Clallam Bay Comicon Now RainCon Afterparty

The Clallam Bay is now part of history - but it became the mother convention for:

RainCon 2 is coming! In June, 2019 - Bigger and better than ever. 

(It's been held since - it was fabulous! And plans are for an even better one next year).

The website is RainCon.com and you can join in at the Facebook page, Fans of RainCon. If you don't use Facebook, contact me at donnabarr01 at gmail dot com, and I'll hook you up with Evan Sveum, in Forks, who runs RainCon.

Unlike the Clallam Bay Comicon - which I never tried to promote as anything but an attempt to get what I love about comics onto the Olympic Peninsula - RainCon is a fully-expandable professional comics/entertainment convention. I've always promoted comicons as job fairs, and the locals are getting it. And yes, we can thank Twilight for turning around their ideas of what entertainment and city folk are all about. They want MORE.

The Clallam Bay Comicon will not continue. Those who usually come to Clallam Bay should know you are very welcome by this community, in all ways, and if you want to show up on the weekend after the 4th of July, to enjoy Fun Days, followed by an evening party and fireworks, please do come on up. I'll be at the beach and the newly-renovated Clallam Bay Inn. We could do a drink-and-draw!

GoFundMe Campaign Art

I'm WAS offering art of Carla Speed McNeil's characters to reward those who donate to the GoFundMe campaign to bring her to the Clallam Bay Comicon. I've offered some of the art here, but didn't get a lot of nibbles. We know why - you want CARLA's art! 

But it would take her an awful lot of extra work to do that art, and the girl is slammed as it is. She deserves this trip, as a jewel of the comics arts, and the community of artists and comics folks deserve to have her here. So pitch in a few shekels, and help us reach that goal. 

Jaeger Avatar - available

Pretty woman avatar - available

Silly Jaeger on a pony sketch - available

Jaeger in the bath - gone

Jaeger and Pfirsich - gone

Clallam Bay Comicon rescued by Forks Comicon

Just when I thought the Clallam Bay Comicon was over forever,the Forks Comicon* steps up and rescues it!

Evan Sveum, who runs the tiny but elegant comic shop next to Home Slice Pizza in Forks, Washington, wants to run a Forks Comicon.

He wants to learn how I run my comicon. Because of my health, I thought I couldn't do it - but with Evan there, just in case things go wonky, I can run the comicon and nobody and nothing will fall through any holes.

Evan will be like a ghost administrator - fully apprised of all situations - but not needing to activate unless something happens with my health. With him as my adjutant, it will lower my stress levels, and there will be less chance he will need to step in at all.

I've asked him to do a panel at the Clallam Bay Comicon about his own comicon in Forks. I hope he can tell us all the details as it begins to happen.

When you're in Forks, heading west, keep an eye out for Home Slice. Pizza and comics - it's a natural combination. Say hi to Evan, and let him know what you want as comics and for his show. 

Wow. More than one comicon on the West End. Could it be just the beginning?

*Working title

Clallam Bay Comicon - Why it will become the Forks Comicon

Rawr!

UPDATE! The Clallam Bay Comicon has been rescued by the Forks Comicon! Go here to find out how and why we're going into our seventh year of the Clallam Bay Comicon.

Original post:

After a very successful Clallam Bay Comicon, I had begun procedures for time, place, guest artist, everything - 

And then Monsanto and the US Army finally killed me.

(Before reading this, be assured there will be a Forks Comicon. And if you REALLY want to see me again, get your ass up here when it happens, for my insane wake party. Because there WILL be one! I'm not going to crawl off and die like dearly-missed creators - my art ain't gonna be burned! Please wear your Hallowe'en best.)

Anniston, Alabama, was listed as the most toxic place on earth. I was stationed there at Fort McClellan for basic training in 1970-71.

Monsanto settled out with the town of Anniston in 2003. The US Army was not part of that settlement - I suspect because of the badly-stored chemical weapons.* 

Some of you have called the EMTs or taken me to the hospital. Invariably, the condition was listed as "anxiety attack," which is new-doctor-speak for "hysteria." When my symptoms were so obviously poisoning (one of you got me to the hospital when I actually HAD been poisoned - and the symptoms were identical).

I thought I was doing very well after the Clallam Bay Comicon. The Lion's Club hall was rented. Talks were on line for a new Forks comicon. We had a fabulous guest artist for Clallam Bay. Dan and I went for a huge walk on Hobuck beach. I felt invigorated and ready to go.

And then... things happened. Stress-points started to build up. I hit crisis point.

I can only say So Many Thanks to Kevin - an EMT who works at the Forks Outfitters - for refusing to let me simply call my husband and wait out the vomiting and convulsions and passing out for the next 18 hours. I heard him - and the EMTs he called - say repeatedly, "Her pulse is low. Her pulse is so low." I really, truly just wanted them to let me go. I started to fade, and it felt so good, after all the years of suffering and bullshit. For Dan's and the cat's sake, I'm so glad the EMT's didn't let me faint out (although I truly wanted to kill myself AND them when I was dry-horking in the back of the ambulance).

So, I don't want anybody to think this is whining. This is the bullshit thousands of vets go through every single day, from many decades, who were stationed at Fort McClellan. We can't "sue" because it would cause stress - and then it's agony in the hospital. In my case, with hereditary cardiac finally starting to bother me, it could be lethal. If you really really want to do anything for us - GET THE FUCKING RECRUITERS OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS. Those people need slammed through a wall, like the health insurance CEO in The Incredibles - and for the same reasons.

So that's why I'm not running the Comicon. But I WILL mentor and assist at the Forks Comicon. I can DO that! And at a smaller convention, I could even run a table. If I can't, then there's my online bookstore, my Black Manuscripts, and social media.

I love you all dearly, and I wish I could keep doing this for you. But the robot be done, as robots do. Oh, well. It's been a good run.

Now I'm going to devote my time to Dan and my old cats, the beach, and my art. And pissing around with all of you on social media in the morning.

*Trust the Green Machine Generals' fan club to shirk its responsibilities to its play-toys (ALL fighters are like this - regardless of whose side they're on. They fight for no one but their fan club. They certainly don't fight for anybody's rights - or there would be no more FGM in the middle east).

Making Comics Real

The University of Minneapolis has a DEGREE in comics - and a lot of it is the marketing and networking that makes it possible for young comics folks to make a living, and not have to be team artists, but real creatives. 

A good friend got me together with the San Diego State University to help build the comic book and art collection in the Love Library Special Collections. I am so exceedingly proud that my name is on the entry hall, and that my collection - for fund-raising - is now valued at a quarter million dollars - and I'm getting my name on the wall of major donors to the university. We helped hook up the universities to make comics reconizeable as the art form they are. 

When Booksurge was being bought by Amazon to make Createspace for books, we small publishers and authors were called - on THEIR DIME - and asked for up to an hour what we really wanted. Which is why Createspace works as well as it does, and has direct support we can contact, and that is truly helpful and patient.

I've never worked for team companies. I never drew any of the major characters. Like so many of the wonderful young people found in Artist Alleys today, I worked to develop my own line, ideas, characters and stories. I hope I've made it possible for them to have creative freedom, and to be paid for it, even in the smallest way. 

I like to think I assisted with some of the nuts and bolts of making the form something everyone could admire. I'm still making that work with my Clallam Bay Comicon, too, where rural attitudes toward comics are slowly turning around. No longer will they believe that superheroes or Manga are the only chance they have as comics creators, or genre fan texts as authors. I couldn't do it without the assistance of other truly original comics authors, who bring their work and ideas to share and teach. You have your own voice. Come share it.

You all count, and you're all recognized. If you even have one loving fan, you have your reward. At one time, that's all I had. I never meant to share my work, but that woman laughed and wept and adored my work and persuaded me to offer my work at a sci-fi convention, and to accept publishers who liked what I offered. I've always held her title of First Fan to be among the most honorable ones in the pantheon of the people who have encouraged me. Without her, I'd still be just drawing at home, and while this is an honorable goal, too, it shouldn't be the only one.

If what I've done has helped built the structures that make things easier for today's kids, I thank all the fellow creatives and fans and one very perceptive university library I've known and who have backed me up for the opportunity.

Thank you all.

2016 Clallam Bay Comicon almost here!

Just a reminder, to all my colleagues - the Clallam Bay Comicon is next week! July 9-10, 2016. I hit my GoFundMe goal to fund Canadian creator Leanne Franson's trip, and have now raised the goal higher, to make it even better. We already have a guest creator - from Europe - for 2017, but if anybody wants to line up for 2018 - it's first come, first served. And yes, I'll be running more campaigns to find travel funds. So if you want Patrick Stewart of Johnny Depp, you better tell 'em now, because my con ins a Squeaky Wheel con - it rewards the pro-active. If it's pretty or they can eat it, they'll buy it; tables are $25 a pop and first-come, first-served, too. Hit the con link above for all the details!

2015 Clallam Bay Comicon Panels and Events

2015 COMICON Panels & Events

Sale tables in Lion's Club Hall * Gaming on the porch* Panel on round tables.

Events are 50 minutes unless otherwise specified. Cooperate like Woodstock!

SATURDAY, July 11, 10 am - 5 pm

9 am-10 am: Show set-up

10 am: Show officially opens

10 am: Fun Days Parade Lineup. Those who wish to participate in the Fun Days parade, assemble at Weel Road Deli/Shell parking lot. Be fabulous.

11 am-12 Noon: Fun Days Parade.

Noon-1: Lunch break. Find Fun Days goodies, including the Lion's Club barbecue, and frybread and Indian Tacos in the bus barn. We have a kitchen. Potlucks and shairsies welcome.

1-1:50: How to Self-Pub Your Manuscript

You've written a book! Yay! Now what? If you want to go the indie route rather than traditional publishing, you have options. Author Angela Highland (_Rebels of Adalonia_ trilogy, _Free Court of Seattle_ series) shares her path to independent publishing, and what has and has not worked for her. Bring your questions and any experience you have to share!

2-2:50 pm: How To Draw A Horse Right, Damnit. Donna Barr reprises a classic from San Diego Comicon. Bring paper and pencil or tablets so you can follow along. Will give instructions upon request, so if you want to know about centaurs and ponies, just ask. The more drawings she does, the more she'll have to hand out at the end of the panel. Nonsense will abound. This will be filmed and posted on YouTube. Linda Medley says she's going to lead off with How To Draw A Horse Badly, dedicated to Josh Whedon. Not that I believe she can.

3-3:50 pm: How To Draw Cats Roberta Gregory shows everyone how to draw our favorite house tigers, as featured in her True Cat Toons book (available at her table).

4-4:50: Concert With Crime and the Forces of Evil

5 pm: Show closes for the evening; hall locks up.

7-11:00 pm (with break for fireworks): *Clallam Bay Comicon Eigenbrötler Film Festival in the con suite (Winter/Summer Inn) Strange, unusual, unique media.

Dusk: Fireworks in Sekiu. BURN BAN ELSEWHERE DEADLY SERIOUS!

SUNDAY 10 am - 5 pm

10 am: Show opens.

Noon-1: Lunch break. What did you all bring?

1-1:50 pm: Beautiful Tools: Linda Medley, author of Castle Waiting, demonstrates inking and pen care - and shows off her fabulous pens.

2-2:50: Building a Geekmusic Festival

A talk and conversation with Dara Korra'ti about nwc MUSIC, the geekmusic festival she started at Norwescon. How did it get started, and given that she's just handed it off to a new generation of event runners, where is it going? And how would someone else go about building a similar event?

4-4:50: Supervillain Songwriting Workshop

Want to write a song? Ever wanted to write a song? Got a song started and not sure where to go next? Bring your idea, or even idea about an idea, to the Supervillain Songwriting Workshop, and we'll bang on it and see if we can't get you moving. Solarbird the Lightbringer of Crime and the Forces of Evil will also give a short talk at the beginning about music theory, physics, and neurology, because that's just how she rolls.

5:00 pm: ARGGGHHH! Swab-The-Decks Event. Show closes, ALL participants heave to and make the Lion's Club ship sparkle! Pirate hats optional. Jerry Our Guy loves us for this part.

7:00-11:00 pm: Dead Dog Party in the con suite.

Monday:

Caravan Road Trip: Highway 112 back through Port Angeles. Drive safe!

2015 Clallam Bay Comicon

Stickers will again be available. Only a dollar -

Dealers and Panel participants get one for free.

EVERYONE WELCOME. If you make or enjoy any sort of books - including comics - movies, music, poetry, cosplay, Steampunk, gallery art, jewelry, paint cars, bake pies, sing, do stand-up, sculpture, hip-hop, light shows, make frybread, whatever - bring it. Everybody welcome for the 10:00 am Saturday parade starting from the Weel Road Deli (Shell parking lot). 

Note: "We" = Donna Barr. Please everybody hit the bottom of this page for the - ahem - contractual agreements. No way we're mailing out stupid paper contracts for everybody.

First, con reports:

The 2013 Comicon Report

The 2014 Comicon Report

Former year Facebook pages: Construct search as: (Year) Clallam Bay Comicon. IE: 2013 Clallam Bay Comicon, etc.

Now - the 2015 information: 

OFFICIAL 2015 Charity: Western Wildlife Outreach. 

PROFESSIONAL GUESTS link for 2015

FACEBOOK LINK (If you want to keep up with ongoing discussions, ask questions, organize a sales rep or living space or panels, yada yada).

July 11-12: During and after Clallam Bay/Sekiu Fun Days 10:00 am - 5 pm Both Saturday and Sunday. 

ADMISSION for public: free. "We don't need no stinkin' badges." You're all special guests to us. And don't have to prove you're pros or amateurs.

BOOTH FEES: $25 ($27.00 Paypal).  CONTACT for payment instructions. You're just renting space, so share if you want. Shipping Over Canadian Border: Shipit2PA 

EXHIBITORS at the convention for 2015:

1: Donna Barr's A Fine Line Press AND Clallam Bay Comicon Central.

(Table 2 in 2016: Page Birmingham is unable to attend, but her payment will be moved forward for next year.)

2. Roberta Gregory - don't miss the Cat Toons books! Sharing her table will be Magic Realism Writer Bruce Taylor, with his books.

3. Charcoal Brown - Illustrator of "Pirates Dream of Me." Writer and illustrator of "Picnicker." 

4. Crime and the Forces of Evil - Swag Table for the Band.

5. Linda Medley, author of "Castle Waiting."

The newly renovated building - nice job, Lions!

WHERE:

Clallam Bay/Seiku Lion's Club

90 Bogachiel Street

Clallam Bay, Olympic Peninsula, Washington State, United States (Take Highway 112 through Clallam Bay. After the hard left, look for liqour store on the right; Bogachiel Street is the next left). Hall, table space, toilet, kitchen, outside lawn, parking.

I am NOT renting the attached fire hall. If YOU want to for events, studios, or Evil Lair, contact me for Lion's Club hookups. DEADLINE for contacting me for all building, etc: February 11, 2015. GAMES: You want games? Find a Gamesmaster and contact us to be put in the Panel schedule. Bring a large roll of plastic sheeting.

MINIONS: If you want to do something at the show, go ahead. Our official movie is "Despicable Me," My official title is "Gru," and if you get yourself hurt or arrested, we'll just laugh and point.

PANELS and EVENTS Link First come, first gets to have their say!

GUESTS: We have no badge fees to deduct, and the tables are cheap, and in our eyes, everybody is special but equal. We're so "ridiculously fun" - and, as we grow, profitable - that everybody's going to show up anyway, just to say they did. Cheap darn housing, too.

AWARDS: Who are we to judge? If your fans love you and buy stuff, you win. If they don't, start marketing your ass better. Watch and learn.

ACCOMADATIONS AND HOUSING OFFICIAL CONVENTION HOTEL: Winter-Summer Inn Bed and Breakfast 360 963 2264 Sold Out - BUT - We don't have a "party floor." Torsten Adair has taken the suite, and is looking for shares - at $30 a night! Contact him on our Facebook page (above), or contact me to help with connections. Large suite, central fire dome, kitchen, seven beds. 

Andre's Court Motel: nice rooms, local. Limited space. 

Sam's RV Resort has camping, $15 a night. Includes laundromat, near upper shopping area; Phone: 360 963 2402 
MORE places. But you'll need a car for most of them.
And More Places!

FOOD AROUND TOWN

COMICON EATS: We have a NICE kitchen available, so if you want to bring and sell food, take care of your own licensing or whatever. Or, if you're a participant, and just want to cook - we have a 'fridge and ovens and coffee pots. Potlucks and Sharesies welcome.

HOW TO GET HERE: Take a flight to Port Angeles on Kenmore Air, then take the Forks bus to the the Clallam Bay connection at Sappho; Bus details at Clallam Transit. Or take Olympic Bus Lines from Seattle. Best drive from Seattle: come in on 101, go out on 112 for all the views and fun. Coming from Portland, or other points south? Take the WEST side of the Olympic Peninsula, Highway 101, up through Forks; recommended to Twilight fans. Note: some folks may be planning a bus rock road trip, or a caravan. Go to the Facebook Page to start contacting and planning.

BUSSES IN-COUNTY: $3.00 passes for all-day, hop-on, hop-off service in Clallam County. Lots of routes and scheduling. Schedules, etc.

WI-FI is 24/7 at the library, right around the corner, also at various businesses and the Visitors' Center.

FIRE DISPLAYS: If you want to play Burning Man, contact the District Five Fire Department

LAST-MINUTE PRINTING: Already on the peninsula and forgot something? Need a large print order at the last minute? Olympic Printers are the guys.

CHILDREN: watch your own. Parents, please see * below. 

TRASH: Container in Lion's Club kitchen. SEPARATE THE CANS.

FACILITY CARE: No tape of any sort on the wall. Respect the Lion's Club's wall displays. We all chip in to clean up at the end of the show. It don't take long.

Don't set yourself on fire.

*On-Line Contract: If you attend as a dealer or performer, we'll assume you've read this page's information, and will use it to make your life easier - and it CAN change, up to the start of the show, and possibly afterwards, if we need to. No whining if you don't know the schedule; if we get no notification, we'll just replace you on the spot. Life goes on. Parents, please note your obligations as breeding units.

2014 Clallam Bay Shop Poster

Shops! Go ahead and download this jpeg of the 2014 Clallam Bay Comicon poster, and print it out for your shop window.

You can print it on a color or black-and-white copier, or use it in to promote your own attendance at the comicon - either way, it will look beautiful.

See you in July!

2014 Clallam Bay Comicon Spaces

BOOTH FEES: $25 ($27.00 Paypal).  CONTACT for payment instructions.

Upper building, parking, lawn.

WHERE:
Clallam Bay/Seiku Lion's Club
90 Bogachiel Street
Clallam Bay, Olympic Peninsula, Washington State, United States (Take Highway 112 through Clallam Bay. After the hard left, look for liqour store on the right; Bogachiel Street is the next left).

Upper dealer's room

SPACE: Dealer's Room: main club building. Gaming and music: outside covered porch. Panels: outside covered porch. Parking: around Lion's Club, Old Fire Hall and Clinic parking lot. 

Outside porch: gaming, concert, panels, as needed.

PROVIDED: space, electricity, bathroom. Closet Wi-fi is 24/7 at the library, right around the corner.






SCHROEDINGER SPACE: IF you contact me before February 11, 2015, I can hook you up with the Lion's Club about securing and renovating more space in the old Fire Hall. BUT - you MUST contact me by that date. These guys don't have magic wands. And I'm not Maleficent.

Old Fire Hall; Shroedinger Space

2014 Clallam Bay Comicon Panels and Events

Email me to make changes or put in a panel or event. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. Make up your own stuff, find your own panelists. You're grown-ups. PANELS ARE ONE HOUR - unless you want to arm-wrestle one of the other panel moderators (email links included). 

Gaming All Weekend, with Marcus Evenstar. See details below at *

Saturday, July 12, 2014: OPTIONAL. Parade, fun, fireworks, parties. 

Sunday, July 13, 2014: First Day of 2014 Comicon:

9:00 am: Show opens. 

11:00 am-12 noon: Project Wonderful Breaks the Ice. "Authors/artists/all creative people: how to spread the word on your work on a budget." Moderator: Linden Cook. Details below at **

1:00-2:00 pm:Only A Zombie, Live! Donna Barr and Roberta Gregory write the next episode before you very eyes! Come watch two classic drawn book professionals write prose without plans or limits, demonstrating that Editing is for Afterwards. The Zombie Challenge: If you're a west end local, compete to add yourself as a character to this Clallam Bay Zombie novel.

2:00-3:00 pm: The Potential Panel (because we lost our moderator): Science vs. Superman, the Bible, and Other Imaginary Books How the Bill Nye debate SHOULD have gone. We need a moderator. Bring smoke and mirrors and your favorite imaginary books! Yes, it's the Sunday afternoon comedy panel. Moderator: Angela Bocage has had to cancel due to a family medical situation, so we need people! Many hugs and hopes to Angela and a family knee!

3:00-4:00 pm: Torsten Adair presents! The world premiere live reading of his comics script, "Battleground State"! What happens when superheroes Ultraman Red and Ultraman Blue both campaign for President in Florida?! Needed: two males, a soccer mom, and two kids. And someone to work the slideshow on the laptop. Torsten Adair, narrator and a surprise role.

4:00-5:00 pm: Kitting Out Cheap. Dara Korra'ti shows how to get started in music without breaking the bank. For serious musicians on a budget.

5:00 pm: Show closes for the day. Let's go party!

Monday, July 14, 2014: First Day of 2014 Comicon:

9:00 am: Show opens.

10:00-11:00 am: Bagpipe In Your Supersize Drink: Donna Barr shows everybody how to make bagpipe chanters out of drinking straws. She'll have some; bring more. 

11:00 am-12 noon:  How To Make Your Own Comicon: Donna Barr shares how she did it - and how she got paid to do it. Note to attendees: go the Clallam Bay Comicon link and you'll see all the details.

12:00 noon-1:00 pm: Are We A Music Festival yet? Two bands!! TWO! Crime and the Forces of Evil - and! - Leannan Sidhe. Details for the performers at **

5:00 pm: Show closes. Serious hall clean-up! That means you, buster. We do the Lion's Club hall proud!

Post-convention potential event: Pickup games. And a second hall cleanup - and if you don't help, the Munchkins will get you. The blue ones.

Notes on our participants: 

*From Marcus Evenstart, Gamesmaster: "Greetings from MIB 2404, gaming advocate! I'll be bringing a selection of games to this lovely event from my collection: Munchkin (several varieties), Ogre Designer's Edition (now with giant monsters), Girl Genius (card game from the web comic), Tokkaido (travelers in Edo Japan). There are more on the shelf (Roborally, Myth Fortunes, Discworld, XXXenophile, Arkham Horror, etc.) but I'd rather not haul those unless there's a request.

"Since we're arriving on Friday for the full weekend, I'll have time for pick-up games. If we can't find a venue in town, I'll be bringing table and chairs and we could play at our hotel or other well-lit, warm & dry location.

Be seeing you!"

**From Linden Cook, Project Wonderful: "Hi everyone! I'm Linden and I manage the customer service experience at Project Wonderful. And I'll be kicking off the Clallam Bay Comicon's panels! It's an intro to advertising your comic or writing online, both generally and in our auction.

"I've worked with PW since 2008 and helped over 6000 people over that period, including designing and running many campaigns first-hand with a wide variety of budgets. I envision this panel as starting with a quick overview, and then ideally we can move to a Q&A format to gear the main information to whatever those of you there need right now.

It's going to be a fun weekend, and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone!"

***Dara Korra'ti, a.k.a. Solarbird the Lightbringer, is a supervillain musician, systems disrupter, and general Part of the Problem who has triggered more than her fair share of IBM Urgent Service Bulletins. She also built and operates Supervillain Studios, where currently, she's wrapping up work on the _Free Court of Seattle_ soundtrack album, _Bone Walker_.

Leannan Sidhe is a fey musician with wandering gypsy feet, a shimmering soprano voice, and writes music that tends to the bittersweet.

2013 Clallam Bay Comicon Report

Oh, you missed it? Not next year, huh? In the meantime, get ready for the 2014 Comicon (links on this page).

The Gang at the Clallam Bay Inn..

Dara Korra'ti started the show by - really -  moving the con to the Clallam Bay Inn, for the fish-n-chips by Cara she'd been hungering for all year.

Fish-n-chips - NOM.

The owner gave us Cara again, who did not disappoint! The addition of another beer on tap, a crisp clean Manny's, was a lovely surprise.

Dara goes old-fashioned on the con newsletter - because she wants to

Dara decided to produce the convention newsletter with a stamp kit. She got the B's in CBCBC (Clallam Bay Comic Book Con) backwards, and we insist this will now be the official printing from now on.

Opening Ceremonies - on the be

Dara ALSO set up the wi-fi so we could all use credit cards! And threatened to bring in a music festival next year. YES, everybody has to pay their $25 vending fees - UP FRONT - from now on. But Dara will probably be doing enough for the con to always get her vendor's access gratis. Come on - how many sales would we have missed without her help?

After dinner, we reparked the cars (those of us who didn't decide to stroll) to the park, and crossed the bridge to hold the Opening Ceremonies on the beach. Yes, I live down there, on the point.

Roberta Gregory (Marcus and lady in the back) at the room party.

Then we had a room party over at the Bay Motel (and we didn't clean fish in the room). Yes, indeedy, the comicon had everything the usual conventions had. I think it was Roberta who said, "Room party! This is a room party!" And we all started laughing. We are simple people - and easily amused.


Saturday morning, and the Fun Days Grand Parade!

Hup! Hup! Hup

Niall Townley, the Fire Piper, leads the way on stilts, playing flaming bagpipes, awwwing an amazed audience - who all pointed out the tiny glittery baby shoes protecting his stilt feet. Niall won the Fun Days Grand Prize Blue Ribbon ("I dinna know where you been, my laddie, but I seen you won 1st prize"). They even gave us comiconers a 3rd prize ribbon - which of course had us falling over ourselves laughing. Thank you, Clallam Bay, for treating him and his fellow cosplayers so nicely. He says he can't wait for next year! Yay! And yes, please, more cosplay - we can't get too much of you fancy people.

Donna Barr in her Ka-Blam tshirt.

And here we are in the Lion's club hall, Saturday morning! We pause here to thank Ka-Blam for so much of their printing help. And yes, I get $10 printing fees every time I wear their shirt to a convention. Me so happy. Oh, and the other advantage we get for running our own con is we get vendor's space #1. Well, we do.

Woof!

The hall was lovely - clean, spacious, with a nice kitchen and bathroom. Dogs allowed, thank you, if I have anything to do with it. Or your pet monkey or cat, if they're as well-behaved as Cedar and his buddy, here. YES, we cleaned it up very carefully when we left (although I think I left my jar of kelp pickles in their 'fridge). 

Those of you with Lion's Clubs in small towns - they may not have a hall, but they can find you space. And since most people in Lion's Clubs joined in the '50's, they're fading. We decided it would be perfect to hook up comicons with Lion's Clubs in every rural area in America. Yes, they thought we were a bit weird at first - I think we scared them - but they're converts now. I was told they'd expand for us - going to go to a meeting and nail that down, if I can - and spread the word. Hey - fun, charity and a positive outlook - isn't it what comicons AND Lion's Clubs are about? They're a perfect match. I was calling this method of conventionioneering the Dragon Model - maybe I should call it the Lion Model. I'm a Leo, too, after all.

The official Clallam Bay Comicon charity.

Speaking of charity - here's our official convention charity - the lovely Hannah Larrachea and her Cooking for the Cure, a senior class project for the American Cancer Society! The numbers were thinner than we'd hoped - and townsfolks were scared by a door, evidently thinking they'd HAVE to buy. So, because Hannah didn't sell as she'd expected, the vendors and participants all threw $5 apiece into the jar, bought the whole spread, and put up the sign, "Free cookies and cakes!"  Share the wealth. How sweet.

Steve Jackson Games takes on the town kids.

Marcus Evanstar, of Steve Jackson Games, had plenty of space out on the porch to help a few local kids play. It's a gorgeous sunny day, and most people are either putting themselves into water or trying to pull salmon out of it. And it's hard for our people to get out here. But the Photosynthesis folks (their festival is next weekend in Neah Bay) bring their audience here. This is only our second year, and I'm very happy with our future potential - and yes, the person who posted about this on Facebook - it WAS "ridiculously fun." And evidently uplifting to tired spirits.

Dara Korra'ti in concert. Photo: Roberta Gregory (c) 2013

Dara Korra'ti presented a wonderful concert I never got even a moment to attend! (Chief Peon does have its drawbacks). :( But Roberta Gregory grabbed a moment, and sent me this wonderful picture of the lovely and talented Dara in performance. Anyone else who has photos that make people look wonderful, we'd love to add them to this report.

Mike is happy now.

Remember I said the Lion's Club was scared of us at first? Not when the guys running in and out to get Lion's Club barbecue supplies get a convention tshirt and a cupcake! Nice people, nice show, and we're doing it again next year. 

Best Burgers in town. And the food's good, too (German joke).

A post-con party ended up at the By-The Bay restaurant in Sekiu. They were handling the monster overflow from the Breakwater restaurant's hot-water breakdown, and then our remnants walk in and take half the tables. The town only has '50's diner food, but maybe next year.... Vietnamese? (The Three Sisters of Clallam Art Gallery is working on that, with the help of Thu Tran, who runs the haircut and nails parlor and who keeps feasting the whole town. Next year - spring rolls and Thai Tea?)

Sparkly!

The fireworks photo is actually from Neah Bay, the week before, for the Fourth of July celebrations. But - it's the same sort of fireworks Fun Days gets on the beach, and probably a lot of the same kids. Plus the spectacular official fireworks, paid for by Unique Junque ("the quarter store," calling themselves Sweater Central for the Comicon, just in case anybody got chilly). 

Now... how do we keep the fireworks, but don't overload the town, already bludgeoned, trying to deal with people staying for Fun Days? Simple - change the paradigm! Everybody get up here Saturday for the parade, fireworks and fun - then we sell and trade and panel Sunday and Monday. We always figure out how to get that extra Friday - why not that extra Monday? Anything you know about a convention, how to run one, and how to attend - throw it right out the window. We'll always have no stinking badges, and $25 vendor fees. See you in 2014!

Roberta and me - Dead Dog time!

And now - the end-of-end-of-con report. We had a Dead Dog party, but as they kept happening, we renamed them the Zombie Dog parties. And yes, most of them were on the beach.

Even more con report and seriously lovely photos at Dara's blog. 

Vendor Rachel Partain posted these photos of the beautiful area in her Facebook Album.

Thanks to Denny Eicchorn, who sent me this report in email: 

"Saturday, July 13th, 2013, meant one thing, and one thing only: the Second Annual Clallam Bay ComiCon! We drove to scenic Clallam Bay and unloaded our comic books in the Lions Club building, and soon found ourself marching through Clallam Bay with Donna Barr and other ComiCon attendees in some weird annual parade, right behind a kilted red-haired bagpipe player on stilts (whose bagpipes emitted flames spasmodically, fueled by a small bottle of propane), as the sunglasses-wearing citizens of that fine town cheered and applauded at our passage. We only sold $3 worth of goods at the ComiCon, but will carry the memories of that parade for a long, long time."

Yes, sales are better for some people than others, but if nothing else, you can deduct a hella vacation - and always say you were in at the start. Besides, you're probably dying of the heat during the summer, and we have a cool ocean breeze. Come hide and party!