Now that I'm home from Seattle, I'm right back to editing and rewriting and obsessively perfecting my PAX East keynote, but before I can give that the focus it requires, I need to talk a little bit about this year's Emerald City Comicon.
First, the good: The dungeon delve I wrote and ran was really great. We raised $500 for Child's Play, and the people who played in it (and I) had a really good time playing D&D. I wrote an original adventure that I think I may even be able to expand and publish in some form some day, which is great.
Aaron Douglas and I made a bet during the Olympic ice hockey finals: if USA won, he'd wear a USA sweater at the con, if Canada won, I'd wear a Canada sweater. So on Saturday, I wore Aaron's Team Canada jersey, and had a lot of fun explaining to the genuine Team Canada supporters that I'd lost a bet and was a USA Hockey fan, even though I've secretly thought about defecting to Canada for most of my life.
I bought Matt Kindt's Super Spy: The Lost Dossiers, which if the title didn't tip you off is set in the Super Spy universe. Super Spy is one of my favorite comics of all time, and I can't wait to read it.
I met and talked with hundreds of people who came to my table in the expo hall. I sold all of my books. I ran out of 8x10s. I posed for lots of pictures, and probably didn't look like a complete dork in at least three of them. It was, as always, really awesome to connect with people who read my blog and my books, especially the people who told me they'd been inspired to get back into gaming because of something I'd written about it, and the people who I helped to get excited and make things.
The con was absolutely packed this year, and I saw more families and casual geeks than I've ever seen at a con before in my life. On Friday morning, I did some press to help promote the show, and in the process of talking about it, I realized that I love ECC because it reminds me of everything I loved about SDCC before Hollywood moved in and took over. It's large enough to draw some great guests, but it's still small enough that you have a reasonable chance to actually meet and (depending on who they are) get to spend a minute talking with them. It's growing like crazy, though, and while I don't think it will ever turn into the giant clusterfuck that San Diego's become, I was happy to hear that they're adding a third day next year, because two days just isn't enough time to see and do all the stuff that's available at this show.
Which brings me to the bad: I worked so hard to make the dungeon delve memorable and special, I was up after midnight every night last week writing it (after working on my PAX keynote all day) and as a result, I was exhausted before the show even started.
I felt like my Awesome Hour didn't really earn its name. I would have called it The Pretty Good Hour, if I was giving myself a grade. See, I got last year's PAX and last year's ECC mixed up in my head, and ended up reading the same story that I read last year (Blue Light Special, from The Happiest Days of our Lives). I think most of the audience enjoyed it, and they certainly enjoyed it when I read Justice from Memories of the Future, but I could sense that a significant portion of the room was disappointed to hear a story they'd heard before. I also felt rushed, because I wanted to make sure there was time for at least some Q&A, and there was no way I was going to let myself go over, on account of I was essentially opening for Leonard Nimoy and Stan Lee (which was AWESOME, actually. I mean, how often do you get to do that?)
And now to the thing that's really been bothering me since I got home, The Ugly:
I was just awful when we did our Rock Band thing. I mean, I really, truly, sucked out loud. I know the people who played with me had fun, and I'm not taking anything away from their experience, but for everyone who was just watching, I could tell that I didn't give them a particularly good experience. Mostly, that's because Rock Band was scheduled at the end of the con, which was the worst possible time for me. My voice was completely shot, I was completely out of gas, and I only had an hour to play before I had to literally run to a car that was waiting at the curb to get me to the airport.
There was some great stuff in the setup that we'll carry over to future cons: there were screens that all of us playing could clearly see, there was a microphone stand with a bandanna tied to it for maximum rock, and there was plenty of space for people to get up and mosh, should they have been inspired to do so.
Unfortunately, we made a huge mistake and forgot to turn the vocals all the way down like we usually do, and I was so tired, I forgot that I could just pause the game and do it manually! There wasn't a single speaker facing the stage, so I couldn't hear myself at all … and judging by the expressions I saw in the audience, Randy Jackson would have told "From me to you, dogg, it was a little pitchy, dogg. I have to say 'no.' Dogg.'"
When I play Rock Band at home, that doesn't matter – it's about having fun and pretending to rock, not sounding great – but I'm doing it as sort of a performance for people, it's different than it is when you play in your living room with your friends. I feel like the players had fun (which was very important to me), but I also feel like I let everyone else down – I know I let myself down – and I'm sorry for that. I've only done the Rock Band party thing twice before, and I guess you could say that we're still working out the bugs in a very public (and for me, in this case, embarrassing) beta. I'm going to take the lessons learned from this experience and apply them to Phoenix Comicon in May, though, so hopefully I'll have a chance to redeem myself.
Now, to wrap up on a more positive and less self-flagellating note: I saw a lot of seriously hardcore fans in amazing costumes at ECC this year, but I also saw and talked with a lot of people who were attending their first con, and they were having a great time dancing with the geek what brought them. I also gained several levels in DM while prepping and running the dungeon delve, but all that will have to wait for another post.
Finally, if you want even more Emerald City Comicon stuff, you can hear me talk about it – including a dramatic reading of the backstory and setup for my delve – on this week's episode of my podcast, Radio Free Burrito.
Wish I could have been there. Sadly Seattle is a bit far and my travel budget is almost nil. GenCon will be about it this year. Though I’m planning on picking up tickets for WootStock here in Minneapolis. Are you planning on doing anything in town aside from the show?
Very glad that you had fun at ECCC… will you be doing a charity delve at Phoenix Comicon as well? Looking forward to Phoenix Comicon, and if you need some vocals during Rock Band, I’d be more than willing to help.
Ashes to ashes,
DJ Pheonyx
The Cape Radio
http://www.thecaperadio.com
Not only was this my first ECC, it was my first Comic Con ever, and I would probably not have gone if not for the chance to meet you. So thanks for that, I’m definitely going to go again next year. And since it was my first, I had no idea you read the same story and I thoroughly enjoyed the Awesome Hour. As did my boyfriend, who isn’t even a fan. So don’t beat yourself up too much. It was really a lot of fun for us noobs.
Oh, and you totally didn’t look like a dork in my picture 🙂
It was great to see you– albeit very briefly at Starbucks. And as for the Rock Band thing, don’t sweat it! All the buzz I heard was good, and come on– how cool is it that Brubaker and Bendis and Fraction were your backing band for a quick minute!? THAT is EPIC WIN. Next time we’ll have to get Darick up there!
No, I'm not going to be able to do a delve at Phoenix. We'll be doing Rock Band, though.
Yeah, especially when my brain went chasing after a red balloon and I introduced Bendis as Joe Quesada. *facepalm*
I wish I could have made it up there, but I was just too damned busy this last weekend. Any chance you’ll stick around to sign books after w00tstock?
Dude, come on, they had to know you were dead-on-your-feet, and I bet that drew a huge laugh of “OMG I’m that tired too!” .. Laughing with you, man, not AT you. =]
Oh, I know. It just felt like I unintentionally insulted Brian, which was really embarrassing since I'd just met him the night before.
I really need to make it out to one of these before I hit 30.. Almost 30 and never been to even a local con.. wow..
You did so much for this years con, while prepping for PAX at the same time, and I for one am extremely grateful for everything. I had been looking forward to the Awsome Hour for months and was not disappointed in the least. Your writing is so amazing and I love hearing you read all of it, even if I have heard it before. Even if you have told a story before, it is great for the new fans to hear them (if you tell them multiple times I assume that they are stories that are dear to you which makes them even better) and for the old fans they aren’t told verbatim. As far as I can tell you add new jokes and comments each time you tell them. I hope you come back next year and I look forward to the next “Awsome Hour”.
Someday I’ll get the cash together to go to ECCC. This year just wasn’t my year. My “Drunken New Year’s Week in San Antonio” trip cleaned me out of cash. Sounds like you had an awesome time! 😀
Wil, this was my first Comicon, and you made it great! I attended your awesome hour, and have never laughed so much. My friends and I talked about your stories the rest of the weekend and told friends about it since we got home. Some mistakes are not bad ones at all. Both stories were great, and have caused me to want to buy the rest of your books (considering I only have “Just a Geek” right now) Thanks for making the weekend great for me and all of us!
Brian seems like a guy with a great sense of humour, I’d be surprised if he felt even the least bit insulted. When I met him I blurted out I’d never read anything he worked on! HEH! Geek fail. =P
I was standing in the crowd (and holding up my cell phone during a couple of songs) and everyone was having a good time, so don’t think for a second you let us down my man.
My only regret is that I wasn’t able to hit your table and pick up a copy of your book, nor was I able to lay down the cash to play in your D&D game. I hope to make up for that when you come in town for PAX West.
NOTE: Bon Jovi does NOT suck, and I noticed that you knew the song well enough to get over 90% on hard drums…
Oh, yeah … it's a joke about Bon Jovi with me. I was so tired I made a callback to something we were riffing on at Phoenix last year.
I was at the Rock Band event and I can tell you, from my point of view, it was soooooo fun. For the Wheaton fans out there (like my friend @simonapandele and I) it was cool to just see you hangin’ out. And we got to come up and play Skullcrusher Mountain with you and although we were SUPER sucky Rock Band players, it was such a huge thrill for us that we’ve been grinning all week. So stop apologizing for being a human being who gets tired, like we all do, and start accepting that Rock Band at ECCC was really awesome, and we appreciate you hosting it.
See you at w00tstock! 🙂
I thought the Awesome Hour was indeed Awesome! You’re a great performer and despite the fact that there were 1,500 people in that room, I felt like you were one of my friends telling a great story in my living room. I listen to Radio Free Burrito and have a copy of Memories of the Future, so I’ve heard both stories , but that didn’t matter because the experience was great! A lot like seeing your favorite band play your favorite song in concert. Super start to my first Comicon and weekend of soaking up geek. Can’t wait to see you at PAX Prime!
You’re too hard on yourself, Wil. We briefly met (I was wearing the Team USA hockey sweater in the Photo Ops booth). Loved it when the two people wanted to serenade you outside the booth and you actually stooped what you were doing and listened to them and gave them hugs afterwards. So great. You really do seem to be as cool in person as you appear on the internet, which I guess, given how most people appear on the internet, isn’t that radical of an accomplishment. Still, between my encounter with you and meeting Stan Lee, it was the best ECCC I’ve attended. (Though, to be fair, I’ve only attended two: the first one and this latest one).
Sadly, I share the same regrets as to the current state of SDCC. It doesn’t really resemble the first SDCC I went to 10 years ago- if only I had known then what SDCC would morph into.
Considering the great prices on con hotels, it still represents an awesome excuse for my wife and I to visit SD- spend some time @ the Con but leave when it gets too crazy.
Will you be making it down to SDCC this year?
Wil, you didn’t repeat Blue Light Special from ECCC last year. Last year you read the story about Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Rock Band endless set list, and Nolan driving home at night. Just verified my memory by watching it on Youtube. You can kick your show back up to the Awesome level again.
It was fantastic meeting you at the con, Wil. You absolutely made my day when you recognized me as “The Dire Rat Diplomacy Girl.” 😀
As a sidebar, I thought you’d like this story: I have had HORRIBLE panic disorder for a good five years now, and ever since I made it through your meet-and-greet line without my brain spazzing out on me, I’ve actually noticed a dramatic drop-off in my anxiety – even what you call your awful (come on, it was awesome as hell) performance during Rock Band inspired me to go out and sing karaoke in public last night. (It was Not Good, but that was also Not the Point. XD)
So honestly, just thank you, man. Thank you for being Wil, and for being so nice to someone like me that you’ve honest-to-Gygax given me the courage to face real life like I used to. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Totally made my Wil save. XD
I really wanted to go this year. I live just across the border in White Rock, BC, Canada. I had planned to go, but thanks to the jackass who ran a redlight going 100 mph in a stolen car I no longer have a car (and a bonus fractured hip/pelvis).
So I hope you will be going back next year, and I hope that I avoid any further jackasses on the road between now and then.
We were BEYOND excited to make it into the line to get to play RB with you (I had been talking about it all weekend). When we configured the band and it came to pass that we would be putting you on vocals, we joked about it, having no expectation at all that you COULD sing (even under ideal conditions) and figuring it’d be even more entertaining for the crowd if you couldn’t.
It’s actually kind of a bummer to find out that something so cool for us was such a bad experience for you. We would gladly have swapped our bassist onto vocals, had we known. I assure you he is QUITE TERRIBLE and would have made you sound operatic by comparison. 🙂
Love, BAND NUMBER THREE (“Today”)
I wasn’t at ECCC Wil, but you inspired me to go back to building and running websites as a hobby and not purely professionally now. My new site is going to be a video gaming one and I can’t wait to have it up and running. I literally woke up with ideas over the last few nights and wrote them down on scraps of paper at the side of my bed. I’ve not done that for years. Thanks!
Are you sure that wasn't at PAX? That sounds like a setlist I made for PAX08 or PAX09.
Wil, I heard you read Blue Light Special at ECCC 2008. I missed ECCC 2009, so I can’t affirm that you didn’t ALSO read it then… 🙂
Yikes. Get well soon, man.
Ha! You guys rocked the instruments to the max, and it's not your fault "Today" was so far out of my range. I'm glad you had fun, which is ultimately the most important thing to me. I didn't have a *bad* time, I was just disappointed that I didn't perform better, is all.
Sounds like a great time! I totally wish I could have been there (it would have been my first-ever Con).
Still hoping to make it to w00tstock in Portland, though. Any news on when the tickets will go on sale and where? I’ll have to get some Portland friends to go get them for me if they’re not available online.
I could upload the picture of you and I to facebook, though I think I look more like a dork than you do. This was my second time at ECC and my first time getting a chance meet you. Thanks for the MOF it is a great book. I sorry for the forced discount.
Wil, thanks for the publishing tips regarding my own narrative non-fiction book. The couple times I have had the opportunity to meet you in Seattle have been cool and you seem to really be in your element there. It is amazing how many of my friends have stopped giving me a hard time about cons and now have started expressing the desire to “maybe attend a day” in the future. Looking forward to the your 2nd encounter with Sheldon.
Jeff
Wil you were great and your Sunday shirt was epic. Once I threw the pictures up on my facebook a bunch of my friends commented on how they want a shirt with themselves on it. Also I thank you for taking time with all your fans, your line rivaled that of Nemoy’s at times and you still made sure everyone had a good con moment so again thank you it means alot. Also I didn’t get into the awesome hour or the rock banding but hopefully both will be back next year. Finally can’t wait for W00TSTOCK!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I decided not to be a lazy bastard and went looking to see what I could find online. Found them! W00T(stock)! Can’t wait!
I, sadly, just missed getting into your Awesome Hour, and I had left by the time Rock Band was going on. Your lines were always very long every time I looked and thought about getting in them. But, I got to chat with you in an informal group of people about Rock Band a couple years ago at the Child’s Play auction, so I figured someone else can take my place and get the chance to meet you and say hi. Also, I have wootstock tickets. Still, it was great to see you there (from far away) and great to see such long lines for you. Mostly just wanted to say that this year was crazy. Saturday, with Stan Lee and Leonard Nimoy and your very popular talk, it was packed to the rafters. Sunday was a much mellower and nicer day to kinda hang around (although your lines were still huge that day, so maybe not for you).
Any chance of a Pasadena delve?
Maybe, yeah. If we can figure out a way to make it work, I think it would be a lot of fun to run a delve at Game Empire some day.
We played Rockband with you (we did the blessedly short “Hello There”) and despite the fact that I was distracted making sure my nine year old was set-up and ready go and forgot to actually play my instrument for about the first 15 seconds, we had a blast!
We thoroughly enjoyed it as audience members as well and I actually told my husband (who was to chicken too get up and play) this morning that I wished more people would have let you sing because the crowd was eating it up. So while I understand your disappointment in your performance, I don’t think anyone noticed. We were all busy rocking out and having a good time.
Also, my son thinks he dissed you because he didn’t realize you went to shake his hand until he saw video the next day. He was just trying desperately to get off the stage. He wanted you to know that it wasn’t intentional.
I’m sure it would fill up quickly.
You know, when people like you, when you take the time to be cool to them even when your dogs are barking and you have no more potions left…they will forgive anything. You made my eight year old son cry because you were so awesome to him, you made our friend a cool video she will keep forever, my 16 year old daughter has now read all of your books… I mean, come on. You brought nothing but good with you and it grows. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to geek out with your kids and be able to share it with them. Your show was fun, people laughed and when the material is good you will read, watch, and listen to it over and over again. Don’t think on anything negative for a tic. Seattle loves you – you have endeared yourself to us with your humanity and your kindness and attention. Do you really think for a moment that you would go down in our collective estimations over reading something again that was kick ass the first time? Or by not rocking good enough? That is crazy.
Also, cut yourself some slack. You can’t operate at 100% capacity all the time – you got to be better to you.
We already have our tickets for w00tstock 😛
Oh, and I met Stan Lee, Leonard Nimoy and Thomas Jane and you know what pic I have on my profile. The one with you. Goobersmootch *mock shakes head*
Re: SDCC,
If ComicCon International gets their way and moves it to Los Angeles at the end of the current contracts, maybe it will result in a non-hollywood con here in san diego some day in the future.
We played Rockband with you (We did the blessedly short “Hello There”) and we had a blast despite the fact that I was so worried about getting my nine year old set up that I forgot to play for about the fist 15 seconds…whoops.
We thoroughly enjoyed it from the audience as well! I was telling my husband (Who was too chicken to get up and play) that we wished more groups would have let you sing because the crowd was eating it up. I understand your disappointment with your performance, but no one in the audience felt cheated I assure you.
Also, my kid wanted you to know that he did not mean to diss you by not shaking your hand. He didn’t realize you went to shake his hand until he saw video on Monday. He feels bad (you know how kids can obsess over silly stuff) and said he just wanted to get off the stage as quickly as possible.
The awesome hour was my first event of the weekend, and rest assured, Will, it was awesome. Unfortunately, the weekend was such a flurry of activity I didn’t get a chance to wait in line to say hi and give you a high-five.
High-fives next year (or maybe at PAX) since you are a rather awesome dude. Thanks for make the con even more excellent and memorable.
We sadly had to miss even seeing you from afar at the con this year, as we brought along both kiddos (both under age 5) and therefore they had No Patience For Crazy Mommy’s Obsession. We did come away with a new Godzilla action figure for our 4 year old daughter and a handful of new graphic novels, so something was achieved! It sounds like the dungeon delve was a total success, and I’m glad! What a great way to donate to Child’s Play! (I’m not jealous of those players…NOT AT ALL!)
Anyway, a ramble from me again. See you at PAX (no kids allowed on that trip!)
Man, I wish more of these things were on the East Coast. And wouldn’t you know it? We finally get an awesome non-anime con around here (PAX East) and I can’t go 🙁 Oh well…here’s to hoping you and the Penny Arcade guys document the hell out of it:-)
http://www.livingwithanerd.com
I’m one of the people you inspired to get excited and make things: I put up a little book of fiction on createspace (on demand printing via amazon.com), and you’re one of the people it’s dedicated to. 🙂 So, thanks!
Sorry Wil,
All I read above was Team Canada Jersey 🙂
I jest…but as a Vancouver resident I won’t deny the joy for us winning the game, even if it didn’t matter much to the masses south of the border(with the exception of some hockey fans like yourself!).
Go Kings Go…err Canucks I mean 😀
Dude. I’m sure I’m just repeating what everyone else is saying (I’m on my phone, the text is small, I’m getting old…) but really, no one wants to play rockband with Perfect Wil Wheaton. The charm is in playing with “plain old screws up like the rest of us” Wil Wheaton. If we want to see perfection, we’ll watch you on TV.
Heck, why do you think back stage passes are so cool? “OMG! Jonathan Coulton eats sandwiches! *I* eat sandwiches too!” 😉
Wil, It was nice to see you again, if only for a few minutes.
I did get to talk to Matt Fraction about his work, which I read on your recommendation. Thank you! and thank you for posing with the local (Rat City) Rollergirls. You definitely don’t look like a dork in the photo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31563008@N05/4441193887/
Thanks for the Autograph on the Comicon poster. I was one of the guys who dropped into your D&D game suite Saturday night. I enjoyed your DM’ing style! Hope that I can participate in a game on one of your trips.