KevCon on July 25th and 26th
Starts: 3PM on Saturday
Where: Kevin`s House
Address: Iizawa 242-23 Minami Ashigara City, Kanagawa
Email: greatpowers@yahoo.com
What to bring?
Your shoes, games, beer to bribe Kevin (optional)
We have the house to ourselves for most of the day so we can
get a lot of game playing in and say four letter words eh! I love
4 letter words like: four, dice, damn!
There are a few beds available on a first come first served basis.
Email me if you want a bed. If not bring something to sleep on--sleeping
bag etc. We have a lot of room. We have a Canadian,
Victorian style home imported from Cloverdale,BC.
How to Get There from:
Tokyo, Fujisawa, Atsugi, Machida, Yokohama or Sakhalin:
Take the Odakyu Line to Odawara and be sure to get into one of the
first four train cars as the train splits. Take a Kyuko (express
train) it has red kanji on the side usually next to the door up top.
It takes about 90 minutes. Bring a good book!
Get off at Odawara Station and transfer to the Daiyuzan Line. Get off
at Daiyuzan Station, it takes 21 minutes from Odawara. Take the only
exit, walk straight out to the main street out in front and head left
down that street through the traffic lights (under the covered
pedestrian overpass). Over the bridge and you will see our green
roofed house with "Kevin`s English School" signs plastered all over
the place.
How to Get There:
From Shizuoka, Nagoya and other points South: Take the
Tokaido line or the Shinkansen and get off at Odawara. Transfer to
the Daiyuzan line and follow the directions above (for Tokyo).
**The Shinkansen also stops at Odawara. You take a Kodama Super
Express. It takes about 39 minutes from Tokyo. Costs a little over
3,000 Yen one way.
Take a break from the city and see some mountain views and breathe some fresh air.
Feel free to pass this on to interested people. Games of all kinds
welcome. Bring whatever you would like to play, chances are, others
will want to play it too. We have three guest beds and some futons.
Bring a sleeping bag if you`d like. It is a nice area as well.
A great break from wherever you live with a great bunch of people!
Kevin Burns
http://greatpowers1.googlepages.com/jigg%3Ajapan%60sinternationalgamersguild
http://www.jigg-greatpowers.blogspot.com
Friday, July 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Hat Releases New Figures
Greetings!
This is a preview of new items scheduled for release for late June/July
2009.
Summary:
8168 Andalusian Foot
8169 Bavarian Fusiliers
8179 Gatling Gun
8180 Gardner Gun
8187 Saxon Infantry
8204 Austrian Grenzer
8210 Colonial Artillery
8218 French Voltigeurs
8220 French Carabiniers
9211 1/32 Celt-Iberians
9212 1/32 Hannibal's Veterans
9302 1/32 French Voltigeurs
9305 1/32 French Command
28003 28mm French Voltigeurs
28009 28mm French Carabiniers
Details:
1) Period: El Cid
Product: #8168 Andalusian Infantry - 1/72 scale
Description - 96 figures per box
Packed - 60 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 60
Price D: Same as 8099 Russian Militia
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8168HAN/Bx8168HANa.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Ahmed22P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Beggs06P.html
2) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #8169 Napoleonic Bavarian Fusiliers - 1/72 scale
Description - 48 figures per box
Packed - 96 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 96
Price B: Same as 8023 War Elephant
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8108PT/Bx8108PT.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Pardo28P.html
3) Period: Colonial Wars
Product: #8179 Gatling Gun - 1/72 scale
Description - 4 Gatlings plus crew per box
Packed - 96 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 96
Price C: Same as 8102 French Wurst Wagon
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8179GAT/Bx8179GAT.html
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8179GAT/Bx8179GATb.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Nuno56P.html
4) Period: Colonial Wars
Product: #8180 Gardner Gun - 1/72 scale
Description - 4 Gardners plus crew per box
Packed - 96 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 96
Price C: Same as 8102 French Wurst Wagon
Pictures:
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8180NOR/Bx8180NOR.html
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8180NOR/Bx8180NORb.html
5) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #8187 Napoleonic 1806 Saxon Infantry - 1/72 scale
Description - 96 figures per box
Packed - 60 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 60
Price D: Same as #8099 Russian Militia
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8187SX/Bx8187SXa.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Ahmed16P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Russell09P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Russell10P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Butterweck33P.html
6) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #8204 Austrian Grenzer - 1/72 scale
Description - 48 figures per box
Packed - 96 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 96
Price B: Same as 8023 War Elephant
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8204GZ/Bx8204GZ.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Willers84P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Butterweck30P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Ahmed18P.html
7) Period: Colonial Wars
Product: 8210 Colonial Wars British Artillery - 1/72 scale
Description - 4 cannons plus crew per box
Packed - 96 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 96
Price C: Same as 8102 French Wurst Wagon
Pictures:
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8210CAT/Bx8210CAT.html
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8210CAT/Bx8210CATb.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Nuno55P.html
8) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #8218 French Voltigeurs - 1/72 scale
Description - 56 figures per box
Packed - 96 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 96
Price C: Same as 8102 French Wurst Wagon
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8218FV/Bx8218FVa.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Butterweck40P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Catterson18P.html
9) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #8220 French Carabiniers - 1/72 scale
Description - 56 figures per box
Packed - 96 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 96
Price C: Same as 8102 French Wurst Wagon
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx8220FCB/Bx8220FCBa.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Butterweck39P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Catterson15P.html
10) Period: Punic Wars
Product: #9211 Celtiberian Warriors - 1/32 scale
Description - 16 figures per box
Price C: Same as 8102 French Wurst Wagon
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx9211CI/Bx9211CI.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Vlad50P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/McDougall10P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Morris11P.html
11) Period: Punic Wars
Product: #9212 Hannibal's Veterans - 1/32 scale
Description - 16 figures per box
Price C: Same as 8102 French Wurst Wagon
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx9212HV/Bx9212HV.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Morris10P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Vlad52P.html
12) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #9302 French Voltigeurs - 1/32 scale
Description - 18 figures per box
Packed - 48 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 48
Price D: Same as Russian Militia
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx9302FV/Bx9302FVa.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/McDougall14P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Tomp02P.html
13) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #9305 French Light Infantry Command - 1/32 scale
Description - 18 figures per box
Packed - 48 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 48
Price F: Same as 1/32 Carthaginian Cavalry and Command
(Please note that this command set is more expensive as we expect to sell
less and customers to buy less of a command set than a rank and file set.)
Pictures-
http://www.hat.com/Curr2/Bx9305Co/Bx9305Co.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Tung13P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/McDougall13P.html
14) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #28003 French Light Infantry Voltgeurs - 28mm
Description - 48 figures per box
Packed - 54 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 54
Price F: Same as 1/32 Carthaginian Cavalry and Command
Pictures:
http://www.hat.com/Curr28/Bx28003FV/Bx28003FV.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/MacPhee03P.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Butterweck43P.html
15) Period: Napoleonics
Product: #28009 French Light Infantry Carabiniers - 28mm
Description - 48 figures per box
Packed - 54 boxes per shipping carton - sold in multiples or fractions of 54
Price F: Same as 1/32 Carthaginian Cavalry and Command
Pictures:
http://www.hat.com/Curr28/Bx28009FCa/Bx28009FCa.html
http://www.hat.com/Othr8/Butterweck42P.html
Saturday, February 28, 2009
KevCon Games Convention: March 28th& 29th
Everyone welcome!
March 28th and 29th, 2009
Starts: 5PM on Saturday
Where: Kevin`s House
Address: Iizawa 242-23 Minami Ashigara City, Kanagawa
Email: greatpowers@yahoo.com
http://www.eikaiwa1.com
What to bring?
Your shoes, games, beer to bribe Kevin (optional)
We have the house to ourselves for most of the day so we can
get a lot of game playing in and say four letter words eh! I love
4 letter words like: four, dice, damn!
There are a few beds available on a first come first served basis.
Email me if you want a bed. If not bring something to sleep on--sleeping
bag etc. We have a lot of room. We have a Canadian,
Victorian style home imported from Cloverdale,BC.
How to Get There from:
Tokyo, Fujisawa, Atsugi, Machida, Yokohama or Sakhalin:
Take the Odakyu Line to Odawara and be sure to get into one of the
first four train cars as the train splits. Take a Kyuko (express
train) it has red kanji on the side usually next to the door up top.
It takes about 90 minutes. Bring a good book!
Get off at Odawara Station and transfer to the Daiyuzan Line. Get off
at Daiyuzan Station, it takes 21 minutes from Odawara. Take the only
exit, walk straight out to the main street out in front and head left
down that street through the traffic lights (under the covered
pedestrian overpass). Over the bridge and you will see our green
roofed house with "Kevin`s English School" signs plastered all over
the place.
How to Get There:
From Shizuoka, Nagoya and other points South: Take the
Tokaido line or the Shinkansen and get off at Odawara. Transfer to
the Daiyuzan line and follow the directions above (for Tokyo).
**The Shinkansen also stops at Odawara. You take a Kodama Super
Express. It takes about 39 minutes from Tokyo. Costs a little over
3,000 Yen one way.
Take a break from the city and see some mountain views and breathe some fresh air.
Feel free to pass this on to interested people. Games of all kinds
welcome. Bring whatever you would like to play, chances are, others
will want to play it too. We have three guest beds and some futons.
Bring a sleeping bag if you`d like. It is a nice area as well.
A great break from wherever you live with a great bunch of people!
Kevin Burns
http://greatpowers1.googlepages.com/jigg%3Ajapan%60sinternationalgamersguild
http://www.jigg-greatpowers.blogspot.com
March 28th and 29th, 2009
Starts: 5PM on Saturday
Where: Kevin`s House
Address: Iizawa 242-23 Minami Ashigara City, Kanagawa
Email: greatpowers@yahoo.com
http://www.eikaiwa1.com
What to bring?
Your shoes, games, beer to bribe Kevin (optional)
We have the house to ourselves for most of the day so we can
get a lot of game playing in and say four letter words eh! I love
4 letter words like: four, dice, damn!
There are a few beds available on a first come first served basis.
Email me if you want a bed. If not bring something to sleep on--sleeping
bag etc. We have a lot of room. We have a Canadian,
Victorian style home imported from Cloverdale,BC.
How to Get There from:
Tokyo, Fujisawa, Atsugi, Machida, Yokohama or Sakhalin:
Take the Odakyu Line to Odawara and be sure to get into one of the
first four train cars as the train splits. Take a Kyuko (express
train) it has red kanji on the side usually next to the door up top.
It takes about 90 minutes. Bring a good book!
Get off at Odawara Station and transfer to the Daiyuzan Line. Get off
at Daiyuzan Station, it takes 21 minutes from Odawara. Take the only
exit, walk straight out to the main street out in front and head left
down that street through the traffic lights (under the covered
pedestrian overpass). Over the bridge and you will see our green
roofed house with "Kevin`s English School" signs plastered all over
the place.
How to Get There:
From Shizuoka, Nagoya and other points South: Take the
Tokaido line or the Shinkansen and get off at Odawara. Transfer to
the Daiyuzan line and follow the directions above (for Tokyo).
**The Shinkansen also stops at Odawara. You take a Kodama Super
Express. It takes about 39 minutes from Tokyo. Costs a little over
3,000 Yen one way.
Take a break from the city and see some mountain views and breathe some fresh air.
Feel free to pass this on to interested people. Games of all kinds
welcome. Bring whatever you would like to play, chances are, others
will want to play it too. We have three guest beds and some futons.
Bring a sleeping bag if you`d like. It is a nice area as well.
A great break from wherever you live with a great bunch of people!
Kevin Burns
http://greatpowers1.googlepages.com/jigg%3Ajapan%60sinternationalgamersguild
http://www.jigg-greatpowers.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Facebook Games: Mob Wars & Others
Hi guys,
I just wanted to let anyone that doesn't already know about the game
apps for facebook. I turned Guillaume on to one last month and he
seems to enjoy it pretty well... 'mob wars'. Ivor invited me to play
an official D&D mini-game that helps pass the hours in my cubicle. I
recommend it to anyone needing an adventuring fix. It's called 'tiny
adventures', I think.
Anyway, if anyone wants to add me as a crew member for a game they
like, regardless of whether I will play it or not (doesn't matter to
the other party), just hit me up. I'm on facebook as Sam X Guy.
Game on!
Sean Minch
I just wanted to let anyone that doesn't already know about the game
apps for facebook. I turned Guillaume on to one last month and he
seems to enjoy it pretty well... 'mob wars'. Ivor invited me to play
an official D&D mini-game that helps pass the hours in my cubicle. I
recommend it to anyone needing an adventuring fix. It's called 'tiny
adventures', I think.
Anyway, if anyone wants to add me as a crew member for a game they
like, regardless of whether I will play it or not (doesn't matter to
the other party), just hit me up. I'm on facebook as Sam X Guy.
Game on!
Sean Minch
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Table Hockey in Japan
Pictured: Stiga Players by Bob Lane
Forums about Table Hockey in Japan. Visit the active Pro Ice
Forum for news about table hockey events and if you want to
find other players near you:
Pro Ice Table Hockey Forum
Here is another forum in Japanese about table hockey events:
Table Hockey Topics Forum
Monday, January 12, 2009
JIGG Kanagawa Starts New Facebook Group
Pictured some of the art work in the boardgame: A Game of Thrones
Pictured: The Redemption Card Game
Join us if interested. You don`t have to live in Kanagawa to join!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=59666781054
Kevin
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Horror, Gaming, Anime & Comic Conventions - They Are Not All The Same
by: June Williams
A very large number of people who have never attended a Sci-Fi convention have the idea that they are all about people standing in line to get autographs of actors while wearing Klingon makeup and costumes or pointed ears. I’m not saying that those stereotypes don’t exist but the Convention experience is much richer and diverse than you may have been led to believe. To get the best experience it is important first consider your interests and then match them to what conventions are available.
Conventions come in two primary flavors. Professional and fan run. Professional conventions should have actors who have appeared in genre television and films ready to sign autographs and have their photos taken with fans. Some of these conventions include the costs of autographs and photo sessions in the cost of admission others operate in more of an a la carte fashion.
Often genre conventions have previews of new shows and films, and usually an extensive dealer’s room where you can buy anything from jewelry, ornaments, t-shirts and action figures to full scale replicas and costumes...and more. While there are a number of professional promoters the best known and run are Chiller Theatre Expo, Creation Entertainment, Fed Con ( Germany ), Starland and Vulcon. Do expect things to be as advertised and run on time. Do not expect warm and fuzzy.
Warm and fuzzy is more the field of fan run conventions. Fans who get together to run conventions have a great deal of enthusiasm, but usually are run with a volunteer staff and can be a bit “bumpy” with organization of the activities. What you can expect? A movie room, anime room, gaming room, art show, dealer’s room, and various special interest group rooms and tables. It is a rare con that doesn’t have a dance and a masquerade. Many fan run conventions also have guests ranging from actors, authors, cartoonists, illustrators, scientists etc. You may also find workshops for writing, acting, art, costuming, make-up and special effects. It all varies from convention to convention and year to year. Older fan run conventions such as Aggie Con, Balticon, Bay Con, CONvergence, Dragon Con, ICON, Shore Leave, United Fan Con, Toronto Trek to name a few.
The following sections may help you in selecting the kind of convention you would enjoy the most. Don’t be afraid to try other sorts once you’ve sampled those that are in your comfort zone. Exploration can be fun:
• LITERARY CONVENTIONS
Love to read speculative fiction? Do you have an interest in attending workshops on writing and publishing? Would you like to mingle with like-minded fans and meet professionals in the field such as authors, editors, illustrators and publishers? Then a literary convention would be the place you might enjoy most. Conventions such as World Science Fiction Convention (which is where the Hugo awards are announced), the World Fantasy Convention, World Horror Convention, Balticon, Philcon, Lunacon, Boskone, Readercon, Wiscon and Capclave are all reader friendly and while you may find the occasional filking group, men in kilts, swords and women in medieval garb I doubt that you’ll see many people dressed like the attendees of the convention seen in the movie Galaxy Quest. OK maybe one or two but they are a tiny minority.
• MEDIA CONVENTIONS
Media conventions are very much about television and film. Science Fiction & Fantasy or Horror & Paranormal guests abound. You may meet and hear behind the scenes stories of actors and illustrators, SFX experts and make-up artists and a host of media professionals. Many of the attendees may be wearing costumes. Depending on whether you are going to a “pro” con or a fan run con the rest will vary greatly. Parties are expected and encouraged. At a pro convention this will take the form of a banquet with the guests at a fee and/or a dance or cocktail party all for various prices. Fan run convention also may have a price attached to a banquet or “private” gathering with a particular celebrity or celebrities but they will also have fee free dances, masquerades, art shows, filking, sword demonstrations etc. Toronto Trek, Celebration, BotCon, Dragon Con , Comic-Con ( both Dragon Con and Comicon will appear under many categories)
• GAMING CONVENTIONS
Gamers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, colors and ethnic backgrounds but they all have something in common. A love of games. Role playing, live, pen and paper, MMOG as well as video gamers and board gamers all have a lot of interactive fun at gaming conventions. You can meet game designers, try out new games that have yet to hit the general market, and play in tournaments for glory and prizes. Once an almost male-only pursuit, gaming now has a growing number of female enthusiasts Gaming has become so pervasive that it is now nearly socially acceptable to the mainstream public. Nearly.
There are giant conventions like GENCON and ORIGINS, where it is so crowded you may have trouble negotiating the exhibition halls due to the crowds. The upside is the great diversity and FREEBIES as there are so many gaming companies competing for your attention. Then there are the more intimate play intensive ones like Archon, CastleCon, Dragonflight Dreikonigsnacht (Twelfth Night), Festival of Dreams, HexaCon, KublaCon, MACE, MarsCon, Marmalade Dog, ShaunCon, Strategicon, The Once and Future Con, and many many more.
Keep in mind that many conventions other than pure gaming conventions have gaming tracks. If you like to game but want to do more than only game during the weekend you might look into some of the other cons with a strong gaming element.
• ANIME CONVENTIONS
For the older generation anime seems so foreign, even unreachable. It shouldn’t be. Yes, anime and its siblings manga and ahem *cough* hentai are of Japanese origin but the striking visual styles and beauty, the characters and stories connect with westerners as well as audiences in the east. Because they are animations they can either be sub-titled or dubbed in the language of the country where it is being broadcast. In anime the stars are the illustrators, authors, and voice actors. At conventions you will find many of these sorts of guests as well as companies promoting their projects. You will also find some of the most imaginative of costumes created and worn by fans. At larger conventions you may find multiple rooms running films day and night. At smaller ones perhaps just one room will be devoted to showing their favorites. There are often panels discussing aspects of cosplay, fan fiction, video games, favorite voice actors, anime series or movies. As in literary conventions there are often workshops. These workshops are mostly how to draw manga, make computer animation, or how to become a voice actor. The dealers room will be filled with DVDs , software, graphic novel manga, art books, apparel, toys and exotic ( for us ) foods.
While the U.S. and Canada have the largest SF conventions in the world the largest Anime conventions are Lucca Comics & Games in Lucca Italy ( 85,000 ) , Japan Expo in Paris France ( 83,000 ) Salon del Manga in Barcelona Spain ( 63,000 ) and Romics in Rome Italy ( 50,000 ). The big guys in North America are Anime Expo Los Angeles California (41,000), Otakon Baltimore Maryland (23,000) and A-Kon Dallas Texas (14,500). Hey, size isn’t everything and some of the smallest might be the way to start if you have never been to a con before!!
• HORROR CONVENTIONS
What a perfect place to let it all hang out (dating myself but who cares). Horror conventions revel in going over the top. Long live Elvira, Freddy Krueger, Jason, Dracula, Zacherley, Even the names of these conventions and expos are meant to be graphic illustrations of what you will find there. Chiller Theatre, Fangoria, Fright Night Film and Fantasy Fest, HorrorFind, HorrorHound Weekend, Spooky Empire. Nothing to subtle here. No sparing of the gore. It’s like the rollercoaster of genre conventions. If you have a strong stomach and a dark sense of humor you will have tons of fun. The dealer’s room, art show, video rooms all are in sync with the horror theme. Guests that reach back decades up to the present. Once again there is a chance to meet actors, artists and authors for autographs, photo shoots, and anecdotes. Attendees go wild with costumes and you can do so too even without a ton of money or a pile of cash. Try out your best monsterish clothes and make-up or come asa victim…or not. Costumes aren’t required, they are just fun. There is usually a monster mash even if that isn’t the name given. Some horror conventions invite guests that more about nostalgia than horror. Chiller Con is a good example of this. Some of their guests are Micky Dolenz from the Monkees, Ernest Borgnine , Lindsay Wagner, Brigitte Nielson, Katey Sagal (Married with Children), Stephen Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Barry Bostwick, Erin Murphy (Tabitha of Bewitched), Avery Brooks, Armin Shimmerman, Robert Picardo, Geri Reischel (Jan from The Brady Bunch), Susan Olsen (Cindy from The Brady Bunch),Joe Pantoliano,Richard Kiel ("Jaws" Moonraker), Lou Ferrigno, William B Davies (X-Files-Cancer Man), Stella Stevens, Frank Stallone, Ron Bumblefoot ( Guns N Roses ) and a host of others.
• COMIC CONVENTION
When you think of a comic book convention you will probably think of a sea of old comic books, toys, Star Wars stuff, Star Trek stuff, action figures, collectible card games and magazines for sale and you would be right but that is only a part and an increasingly small part of the experience. You will find illustrators, authors, publishers and very often interesting workshops and panels that deal with every aspect of the industry past, present and future. There are the costume contingents that always show up at the larger conventions and some are so good that you could almost believe you were seeing superheroes and villains walk out of the pages and off the screen to meet you and be photographed. Some cons such as Dragon Con and Comic-Con began solely as comic conventions but grew to tremendous size, scope and diversity that they have transcended the genre that gave rise to them. Even those such as HEROES which remains focused on comics manages to have a number of other aspects and should be able to keep the whole family amused for the weekend. Comic conventions often have a lot of pop culture and nostalgia guests. So if you would like to see people like Creature, Parthenon and Fat Mama from Who wants to be a Superhero or maybe even Stan Lee himself, you might get your chance. How about James & Oliver Phelps who played the Weasley Twins in the Harry Potter movies ? Or perhaps Sean Astin or Billy Boyd and even Elijah Wood . From Heroes Hayden Paniterre and Masi Oka, or Ice-T…yes I said Ice-T AND his swimsuit-model wife Coco.
For a walk down memory lane there is Erik Estrada, Betsy Palmer, Soupy Sales, Richard Hatch, John Saxon, Adam West and Burt Ward ( Batman and Robin) , Julie Newmar, Peter Mayhew, Eddie Byrnes (77 Sunset Strip), Erin Gray (Buck Rodgers), Gary Coleman, Lou Ferrigno and on and on. Some are from your childhood others are from your parents childhoods. I can tell you that when I unexpectedly got to meet the very ladylike and gracious Betsy Palmer it was a thrill.
The bottom line is conventions are places where adults can go and play and slough off the average workday week . Have fun !!
About The Author
June Williams
V.P. Buzzy Multimedia Publishing
http://www.buzzymultimedia.com
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A very large number of people who have never attended a Sci-Fi convention have the idea that they are all about people standing in line to get autographs of actors while wearing Klingon makeup and costumes or pointed ears. I’m not saying that those stereotypes don’t exist but the Convention experience is much richer and diverse than you may have been led to believe. To get the best experience it is important first consider your interests and then match them to what conventions are available.
Conventions come in two primary flavors. Professional and fan run. Professional conventions should have actors who have appeared in genre television and films ready to sign autographs and have their photos taken with fans. Some of these conventions include the costs of autographs and photo sessions in the cost of admission others operate in more of an a la carte fashion.
Often genre conventions have previews of new shows and films, and usually an extensive dealer’s room where you can buy anything from jewelry, ornaments, t-shirts and action figures to full scale replicas and costumes...and more. While there are a number of professional promoters the best known and run are Chiller Theatre Expo, Creation Entertainment, Fed Con ( Germany ), Starland and Vulcon. Do expect things to be as advertised and run on time. Do not expect warm and fuzzy.
Warm and fuzzy is more the field of fan run conventions. Fans who get together to run conventions have a great deal of enthusiasm, but usually are run with a volunteer staff and can be a bit “bumpy” with organization of the activities. What you can expect? A movie room, anime room, gaming room, art show, dealer’s room, and various special interest group rooms and tables. It is a rare con that doesn’t have a dance and a masquerade. Many fan run conventions also have guests ranging from actors, authors, cartoonists, illustrators, scientists etc. You may also find workshops for writing, acting, art, costuming, make-up and special effects. It all varies from convention to convention and year to year. Older fan run conventions such as Aggie Con, Balticon, Bay Con, CONvergence, Dragon Con, ICON, Shore Leave, United Fan Con, Toronto Trek to name a few.
The following sections may help you in selecting the kind of convention you would enjoy the most. Don’t be afraid to try other sorts once you’ve sampled those that are in your comfort zone. Exploration can be fun:
• LITERARY CONVENTIONS
Love to read speculative fiction? Do you have an interest in attending workshops on writing and publishing? Would you like to mingle with like-minded fans and meet professionals in the field such as authors, editors, illustrators and publishers? Then a literary convention would be the place you might enjoy most. Conventions such as World Science Fiction Convention (which is where the Hugo awards are announced), the World Fantasy Convention, World Horror Convention, Balticon, Philcon, Lunacon, Boskone, Readercon, Wiscon and Capclave are all reader friendly and while you may find the occasional filking group, men in kilts, swords and women in medieval garb I doubt that you’ll see many people dressed like the attendees of the convention seen in the movie Galaxy Quest. OK maybe one or two but they are a tiny minority.
• MEDIA CONVENTIONS
Media conventions are very much about television and film. Science Fiction & Fantasy or Horror & Paranormal guests abound. You may meet and hear behind the scenes stories of actors and illustrators, SFX experts and make-up artists and a host of media professionals. Many of the attendees may be wearing costumes. Depending on whether you are going to a “pro” con or a fan run con the rest will vary greatly. Parties are expected and encouraged. At a pro convention this will take the form of a banquet with the guests at a fee and/or a dance or cocktail party all for various prices. Fan run convention also may have a price attached to a banquet or “private” gathering with a particular celebrity or celebrities but they will also have fee free dances, masquerades, art shows, filking, sword demonstrations etc. Toronto Trek, Celebration, BotCon, Dragon Con , Comic-Con ( both Dragon Con and Comicon will appear under many categories)
• GAMING CONVENTIONS
Gamers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, colors and ethnic backgrounds but they all have something in common. A love of games. Role playing, live, pen and paper, MMOG as well as video gamers and board gamers all have a lot of interactive fun at gaming conventions. You can meet game designers, try out new games that have yet to hit the general market, and play in tournaments for glory and prizes. Once an almost male-only pursuit, gaming now has a growing number of female enthusiasts Gaming has become so pervasive that it is now nearly socially acceptable to the mainstream public. Nearly.
There are giant conventions like GENCON and ORIGINS, where it is so crowded you may have trouble negotiating the exhibition halls due to the crowds. The upside is the great diversity and FREEBIES as there are so many gaming companies competing for your attention. Then there are the more intimate play intensive ones like Archon, CastleCon, Dragonflight Dreikonigsnacht (Twelfth Night), Festival of Dreams, HexaCon, KublaCon, MACE, MarsCon, Marmalade Dog, ShaunCon, Strategicon, The Once and Future Con, and many many more.
Keep in mind that many conventions other than pure gaming conventions have gaming tracks. If you like to game but want to do more than only game during the weekend you might look into some of the other cons with a strong gaming element.
• ANIME CONVENTIONS
For the older generation anime seems so foreign, even unreachable. It shouldn’t be. Yes, anime and its siblings manga and ahem *cough* hentai are of Japanese origin but the striking visual styles and beauty, the characters and stories connect with westerners as well as audiences in the east. Because they are animations they can either be sub-titled or dubbed in the language of the country where it is being broadcast. In anime the stars are the illustrators, authors, and voice actors. At conventions you will find many of these sorts of guests as well as companies promoting their projects. You will also find some of the most imaginative of costumes created and worn by fans. At larger conventions you may find multiple rooms running films day and night. At smaller ones perhaps just one room will be devoted to showing their favorites. There are often panels discussing aspects of cosplay, fan fiction, video games, favorite voice actors, anime series or movies. As in literary conventions there are often workshops. These workshops are mostly how to draw manga, make computer animation, or how to become a voice actor. The dealers room will be filled with DVDs , software, graphic novel manga, art books, apparel, toys and exotic ( for us ) foods.
While the U.S. and Canada have the largest SF conventions in the world the largest Anime conventions are Lucca Comics & Games in Lucca Italy ( 85,000 ) , Japan Expo in Paris France ( 83,000 ) Salon del Manga in Barcelona Spain ( 63,000 ) and Romics in Rome Italy ( 50,000 ). The big guys in North America are Anime Expo Los Angeles California (41,000), Otakon Baltimore Maryland (23,000) and A-Kon Dallas Texas (14,500). Hey, size isn’t everything and some of the smallest might be the way to start if you have never been to a con before!!
• HORROR CONVENTIONS
What a perfect place to let it all hang out (dating myself but who cares). Horror conventions revel in going over the top. Long live Elvira, Freddy Krueger, Jason, Dracula, Zacherley, Even the names of these conventions and expos are meant to be graphic illustrations of what you will find there. Chiller Theatre, Fangoria, Fright Night Film and Fantasy Fest, HorrorFind, HorrorHound Weekend, Spooky Empire. Nothing to subtle here. No sparing of the gore. It’s like the rollercoaster of genre conventions. If you have a strong stomach and a dark sense of humor you will have tons of fun. The dealer’s room, art show, video rooms all are in sync with the horror theme. Guests that reach back decades up to the present. Once again there is a chance to meet actors, artists and authors for autographs, photo shoots, and anecdotes. Attendees go wild with costumes and you can do so too even without a ton of money or a pile of cash. Try out your best monsterish clothes and make-up or come asa victim…or not. Costumes aren’t required, they are just fun. There is usually a monster mash even if that isn’t the name given. Some horror conventions invite guests that more about nostalgia than horror. Chiller Con is a good example of this. Some of their guests are Micky Dolenz from the Monkees, Ernest Borgnine , Lindsay Wagner, Brigitte Nielson, Katey Sagal (Married with Children), Stephen Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Barry Bostwick, Erin Murphy (Tabitha of Bewitched), Avery Brooks, Armin Shimmerman, Robert Picardo, Geri Reischel (Jan from The Brady Bunch), Susan Olsen (Cindy from The Brady Bunch),Joe Pantoliano,Richard Kiel ("Jaws" Moonraker), Lou Ferrigno, William B Davies (X-Files-Cancer Man), Stella Stevens, Frank Stallone, Ron Bumblefoot ( Guns N Roses ) and a host of others.
• COMIC CONVENTION
When you think of a comic book convention you will probably think of a sea of old comic books, toys, Star Wars stuff, Star Trek stuff, action figures, collectible card games and magazines for sale and you would be right but that is only a part and an increasingly small part of the experience. You will find illustrators, authors, publishers and very often interesting workshops and panels that deal with every aspect of the industry past, present and future. There are the costume contingents that always show up at the larger conventions and some are so good that you could almost believe you were seeing superheroes and villains walk out of the pages and off the screen to meet you and be photographed. Some cons such as Dragon Con and Comic-Con began solely as comic conventions but grew to tremendous size, scope and diversity that they have transcended the genre that gave rise to them. Even those such as HEROES which remains focused on comics manages to have a number of other aspects and should be able to keep the whole family amused for the weekend. Comic conventions often have a lot of pop culture and nostalgia guests. So if you would like to see people like Creature, Parthenon and Fat Mama from Who wants to be a Superhero or maybe even Stan Lee himself, you might get your chance. How about James & Oliver Phelps who played the Weasley Twins in the Harry Potter movies ? Or perhaps Sean Astin or Billy Boyd and even Elijah Wood . From Heroes Hayden Paniterre and Masi Oka, or Ice-T…yes I said Ice-T AND his swimsuit-model wife Coco.
For a walk down memory lane there is Erik Estrada, Betsy Palmer, Soupy Sales, Richard Hatch, John Saxon, Adam West and Burt Ward ( Batman and Robin) , Julie Newmar, Peter Mayhew, Eddie Byrnes (77 Sunset Strip), Erin Gray (Buck Rodgers), Gary Coleman, Lou Ferrigno and on and on. Some are from your childhood others are from your parents childhoods. I can tell you that when I unexpectedly got to meet the very ladylike and gracious Betsy Palmer it was a thrill.
The bottom line is conventions are places where adults can go and play and slough off the average workday week . Have fun !!
About The Author
June Williams
V.P. Buzzy Multimedia Publishing
http://www.buzzymultimedia.com
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