ComicsonComics.com

FYI - Here's a blurb:

ComicsonComics.com, the innovative live show/video podcast which brings stand-up comedians and comic book creators together, returns to Meltdown Comics Wednesday September 10 [2008]! Host Robbie Peron welcomes the legendary creator of Gargoyles and supervising producer of the Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, Greg Weisman as he matches wits with comedians Tim Babb, Erik Lundy and Eddie Pence in a round-table discussion of the latest comic book news!

Meltdown Comics is located at 7522 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. The taping starts at 8pm, so show up early to grab a good seat!

Previous episodes with Christos Gage, David Gerrold, Wendy Pini, Geoff Johns and Brian Lynch can be seen online here:

http://www.comicsoncomics.com/?cat=11

Higher quality versions can also be downloaded from iTunes (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=278094320 ).

CON-ODYSSEY: CopperCon - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: CopperCon - Wednesday, August 27, 2008
3:30am - I finally went to bed.

5:30am - I got up after my little nap. Showered, packed, ate banana cake, salami, lemon water for breakfast.

7am - The car picked me up to take me to LAX. I had Tuesday and Wednesday's L.A. Times with me, and read them.

9:40am - Borded the plane. After take off, I started to read Walter Mosely's Blonde Faith, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. Slept.

11am - Landed. In baggage claim, I met up with Shane Bryner (CopperCon Guest Liason) and David Hedgecock. Caitlin, another con staffer, was waiting for us out in the car. They took us to lunch, feeding me grilled cheese and tomato soup.

1pm - We went to Drawn To Comics for our first signing. Not much there for us to sign, but we had fun.

4pm - We went to Samurai Comics for our second signing, which wasn't scheduled to start until 5pm.

5pm - Same basic deal.

7pm - We departed for the hotel, checked in, unpacked.

8pm - Shane, Caitlin, David and I went out to dinner at a restaurant called Shogun. I had a coke, edamame, mixed tempura, a California roll, miso soup, salad. Then we went back to the hotel. Where I literally fell asleep doing my ten minutes of neck traction exercises. That means my head was hanging backwards off the edge of the bed for nearly an hour.

11pm - So I went to bed...

MORE TO COME...

IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY...

IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY...

On September 4th, 1988, I went on a first date with this amazing woman. We went to an apartment warming party for my friend Mike Ryan. My car -- actually my sister's car -- had it's horn literally hanging from the bottom of the engine by a wire, so I had to ask her out AND ask her to drive. (Who knew she'd like that?) At the party -- where she knew no one and I knew everyone -- she fit right in. My friend Cameron had just purchased a new camcorder and was practicing with it. Years later, he would give me a copy of the tape -- a tape of our first date -- full of fades and truck ins and other first-timer camera tricks. After the party, we dropped me off at my place, and I invited her upstairs. We talked for hours and hours. I did EVERYTHING they tell you not to do, including talking about multiple past relationships. And yet somehow as morning came, she still liked me.

Beth and I have been together for twenty years now, and... thank God... she still still likes me. After two apartments, we're on our second house, our third cat and our fourth and fifth dog. Plus, you know, the two amazing, amazing kids.

We have many anniversaries in my date book. Engagement. Finding out she was pregnant with Erin. Finding out she was pregnant with Benny. Our wedding, of course.

But this is still my favorite anniversary. This is where it all began.

I love you, Beth. Happy Anniversary.

WEISMAN'S ON A ROLL...

WEISMAN'S ON A ROLL...

The RED TORNADO limited series that I was working on for DC Comics has been put on an indefinite hold. (I wouldn't hold my breath, even if you are an android/air elemental.)

CLARIFICATION

CLARIFICATION

Hey gang,

There seems to be some confusion about where things stand with the comic books, so I'm going to try again to clear things up. The SLG license expired on 8-31-08. That means there will be no more individual comic book issues on either Gargoyles or Bad Guys.

However, SLG does still have the right to put all existing material out in the Trade Paperback format. They are also allowed to include Bonus Material in these trades.

Gargoyles: Clan-Building, Volume One will remain available, and as soon as possible, we will be putting out Gargoyles: Clan-Building, Volume Two and Gargoyles: Bad Guys: Redemption out in trade.

Gargoyles: Clan-Building, Volume Two will include (obviously) Gargoyles issues #7-8, but it will ALSO include what would have been issues #9-12, including the covers, as QUOTE-UNQUOTE Bonus Material. You WILL get to see the end of the Clan-Building arc. Currently, issue #9 is done except for a few minor lettering corrections. Issue #10 is being pencilled as we speak. Issue #11 has been scripted, and we are looking for the right artist to pencil it. Issue #12 is being scripted now. The trade will come out when ALL this material is complete and approved.

The Gargoyles: Bad Guys: Redemption trade will include (obviously) Bad Guys issues #1-4, but it will ALSO include what would have been issues #5-6, including the covers, as QUOTE-UNQUOTE Bonus Material. You will get to see the end of the Redemption limited series. Currently, issue #5 is done except for a few minor art corrections and the lettering. Issue #6 is scripted, and Karine will begin roughing it out shortly. The trade will come out when ALL this material is complete and approved.

Hope that clears things up.

Greg

Gargoyles: Bad Guys #4

Gargoyles: Bad Guys #4 should be in stores this Wednesday, August 20th, 2008.

FYI

My Gargoyles Universe timeline has hit 300 pages. Just thought you'd like to know.

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Sunday, July 27, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Sunday, July 27, 2008

1:45am - Went back to my room to watch TV and read more BONE.

4am - Finally went to sleep.

9:30am - Wake up time. Said goodbye to Michael Vogel, Mike Ross, Chris and David Hedgecock.

10:30am - Talked with Paul GIacoppa for a bit.

11am - My last SLG signing with Karine. Lots of people stopped by, and I said goodbye to Karine, Jen, Faith, Sammy, Seth, Chris, Gargy, Dan, Jen, Joe, etc.

1pm - Left the con. Went back to the hotel to get my duffle and my car. Headed for home. Finished BORN STANDING UP and started Michael Chabon's YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION. Ate peanut M&Ms, Pringles, Water, Coke.

4:30pm - Made it home.

And that ends my con-journaling until later this month when I head for CopperCon in Phoenix, Arizona: http://www.casfs.org/cucon/

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Saturday, July 26, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Saturday, July 26, 2008

12:30am - Back to the room.

1:30am - Sleep.

8:30am - Wake-up. Seven hours, not bad. The sleep-gods giveth and the sleep-gods taketh away.

9:30am - Breakfast with Michael Homler of St. Martin's Press. He's been trying to cajole me to finish the rewrite of my RAIN OF THE GHOSTS novel for a couple years now. I just never have time. I did have time for oatmeal, bacon and orange juice.

11am - SLG Signing with Karine. Simultaneously, I lost a contact lense deep inside my right eye, various fans stopped by for autographs, various friends and acquaintances stopped by to say hi, I was interviewed on camera and Dan was telling me that the Gargoyles comic book license would not be renewed. It was... somewhat stressful. I won't go into the details of the non-renewal here. I've rambled about it on ASK GREG earlier this week. Check the archives. But obviously, this was not a fun piece of news. The good news is that we will finish the Clan-Building and Redemption storylines. Beyond that, we'll just have to see...

1:30pm - SLG Panel. We showed the reels for both Mecha-Nation and Prodigy. Two new comics that Vic Cook and I will be doing for SLG over the next year. Then we had to announce the Gargoyles bad news. The sound was problematic throughout the panel, and the whole thing was a downer. No one's fault of course, but not too fun.

2:30pm - Back to SLG Booth for more signing.

3pm - David Hedgecock joined me.

4pm - Vic & Greg Guler came to sign Spidey posters and talk about Mecha-Nation and Prodigy on camera for SLG's website. I was definitely feeling burned out.

6pm - Went back to my room.

7pm - I went out to dinner with Vic, Greg Guler, Kevin Hopps, Phil Weinstein and their families. (Table for NINETEEN!) I had bread, a pepperoni/sausage/mushroom pizza and root beer. Then Vic, Kevin and their families wanted ice cream so I led them back to Ghiradelli's and had another Domingo. From there we returned to the Omni. I got a bottle of San Peligrino and we took up residence at the far end of the lobby as various folks came and went, including: myself, Vic, Phil, Kevin, Nicole Dubuc, Ian Mackie, Jennifer Anderson, Seth Jackson, Sammy, Kyt, Scott Sakai, Alisa, Cindy, Joey Mason, Cheeks, Marina and others, I'm sure. (Sorry, if I forgot anyone.)

TO BE CONCLUDED...

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Friday, July 25, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Friday, July 25, 2008

12:30am - Giving up on food, I return to my room to watch some TV and read BONE by Jeff Smith. I had bought the complete one-volume edition earlier that day, breaking my "no purchases at ComicCon" rule.

4am - I turn off the lights to go to bed.

5am - Can't sleep, so I turn ON the lights and read more Bone.

6am - Turn out the lights (just as the sun's coming up).

10am - Wake up.

11am - We have a press session organized by Lindsay Colker for Spectacular Spider-Man. I give a half dozen interviews, as do Michael Vogel, Vic Cook, Sean "Cheeks" Galloway, Jamie Thomason, Josh Keaton, Vanessa Marshall and Ben Diskin.

12:30pm - Spectacular Spider-Man panel w/myself, Michael, Vic, Sean, Jamie, Josh, Vanessa, Ben and Robert Englund. We show the music video, our "Quip Reel" and the preview of our Mysterio and Kraven footage. It all seems to go over pretty well. Vic and I attempt to make shout outs to everyone on the staff that we know is attending. Not sure if we got everyone, but we tried. The Q&A -- in fact the entire panel -- seemed to go pretty well. I judge this by the number of laughs we got.

2pm - We have a Spectacular Spider-Man two-poster/one postcard signing at the Sony Booth. The coolest giveaway is this great spider-signal. Very cool.

3:30pm - Vic and I do one last interview.

4pm - Back to the SLG Booth to sign Gargoyles stuff with Karine Charlebois and Robby Bevard. Jennifer brought me a Pinkberry.

6:15pm - Back to the room.

6:30pm - I get Michael Vogel and Chris into the Jetix party at Stingaree. I make some small talk with Mike Moon, Rich Fogel, Mark Seidenberg, Eddie Gamara, Peter McHugh, Matt Wayne, Nicole Dubuc, Brian Swenlin, among others.

7:30pm - I hook up with Eric Vesbitt, John, Carrie, Karine, Kyt and Jennifer for dinner at Mahoney's. We are literally driven out of the place by the ridiculously high volume of the music - taking our food to go. We ate outside, and the food was actually pretty good (Salad, Club Soda, Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich). But I was still shaking from the volume. So we went to Ghiradelli's for dessert. I had a "Domingo", which is basically a hot fudge sundae (Domingo=Sunday, get it?) with bananas. Afterwards, Jennifer, Kyt, Laura and Julia and I went to a bar. I had another club soda and then called it a night...

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Thursday, July 24, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Thursday, July 24, 2008

12am - Returned to my hotel room.

2:30am - Went to sleep.

9:30am - Woke up.

11am - Signing with Karine Charlebois at the SLG Booth.

1pm - A few of us headed out to get lunch, but it took us so long -- and all the restaurants were so crowded that I realized I didn't have time for lunch, so I stopped by Pinkberry and got an original with blackberries, strawberries and blueberries.

2pm - Another SLG signing, this time with David Hedgecock and Gordon Purcell. My friends brought me a burger and fries from Dick's Last Resort.

4pm - I walked the floor a little bit.

6pm - I went back to my room.

7:30pm - Jennifer Anderson, Robby Bevard, Kit Contreras and Karine Charlebois piled into my Cruiser for a trip to Baja Betty's, where we joined Michael McAdams, Sammy, Seth Jackson, Alisa, Scott Sakai, Marina Garcia, Max, Ty and Cindy Kinnard. I had a LOT of chips and salsa and coke. Also an Enchilada, taquitos, rice & beans. We then went back to the hotels. Jennifer, Karine and I decided to go looking for dessert. We ran into Vannessa ("Mary Jane Watson") Marshall and Cathy Lizzio (her agent) also on a hunt for food. But by Thursday at midnight, that seemed impossible. We were joined by Fred (voice of the Hulk) and his father Fred Sr. But still no food...

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Wednesday, July 23, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Geez, I only JUST noticed that my entire previous conjournal entries for the Gathering and ConVergence all have the YEAR wrong. 2008, not 2009.

Cripes.

Anyway...

12am - I'm still prepping for ComicCon.

2am - I watch an episode of the L-Word.

4am - I web-browse, looking for info on my buddy Cary Bates' new comic for Marvel: True Believers.

5am - I go to bed.

10am - I get up, pack, etc.

12pm - I say goodbye to Erin, who is home sick, and head to Ralph's market to buy road snacks.

12:20pm - I finally hit the road. I eat a Butterfinger, Pringles and Evian. I'm listening to Steve Martin's great autobiography Born Standing Up.

3pm - I arrive at the Omni Hotel and check in. My room (non-smoking) smells like cigarette smoke but only in the entry way. I think smokers stood outside the room by the window and some of the smoke seeped through. I'm too lazy to complain or change rooms, but I later bring it to the front desk's attention as I'm paranoid I'll be blamed for the situation and charged a huge "cleaning" fee. Otherwise, the room is very nice.

4pm - I have "lunch" with Michael Vogel, Chris and Mike Ross at Sweetwater in the Hard Rock. I have a number of cokes, a bacon cheese burger and a big pickle. Jennifer Anderson catches up to us.

5:30pm - Jennifer and I go to Mary Janes (also at the Hard Rock) and I have dessert: Apple Pie ala mode.

7pm - We get to the Old Globe Theatre just before curtain. The play is "The Pleasure of His Company". It's a very fun and funny production. I lose a contact part way through the play however. So we head back to my room so that I can change into my glasses. We then head out to meet up with Seth and Sammy, who are at a restaurant. We are warned that it's a "long walk" -- but are not told that it's flat out TOO FAR TO WALK! Eventually, we call and force Seth to come pick us up.

11pm - At the deli, I have an OJ, a French Dip Sandwich and Potato Salad.

MORE TO COME...

THE BIG BAD NEWS (and a little bit of good news).

THE BIG BAD NEWS (and a little bit of good news).

As many of you have probably heard, we found out Saturday (7/26/08) at San Diego ComicCon that the GARGOYLES (including BAD GUYS) license will not be renewed after it expires on 8-31-08.

Just to be very, very clear... this is NOT the result of poor sales. GARGOYLES is still one of the best selling book SLG publishes (if not THE best). BAD GUYS doesn't do too badly either by SLG standards. Of course, delays didn't help sales... and there are probably other factors that reduced the upside -- including the writing -- but none of that is the point.

According to SLG's President, Publisher and Owner Dan Vado, the Disney execs told him that the money they were taking in did not justify their administrative costs. So they raised the license renewal fee to a rate that put it beyond SLG's reach. (Dan had hoped to renew both Gargoyles and Haunted Mansion -- though not Tron or Wonderland -- but neither book will now be picked up.)

I don't know what effect recent announcements about Kingdom Comics and Boom! Comics had on this decision. Dan was told one thing had nothing to do with the other. No one at either company has approached me about doing Gargoyles, and I don't know that there will be any interest now that the license is coming to an end.

That's the bad news. But there is a bit of a silver lining.

There will be NO STORY INTERRUPTUS!!

We will finish both GARGOYLES: Clan-Building and BAD GUYS: Redemption. That's the equivalent of seven more issues of material.

BAD GUYS #4 should be out next week. The book is done and has been done for some time. It's been sent to the printers.

GARGOYLES #9 will hopefully be out next month. David is done with the art. All that remains is for Robby to color it and David to letter it -- tasks that both these gentlemen have proven able to do with great speed.

Whether or not the remaining issues (BAD GUYS #5-6 and GARGOYLES #10-12) are published as individual issues is a bit up in the air. BAD GUYS #5 and GARGOYLES #10 have decent (if long) shots at getting out in time. But whatever doesn't get out as individual issues will still be scripted, drawn, colored or toned, lettered and published as "BONUS MATERIAL" in individual trade paperbacks that will collect GARGOYLES: Clan-Building Volume II and BAD GUYS: Redemption. And these compilations WILL come out! There's still a lot of work to be done. (Personally, I still need to script Gargoyles #11-12.) So I WON'T take this moment to thank everyone and say au revoir. That'll come later. For now, we're still a going concern.

In addition, Dan hasn 't given up on us. He wants to put out these two new trades and keep all three trades available for sale (and btw we sold a bunch of the trades at ComicCon -- when I left Sunday at 1pm, hours before close of con, we only had a handful of Clan-Building Volume I left to sell). After a year, he hopes to go back to Disney with a different, perhaps more modest offer to do Gargoyles Graphic Novels. Might work out. Might not. But he's still game and just in case it isn't 100% clear...

GREG WEISMAN HAS NOT GIVEN UP!!!!!!!!!!

I'm as determined as ever -- if not moreso -- to continue bringing you canon Gargoyles stories. The eighteen issues we've done/are doing have only whetted my appetite! I'm still going to be out here swinging... for more comics or graphic novels, for the DVD releases, for a live action film, etc. But I can't do it alone! So please don't you guys give up on Gargoyles either!

Remember, a few years ago, we didn't even have this. In that time, we will have brought you two big arcs, six big stories, eighteen "episodes" and numerous sub-plots, plot-twists, new characters and old familiar favorites. Would we have Shari, Quincy, Coco, Amp, etc. if the fans haven't kept the faith?! No. Would we grok the Illuminati number system?! No. Would we have seen Goliath and Elisa declare their love?! NOPE!!! (Oh, and for those of you who wish Demona could have figured more prominently in the comic... well, guys do you really think I'd do a twelve issue re-introductory story arc in Gargoyles without prominently including the crazy red head? Please.)

So what can YOU do? Well, nothing's changed on that front, really. We still need people to buy comics, trades, DVDs, HOT TOPIC T-Shirts. We still need people to attend the GATHERING. (Check out www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com ) And whether or not you've spent all the disposable income you have to spend on the property, then help us SPREAD THE WORD!!!! Make sure every gargoyle fan knows about what's out there. Show friends the first 39 episodes on DVD. Lend them the comics or trades. Create converts.

And mostly... just keep the faith.

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Monday, July 7, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Monday, July 7, 2009

12am - The Memorial Panel for those who have passed officially made the con a 5-day event. Chocolate Fish.

1am - A bunch of us hung out for hours. Chris, Ken, Lex, Tim, Windy and others.

5am - Back to the room.

5:30am - Sleep.

10:30am - Wake-up. Five hours. Not too bad for me.

11:30am - Packed up with some difficulty. All those extra t-shirts and the crochet'd Goliath made it tough to fit everything in. Lex and I headed to Axel and I had gumbo, an Onion Ring and an Axel burger.

4:20pm - My delayed flight finally took off.

6:20pm - Just barely made my connection to my L.A. flight.

9:30pm - Arrived at LAX.

10:00pm - Home.

And that's that. Finished just in time, because tomorrow I leave for Con-Odyssey II: San Diego ComicCon!! More when I return.

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Sunday, July 6, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Sunday, July 6, 2009

12am - Returned to my room.

3am - Went to sleep.

8:30am - Wake-up.

10:30am - Brunch w/Uncle Joe and Aunt Nancy: V8, French Toast, eggs, bacon, hash browns. Then we headed over to Joe & Nancy's house for a bit.

12:30pm - Adaptation panel w/Marv & Vince.

2pm - Another signing with nothing to sign.

3pm - Went to Dairy Queen with Lex and had a dipped cone. Then we wandered about the con for a bit.

5pm - Closing Ceremony. I'm embarrassed to say, I found myself tearing up at Jeremy and Tim's farewell. (They've been part of the Triumvirate of Seven running the con for ten years now -- but have resigned after a noble and long run.)

7pm - Macaroni Grill with Lex, Megan, Mark, Eryn, Amanda and Len. Meatball Soup, Bread, Lobster Ravioli, Cheesecake with strawberries and chocolate.

10pm - Listened to the reading of the surveys. This may be my favorite part of the convention.

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Saturday, July 5, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Saturday, July 5, 2009

12am - Lex and I met up at COF2E2 and hung out chatting for hours, joined by James toward the end.

5am - I returned to my room and pretty much went right to sleep.

9:30am - Wake-up.

11am - I had a Buffy & Angel panel. Yeah, yeah, what am I doing on that panel? Just being a geeky fan.

2pm - Comic book panle w/Terry Beatty, Chris Jones, Mark Evanier, Marv Wolfman and Len Wein.

3:30pm - A panel on Continuity with Chris Jones and others.

4:30pm - Took a nap.

7:30pm - Dinner at Vantage with Lex. Coke, Bread, water, Tomato Soup, Edimame, Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans. Good food.

9:30pm - Comics as Movies Panel w/Terry.

11pm - Mature Comics Panel w/Hank, Damien and Eve. This was probably the one dud panel of the entire Con-odyssey. It should have been fun and raucous and raunchy like a blue mug. But we got off to a serious start and never quite found a rhythm, though Eve tried when she arrived. Felt strangely on the defensive -- for no particular reason. But I did pimp BlueMugProductions.com.

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Friday, July 4, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Friday, July 4, 2009

5am - Finally went to sleep.

9:30am - Wake up.

11am - An animation panel with Mark Evanier, Wally Wingert and Matt Waterhouse. We covered a lot of ground about the business. (Some of it pretty disheartening, I'd think.)

12pm - I toured the art show.

12:30pm - Dr. Jim Kakalios, author of The Physics of Superheroes, gave a talk on the costumes and accessories of superheroes, including unstable molecules (although as I pointed out to him later, he really only dealt with how they worked for Mr. Fantastic, not for the Invisible Girl of the Human Torch) and Captain America's shield. It was great.

2pm - I had a Gargoyles panel. Always fun.

3pm - Lex and I went to Dairy Queen for "lunch". Had a cheeseburger, fries and an Orange Julius. Got a chance to talk with Ken Hite and his wife Sheila. Ken's the only guy doing more panels than me. I shrug it off... for now.

5pm - I have a signing alongside Marv Wolfman and Wally Wingert. I have nothing for people to sign. But I learned some lessons from Marv about this that may prove useful at CopperCon later this summer.

6:30pm - Matt Waterhouse, David Margosian, Jennifer Menken and I have ANOTHER animation panel ("Cell vs. Chip"). It starts out as a bit of a struggle to make sure it's not just a rehash of the panel earlier in the day, but it winds up being pretty fun and unique enough. It helps that I have an ENDLESS quantity of showbiz horror stories.

7:30pm - Went out to Olive Garden with Mark Temple, Mark Evanier, Jody, Chris Jones, Marv Wolfman and Len Wein. Had breadsticks, minestrone and angel hair with shrimp.

11pm - A panel on "The Rebirth of the Heroine" with Charlotte Nickerson and Jen Manna. This was a fun one too. But I missed Soylent Blue because of it, which was a bit of a bummer as I remember them being really, really funny the last time I was at CONvergence.

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Thursday, July 3, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Thursday, July 3, 2009

4:30am - Finally went to sleep.

10am - Wake up.

11:30am - Went out to breakfast at the Edina Grill with Uncle Joe. (Joe is my wife's father's brother.) We mostly talked about the crazy industry I work in. I had Eggs, sausage, hash browns, sourdough toast.

2pm - All the con's special guests (over twenty of us) had a photo call. After that, I went to check out the Dealers' Room.

5pm - I had a panel on the Spectacular Spider-Man.

7pm - Opening Ceremony.

9pm - Lex took me for a comparison Juicy Lucy (this one w/Blue Cheese that didn't quite get liquid), Lemonade, Cheese Curds and Onion Straws.

10pm - We got back to the hotel in time to see a pretty good fireworks display in the distance. I toured all the cabana parties, but I wasn't into it, so...

11pm - I went back to my room.

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Wednesday, July 2, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Wednesday, July 2, 2009

3am - Went to sleep.

12:30pm - Wake up. Yep. I was pretty tired.

2pm - Lex and her husband James and I go to Matt's for Juicy Lucys and fries.

3pm - Lex and I go to a mall (not THE mall) and grab some Cherry Garcia before...

3:55pm - We saw Wall-E. Which I thought was just great. Really liked it.

7:10pm - Went to the Guest Reception at the hotel. They served cake. But "NO FORKS!"

10pm - I was back in my room and a bit restless. Just started watching television. See even when I catch up on sleep, I wind up blowing it the next night...

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Tuesday, July 1, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Tuesday, July 1, 2009

4:30am - Finally went to sleep.

9:30am - Wake-up.

11:15am - Car took me to the airport. Grabbed some McDonalds: Quarter-Pounder w/cheese, fries, coke and an apple pie.

2:15pm - Flight departs for Minneapolis. Had some tomato juice on the plane.

3:45pm - Arrived in Minneapolis.

4pm - Lex Larson, my CONvergence guest liason picked me up and took me to the Sheraton in Bloomington to check in.

5:30pm - We arrive at the amazing new (to me) Guthrie Theater. We had dinner at Cue, the restaurant there. The food was amazing. Breadsticks and bread, Salad, Flatiron Steak, potatoes, green beans...

7:30pm - We saw THE SECRET FALL OF CONSTANCE WILDE, a play about Oscar Wilde, his lover Bosie and especially his wife Constance. It was a great production. Very creative. Amazing performances... and PUPPETS!

10:30pm - Back to the hotel.

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Monday, June 30, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Monday, June 30, 2009

12:30am - After the ballroom dancers went their separate ways, a few of us (Susan, Jennifer, Mara, Gore, GXB, Patrick, Karine and I) went up to Susan's room to hang out, talk, laugh, debate the virtues of Twizzlers vs. Red Vines, etc.

4am - Back to my room. Had another apple.

4:30am - Bed.

8:30am - Wake up call.

10am - Had breakfast with my cousin Alex and her friend Tobin. Orange Juice, Begniets, toast, potatos, eggs, bacon.

11:30am - Took a break, but as I understand it that one-eyed pig Edmund Tsabard had a panel with Jennifer, Karine and Mara to talk about Blue Mug Productions and show some samples. For more info, stop by BlueMugProductions.com.

1pm - Closing ceremonies. Always bittersweet.

3pm - Goodbyes. Pretty much everyone took off, except myself, Patrick and Susan and her family. Susan took Patrick and I to her house, where we met her many, many, many, many dogs and saw her many, many, many cells. Very cool.

5pm - Susan, Rob, Carly and Chloe took us to yet another great dinner. Had shrimp, clam chowder, coke, steak, lobster tail, rice, slaw. Then Rob and Chloe took Patrick and I back to the hotel.

7pm - I was back in my room. And pretty darn tired.

9pm - Sleep.

11:30pm - Knew it was too good to be true. Woke up. Had another apple. Watched some television and read some Ross Macdonald.

The end of another FANTASTIC Gathering... and yet my trip is only half over!

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Sunday, June 29, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Sunday, June 29, 2009

1am - Returned to my room and ate an apple.

2am - Went to sleep, which for me is early.

8:30am - Wake up call.

10am - Had the Gargoyles and Bad Guys panel with Karine. Fewer questions about Gargoyles #9 then I would have thought, but it was fun.

11:30am - Gargoyles Biology and Culture panel w/Lynati & Kimberly. A perrenial favorite of mine. Not sure anything quite as revelatory as last year in Tennessee, but it was fun.

1pm - Spidey panel w/Keith, Thom and Jennifer. Again, no major revelations, but I like talking Spidey. Next year we're probably going to do a series of Spidey panels at the L.A. Gathering 2009.

2:30pm - Went for stir fry lunch with Sammy, Jennifer, Thom, Adam and Laurean. Good stuff. Afterwards, a couple of us went to Jamba Juice.

4pm - Though we were told we didn't need to get back to judge the Iron Artist competition until 4pm, by the time we arrived it was all over. The medium was macaroni and the theme was the Ultra-Pack.

4:30pm - Sat down to watch the end of the auction, and then we had our signing.

6pm - Banquet: Salad, roll, Chicken, potatoes, carrots, asparagus, tart. I sat with constaff mostly: Nikki, Seth, Sammy, Susan, Jennifer, Karine, Patrick, Greg, Rebekkah. During the Trivia Contest, Matt led his table to victory.

9pm - Masquerade. Fewer entries every year. I hope we can reverse that trend. But what was there was pretty cherce:

Best Canon:
1st: Hunter/Aaron
2nd: Shari/DTaina
3rd: Archmage+/Chip

Best Original:
1st: J.W./Jennifer Rynmoor
2nd: Gypsey/Noel Leas

Cutest Couple: Ranmaru & Arazia

Thom Adcox Memorial Award: Justin as Odin

No Gorelisa award this year.

Best in Show: Patrick Fisher as the Tourist Gargoyle

Also, Karine had a kick-ass Hunter costume.

There was dancing next. I even swing-danced Jenn-Bob right off a table.

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Saturday, June 28, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Saturday, June 28, 2009

2:00am - Back to my hotel room.

4:00am - Finally went to sleep.

8:30am - Wake up call. I showered, etc., and went down to the ConSuite, where I had a Danish and OJ at the tail end of the staff meeting.

10:00am - We held our second set of auditions.

11:30am - Over a catered lunch of a French Dip Sandwich, Broccoli Soup and fruit, Keith, Thom, Jennifer and I cast the Radio Play.

2:00pm - I was interviewed for an article by Alan.

3:00pm - The Gathering Players had their one and only rehearsal.

5:00pm - The Radio Play. This year's script was a chronological retelling of Chapters VII, VIII & IX of Clan-Building (i.e. "The Rock", "Rock & Roll" and "Rock of Ages"). I think the performers were terrific, but I don't think the script worked chronologically. Oh, well... A highlight was the massive rainstorm that nearly overwhelmed Shari's storytelling. Here was the cast:

THE GATHERING PLAYERS - 2008 Edition
NARRATOR - Greg Weisman
MACBETH - Erik Mambu
SHARI - Jennifer L. Anderson
COLDSTEEL - Eric Tribou
LEXINGTON - Thom Adcox
STONE OF DESTINY - Justin Summerhill
HUDSON - Jordan Mann
DAVID XANATOS - Jaret Morlan
ARTHUR PENDRAGON - Patrick Fisher
CONSTANCE/COCO - Laurean Leigh
STAGHART/AMP - Seth Jackson
GRIFF - Chip
THAILOG - Keith David
COLDSTONE - Revel
COLDFIRE - Sarah the Great
GOLIATH - Keith David
COYOTE 5.0 - Jaret Morlan
PEREDUR - Seth Jackson
COLDSTREAM GUARD - Chip
ELISA MAZA - Phoenix Talon
JAY SATO - John/Flanker
BLANCHEFLEUR - Laurean Leigh
CUSTOMS OFFICIAL - Patrick Fisher
BROOKLYN - Jae
DUVAL - John/Flanker
FOX - Phoenix Talon
BROADWAY - Lucas McClain
HOLY GRAIL - Lucas McClain
LUNETTE - Phoenix Talon
VINNIE GRIGORI - Jae
AIRPORT INTERCOM - Lucas McClain
OWEN BURNETT - Jae
MAGGIE THE CAT - Sarah the Great
TALON - Revel
SCOTTISH PATRIOT - Jordan Mann

7:00pm - Dinner at Pete's, w/Josh, Susan, Nicole, Eric, Greg, Rebekkah, Patrick, Laurean, Keith, Thom, John, Sammy, Seth, Jennifer, Nikki, Karine and me. Fantastic meal: Iceberg wedge salad, amazing bread, NY Strip Steak, Garlic Mash Potatos, Creamed Spinach, mushrooms, Berries. Raced back to be on time for...

10:00pm - The Blue Mug. Fairly raunchy this year. (Though not with every single question.) Teased Blue Mug Productions a bit. At some point, I took a bathroom break. Discovered that the self-flushing urinals in the hotel SCREAMED like the Green Goblin's pumpkin bombs! Freaked me out! Later Nikki gave me a colored sketch of a Green Goblin screaming urinal.

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Friday, June 27, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Friday, June 27, 2009

10:30am - Wake-up call gets me up. I slept for nearly twelve hours. Guess I was tired.

11:30am - I head up to the con to collect my box of RadioPlay scripts. Say hi to some people. Tour the dealer's/art room, which is a work in progress at this point.

12:00pm - My first panel of the con(s). Thom and I hold the Voice Acting Seminar that we've done in previous years. Phoenix gets up to play Demona and does a great job. We also do the Griff, Leo, Una, Goliath scene and a couple different runs at a Peter Parker, Spider-Man, Symbiote, Uncle Ben scene. Everyone does pretty darn well.

1:30pm - First round of auditions for the Radio Play, w/Keith, Thom, Josh and Jennifer helping with the casting and Sammy manning the door. Vox stops by to give me the crochet'd Goliath she made for me. It's pretty amazing, as is the Hunter she's made for Karine and all the rest. Tthe one that makes me laugh the most is the Owen... which was the last to sell. No accounting for taste.

3:00pm - Mug-A-Guest. I remember having fun, though none of the questions stand out in my memory at the moment.

5:00pm - Opening Ceremony. (It's been pointed out to me that it's a Ceremony not multiple Ceremonies.) We opened with a full hour plus of music videos. Susan then stepped up to offer opening remarks and intros. Jen pitched G2009 in Los Angeles (check out gatheringofthegargoyles.com). Susan thanked her staff, including Nikki, Jennifer, Greg and Patrick (who am I forgetting?). Then I went up to do my schpiel and show the now-familiar pieces: the pitch, the promo, the New Olympian and Dark Ages pitches, the Bad Guys reel (much of which is now canon thanks to the comic) and "The Last". The fans have made great progress on "The Last" - but there's still more work to be done. If you're interested in helping, contact Vashkoda.

After opening ceremony, it was time for a Blue Mug Productions Dinner. Edmund Tsabard, was out whoring, so I sat in with Jennifer, Mara and Karine (who has since had to bow out of the project, much to our sorrow). We got a lot done/decided in preparation for the Monday panel. Plus the food was great: Edimame, Rangoon, Dumplings, Miso soup, Shrimp Pad Thai. Then a stop at Ben & Jerry's after dinner for a Banana/fudge/Cherry Garcia sundae.

I stopped by my room to call home, then came back downstairs to the bar (Indigo... I think the restaurant I mentioned yesterday was called Blue or something). Later a small group of us (Susan, Jen, Mara, Karine, Seth, Sammy, Rebecca, Gore, BrooklynX, Patrick, Thom & John) went up to Susan's room to hang out and laugh.

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Thursday, June 26, 2009

CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Thursday, June 26, 2009

5:00am - I stop watching Dexter with three episodes left to finish the season. (Still have one left as I write this.) Time to start my day and take a shower.

6:20am - Jennifer, Rebecca and Thom Adcox arrive to pick me up. They're early and I'm not quite packed. But I hussle and we head to the airport. In the parking lot we meet up with Seth and Sammy and take a shuttle to the airport, where we meet up with Josh Silver... and my kids Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Leakley (how weird is that?). I buy a water and a Snickers and a can of Pringles, saving the latter for the plane.

10:00am - The plane leaves for Chicago a mere half hour late. I have tomato juice and Pringles on the plane. I read the L.A. Times, and then continue reading THE ARCHER FILES - The complete short Lew Archer stories by Ross Macdonald, edited by Tom Nolan. Good stuff. I'm sitting with Jennifer and Thom and across from Rebecca and Mrs. Leakley. Josh, Seth and Sammy are further back. Thom sleeps through most of the plane ride.

4:00pm - We land... but are kept aboard waiting for a gate for an hour.

5:00pm - We finally disembark, meeting up with Keith David (who was flying in from New York) in baggage claim.

5:45pm - I didn't check any bags, but others did, and it takes 45 minutes for the bags to come out. We meet up with Patrick, Susan and Rob outside and pile into three cars. I think Josh and Keith went with Susan. Jennifer, Sammy and Seth went with Rob. Thom, Rebecca and I went with Patrick. Traffic was a nightmare.

7:30pm - We finally arrive at the lovely Hotel Orrington in Evanston, Illinois, just outside Chicago. This is a great area for a con, with lots of walking distance food nearby. I go up to my very nice room, where cheese and grapes are waiting for me. Then it's back downstairs for Dinner at the hotel's restaurant (Indigo?). I'll probably forget someone, but I think it was me, Karine, Jen, Greg Bishansky, Thom, Keith, Maelee, Josh, Dionne, Ruby, Susan, Rebecca, Patrick, Seth and Sammy. Also saw Ellen, Fan, Nikki, Jenn-Bob, etc. I had Sushi, Tempura, pork dumplings, Beef asparagus rolls and a couple cokes.

10:00pm - I went back to my room, leaving dinner early, exhausted. I called home, did just a bit of channel flipping, and...

11:00pm - Crashed.

MORE TO COME...