Say, What Chu Looking At?

Home Made Kazoku – Otakon Concert 2010

Originally uploaded by Doc Stampede Complete Flickr Gallery Here

So last weekend was Otakon 2010. My 12th Otakon as a member of Staff. My second year handling Musical Guests.

As expected, it wasn’t anywhere near as tough this year, with a much better idea of what to watch out for and plan for.

This photo is from the Home Made Kazoku concert – which I had the time and opportunity to photograph. My own guests, the Yoshida Brothers — I was quite busy keeping things in line to shoot.

Much love to my fellow staff – as it was a very hectic convention with an incredible amount of good things happening, but also the greatest challenges on the back end yet.

Of particular note was the fire alarm on Saturday that resulted in over 26000 people being evacuated. Safely, and all loaded back in within the hour, with all programming resumed 90 minutes after the incident. My greatest respect to our staffers who performed crowd control in a highly fluid, changing and challenging moment. Some of them stayed in the building despite not knowing whether or not there was a real danger. Hats off.

Personal thanks to far too many people who made it possible – Alice, Sean, Mike, Jim, Dar, Rea, Alex, Cheryl, Lee, Andy, Yaz, Mer, Maile, Scott, Pat, the entire Yoshida Brothers team, etc. Thanks to Mari for being an essential interpreter and right hand woman for the entire con! Many thanks to Crissy for visiting me and lending a much needed quiet moment on Saturday! The list goes on, and it would be impossible to get everyone.

29000+ people this year, and still going strong. I wish I’d seen more of the con, but I was non-stop guest management from Thursday morning through Saturday night, with a little extra through Sunday and Monday. So — no con for me as usual. ^_^;;

In either case, not too many photos from the con, but what photos there are can be found here..

Spent about 10 minutes at the convention.  Spent rest of Saturday in the park, taking photos, and spent most of Sunday getting to a slow start.  Fun times!

Already feeling like its too quiet again.

Will post photos later, except for one, which we have titled the “Lionel Tribute shot” with great respect for Lionel. 

Anyway, more serious photos when I’ve had some time to rest, recover, and edit. 

So, apparently there’s enough interest that we might put something more … extended together.

Since my brain has been running in overdrive, lemme get some character notes down.

(This is all in reference to THIS post….)

Character notes

• Read more…

I blame this on Razorbagel, who put the idea in my head with just a few lines… I had to rewrite the whole song.

Yes, I want to actually do this.  I think it’d be absolutely drop dead funny as a fan video.   (And Matt…  Sue… You KNOW I’m thinking of this for Scott M. for the next fan parody… Hahaha)

Under the cut – One Week More — Otakon as sung in Les Mis style… 

Read more…

Ever wonder why you see my eyes cross and I turn into a raging monster at times at con meetings?  Dork Tower got it, compressed right down into a single panel comic.

Scuse me.  Powers that be…  Firmament of the convention universe?

Why didn’t I ever get a +10 Sword of Totally Peeved Con Chair?

Oh wait.  I did.  It was my voice.  XD

(But I’d like a physical sword…

Read the entire chain over at Dork Tower

I know that I’ve got at least…  7 or more readers who have done their time chairing conventions…  Looks like Dork Tower is doing a series on being chair…

The Tao of Igor Chapter 2, Part 1 | Dork Tower

Sunday at Dragon*Con really threw me off, being used to a 3 day convention, having a solid second day of con threw me off.

The Marriott is over 40 stories tall, and immediately triggers my brain’s “AHHH I’M REALLY HIGH UP AHHHH!!!” sensations.  Its also structured in such a way to really feel like you’ve been eaten by some sort of large animal..

A friendly and creative homeless man was trying to sell flowers to girls for a dollar a flower, or three for five.. (flowers he probably picked up from a random shrubbery..)  I actually gave him a dollar for one, because he was persistent, and fairly friendly in how he tried..

Sunday night brings out all of the casual (and not so casual) costumes.

This young man really worked his lightsaber in the open areas at the Marriott.

I didn’t shoot too much, since I had my lightweight rig and there were plenty of people out there taking photos already.

The con itself?  I’ll post some more photos later, but it was fun.  Hanging out with everyone was good, though I very much find myself wondering if the cost of attending the convention is worth it.  I think if I *were* to go back, it’d have to be because the right batch of people were going.  I’d like to see some places in Atlanta, didn’t have the opportunity to do so this time around.  Also really *don’t* know how to NOT be staff..

Anyhow, decent weekend.  Sleep time tho.  Very very tired, as usual.  *faint*

Kimmie’s Duck is made of Win — and peers over edges!

Don’t blink.  Really.  DO NOT BLINK.

If only it worked for Doctor Horrible..

Oh look I am Random Victim #15723 for the Dexter group.  oh damn.

Yup. Got here. Plane flight went by in a blur. Plane flew over a small storm system on the way.  That looked fun.  Wanted to jump out of the plane and make snow angels in the clouds.   Of course, that would have ended badly..

Spent much of the rest of the day in a half asleep haze.  Linked up with some people here and there, hey there people!  By the way, Crochet Duck is full of win and cute.   Double-shot Expresso + Energy drinks from Starbucks are crack.  Didn’t find a poker game.  Kat got in at 2am. Sleepy. Sleep. So tired. SLEEP!

Struggled out of bed at 9:30, ran over to the parade.  Got to the curve just in time to see Jon and Becky’s Little Mermaid costume, yay!  Jon.. Don’t let go of that rolling rock.    Hey, its Todd!  Oh, and stormtroopers.  Lots of stormtroopers.  Are they allowed to wave?

Okay.  Taking nap now.  Bye!

Otakon 2008

I find it difficult to sit down and write about Otakon 2008 – it was such a fast paced con that much of what happened was a blur of epic proportions. A week of sleeping less than 4 hours a day tends to wear hard, and I’m certainly not 23 anymore. Still I wouldn’t have it any other way – I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was addicted to the pace of running an event.I’ve said that running any con, especially one the size of Otakon, is like surfing the wave of disaster. Every year is a test to see just how well you can ride the wave and guide everything to safety and success. We managed this year to have a fairly smooth wave.If I really wrote everything about the con, I could go on forever. So, here’s a fairly rambling write-up that will probably shorten as I start to forget things, and as the pace starts to blur things may get.. fuzzy…

Oh yeah, if you want to get to where I list people, go to the end.. If you just want to look at the behind the scenes pictures, go to the flickr gallery. And if you want to listen to me cluck the Robot Chicken Theme Song, that’s fine too.
Read more…