#rccc 2015

[samazoncreations]

Here is a #tbt to my first time ever attending @rosecitycc in 2015. I've been back at the con every year since. I LOVED cosplaying this roller derby Harley Quinn. I had a blast rolling around the convention on my skates. 💜 💜 💜 💜 My elbow pads and knee pads are real protective gear and I had good quality outdoor wheels on my skates. Safety is so important with costumes and props. 💜💜💜 💜💜💜 #throwbackthursday #rollerderby #rollerderbycosplay #rollerderbyharleyquinn #harleyquinn #harleyquinncosplay #SAMazon #samazoncosplay #RCCC #rosecitycomiccon (at Oregon Convention Center)

[erikaalamode]

Happy anniversary to Cinderella!!! Yesterday was the anniversary of Disney’s Cinderella so here’s a little fairy godmother to celebrate 70 years of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!! . . Are there movies you had to grow into over time??? Cinderella was definitely one of those for me!! . . I have to admit, until the 2015 Cinderella movie, I was one of those people who never really liked Cinderella. Even as a child, I never understood why she didn’t fight back or stand up to her evil stepmother, so I gravitated towards princesses like Belle, who isn’t afraid to snap back at the Beast. . . I think time and experience has helped me to understand Cinderella and the dynamics preventing her from standing up for herself. But the 2015 Cinderella movie really made me appreciate her kindness, not as a weakness but as a choice and a strength. . . I’m glad @disneycinderella gave me the chance to revisit the Cinderella story, because I appreciate her so much more now than I did before. So happy birthday Cinderella!!! . . #fairygodmother #cinderella #fairygodmothercosplay #cinderellacosplay #disney #disneycosplay #disneyprincess #disneylife #cinderella2015 #disneyprincesses #memade #chronicallysewn #sewing #cosplay #cosplayer #costume #costumer #bibbidibobbidiboo #adreamisawishyourheartmakes #onceuponatime #happilyeverafter #fairytale #fairy #godmother #rosecitycomiccon #rccc (at Cinderella's Castle) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9W-y3kDKcj/?igshid=7yv616b6n802

[cromulentbookreview]

Geese are the Worst

They are. They really are. A goose bit me once. Hateful birds. The only positive thing is that goose is delicious. Try it, get revenge on those hateful birds.

Or: The Dire King by William Ritter!

Way back in February of 2015, I recall stumbling across a 1.99 ebook on Amazon. I think it may have been a daily deal promotion or something, but I’m a sucker for 1.99 ebooks and I remember looking at the book's description, seeing the words "YA" and "supernatural" and "Sherlock Holmes" and being like "OK, this book is mine now." I totally intended to read it right away, too...

Yeah, that didn't work out. I buy books all the time, fully intending to read them immediately, and then not doing it. I've got one book that I bought immediately after reading about it on io9, thinking "I need to read that right now." Still haven't read it. I'll get to it, though! Eventually. Sometime in the near future when I'm not in grad school. I could get to it right now since it's Summer break but...eh...

Anyway!

That 1.99 ebook from Amazon was Jackaby by William Ritter. Last summer, I was in the mood for a historical fantasy/mystery with a Sherlock Holmes vibe but with a kickass lady protagonist, so I finally cracked open that ebook. I tore through it. So I bought the sequel, Beastly Bones. And tore through that. So then I bought Ghostly Echoes and promptly tore through that one, too. Suddenly, I was out of Jackaby books. I got the free ebook of the short story The Map, but that only lasted me one train ride from work. It was November of 2016 - remember that magical time before...well, Before? - and I was facing a long wait for Book 4, The Dire King. But I needed it now! I even told Ritter as much:

He did not oblige me. Come on, man, I thought we Oregonians were supposed to stick together! Grumble grumble grumble.

I wish I had gotten into the Jackaby series sooner. I remember seeing William Ritter at Rose City Comic Con (RCCC) - only I still hadn't read the books yet. I think he may have been there promoting Beastly Bones, the book had a yellow cover. Either way, I just remember seeing a table piled with books and me going "ooooh, books!!" and drifting towards it, only the friend who was with me tugged me off in the opposite direction (something about “we promised to meet our friends first, you can hoard books later”). RCCC, for experienced con-goers, is not very big. For inexperienced con-goers, such as myself*, RCCC is massive, super crowded, and overstuffed with booths. Basically: yeah I didn't get a chance to go back and get an autographed copy of Beastly Bones. In fact, I couldn't even find that table again and I still kick myself for that. Eh, well. Ritter is a Portland author, I'm sure he'll do a Powell's thing or something. He may yet be at RCCC again...(checks RCCC website)... goddamn it.

*(someday I'll be rich and go to SDCC or DragonCon or maybe even Emerald City Comic Con in our ancient enemy, Seattle...someday maybe I'll be cool enough to be a guest at one of these cons...ok, you can stop laughing now, let me have my dreams!)

My original point being: I wish I had gotten into the books sooner because once I did, eventually, I really, really liked them. The Jackaby series is a extremely entertaining, with mysteries, monsters, ghosts and a lot of really witty prose and dialog. The Amazon description of the first book as being "YA" and "supernatural" and "Sherlock Holmes" is actually spot on - if you've just binged through all four seasons of Sherlock and are desperate for something fun to read afterwards, then you definitely need to read these. Seriously, they're just so much fun! I binged through all of them last year during a particularly tough quarter of the Graduate School, and they were like a breath of fresh air. Then again, so is anything when you’re reading books like Charles Cutter’s Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue. (It’s as fun as it sounds!)

So the wait for book four seemed agonizingly long, but, not much I could do about that except bug the author on Twitter, so I grudgingly settled in to wait. Now, another thing about me: I am not a winner. I do not win things. I never won that German student award even though my grades were the highest and the German department was literally me, two other students and one professor. (Yes, I’m still bitter). Every now and again I win a Goodreads giveaway, but that’s mainly because I tend to enter literally every single giveaway for any book that strikes my fancy. So I don’t ever expect to win. I especially do not expect to have wishes granted. So when Netgalley let its users put in a wish for an egalley for The Dire King, I did like what I do with the Goodreads giveaways: I clicked “wish for it!” thinking: yeah that’ll never happen but, hey, I may as well click to enter.

Perhaps the fact that Algonquin Young Readers let me have an egalley is a sign that I am not a loser and that I am capable of being a winner? Who knows. Or perhaps they saw the note I put up on my Netgalley profile, literally begging them to grant my wish (I have no shame when it comes to books I want). Either way, when I saw I’d gotten an egalley, it was really, really, really hard for me not to just drop everything and read The Dire King straight through. After binging my way through the first three books and short story, I decided to pace myself with The Dire King so I could properly enjoy it. 

 And because I was busy. Shouting into the black void of the Internet doesn’t pay all too well. Despite what Ritter tells me.

So! The Dire King. I really wish I had been able to read it immediately after reading Ghostly Echoes, just for the sake of continuity. Is it every bit as fun and witty as the other Jackaby books? Yes. Are some mysteries solved? Yes. Are some questions answered? Yes, but not all. Is Douglas still a duck? Yes. Yes he is. Did The Dire King live up to my expectations? Well, nothing ever lives up to my expectations, so that's not really a fair question. But still, I felt as though I were missing something in The Dire King. It didn't feel like a finale. Maybe that's wishful thinking on my part - I'd love to read books 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... - but it didn't hit me like the final book of a series should. Maybe it would've been if I had just waited and binged on all four books like I wanted to last year, but maybe it's just the weirdness of reading a final book long after binging on the first three (plus a short story). Or perhaps it’s because series finales never ever live up to the hype the fans create around them (looking at you, Sherlock series finale). Either way, I still loved The Dire King. It’s fast-paced, exciting, and every bit as clever as the first three-and-a-half books. The three-book buildup to the massive battle against the evil Unseelie and the Dire King finally pays off, so if you’re a fan of the series, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re not a fan, please don’t read the fourth book first, that’s a terrible idea.

In all, I really just don’t want The Dire King to be the end. I desperately need a spin-off series. This cannot be the end. Please don't let this be the end. Please? I need to know more about what happens to Abigail and Charlie, I need to know if we’ll ever find out what in God’s name the R.F. in R.F. Jackaby stands for! If that was a question you were hoping book 4 would answer...uhm...I’ve got some bad news...

Sigh. I guess I’ll need to launch another Twitter campaign at Ritter.

OTHER THOUGHTS

Funny thing about egalley copies from Netgalley, though: they’re uncorrected proofs, so...the books aren’t done yet. The kindle egalley for The Dire King was riddled with grammatical errors and little glitches in formatting and in the text, it was annoying as hell. Fingers crossed that all gets fixed before the August 22 release.

It's no wonder that the first thing that comes up in Google predictive search for Jackaby is "Jackaby Movie." I'd much rather have a TV series. On BBC America. With Daisy Ridley as Abigail Rook. And Adam Driver as Jackaby. Actually: let's just take the cast of the recent Star Wars movies and make them do a Jackaby TV series. That would work, right? We could recruit the cast of Rogue One - Mads Mikkelsen would make an excellent Dire King...

RECOMMENDED FOR:

People who like paranormal mysteries; fans of Sherlock Holmes-esque detective stories; anyone looking for a cleverly written series with a kickass lady protagonist.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR:

People who dislike fun.

RATING:

4.99 / 5 (I’d give it a full 5 but only if we’re promised a book 5).

RELEASE DATE:

August 22, 2017

[thisdaynews]

Pete King's departure creates opening for Democrats on Long Island

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/pete-kings-departure-creates-opening-for-democrats-on-long-island/

Pete King's departure creates opening for Democrats on Long Island

King’s retirement at the end of 2020 brings an end to the career of one of the brashest, most accessible and most complex members of New York’s congressional delegation in recent memory. | Getty Images

ALBANY — Republican Rep. Pete King’s decision to retire at the end of his 14th term creates an opening on southern Long Island that could very well wind up being New York’s most hotly contested congressional race in 2020.

King has been one of the loudest Republican Party voices on foreign policy and a defender of President Donald Trump, representing a district that has shifted more Democratic in recent years.

Story Continued Below

“It’s going to be an extremely difficult seat for the Republican Party to hold,” former Suffolk County Republican Chairman John Jay LaValle said. “Compounded with the fact that we’re in a very blue state and there will be any number of states up for grabs across the country, this might not be the highest priority for the RCCC. … There’s any number of retirements coming — a lot of seats in play, so this doesn’t come at a great time for the Republican Party.”

Babylon Councilwoman Jackie Gordon had been the only Democrat declaring for a bid against King before his announcement Monday. The Iraq and Afghanistan War veteran announced a challenge in May and already has endorsements from national Democratic groups such as EMILY’s List. But King’s departure will likely lead to the field expanding quickly.

“He’s always been his own guy and that explains his ability to survive and thrive in a landscape that is increasingly hostile to Republicans,” said Larry Levy, executive dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies. “Now that he’s leaving, this seat becomes more competitive and should attract A-list marquee candidates and millions of dollars from around the country.”

King’s retirement at the end of 2020 brings an end to the career of one of the brashest, most accessible and most complex members of New York’s congressional delegation in recent memory.

Many Democrats have painted him as a hard conservative. But while he fits that description on issues like policing and has been one of the nation’s leading voices on a right-leaning foreign policy for decades, he’s also repeatedly been ranked one of the most moderate members of Congress. He has reached across the aisle on topics like aid for Sept. 11 survivors and is the only remaining House Republican who voted against Bill Clinton’s impeachment.

He first publicly acknowledged that he might reconsider his plans to run for reelection in September when daughter Erin King Sweeney announced that she would leave her seat on the Hempstead Town Council to move to North Carolina, where her husband had received a new job. It had long been assumed that she would eventually run to succeed her father.

“The prime reason for my decision was that after 28 years of spending 4 days a week in Washington, D.C., it is time to end the weekly commune and be home in Seaford,” wrote King, 75, in an early-morning Facebook post. His wife, “Rosemary and I decided that, especially since we are both in good health, it is time to have the flexibility to spend more time with our children and grandchildren. My daughter’s recent move to North Carolina certainly accelerated my thinking.”

The most widely mentioned name in the hours after King’s departure was Liuba Grechen Shirley, his Democratic opponent last year. King defeated her by about 6 points, after beating his prior three opponents by an average of 27.

Grechen Shirley, whose campaign successfully pushed for a 2018 FEC decision that lets candidates spend their campaign funds on child care, has spent the past year creating a national PAC focused on helping Democratic mothers win office.

“I’ve heard from many encouraging supporters across the district, and with so much on the line for our community, I am seriously considering another run for Congress,” Grechen Shirley said in a statement.

Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini’s name was also floated by a supporter of his. A former police commissioner and an assistant U.S. attorney under Preet Bharara, Sini first won the office in 2017.

Other possible Democratic candidates mentioned by people familiar with the district included Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer, Suffolk’s Democratic chair; and state Sen. Monica Martinez.

On the Republican side, it’ll be a harder haul than what King faced, Levy said, but that doesn’t mean there’s not widespread interest from officials in both Suffolk and Nassau counties.

LaValle floated state Sen. Phil Boyle, Oyster Bay Councilman Steve Labriola and Islip Town Board Member Trish Bergin as contenders who would be interested with party backing. Several sources mentioned Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi as a favorite for local officials. National Journal reported that former Rep. Rick Lazio, an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senate in 2000 and governor in 2010, was also considering a run.

Boyle, when reached for comment, didn’t push back on potential interest in the spot.

“Today is a day we honor our veterans, I’ll think about running for Congress tomorrow,” he said.

The past few years haven’t been great for Republicans in King’s part of the state, which consists of exactly the types of suburbs that Democrats have been making major gains in nationwide. In 2015, the GOP controlled each of the four state Senate seats that intersected with his district. Now, they hold one of them.

“It still leans Republican, but it’s definitely competitive,” Nassau County Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs said of the district. “It was less competitive when Peter King was there because he had a long-standing following.”

For the first time in three years, Republicans didn’t have a disastrous night on Long Island in last week’s local elections, but there still aren’t many people who are confidently betting Republicans will regain momentum in the state’s suburbs in 2020.

“This is a rare, winnable open seat,” Levy said. “This is going to be a race that will be watched around the country, it will attract support far beyond the district, perhaps ending up as one of the highest-spending congressional contests around the country. Because it’s winnable for both parties — and losable for both parties — leadership and influencers around district will try to find best known best-funded candidates they can.”

Read More

[getlapelpins]

We Talk Custom Lapel Pins with Jen Bartel

Hello everybody!

We are super lucky to work with amazing clients at Get Lapel Pins. We thought it would be fun to interview one of those incredible people and share the Q&A on our blog. So, that’s what we did. Today we’re talking with Jen Bartel about enamel pins, comic conventions, and more.

Interested in making your own custom lapel pins? Request a quote today. It's quick and easy!

Jen Bartel was one of Get Lapel Pins first customers and we have had the honor of working on a bunch of her enamel pin projects. Jen has graciously agreed to spend some time answering a few questions about pins.

Before we get into the Q&A, here’s a short bio from Jen’s website:

“Jen Bartel is an illustrator and comic artist who specializes in drawing strong ladies.  Her candy colored work is heavily influenced by media from the 90’s and early 2000’s that she consumed during her childhood, and her biggest creative goal is to breathe life into characters that inspire and empower girls from all backgrounds. She is best known for her ongoing cover work on IDW’s Jem and the Holograms.”

Now on to the Q&A. Enjoy!

Get Lapel Pins: When did you first get into making your own enamel pins?

Jen Bartel: In late 2015, actually! When I found out that I’d be tabling at a convention for the first time (Emerald City Comic Con 2016 was my first show!) I started exploring the idea of making an enamel pin, and I’m glad I did because it really was the gateway into making all kinds of merchandise.

Get Lapel Pins: Why did you decide to start making enamel pins?

Jen Bartel: I wanted to offer something at my convention table that was smaller and more collectible than art prints. Many artists offer stickers, buttons, bookmarks, that kind of thing—but enamel pins felt like a more substantial option that would likely last longer for buyers.

Get Lapel Pins: What was your first enamel pin?

Jen Bartel: It was a little 3 eyed sphynx cat head, made to go along with my ECCC 2016 Monsters and Dames illustration! I later followed up by doing a cosmic wolf head + witch illo. These were the only pins I had done not by GLP! 

Get Lapel Pins: How many pins have you made, and if you had to pick, which one's your favorite?

Jen Bartel: Ohhh man. Feels like a hundred at this point, but in reality I’ve only made 12 different designs total. My favorite is probably the Don’t @ Me pin I made earlier in the year on a whim. I just thought it would be funny, I felt like it was pretty niche so I definitely did not expect it to blow up the way it has. Apparently there are people who actually work at Twitter who wear this thing, hah!

Get Lapel Pins: What was your favorite TV show or comic when you were a kid? What’s your favorite now?

Jen Bartel: Well, I grew up in Seoul so I didn’t really start reading western comics until I was older—but when it comes to manga, definitely Sailor Moon. And when I was a kid, the Sailor Moon anime was also my favorite TV show, hahaha. Now that I’m actually working in comics, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but probably SAGA by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan.

Get Lapel Pins: Where do you sell your pins?

Jen Bartel: My pins are exclusively available on my online shop: www.jenbartel.storenvy.com and from me at conventions. I will be updating my 2018 convention schedule at the beginning of next year on my website, www.jenbartel.com :) My store is actually currently open through the end of 2017, and it’s the last opportunity to get most of the pins I’m currently offering before they’re discontinued.

Get Lapel Pins: What are some of the conventions you’ve been to? Got any fun convention stories?

Jen Bartel: I’ve done most of the major comic shows now—ECCC, C2E2, SDCC, NYCC, but probably my favorite convention moment was at RCCC (Rose City Comic Con, Portland) when things were kind of winding down on the last day and the show floor was starting to slow down—I looked up from my table and suddenly Dante Basco (the guy who played Rufio in Hook) was standing there flipping through my prints. I don’t really get starstruck very often but come on, it was RUFIO. Comic conventions are wild.

Get Lapel Pins: Most of your pins are Hard Enamel, what is it about Hard Enamel pins that draw you to them?

Jen Bartel: I like the high shine you can get from hard enamel, and it also allows for a bit more edge detail, which is important to me because most of my pins are hand drawn and illustrative designs.

Get Lapel Pins: Do you collect enamel pins made by other people? What is your favorite pin made by someone else?

Jen Bartel: Honestly, I sort of end up unintentionally collecting pins from other people because I see them at shows, but my favorite enamel pin is by my friend Truck (aka 100% Soft): It’s his “KAWAII” pin and it just looks great on everything.

Get Lapel Pins: Are there any artists not making pins that you would love to see get into the pin game?

Jen Bartel: Hmm, at this point it feels like pretty much everyone is making them, so no one in specific comes to mind… but I would love it if there were more cool Ghibli pins out there!

Get Lapel Pins: Other than pins, where can people see more of your work?

Jen Bartel: www.jenbartel.com http://twitter.com/heyjenbartel http://instagram.com/heyjenbartel http://jenbartel.tumblr.com  

Get Lapel Pins: Are there any upcoming projects you’d like to promote (pin related or not)?

Jen Bartel: There are some really cool things on the horizon but I can’t really talk about any of them until 2018…!!! Keep an eye on my social media for announcements. ;)

Get Lapel Pins: Thanks Jen! You're the best.

Be sure to checkout Jen's website, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

And if you're interested in making your own custom lapel pins? Request a quote today. It's quick and easy!

[recklessflailing]

rose city comic con artist alley setup~~~

[xhogyokux]

Feeling playful? grin emoticon This fun photo features two of my favorite people in the cosplay community <3 Darkain Multimedia of Cospix and Azure Marill Cosplay *^* <3

(via Photo - Rose City Comic Con 2015 (RCCC) - DarkainMX - Cospix)

[deathgrip-photography-blog]

This was my favorite costume of the con. Incredibly gorgeous.

[jadenovak]

I went to Comic Con as femSherlock this year, and it being my first time wearing a wig, I was in the restroom giving my head a break and readjusting when suddenly from out somewhere I hear "Staying Alive" playing. I looked to my friend who was staring back at me with wide eyes, flipped on my wig, and ran back out and danced back to our group that consisted of a few Watson and maleMolly, who were grinning at me. Ah, good times.

[thebobbycrogan]

Released October 2nd, 2015

Hosts: Alison Poppy, Kelly Okler, and Eric Manix

Recorded, edited, and produced by Andrew Chard

outofthefridge

vladbride

perfectlyflawed3

maxchard

[emubop]

So I got a bit distracted the other weekend by meeting literal goddess Nichelle Nichols at RCCC, but the season premiere of Agents of SHIELD just now reminded me that I also met Elizabeth Henstridge and that was also so, so incredibly awesome! My friend and I were looking through the celeb autograph stations, seeing where everyone was, when I noticed that she was at her table but there was literally no line at all - which at first I was like, "did she close for the session???" but the staff said "nope, come on up!" So I basically got to step up, hand over cash, pick out the picture I wanted, and go talk to her. And she was so so so sweet! So kind and lovely, omg. She asked if the name on the picture was for me, I told her yes, and she said that one of her best friends has the same name and she'd never met a bad Emily and I just about melted. And I shared how excited I was for season 3 and she said she was super excited too so she could finally talk about it with people and just. It was such a lovely conversation, quick but not like super rushed or anything because there wasn't a big line, and just. Amazing. Great. And it was nice to have it confirmed that Simmons isn't dead before the premiere. Because that cliffhanger. Anyways, wonderful lady. New episode is awesome. I am full of love and now I'm gonna go listen to Hamilton

[the-eclectic-ego]

The Brandon Routh panel was fun, I couldn’t stop trying to get his many facial expressions. His upcoming show Legends Of Tomorrow a spin-off of Arrow, from what little he could say sounds very interesting and I love him as Atom. 

[xplainthexmen]

Rose City Comic Con was AWESOME. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite photos from the con, live episode, and party, over at rachelandmiles.com; come check ‘em out!

[missminiver]

[sweaterkittensahoy]

A week to the day, here’s the rest of what I picked up at Rose City. I was kind of surprised at how little I picked up, but ECCC tickets went on sale the Wednesday after, so I was sort of extra-cautious with my budget. 

Click through for my attempt at funny captions. 

[jedijaz42]

Bitch planet nails. 💚