There's so much stuff I will own: Nightmare Nights Dallas, Day Two · 4:58am Oct 29th, 2017
Saturday is always, or so it’s seemed to me, the biggest day of any convention. Everybody’s there, settled in, ready for the featured events. So it was with me today.
But first, I kinda had a choice to make. As I’ve written, autographs are a big part of why I’m here, and while I got three yesterday, I’ve got four more to go. My experience on Friday showed I needed to queue up at least ninety minuets to two hours before the doors opened, which if I had done so today, meant I couldn’t attend the “Everyone Panel,” which would include Ms. Faust, as well as all the other con guests. In many ways, I had no choice at all, did I?
Wow. So many people and so much to talk about. I could do little justice to it. My assumption is that it will eventually appear on-line, and when it does, I suggest you watch, although I will tritely say you had to be there. Post panel, I retreated to my room to take some notes, so I could make words now.
(Ooooh, my beer arrived, expect even worserist composition. At the Thai place again; planned on Taste of Chicago, but the Banditos MC were dining there, and I hate to interrupt a family gathering. Back to our blog, already in progress...)
“Big Jim” referred to each episode as a “twenty-two minute miracle” and said how they are always surprised by how well they do as well as the glaring errors they missed.
Ms. Faust talked about the industry’s “girl goggles” (or was it glasses?) that impede the creation of primarily girl-oriented entertainment, its defeat being a personal cause of hers, and one on which she’s made great progress.
(Long break here: dinner, a walk back, an hour at the music whatever you call it. Now down to the bar before it closes.)
When asked about influences, Ms. Faust talked about how Monty Python changed her, and about choosing the Mane 6 colors, a question asked by Tony Fleeces, she said she recycled those from the Galaxy Girls project. At one point she gave a graduation-like speech about talent, work, and luck...
And yes, there were other people who answered questions, too. A whole lot of fun.
The group was at their best when talking amongst themselves, joking and gripping as colleagues often do, about work craziness. Forgive me for the pun, but when they did so, they became animated.
On this panel, and the next, sometimes the best questions come from the panelists. It would be interesting to have them create questions for each other, ahead of time and in secret, and see if they could guess who asked what.
Oh yeah, the next one, the writers panel. Ms. Faust did not attend, because she stayed signing autographs to make sure everyone could get one and then took a rest. Since I was fortunate enough to get one last night, I’m glad she was able to make some other people happy. I hope.
(Oh my goodness. This Irish coffee is more Irish than coffee. I best tap faster here.)
The last panel I took in was the S7 finale commented on by Jim Miller. Although having a front row seat, it worked against me, as I was seated on the extreme right and the only screen was on the left. A trapezoidal view of it, with Jim commenting, informative and snarky, but just plain entertaining. Unfortunately, my neck and back hurt like hell.
I can’t say I saw the two episodes, but it was worth hearing him, even if the story is “spoiled” for me. What I learned from his commentary is that I need to be much more observant for visual elements and aware of story points.
In between these, and when not waiting in line, I made a couple of rounds through the dealer room, which I must say is rather small. Since I need to pack my purchases safely for the flight, I wasn’t getting anything large or fragile. Most of what I got was from bargain bins, opened or “well loved” items. And yes, quite a few were Raritys, why do you ask?
A Rarity Monopoly piece was in the worst condition, scribbled on and missing paint. At least the Rainbow Dash one was free from pen marks. Although not my favorites, a $5 Rarity EQG figure cried out for a home, along with the not-an-orphan-any-longer Scootaloo, one of the Funko smaller figures. Perhaps my wife, who sews, could make her a little telegram delivery outfit.
A pair of blind bag breezies are coming home too; I missed getting them when their wave was in circulation.
But the big score was the Maud and Gummy set. Opened, in a bag, they were five bucks. Five bucks? First, I’ve never seen them on the shelves, and on Amazon, they are outrageously priced. Supply and demand, I guess. Since I was going to open the package anyway, although I save them, this was a real find. Now I need a second: I promised one to Miss K.
(Gosh. Celebs showing up at the bar. Miller, Berrow, escorted by Dusty Katt sans beard.)
So, although it didn’t go precisely as planned, it was a good day. Tomorrow has some show personnel panels I’ll try to hit, but mostly it’s autographs for me, which means hours standing in line. I’ll be rebellious and chew gum while I do.
(Oh, I didn’t see Larson; he was right up at the bar, duh. Nick C.’s right next to him. I hear Libman, she’s practically lost in the taller crowd. )
So two down, one to go, and a long, long travel day to follow. Plenty of time to ramble on then. See ya.
I've always wondered what that con was like, and... Well, it sounds like a regular con! Too bad it's so far away. :B
4711297
I’d expected something on the scale of TrotCon, and it is similar. They’ve attracted a lot of show people, which isn’t like TrotCon, but reminds me more of Canterlot Gardens in 2012. The attendance there seemed bigger, and line handling was a mess, unlike here. The big celebrity panel at CG was (appropriately?) a Kenner oven. SRO sweat box, and to think, on that Friday, I froze in the same room.
The atmosphere here is friendly, staff a bit nicer than others, maybe due to smaller scale. Few more kids, including tweeners or close to, and family. Demographics change is probably good for sustainability.
My sample sample size for NMND will be sadly limited, so other input should be gathered.
Yeah, Super Trampoline is here. Reintroduced myself. He was working, so I didn’t bug him much beyond saying hi.
4711371
Yeah, it sounds more like Trotcon. I was expecting something where everyone's in costume all the time or something, I don't know why. :B
And you went to Canterlot Gardens? Goddamn. :O I don't think I knew you back then, but I was there too! Spent all of it in the dealers' room with Alexstrazsa because... Well, if you weren't into panels, there was literally nothing else to do. <.< Glad that one didn't come back for a second year.
4711377
I am absolutely, completely positive you did not know me. No one outside my immediate family knew what I was doing. My first story on FF was published about two weeks earlier. My wife didn’t even know I wrote until months later.
And at work, when I raced out for the Friday of CG, I was incredibly elusive. When I got there, I didn’t even have the guts to take off the business shirt hiding by brand new “Yay!” tee.
Yeah nobody knew me, and as far as I can tell, they still don’t. 😑
Selfishly, I wished CG would have made it. But like with cats, I like the concept, not the implementations. A NEO event, fantastic! A repeat of the original, with all its issues, sadly no.
TrotCon serves the region now, and it should remain that way.
Oh, and if you really want to know what NMND is like, you just might have a chance next year, thanks to Ms. Faust’s persuasive ability. We’ll have to see.
4711869
I can barely remember those early cons.
Well, no, that's not true. Being on a writers' panel with Cupcakes, Argembarger, and no less than Pen Stroke Skype'd in from wherever. And here I am going "Hurr durr I write Twidash". What a trip, it's a wonder they keep me around.