*insert repetitive joke about not updating enough here*
Hello Everyone! This Saturday I went back to Otakon with my sister, and spent Sunday practically sleeping it off. We both had fun but didn’t get the best opportunities to snap any pictures, so, unfortunately, I don’t have any to show you. Maybe next convention.
I did, however, get a lot more artwork to add to my collection, and met an old friend from my days in Salisbury named Ashley Bryner. Check out her art at firesighted.com. We chatted a little, and discussed the by gone days of our anime/gaming group back in college called Starnet. So sad it changed when a lot of the older members graduated. Apartment 2E will always hold a fond place in my memory. Anyway, buying art is one of the primary reasons I go to these types of conventions in general, because I like collecting it, and it helps support fellow artists and writers. I also rarely if ever find anything I want in vendor halls, and that’s before the sticker shock. Two or three prints from an artist seems a much more worthwhile use of my money than a cheap mask, hat, or plush toy. (Though I do like those things, they just have to be REALLY cute, fun, or unique, to catch my attention… which most of the stuff wasn’t, sadly. The price hikes don’t help either.)
Despite the fun we had, however, there was a bit of a sour note. Otakon this year was noticeably… lacking. Last year was my first time, so it was the benchmark by which I based my expectations, and… I have to say, even the smaller con I went to in November, AnimeUSA, seemed a lot more, ‘fleshed out’. The vendors and industry representatives that had posters, swag, and a giant Shenron hanging up from last year were mysteriously absent, and those that were present, such as Nintendo, and Funimation, had significantly cheaper swag and handouts than they had previously. There was also far less variety in vendors, with very few, if any vendors for Japanese merchandise, and a plethora of comic book and gaming stores, most of which I could go to anytime outside the convention. They were even running sales in an effort to compete with each other (and were still overpriced). Combined with what felt like overall lower attendance, the place just seemed… less alive, than the year before. Perhaps it’s just me, because this happened when I used to go to Games Workshop Games Days as well, but it has put the prospect of going next year on the bench, instead of being a certainty. Perhaps some of you can tell me what was going on, or if you’ll be attending next year yourselves.
On to website and writing related news. The second book of “The Last Chronicle of Azurden” is moving along slowly, but it IS moving along. I will get the whole series done, eventually. That’s a promise. In the meantime, help support my work by spreading the word to your friends and co-workers. Not to sound shameless, but this will help the writing along as well, because support, both monetary, and via reviews and criticism, do encourage me to throw more creative coal into the fire, and if my anthropomorphic characters are helping me pay the bills, I can spend a lot more time on them. If you don’t like anthros, also feel free to let me know. I have quite a few stories on the back burner that just need some polish, and quite a few feature the average human. You might also be interested in my other works, also featured on this website.
As for website updates, I will continue posting information relative to my work, and my interests, hopefully at more regular intervals, but I would really like to hear from you as well. Comments help me tailor my content, so I can show you guys the cool stuff I have and am working on that I’ll then know you want to see. I also got a new camera for taking pictures, and a digital sketchpad for drawings, so the skies the limit at this point. If you want more maps of the continent of Enavordin, or want me to cheat and start posting early sketches of Azurden itself, just let me know 😉 And if you don’t want to post a comment on my website for whatever reason, you can also post to my Facebook, or find me on Minds.
That’s all for today. My next update should come sooner this time, so keep checking this space.
Another Fox's Hideaway 