I’ll be at Origins Friday and Saturday, flying back to Madison either Saturday night or EARLY Sunday morning.
In general, this seems a good way to do the important shows, without losing an entire week’s worth of working time (or at least Productive Cartooning Time). Yet while I’m glad to have three extra days to doodle this week, I’m also a little jealous of my many friends who’ll be at the show when I won’t. And my days will be pretty packed and hectic while there. Of course, it’s not as if I’ve ever been able to get a LOT of gaming in at cons any more. But still, I’ve a great fondness for Origins, and my feelings are mixed about the new way of approaching shows.
Unfortunately, I’ve also found out I’ll have to pull out of a couple of big summer cons this year.
My dad will undergo open-heart surgery in late August, and there’s no place I want to be other than with my family at that time. To say I’m petrified would be an understatement. For the most part, these things usually turn out OK, but, y’know, I’m GOOD at worrying. So you have to do what you’re good at…
This means that I’m definitely not going to be able to make GenCon or Dragon*Con this year. I wish I could, but if I was there, I’d probably be a basket-case, and no damn good to anyone. At least being with family means I’ll be able to help out, and in general not feel overly useless and helpless.
I hope folks understand. I’m not sure what all this means as far as some of the fall conventions are concerned, but it shouldn’t impact any of this year’s production schedule. I’ll have my paper and laptop and scanner with me in London, and I’m used to doing weird stuff in hospitals, anyway. When the lovely and talented Judith’s parents had to have some surgery, I spent most of my time painting up my Orc army for Warhammer Fantasy Battles, raising more than one eye in the waiting room.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll even persuade some of my Games Workshop friends to come up with a Muskat band for Mordheim.
Like I said: I worry well. I need something to take my mind off of reality.
But my apologies for missing some great cons.
Have fun, y’all!