Astronomicon 9 - Nov 11th-13th

The UNY-Con thread reminded me that although I've had this con on the calendar for a while now - there wasn't a thread for it...

This con will be taking place Nov 11th-13th at the Clarion downtown.
It starts at 6pm on Friday and runs through 4pm on Sunday.
The Rebellion/501st/RL has a table with 2 free passes reserved for it.
Tickets for the event are $40 for the weekend or $20 for Fri, $30 for Sat & $20 for Sun.
Unfortunately, unlike UNY-Con, Astronomicon can't afford to comp us all, but I can ask if we can get more than 2 passes for the table.
Once we get a volunteer list, I'm hoping to work out something where we can spread costs around so that everyone can afford to attend all or most weekend.

I also volunteered us for a Meet the SW Clubs/SW Costuming Panel on Sunday from 12pm-1pm. So I suppose if you can only afford to attend one day - that would be it.

As I mentioned at the meeting yesterday, since I'm Director of Registrations I'll be tied up with that almost the entire weekend. Fortunately, the registration table and the club tables will all be in the Skyway Lobby so that should make it easier for me to help out with the club tables if/when the reg table is slow.

It doesn't look like my plans to have a psuedo droid hunt at this con are going to happen, but it would be nice to try to do something to interact/attract con attendees to the club table. Maybe (if we thought we'd sell enough tickets to make up the cost) we could raffle off a copy of EIII on DVD?

If anyone else has any thoughts or knows that they're interested in attending - just post here!

~Doc_Bev

Tom and I bought our tickets for the entire weekend already (as Nicky knows) and plan to spend some time at the Rebellion and the USS Tranquility tables throughout the weekend. Since John John has already bought his weekend pass too, it would depend on whatever else is on the schedule too as to how much and when we are available for what. That was the way to go, $15 per person for the weekend when we bought them at UNY-Con last year. Perhaps there will be a similar price break for next year. We haven't decided about the dinner yet - still have to call John John about it, but the price seemed a bit high ($25 or $30 per person). Perhaps a little more clarification about what you get would be helpful.

The Con Com decided to cancel the banquet as we didn't get 25 reservations by the 15th. The $25-$30 was strictly what it cost RFF to buy the meals from the Convention Center.

~Doc_Bev

Yeah, too bad we didn't have more official notice about it though (only 8 days). We usually do the dinner at cons, but didn't really have enough notice with our busy schedules and all. I know the concom had made the decision on the meal choices months ago, but I never found the information on their website or on the online registration forms even though I would check the site every couple weeks for updates. Also, could the guest list be updated? I know the big guest of honor guests have been set for nearly a year, but what about the other authors and artists. It would be nice to start pulling comics and books in advance instead of the night before the con. Curious minds want to know. Thanks.

Yeah, I wish I had had the time to send out the notices sooner, but I did the best I could given my busy schedule and when the information was given/confirmed with me.

I unfortunately have no control over the website, but I will remind Wayne again and see if he has time to do updates.

A draft of the program and a partial guest list can be found here.

~Doc_Bev

Thanks. Even though it is a rough draft, it helps a lot. Daria.

I was hoping to make it to at least one day of the Con, since I need to try and get Bob Eggleton to sign my Copy of the Godzilla 50th aniversary issue of Japanese Giants he did the cover art for. Sunday would probably be best for me I guess. The cheaper the better. Plus I would love to be on the panel discussion.

MadKid is very interested in coming to see what this is all about, but I definitely would love to add my voice/ears to the Costuming panel on Sunday, so count me in for sure for that day. Still, I'll probably get the Weekend pass, just so's I can represent on Saturday (costumed, of course), as most of my weekends are spent doing nada.

So is it primarily a gaming con, comic-con, or all-around sci-fi thing? Maybe I'll go check that Website link and answer the question for myself...

Yeah its an all around Sci Fi Fantasy Con thats heavy on the liturature and art side of things but other stuff mixed in.

*moved list to page 2*

I would be happy to volunteer as needed. ~Mike

*bump*
This'll be our next event after Auburn.

Anyone else thinking of attending?
For those that are thinking of coming all weekend I was thinking we could put those names in a hat and the first two names picked out would get the two free passes that come with the table. The remainder of the folks (see also my post from 10/20 in The Financial Thread) could earn $5 off their pass by volunteering at least 8 hours at the table over the course of the weekend.

~Doc_Bev

If I'm going to come it looks like Sunday only. Friday is Linda's 1st Birthday (Dinner at Grandpa M's) Saturday will be Party for Lisa's side. Leaving only Sunday available, I'll have to see how things are set up with the house at that point???? Did I read that the cost is $20 per day?

Duane

At the door ticket prices are:
$45 for weekend
$20 for Friday
$30 for Saturday
$20 for Sunday

Members of sci-fi/fantasy clubs can take $5 off those prices.

~Doc_Bev

P.S. I can hardly believe Linda's 1st b-day is coming up already!

Now that my editors know of all this fandom they want me to cover this as well. I still have to talk it over, but I think it'd be interesting.

I can probably get you in with a Press Pass Moleman.

~Doc_Bev

Well, the costuming panel I requested is not quite turning out how I hoped.
At the moment it's listed as a generic costuming panel with Sal Monaco as one of the panelists and not the "Meet the 501st/RL/FanForce & Star Wars Costuming Panel" I was hoping for.
So at the moment, folks being there for this is not as important as I had hoped. I'll keep people posted if this changes though...

~Doc_Bev

If there's interest, why can't there be more than 1 costuming panel? Many cons will have a generic costuming panel and specific ones for certain genres, makeup or props, (preferably on different days). I had hoped to do a Star Trek costume one day, a Star Wars costume another and maybe a medieval one too. But which ones, I haven't decided. (Sorry - can't resist - we've all seen Sal's costuming talents over the years. I wonder what he will do for this con? <shudder>)

Yeah, this milk is really starting to turn. What good is a local con if the input of local fans is overlooked? Not only that, but there's not a whole lot (that I've seen) that would draw a lot of others from other cities. Nicky, who runs this thing?

I haven't had a chance to study the schedule and see if there's a free slot where we could have a 2nd costuming panel. I think there might have been a free slot late Saturday afternoon. I have a meeting tonight though, so we'll see...

This convention is run by Rochester Fantasy Fans. Although in addition to them there are 3 members of the USS Tranquility on the Con Com (including myself).

For myself personally, there is truthfully nothing to attract me to this con. I haven't attended one of these since they last had a media guest back in 1994-ish. However as the Chapter Rep of The Rebellion, First Officer of the USS Tranquility and Founder of Rochester Fandom I felt a strong desire to try to do what I could to make Rochester's only sci-fi/fantasy convention a success and in turn a prime opportunity for recruitment for the clubs I belong to.

I still hope we can pull together a really cool club table for this con and get our name out there even if this crowd isn't quite our ideal audience. Even if the costuming panel doesn't work out quite right - there is a masquerade late Saturday night where we could try to show off some of our costumes there and of course all day at the con.

Since the cancellation of the Slanted Fedora con that was supposed to be in Rochester, I've always said that this year's Astronomicon would be a training ground to see if we could pull off a media convention add-on for 2006's con. I've put a couple feelers out there to see if we can get a media guest or two for next year's Astronomicon (if there is one). So although this con may not be exactly our cup of tea, right now it's the closest to it. We'll just have to see how it goes at this point I guess...

~Doc_Bev

Nicky- Wasn't there some talk of going to the Big Apple Con in NYC the weekend of 18th, 19th, and 20th? I know it's in direct conflict with the monthly meeting, but I wouldn't mind going to the Big Apple for the first time in my life if anyone else was going...

MadKidJedi - see social thread...

~Doc_Bev

Im in for all 3 days, ill probly buy my tickets at the door

I am not sure exactly what day I want to do the con, either Sat. or Sunday. I may do it Sat. now. I will know Monday. If I do not have to work Sat. night then I can hang out longer and make it worth my Money. Are we doing the panel on Sunday?

I am not sure exactly what day I want to do the con, either Sat. or Sunday. I may do it Sat. now. I will know Monday. If I do not have to work Sat. night then I can hang out longer and make it worth my Money. Are we doing the panel on Sunday? What ever I do I will be going as a Godzilla Fan and then maybe changing into Han at some point or Rebellion Shirt.