Muskrat Ramblings
Geek.Kon and Speak Out!
posted by John

I’ll be at Geek.Kon, here in Madison this weekend. It’s a great, growing convention, and if you’re nearby, I’d strongly suggest you check it out. I don’t do many conventions at all anymore, so it’s also a chance for me to oil my convention chops. Which actually sounds incredibly rude, now that I think about it…

My schedule:

Friday

2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Opening Ceremonies

7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Game Creation

Saturday

9:00 AM-10:00 AM
Designing Game Mechanics

11:00 AM-Noon
Autograph session

1:00 PM-2:30 PM
Live Action Word on the Street

2:30 PM-3:30 PM
10 Years of Munchkin, 15 Years of Dork Tower

6:00 PM-7:00 PM
Webcomics

8:00 PM-10:00 PM
Munchkin with John Kovalic (charity event). Bid to sit in on the table and watch me lose. Again.

Sunday

1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Autograph Session

4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Closing Ceremonies

**************

Monica Valentinelli is kind of a genius, you know.

Over on her Flames Rising blog, as well as on her personal blog, she came up with a great response to the recent Gizmodo/Magic the Gathering kerfluffle.

Now, I know that I (and many other geeks) had some fun making sport of the incident. But Monica correctly points out:

“Sadly, this is not the first time geeks have been used as the butt of all jokes. From cyber-bullying to inducing nerd rage, it sometimes feel like we can do nothing to combat the stereotypes.”

So here’s the idea she came up with:

“Sometime during the week of Monday, September 12th to Friday, September 16th post about what geeky hobby you love. Then, tell us why we should try it, too. Leave your fears (and edition wars) at the door. Forget about your latest rant. Tap into that well of positive energy and share in the excitement of all things geek.

“Let us invite those who would stereotype us to sit at our table and share our interests. Let us combat being used as pawns for internet gaffes with the reasons why we’re awesome, why we love what we love, and why it’s good to be a geek.”

The Facebook event she created currently is closing in on 2,000 participants.

It’s a great idea, and I hope you, too, will Speak Out with your Geek Out next week.

====== John

Muskrat Ramblings
Get Your GEEK.KON
posted by John

I’ll be at GEEK.KON this weekend, and yes, it is a bit sad when it’s a big deal (for me, anyway), that I’m appearing at even a local convention anymore. But apart from Dorkstock/Rock-Con, I believe this is my last show of the year. But, you know, kid and all…

Geek.Kon is Madison Wisconsin’s very own anime convention, sci-fi convention, and gaming convention all rolled into one! Geek.Kon is a place to celebrate all that is geeky. Especially if you can’t mke it to Dragon*Con or PAX. I’ve always heard great things about the show, but I’ve never been able to make it, so I’m truly excited to be a guest there, and check it out first-hand.

Anyway, here’s where I’ll be:

Day/Time Panel Name
FRIDAY
2:00pm-3:00pm Opening Ceremonies
6:00pm-7:00pm Game Creation
8:30pm-9:30pm Comic Books vs. Web Strips vs. Syndication

SATURDAY
12:00pm-1:00pm Game Publishing
2:00pm-3:00pm Writing Panel
3:00pm-4:00pm Autograph Session

SUNDAY
4:00pm-5:00pm Closing Ceremonies

I think there are a couple of charity game events scattered around here, too…as well as a ton of other goodness at the show.

Not only that: a lot of these will be appearances with great friends of mine. In fact, almost the entire guest-list is a who’s who of folks I like to go out drinking with. So there will also probably be drinking involved.

I’ll be trying to get some games in as well: I’ll have quite a few with me, and will be particularly interested in playtesting a new game I came up with: the party game formerly known as ROFL!, now tentatively titled “What The Fraze?” But there will also be Munchkin and Apples to Apples involved, as well as a new Cineplexity variation I’m eager to try out.

Geek.Kon is located at:

MARRIOTT MADISON WEST
1313 John Q. Hammons Drive
Middleton, Wisconsin 53562

Phone: (608) 831-2000
Fax: (608) 831-2040

Registration runs thusly:

Weekend $30
Day Pass (Friday, Sunday) $15
Day Pass (Saturday) $20

Children
Adult must remain with child
5 and under Free with paying adult
6 – 12 $15 with paying adult

Hope to see you there!

****

Some photos from the Pegasus Games 30th Birthday event (shots courtesy of James Nettum):

I photobomb a Steve Jackson photo-op.

The CINEPLEXITY guys and I scheme. The scheming was good.

Scheming, from a distance.

Staff and friends of Pegasus Games. NOTE TO SELF: don’t start chewing Japanese wasabi peas moments before a photo.

Arcadia Katzenberger gets Munchkin-ized.

The lines were LONG, the crowd was awesome, nd there WAS cake! Thanks, Pegasus! Here’s to the next 30!

****

I’m thinking of starting a Twitter/Web-based crowd-sourced downloadable negotiable certificate for inappropriate touching and fondling that can be printed and redeemed as needed.

It shall be called GROPON.

Yer bestest pal forever,

====== John