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 Wellsin 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!
After a day or two of rummaging through pictures and fighting with WordPress, I’ve posted a gallery of photos from my time at Gen-Con last month. I apologize for the poor quality of some of them. I had to use an old digital camera and my iPhone to snap pictures. The photos are also out of order. I haven’t yet figured out how to re-order them with my photos plug-in yet.
Regardless, they’ve been posted for your enjoyment. Click here to view the gallery.
Finally getting fed up with parking garages and their fees, I decided I would park closer to Lucas Oil Stadium. It meant walking a block to get to the Indiana Convention Center (I probably walked just as much getting out of the garage), but it was half the price. I also had to go in through a different entrance on the opposite end of the ICC, which left me a little confused, but I found my way around.
The first event I attended was an unusual one: a Christian worship service. It was put on by the Christian Gamers’ Guild, a ministry that works with people who play role-playing games. I’d say that about 200 people attended. There I learned more about the CGG and their sister ministry, Fans For Christ. I was excited to learn there were three (them and GameChurch) reaching out this the nerd/geek subculture, which has been ignored by the mainstream church for years. Anyway, we sang a few classic hymns and had communion using little packets of grape juice with wafers on top. Then we got to hear a sermon from Derek W. White the “geek preacher.” He began by showing everyone his new pair of dice, which he’d bought from one of the vendors. One was a 10-sided dye with the Ten Commandments, and the other was a 14-sided dye with the seven deadly sins and the seven great virtues. “So together, this is my random sermon generator,” he said, rolling the dice. “I can get 140 sermons out of this.” Someone in the audience added, “So, is humility a d10 or a d20?” He used Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as his illustration.
(I just realized watching the video that you can hear me because I sat next to the cameraman!)
With 10 a.m. fast approaching, I hurried to the exhibitors’ hall—and ran into this little punk:
I swear he tried to exterminate me just because I insulted him!
This is the Dalek owned by Who North America. I’d seen it a few times during the convention, but I’d never seen it do anything. I walked by it and saw that its head was swiveling around, as if surveying the scene. I got my camera out to snap a picture—and it looked right at me. I stepped to the side—it followed me. Here’s what followed:
Me: It must have a motion sensor. It follows me. Dalek: This Dalek has a mutant detector!
Yes, True Believers, not only could it movie, it could talk! I don’t know if it has pre-programmed responses or if someone (Nick Briggs?) was hiding somewhere and improvising lines in response. So, I decided to mess with it.
Me: How’s the extermination business? Dalek: Humans are easy to exterminate!
I went to my table and went back about an hour later. This time, I decided I would really mess with the Dalek by insulting it. This was my best exchange with it.
Me: Why don’t you use that plunger to do something useful, like unplug a toilet? Dalek: Daleks do not make house calls!
I asked someone at the Who North America booth how they got the thing to talk, and he replied, “We tickle its chin.” “Good answer,” I said.
I returned to my table, and a few hours of slow book sales followed. It was easily the slowest day of the convention. I was chatting with someone, trying to make another sale, when what I guess you could call a band of traveling minstrels called Water Street Bridge entered my row and broke out into song in front of my booth! “Party at your table!” the patron said. Their music I would describe as folksy, although on their website they say they play even more. I’d post a video of their performance, but it’s too large to post on this site (lame!).
Their violinist seems to be the most talented. She is crazy! She broke her bow right as they finished. Regardless, their performance was a great surprise. Here’s a picture:
Here’s the band, clad in “Angry Birds” hats. (I apologize for the photo’s poor quality).
The convention officially ended at 4 p.m. I packed up, did some book exchanges, purchased a few things, said goodbye to my fellow writers, and headed out. Thankfully, my boxes were much lighter than they were when I arrived. I had around 80 books total, and left with less than half of them. This was good because I had to watch a bit farther to get to my car.
I miss the convention. It was invigorating going to something so fun and nerdy. Creativity saturated the air with all the cosplayers, gamers, writers, artists, and musicians. It was…intoxicating. If it’s possible to get drunk on creativity, I did. It was great fun being among thousands of like-minded people.
Regardless, I also realized how much this subculture needs Jesus Christ. While most of the people there were kind and considerate, there was still immorality. That’s why I was glad to learn about three ministries working in this subculture. I hope to somehow get involved with them in any way I can. Perhaps I have found my mission field.
::steps down from soapbox::
So, there you have it. Gen-Con. It was so much fun, I signed up to return to sell books next year! I’d like to take an assistant with me, so if any of you are interested, drop me a line and I’ll put you in contention.
COMING SOON: My first vlog! The topic: selling books at conventions.
(NOTE: I wanted to have this posted yesterday, but the home computer froze and no libraries were open due to Labor Day. I will do my best to finish writing about Gen-Con this week).
It’s been over a week since my first post about Gen-Con. Now three weeks have passed since the convention. My apologies, True Believers. I was busy with a big writing project for Remedy Live, an internet radio station based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Now, back to Gen-Con.
I neglected to mention that I saw my old college buddy Aaron “Ned” Brosman during the first day. He runs a gaming shop in Huntington, Indiana, and was at Gen-Con conducting Dungeons and Dragons events.
The second day was a bit of a blur. It played out much like the first, except there were more people. My first customer was a cosplayer named Deidra (if I got your name wrong, I’m sorry! Everyone’s names are running together), who was dressed as River Song from Doctor Who. I liked her outfit so much, I took a picture with her:
Yes, the Doctor’s wife now owns copies of my books.
I snapped a few other photos of other cool cosplayers I saw while I was there, most of which you’ll see once I post a full photo gallery. Here’s are a few of my favorites from that morning:
“EXTERMINATE!”This is the first of not one, not two, but THREE women I saw wearing homemade TARDIS dresses!
The first highlight of Friday was meeting Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played the original Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series. Meeting Wil Wheaton the day before was a big deal, but it was the original Star Trek that not only introduced me to science fiction, it was one of my first inspirations to become a writer, so meeting someone from that show was a HUGE deal to me. What was amazing, though, is I hardly had to wait in line! For whatever reason, the line to see Mr. Wheaton was long, so everyone who wanted to see Ms. Nichols was moved up. I only had to wait five minutes! Just like I did with Wil, I gave Ms. Nichols signed copies of my books. Here’s a picture of me with Nichelle:
Yeah, I am definitely “nerding out” here.
I returned to my booth and continued to sell books.
During that time, Lee, my neighbor across the aisle, introduced me to several members of a local indie band called Five Year Mission. They are a Star Trek tribute band endeavoring to write a song for every episode of the original series over the course of five albums. I talked with Mike Rittenhouse (who also runs a comic shop called Hero House) and Chris Spurgin, who were going throughout the exhibitors’ hall passing out flyers for their show that night. Mike convinced me to skip the free screenwriting seminar I had signed up for to attend their show. I told him I would buy one of their CDs if I liked what I heard.
Later that afternoon, I took a break and attended a writing seminar hosted by Michael A. Stackpole, a prolific sci-fi/fantasy author most famous for writing Star Wars novels. I had attended one of his seminars the day before. The first one was on digital publishing. This one was on plotting. Here’s a photo of the two of us:
This man knows how to write and how to sell it. Learn from him, True Believers!
I returned to my booth to close shop, and while I was leaving, I talked to a couple of the guys from Who North America, a company based in Indianapolis that sells and distributes Doctor Who merchandise. I took a few pictures with the reps there, who were dressed as the Brigadier and the Third Doctor.
I spent some time meeting and photographing cosplayers (which you’ll see in the full gallery) and exploring the Westin Hotel, where Five Year Mission was to perform. There were also anime events and a film festival going on there.
The band’s show started at 8:30. Lee was also in attendance. Their were a few dozen people in the room. I was amazed to learn that these guys are very talented nerds. Only the drummer stays at his post the whole time. The other four members switch instruments between songs (guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals). They also play clips from each of the episodes the songs are for, which was entertaining. I was happy that they played songs for a few of my favorite episodes of the show.
Their finale was hilarious. It was a song for “Arena,” a famous show where Capt. Kirk fights a lizard-like alien called a Gorn. They band asked the audience, “Who here is good at hand-to-hand combat?” There was an awkward pause. “We don’t really good. Just good enough o beat up Mike. But you have to let him win.” I almost held up my hand, but I wasn’t sure what they were going to do. They selected a young guy who was already wearing green and tossed him a Gorn mask. They played the song and once they got to an instrumental part toward the end, Mike jumped down and had a mock fight with him. I took several pictures. Once it was over, they let the “Gorn” have a free T-shirt.
You can bet I bought a CD after the show.
Here’s a picture of me and band:
Here I am posing with Five Year Mission, the best “Star Trek” tribute band in the world! (Actually, they might be the only such band in the world…)
I walked back to the Indiana Convention Center to head back to the parking garage, but was suddenly pulled aside by an energetic girl was trying to put a group together to play a game called “Are You a Werewolf?” If you’ve ever played “Mafia,” it’s the same thing except with werewolves. It was amusing to watch people (over-) psychoanalyze their friends and complete strangers for a while.
After getting lost (again) upon leaving the parking garage, I made it back to Josh’s house well past midnight.
It’s been nearly a week since Gen-Con, and only now am I sitting down to write about it. My apologies. I’ve been busy with some writing projects. I’m also trying to upload the photos I took at the convention.
Anyway…
For those who don’t know, Gen-Con is a gigantic four-day convention that’s been held in Indianapolis for the last 45 years. It started as a gathering for players of board games and roleplaying games, but it has expanded into science fiction, fantasy, anime, and everything in between. It’s all the same audience, after all. One of the latest editions was the Authors’ Avenue, a place where independent authors and publishers could sell their books to the thousands of attendees. I heard about it two years ago, but I didn’t go until this year.
It was the most exhausting and fun four days I’ve had in a long time.
The convention started Thursday (August 16), but I went a day early to set up my booth. I stayed with my college buddy/roommate Josh Smith, who lived only 20 minutes from the Indiana Convention Center, where the event was held. After a brief stop at his house at the end of a three-hour drive, I went to the ICC. I ended up parking in a parking garage across the street because I couldn’t find any other place to park. I quickly learned I am too much of a small city boy—I don’t like parking garages. They’re confusing and expensive. I’m not used to paying for parking, and even if I have to, it’s a few quarters in a meter. I spent almost as much on parking that week as a four-day pass to the convention cost!
Finding a spot, I hauled my two heavy boxes of books and other items to the convention center. This became a Herculean feat because I had no one to help me and I couldn’t figure out how to navigate the maze-like parking garage. Then when I got to the center, I couldn’t figure out where to go register. Thankfully, it wasn’t far. I did have to stand in line for a while, though.
It took me a while to find my table, but once I did, I went to town setting up. I also used this time to get to know my neighbors in my aisle. These included Edward J. Russell, who writes zombie fiction; Tammy Blackwell, who writes young adult urban fantasy (more Buffy the Vampire Slayer than Twilight); L. Douglas Rudder and his family, who write fantasy; and Lee Cherolis, the artist for the webcomic The Little Guardians. It was a great time to build some rapport.
Once I was set up, I explored the Crown Plaza hotel for a while. It’s a gorgeous place. It used to be a train station, and some of the passenger coaches are still there on display. Guests can even stay in them!
With that, I returned home.
Now, for day one…
I arrived at 9am to cater to the V.I.G.s (very important gamers), who got early access to the exhibitors’ hall. My first sale came not long after 10am. It was to this guy:
(Sadly, I’ve forgotten his name. I’m sorry! If you’re reading this, please leave a comment to remind me).
I also met Alyssa Weaver, the daughter of a longtime family friend. She and her boyfriend stopped by to buy a book. Here’s a photo of us:
Alyssa and I.
I made a few more sales before taking a break to meet one of the media guests of honor at the convention: Wil Wheaton, who played Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Ironically, the autograph area was just around the corner from me. It took a little while to get through the line, but it was worth it. I even gave Mr. Wheaton copies of all my books.
I’m trying hard not to “nerd out.”
The hall closed at 6pm. I hadn’t signed up for any events that night, so I wandered around for a while, looking for something to do. I took a few photos of some amazing cosplayers, including one of a guy who built a working costume of a Dalek from Doctor Who.
I finished the day off by going to a room run by Nexus Gaming and participating in two video game tournaments, one for Super Smash Bros. Brawl and one for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. I quickly learned I was very rusty at both games. It didn’t help that the former was hampered by large brackets, a power outage, and haphazard organization. The latter was small, but the characters I used were determined by drawing cards, so they were almost entirely random. I ended up wishing I had participated in the “Mega Man Mega Awesome Challenge” tournament. Players had to accomplish certain tasks while playing the classic Mega Man games (which I loved playing as a kid). These tasks included things like completing a level without firing a shot unless it was needed to advance. The bystanders got really into it, especially with the purple-haired Asian guy hosting the event, who gave commentary in a cliché Asian accent usually heard in bad martial arts movies. Hilarious!
Stay tuned for day two!
Also, I’ll be posting a full photo gallery of the event both here and on Facebook.
I’ll be at Table Z in Author’s Avenue at Gen-Con Aug. 16-19 in Indianapolis.
I’ve received my table assignment for Gen-Con’s Authors’ Avenue. As you can see above, I’ll be at Table Z. I’ll be selling and signing copies of Pandora’s Box, Destroyer, andThe Day After. Gen-Con is August 16-19 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Author’s Avenue is open each day of the convention from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
I just finished my registration for the Authors’ Avenue at Gen-Con 2012. I’ll be selling copies of my books there, including Pandora’s Box, Destroyer, and The Day After. The convention will be held August 16-19 at the Indianapolis Convention Center (ICC) in Indianapolis.
Gen-Con is one of the oldest and largest gaming conventions in the world for over 44 years. It showcases the latest movers and shakers in the gaming world and many related products. You can learn more about the convention and register to attend here.
A Man from Another Time Exploring Another Universe
