I-Con 2008 Wrap-Up
Apr. 7th, 2008 11:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
puppetmakerThis was my 10th I-Con. My first one was shortly after I moved up to New York. It was my first convention with Peter as boyfriend/girlfriend. I met a lot of people that weekend and I was rather amazed at the number of them I saw this weekend. This includes Harlan and Susan Ellison. They were rather guarded when they first met me but considering what Peter was going through at the time I don't blame them. Since then we have become the best of friends. I was even on Harlan's list Friday of people who have to put up with him because we are friends.
The children's programming kind of got screwed up on the schedule so I was left off but I went ahead and worked with some of the most enthusiastic group of kids I have had in a while. There was one in the group that I predict if he keeps working on it, he's going to have quite a career in puppetry. His abilities even as such a young age were amazing. I had a lot of fun as did Caroline since she is old enough now to participate. Making play dough critters was her favorite activity.
Most of the rest of the convention was going to various panels and wandering around the dealers' room and the art show. There was some sitting down and breaking of bread with old friends too.
The dealers room has changed a lot in 10 years. Part of it is from changes in the state laws and part of it has to do with changes within University policy. The two biggies are that you can't sell any food product without a food vendors license which is not a cheap thing to obtain and there is no longer any bladed weapons for sale. The bladed weapon policy came into play after 9/11 and the major changes within the laws of New York which also meant that two gun shows that did very well there no longer exist. The food policy is a couple of years old and had to do with the University trying to cover its legal butt over some changes in the state policies as well as the local statutes.
The other major change is the types of vendors. There are fewer booksellers than a couple of years ago. There are more people selling anime products or cos-play gear. There are fewer toy vendors which is not a bad thing. Ren vendors are reducing in number but the quality of the garb was really good. A couple of the vendors that also sold leather products are probably not going to be there next year but they brought the same stuff year after year so I think they hit their saturation point. The aisles were bigger and easier to navigate which party had to do with the university rules and partly to fewer vendors in the room.
The art show was a bit sparse but the work was interesting to look at. The demos they had were fascinating to watch and I definitely learned some new things.
All this is going to change since the convention is moving to a new venue next year. I have no idea what is going to happen but I am hoping that in 10 years I will be writing about having gone to I-Con for 20 years.
I am grateful I went to I-Con this year.
The children's programming kind of got screwed up on the schedule so I was left off but I went ahead and worked with some of the most enthusiastic group of kids I have had in a while. There was one in the group that I predict if he keeps working on it, he's going to have quite a career in puppetry. His abilities even as such a young age were amazing. I had a lot of fun as did Caroline since she is old enough now to participate. Making play dough critters was her favorite activity.
Most of the rest of the convention was going to various panels and wandering around the dealers' room and the art show. There was some sitting down and breaking of bread with old friends too.
The dealers room has changed a lot in 10 years. Part of it is from changes in the state laws and part of it has to do with changes within University policy. The two biggies are that you can't sell any food product without a food vendors license which is not a cheap thing to obtain and there is no longer any bladed weapons for sale. The bladed weapon policy came into play after 9/11 and the major changes within the laws of New York which also meant that two gun shows that did very well there no longer exist. The food policy is a couple of years old and had to do with the University trying to cover its legal butt over some changes in the state policies as well as the local statutes.
The other major change is the types of vendors. There are fewer booksellers than a couple of years ago. There are more people selling anime products or cos-play gear. There are fewer toy vendors which is not a bad thing. Ren vendors are reducing in number but the quality of the garb was really good. A couple of the vendors that also sold leather products are probably not going to be there next year but they brought the same stuff year after year so I think they hit their saturation point. The aisles were bigger and easier to navigate which party had to do with the university rules and partly to fewer vendors in the room.
The art show was a bit sparse but the work was interesting to look at. The demos they had were fascinating to watch and I definitely learned some new things.
All this is going to change since the convention is moving to a new venue next year. I have no idea what is going to happen but I am hoping that in 10 years I will be writing about having gone to I-Con for 20 years.
I am grateful I went to I-Con this year.
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no subject
Date: 2008-04-07 03:33 pm (UTC)What's the new venue?
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Date: 2008-04-07 07:13 pm (UTC)They are overhauling the sports complex for the next two years at Stonybrook.
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Date: 2008-04-07 11:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-07 03:43 pm (UTC)what does peter do, that he goes on I-Con panels? is he a writer?
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Date: 2008-04-07 04:00 pm (UTC)Easiest way for me to answer that question.
He talks about things he has written or things he has an interest in depending on the panel.
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Date: 2008-04-07 04:08 pm (UTC)thanks for the link!
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Date: 2008-04-07 06:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-07 07:12 pm (UTC)Ah well. It ain't like we don't live on the same Island.
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Date: 2008-04-07 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-07 07:31 pm (UTC)And Caroline is growing like a weed, and twice as cute as ever. It was great to see all of you.
Oh yeah -- where did you get that t-shirt I'd liked? The one Ariel's friend was wearing??? You told me but it's gone clean out of my skull.
no subject
Date: 2008-04-07 08:02 pm (UTC)I'm not sure if they are making it anymore. I got those over a year ago. But I have seen them on e-bay.