. Who had been that the sets were so cheap that I couldn't suspend disbelief. That's been overcome with that series, and I think I would like it, if only it were on Region 1 DVDs.
I covered the con suite from 9 to a little after midnight (Nat, that's why I missed your Dr. Who panel. No one came to relieve me. I'm sorry if I never said that straight to you, I really had intended to go.)
Now it's time for Prison Break, so Saturday and Sunday will have to wait for tomorrow. Or at least 10 p.m. This will include information on SGA pairings other than John/Rodney and http://del.icio.us/