Date:    Fri, 22 Jul 1994 22:13:57 CDT
From:    Jeff Mason <[j r m] at [elm.circa.ufl.edu]>
Subject: JEFF'S REVIEW: Dragon*Con - Part 2 - Programming/Events


Jeff's Review: Dragon*Con/ACE '94 - Part 2 - Programming/Events

        Dragon*Con/ACE is renowned for its extensive programming for
its various tracks of interest.  If you go to Dragon*Con and are interested
only in comics, or only Pern, or only Star Wars, or only Star Trek, or only
writing, or only art, or only music, or only any of a number of other
genres, you would have been able to spend the entire convention only
going to programs that involved topics in which you were keenly
interested.  The essential "pocket program" that the registration folks at
Dragon*Con gave along with the beautiful collectable official program book
listed 240 distinct programs, panels, and seminars, a huge number.
Whereas the Dragon*Con staff had sometimes proven themselves
disorganized, they were tremendously adept at putting on the programs.
        Dragon*Con officially started the night of Thursday, July 14 and
was the time of choice for con attendees to arrive to avoid the huge lines
on Friday morning.  As a retailer, I received a free pass to Dragon*Con for
having attended S.T.A.R.S. (Southeast Trade and Retail Seminar)
Wednesday and Thursday.  I had a little card that was stamped by each of
the exhibitors that put S.T.A.R.S. when I went to their booth during the
S.T.A.R.S. exhibition hall preview to talk to them about their products.
Thursday evening I turned in my fully stamped card and was given my
convention badge and registration goodies.  One of the most commonly
traded items at the convention was the Wizards of the Coast post card
given to folks when they registered for the convention that entitled the
holder to receive a limited edition Magic the Gathering trading card
through the mail.
        Because I was feeling rich from having made some extra money at
the S.T.A.R.S. dealer swap meet, I spent $15.00 to join the convention
spanning Dark Confrontation live role-playing game.  It looked like great
fun, but it turned out that I had no time whatsoever to interact with other
players as Dragon*Con filled every one of my waking hours with
something else to do.  At midnight on Thursday night, I went to listen to
Stormbringer, a heavy metal band that Dragon*Con brought in for one of
their many nightly concerts.  Dragon*Con programmed at least one
concert per night, and because the convention officially started on
Thursday, there was music Thursday night.  I am not much for heavy
metal, but thought it would be fun to go and listen.  Unfortunately the
convention folks had tables set up in an area that should have been a
dance floor, this lounge style did not match the heavy metal music being
played.
        After a few songs, I decided to head to bed.  I made my way down
to the lobby, which 24 hours a day was completely filled with people
playing Magic the Gathering.  I was amazed that the lobby had
spontaneously turned itself into a seething mass of Magic the Gathering
buying/selling/trading/playing.  Luckily I decided to duck into the hotel
bar on the lobby level to see if anyone I knew was hanging out.  Dave Sim
happened to be there, so I sat down to talk with him and a newly aspiring
independent publisher, whose name alludes me at the moment.  We all
chatted for a few hours.  The new publisher was asking advice on how to
promote and sell his book.  He had wanted to start out writing and
publishing, with someone else doing the art, three separate titles so that he
could find which the market liked the most.  Sim and I tried to talk the
fellow into only producing one book as it is much easier to market a single
title and that three titles steal sales from each other.  We talked about the
state of the comic industry, about self-publishing, and about the problems
of large conventions.  I was surprised to find that Sim is also a big fan of
the self-published Very Vicky, a fine comic with very low sales.  It always
amazes me when a great comic such as Very Vicky sells so few copies.  I
had great fun just "talking comics."  A friend of mine, Eric, who goes by
the nickname Moebius when he is doing his poetry, came by at around
1:30am to give us copies of some of his mini-books of poetry.  He and
Dave alternated doing dramatic readings from Moebius' poetry, very
bizarre but very good.  At 2:00am, the bar closed and I went back to my
hotel for bed.
        Over the next three days, there were many panels that I had wanted
to attend.  I'll list the ones I wasn't able to attend for one reason or
another.  I wasn't able to make it to "Why Painted Comics Don't Work"
panel, in which Jon Muth, Jeff Jones, George Pratt, Bo Hampton, Dave
Stevens, and Dave McKean discussed the difficulties in producing painted
comics and graphic novels.  I also missed "Alternative Comics: An
Endangered Species?" in which Skip Williamson, Phil Foglio, Bob
Burden, Hart Chamberlin, Thomas Florimonte, and Cliff Biggers asked if
comics that avoid spandex-suited superheroes could survive into the 21st
century.  I attempted to go to the Dragon*Con Blood Drive on Saturday
morning, but realized that with the minimal amount of sleep I was getting,
I would need all of the blood in my body.  On Sunday I missed Dave
McKean taking "A Look at Mr. Punch," written by Neil Gaiman, arriving
in stores in October.  McKean brought his Mr. Punch slides and fantastic
puppets.  I also missed "The Dark Side of Comics," where James O'Barr,
John Bergin, Bo Hampton, Ken Meyer Jr., Dave Sim, and Tim Bradstreet
asked if comic books deal with the darker human emotions as well as
other forms of fiction, or are they better suited?  I missed the "Create Your
Own Comic Book Characters" and "Robot Battles III" programs on
Sunday as well.  I would be happy attending a convention only attending
what I had missed at this convention!
        On Friday afternoon I went to the "Meet Dave Sim" question and
answer session.  Sim had only expected a handful of people to show up,
but many dozens of Cerebus fans came.  Dave Sim and his fans have a
very interesting relationship cultivated over the decade plus run of
Cerebus.  Cerebus readers call him Dave and just treat him like any other
guy, who just happens to create their favorite comic.  The questions were
generally very incisive, and the answers were always thoughtful.  I taped
this program and plan to transcribe.
        Friday night I went to the "On-Line Social" where I was hoping to
meet up with more computer Internet folks that I had not been able to get
in touch with yet at the convention.  It was quite a peculiar event as there
was not much in the way of moderation, and the general chaos that ensued
was reminiscent to any of the on-line chat services that many of the people
attending the program generally use.  After a while the GEnie users and
the Internet users split into two camps to chat among themselves.  The
Internet users went to another room so that they could actually hear
themselves talk.  Lots of fun, I eventually started talking to random
Dragon*Con attendees to ask them what they thought of the convention so
far.  Most were tired, but having fun.
        Late Friday night I went to see "Nymphanthropophagophillia," Bill
Levy's latest slide presentation on the fine art of nymphomaniac cannibals
in Black Widow.  It was quite disgusting, and I was not able to stand more
than a few minutes.  I went down to video rooms to watch Japanese
animation late into the night, before finally stumbling back to my room.
        Saturday afternoon I went to the "Too Many Superhero
Universes," where Whilce Portacio, Mark Bagley, Brian Stelfreeze, Adam
Hughes, and William Messner-Loebs talked about the shift from creating
individual characters to developing complex worlds with dozens and
dozens of heroes.  It was interesting, and confirmed many of the
complaints lodged against Marvel, for one, of being interested in the
bottom line only.
        Saturday night I went to the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards
presentation at the Atlanta Civic Center a few blocks from the Hilton
Dragon*Con convention site.  Michael Davis, president of Motown
Animation and frequent columnist for the Comics Buyer's Guide (CBG),
did a fantastic job of hosting the show.  He was tremendously funny, and
often irreverent.  DC won most of the awards presented.  After the awards
ceremony, a beautiful Don Thompson memorial film collage was
presented.  Maggie Thompson addressed the audience and was given a
painted portrait of Don.  It was a very sweet and moving experience.
        Following the CBG Fan Awards is an event I never miss at
Dragon*Con, the Dragon*Con/ACE Masquerade.  This costume contest
must be one of the best in the country, I have never seen one better.  The
highlights include four Klingons dressed up as the rock group Kiss; a
morbidly obese Elvis impersonator doing a strip tease in a French maid
uniform; a group of folks costumed as those old hobby monster kits,
Dracula, Frankenstien, The Mummy, and The Creature From the Black
Lagoon.  The low point was the spotty lighting and sound; the job the crew
did was very amateur.  I had a great time at the contest.  I sincerely
had not laughed as much or as hard all year as I had at the contest, a
definite must-attend event.
        On the walk back from the costume contest to the Hilton, an odd
thing happened.  I saw a fellow who I thought was some sort of street
peddler, perhaps selling crack, or maybe asking for money.  It turned out
that he was hawking Magic the Gathering cards!  Is this absolute proof
that the game is addictive?  I think so.
        Late Saturday night I attended a small portion of Mark Bode's
Cartoon Concert.  It was not quite as disgusting as the
Nymphanthropophagophillia, but it was pretty rude.  I did not stay for long
other than to hear Mark Bode doing voices for Cheech Wizard and other
goofy comic characters.
        At 1:30am Saturday night, I listened to the Trio Nocturna, a gothic
trio using a harp and keyboards as their instruments.  Very nice ethereal
music, although I think the trio is planning to break up.
        On Sunday the only regularly scheduled program I attended was
the closing ceremonies.  Some awards were handed out, thoughts about
this year's con were expressed, and information about the future of
Dragon*Con was discussed.