2014 Clallam Bay Comicon Fun Commences

The gang's arriving!

The fun has started. First on Friday, with folks showing up and setting up the Lion's Club hall. 

A few of us were in the Fun Days parade on Saturday. But the real fun started that evening at the Fun Days fireworks. What the heck - we decided these were the opening ceremonies!  

Fun Days Parade!

The fog was so thick that we couldn't see the high, traditional blasts, but the fireworkers did themselves proud with ground work, including waves of red flame blasting up out the bay, reflected in the water below. 

Cookout, loads of beach fireworks everybody got half price at the Nations. Too damn' much fun.

Panelists, dealers, musicians and fans. And cordite smoke.

No, wait... people are already talking about "Next year?" Oh. Hell.

Roberta Gregory and I hit the Zombie Challenge, and you'll see the two posts - two very frightened kids - at these two posts:

Roberta: "Here?"

Me: "Good and Bad Shit" 

We have lots of fun panels, and we find ourselves with allies and converts. Scared, bullied nerds stand up straight and can't wait until next year. Fishermen bring their kids and get on board for the environment. A bad old-style logger tries his stuff on us - and it does not work.

My panel, on how to run a Comicon, takes 15 minutes, including questions: "Find a dry, secure space with a bathroom and look at the Comicon link at donnabarr.com" This is why I'll never get hired as a teacher - I figure out the basics really fast, and then just get out of the way.

As usual, I had to show off my Ka-Blam Shirt.

Dara, and Kitting out a Sound Studio Cheap.

And whether I like it or not, I suddenly find myself with minions, all of them wanting to do cool things for next year's Comicon. So.... I guess we're doing it in 2015. Oy. Just call me Gru - and all these people "Jerry" and "Dave." What up?j



At this point, the post-con report becomes mostly a photo blog. 

Are we a music festival, yet?

Dara manages to meet up with Jerry of the Lion's Club after the concert, and scopes out the old fire hall for future use as a - recording studio? Concert Hall? Evil Lair? 

Next Year's Evil Lair?

The hall at con's end - cleaner than when we started.

We nailed the WHOLE Winter-Summer's Inn for 2015!

We lock down the entire Winter-Summer Inn, gorgeous upper studio and views and kitchen and all, and Sandy, the owner, is so happy. Yes, next year, she wants to come to the post-con horror movie party, to kick off the Hallowe'en season. Because Hallowe'en can't start too early up here.


Roberta and I and what are left of the gang are driving back to Port Angeles for breakfast, then they go on to Seattle, and I get some apples for Dan and come back on the bus.

Joyce Store has everything!

Last day: After we hit the Joyce store on Highway 112, and I play native guide all the way down (pointing out log cabins and rivers and bits of local gossip and such), we go to the CornerHouse in Port Angeles for a fabulous breakfast. We're talking omelets full of green onions if you want 'em, and a bottomless coffee pot. 

We get the Class Weirdo in the form of a very fun waitress, who makes sure we know all about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus (those 50-pounders are especially dangerous), and definitely wants to be mentioned for the 2015 show.

Torsten and the Older Than You 'fridge

After Roberta and Torsten Adair (Barnes and Noble) take off for Seattle, me and Linden Cook, of Project Wonderful, do a quick walking tour of downtown Port Angeles. She gets her very first Dairy Queen Dilly Bar (mint-chocolate). Cultural experiences.

After she leaves on the Vancouver Ferry, I to Safeway to get Dan his apples. Then I face the bus ride to the library and then all the way home. 

Last Selfie of the Con

But I can't really face the library run. So, I drop in to the Lost Moon Pub. Where I say that I am exhausted, dizzy and sick to my stomach. We're talking post-con tired. What do they have?

Of their array of locally-brewed artisan beers, Marie the bar-keep gives me a taste of "Fiddler's Green" - light ale, with green tea and jasmine. My whole body says, "Yes!" So the Lost Moon will have to be added to favorite Comicon places to hit. 

"Comicon...." Hmmm.... we have to come up with a new name for this show. Because it's so much more. 

Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

There. Con report done. Next: setting up the show for 2015.

And don't ask me what's going to be in it - Gru does not know what the minions are up to.

But they left grinning....

Life-Saver!