I was at Farpoint last weekend and saw that Neil is going to be GoH at this year's Balticon but did not see artist Marc Hempel listed as a guest. My wife and I will go to see Neil but they really should invite Mr. Hempel as well. Mr. Hempel lives in the Baltimore area and should also be a guest.

Have you tried contacting the Balticon committee?

Do you have to pay full price if you're only going for one day? My only real interest in Balticon is getting an autograph off Neil.

Dunno. Have you tried contacting the Balticon committee?

Poor Balticon! It ain't gettin' no respect ...
I'm planning to go, at least for a day.

- Cho

I think I'll be going too, probably for at least two days. Does one really have to register so much in advance?

No, but if you plan to stay overnight, and aren't the "I'll just find someone's floor to sleep on"-type of con-goer, you're about to have a problem ... the con hotel is sold out, and so is one of the two hotels across the road.

I just reserved a room for our family of 3 in the other one, for Sat. night.

Looks to be a very popular con this year ... gee, I wonder why?

- Cho

Ok, thanks for the warning. I usually don't stay at the conference hotel in such cases, especially when the attendance is high. But I'll have to reserve a room somewhere this week, you're right.

So Chimeer, are you definitely going?

(And how about you, Panda, if you're looking on here?)

- Cho

Yes, definitely. I just completed my registration. Maybe I'll see you there!

So I didn't see anyone from here there ...

But I did see Neil three (3) times in lectures/panels (twice w/ Gene Wolfe) and twice FTF - once when I caught him (very politely) after a talk and had him sign 2 copies of Anansi Boys (mine, and a new one for my Sis' birthday next month), and later after standing in a horribly hot, sweltery line with Cho Girl for far too long, so he could sign her copy of The Dream Hunters - which he did beautifully, doodling in silver ink all over the frontispiece of Dream, making a word balloon saying her name, giving Dream silvery glints in his eyes, and then signing his name.

I also ran into most of my usual game crowd and we had a yummy dinner of ribs &tc. Saturday night. And we bought lots of buttons from Nancy at Nancybuttons and lots of artwork, including a Mark Rodgers "Samurai Cat" original (actually, it's the Cat's evil opposite guy) and some signed books at the charity auction.

So it was a good con!

- Cho

We were there! Did you get the Saturday signing line or the Sunday one? (I went through mine with the White Mage from Final Fantasy and a Dealer who successfully stole away Terry Pratchett from his last Con and took him to dinner - he'd gotten Terry's Good Omens inscription and decided he'd better go get Neil's too.) Soo crowded - but such a nice group - I finally dragged myself away after listening to Gene Wolfe describe how to play super-sized night baseball games with cruise ships in warm Caribbean seas with blue aura-lit baseballs a'la Reality Television.

Well, we had a White Mage a couple of people behind us in line for the Saturday signing ... were you with her?

- Cho

This was super-cool, I caught all of Neil's events (except for whatever he did Friday - if anything), I made it to the Sunday signing with the Murder Mysteries comic book - he drew a heart under my name and all, so sweet.

If you want to see more details, there's a long debrief here.

quote:

Originally posted by Chomiji:
Well, we had a White Mage a couple of people behind us in line for the Saturday signing ... were you with her?

- Cho

Bet'cha it was! For some universal synchronicity or cosmic alignment that day, we ALL seemed to have Dream Hunters for signature at that end of the line (I think there were 3 hardback copies and a softcover within the space of 12 people.)

Well, I was the one who asked the White Mage whether she wasn't awfully hot in her costume, when we were waiting in the stifling little Concierge Lounge (and then she started flapping her robe about and demonstrating its various features).

The older gentleman behind me and Cho Girl really looked like he was going to pass out. We kept making him sit down - we were the ones who kept rearranging the furniture.

- Cho

She may have been fanning herself - I started getting worried when she started turning bright pink! That was a hot room. (I've worn a few heavy costumes like that and they're no fun hot!)

I do remember furniture moving all about and just can't get a visual on who was moving it -? But I got a really great back rub.

Shucks, I would have given you one myself, if I'd known you needed one!


- Cho

Here is a picture of Neil I took at the signing. I didn't see any note on (not) taking pictures and posting them... His hair was quite tame at the event.

quote:

Originally posted by Chomiji:
Shucks, I would have given you one myself, if I'd known you needed one!


- Cho

(What a nice offer - I really did!) sigh! Why can't the rest of the world be more like a good science fiction convention?

Chimeer - Neil doesn't usually mind people taking pictures (I've taken a few myself!) - but he's stopped posing for them during signings - I think because they slow up the lines (and he stays about forever getting everyone signed). Nice picture signing his program bio! (with that hint of Lisa Snellings-Clark heads! - reminds of the claw machine full of aliens in 'Toy Story')