Note: For some reason this page was totally breaking my blog when it tried to load. So I’ve deleted it. However, so as not to deny you my deathless account of life at Bubonicon 41, I’m reposting it, plus two stirring comments the post engendered before it apparently exploded in flames. Also added the suave con photo below, because I, you know, can. Enjoy.
Best not mess with Jules Verne Space Girl
(Photo credit: Tyerva)
We’re in the final stretch and I’ve had fun. Did a panel on NM in SF and fantasy, then the Mass Autographing. Got to see many good friends, fans and pros, including Connie Willis, Melinda Snodgrass and Jayné Franck. Thanks to Busted Flush being out I had plenty of signing to do. Though not as much as the table where George RR Martin, S.M. Stirling, and Diana Gabaldon were sitting. I cleverly chose my spot at the table next to theirs in hopes of getting overflow. Which didn’t work, but I had a fair amount of traffic anyway.
One person brought pretty much the whole Guardians series to get signed. Others commented on how cute my Asus EEE netbook PC is, on which I was live-Tweeting the signing. The high point, though, was when a gentleman from the ENMU Library presented a copy of Cybernetic Shogun for signing, and pointed out the stamp that showed it came from the personal collection of the late, great Jack Williamson. Which made me feel very honored.
Went home to give Emma’s bladder a break and clean up for the masquerade. Got back and did dinner at the hotel restaurant with Steve Stirling, just returned from a publicity tour for his latest, The Sword of the Lady: A Novel of the Change, as well as his wife Jan and John Jos. Miller. Just managed to get loose in time to check in before the masquerade began.
Masquerade went great this year. Possibly the largest ever. We always get a surprising number of cool and well-done costumes, and this year was no exception. It could be pretty well summed up: Steampunk and zombies. Both of which are fine with me; zombies are the con’s theme this year, and I really enjoy the Steampunk aesthetic. Even the Joker had Steampunk accessories – plus zombie minions.
Winners included the Joker crew for Best Presentation; a fairly little kid in a very impressive Warhammer 40K Space Marine suit; and the lovely Patricia Rogers as Jules Verne Space Girl. Best of Show, and a surprisingly easy call, I’m guessing, was a Steampunk group entry called Ariel’s Bodyguard. It was done by brother and sister Jennifer and Jacob Senn, college kids now, plus friends and some new junior Senns I suspect are younger siblings. The Senn kids have been doing fine costumes for years; they topped themselves this time out.
I’m very happy with my turn as MC. I felt as if I were on, the audience responded well – groaning theatrically at my jokes – and I got a lot of compliments, which is always nice. So, a good show all around, and I’m pleased to’ve done my part.
Hung out with Steve and Kathy Kubica, Dawn Barela, and Andy Riddle while they ate a late dinner at Fuddrucker’s near the hotel. Then went back and hung around the con suite for a little while, where I got to talk some with the brilliant Albuquerque artist Harry Morris, whom I’ve known for eons. Wanted to catch Necroville plus some other shorts and trailers, presented by my Twitter buddy Adam Jarmon Brown, who co-wrote and co-starred in Necroville with the absent Billy Garberina. But – I faded. Kathy said they had the movie on DVD at home. So I bagged it and left.
And now, I’m a bit less wired mentally, and should be able to get to sleep at a fairly reasonable hour.
All I’ve got formally scheduled tomorrow is my reading, which starts at 1:40 PM, a time about as eccentric as the 35 minute length I’ve been alloted. I originally posted it was at 1, owing to misreading the schedule.
Anyway, if you’re in the Albuquerque are and interested in science fiction or fantasy, or just meeting some fun and fascinating folks, swing by. Hope to see you if I haven’t!
Comments (from vanished post):
From Ty
You failed to mention Jayne’s amazing costume.
From Victor
Did I miss a cool costume? Jayné’s always amazing. No doubt I court trouble by saying so, but she’d amaze people …
Popularity: 3% [?]
For what little it’s worth– I set up my first blog a couple days ago and typed in a few of my Bubonicon notes. I’ll probably type in some more notes later. http://harpersnotes87108.blogspot.com/
Interesting idea, posting con notes like that.
She went as ‘Zoey’ from the game Left 4 Dead. She looked pretty much exactly like her.
It was in honor of zombie day.
Oh, of course. She did look a lot like Zoey. Though better.
Live (or undead, as the case may be) in meatspace is almost always better than an image on a screen.
- M. \”/
Assuredly so, in this case.