Emerald City Comicon 2019

College roommates.

I thought tabling a comicon was hard. Try promoting a comicon on the whole floor for four days! In this case, the second annual RainCon, also known as "The Sequel."

Thursday, I talked individuals into each taking one of an inch and a half of RainCon flyers. I thought I was done, but the promotion went on and on. Sunday afternoon, I was still hooking up people in the beer garden. I am now completely out of business cards. I think the show will be getting a wheelchair and "disabled" cosplay group (although I hesitate to use the word about any cosplayers, who are about as able as they come).

I'm afraid I put most of the photos for this show up on Facebook, but I retained some IMPORTANT ONEs. Like the college roommates in "Wicked."

Here's Roberta Gregory, on the first day of the show, at our organization-and-coffee table, where we figure out where we'll be all day, just before we split up to go running around the hamster maze that is the Seattle Convention Center. Every year I have to relearn that thing.

I are beer.

Next year, I'm planning on using this time space for San Diego Comics Fest. A lot of my old friends and colleagues are in San Diego - of course - and I need to drop in and see them once in awhile, as well as take care of my substantial and loyal fan base.

Of course I'd think a picture of me in the beer superhero photo frame is important. Or funny. 

Northwest Press's Zan Christiansen is always good for a laugh. Here he is trying hard not to cover fellow booth babe Steve's face. We agreed that "LGBTQ" can be replaced with "BLT" in conversation, because we are tasty, greasy and salty.

Hearing that RainCon is featuring the LGBTQ community this year, Zan made sure I had plenty of wonderful books for the RainCon comic shop dollar box. 

Before you think that's just being nice, we've discovered that the people in Forks - who have only ever known superheroes - will not only load up from the dollar box on authors they've never heard of, they'll show up at RainCon as a brand-new fandom for those authors. I'd very much advise contacting Evan Sveum at the Raincon website or on the Facebook Friends of RainCon pages about sending him some copies. Even dinged ones are welcome - and it's a great way to use slightly damaged product. At a $1 a pop, the fans will grab them.

Roberta Gregory, Pequinoes, Seattle

Roberta Gregory and I had some good rest times when we could have something to eat and a beer. Like at Pequinoes, a nice Mexican place in Seattle. I don't think I've ever had better nachos. The IPA and Ale went down nice, too. A good break after running around ECCC all day.

Roberta Gregory, The WildRose mural, Seattle

We even got around to the WildRose, Seattle's wonderful lesbian bar - and one of its oldest drinking-and-eating buildings of any sort. And look at the brand-new mural!

It's so pretty, I have to use mine, too. With others posing before it.

2018 RainCon - A Great First Show

What a great first convention! Forks, Washington, is definitely on the comicon circuit now. Evan Sveum of Home Slice Pizza and Comics - how fitting - did a wonderful job on his new RainCon.

As usual, I have my posting of me wearing my Ka-Blam Tshirt, with my very first RainCon customer. If you need quality Print-On-Demand that will let retailers buy at nearly-'80's prices, it's the place to go. And readers can do the same at their store front at Indyplanet.

And here are many more Raincon photos!

Fascinating Archeology lecture.

I wanted to listen to the lecture, but there were so many interested people I had to pay attention to, at my table. Friday was definitely rocking.

Yummy Italian sodas.

The Italian sodas were on sale at the table to raise funds for the LaPush Hallowe'en haunted house. The milk in the sodas came in handy for a calcium boost, and they added sugar-free options.

I've heard the haunted house is in its third year, and will scare the teeth out of your head. The monsters practice all year - and are very professional. No, I don't want to go. No, I will not miss it. I hate and love haunted houses dearly. 

All sorts of gaming going on - and the full-on tournaments started after the nightly movies, and ran until 1:00 am, Friday and Saturday.

Gaming!

I don't game myself, but I used to do gaming illustrations, especially for Steve Jackson, and have some fun stories, including my "Pirates of the Caribbean stole my dialog!" story, involving Steve's Lego Pirates games at a long-ago Miscon. Oddly enough, Alice Ryan, who ran the great Steampunk table, says that was her very first con! Serendipity.

Of course we had cosplay. Did I get good photos of the contest? No, I was helping judge it. Look around Facebook for Raincon photos. Quite the good turnout for a very first convention.

Trek fans!

Friday evening, the movie was Rocketeer, which I missed to head back to Clallam Bay to get some sleep. Since my sleep was choppy, and I had to end up napping in a back storage room on Saturday anyway, I might as well have stayed.

Saturday, the movie was Guardians of the Galaxy. I'd never seen it big screen, and caught the moment when Chris Pratt's ship flew up on a column of water - and ran into the camera lens. Too funny.

Ended up eating too much pizza, including Home Slice Pizza - especially their darn wonderful chicken-and-artichoke - and Mexican ice cream from the shop down the block. 

Ready for midnight gaming.

Helped a scared local kid to come out as a nerd and a furry: "Wear what you want; nobody's going to point or make fun of you." Alice Ryan's steampunk table provided his first pair of ears and tail. By the end of the show, he was running around with his little fake fox tail, perfectly at home. It was great. Welcome to our family.

And everybody else, too - because tables are selling for 2019, already. If you're on the way to the beach, drop in for an hour or so. We'd all love to see you.

Guardians of the Galaxy!

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!