I have that in my saved queue. Also Perry Mason, In the Heat of the Night (another must-see) and, as of yesterday, The Lone Ranger. If you want a crash course in what's gone wrong in our culture, watch a few episodes of that and compare the message sent to what kids are seeing everywhere now. And yes, I know that sounds like an old fogey, but I am old—and scared.
With Gaiman, you’d think that with his relentless asskissing of Harlan Ellison, he would have read and learned valuable lessons from the novel “Spider Kiss.”
Thoughtful and insightful as ever. I will add that given his Scientology background, the only mental health therapy he receives is likely to be under legal compulsion, and even then resisted. Which is a pity but there it is.
I will also contribute my own anecdote. That Armadillocon you mention? It was the absolute worst one I've ever experienced. To make a long story short, every single panel or event I was on happened to be scheduled opposite some Gaiman event. So not only did I not get to see him, I also sat in empty rooms with other disgruntled writers. Is that soul-crushing for a new writer with a handful of Interzone sales and *ahem* Writers of the Future under his belt? Not at all, why do you ask? BUT! I did have my autograph session to look forward to. That was actually with Gaiman. Me and him. Even if nobody wanted my autograph while his line was 10,000 people long, surely we'd have a few moments to chat and he would surely acknowledge I was legit, because Interzone.
So I get to the assigned autograph tables in the dealers' room and no Gaiman. No people, either. In fact, some of the dealers had covered up their tables and departed. Finally, maybe 20 minutes into this mad rush of crickets chirping the con chair, who you diplomatically identify as being annoyed at all the comics fans buying admission to the con and swelling FACT's coffers, happens by. I flag her down and ask what was going on, as I was scheduled to sign with Gaiman. "Oh," she answered blithely. "He's so popular that we moved *his* signing to the lobby" and went on her merry way. I peek out the dealers' room to see an ungodly throng absolutely packing the Southpark lobby. I've never seen that many people there before or since. I did not finish my signing.
Gad. That comes very close to my own experiences, and why I never returned to Armadillocon after the 2000 show as anything other than as a vendor. (And even then.) Armadillocon for a very long time had the vibe of a private party that begrudgingly allowed others to come inside to pay for the beer, but only if they stayed in the back and touched nothing. I’m hoping this is changing, especially with the worst gatekeepers dying off, and it had best if it’s going to survive. (Even as far back as the early Nineties, I heard constant grumblings from the long-timers about having to let UT and A&M students in because “they have no appreciation for classic fandom,” and any time I or anyone else brought up the possibility of moving the con from the weekend before classes started at UT back to October or early November to attract a younger crowd, we were met with nothing but screaming about “you know NOTHING about conventions. I even asked one “Why August?” He giggled “Because the hotel is cheaper,” and I was accused relentlessly for years of either lying about the encounter or letting “a minor staffer who has no right to speak for the con” misrepresent them. Years later, when I read his obituary, I realized I had been talking to the con chair.)
Historically, Armadillocon was held on the OU football weekend when the city emptied and everyone drove up to the Cotton Bowl. But then Michael Dell started having big tech conferences that weekend, booking up hotel rooms and driving the price of hotels up. These days the hotels in Austin are booked up for conferences continuously, with August being the slow time for obvious reasons. Even so, when they go in to negotiate for a "science fiction convention" the managers automatically think DragonCon or ComicCon and jack the prices up. They almost relocated to San Marcos a few years back when the Southpark ownership changed (one of the many sales of that hotel) and the new manager thought the con was ripping off the hotel under the existing contract, since everyone knows these conventions bring in tens of thousands of fans, easily.
I fear that is what will someday kill off Armadillocon. Hotels unwilling to negotiate contracts is what ultimately did in Apollocon, which was a fun, vibrant event that I still miss deeply.
I don't know if I told you this, but we had a table at that show, with our first chapbooks from CWSB on it. We walked into the dealer's room on Sunday, just after 9 am, and there was no one there, but we figured we're early. We were, in fact, and that Con chair came into the dealers room and freaked out. "What are you doing here?" she cried.
Me and Lilah Sturges were confused. "We're at our table."
"The room doesn't open until 10 AM," she explained. "I don't know how you got in here..."
"The door was open?" Lilah deadpanned.
"You've got to get out of here," she said. "We're not open yet. And, you know, what if something were to go missing? I'm not saying that you took it, but..." she let that hang in the air.
The implicit accusation of thievery was our last straw. We weren't going to return, but Sara talked us into it. I know she's been regretting THAT decision ever since...
I was aware of the Clockwork gang there and at Aggiecon. Were ConDFW and Apollocon in the mix at that point? Regardless, I hadn't connected with you folks yet. Obviously.
As for that Armadillocon, I recall hostility permeating a lot of the goings-on. On the surface it was probably the most financially successful one ever, but it wasn't terribly enjoyable. I think the convention relocated to the Red Lion on the north side the next year? Either way, the overall tone reverted to the relaxed, fun interactive event that we all know and love.
Been watching Ironside on Roku. TV used to be SO much better.
I do that when I’m feeling needy. My go-to is The Rockford Files.
I have that in my saved queue. Also Perry Mason, In the Heat of the Night (another must-see) and, as of yesterday, The Lone Ranger. If you want a crash course in what's gone wrong in our culture, watch a few episodes of that and compare the message sent to what kids are seeing everywhere now. And yes, I know that sounds like an old fogey, but I am old—and scared.
With Gaiman, you’d think that with his relentless asskissing of Harlan Ellison, he would have read and learned valuable lessons from the novel “Spider Kiss.”
Thoughtful and insightful as ever. I will add that given his Scientology background, the only mental health therapy he receives is likely to be under legal compulsion, and even then resisted. Which is a pity but there it is.
I will also contribute my own anecdote. That Armadillocon you mention? It was the absolute worst one I've ever experienced. To make a long story short, every single panel or event I was on happened to be scheduled opposite some Gaiman event. So not only did I not get to see him, I also sat in empty rooms with other disgruntled writers. Is that soul-crushing for a new writer with a handful of Interzone sales and *ahem* Writers of the Future under his belt? Not at all, why do you ask? BUT! I did have my autograph session to look forward to. That was actually with Gaiman. Me and him. Even if nobody wanted my autograph while his line was 10,000 people long, surely we'd have a few moments to chat and he would surely acknowledge I was legit, because Interzone.
So I get to the assigned autograph tables in the dealers' room and no Gaiman. No people, either. In fact, some of the dealers had covered up their tables and departed. Finally, maybe 20 minutes into this mad rush of crickets chirping the con chair, who you diplomatically identify as being annoyed at all the comics fans buying admission to the con and swelling FACT's coffers, happens by. I flag her down and ask what was going on, as I was scheduled to sign with Gaiman. "Oh," she answered blithely. "He's so popular that we moved *his* signing to the lobby" and went on her merry way. I peek out the dealers' room to see an ungodly throng absolutely packing the Southpark lobby. I've never seen that many people there before or since. I did not finish my signing.
Worst. Armadillocon. Ever.
Gad. That comes very close to my own experiences, and why I never returned to Armadillocon after the 2000 show as anything other than as a vendor. (And even then.) Armadillocon for a very long time had the vibe of a private party that begrudgingly allowed others to come inside to pay for the beer, but only if they stayed in the back and touched nothing. I’m hoping this is changing, especially with the worst gatekeepers dying off, and it had best if it’s going to survive. (Even as far back as the early Nineties, I heard constant grumblings from the long-timers about having to let UT and A&M students in because “they have no appreciation for classic fandom,” and any time I or anyone else brought up the possibility of moving the con from the weekend before classes started at UT back to October or early November to attract a younger crowd, we were met with nothing but screaming about “you know NOTHING about conventions. I even asked one “Why August?” He giggled “Because the hotel is cheaper,” and I was accused relentlessly for years of either lying about the encounter or letting “a minor staffer who has no right to speak for the con” misrepresent them. Years later, when I read his obituary, I realized I had been talking to the con chair.)
Historically, Armadillocon was held on the OU football weekend when the city emptied and everyone drove up to the Cotton Bowl. But then Michael Dell started having big tech conferences that weekend, booking up hotel rooms and driving the price of hotels up. These days the hotels in Austin are booked up for conferences continuously, with August being the slow time for obvious reasons. Even so, when they go in to negotiate for a "science fiction convention" the managers automatically think DragonCon or ComicCon and jack the prices up. They almost relocated to San Marcos a few years back when the Southpark ownership changed (one of the many sales of that hotel) and the new manager thought the con was ripping off the hotel under the existing contract, since everyone knows these conventions bring in tens of thousands of fans, easily.
I fear that is what will someday kill off Armadillocon. Hotels unwilling to negotiate contracts is what ultimately did in Apollocon, which was a fun, vibrant event that I still miss deeply.
I never got the chance to go to Apollocon, but I heard good things about it.
I have, to my chagrin, never attended any Houston conventions. The drive and, frankly, Houston, was always a deal breaker for me.
I appreciate it, man, and also, the anecdote.
I don't know if I told you this, but we had a table at that show, with our first chapbooks from CWSB on it. We walked into the dealer's room on Sunday, just after 9 am, and there was no one there, but we figured we're early. We were, in fact, and that Con chair came into the dealers room and freaked out. "What are you doing here?" she cried.
Me and Lilah Sturges were confused. "We're at our table."
"The room doesn't open until 10 AM," she explained. "I don't know how you got in here..."
"The door was open?" Lilah deadpanned.
"You've got to get out of here," she said. "We're not open yet. And, you know, what if something were to go missing? I'm not saying that you took it, but..." she let that hang in the air.
The implicit accusation of thievery was our last straw. We weren't going to return, but Sara talked us into it. I know she's been regretting THAT decision ever since...
I was aware of the Clockwork gang there and at Aggiecon. Were ConDFW and Apollocon in the mix at that point? Regardless, I hadn't connected with you folks yet. Obviously.
As for that Armadillocon, I recall hostility permeating a lot of the goings-on. On the surface it was probably the most financially successful one ever, but it wasn't terribly enjoyable. I think the convention relocated to the Red Lion on the north side the next year? Either way, the overall tone reverted to the relaxed, fun interactive event that we all know and love.