[Writer Post][Conventions] Weatherford Comic Con
Sorry I’m late… stuff happens. This is the story of Weatherford Comic Con. That as last Saturday (April 2) we trekked out to have a vendor table at this first year event. For those who are unaware of this area’s geography – Weatherford is on the far west side of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex (40-45 minutes from Arlington) and the opposite direction of most fandom activity. Which is one of the reasons I did the show.
The western part of the area is underserved by the fannish community – by just about EVERYONE, if I’m honest. People are under the impression that if it doesn’t happen in Dallas (City or County) or maybe Collin County, it either doesn’t matter or no one will come. I call bull pucky. Tarrant, Parker, and Denton Counties COUNT, y’all. So do the Mid Cities. And yet those fans are constantly expected to travel great distances EAST because “people in Dallas won’t come West” – BULL PUCKY. And if they won’t, SO WHAT? Right now, the Dallas scene is saturated. Fort Worth, Denton, Weatherford? Not so much.
Weatherford had its challenges – every first year does – but I think they’re not insurmountable. Just things to watch for.
Accessibility – there was none. This is the biggest weakness. The site was a historic building over 100 years old. Gorgeous, but there was a flight and half of stairs just to get to the front doors then the room they had in the building was on the second floor – no elevator. The vendors found (some at the end of the day) a ramp in the back that was neither marked nor advertised. And parking was…on streets, driveways, and I think a block or so away at a school with no shuttles I saw. Hike.
Only a handful of vendors were there (they tables were pricey for those). The rest of us were on the grounds out front and across the driveway (no curb cuts). Vendors had a much more affordable choice of being outside or in a tent. I had no real expectations – I actually rabble roused to make sure they had a weather plan – so I was very pleasantly surprised to find the tent wasn’t and Eas-E-Up but a big event tent with 8 foot tables. BUT it was on a baseball diamond down a hill and around the Wrestling Ring (yes, farm league wrestling – AGAIN). The ring was set TOO CLOSE to the entrance of the tent, blocking access to the tent during their performances. Logistics…
RULES – nominally enforced. I remember reading posts about there not being music or effects at tables/booths. Which apparently didn’t apply to the Visual/Sound Effects vendor – who had to blast music ALL DAY LONG. By about 2 – 3, there was a DANCE PARTY going on in the aisle, blocking access to the tent and shutting down (basically) every single vendor around them from crowd and wave of sound.
We would’ve complained to staff – except we have no idea what happened to them. Saw them first thing in the morning on the steps. Were given a phone number (that the music would’ve drowned out any conversation), but I NEVER EVER saw a staff member after the show started. No one.
But I do give credit to the original organizer, when this show took off, he got help from an event management organization. I think that’s how we got the decent tent and tables. And in that, this was awesome. Lots of room between tables. Good traffic flow (for the most part) and ventilation. Could use more food vendors – if someone didn’t eat meat, you were stuck with chips and snacks. THE food vendor was an excellent barbecue truck – oh, and an ice cream truck. And there were portajohns.
On that note – that’s the one good thing about it only being 11-4, we went straight to a clean restroom. And if I’d noticed that time in set up, I may or may not have done the show. That’s a long way to go for only a handful of hours (literally), but sales bore out the time. And I was VERY PLEASANTLY surprised by the NUMBER and excitement of the people who were there. Lots of costumes as well as little league kids, jocks, and cowboys. They were all mostly lovely people – and very few were familiar looking.
I know it sounds like nitpicking, but this is how we learn and grow. If they decide to do another show, I’ll consider getting a table. And it’s always good to see (however briefly) Lloyd and Genevieve Dodd with Tea Punk Teas.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot Petball Ball Point – 0.7mm
We return to Pilot this week with another pen from back at Christmas. This is the Petball ballpoint pen with a clear plastic body. These are part of the BeGreen series and the B2P series – which means the barrel is made of recycled plastic from water bottles.
According to the literature – these pens have a 90.4% recycled content level. The clear barrel is actually molded to have waves in it like a bottle design. The waves actually give the pen some grip, but there are no ergonomics. This pen is about 5.6″ long – which is pretty standard for a retractable. The barrel is slightly wider than your typical retractable giving it a heftier, more comfortable feel. The plastic clip is fairly sturdy.
The ink comes in a metal conical tip with a smooth line. The 0.7mm point makes a decent line. I’m not seeing the actual contents of the ink, but it feels like the low viscosity ink that comes in the Acroball. There’s a lot let blobs and smearing with the Petball than I found with the B2P gel inks. But the rest feels similar.
This pen is available on JetPens and is very affordable. It’s also refillable with the Pilot BPRF refills in the four most common colors – black, blue, green, and red. I LOVE that this comes in a 0.7mm – and ONLY in a 0.7mm. And according to some of the comments – these refills also work in the B2Ps if you don’t care for the gel ink – which means I may just revisit those.
To the numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s good. It feels like it has the low viscosity ink for a smooth writing experience. The retractor works well. The tip is solid and smooth.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s a relatively inexpensive, plastic pen. There’s texture to the barrel but no ergonomics.
3. Material – 1 It’s a basic plastic, retractable pen. It is what it is, but it works like it should.
4. Overall Design – 1 – I like this design. The clear body lets me see ink level and the design in the barrel doesn’t get in the way much.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s an okay price point for plastic retractable pens – but you can find them on sale. They run $1.65 on JetPens. The refills run $1 a piece. You can only get these online, they’re not in US stores.
4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Writer Post] Brain is Fried
I wish I had something to talk about today. But I don’t. This is a marathon week in the Day Job and though I’m getting writing work done, it’s clean up work or editing. There have been a few new words, but I’m doing what I can. I have a short story due very soon. I need to wrestle it ito submission.
Royalties are coming in. Tarbox had a very good showing. THANK YOU. But because I’ve not been overly active in pushing the chapbook ebooks – those have been, well, sad (and that’s on me). Huh, I might want to make stickers to put on my business cards with the Amazon Author Page link. That might help.
Saturday if you’re in West DFW, I’ll have a table at the Weatherford Comic Con. It’s 11-4 outside the Knights of Pythian Hall. There will be other familiar faces – and it’s a new part of town, but I have some reservations. We’ll see how it goes. Then maybe I’ll have something to write about next week.
But now to crash before a very long day tomorrow. Then a FenCon Meeting on Sunday after the thing on Saturday. Whee!
Busy. Busy. Busy – OH and allergy season, so there’s been THAT to deal with. SO ATTRACTIVE.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Sanford Uni-Ball Micro Roller 0.2mm
This week I’m looking at a classic – the Sanford Uni-Ball Micro roller ball stick pen. I’ve had a box of these in my cabinet for YEARS – seriously, years. These pens have been around – according to an Amazon product description – for over 30 years. I think I’ve had this box stuck in a cabinet for about 10 years? I found the box while cleaning out an office cabinet and most of them still worked after all this time. In fact, I have one on my desk at work right now.
These pens are, obviously, a work horse pen. NOW, it has archival ink – to prevent fading, smearing, and fraud. They’re nothing special to look at, black plastic barrels with metal clips and conical tips with color matching bands at the tip. The thing that shows this is an OLD pen? It’s a 0.2mm – not the 0.5mm they NOW call micro. I don’t think you can get these pens anymore – at least not at this size (sadly).
The barrel is about 5.25″ long capped, and 6.25″ with the cap posted. For plastic, the cap posts securely. The clip is adequate with some flexibility in the metal. There’s some scratching to the point. The ink dries quickly with little to no smearing but a little skipping. But considering how long we’ve had these pens? I’m seriously impressed.
Sadly… if you want these, I’m not finding them – just 0.5mm and 0.7mm now – but they do come in the standard colors – black, blue, red, and green. They’re great utility pens even if the finest points aren’t available any longer. And they’re available in 12 packs at most major retailers for a reasonable price.
Let’s see the numbers…
1. How does it work? – 0.5/b> – it works well. The ink dries quickly – the micro point doesn’t smear easily. There’s some skipping with the super fine point and scratchiness.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – The length is good, and the cap posts securely – but the barrel is on the narrow end and there are no ergonomics.
3. Material – 1 – It’s a plastic stick pen. It’s a classic with a metal clip.
4. Overall Design – 1 It’s a timeless design with a truly MICRO point.
5. Price Point – 1 – You can’t get these – but you can get the 0.5mm and 0.7mm – they only come in boxes of 12 – and they run about $1 a piece – some lower, some higher. Very economical for a solid office pen.
That’s 4 bronze pencils out of 5.
[Writer Post] Changing the Narrative Pt 4 – Your Turn
Changing the Narrative continues – installment of Changing the Narrative is going to be INTERACTIVE. Hah! I’m going to make you do some work. When you have a flash of insight – or something – it needs to be pursued, right? Then I need to get back to stories. I have A LOOMING DEADLINE. Bwa hahaha.
I was going to start shifting my focus from the issues of fan-run and media conventions – because I think we have hit the high points. It’s time to start shifting to potential solutions. I was going to start detailing what ideas I had but I need more time to let them gel.
THAT’S WHERE YOU COME IN! (read that in your best Game Show Announcer Voice) This is not a One Woman Saves The World scenario, especially not THIS woman. I will spend the next week working out my idea – but I want YOUR ideas. I know I have con runners and volunteers from both types of shows, artists, writers, creators, and vendors on my feeds and (hopefully) readership – some of you have commented.
Now, YOU tell ME what YOU see – both the present and the future – or what you would like to see as solutions. Let’s truly start a dialog on this. This will be a “Nothing’s Off The Table” type discussion (yeah, I know that’s hard – really hard, I’ve been guilty of naysaying, let’s all try to be cool). What might work for one type of show – or size – may not apply to another but it might make someone think somewhere.
But there has to be TALKING (or in this case TYPING). So make with the clicky clicky and tell me your thoughts. Media? Fan Run? Hybrid? Pros and cons. Happy, sad, both? Just remember the rule – “Don’t Be A Jerk”. Civility is a must.
Now… DEADLINE. Must go. Talk amongst yourselves. PLEASE!
[Pen & Pencil Review] Scribal Workshop Inks and Crafts
It’s almost late, but I will get in a post today. This isn’t going to be a “traditional” review, more of a spotlight. I want to introduce fountain pen enthusiasts to a friend, artisan, and craftsperson – Lucas Tucker. Lucas Tucker is the owner and creator of SCRIBAL WORKSHOP. I’ve mentioned his inks before but in context of being in pens.
Top ink is NESSIE from Lucas Tuckers Scribal Workshop. Bottom ink – Namiki Purple.
For those who might like the Old World feel of quill pens and dip inks. Lucas creates beautiful inks in vibrant colors – most are perfectly suited to modern fountain pens and converters, a few are NOT – but they’re clearly labeled. I love his inks. Sometimes I’m hesitant to use them so I don’t use them up (which is a STUPID reason), and compared to inks from Pelikan or Namiki or any of the other ink makers? His prices are quite reasonable – $10-$11 for a 2 oz bottle. He even has an INVISIBLE ink!
But that’s not all Lucas brings to the Old World table. If you’re a fan of ancient art or renaissance festivals or just about anything before Gutenberg, Lucas is your guy. He makes paper, quills, scrolls, and journals – he can take you even farther back in time to wax tablets and styluses (styli?). BUT WAIT! There’s MORE! If you’re into calligraphy, he has calligraphy writing kits.
Lucas is also an artist. He does Illuminations – quotes, manuscripts, etc. Such beautiful work. In the modern world, Lucas sells his wares through his Etsy store for really good prices. If you want to see him do demos and see his wares in person, I know he does at least one Renaissance festival as a scribe – Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, TX starting on April 9th. I already have a BlackBeary on order.
Grading:
1. How does it write? – 1 – I’ve not tried the quills or the dip pens, but I do like the inks. The colors are rich and smooth.
2. Grip and feel – 0 – I don’t have any of the dip pens – and the quills are feathers. So I can’t actually comment.
3. Material – 1 – I wish I could give this more than a 1 – he uses natural ingredients in the original manner. Berries, tree bits, nuts, etc. He CREATES his product instead of manufacture it.
4. Overall Design – 1 – Oh, my gosh, I wish I could buy it all. I love the bottles – both the glass and wax ones as well as the more generic plastic bear ones.
5. Price Point – 1 – The Etsy store has some GREAT prices. His does have some kits and gifts that are awesome. But honestly, $11 for 2 oz isn’t bad. I spent more and those inks aren’t handmade like these are.
Overall – 4 Bronze Pencils out of 5.
[Writing Post] Changing the Narrative (3) – Crowded Landscapes
A couple of weeks ago I talked about the economic value of fan-run conventions in the sea of media/pop culture events. Now I want to talk about the sheer number of events happening – especially in Dallas/Fort Worth. It’s an extremely crowded landscape.
At first glance, you’d think having so many options would be a good thing. The overall acceptance of genre fandom is a really good thing. BUT… there are drawbacks to having SO. MANY. SHOWS.
- 1. Fans and local creators (artists & writers) ARE. NOT. MADE. OF. MONEY. Say it with me, now. Resources are FINITE. Keep piling on the “opportunities” and soon there won’t be any resources to left – either financial or energy. These shows take TIME and energy and investments beyond showing up. We can only do so many.
- 2. Oversaturation – too many shows eventually mean LESS opportunity for creators and LESS draw for fans. If you have the same shows multiple times a year – eventually the fans will have ALL the STUFF. Creators won’t have time to make MORE STUFF which means no VALUE ADDS for the fans, which eventually means…NO MORE FANS.
- 3. Quantity does NOT equate to Quality most of the time. Seriously? Just because you CAN do FOUR shows in a year doesn’t mean you SHOULD – especially if you’re not able or willing to evolve the show to add value. If you’re just doing it to have a vendor room or artist alley – just open a store and call it what it is.
- 4. CHECK THE FRIGGIN’ CALENDAR! Does YOUR need to have a show mean you have to have it on the same day as someone else’s show make it all right? NO! Yes, I know venues can have limited availability. Yes, some shows pop out of nowhere – but MOST have their dates book a YEAR OR MORE in advance. Do some DUE DILIGENCE! Even if it’s a social media post of “Hey, thinking of doing this show in April, anyone know of shows going on then?”
- 5. Don’t think YOUR show is somehow more special than any other. All shows are special, unique, etc. We all have a place. We need to work together. We need to be professional. DON’T BE A JERK!
Are there any quick fixes? No. Unfortunately, there are not – because (unless specifically shared) the people who need to read this…won’t. There are websites that have convention listings – though no site is fully comprehensive. CAP-TX – http://www.cap-tx.info/ – is one of the more comprehensive, but don’t have some of the fan runs on there YET. Also, it’s statewide – but MOST people should know their metropolitan area to know the suburban areas and whether or not your show is hitting another show’s date.
If there were any way to organize it, go Old School – email or Facebook groups for local convention organizers – but that would have to rely on opting in and participating. But somehow we need to make some kind of effort. We are all part of ONE community. It would make a certain amount of sense to cooperate with each other for the BENEFIT of fandom instead of pulling them in so many directions.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Just Mobile AluPen Pro Pelikan Ink
I have my good friend, John Husisian, for this week’s review. This is the pen he bought me for my birthday at Paradise Pen Company during the last pilgrimage. He gifted me with the Just Mobile AluPen Pro ballpoint pen and stylus. It was slightly overshadowed by the Vanishing Point, but no less appreciated.
The Just Mobile AluPen Pro is a solid pen, which you’d pretty much expect from a pen made from ALUMINUM. The pen is tooled to be hexagonal – like a pencil, but that gives the pen both a classic design and the ability to not roll off the desk (there’s something to be said about that). In fact, between that and the capacitive stylus, it actually looks like it should be a nifty mechanical pencil.
However, it’s not, it’s a very functional ball point pen. The ink and refill for the AluPen Pro is from Pelikan, so it’s a solid ink. The pen takes Pelikan’s refill 38 – which is a mini ink – and is a 1.0mm point, but it doesn’t fill thick and gloopy like other 1.0mm do. This is a decent metal conical point that extends and retracts through a twist mechanism at the tip. The stylus is set into the hex end and comes with a replacement. The stylus is secure and works well on my iPad, my iPhone, and my touchscreen laptop screen.
The only minor downside is the length. The AluPen Pro is just under 5.25″ long both retracted and extended. It’s shorter than I would like, but well-balanced for the weight. And it does have some weight, but not so much as to be uncomfortable.
It’s not cheap but it’s not overly expensive. It runs about $30 online, but are also available from Paradise Pen Company stores. If you’re both high and low tech, this is a solid pen to pick up.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid pen. It doesn’t feel like a 1.0mm point and the stylus is responsive on a variety of screens.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – The grip is hexagonal aluminum. There are no ergonomics and if you don’t like hexes for the ridges, this is not for you. And it’s short.
3. Material – 1 It’s a solid aluminum. Can’t beat that.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s solid. It’s very good looking with a high tech feel. The ink is dark, rich but not smeary or gloppy, and the stylus does what you want it to.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not cheap. These pens run – if you don’t find them on serious sale – about $30. But with the solidness of the pen and the stylus (with a replacement) it’s a decent tech pen.
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Writer Post] Changing the Narrative Part 2
Once upon a time at a convention, I saw a t-shirt on display that basically told younger fandoms to “Get Off My Lawn”. Actually, I think those words were actually said the words “Get Off My Lawn”. It may be a one off or a test case. If a test case, I hope it was a royal failure. If it was intended as some kind of joke, then it WAS a royal failure.
Because…NO. Bad move. Danger, Will Robinson. Abort. Abort.
Conventions, especially fan run literary conventions (including WorldCon), are already battling an aging population. If we want convention to not only survive but thrive and (gasp) GROW in the face of ever-encroaching media/pop culture “events” we HAVE to change the narrative. WE have to embrace, engage, and encourage fans of all ages, cultures, and fandoms to participate.
I confess I’ve been guilty of exclusion, and I regret that. I’m trying to change that. I may not find certain books/series/etc. to my taste – but that’s no reason to discourage anyone in their fandom? Isn’t that why we have so many different styles of science fiction? So there’s something for everyone? We, as a community, need to engage younger readers, gamers, cosplayers, and all the other fans.
We can start by incorporating YA authors into our genre panels as simply AUTHORS – and stop the separate tracks (unless dealing with the specific elements of CRAFT). Rachel Caine put out an open letter that addressed this – and it’s a good point. We need to encourage all age groups into the subgenres and the craft.
Because, come on, if we continue to segregate our reading “levels”, how do we encourage those readers to try other things? How do we introduce authors beyond their niche? Engagement. We need to show these younger, newer fans that might pick up a wildly popular series that if they like that they might this other thing… for those who like classics – CS Lewis leading to Tolkien. Or maybe Harry Potter to other epic magical fantasy – or Twilight to Rachel Caine to any number of urban fantasies. By putting all these authors on the same panels, we create gateways.
We need to find common ground and common topics. We need to encourage these fans to become involved. We need to lose the “be seen and not heard” mentality that some seem to have – in the idea that those with experience in fandoms are older and wiser and when these fans have proven themselves them MAYBE they can have a seat at the table SOMEDAY. That day is NOW.
[Updates] More Delays
I’m sorry about the holes in the blogs. Day Job has reared its head – we had a big event this morning that had me up AT WORK at 6 am (which meant out of bed at 4:30 am – 4:30 really should only happen ONCE a day…). We also had Spring Storms coming through – which meant getting stuff done last night before weather hit.
I lost yesterday.
We also have family stuff happening – that if you’re on Facebook, you know. We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers, but we may be doing a whirlwind trip to Florida in the near future.
I will get back to normal schedules soon.
Promise.