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Gen-Con 2013, Day 2: Fear of Commitment

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(Continued from day 1).

Today has been busy, and yet not so. I cosplayed as Captain America. After exploring the exhibitors’ hall a bit, I went to my table. While there was more traffic than yesterday, I still encountered many uncommitted buyers. They still wanted to survey the area to see what else they could. Many promised to return tomorrow or Sunday.

At noon, I attended two writing seminars. The first was on cater building. One of the writers on the panel was a professor/writer who hosted a podcast that interviewed writers. I asked him if he needed more interviewees, but they were booked until December. Afterward, I might get in.

The second seminar was on networking (not name dropping). It was an informative panel. One of the writers present even showed up in a corset she was goaded into wearing!

When I returned, I met my favorite customer of the con so far. A young woman named Emmanuell. She was cosplaying as classic Uhura. My writer neighbor Ed had told her to wait for me because I wore my Capt. Kirk outfit yesterday (so he says… :P). She was a sweet girl, but disappointed nobody else in her group dressed up. She bought a copy of Pandora’s Box I told her to come to the Five Year Mission show tomorrow night, and she said she might (albeit in another costume).

Emmanuell and I.
Emmanuell and I.

I also met one of the reviewers who stopped yesterday while Eric watched my table. Two girls named Lyric and Lyssa (they have such awesome parents!) They work on their parents’ podcast, the Dwarven Tavern. I enjoyed talking with them and gave them free copies of all my books. They’ll interview me tomorrow.

By the way, a lady amateur director offered Capt. Charisma a movie role. 😐

My costume was a huge hit. Even at a con, with thousands of other cosplayers, I’m the most popular guy in the room. It helped I was a rare Cap cosplayer (so far). I was popular at my table and wandering the halls. A three-year-old boy named Connor especially loved me, so much so he warned me there was a Dalek down the hall (I shoulda said I’d kick its ton can keister).

I managed to arrive at my next event, a photography seminar at the Westin Hotel, only slightly late due to the many photo-ops. It was two hours long, but not as good as I was hoping. 🙁 It was at least informative.

My final event was a long HeroScape open play with custom figures. I played a game with Eric, who had the Wrecking Crew plus Lizard, and I had the original X-Men. I was cleaning his clock until he made a crazy comeback. But it didn’t compare to Darrin using the cheapest HeroScape army EVER! It shall not be spoken of again.

We left afterward. Sadly, when we reached the hotel and I undressed, I discovered the catch on my Cap costume zipper had broken. 🙁 If anyone knows how to fix it, please let me know!

On to day 3! The craziest of them all! Even more sleep deprivation!

(Continued in day 3).

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Gen-Con 2013, Prep Day & Day 1: No Money Today

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After a three-hour trip, I arrived yesterday in Indianapolis at a Hampton Inn and met my friends Eric and Darrin, who were both attending Gen-Con. (I was glad I an audiobook of Moby Dick with me). Darrin was kind enough to get us a room. I must say, I’m not used to staying in a hotel. The last time I did, if I remember right, was in 2004 on a college-sponsored mission trip to New York City, and it was a barely passable motel. To be honest, I feel like I’m being treated like a king at this hotel!

Anyway, Eric and I went to the Indiana Convention Center to pick up tickets and set up. Like last year, hauling my boxes of books was a workout that left me with a sore lower back, albeit briefly. I met a few of my neighbors, although not as many as I did last year. The writer next to me is a gentleman I call “Captain Charisma” because he sells his books like an auctioneer who was once a used car salesman. He’s difficult to compete with.

After setting up, I met Eric and we wandered back to the parking garage, taking a little time to listen to a free Five Year Mission show in a beer tent (no, we didn’t drink, but I did contemplate getting a Tribble drunk. Yes, I’m a nerd, and I think about such things!.

We returned just in time to get the pizzas Darrin ordered. He got four because there was a special. It was way more than we needed, so we’ll be eating the leftovers all weekend. We played a few games of Space Alert, revised some HeroScape custom figures Eric and I created, and went to bed.

We were all so high on excitement, we could hardly sleep.

After eating a better breakfast than I’ve had in months, I dressed in my first cosplay, Capt. James T. Kirk, complete with communicator and phaser. We made excellent time getting to the ICC, though we did have a long walk.

The doors opened one hour early at 9pm. Sadly, I don’t have much to say about my sales today. Almost everyone today didn’t buy anything from anyone. They either didn’t have money or wanted to peruse before buying. I only made two sales and donated one novel to an auction a group is doing to raise money for a food pantry. I did, however, get many people interested in Children of the Wells, including a fellow author who was so intrigued by it, he kept asking me questions about it for 10-15 minutes.

My highlight today was meeting Walter Koenig, an actor best known for playing Pavel Chekhov in the original Star Trek and Bester in Babylon 5. I was surprised to see he was so soft-spoken, I could barely hear him, and he himself seemed to be a little hard of hearing. I got an autograph, but like last year, I wanted to give the celebrities free copies of my books. I asked him, “Do you accept gifts from fans?” He replied, “Yes, yes, yes!” while pretending to gobble up food. I gave him copies of my books, showing him where I had signed Pandora’s Box, saying, “Thanks for the memories! Keep going boldly where no man has gone before!” He saw that the book was dedicated to my mother, which he said was “very nice.” I took a picture with him, and he held my book up to the camera. Finally, I asked him, “Who’d win in a fight, Chekhov or Bester?” He said, “Bester has certain advantages.”

Me and the surprisingly goofy Walter Koenig. He was kind enough to show off my novel.
Me and the surprisingly goofy Walter Koenig. He was kind enough to show off my novel.

(I wish he had said what Nick Hayden said, “Bester. He is a nuclear wessel.”)

I went a writing seminar taught by Michael A. Stackpole on writing in the digital age. I realized I went to the same one last year, but the material was different. It was reassuring to hear things had changed for the better for indie writers like myself.

From 7pm-9pm, I played a game I used to play every Saturday with friends in college: Epic Duels. But instead of it being Star Wars-themed, it was a custom version made for the anime franchise Mobile Suit Gundam. I had a great time talking with the players about animes and Epic Duels variations.

I finished the day by briefly watching Eric kick butt at the board game Monsterpocalypse and playing in a card draw Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 tourney. In this game, our characters are selected by drawing names from a hat, essentially. I didn’t usually get characters I was good with, so I lost in the first round.

Meeting up with Darrin and Eric, we drove back to the hotel.

Expect more pictures after the con!

(Continued in day 2).

News, Appearances, Announcements

Gen-Con 2013 is just around the corner!

genconbestfourdays

My BIGGEST signing of the year is nearly here!

You may remember that I went to Gen-Con last year. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Well, I’ll be returning this year. The convention is this weekend, August 15-18, in Indianapolis, Indiana. It’s being held at the Indiana Convention Center, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Lucas Oil Stadium (where the Colts play). I’ll be selling copies of my books–including Pandora’s Box–and promoting Children of the Wells in the vendors’ area all four days. The hours will 10am-6pm Thursday-Saturday (9am for VIGs Thursday) and 10am-4pm Sunday. I will be taking breaks to attend a few events and meet Walter Koenig (the original Chekhov!) and Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor!), but this year I’m bringing my friend Eric as an assistant, so he’ll be manning my table if I’m not there. (Thanks, Eric!)

By the way, I’ll be cosplaying as a different sci-fi/comic book hero each day of the convention. Who will they be? Come to Gen-Con to find out!

Gen Con Indy is the original, longest-running, best-attended, gaming convention in the world!

For more than 45 years, Gen Con Indy has set the trend in gaming and has broken attendance records. Last year, more than 134,775 turnstile and 41,000 unique attendees experienced Gen Con Indy.

Featuring game industry veterans, award-winning authors and artists, jaw-dropping costumes, thousands of events, a growing Family Fun Pavilion, and the newest games on the market, Gen Con truly is The Best Four Days in Gaming™!

Gen Con is more than just a convention, however. It’s a passion, a community, and a unique experience that keeps people coming back for decades.

Learn more about the convention at its website here.

See you there!

If I don’t, I’ll do my best to post daily updates!

Announcements, News

Official Facebook page created!

In the last few years, I’ve created Facebook fanpages for both Pandora’s Box and Destroyer. They were mildly successful, but I hardly do anything with them now. So, I’ve decided to consolidate to one page for everything. I’ll be shutting down the other two pages by the end of the month, probably. So now I present the official Facebook fanpage for yours truly, Nathan Marchand. Click here to join!

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For the Least of These

I re-learned last week that if there’s one thing that annoys me about big cities, it’s their traffic jams. Traffic was thicker than I expected when I reached Grand Rapids, Michigan. All due to construction. I called my friend Eric, who lived 30-40 minutes past the city, that I’d be late that we’d have to leave almost as soon as I arrived to make it to the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society dance. He suggested I just hang out in town and his brother would bring him to the city. I concurred.

I took an exit into downtown and parked at a park across from the Grand Rapids Museum. It was around 5pm. The dance would be at 7pm down the street at Rosa Park Circle. I decided I’d hang out in the park and do my online volunteering with RemedyLive on my new iPhone 4S. I sat on a park bench and signed on.

After about ten minutes or so, a middle-aged black man wearing worn-out clothes and a backpack walked up to me and asked what I was doing in the park. I told him. The he said, “My name is Michael. What’s Yours?”

“Nate.”

“May I sit down?”

“Sure.”

He sat next to me and told me he was from Florida and that he’d lost his job. He said he hated to do this, but asked if I could buy him something to drink. He was homeless and was trying to get a new job to make enough money to move back to Florida with his family.

For at least 30 minutes, he told me his life story. I learned he was a fellow Christian; that he’d worked with a local homeless shelter; and he wandered the park because it was a better part of town. He tried to impress me by reciting Psalm 23 from memory. He admitted he wasn’t perfect and had made mistakes. His requests did increase as time went on. He went from a drink to a meal to a bus fare to use to job hunt.

The whole time I examined him closely for any signs of dishonesty. Ever since I went on a mission trip to New York City in 2004 and saw the many homeless begging on the streets, I’ve not given handouts to such people. Our “tour guide” said all it did was keep them homeless instead of getting them to fix their lives. It’s like the old saying about giving a man a fish instead of teaching how to fish. But Michael was different. While I admit my trusting nature kicked in, my innate “BS detector” sensed no insincerity from him.

When it was all said and done, I (cautiously) took ten dollars from my wallet. I handed it to him and said, “I believe you. I want you to have this so you can buy yourself dinner and get that bus fare. I want you to promise me that’s what you’ll do and that you’ll use it to find a job.”

He laid the money on the bench and replied, “If you have any doubts at all, I want you to keep this.”

I smiled. “I have none. I’m considering this an investment in someone.” I gave the money back to him. I added that maybe someday I’d see him again and learn it was my kindness that helped get him get his life back together.

What made Michael different from the other homeless people I’ve seen is twofold: 1) He genuinely wanted to work so he could improve his life, and 2) he developed a relationship with me. He wasn’t just a face on the street. He befriended me. I heard a bit of his story and vice versa. Friendship has a way of creating vested interest in helping someone else. But what was really important to me was that he wanted to get off the streets. I’m not going to give someone momentary help for a long-term problem. That’s not what Jesus did. He cared for the plight of the poor, but He always helped them with their big problems, which in their cases were spiritual. It’s something I think a lot of “social justice” Christians miss.

Anyway, I’d told him I was from out of town, so he asked what I was doing. I said I was going to the swing dance at 7pm. He said he’d be there with the bus fare as proof of his intentions. I bid him farewell and he thanked me again.

Sadly, I didn’t see him at the dance, but there were hundreds of people there, so I may have missed him.

Regardless, I’m reminded of Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25.  One day, He said He would separate the righteous from the unrighteous, telling the former that they cared for him on Earth. They asked how they did that, and Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

My prayer is the small seed I planted with him has blossomed into a new life, one God has redeemed.

Vlog

But I Digress…, Episode 15: The Origins of ‘The Fall of the House of Kyzer’

“But I Digress…”
Hosted by Nathan Marchand

In a special episode for the online serial, “Children of the Wells,” I talk about where I got my ideas for the novella I wrote for the fantasy saga, entitled “The Fall of the House of Kyzer.” I reveal how I created the city of Thyrion, the characters’ names, and what my goals were for the story.

Then when I couldn’t contain myself anymore and try to give spoilers, I get a call from one of the novella’s characters insisting I keep my mouth shut. Talk about breaking the fourth wall…

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Vlog, Review

But I Digress…, Episode 14: My Review of ‘Pacific Rim’

“But I Digress…”

Hosted by Nathan Marchand

“Today, we are cancelling the apocalypse…again!”

After it seemed like everything was keeping me from posting this video, here it is!

I “meet” a famous monster and nearly fire my brother/cameraman/sometimes co-host today before I review the under-appreciated summer blockbuster, “Pacific Rim.” Surprisingly, it’s more than just a series of giant monster vs. giant robot fights. Watch to learn more.

Please like, subscribe, share, and comment!

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What ‘Pacific Rim’ Can Teach About Marriage

You probably read this blog’s title and wondered what planet I was from (FYI: it may or may not be Gallifrey). “What can a monster movie tell us about marriage?” you ask.

A surprising amount.

First, if you haven’t seen the film, do so! It’s the most fun you’ll have the theatre this summer.

A poster for 'Pacific Rim.' Directed by Guillermo del Toro.
A poster for ‘Pacific Rim.’ Directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Now, the movie is set in the near future, where a dimensional rift opens at the bottom of the ocean and gigantic creatures called “Kaiju” emerge and attack cities. Humanity constructs towering robots called Jaegers to combat the beasts. These machines are too massive and complex for one pilot to drive, so they are built to be operated by two. These pilots link their minds using a neural interface, each controlling one-half of the Jaeger. It’s stated that “the stronger the bond, the better you fight.” These pilots must already have strong relational ties or build a rapport in order to sync up and operate their machines.

As the film progressed, I couldn’t help but see how similar to marriage this was (at least in the biblical/Christian sense). Two people, wholly separate, “become one” through a unique bond. Their memories—the essence of who they are—mingle in order to perform a great task. Only once they are bonded are they able to do this. It is a relationship unlike any other, a grand and beautiful mystery (Prov. 30:18-19). One pilot can’t operate the Jaeger alone, unless he is exceptionally gifted, and even then, he’s under deadly strain. Likewise, man was not meant to be alone (Gen. 2:18). A marriage can’t work without transparency or mutual submission (Eph. 5:21). As soon as one person decides to run the whole show himself, it all falls apart. Only when both the husband and wife work together can they accomplish the tasks God has set before them—only then can they “face (and slay) the monsters that are at [their] door.”

But it goes further than that.

Raleigh (right) and Mako (left) piloting their Jaeger.
Raleigh (left) and Mako (right) piloting their Jaeger.

The movie focuses on Raleigh Becket, one of the Jaeger pilots. Early on, his brother/co-pilot dies fighting a Kaiju. Becket quits the Jaeger program until five years later when his CO recruits him again for a crazy plan that may save the Earth from the Kaiju. But in order to do that, Raleigh will need a new co-pilot. Enter Mako Mori, a Japanese technician who aspires to be a Jaeger pilot. Unfortunately, her inexperience coupled with her vindictive rage against the Kaiju for the death of her family hinder her potential as a pilot. She gets lost in her memories as she interfaces with Raleigh, and he must pull her out of them. In battle, Raleigh leads. He gives her commands about which weapons to use and where to attack, and she defers to his leadership. This leads to a subtle romance that, in the end, saves the world.

In marriage, the husband is the head of the household (Eph. 5:23). The wife is to defer to his leadership (Eph. 5:22). Yet, at the same time, the husband and wife are partners. Raleigh didn’t lord anything over Mako. He was simply the more experienced of the two of them, so he helped direct her attacks during a battle, though she was quite talented. The wife is the husband’s “help meet” (Gen. 2:18 KJV), or ezer kenegdo in the original Hebrew, which means “lifesaver.” She comes along and complements the husband, helping him fulfill the calling on both their lives. This is what Mako does for Raleigh. He was already a great pilot, but he needed a partner in order to operate his Jaeger and fight the Kaiju. Without her, he couldn’t do that.

I bet you didn’t expect a big-budget homage film to the low-budget B-grade monster flicks of yesteryear to be a poignant illustration of marriage.

Never underestimate the power of story, True Believers!

All I can say now is I look forward to finding an amazing woman to fight monsters with.

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Mel Gibson I’m Not

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In my spare time, I volunteer for a Christian internet-based radio station called Remedy Live that ministers to youth. They have a chat room that teens can access through their phones or computers to talk about anything. I’ve been working with them for several years. I’ve helped students deal with relationship issues and cutting, among others. Some of them just want to chat about silly things. Some weeks when I volunteer, no one jumps online. I’m just happy I was there in case anyone did.

Tuesday, though, was a first for me. I had to prevent a suicide.

I logged on around 5pm, and after only a few minutes, someone chimed in saying he wanted to kill himself. Not only that, he said he had a gun next to him and he was ready to pull the trigger.

I immediately contacted the radio station via Facebook and phone and told them what was going on. As the chat progressed, they observed and sent me coaching messages.

At first, I thought this chatter was a girl, but then he started talking about an ex-girlfriend who cheated on him with his best friend, so I thought he was a guy. By the end, though, I wasn’t sure. Regardless, I learned that he was 17 and his family—especially his stepfather—was verbally and emotionally abusive. He thought everyone except his grandparents hated him.

By this point, the radio station was tracking his phone number and attempting to call the local police, so I did my best to keep him talking. This kid was smart, though, and suspected something like this might be happening, but I was able to persuade him I wasn’t doing that.

I’ve known people who had martyr complexes, but this kid took it a step further. He honestly believed that by killing himself he was being like Jesus. He thought everyone would be happier if he was dead, so by dying, he was doing them a favor just as Jesus “died for the people.” I told him Jesus didn’t kill himself, he was executed, and that what he was doing was selfish.

I used several other arguments against suicide. One was that only God had the right to decide when someone died. This chatter then seemed to start power tripping. He said he was the one who holding the gun, not God. I said God could keep the gun from firing. The chatter then said he was putting the gun to his head as we spoke. He wrote something about how the tables had turned and how he held all the power. I managed to calm him down.

In the end, after an hour-long chat (which included two disconnects), he asked to speak with a female volunteer, so I passed him to a fellow volunteer.

I don’t know what happened afterward.

I was kinda like Mel Gibson, except without the mullet. Mullet were stupid.
I was kinda like Mel Gibson, except without the mullet. Mullets were stupid.

Remember the famous scene in the first Lethal Weapon film where Mel Gibson handcuffs himself to man threatening to jump off a building? He does this after distracting the guy with cigarettes. Then after getting irritated with him, he jumps, taking the suicidal man with him, and they land on a huge air mattress. While I didn’t have to do something that crazy, I can tell you trying to keep someone from killing himself isn’t nearly that easy (or fun). It was nerve-wracking. I held a person’s life in my hand, in a way. I was concerned that one wrong word would push him to pull the trigger. What was worse was it seemed like this kid had a retort for every argument I typed. He refused to be encouraged. It made me wonder why he even bothered starting a chat in the first place. If he was so determined to commit suicide, why drag random strangers from the internet into it? Either he wanted to be talked out of it or he wanted attention. (I could be wrong on those. Feel free to tell me and elaborate on other explanations).

As I said: Mel Gibson I’m not.

It’s made me think about my own life. I haven’t had the best of times for several years, yet I’ve never seriously considered suicide. Sometimes I wonder why. Regardless, I do know I can be just as stubborn about being encouraged. When I’m at my lowest, I refuse to hear anything good. Yet I don’t want people to agree with me in my misery. There’s this part of me that wants to argue. It’s the weirdest thing. No wonder I sometimes drive people crazy.

I’d like to think I helped save the kid’s life. That he went on and did great things.

I may never know.

A Man from Another Time Exploring Another Universe