#Illinois Game Con

[squeemcsquee]

Illinois Game Con, 2023

On June 24, @lechevaliermalfet​ and I went to Illinois Game Con at the Interstate Center. We’ve been to this event before. We both went in 2018, when it was the Bloomington Normal Video Game Convention, @lechevaliermalfet​ went solo in 2019, and then 2020, we went when they paired with Sixty-Six Games Expo. 

Entry was cash-only. And they were back to hand stamps for admission this year, instead of a physical ticket. Now, hand stamps are nice and cheap....but they wash off easy. Both @lechevaliermalfet​ and myself had to get our stamps re-done at least once.

As you can probably tell from the schedule in the above photo, this isn’t a con for panels. Nope, this is a con for spending money, playing old games, watching some character wrestling, and maybe trying your hand in a tournament. This is also a con that you won’t see too many cosplayers at - I think I saw maybe 5 over the course of the day, and we were there from about 1030-1530.

The venue isn’t a new one for the con, but it was new for us as we haven’t attended for a couple of years. It has its pros and cons. On the pro side, this had a good amount of space for the con to spread out and separate the retro gaming, tournament and artist area, vendors hall, and wrestling space into their own rooms. 

The retro game room held most of the console systems you could think of. It was nice to see young gaming fans get to try their hands at a TurboGraphx-16, a ColecoVision, or just a standard NES. There were some classic cabinets on hand as well, like Donkey Kong. Posters advertising nostalgic games were also posted on the walls around the rooms. 

From the retro game room, you passed through a doorway and into the tournament and artist alley. I call it the artist alley, because the majority of the vendors in this room were the crafty type vendors, though not all. 

The area was laid out decently well. But this is where one of the cons of the space was clear - the acoustics. Every announcement made for the tournaments was very loud and overpowering. It could easily drown out any conversation you were having with a vendor or artist. 

From the artist space, you went through a tunnel into the dealer hall. This is also where food was located. And that is another con to the building: if you did not want the food on-site...you were gonna be in for about a 10 minute drive. But! The food on-site was reasonably priced and tasty.

The dealer’s hall is also where we ran into the biggest issue with the building: the lack of signal. Most vendors were cash-only, because the Wi-Fi signal is so poor. One vendor accepted our payment via Venmo, but I had to step out of the building in order to have signal to send the payment, and then had to show that the transaction had cleared, before we could have our merch, Which, I mean, fair, I’d want to make sure I had my money too. Another vendor was able to complete a transaction with us only after about 10 minutes of fiddling with his electronics.  I totally get why many vendors went cash-only. But since this was a Saturday event and I suspect many attendees weren’t expecting to find so many cash-only vendors, the ATMs ran low very quickly. And banks in the area close at 1. We could overhear people exchanging info on where the next closest ATM was to the Interstate Center.

Illinois Game Con also had character wrestling on-site. This side event actually required it’s own separate admission price and hand stamp. I can’t say if they have partnered with this wrestling troupe before, since we missed the 2021 and 2022 events. It was fun, though it sort of sucked to have to pay another fee. But I would go see their show again.

All in all, it was a good day. If we’re able to attend in the future, we probably will. 

[tailsrevane]

gencon 2024 after action report, part 1: pregame (wednesday) & day 1 (thursday)

under the cut for anyone who doesn't care about all the cool indie rpgs i played over the weekend lmao.

the players!

me!

mommy! ( @vi-the-deer )

grammy! (my & mommy's partner)

cj! (grammy's husband, our metamour)

grammy & cj go to gencon nearly every year, and as grammy had accompanied us to magiccon chicago she figured she'd return the favor by having us along for this year's gencon!

mommy & i flew to st. louis tuesday night to meet up with grammy & cj. our hotel that night was pretty nice in a weird way, it kind of reminded me of a really upscale college dorm with a very modern/ikea aesthetic? it's one of those hotels that's trying really hard not to look like a hotel. but yeah, it was nice! not weirdly, shockingly bad. ([hbomberguy voice] foreshadowing is a literary device--). we belatedly celebrated mommy's birthday with some cake and got some rest to get ready for an awesome roadtrip followed by an awesome convention.

on wednesday we originally wanted to go to the st. louis science center, which i had been to & loved decades ago when i went to college in springfield illinois, but sadly it is not open on wednesdays! so instead we went to the st. louis zoo, which is apparently the biggest free zoo in the country? and i gotta say, it offers an experience that's pretty comparable to most non-free zoos i've been to. (also, yeah, i'm a bit ethically dubious about zoos, but my going to them or not going to them isn't really going to affect whether they exist or not, and from what i could tell this one was very well-run by people who genuinely care about the animals there.)

we saw a number of awesome animals, but i think my favorite part was probably the bird house as birds are among my favorite animals. we spent a few hours having a very pleasant (other than it being extremely hot outside) walk through the zoo, but eventually it was time to get on the road.

i'm not necessarily going to talk about everywhere we stopped for food, but i would be remiss if i didn't mention that our day 1 dinner stop was the burger king. no not a burger king, THE burger king, a tiny restaurant in a tiny town in illinois that won a lawsuit to keep its name because it existed before the larger chain that shares its name. (well, minus the "the.")

i will admit that while i lived in illinois for fully more than half of my life, and even having spent my college years in central illinois rather than the comparatively more progressive chicago area, i was somewhat unprepared to be back in a small town in the middle of nowhere where 90% of the population is white and it feels like you're being stared at when 3 of the 4 of you are very visibly trans. it kind of felt like being back home in a not entirely pleasant way, but no one was outright hostile. and to be honest if you like extremely unhealthy cheeseburgers you can do MUCH worse than the original burger king. the food was kind of incredible.

anyway, we got back on the road, and crashed at a hotel most of the way to indiana. this was another totally normal hotel that wasn't weirdly bad with a staff that was weirdly preemptive about it being weirdly bad. (foreshadowing is a literary dev--)

we got up super early thursday morning, and headed for the con. i've actually been to indianapolis for multiple conventions because when i used to live in chicago the two furry cons (yes i used to go to furry cons & it's not inconceivable that i will do so again at some point) it was the easiest for me to get to were midwest furfest (which was in chicago and huge) and indyfurcon (which was in indianapolis and not nearly as huge, especially considering i went to the first few iterations of it, no idea what it's like these days if it's still a thing). this is the first gencon i've ever been to, and it's markedly larger than any other con i've ever been to. i'm used to a con taking up a fairly large conference hotel or (at most) part of a city's convention center. gencon took up an entire convention center plus multiple nearby hotels plus a literal nfl stadium??? (see the pic above the cut lmao.)

that also wasn't even the only way in which it was larger than any other con i've been to before? it's also the first con i've been to that had a full slate of thursday events as well as the more typical all-day friday/all-day saturday/half-day sunday. heck, most furry cons i've been to don't even have all-day fridays since the first thing that happens is usually an opening ceremony in the early afternoon.

mommy & i booked a couple mtg events on saturday because of course we did, but i was really looking forward to playing a bunch of indie rpgs considering that we have a rather embarrassing pile of them at home considering we've never actually sat down and played one. (tbf i am working on a solo run of the almanac of sanguine paths, but i think that's the first rpg i've played that isn't d&d apart from playing like one session of shadowrun that ended up not going anywhere.)

the first thing mommy & grammy & i did on thursday was play a session of yazeba's bed & breakfast. already we were starting with a game that's drastically different than any i've played before. it's sort of a cozy, queer, story-heavy roleplay experience with predetermined characters & scenarios. you keep track of character progress by making physical changes to the book & character sheets with stickers and such, and you can "unlock" different characters & scenarios & features of the hotel as you play through various chapters.

the vibe of the game is very much that you're taking on roles of already-existing characters and playing through their choices in a storybook, and i have to admit that prior to playing this game i had never really understood the appeal of these sorts of games as creating a very specific character to express myself has always been a big part of the appeal for me with rpgs. this reminded me more of the kind of enjoyment i got from one of my favorite pc games, beacon pines. it's less of a big world where you have adventures and more of an already-written story that you get to participante in and shape with your choices.

the chapters in the book are intentionally given fairly arbitrary chapter numbers and arranged in the book in a pretty random order, which resulted in our gm saying the highly enjoyable words "we'll go ahead and start with the first chapter in the book, which is chapter 3."

each chapter starts with a pretty detailed prompt that reads like the opening few pages of a chapter in a book, ending with a jumping off point for the people playing to take over deciding what their character is doing. there doesn't seem to be any kind of initiative or turn order, but everyone at our table was pretty polite about making sure everyone was getting roughly equal chances to make their choices. the game is also diceless, with chapters having some kind of fixed way of resolving their various actions including taking & giving tokens, flipping coins, picking playing cards, etc.

after you've played through the chapter, there's a passage for the gm to read depending on how successful you were at whatever mechanic the chapter is based on, and you might unlock some boons for your characters, the hotel, or unlock new characters & chapters altogether.

the game also seems to actively encourage you trying out different characters. each chapter seems to have one or two mandatory characters and then allows you to pick any characters you've unlocked, though our gm was super nice and offered to let me use a character who wasn't technically unlocked yet because they had come up in my brief research of the game and i liked the sound of them, but i was too shy to take them up on that in our first chapter.

for the first chapter i played gertrude, and while she wasn't as natural of a fit for me, me playing a moody, anxious teenager also certainly wasn't the biggest stretch anyone's ever asked someone to make while roleplaying.

the character i really enjoyed playing, though, was the moon prince.

i know a big part of the game is probably "trying on" different characters, and i do genuinely want to give more of them a try, but i feel like if i get a chance to play this game a lot more i'll likely end up "maining" the moon prince in a similar way to how i mostly played mercy when i played overwatch but side-mained d.va or lucio at various points in my "career." (yeah, cannot imagine anyone else is out there comparing this rpg to overwatch, but it's the point of comparison i have for this specific aspect, leave me alone.)

i really do enjoy the vibes of this game so i do hope i get to play more of it! mommy did buy the book so there's a decent chance we'll be playing more of it. fingers crossed!

after this, which was our first scheduled game, we kind of flailed around looking for stuff to do. we did end up spending a good amount of time in the exhibition hall but that was hella overwhelming so i was only able to tolerate it for so long. we did get to see wyrmspan being demoed and i get what people are saying when they say it's more crunchy than wingspan. while "wingspan but draogns" is still a phenomenal concept for a game, i will admit that as i saw it being demoed no matter how cool the new mechanics seemed, i kind of found myself missing the cozy vibes & lightly educational aspects of wingspan? i especially wish they had replaced all the bird facts with fake dragon facts rather than just using the whole card for gameplay stuff, but ah well. i'm sure i'll enjoy it if i get around to playing it.

eventually we ended up checking out the "games on-demand" room, and ended up playing a game i've seen a bunch of times at work but never actually played, untitled ghost game.

this game is normally gm-less, but at the convention with players who had never played it before, we had a really awesome gm facilitating it for us. and honestly i think that was a big part of why the game went as well for us as it did, because mommy & i were matched up with an extremely normie couple one of whom unironically said "just don't call me late to dinner" when asked for pronouns which is basically the 20s equivalent of the 90s "i just don't see color" for those who are fortunate enough not to know.

that being said, we managed to tell a really great story together thanks largely to the guidance of our gm but also just... not to get too hippy-dippy (that's for a later game! you'll see.), but this really reminded me of the way games can often bring wildly different people together. everyone is just here to have a good time, and... i don't know, there's something really encouraging about that.

so yeah, basically you all take turns describing different aspects of the setting and then us as a ghost and then the person or place being haunted, you decide if you want to intensify the feelings that the person or place is having or if you want to help them overcome them, and then you flip a coin to see how you do. and in the case of our game we very quickly established an identity as a ghost who, while somewhat mischievous, really did want to help, and it ended up being incredibly wholesome.

i don't know that this is necessarily a game i'll come back to unless i end up thinking someone else will really vibe with it, but i really am glad i had the experience i had playing it. it was genuinely lovely.

once we finished that, grammy had finished her gm shift and it was time to meet up for dinner and chill until the first game all four of us were playing together, weird heroes of public access.

whpa is a 2d6 game in which the players take on the role of a host of a local public access tv host in a town that's about to experience some supernatural fuckery. your can host something like a cooking show, a variety show, a talkshow, etc. i named my character kenny kaiju and gave him a monster movie review show called kaiju kino.

our scenario saw the town being taken over by some kind of demon who was using the station to hypnotize its denizens into slaves. i had very normal feelings about this!

our gm (sorry, "station manager") was pretty cool and i had a lot of fun with this game. it wasn't my favorite of the weekend or anything, but i think it solidly delivered on its premise and i wouldn't mind playing it again sometime.

anyway, that was a wrap on day 1! i was pretty exhausted thanks to a combination of jetlag and getting up early to drive the rest of the way to indy, and i think all of us were in a similar boat (even though grammy & cj weren't dealing with jetlag, having only crossed one timezone). so we headed to the hotel which was... pretty awful tbh.

like, it's genuinely fine, it's not like we were going to spend much time there doing anything other than sleeping, but the weird preemptive defensiveness of the staff made it much worse. my favorite part was when we were surprised that there wasn't an elevator and the front desk clerk who was nowhere near us yelled that um actually this was built before the americans with disabilities act so it didn't need an elevator. um, ok, cool? really set a tone there. (they also made some really weird choices like actively removing chairs from the breakfast area on sunday like they were actively trying to shoo all the convention attendees out of the hotel faster. like, y'all, DON'T worry. we were NOT planning on lingering.)

again, it was fine, it wasn't wildly unsafe or anything, i don't want to come off like i'm being overly complainy. but i will say that it is NOT very obvious from their website that the hotel is completely inaccessible to anyone with mobility issues. which fortunately isn't really any of the four of us, but like... i've literally seen events be more clear about the accessibility of buildings they do not own than this hotel is about the place you're relying on being able to sleep at? (heck, i've ORGANIZED events at older venues that unfortunately weren't accessible, and we were always VERY clear about that in every form of advertising. as far as i can tell, literally the only way you can tell that about this hotel on their website is that there's a small tab on the features that's greyed out instead of white. i know most people with mobility issues likely check very closely for this kind of thing so hopefully no one has ended up in an unfortunate situation, but like... seriously, do better.)

and like, yeah i get that it would be kinda difficult to install an elevator in a building that wasn't meant to have one, but you know what's not difficult? adding as many power outlets as a modern hotel should have. having walls that don't have holes in them. having mattresses that aren't lumpy & stiff as fuck. bringing new towels a single time? or failing that, when we ask for more towels at the desk giving us towels rather than not being able to find any and just giving us bathmats instead??? having dressers that aren't literally missing all their drawers?????? this was a hotel owned by a large hotel chain. there is no reason it should be this crummy & depressingly poorly maintained.

again, it's fine, but absorbing all this while we were all super sleep deprived and overwhelmed from the con was kind of a... Moment. we did our best to take it in stride, though, and crashed to get ready for another day of gaming!

[sunflower-lilac42]

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 ; 𝘤𝘣98 ୨୧

➪ summary: connor's favorite thing about having his girlfriend in chicago is the nights he gets to come home to her

➪ warnings: none

➪ word count: 1.1k

➪ file type: fic - reupload

➪ sunny's notes: i completely forgot i wrote this. just a little fic (it's basically a blurb but i wrote like 50 words over a thousand so by my definition it's not) anyway, i hope you guys a short connor little thing today!

© sunflower-lilac42 ; do not copy, repost, or translate my work and designs on any other website or here

cb98 masterlist || nhl masterlist || new taglist || navigation

Dating the first overall pick was an experience, to say the least. Y/n and Connor had been dating since they were sixteen and she was by his side every step of the way through his hockey career. 

When they knew where Connor was going to be drafted, the two of them got this sinking feeling in their stomachs. They didn’t want to do long distance, it would be too hard on both of them. However, there was something that y/n never told Connor. 

She applied to the University of Illinois-Chicago on a whim. She didn’t think she would get in, so she didn’t see the point in telling her boyfriend about it. Yet, when she got her acceptance letter, she was troubled. She had never seen the campus, knew nothing about Chicago in general, she didn’t know what classes she would have to take. 

But, when she thought about the other schools she had looked at, none of them even compared to being just down the street from where Connor would be every day that he wasn’t on a road trip. None of them were worth being so far away from her boyfriend. 

A week after she got her letter she sat Connor down to talk. Connor didn’t like the way y/n sounded when she said, ‘I need to talk to you’. 

ू ₒ ु ୨୧ ू ₒ ु

“Con, I need to talk to you.”

Connor’s eyebrows furrowed and sat down on y/n’s couch holding her hand as y/n looked around anxiously.

“Are you breaking up with me?”

“What, no, of course not. There’s just something I have been keeping from you.”

“I don’t know if I should be relieved or more nervous now.”

Y/n laughed nervously, “No, uh. You know how we were talking about how we didn’t want to do long distance?”

“Yeah?”

“We might not have to.” Y/n handed the envelope to her boyfriend and watched his reaction nervously. 

Connor had a confused look on his face as he looked at his girlfriend and then at the envelope. He opened and his face was met with the UIC causing him even more confusion. 

“You applied to Chicago?” Y/n just nodded her head and urged him to keep reading. 

He only had to scan a few lines before he was standing up and looking at the girl, “You got in?”

“Mhm.” Before he celebrated he contemplated the situation. He didn’t want her to move to Chicago just because he was going to be there. He loved her and he wanted her to be there, but he didn’t want her to give up her life for him. 

“But what about-”

“‘But what about’ nothing, Connor. I love you and I want to be with you. And if that means going to Chicago with you, I will. Chicago has something no other school doesn’t.”

“What?”

“You, you big dope.”

ू ₒ ु ୨୧ ू ₒ ु

Connor was forever grateful that she kept that secret from him. If he knew that she applied to UIC and didn’t get in, he would be devastated. However, there were ups and downs to being there in Chicago. Connor rarely saw y/n despite her being just down the street from the UC. 

Any time he had an off day, she would have class and anytime she didn’t have class, he would have practice or a game. It was the luck of the draw when they got to be with each other. At points in time, they both thought it would’ve been better if they just stayed in their respective cities. 

Overall, those cons were outweighed by the pros. When Connor had a rough day he could literally walk to her apartment to the UC, though he never did. And when y/n had her rough days, she would call Connor and they could be at each other's places within minutes. Though most days when they had a night game, or any game really, Connor ended up staying at her apartment. 

That was what happened tonight. Y/n was watching the game from her apartment, she had lucked out with only getting one roommate and she had gone home for the break. It was the Friday after Thanksgiving and y/n didn’t particularly want to go home, spending time with Connor was enough for her. 

They had played the Leafs and Kevin scored the overtime goal with an assist from Connor. She had cheered so loudly that she was glad that almost everyone had gone home for the break. She watched post-game live including the interviews and everything that went along with it. When it was done, she turned on the Vancouver game as background noise while she added some food for her and Connor along with some cookies for later. 

She truly had no way of knowing when and if Connor was coming back tonight, but she knew him. She sort of blacked out from the end of the game to when Connor came in through the door, causing her to jump when she heard the sound of his bag against the floor. 

“Hey, Con.”

“Hi.” He took off his suit jacket and his hat, his cheeks rosy from the of Chicago. 

“Thought you guys would be celebrating.” Y/n turned around from where she was stirring at the stove.

“They offered but cuddling with you was much more tempting.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and dropped his head onto her shoulder, “Whatcha making?”

“Soup and I went out and got a bunch of stuffing, because why not.”

“Thank you.” She turned her head and kissed his cheek, “Always.”

Connor went to shower and change as she finished making their food. The two sat and ate dinner while watching the game, talking about whatever came to mind. Connor was going to go shopping with her tomorrow even though Black Friday was today. They were going to buy Christmas decorations so they could decorate her room and part of the main area of the apartment. 

When they were done and the game was done, they climbed under the covers of her bed, Connor wrapping his arms around her as she laid her head on his chest. 

“I’m proud of you.”

“For what?”

“Your OT goal assist. Con that was amazing.”

Connor shrugged and tightened his hold.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

And that’s how almost every game night is spent for Connor and y/n. Those nights were their favorite.

𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗚𝗢 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗛𝗔𝗪𝗞𝗦 𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧 ୨୧

@toasttt11 @chiblackhawks @pucks-goals-penalties @dancerbailey3 @petite-potato4 @absolutelyhugh3s @dyslecticdutchman

© sunflower-lilac42 ; do not copy, repost, or translate my work and designs on any other website or here

[almightyrayzilla]

I promise you, this is the only time I will ever willingly post AI generated imagery on any of my pages...but G-Fest is DEAD to me. I first attended in 2006, then again in 2009. I got my start doing artist alley tables at this show in 2010, then branched out to other shows. I even did the promo art for the 2019 show. I cannot tell you how much of my life was shaped from meeting the folks I have met because of this convention.

I'm not even mad. I'm sitting here along with my fellow artists, laughing our asses off. Not because it's funny, but because NONE of us are deeply surprised.

Let's go back a bit.

In 2018, the artist alley (AA) was moved to the lower floor of the hotel. Now I let this slide - the Crowne Plaza had just replaced the area that was used previously with the Caddyshack restaurant. Duh, we couldn't use that area anymore. There was some pushback, that maybe something else could be moved downstairs, but there was refusal to budge. Whatever, us artists actually did pretty good that year, despite a rather sequestered and tight space.

Then for 2019 - we were told a Toho rep was coming, and we were hit with a 30% limitation, which essentially meant that for every ten pieces of art we had, only three of them were allowed to be Toho related. Gamera, Ultraman, Kamen Rider - fair game. I mean, let's put aside that no one could enforce that (and no one tried) - the person in question wasn't even tied to Toho. And even if they were...they'd be more concerned about, say, bootleg DVDs and such.

Personally speaking, my sales were even better, so even with the limitation, people still did alright. Gee, it's almost as if AA is a big attraction at a convention, especially one as niche as this.

Then 2020, when our good friend COVID-19 came about. Someone decided it'd be a good idea to spread misinformation about the pandemic with G-Fest's Twitter page. Among those who spoke up were the artists who regularly attended through its artist alley. A Facebook page that was specifically set up for AA members to share info and whatnot was then told to no longer associate with G-Fest.

And for the record, G-Fest didn't happen that year because of a statewide mandate. No no, the con wasn't canceled it because they recognized the severity of things, it's because Illinois shut everything down.

Well, here comes prep for 2021 (which ultimately became the 2022 show, since it was pushed back again). That's when G-Fest hit us with the AA contract. It forbade artists from selling prints of Toho fan art (originals/commissions were okay, but not reproductions), unless we held a license to sell prints of that work. We could not sell Godzilla fan art prints at this Godzilla convention. We tried to speak with them, to see if there could be some compromise...which there wasn't. They kept saying that the reason for it was to stay on good terms with Toho, even citing a big C&D sweep Toho was doing (they were after bootleggers, not fan artists). Heck, even one of my good friends actually did get a C&D (prior to said sweep), and they have legal word that they were allowed to sell prints of Godzilla art. But apparently, that wasn't good enough for G-Fest. HMMMMM...

I was actually willing to abide by these tighter rules, even planning on trolling them with a few pieces of Jirahs and Gomess (though Jirahs without the frill might have been a bit too risky, lol). We were trying to talk with the head of the vendor room, who was not exactly being clear and timely with responses. Well, someone went to the head of the show to ask if they were being compliant with the rules - I guess they gave a different answer, because that's when the showrunners started bickering about not seeing eye-to-eye on some things, ultimately telling the artist it's best they not come.

That's when I backed out. A few of us had paid for our table/badge for the 2020 show, which was rolled over; with the option available, I asked for the refund. The head of the vendor room said the request was put in. Almost two weeks go by. I go to the showrunner, and within 20 minutes, I get the refund. Look, I know G-Fest isn't a big corporate show, and I try not to be a snob, but I expect SOME professionalism. that's why I've backed out and refuse to ever attend G-Fest ever again. But that's not where things stopped.

During the 2022 show, I was told an artist said screw it and put Godzilla prints out on their table to sell. I laughed and said, "Yeah, and how much of that was playing favorites?" I mean, G-Fest kicking this person out? That would be glorious. But someone like me? I'm pretty sure they'd have banned me on the spot. And I'm not even going to get into the vendor who was selling bootleg DVDs, so...yeah. And from what I hear, the 2023 show forbade ALL fan art prints, not just Toho IPs. I can't imagine how hard they're gritting their teeth trying not tell artists to get lost outright.

*deep breath* And that brings us to today's nonsense. After all that, they pull this. And of course they've turned off comments on the Facebook posts for these...pictures. I mean, after my turn in 2019, we had the idea of giving each AA artist a shot to do the promo art each year before all this crap reared its ugly head.

Like I said, I'm not even mad, I'm actually having a good laugh over all this. If I'm shocked by anything, it's how quickly this convention pulled its 180. The point of this post is to just be informative of what has been going on the past couple years, and why the artists who usually go haven't come back.

But most of all, if/when people ask if I'm going to G-Fest next year, here's the TL;DR version: NO.

[companionofthetimelords]

BG3 Actor Convention list from September through November 2024 and Beyond

Listed in Character Alphabetical Order and by convention start date. I apologize for any errors and will try to update as time goes on.

Astarion - Neil Newbon

Sep 26th 2024 FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention (2024) in Salt Lake City Utah USA

Oct 11th 2024 Retro Game Con in Syracuse New York USA

Oct 17th 2024 New York Comic Con (2024) in New York New York USA

Oct 25th 2024 MCM London in London England United Kingdom

Nov 9th 2024 Liverpool Comic Con in Liverpool England United Kingdom

Nov 22nd 2024 Milan Games Week in Milan Italy

Nov 29th 2024 Fan Expo San Francisco in San Francisco California USA

Dec 20th 2024 Holiday Matsuri in Orlando Florida USA

April 11th 2025 C2E2 in Chicago Illinois USA

Dark Urge - Neil Roberts

The Emperor - Scott Joseph

Gale - Tim Downie

Sep 13th 2024 Arcana Festival in Morges Switzerland

Sep 28th 2024 ACME Scotland Comic Con (2024) in Glasgow Scotland UK

Oct 12th 2024 Geek Fest in Kalamazoo Michigan USA

Oct 25th 2024 MCM London in London England United Kingdom

Nov 14th 2024 Sasnakcity The Gathering in Kansas City Missouri USA

Nov 30th 2024 Comic Con Stuttgart in Stuttgart Germany

Gortash - Jason Isaacs

Sep 6th 2024 Rose City Comic Con in Portland Oregon USA

Sep 26th 2024 FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention (2024) in Salt Lake City Utah USA

Oct 18th 2024 Cincinnati Comic Expo in Cincinnati Ohio USA

Nov 1st 2024 Wisconsin Comic Convention in Milwaukee Wisconsin USA

Nov 9th 2024 Liverpool Comic Con in Liverpool England United Kingdom

Halsin - Dave Jones

Jaheira - Tracy Wiles

Sep 13th 2024 Arcana Festival in Morges Switzerland

Sep 28th 2024 ACME Scotland Comic Con (2024) in Glasgow Scotland UK

Oct 25th 2024 MCM London in London England United Kingdom

Nov 30th 2024 Comic Con Stuttgart in Stuttgart Germany

Karlach - Samantha Béart

Oct 4th 2024 Kami-Con in Huntsville Alabama USA

Oct 11th 2024 Retro Game Con in Syracuse New York USA

Oct 25th 2024 MCM London in London England United Kingdom

Lae'zel - Devora Wilde

Sep 26th 2024 FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention (2024) in Salt Lake City Utah USA

Oct 11th 2024 Retro Game Con in Syracuse New York USA

Oct 17th 2024 New York Comic Con (2024) in New York New York USA

Oct 25th 2024 MCM London in London England United Kingdom

Nov 9th 2024 Liverpool Comic Con in Liverpool England United Kingdom

Nov 22nd 2024 Milan Games Week in Milan Italy

Nov 30th 2024 Comic Con Stuttgart in Stuttgart Germany

Dec 20th 2024 Holiday Matsuri in Orlando Florida USA

April 11th 2025 C2E2 in Chicago Illinois USA

Minsc - Matthew Mercer

Dec 6th 2024 PAX Unplugged Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA

Minthara - Emma Gregory

Sep 28th 2024 ACME Scotland Comic Con (2024) in Glasgow Scotland UK

Mizora - Tamaryn Payne

Narrator - Amelia Tyler

Sep 13th 2024 Arcana Festival in Morges Switzerland

Oct 25th 2024 MCM London in London England United Kingdom

Nov 30th 2024 Comic Con Stuttgart in Stuttgart Germany

Orin - Maggie Robertson

Sep 27th 2024 Nightmare Weekend Des Moines (2024) in Des Moines Iowa USA

Oct 11th 2024 Retro Game Con in Syracuse New York USA

Oct 25th 2024 Winnipeg Comic Con in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

November 2nd 2024 Collect-a-Con Houston in Houston Texas

Raphael - Andrew Wincott

Sep 28th 2024 ACME Scotland Comic Con (2024) in Glasgow Scotland UK

Oct 17th 2024 Gamescon Asia in Singapore

Shadowheart - Jennifer English

Sep 21st 2024 G-Fusion 2024 in Beijing China

Sep 26th 2024 FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention (2024) in Salt Lake City Utah USA

Oct 11th 2024 Retro Game Con in Syracuse New York USA

Oct 17th 2024 New York Comic Con (2024) in New York New York USA

Oct 25th 2024 MCM London in London England United Kingdom

Nov 9th 2024 Liverpool Comic Con in Liverpool England United Kingdom

Nov 22nd 2024 Milan Games Week in Milan Italy

Nov 30th 2024 Comic Con Stuttgart in Stuttgart Germany

Dec 20th 2024 Holiday Matsuri in Orlando Florida USA

April 11th 2025 C2E2 in Chicago Illinois USA

Wyll - Theo Solomon

Oct 25th 2024 MCM London in London England United Kingdom

Nov 9th 2024 Liverpool Comic Con in Liverpool England United Kingdom

Nov 30th 2024 Comic Con Stuttgart in Stuttgart Germany

[dvnzook]

Working on a Mr. Handy mini to print. Planning on bringing painted and unpainted prints to the Illinois Game Con in June. Might work on some eyebots too.

[starmage-constellar]

anyone talking about the secondary musical reference in thisisnotawebsitedotcom?

i dare say i'm stretching it but

with a capital "T", and that rhymes with "P" and stands for "pool"? or, even, words like.. like "swell?" (trouble, trouble, trouble.)

or, if you want to go even further, he's got a girl in every county [...] and that's 102 counties!

the speech predates the musical by a whole 5 years but i think that's the least of our concerns

(more nerdass explanations down below)

if you're not familiar with what musical is being referenced here, i don't blame you. it was a broadway phenomenon in the late 50s-early 60s in america, later had a (rather stellar) hollywood adaptation, and an at-home movie adaptation in 2003.

it's called "the music man," and the only reason i even know of the musical is because it's one of my dad's favorites.

now, i could just stop here, leave you with the information, and go on my merry way. but as someone who is (for better or for worse) very well acquainted with the story of "the music man," you bet your bottom dollar that i noticed some parallels right quick.

the protagonist of "the music man," harold hill, is a traveling con man who's so well-versed at the art of sales that he can put up with the speedy advancements of society without an issue. he seems to have a particular scheme of promising to set up marching bands all around illinois, then running with the money before they get a chance to check him out for anything.

though, of course, professor hill proves himself not a con man for the sake of one person. a lovely librarian and pianist, marian paroo. she's a skeptic and sees professor hill for the scam artist that he is, and attempts to distance herself from him and prove he's a liar. sounds familiar, doesn't it?

(though, of course, ms. paroo doesn't set professor hill on fire, and emmaline doesn't start dating the pseudo-alive silas at the end of the story.)

now, there's already enough comparison to make here already, even if half-assed, but i'd like to take a deeper look at the specific song that silas was mentioning here. "ya got trouble."

professor hill, a little bit after settling into our story's setting of river city, illinois, is informed that the billiard room was just hooked up with a new pool table. this sets off his plan to rally river city to his side: convince them of the trouble that could arise from such "sinful" activities such as your teenaged kids sneaking off to... play pool!

"Just as I say; it takes judgement, brains, and maturity to score In a balkline game; I say that any boob Can take and shove a ball in 'a pocket And I call that sloth; The first big step on the road to the depths of deg-ra-day I say, first: medicinal wine from a teaspoon ... then beer from a bottle!"

the narrative of the song follows professor hill deluding the crowd into his point: don'tcha see what we've come to? the new pool tables here? heck, pool at all, for that matter! do you want your kids bein' enticed by sin like that, hm? influencin' their fickle, innocent minds with this sort of stuff when they can't fight against the devil, unlike us adults?!

(note, "mass-staria" is a portmanteau of "mass hysteria")

silas does almost the EXACT opposite, in terms of message. isn't conformity boring? society, law; it's all so mundane! conformity's made in order to hide what you're REALLY meant to be: a crazed, sinful animal! you were MEANT to act on your impulses, every desire you've had. stop following the flock, and follow those who renounce society, like me.

take a listen for yourself, too, i'm sure you could find even more to it if you looked deeper, dug further.

and i'm sure i have more thoughts, but i think i might've lost my own plot on this one.

[glitchartistscollective]

Art of Devin Larson - Out of bounds glitches of Zelda games. Getting these printed and framed in preparation for Illinois Game Con - 17/05/2024

Source: Glitch artists collective - Facebook

[jokingluna]

Whinny City Pony Con 2024

This upcoming weekend we shall be attending Whinny City Pony Con in Schaumburg, Illinois! As usual, we shall be spending most of our time in the Tabletop Gaming room. Come look for Armored Luna, and greet us wish a hearty Sister! Sister!

Some of our time not in the Tabletop room will be waiting in the autograph line to hopefully meet a particularly familiar Voice Actor, and obtain a voice recording of one of our jokes!

https://whinnycity.com

[reasoningdaily]

Understanding Words That Wound

Understanding Words That Wound

Written by leading critical race theorists Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, this volume succinctly explores a host of issues presented by hate speech, including legal theories for regulating it, the harms it causes, and policy arguments, pro and con, suppressing it. Chapters analyze hate speech on campus, hate speech against whites, the history

In the town of Skokie, Illinois, outside Chicago, where many Jewish people live, there was a Nazi march showing swastikas and Nazi uniforms (probably used the Nazi salute, as do the KKK groups, a lot of which are from Chicago and places unknown). The KKK do not go to predominantly black towns to show their allegiance to our right of being a white country. At least, we started out that way, then the blacks multiplied staring from the age when a girl had her first period so that her mother could draw welfare on the illigetimate child, over and over and over. Now, there are more of them than us; the joke is that the Latinos have infiltrated this country and they are the majority! Hate speech is not merely unpleasant or offensive. Sometimes it can be the truth couched in words not at all offensive, the truth finally being brought to the attention of anyone who will listen. Bigots suffer when their narrow, categorical thinking and expressions etches a little deeper. If you observe the way blacks treat the whites they think are dominant, you will understand why there are more of us speaking out -- and will continue to. They take care of their own to the detriment of the rights of others, because they are the wrong color. It happens here in Knoxville, Tennessee, every day with the bus system. Racial abuse can come from either or both sides. It's not the whites now doing the abusing; the blacks have been put into positions to take their hate out on little old ladies who are just the wrong color. They use the worst language and have nasty minds and mouths. They don't care who they hurt. So, to conclude, the blacks are not being abused. The Jews are not being abused. The tables have been turned, and now the whites are suffering for a few bad speakers and the elderly are fair game to hurt and harm in any way they can. Written by racial theorists, Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancie from the University of Pittsburgh, it explores a host of issues but not from the viewpoint of the person being abused. The abusers are never punished. They don't lose their jobs. They are not reprimanded. Free speech has turned into hate speech because the person doing the talking has been abused by the other group repeatedly. And nothing is done!

[longliveblackness]

In Illinois, where Fred Hampton was born, the police constantly harassed black people. Access to social goods too was made difficult, if not curtailed, in the areas with heavy black populations.

The party, a creation of Huey Newton and fellow student Bobby Seale, insisted on black nationalist response to racial discrimination. The party's Illinois chapter was opened in 1967 and Hampton joined in 1968, aged just 20.

When Stokely Carmichael's Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) split from the Panthers in 1969, Hampton headed the Illinois chapter of the Panthers.

Then a petty criminal, O'Neal was coerced by the FBl into helping them silence Hampton and the Black Panther Party.

And he did just that when he infiltrated the party and provided the FBI with a floor plan of the Chicago apartment where Hampton was assassinated in 1969.

His journey to becoming an FBl informant began in 1966 when he was tracked by FBI Agent Roy Martin Mitchell after stealing a car and driving it across state lines to Michigan.

He was told that he would forget about the stolen car charge if he infiltrate the Panthers for the FBl.

The Panther Party had then become infamous for brandishing guns, challenging the authority of police officers, and embracing violence as a necessary by-product of revolution.

O'Neal agreed to infiltrate the party and when he got accepted, he served as the group's chief of security.

Reports said he even became in charge of security for Hampton and had keys to Panther headquarters and safe houses.

He eventually provided the floor plan of Hampton's west-side apartment that was used to plan the raid that killed Hampton and his fellow Panther, Mark Clark.

Fred Hampton, was executed in his sleep by race soldiers, sleeping next to his pregnant wife, Akua Nieri.

O'Neal hardly spoke of his undercover years but in a 1984 interview with the Tribune, one of his last public interviews, he mentioned that he "thrived" on his work with law enforcement though in the end, he realized he had been "just a pawn in a very big game."

In 1990, William O'Neal, committed suicide.

•••

En Illinois, donde nació Fred Hampton, la policía constantemente hostigaba a la gente negra. Era difícil tener acceso a los servicios sociales, estos estaban restringidos en las áreas donde la mayor parte de la población era negra.

El partido, una creación de Huey Newton y su compañero, Bobby Seale insistía con una respuesta nacionalista negra a la discriminación social. El capítulo de Illinois se abrió en 1967 y Hampton se unió en 1968, con tan solo 20 años de edad.

Cuando Stokely Carmichael del Comité Coordinador Estudiantil No Violento se separó de las Panteras en 1969, Hampton dirigió el capítulo de Illinois de las Panteras Negras.

Luego un pequeño criminal llamado William O’Neal, fue obligado por el FBI a ayudarlos a silenciar a Hampton y a las Panteras.

Y eso fue exactamente lo que hizo cuando se infiltró en el partido y le brindó al FBI los planos del apartamento donde Hampton fue asesinado en 1969.

Su trayecto a convertirse en un informante para el FBI comenzó en 1966, cuando fue rastreado por el agente Roy Martin Mitchell, después de haber robado un auto y haberlo conducido por fronteras estatales.

Se le había dicho que se olvidarían de los cargos por el auto robado si ayudaba a que las Panteras fuesen infiltradas por el FBI.

El Partido Pantera Negra se había convertido en un grupo de baja fama que portaba armas, que desafiaba a la autoridad de los oficiales de policía y aceptaban que la violencia era un producto necesario de la revolución.

O’Neal aceptó infiltrar al partido y cuando fue aceptado sirvió como el jefe de seguridad del grupo.

Los reportes mencionan que incluso llegó a estar el encargo de la seguridad de Hampton y contaba con llaves para las sedes y los almacenes del partido.

Eventualmente brindó los planos del apartamento de Hampton, ubicado en el lado oeste de Chicago. Este mismo fue utilizado para organizar la redada que mató a Hampton y su compañero, también parte de las Panteras, Mark Clark.

Fred Hampton fue ejecutado por soldados raciales mientras que dormía a lado de su esposa embarazada, Akua Nieri.

O’Neal a penas habló sobre sus años como un informante encubierto, pero en una entrevista hecha en 1984 con The Tribune, una de sus últimas entrevistas públicas, mencionó que “prosperó” en su trabajo con el orden público, aunque al final se había dado cuenta que “simplemente fue un peón en un juego muy importante".

En 1990, William O’Neal se suicidó.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 8.29

Holidays

According To Hoyle Day

Arbor Day (Argentina)

Bill & Frank Day

Black Book Clubs Day

Celestial Marriage Day (a.k.a. Polygamy; Mormons)

Clean Your Keyboard Day

Day of Loose Talk

Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Ukraine (Ukraine)

Fennel Day (French Republic)

Flag Day (Spain)

Galatea Asteroid Day

Gamer’s Day (Mexico, Spain)

Happy Housewives Holiday

Head Day (Iceland)

Hurricane Katrina Anniversary Day (New Orleans)

Individual Rights Day

International Day Against Nuclear Tests (UN)

Judgment Day (in the film “The Terminator”)

Marine Corps Reserve Day

Michael Jackson Day

Miners’ Day (Ukraine)

Municipal Police Day (Poland)

National Caretaker Appreciation Day (Canada)

National College Colors Day

National Day of Lesbian Visibility (Brazil)

National Monterey County Fair Day

National Police’s Day (Poland)

National Sarcoidosis Awareness Day

National Sport Sampling Day

National Sports Day (India)

Nut Spas (Russia)

Potteries Bottle Oven Day (UK)

Targeted Individual Day

Telugu Language Day (India)

World Day of Video Games

Zipper Clasp Locker Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chop Suey Day

Gnocchi Day (Argentina)

International Peppercorn Day

Lemon Juice Day

More Herbs, Less Salt Day

National Swiss Winegrowers Day

Independence & Related Days

Hjalvik (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Mivland (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Popular Consultation Anniversary Day (East Timor)

Slovak National Uprising Anniversary Day (Slovakia)

Veyshnoria (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

First Day of Thoth (Ancient Egypt)

5th & Last Thursday in August

Cabernet Day [Thursday before Labor Day]

Daffodil Day (Australia) [Last Thursday]

National Banana Pudding Day [Last Thursday]

National Cabernet Sauvignon Day [Last Thursday]

Thirsty Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thoughtful Thursday [Thursday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Three-Bean Thursday [Last Thursday of Each Month]

Three for Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thrift Store Thursday [Every Thursday]

Throw Away Thursday [Last Thursday of Each Month]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 29 (4th Full Week of August)

National Sweet Corn Week (thru 9.2)

Festivals Beginning August 29, 2024

The Blue Hill Fair (Blue Hill, Maine) [thru 9.2]

Chicago Jazz Festival (Chicago, Illinois) [thru 9.1]

Dragon Con (Atlanta, Georgia) [thru 9.2]

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (Lake Buena Vista, Florida) [thru 11.23]

Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival (Gatineau, Canada) [thru 9.2]

Hopkinton State Fair (Contoocook, New Hampshire) [thru 9.2]

Kamiah BBQ Days (Kamiah, Idaho) [thru 8.31]

Key West BrewFest (Key West, Florida) [thru 9.2]

Lindisfarne Festival (Berwick-upon-Tweed, United Kingdom) [thru 9.1]

Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival (Morgan City, Louisiana) [thru 9.2]

National Championship Chuckwagon Races (Clinton, Arkansas) [thru 9.1]

Peach Days (Hurricane City, Utah) [thru 8.31]

Rocklahoma (Pryor, Oklahoma) [thru 9.1]

Taste to Remember (Dublin, Ohio)

Volksfeest and Bloemencorso Winterswijk (Winterswijk, Netherlands) [thr 9.1]

Feast Days

Adelphus of Metz (Christian; Saint)

Beheading of St. John the Baptist (Christian)

Blobfish Day (Pastafarian)

Day of Loose Talk (Shamanism)

Dr. Lily Rosenbloom (Muppetism)

Eadwold of Cerne (Christian; Saint)

Euphrasia Eluvathingal (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church)

Feast of Agios Ioannis (Halki, Hittitie God of Grain)

First Day of Thoth (Egyptian New Year)

Gahan Wilson Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Gelede (Mask-Wearing Ritual; Yoruba People of Nigeria)

The Great Visitation to Guaire (Celtic Book of Days)

Hajime Isayama (Artology)

Hathor’s Day (Pagan)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (Artology)

John Bunyan (Episcopal Church)

John Leech (Artology)

Maurice Maeterlinck (Writerism)

Medericus (a.k.a. St. Merry; Christian; Saint)

Midnight Muffins Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Nativity of Hathor (Egyptian Goddess of Joy & Drunkenness)

Oliver Wendell Holmes (Writerism)

Papin (Positivist; Saint)

Pardon of the Sea (Festival to Ahes, Pagan Goddess of the Sea; Brittany; Everyday Wicca)

René Depestre (Writerism)

Sabina (Christian; Martyr)

Sebbi (a.k.a. Sebba), King of Essex (Christian; Saint)

Sorel Etrog (Artology)

Thiruvonam (Rice Harvest Festival, Day 2; Kerala, India)

Thom Gunn (Writerism)

Vitalis, Sator and Repositus (Christian; Saints)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 241 [53 of 72]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [38 of 60]

Urda (The Oldest Fate)

Premieres

At Your Service Madame (WB MM Cartoon; 1936)

Balls of Fury (Film; 2007)

Butcher's Crossing, by John Williams (Novel; 1960)

Cat-Tails for Two (WB MM Cartoon; 1953)

A Date for Dinner (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1947)

Definitely Maybe, by Oasis (Album; 1994)

The Early Bird Dood It! (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1942)

4’33”, by John Cage (Modernist Composition; 1952)

The Fugitive final episode (Most Watched TV Show; 1967)

The Full Monty (Film; 1987)

Here Today, Gone Tamale (WB LT Cartoon; 1959)

Independent Women, by Destiny’s Child (Song; 2000)

It’s A Pity To Say Goodnight, recorded by Ella Fitzgerald (Song; 1946)

Kid Galahad (Elvis Presley Film; 1962)

Mary Poppins (Film; 1964)

Movie Mad (Ub Iwerks MGM Cartoon; 1931)

Move It, by Cliff Richard and the Drifters (Song; 1958)

One of Our States Is Missing (Super Chicken Cartoon; 1967) [#2]

Popalong Popeye (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1952)

Pretty Woman, by Roy Orbison (Song; 1964)

Ridiculousness (TV Series; 2011)

Runaway, by Janet Jackson (Song; 1995)

Saint Errant, by Leslie Charteris (Short Stories 1948) [Saint #29]

Shanghai Surprise (Film; 1986)

Signing Off, by UB40 (Album; 1980)

The Skeleton Dance (Ub Iwerks Silly Symphony Disney Cartoon; 1929) [1st SS]

Twinkletoes in Hat Stuff (Animated Antics Cartoon; 1941)

Today’s Name Days

Beatrix, Johannes, Sabine (Austria)

Anastas, Anastasi, Anastasiya (Bulgaria)

Bazila, Ivan, Sabina, Sebo, Verona (Croatia)

Evelína (Czech Republic)

Johannes (Denmark)

Õnne, Õnnela (Estonia)

Iina, Iines, Inari, Inna (Finland)

Médéric, Sabine (France)

Beatrice, Johannes, Sabine (Germany)

Arkadios (Greece)

Beatrix, Erna (Hungary)

Battista, Giovanni, Sabina (Italy)

Aiga, Aigars, Armīns, Vismants (Latvia)

Barvydas, Beatričė, Gaudvydė, Sabina (Lithuania)

Jo, Johan, Jone (Norway)

Flora, Jan, Racibor, Sabina (Poland)

Nikola (Slovakia)

Juan (Spain)

Hampus, Hans (Sweden)

Candace, Candice, Poppy, Sabina, Sabra, Sabrina (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 242 of 2024; 124 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of Week 35 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 26 (Yi-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 25 Av 5784

Islamic: 23 Safar 1446

J Cal: 2 Gold; Oneday [1 of 30]

Julian: 16 August 2024

Moon: 18%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 18 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Black]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 71 of 94)

Week: 4th Full Week of August

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 8 of 32)

[retrogamingreplay]

Tim Kitzrow is an American voice actor, comedian, and TV host best known for his energetic and iconic commentary in the classic video game series, NBA Jam. Born on August 17, 1960, in Illinois, Kitzrow discovered his passion for entertainment at a young age. In a panel at the 2023 Retro Game Con, Tim Kitzrow discussed his early career and the video game industry. https://youtu.be/wegBnE_eeCQ In the video, Tim Kitzrow discusses his early career and experiences in the gaming industry during a panel at the 2023 Retro Game Con. He shares insights into his journey as a voice actor, particularly his iconic role as the commentator in the NBA Jam series. Throughout the panel, Kitzrow reflects on the evolution of the gaming industry and how it has shaped his career. He discusses the advancements in technology and the increasing importance of voice acting in modern video games. Kitzrow also shares anecdotes about his experiences working on various projects and collaborating with talented individuals in the industry. His passion for his craft and his appreciation for the gaming community shine through as he engages with the audience and answers their questions. Early Career and NBA Jam Success Kitzrow's career began in the early 1990s when he started working as a voice actor for various commercials and video games. In 1993, he landed the role that would define his career – the commentator in the arcade version of NBA Jam. His enthusiastic delivery of phrases like "Boom Shakalaka!" and "He's on fire!" became instant classics and helped propel the game to worldwide popularity. The success of NBA Jam led to Kitzrow's continued involvement in the series, including the console versions released for Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and other platforms. His voice became synonymous with the franchise, and he reprised his role in subsequent releases, such as NBA Jam Tournament Edition and NBA Jam Extreme. Apart from his work on NBA Jam, Kitzrow has lent his voice to numerous other video games, including Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey, NHL Hitz Pro, MLB Slugfest 20-04, and Mutant Football League. His unique style and infectious enthusiasm have made him a sought-after talent in the gaming industry. Beyond video games, Kitzrow has worked as a comedian, performing stand-up and improv comedy in clubs across the United States. He has also appeared in various television shows and movies, showcasing his versatility as an entertainer. Pop Culture Icon and Ongoing Legacy Kitzrow's impact on popular culture extends far beyond the realm of video games. His catchphrases from NBA Jam have been referenced and parodied in countless movies, TV shows, and online memes, cementing his status as a pop culture icon. Today, Tim Kitzrow continues to work as a voice actor, comedian, and TV host, bringing his trademark energy and humor to every project he undertakes. His legacy as the voice behind one of the most beloved sports video games of all time remains a testament to his talent and the enduring popularity of NBA Jam. Personal Pages: Tim Kitzrow's Official Website: http://timkitzrow.com/ Tim Kitzrow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tim_Kitzrow Tim Kitzrow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timkitzrow/ Tim Kitzrow's iconic catchphrases from NBA Jam have been referenced and parodied in numerous movies, TV shows, and other forms of media over the years. Here are a few notable examples: In the movie "Aliens in the Attic" (2009), one of the characters says "Boom Shakalaka!" while playing a video game. The TV show "Parks and Recreation" referenced NBA Jam in the episode "Telethon" (2010), where character Tom Haverford exclaims, "Boom Shakalaka!" after making a basketball shot. In the animated series "Regular Show," the episode "Slam Dunk" (2011) features characters playing a game called "Dunk Tank," with one of them saying, "Boom Shakalaka!" after scoring. The popular sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" made a reference to NBA Jam in the episode "The Bat Jar

Conjecture" (2008), where character Raj Koothrappali says, "He's heating up!" while playing the game. In the movie "Daddy's Home" (2015), character Dusty Mayron (played by Mark Wahlberg) says "Boom Shakalaka!" while playing basketball with his son. The animated series "Family Guy" parodied NBA Jam in the episode "Run, Chris, Run" (2016), where the characters play a game called "NBA Jams" and use phrases like "He's on fire!" In the movie "Pixels" (2015), which revolves around classic video games, NBA Jam and its catchphrases are referenced multiple times. These examples demonstrate how Tim Kitzrow's work on NBA Jam has transcended the realm of video games and become a part of popular culture, with his catchphrases being instantly recognizable and often used as a nostalgic nod to the classic game.

[camels-pen]

three kids from Illinois

Ectoberhaunt day 14 - Haunted House & Costume Party

Summary: Virgil meets the Amity trio.

Danny Phantom x Static Shock crossover

Ao3 Link

“Uh, Richie?”

“Yeah, Vee?”

“When did you say you met these guys exactly?”

“Chicago Comic Con.”

“Right and why is one of them floating?”

“He’s probably a Bang Baby.” Richie drew a card, pushing back an old pair of Static’s glasses in his hair. “Man, how do you keep these in place?”

“My powers, obviously.” Virgil rolled his eyes, his head completely still due to the weight of the Gear helmet. “And probably? Your genius brain doesn’t ever let you say ‘probably’!”

“I mean he’s got a whole bunch of powers, but he definitely wasn’t in Dakota when the Big Bang happened. Either he was just born that way or his powers were kick started some other way.” Richie rearranged his cards. “Or he’s some kind of alien like Superman.”

“Y’know I can hear you, right?” the floating kid said. He pointed to his ear. “Super hearing, remember, Richie?”

“Yeah, I know. My buddy Vee’s just curious is all.”

“Great, well, he can just ask me himself.”

“Danny, dude, chill. Fright Knight’s not gonna come after you when he doesn’t even know we left the state.” Tucker said, poking the floating kid in the ribs with the pointy end of his foam Master Sword while not looking away from his cards. “And quit floating so high, I know you’re trying to cheat and you’re doing it badly.”

The floating kid—Danny—grumbled something under his breath before lowering himself to a few inches off the floor. He flicked Tucker’s plastic pointed ear in retaliation and Tucker slapped his back in response, knocking him to the ground with an “Oof!” 

“He’s a ghost,” the goth girl said with a slight lisp from the fake fangs in her mouth. She put a card on the pile. “His powers are all supernatural and shit.”

Virgil and Richie froze, silently staring at Danny with wide eyes.

Danny and Tucker continued to poke and flick and slap at each other.

“Holy shit,” they said in unison.

“What?” Danny turned to them, while continuing to poke Tucker. “You got a problem with ghosts or something?”

“Dude, did you…?” Richie trailed off, his face growing ever paler.

“Oh, uh.” Danny rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. I, uh, died.”

There was a moment of silence. 

The goth girl poked Danny this time. “Your turn.”

Their game of cards continued, an awkward tension filling the room as Virgil attempted to wrap his head around the fact that this kid—was he even a kid? How did that even work? Does he just stay the same age forever or does he age slower or what?

Virgil was bursting with questions, as he imagined Richie was too, but there was a hysterical sort of laughter building in his throat. Danny wasn’t even that much younger than them, and yet he’d died. It was terrible and an unfortunate indicator of what might happen in the… extremely distant future for Virgil and Richie themselves. Those facts alone were way too real, but—

He’d died and he came back. 

And despite how it made his guts churn with his own selfishness—he wondered why Danny could come back, but Virgil’s mom—

He swallowed around the lump quickly growing in his throat and gave his head a good mental shake. He glanced at Richie for a moment and the too knowing eyes behind his friend’s glasses were too much to bear so he forced a laugh.

“Uh.” Virgil cleared his throat. “So does that mean we’re hanging out in a genuine haunted house right now?”

Tucker and the goth girl laughed while Danny started explaining the technicalities about haunting a house. 

Virgil felt a hand squeeze his own. When he turned, Richie gave a strained smile, a promise in his eyes to stay with him after they left the trio from Illinois. A promise to hold him together as he grieved again.

[companionofthetimelords]

Neil Newbon Convention List for the rest of 2024 as of May 16th 2024 (I will try and update it as more cons are announced.)

Apr 25th 2024 Calgary Expo Comics & Entertainment (2024) in Calgary Alberta Canada

May 3rd 2024 Fan Expo Philadelphia (2024) in Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA

Jun 7th 2024 Fan Expo Dallas (2024) in Dallas Texas USA

Jun 14th 2024 Fan Expo Boston (2024) in Boston Massachusetts USA Neil had to Cancel

Jul 4th 2024 Fan Expo Denver (2024) in Denver Colorado USA

Jul 12th 2024 Florida Supercon in Miami Florida USA

Aug 16th 2024 Fan Expo Chicago (2024) in Rosemont(Chicago) Illinois USA

Aug 22nd 2024 Fan Expo Canada (2024) in Toronto Ontario Canada

Aug 29th 2024 Dragon Con (2024) in Atlanta Georgia USA

Sep 26th 2024 FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention (2024) in Salt Lake City Utah USA

Oct 11th 2024 Retro Game Con in Syracuse New York USA

Oct 17th 2024 New York Comic Con (2024) in New York New York USA

[avaritia-apotheosis]

Phantom Children: Redux | Interlude II

A DPxDC crossover // Read on [AO3} or [FFN.net]

← Previous Chapter // MASTERPOST // Next Chapter →

◆◆◆

One Year Ago…

Like many others before the doctor—and undoubtedly, many others after him—it was curiosity that did him in at the end. Curiosity, hubris, and poor lab safety.

But by the good graces of some cosmic force, Dr. Rhodes did not die. And after his shaking legs gave out and he laughed away his fright, he picked himself up, texted his colleague that he was alright, and went home to bed. Mind still heady from his near-death experience, he was completely oblivious to the extra consciousness that latched onto the shadows of his mind. 

(Not that he knew to even look for it.)

(The red-rimmed eyes were only because Dr. Rhodes was tired. That’s all.)

And if it was Dr. Rhodes who laid his head to sleep that night, the thing that got up from bed later that night was very much not.

It felt strange to wear another person’s skin. Like an ill-fitting suit, the measurements were all wrong. The torso was too tight in some places, the range of movement around the joints too stiff, the feel of the body too wrong in ways He could not articulate.

No, Alexander Rhodes’ body did not fit, but it was a good enough hiding place for the time being. 

He took stock of his surroundings. A well-furnished apartment complex on a high-rise building. The furniture was nothing He would consider luxurious, but quite possibly something above reasonably-priced. Upper-middle class, at most. A wall of the bedroom was covered in a large floor-to-ceiling window that looked out onto the city and the light-polluted skies above. In the distance, He could discern a bright blue W.E. sign fixed atop a tall tower. 

Coupled with the gargoyles and the aura of death that clung to His shadow, it was safe to assume that this was Gotham. 

A quick check at Dr. Rhodes’ phone confirmed His location as well as the date. 

It had been two years since His imprisonment in that accursed thermos

It will be eight years until this timeline catches up with His own.

No… What was His own. 

His own hinge event had passed. The timeline had diverged, and if it was not for His forethought in latching onto that time medallion, He would have been forcibly wiped by the timestream to maintain stability. Even now, He could feel the incessant tug of the universe pulling at His core, intent on correcting itself.

Like He was some mistake.

An aberration of nature twice over.

Well, it’s not like He disagreed, but He would rather not be beholden to the whims of something as fickle as Time. 

He pulled up a search engine on the good doctor’s phone and  looked up ‘Amity Park, Illinois.” Surprisingly, the front page results showed no notable headlines. There was news of Axiom Labs being funded for a new building, the Casper High Ravens winning their latest game, and other such plebeian stories— but there were no reports of ghost attacks. How strange. He kept scrolling through the news tab, eyes scouring for any mention of the Fentons or Danny Phantom or—

He froze. Borrowed eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets as the words tried to process in his head.

Why in the world was Vlad Masters the mayor?

Clicking on the blue hyperlink only led to more outstanding revelations, because not only was Vlad the mayor, he was also the proud father of one ‘Danielle Masters.’ Unbelievable. Vlad. A parent. He wondered for a brief moment what poor woman got saddled with having Vlad as a husband, before he saw a photo of ‘Danielle,’ all  black-haired and blue-eyed and almost the spitting image of Danny at eleven. 

Now, what were Danny’s thoughts on his clone?

In the search bar, He searched up the Phantom of Amity Park. 

The results showed nothing promising. The most recent news reports the Amity Park Angle had from a few months ago focused on a different hero— some creature that went by the name Zelus. Any mentions of Phantom were kept to brief speculations on his disappearance and conspiracy theory posts by wackjobs that knew not one iota of how ghosts worked.

Further digging confirmed that Phantom’s last sighting was a week or so after the Nasty Burger explosion. The Fentons were still dead. Sam and Tucker were still dead. Vlad was still alive. So where was Danny?

The answer came in a short obituary. 

Daniel “Danny” James Fenton, dead at fourteen, survived by no one. 

Cause of death: suicide.

Laughter bubbled up His throat like acid.

It's almost nauseatingly droll how this timeline echoed his own. The Nasty Burger, blown sky high. Vlad Masters, his dreams of family nearly realized. Danny Fenton, dead by his own hand. (It wouldn't be the first time, nor would it be the last.)

Now, what sort of monster would claw its way out of Danny Fenton's corpse this time?