Abq Bubonicon 37?

This year's con (#37) will be my fourth Bubonicon - I've been going since 2001. Looking forward to meeting some of you there (or hopefully at a local meeting).

I've also been active in other groups - I just signed up for the Firefly meetup group, as I'm a fan of that show, too. It seems that the L. Neil Smith, the author of the Lando Calrissian Adventures, is a Firefly fan, as well, and might be persuaded to come down for the Bubonicon suite they're thinking about setting up. Maybe I could persuade him to drop by the Mos Alba suite for a book-signing, that sort of thing.

L. Neil Smith's Webley Page
The Official L. Neil Smith Discussion Thread

Plus, I know that there's another SW author who's a regular at Bubonicon as well - Walter Jon Williams. IIRC, he lives somewhere in Belen.

The REAL Walter Jon Williams Page!
The Official Walter Jon Williams Discussion Thread

What say y'all?
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- Mike Blessing / http://profiles.myspace.com/users/6016165
Phone - 001-505-453-4532 / Yahoo IM - mikewb1972
My email blog - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mikes_place

Freedom, Immortality, and the Stars!

Keep your kids off drugs - teach them to shoot!

Who owns you? Who runs your life? Who should - you or someone else?
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Welcome, Mike!

Yeah, we plan on having another table in the dealer's room at Bubonicon this year. Last year was our first showing and we had a great time. Didn't sell too many things, but people took notice. I plan on hooking up with the organizers shortly to get our table and memberships. We (sadly) won't have the Vader statue this year. We might be lucky enough to have a costumed Vader though! In fact, we oughta have quite a few in armor there this year.

Some of us did get to meet Mr. Williams and get some books signed. Since most of us are avid readers, it's fun to see that aspect at a con. Plus, some of us also helped the con's fundraising with some art purchases.

We're looking forward to it. And we'll gladly see you there, and hope at a monthly meeting, too!

 

Hey, a costumed Vader beats a statue anytime!

StarshipTrooper, I'm a big FireFly Fan as well, does your group have a website or boards?

Ken

 

Six years ago I attended a Bubonicon. No one spoke to me, and the environment was not what I would call 'friendly' in any sense. I felt like I had attended a private party at someone's house as an uninvited guest or a crasher. I'm not brining this up to pick a fight or whine. I am curious to hear some response from someone who has attended a few recent Bubonicons. Cons are not supposed to make people feel unwelcome, and if this is still the attitude present at the recent cons, it needs to be fixed.

 

That is why we are here! We will turn this Con into a fun one!

The 2005 Bad Influence Tour will go on!

 

What is the date for the Bubonicon?

EDIT: You have to be kidding me. Walter Jon Williams? I LOVE Star Wars EU. This is wonderful news!

 

Hi, Dark Side!
I'm sorry you were treated coldly... not cool.
#36 was the first one for many of us, except Skyra and maybe Varza? The organizers may think Star Wars is not literary enough, but I certainly didn't encounter anyone who was unfriendly. We spent most of our time in the retailer room, but we also wandered around the art room, the game room and the guest speaker room, as well as the lobby and the hotel in General. People (whether hotel guests or Con attendees/organizers) seemed kind of glad to see us, I thought. A passing flight attendant in the hall even goosed me through a gap in my Stormtrooper armor!
On a side note, if anyone likes the excellent author George R. R. Martin, he is going to be a guest at Bubonicon #38 in 2006!

 

I was just curious if different people were runing it or anyone else has noticed a trend in the cons for the past few years. I am not completely unwilling to give the con another shot.

 

Well, I don't know if it's a new crew or not. But the people we were involved with in securing a table and knew about our presence there were very nice and encouraging. The people who helped us put on the FanFilm presentation were very nice. I think it was a very good experience.

 

I thought they were pretty nice... BUt I could see what he means, there were some people in the art room that I overheard making scathing remarks about "that star wars group". And there were some not so friendly people that came by the table from time to time. Didn't say anything but got some nasty looks.... I just starred at them with a blank look.

BUt I ignored them. People were happy we were there, we got on TV. and the people around our tables kept wanting their pics taken.

And no this was my first Bubonicon... never had been before.

 

I agree, Alyson. Of course we got some looks. Surrounded by snooty-tooty literature nerds. Some of them think that they were above us, because, well, it's Star Wars.

How much you wanna bet some of them haven't read any Star Wars novels. There are some stinkers, for sure. But there are some damn fine reads there.

Oh, by the way, there are some pretty crappy non-SW sci-fi and fantasy stuff out there.

But one of the things I loved the most? Hanging out with David Mattingly, the artist. He's a very cool guy. Not pretentious to us at all. And he loved Ken's Luke Skywalker belt.

 

Like what was said before....I feel we made a positive impression this last time....and it will get better each time we attend! Perhaps if someone sees enough people turning out to see the Star Wars group...they may think twice about trying to do a ABQ Star Con in the future!

 

You're right, Jess, I think we can give younger less-literary types a reason to go. And it would be so cool to have a real con here someday!

 

Yeah, but when is it?????

 

August 26-28, 2005


still think we should play, pin the tail on the padawan

 

Here is a link to the Bubonicon website:

BUBONICON

 

TK166 writes:

StarshipTrooper, I'm a big FireFly Fan as well, does your group have a website or boards?

The site URL is firefly.meetup.com/41
______________________________________________________________________
- Mike Blessing / http://profiles.myspace.com/users/6016165
Phone - 001-505-453-4532 / Yahoo IM - mikewb1972 /
My email blog - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mikes_place

Freedom, Immortality, and the Stars!

Keep your kids off drugs - teach them to shoot!

Who owns you? Who runs your life? Who should - you or someone else?
______________________________________________________________________

 

I was just curious if different people were runing it or anyone else has noticed a trend in the cons for the past few years. I am not completely unwilling to give the con another shot.

Nope - Craig Chrissinger has been running the con since 2001 - not without dissent. But when the con elections come up in November, he always wins. He hasn't nominated himself that I've seen, and appears somewhat aloof from the cliques and internal politics that go on with any organization.

So far, he's run the cons pretty smoothly - no big fights or screaming matches, etc.

 

I agree, Alyson. Of course we got some looks. Surrounded by snooty-tooty literature nerds. Some of them think that they were above us, because, well, it's Star Wars.

Not so much that, IMHO, but because Star Wars is more science-fiction and they're more fantasy-oriented.

Bring up Heinlein (only one of the all-time best-selling SF authors to date!) and they give you blank stares, or they change the subject ASAP. Bring up Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings and they can't shut up to save their own lives. I'm not gonna name names ... stick around, come to some of the monthly meetings, and you'll get a handle on it.

 

On a side note, if anyone likes the excellent author George R. R. Martin, he is going to be a guest at Bubonicon #38 in 2006!

Actually, Martin is a regular at Bubonicon as well as Fred Saberhagen (both of them live in Santa Fe). So are Williams, and Victor Milan.

 

As far as the cliques at Bubonicon go, the "worst" there is the Starfleet chapter. If you're not talking to one of them or visiting their suite, you'll never hear from them for the most part. For all intents and purposes, they might as well be having their own event.

 

Hey, StarshipTrooper, just so you know, one of the Anasazi members (founding members at that) is one of our own, as well (abqscout).

Don't forget that there are two sides to every story. Earl's explanation is that the con shunned them YEARS ago, and they decided to hell with it.

 

Bumping the Bubonicon!

 

Will there be refreshment in the suite Mr. Gecko?