Drifty...

[rolanni]

No real reason for driftiness, really, but drifty I most definitely am, despite two cups of chocolate flavored coffee. It may be Mozart's doing, as he lounges in the office rocker, putting out sleep rays to beat the band. He's on the schedule to have his claws clipped today, a procedure he endures with Enormous Patience(tm), so the sleep rays may be a preemptive strike.

We spent Friday afternoon and most of Saturday at PortConMaine, an anime convention in its fourth year. Julie, the conceiving genius and conchair, wanted to expand the panel offerings this year and so we were there as guest authors, with two gigs on the schedule. The first, two hours on Friday evening, was supposed to be a reading and then a talk about reviewing. The facilities were ...not well designed for a convention, and the panel room was many halls and stairways removed from the main con, so we read for a bit and then had a wide-ranging conversation with a group of about five hardy souls.

Prior to the panel, we hung out in the so-called "registration area", which was in fact a two-level ballroom, filled with something like a large family party crossed with a video arcade. There were all kinds of games going on -- cards, computers, role playing, "cosplay"... We took a tour of the artists alley (where I scored a tres cool Cthulhu t-shirt), then took up position on the higher ground, leaned against the rail and got in some people watching. Until Kali Lightfoot arrived for our panel, we were the oldest people present. What struck me most, as a sort of characteristic of the whole con, was how polite everyone was. Of course, this could have been in deference to our advanced ages.

Saturday, we did a well-attended early panel on writing and publishing -- lots of good questions, very attentive audience, then repaired to the dealers room, where we were to sign. This event was put back by lack of table (which had been in the room Friday night at closing, but was Mysteriously Gone Saturday morning at opening). Eventually a replacement table arrived, we signed, chatted with the crew from Walden books, wandered the halls a bit, and took our leave.

In all, the convention was a bit bewildering -- near enough to a "regular" con that the differences were mind-twisting, and I caught an inkling of what Mundanes must feel like when they innocently wander into the fringes of a WorldCon. Also, for those con-running fans who are wondering where all the young fans are? They're at anime conventions, folks, and they have lots of room on their credit cards.

Sunday was a paperwork and SRM order catch-up day. Monday, I did the gym thing, then kinzel and I went out to Shaw's to take on provisions. After, we each retired to read. My book of choice is Crystal Soldier, which I'm reading in preparation for starting the next book.

Today is more reading, with storms and possibly thunderstorms on the weather front. Might mooch out this evening and take in Harry Potter...

Comments

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

I was curious to see how your anime experience went, since I have a similar experience coming up: a local anime con invited me to be on panels about SF/F writing, publishing and art and I'm trying to plan for it. Last year when I attended the con, I also noted the youth of the attendees (and the fact that a -lot- of them were girls!). And this year the anime con, which is in its second year, has sold out its hotel, something the SF/F con that happens in the same hotel later in the year hasn't done since they invited the guy who did Babylon 5 as a Guest.

It's going to be an interesting experience. :)