Category: Whimventure®

Recap: New York Comic Con

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Bruce

What’s a Whimventure® without some flexibility? I had planned to leave Wednesday and deadhead it to Newark (where I was staying). On Sunday I get a text from my friends who hooked me up with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Balloon gig asking if I was going to be in town Wednesday afternoon for a (shhh!) secret test flight of some new balloons. I dropped everything and changed my plans so I could! (Who wouldn’t?). So Tuesday I drove to New Stanton, Pennsylvania stopped for the night and then headed to New Jersey. This also included a stop at “Big Rusty” the Thomas Dambo troll in the area.

BIg Rusty… He’s big and ummm… rusty.

After Rusty, I arrive at the super secret location to balloon testing and spend the next few hours running back and forth as our group “handles” two different balloons that I am not a liberty to divulge their identities. One thing about Test flying is that it gives the sponsors an opportunity to see the balloon, get photos and even be a balloon handler. We are not allowed to take video or photos and even signed an NDA. The experience was great and seeing my friends made it even better.

Now a word about New Jersey and roads… WTF? I’ve been confused over street layouts before but New Jersey seems to take it to the next level. Even Waze is confusing. Remember: Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three lefts do. It seems like anything that we midwesterners would consider straight forward (like turning left) in Jersey it’s complicated. I bring this up because after driving most of the day, and then running a balloon around I had to not only get to my hotel, but then pick up Sue in the middle of the night at the airport. The Newark airport is like a kid dropped all his Hot Wheels track and then randomly connected it. Then put signs just to make figuring out which exit to take confusing. Sue, who I’m starting to think is part bat, only seems to fly at night and as I get older driving at night isn’t as easy as it once was.

The plan was I go to comic con & Sue attends the “Comic Con of Fiber and Yarn” aka The New York State Sheep and Wool Festival. She takes my car and I take public transit. Which when looking at the map seemed like it would be “easy” but this is New Jersey and after one failed attempt with Sue driving me to a train station that didn’t have a parking lot or entrance I decided to take an Uber. Once I figured things out the rest of the getting to and from the Con was easy but, like any first attempt I learned a lot. Uber from the hotel to Newark Penn Station. Train to New York Penn Station then walk the High Line to the Javit’s Center. It may not have been the quickest route, but it was pretty, and I didn’t have to worry about crossing streets. Train each day $12, Uber ranged from $12 to $37 each trip mattering the time of day. About $185 total for both not including tips. The hotel, fortunately, was on points (thank you MTTS).

Day One:

I decided to take the first day and just explore… understanding that there is a lot to see and I won’t see it all in one day. Heck, I didn’t see it all in four days! On the drive home I thought about how to describe this to a non-comic book/pop culture person. Think of it this way- It’s Diagon Alley. Think of Harry Potter when he first experiences Dragon Alley and all the wondrous stuff and strange people there. When you get into the Javit’s Center it is filled with all sorts of people dressed in all sorts of costumes. Understand most people do NOT cosplay. They might wear a comic or pop culture related t-shirt, but the majority of people are not in costume. Like Harry Potter it seems like almost everyone is happy (“You know who” is long gone) since they can be themselves outside of the muggle world. No longer getting strange looks or laughs from the general population for being passionate about some aspect of pop-culture (more on this later). I walked the exhibit hall and had a few goals- first and foremost: getting lanyards and pins for my niece and nephew since they would be coming out on Sunday. That means- getting in line. The con has maybe been open an hour by the time I get up to the front. I buy 2 lanyards and two “exclusive” pins. I also ask about the”exclusive” sticker which they are already sold out of… wha?!? Someone didn’t plan ahead.

My next queue wasn’t really a queue, I wanted to get something for one of my brothers for Christmas. Then I headed to a booth that had “secret” exclusive Star Trek pins for this year’s election. I was limited to two 😢. but since they were also almost out, I didn’t complain. From there I walked around some more. Taking in the chaos that is day one and figuring out where everything was in relations to landmarks. While walking around I found a place that was selling Pokémon models. I bought a Magikarp. You see when I first started teaching Pokémon was just getting popular. I was asked what my favorite Pokémon was constantly by students. so I asked a kid- “What’s the worst Pokémon you could have?” “Magikarp.” So that became my favorite- just to confuse kids. I then went through my list of booths and stopped by each one. I decided if I wanted to buy, or not.

I then headed to Artist Alley, my favorite place. I stood in another queue this time for some original art by Katie Cook. I saw that her second book was sitting on her table and discovered that it had just been released. I had actually brought my copy of her first book to get signed. What Katie is known for at conventions is doing a quick pen & ink and watercolor sketch on something about the size of baseball card. I first saw her at C2E2 and she was mostly doing people’s cats… So I had her do Hemi. I didn’t have one of Issi or Bailey so I decided that was something I wanted to get. Over the course of the Con I would actually return to Katie’s table and get one for my niece and finally I needed a Rocketeer to put on the wall of my studio. I was getting tired so I headed back to the Hotel. Sue had taken my car for the day so she could visit Big Rusty. We had a nice dinner at a tavern to end our day.

Just a Few of the Cosplayers @ NYCC

Day 2:

This was the day I had set aside for my brother, Mike. I arrived early and ended up in the queuing hall waiting for the Con to open. Mike was outside and actually got into the hall before me! Lesson learned, don’t do what you think would be logical. Once we found each other we headed to one place I needed to go to complete the whole Christmas present thing. We then headed to the Merch tent for the Con, Mike bought a couple shirts, I bought a d20. Mike and I talked about stuff, I mentioned a few things and tried to be a big brother/uncle/Godfather and help out with some projects the kids have coming up (I was a STEM teacher of a few years). We headed to a panel with the actor Todd Stashwick. I know I’m very anti- celebrities at comic cons but when in Rome… Todd’s latest role was in season three of Picard where he played Captain Liam Shaw of the U.S.S. Titan. The only person to basically say “No” to the legends that are Picard and Riker. Amazing guy, very personable and I look forward to going back and watching some of his other works (12 Monkeys, esp.). After that we headed to Artist Alley and wandered, I made notes of places I’d like to return to. Mike (being an extrovert) just talks and talks to people and where I am shocked at some things he doesn’t know (I blame myself for failing to teach him) he’s shocked at the stuff I don’t know. It seems that while I was busy adulting, and he was in high school, there were some things in pop culture I might have missed. He had been chatting with Bill Plympton (artist and animator from his adolescence) and I finally looked at costs and said- “Could you draw him?” and put the fee on his table. Bill’s style is somewhat editorial cartoonish, but soon Mike had a portrait from an artist he liked. As I told him- that’s birthday and Christmas rolled into one. We then wandered around some more and I was looking at Chris Eliopoulos’ sketches and commented that he didn’t have a “Rocketeer” I was at that point waffling between a Batman and a Flash sketch. Chris said- I usually don’t do commissions but there’s something I want and I need to make enough to buy it… Voila! I had a Rocketeer commission coming my way tomorrow! We left the con a little later and headed for dinner, then Mike headed home, and I headed to the hotel.

The Durselys

I mentioned Comic Con is kind of like Diagon Alley in Harry Potter especially for a muggle. I found out when Mike got home that he had tried to explain it all to his in-laws… not a good idea. Basically they aren’t just muggles, they are the Dursleys. Anything they can’t understand is “stupid” “a waste of time and money” and anyone involved should be belittled and laughed at for being “stupid” and “Wasting time and money.” You wonder why I say that Cons are safe places where you can find your tribe? This is why. The real world is full of Dursleys. It’s funny that people can be fanatic about sports, but if you are a fan of anything else you are seen as “weird.” I felt sorry for Mike having to put up with what probably seemed to him like ridicule of me and my passion for comics, I’m fortunate that I don’t have that problem. Sue and I respect each other, even if we don’t understand exactly what the heck we are talking about. I’ve had to deal with people like that enough I just write them off as “muggles” roll my eyes, and move on- they aren’t worth my energy. Then again I’m just a stupid hick from Indiana who does things on a whim. Frankly people like that are just plain toxic and should be avoided like the plague.

Day 3:

Saturday, being the first time people who work M-F can attend and bring their kids, can be horrible so I planned for it. I had two panels I actually had reservations for that I wanted to attend and that was it. I actually walked from Penn Station up 5th Avenue to the LEGO Store to get my LEGO passport stamped, something I had neglected to do all the other times I had been there. I bought some minifigs and the headed to the con. I arrived for the Star Trek Universe panel with time to spare. I was just asked if I reservations and moved into the queue.

The panel was amazing (I know, I don’t like celebrities at cons) but like when I went to the Picard panel at Paris Comic Con, some rules are meant to be broken. The highlight was seeing the first episode of Lower Decks that will air this week. Of course a lot of the cast was present to chat and answer questions. They then went through all the other shows and movies upcoming. Star Fleet Academy had just wrapped filming season 1 and will be back for a second season. Strange New Worlds will be back for a fourth season even though they haven’t aired the third season yet. They did show us the first few minutes of the first episode after the second season’s cliffhanger. Then they had the cast of Section 31 on stage to talk about that film, and the big question mark as to what will happen next.

I then went to the Creature Commandos panel which followed. Unlike San Diego, NYCC does clear the room after each panel. I got back into the queue and this time they did scan my badge to see if I had a reservation. The rumor going around was- since this is the last panel in this big room for Saturday, and that it is about a new show, that they would do something special. That could be show full episode, maybe give stuff away… nope. The majority of the cast was there to talk about the series, James Gunn was there to talk about other things happening at DC. They did announce that merch was now available online for those who wanted to buy it. At 5:45 they cleared the room, to confused grumbles from some of the audience.

I headed to the autograph area which also had a bookstore and picked up some signed copies of a few titles. Then back to Artist Alley where I picked up dinner. From there back to the station, and an Uber to the hotel.

Day 4:

I had bought Sunday badges for my niece and nephew, hoping to build some memories with them… ummm… I’m not sure that was good idea. I did write up the day, but then remembered “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. ” I’ve since deleted it.

Sue and I arrived at the hotel at the same time. She was gushing about how cool her Whimventure was… She found her tribe and a place to celebrate what she loves- which is awesome. I drove her to the airport and returned to the hotel, planning on leaving the next morning for home. I got ready early, Started watching something on the History Channel about the history of Toys & Video Games and then check my phone to discover Sue’s flight had been delayed, so she would miss her connection to Indy. I gather my stuff up and rush back to the airport to pick her up. The next morning we deadhead home. It was nice that the boys missed us, I know I missed them.

Overall Impressions

I’ve been to a lot of Cons and this was my third time at NYCC. I’ve decided that there are other conventions that I like better. Conventions that are cheaper to attend and focus more on the things I like. Like San Diego Comic Con, I don’t see myself making this an annual pilgrimage or even if I’ll ever return. I see many of the artists at other conventions. I really don’t need the stuff, and didn’t buy that much anyway. I think I’m going to stick with Gen Con for games, and Heroes Con for comics as my must do conventions. I’m looking at two other conventions for 2025- one being Baltimore Comic Con which I have heard good things about and the other… we’ll see if I can get tickets for before I say anything else.

My Haul from New York Comic Con. This does not include things that ended up or will end up in the hands of other people.

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (Recap)

Posted on October 2, 2024 by Bruce

Wow. If you are a comics creator this is a conference you need to put on your annual list. I have said before this is not a “I’m going for photo-ops and autographs with celebrities to impress my friends” kind of Con. Your friends may not even know who the folks are you got autographs from or photos with. If they do- you have some amazingly awesomely geeky friends.

CXC is an educational conference and even has an academic symposium happening at the same time. The sessions cover the practical aspects of comics, the serious stuff dealing with “funny books.” Each year I think to myself that I really don’t need to go… and each year I go I am blown away. Most of the time it has something to do with me realizing that in my small group, I’m pretty knowledgable in the area of comics… Here I am an idiot and know nothing.

Sessions start Thursday and the entire day I learned things. I was inspired and figuring out how I could become better at my craft. I’ve been not enough Educational conferences that inspire me, and then I return to the classroom only to find out that the school won’r support the changes I just learned about. This time it’s all on me. Last year I learned about SubStack (more on that later) this year I overwhelmed.

The morning started with doctoral candidates in a panel talking about their various areas of study. Each had a unique perspective, but pulled together by the common thread of cartoons/comics. Which got me to recall those times when I thought about majoring in Art only to be told that I needed to exorcise these silly creatures if I wanted to be a serious artist… I wanted to be a cartoonist and animator not a “serious artist.” Throughout the day I kept getting reminded about how I really like to draw and need to make time to do just that.

Brian Canini’s session was probably the highlight of the entire con for me. Brian talked about how to develop more productive comic making habits and was amazing. He talked about his journey and the mistakes he made, what he learned and how everyone has their own path, but there are some things that might help. What he said was common sense, but to hear it was a game changer for me. Which is why I’m sitting here in the morning already having drawn from the Draw or Die Promptober prompt, and worked on some other drawings- normally I’d be snuggling with the cats in bed. I’m hoping to build the habits I need, not to make money or be famously successful, but to feel good about my art, and what I am making.

Jon Novak talked about the coloring process. You don’t think about coloring much and sadly the colorist is usually an unsung hero (like the letterer) in the creation of comics. Jon colored some of the favorite books in my classroom library: Giants Beware! Dragons Beware! and Monsters Beware! He went through the process, The decisions he needed to make and how much leeway the artist gives him. It was great, although I have a lot to learn about digital tools to tackle more than what I currently do.

David Rickert then spoke about hands… Yes, all about how to draw hands. Siting some amazing inspirations- he has posted his presentation along with his reflections (which are much better than mine) on his SubStack so I won’t go into detail at least about his excellent presentation. I will mention SubStack for a moment. It is a great platform for artists and writers to share their work and get support. I’m only concerned that, like many digital platforms, it can either vanish, or mutate into something horrible and while I have all my stuff I’d have to recreate everything again… For the time being I’ll stick with my silly WordPress site.

The day closed out with Jeff Smith talking about where he gets his ideas. This dovetailed into a point that Brian Canini had made about always have multiple projects in various stages going simultaneously. While Jeff was finishing “Bone” he was starting to go through the start of “RASL” The seed that would become “Tuki” started during Bone, but really came to a head as he was finishing “RASL.” When asked about researching things, Jeff talked about ox carts. In “Bone” he had drawn ox carts for a few issues and realized that he had no idea about how an ox cart actually worked. So he dove into researching how ox carts work. Basically, you can’t research everything, but be ready to jump into researching things as needed. Do you need to become an ox cart scholar? No, but it is nice to know how they are built and how people guide the oxen if you are going to have them in your comic. Will most readers know if you got it wrong? Nope, so don’t sweat it.

Day two had some other amazing presentations, just nothing that hit me as hard as the first day- I’m guessing I’m just not at that level yet. The first session dealt with breaking out other the cage we put ourselves as cartoonists- the panel. L. Pidge did a great job of show us how we can use the space on the page and not just constrain our art into panels. Something to consider if I ever get fancy enough to worry about layout more than just getting the idea on the paper.

The second session cause a bit of PTSD for me. It was an excellent session on how to become a lecturer/professor at an art school. Flashbacks to teaching at the collegiate level and just dealing with academia. I realized, once again, that I really don’t want to return to a classroom anytime soon. The one part that stuck in my head was Beth’s introductory slide which was a cool graphic about who she is. I have since done my own.

My version of Beth Hetland’s intro slide from her talk about being a professor. I have drawn two versions of myself- one clean shaven, since that’s how I look currently, the bearded Bruce is easier to draw except if I want to show any facial expression.

The afternoon brought session on the future of Editorial Cartoons (spoilers: they are still alive, just not in newspapers as much), how to store and ship artwork (spoilers: I’m doing it wrong), and a cool session on ideas for gag comics. A Gag comic is a single panel comic (like those found in some magazines). It was a nice brainstorming session with some cool ideas that if I were still teaching I might use.

My Scribbly Notes From Thursday & Friday:

I signed up that morning for Sue and I to take the behind the scenes tour of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum and Library. Since Sue’s mom was a librarian I figured she would like it. Little did I know that a couple of the big name attendees were also on this tour. I try to avoid being a “fanboy” because I usually put my foot in my mouth if I try to talk to someone I admire. SO I was quiet. Sue was trying to get me to get photos with Cecil… Do I regret not doing it? A little, but it was just great seeing how excited these big names were over the artwork they were looking at. It made me realize that we are all fanboys, just for some the bar is a bit higher.

Some photos from the Tour and a few pieces set out in the Reading Room. As far as I can tell presenters are asked to suggest artists or works to display in the Reading room. All the tables are covered with artwork, some of it known, and other pieces somewhat obscure. this is where I feel like an idiot as I overhear the “fine art” speak about various pages… “Oh, I really preferred the work he did during his blue period…”

Once we left the tour we ended up at the opening reception and then a chat with Jeff Smith, Art Spiegelman & Françoise Mouly on stage. It was a nice talk with stories of underground comics, art and just life. I wanted to focus on the moment, so I took only a couple photos and no notes.

Saturday and Sunday events are held at the main branch of the Columbus Library (OSU had a football game (college priorities, I guess). That and the library offers a larger facility so there is enough space for exhibitors. There are also sessions many catering to a broader audience. This year I did a quick walk through the exhibit area and picked up some books and stickers. I could have spent more time, but I was tired, missed my boys and ready to go home and begin to act on some of the ideas that were presented.

One thing that made this CXC different was Sue. Sometimes she will attend these things with me, most of the time she won’t. This time she helped me get out of my shell and go to the opening reception, and Friday’s after party. As an Introvert, I really tend to avoid the social stuff because I’m by myself, don’t really know anyone, and after past experiences figure I’d just be a barnacle clinging to someone who says “Hi.” I don’t want to be that person, in fact I hate talking with people since I tend to say the wrong thing… all the time. I think it might be clever, and instead, it’s just stupid. Perhaps that will end up being part of my journal comic.

Projects I have been inspired to work on thanks to CXC:

  • A Daily Journal Comic (done at the end of the day- although may be inked in the morning)
Here’s my first day… knowing how things work out it will morph as i get a better idea as to how to do things. From format to character design. Right now I’m just looking at four panels and a space at the bottom to work on a drawing prompt (Thank you Draw or Die Club)
  • A science fiction story that I’ve written a few ideas about (a dream note)
  • A silly little story about taking the bus places (another dream note)
  • Redoing some of the short comics I made about past life experiences (Sophomore Crit & High School Reunion)
  • Continuing The My Geek Odyssey strips for FTF Geocacher maybe even seeing about putting them all together.
  • Daily drawing prompts (Draw or Die Club)

My Haul:

I really didn’t pick up much this time around. This makes up for buying an original piece of Will Eisner artwork last year. A lot of what I picked up I’ll actually be giving to people as gifts, so (even though they don’t read this) I wouldn’t want to ruin any surprise. I do recommend looking at the list of exhibitors and checking out some of their work. Better yet, let;s meet up next year and hit the con, and the after parties- If you are there I probably won’t hide in my hotel room!

Preparing for a Con (Whimventure® Awaits!)

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Bruce

While I have been attending various conventions over the past two years Gen Con marks the point where history starts to repeat itself. So which Conventions will I be returning to and what am I doing to prepare for them? While I have a bucket list of Cons I want to attend, I’m still not going to be hitting everything on that list this year. This is partially due to needing to spend some time at home and not on the road. Currently I’m looking at finishing up 2024 with Cartoon Crossroads Columbus and then New York Comic Con. Both Cons couldn’t be more different but they do require some of the same preparations.

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC)

This is a “small” convention (13,000+) focusing more on the art of comics than the pop culture aspects. Originally started by Jeff Smith of Bone fame, CXC takes place in Columbus Ohio and is held in two places, The campus of OSU specifically the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum) and the Main Branch of the Columbus Public Library. It covers four days of sessions including the opportunity to tour the collection of the Billy- which is a bucket list item in itself. The Con brings in up and coming creators and those who are cutting edge. CXC also has a great mission dealing with involving kids. Last year they had sessions with Raina Telgemeier.

New York Comic Con

New York Comic Con is put on by Reep Pop who manages a number of Pop Culture Conventions around the country. To me it is the east coast version of San Diego Comic Con, what seems to be missing is the proximity to the studios, so not as many announcements, but still stars galore. Like SDCC there are comic creators who attend only a few shows a year. Last year this was where I picked up an Humberto Ramos page from Strange Academy. The focus though is mostly on pop culture, so autographs, photo ops and panels with stars of stage and screen. Cosplay is also big. It is held at the Javits Center and can be a madhouse.

Being a Comic Con Prepper

I start by waiting until the dates are announced for each and get them on my calendar. Sometimes dates are available early on, sometimes you have to wait. CXC will be held in Late September (September 26-29) and New York Comic Con will be held mid October (October 17-20). Once the dates are available then you need to find out when badges will be available. CXC is free- so tickets are needed for some events. NYCC you need a badge for – if you want to go for the entire Con for 2024 it’s $240, if you can get a badge.

Then it’s time to look at lodging- For CXC it’s close enough I could go for the day without any worry. I like to go for a few days so I get a hotel near campus, and have been using the same hotel for most Cons I attend in Columbus. For NYCC it’s a little more pricey. In the past I stayed with my brother, but discovered that that was a bit of a burden for his family (something I do my best to avoid) so this year I’m staying in New Jersey and using public transit to get to NYC. We shall see how it works out. A Newark hotel room, is cheaper (as is parking) than anything I could find in NYC. Of course this week they started throwing out information for the room block on Social Media… I’m not even looking. In the past I’ve done most cons on my own. This time around, Sue will be joining me, or at least stealing my car for the majority of each con. In Columbus, she’s got work to do and the hotel has internet, but is also going to go caching in the area. In New York, she’s heading to a fiber festival (Rhinebeck- the “Comic Con of Yarn”) upstate and will fly home as I drive back to Indy. Maybe we can get Sue to write something up about her experience in the land of Yarngeeks.

Then more waiting… this time to see what artists, exhibitors and panels are going to be there. For me it’s more important to see panels and artists, but for some Cons (NYCC) it’s all about the celebrities and exclusives. I get it, but for many it’s all about resale.

As it gets closer and I have an idea of some of the major things I want to do I’ll refresh myself on the various rules for what I can and cannot bring into the convention. Fortunately, I’m not considering major cosplay, but one of these days… I’ll most likely bring a typical book bag or messenger bag to carry things, but nothing to get in the way of moving through crowds. I don’t want to be “that guy” who ends up knocking everyone around him with his ginormous bag, or cart while navigating the aisles. I will also pack snacks, or some candy in case my blood sugar drops and bring along a water bottle room (temperature water). These are mostly for emergencies. Con food is expensive, but sometimes the convenience of not having to leave and return makes it worth it. It’s also my excuse to eat really really bag stuff once or twice a year. I’ll also bring something sturdy to carry comic pages or other original artwork without worrying about it getting damaged. I have a poster tube and page protectors that I have purchased in the past. if need be there will be a booth selling this kind of stuff- or at least there usually is around artist alley.

Cash is King?!? Just like every con is different som is every booth in the exhibit hall. In the past you had to pay in cash, I recall frantically heading over to an ATM in order to pay for one of my first pieces of original art. Now, for the most part, they accept card. There might be a charge added due to bank fees. Most artists still gladly and gratefully accept cash. Internet connectivity can also be spotty, which causes problems with paying for things. Most food places in the Con- only accept card, so be prepared for both.

The biggest thing you can keep in mind is- you won’t be able to do/see everything. It’s like taking a trip to Disneyworld. Plan around one or two non-negotiable things and then if you get to do more- Woo Hoo!

The Rundown for CXC

CXC tends to be more academic with many artists who are up and coming in the comics field. All the artists present are great, just some aren’t as known as others. Many are self published. CXC is an opportunity to learn about artists, and projects that don’t always get press. Opening night showcases the Ohio Animation Showcase. With travel times, I’m not sure I’ll make it. I also have issues with some of the more social events. Even though these people are my tribe, as I said, these are the intellectuals of the comic tribe and sometimes come across in a way that makes you uncomfortable in joining in on a conversation. Sessions and events run the entire weekend Thursdays and Friday are pretty much exclusive to the Billy Ireland throughout the day from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Tours are in the afternoon. If you are going- I highly recommend going on a tour. It is amazing. The sessions throughout both days are “Talk & Teach” with a wide variety of topics and speakers revolving around the comics professional or (like me) wanna be professional. Like some of the sessions I attended at Heroes Con these can be a little more focused on things you don’t think about until you need to- packing and shipping artwork for example.

Saturday and Sunday things move to the Main Branch of the Columbus Public Library. Up to this point there really hasn’t been an exhibit hall/artist alley. Here you also have three tracks of panels and one of those is devoted to kids. The weekend continues with artists and signings. This year some of the big names are Jeff Smith (duh), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Chip Zdarsky, Kate Beaton, Bryan Lee O’Malley to name a few.

As a retired teacher I have found this and the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF) as great places to discover new comics for my classroom. While many creators are unclear on what the public considers “All Ages” for the most part these folks get it. I recall talking with an artist at a different con about his “all ages” book- that dealt with a post apocalyptic world inhabited by zombie strippers… Like Mom’s for Liberty wouldn’t make an example of me if that made it into my classroom?

Non-Negotiable: Tour the Billy Ireland, again. There are a lot of sessions, but I’m not sure about timing with things, so I’m not going to plan for anything except the tour this year.

New York Comic Con (the 800 pound gorilla that happens to be climbing up the Empire State Building in the room)

Everyone knows about San Diego Comic Con (SDCC)… it is the Comic Con that the world looks to as a “perfect example of what a “Comic Con” is… which like many things the media and Hollywood really have no idea about what a comic con is or should be. These are what I like to label as “Pop Culture Conventions” While they are nice, they don’t focus as much on comic books as they do on generic pop culture. It could be more celebrities, professional wrestlers, toys, etc. I look at it as any “comic convention” that spends more time promoting the actors that will be in attendance instead of the comic creators, isn’t a comic con. Yes, I’m a geek snob. If the first big announcement has nothing to do with a comic creator, it’s a Pop Culture Con.

Like some politicians it seems to all be about the numbers. Which one is bigger/better NYCC (250,000 attendees) or San Diego (135,000 attendees)? It is funny that just as NYCC is announcing programming, SDCC is announcing how their badges are sold out (SDCC isn’t until July). For many conventions they have moved beyond just getting badges. There must be a sense of elitism and exclusivity. At Gen Con you have the Very Important Gamer (VIG) badge which includes lots of exclusive things including access to a lounge to rest. NYCC has the same kind of thing, giving those willing to pay- reserved seats, first chance at signing up for tickets to things, and exclusive items. I’ve been following some groups who are livid about how the reservations for Funko Pops sold out before they got them. The difference between a NYCC Funko Pop and one you get somewhere else… a small sticker on the box. Next up are reservations for the big panels later this week. Unfortunately, with so many people in attendance, Who knows if I will be able to get tickets to anything I would like to attend.

As I said, after buying a ticket I then wait for other announcements. Who is actually going to be in artist Ally? Who is exhibiting? What panels/activities would I like to attend? This is what moves you up from a level one con goer. When I started going to Cons back in the 80’s (1980’s not 1880’s) I tended to go just for the Exhibit Hall. Living in Los Angels there was a regular con that I could dig through comics and pick up issues I was missing. It also had some screenings and presentations. I recall going to one for “The Last Starfighter” and another for “Buckaroo Banzai” and getting promotional swag for both films that has long since disappeared. I was pretty much a level one con goer. I’d spend hours in the exhibit hall, then head home with an empty wallet and treasures. As I grew up, I started to actually look to see what was else was going on. Sometimes it was things like a creative team on my favorite comic book talking about what the plan was for the upcoming year or an artist sharing their sketches. That was one thing I enjoyed about SDCC you could usually get into comic book related sessions fairly easily, it was Ballroom 20 and Hall H that meant you had to wait in the queue for days.

NYCC has released their panel list and I have gone through the list to see what I might be interested in. Being in New York (and no longer teaching) I’m also looking at what other activities I might want to do while in the city. I’m not going to spend four days wandering the exhibit hall. With my brother and his family attending on certain days, that makes me focus on things that might be nice for them. Last time was my brother’s first time at a con and we spent a lot of time wandering the hall. I was able to get him into two sessions- one on the Broadway adaptation of “Back to the Future” and another one on using improv techniques in your classroom. I’ve created two lists of options one for him, and one for his family, I’m doubtful either one will even be looked at, but it’s a start. I figure they will just want to gawk at everything in hall.

For me, there are two Star Trek based sessions I’m looking at- first is an interview with Paul Stashwick who played Captain Liam Shaw in the third season of Picard. The other is one that I most likely will need tickets for- dealing with the Star Trek Universe. While I try to avoid many panels dealing with TV & Movies, I have been a Trekkie for as long as I can remember, so I will try to see about getting in, if I don’t… that’s fine too. There is a really cool exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image on Jim Henson, and there is also a temporary exhibit on Frank Oz, so I will make an effort to get away from the chaos of the Con and head over there. I also have a few other places on my list since I don’t see myself getting out to NYC as often as I had originally thought.

I’m still creating my list of other panels, fortunately most of them aren’t dealing with the Main Stage or Empire Stage so while I may need to wait in line, I won’t need to get a pre-ticket for them. DC has announced their “Absolute” universe – from what I understand similar to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. So a starting point for new readers without legacy canon making the characters harder to understand. Again, a lot of the panels seem to focus on other realms of the geek universe, but I’ll keep looking and see what might be interesting.

Retirement keeps me away from those panels dealing with the importance of comics and graphic novels in the classroom. Most teachers I worked with wrote me off as a nut for even suggesting it (along with including play). The school comic cons that we tried to put together where pretty much what a comic con looks like to someone who has never attended a comic con. 🙄 Only once was one done well, and they turned it into a night event for families, even brought in artists to talk to people.

As for Artist Alley, I’ve created a list of artists I want to drop by and see, since this is a “Pop Culture Con” there are a number of artists who will not be in attendance. New York is expensive and they don’t make as much money as they could just working at home, or going to a con where attendees know and appreciate their work. Will I be purchasing anything? If something jumps- maybe. I am planning on attending another con later this year focused on Comic Art- so I am currently looking at saving money for that, but who knows?

Exhibitors? I will wander the hall, more to orient myself for when I walk the hall with my brother and his family. I need to know where all the rubber sword sellers are and stuffed animals. I bought a puppet last year, so maybe I’ll check those out again. Unfortunately, comic book wise, the prices at cons like this can suffer from hyperinflation. When the cost of living in an area is outlandish, the price reflects it. In Charlotte, at Heroes Con, while the attendees are more savvy, they also come from places where prices for everything (including comics) are more reasonable.

Fortunately, I really don’t care too much about autographs or photo-ops since those are the big things at pop culture cons. Hundreds of dollars to get a photo of yourself with… some guy who played some character in some film. If you want to do it- good for you! I know- part of it is I’m an introvert so I’m flustered when I have to talk to people, especially famous or semi-famous people. I have a hard enough time talking to artists who I admire, I don’t even want to think about talking to a “star.” Of course it’s hundreds of dollars if you can get a reservation…and another queue to wait in. I brought books to get signed at Heroes Con, I may pull a few for NYCC, but only time will tell- lugging around things at a con is exhausting.

NYCC has other activities going on concurrently- sessions for writers, gamers, anime, cosplay, etc. I’ve looked a few of these, but mostly out of curiosity. I checked these out a bit last year and will most likely stop by again.

Looking back at the numbers and having attended a number of Cons… Size doesn’t matter. NYCC is massive, as is SDCC. My current preference is still Heroes Con in Charlotte (50,000) and Gen Con (71,000) in some cases it’s hard to tell which is bigger by just looking. It’s also interesting to compare size and actual experience. Each has unique exhibitors. 2024 SDCC had LEGO, DC Comics, Marvel… 2024 NYCC- none of those. While they might have panels, nothing listed at this time. At least they have Funko, even though you can’t actually get a reservation to purchase anything. 🙄 No I don’t understand the appeal, but if it makes you happy. 😄

Non-Negotiables: I really won’t know until I can see if I can get tickets to Saturday’s Star Trek Panel… There will be some authors Thursday evening talking about their books that I’d like to hear and maybe get a book or two signed. There are a number of artists I’d like to see about getting something from them. The funny thing is there are also a few things outside of the Con I’d like to do… Fortunately I have time to figure it out. The hard part is making plans when people are involved, and when you aren’t quite sure about how transportation will work. Once I’ve traveled from the hotel to the con and back, I’ll know how the system works and can plan accordingly.

Afterwards

I have a few ideas for the trek back, but currently I’m planning on a return trip to the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY to check out their D&D and Storytelling Exhibit. While Indianapolis has an amazing Children’s Museum, it tends to be all things to all people, while the Strong, just focuses on toys and the importance of play I really had a great time there last year and can easily get lost for a day there again.

The Diary of Horace Wimp

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Bruce

Over the weekend Sue and I had a date night months in the planning. We went to a concert held in one of the many professional sportsball facilities that dot downtown Indianapolis.

Let me start off with this confession about me and music- I’m an idiot. For the most part when it comes to popular music I like songs but couldn’t, under threat of death, tell you the artist, or even the name of the song. So many people love music so much they can rattle off everything about multiple artists- that’s not me. I rarely go to concerts, I listen to random playlists from my youth (the 80’s) but for the most part I’ve been to maybe a handful of popular music concerts from two different artists and added one to that list Saturday. I have attended Billy Joel and Jimmy Buffet concerts multiple times, but outside of those two my discography tended to focus on film scores & soundtracks.

When I was in middle school my parents for Christmas or maybe my birthday bought me an album that had a spaceship on it. I think they went into a record store and basically no asked “What would a 12-13 year old boy like?” and was handed this. “Out of the Blue” the iconic album by the Electric Light Orchestra. It had a spaceship on the album jacket! With all the synthesizers it sounded science fiction, and I liked it. (Did I mention it had a spaceship on the album cover?) From there I bought other ELO albums, then cassettes, then CDs (the trials of Gen-X 🙄). When it rained- I played “The Concerto for a Rainy Day” in its entirety. Listening to the musical raindrops and thunder during real raindrops and thunder.

A few months ago there was an ad for an ELO concert in my newsfeed. I think Sue saw it first, and pointed it out to me, knowing I liked ELO, At that point we decided to buy tickets, kind of on a whim. Now normally this is what happens- we buy tickets to something we think would be cool to see when they are first available. While whimming is fun, some things you want to make sure you can do and those tend to sell out. So you jump on the opportunity. Then the event gets put on the calendar, tickets are printed out or uploaded and we wait. The day finally arrives and something happened during that day or week that makes going out seem like a chore. We then stay home and write off the cost as a lesson learned. For the most part these aren’t expensive tickets, just a missed opportunity. Sue and I shrug and move on.

This week was a bit interesting. Nothing too bad, but we’ve skipped things for less. So since time had passed and the ticket’s cost was a distant memory we could have skipped it. however, like I said earlier, there are three bands, artists, I actually have followed in my life. Jeff Lynne and ELO was one of them. Now could I name everyone who originally was in the group? No, like I said, I’m an idiot. (I think if pressed I could name the Beatles) I know and appreciate musicians, but after a failed attempt at piano lessons in 2nd or 3rd grade, music became a mystery that I could appreciate, but I’d stick with drawing. OK there was the ukulele in 4th grade, but I just know I have nothing that anyone would consider rhythm. I’m that nerdy white guy clapping at the wrong time to whatever song is being played. I have many friends who are master musicians, graduated from schools of music, teach music, play professionally… I am in awe of their talent and knowledge. Me? I doodle.

So Saturday we actually got excited about a date night and did head downtown to hear Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra in concert on their farewell tour. Part was to escape the real world, part was because we both wanted to experience the concert and there was the part of just that original whim. But first we went to St. Joseph Brewery & Public House for dinner. I had seen it recommended by Geek Orthodox during Gen Con and Sue had figured out where it was located. The joys of needing out of towners for recommendations in your hometown. Great meal, massive fries and some very good beer started off the evening.

While in line at Banker’s Gainbridge Conseco Life Fieldhouse, I noticed the large amount of grey/white hair and sadly realized that I also fall into the “old” category. After grabbing the requisite concert shirt and finding our seats we waited for the concert to start. Rooney kicked things off. I guess I had been to too many symphony concerts because it was a bit annoying that people just kept coming in while the warm up act was playing. Like I said, I’m inexperienced when dealing with rock concerts. We stopped attending concerts like this because people around us would talk through the music. If I wanted to talk through a concert, I’d invite friends over and listen to the music in the background, not pay for tickets, parking and whatever. The Symphony has rules… and ushers make sure they are followed. 🤫

We had awesome seats and let’s just say whatever I paid for them, months ago was well worth it. It was not only an auditory experience but also a visual. The iconic spaceship (which Alex Ross used as part of Green Lantern’s orbital base in DC’s Kingdom Come comic- it’s a geek thing) was parked on stage and used as a backdrop and screen. With today’s technology, I really regret not attending an ELO concert previously just to compare.

They played most of the standards. As Sue and I agreed, so many songs we loved, and some that weren’t favorites, but still ones we liked. I actually knew all the words and while I didn’t “sing-a-long” like some, I did mouth all the words. The screen on stage added a visual aspect to each song, in some cases telling a story… multimodal literacy in Eduspeak for those who don’t know. Some tended to be almost like an animated graphic novel for some songs melting from image to image. “Evil Woman” morphing from one succubus like pen and ink illustration to another. “Living Thing” following the path of a butterfly through a rainforest… you get the idea. Oh, did I mention spaceships?

Overall, it was a fantastic evening bringing me closer to a band that I have loved their music since I was a pre-teen. With Jeff Lynne in his late 70’s I understand why this is a farewell tour, I’m glad I could say I’ve seen him once. For me, who isn’t much into seeing celebrities, that’s saying something.

MINI Takes The States 2024 – The Recap

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Bruce

On July 10th I headed out west to be a part of “The MINI TransAmerican Motortastic Road Trip to End All Road Trips Rally” ver. 9.0 You’ve heard me trying to help people prior to the start. Once I got on the road all I can say is it was a lot of driving… roundtrip somewhere around 6,700 miles. This was my ninth time going on this drive put on by MINIUSA every two years (Postponed once due to a pandemic). I’ve also gone to the European version- MINI United which is basically a long weekend party. In 2009 it was at Silverstone Raceway in the United Kingdom. They stopped doing MINI United in 2012. Basically this one was Albuquerque to Seattle with two days in the middle where you were on your own.

The diversity of this country comes into full view as you drive the roads throughout each state. You learn so much about how big and beautiful our country is when you see it from the road. I do recommend this type of travel to everyone, MINI Takes the States makes it a bit easier.

The route is planned for you, all you need to do is show up in the morning for breakfast at the appointed time and get a route sheet. Do you have to follow it? No, you can do whatever you want, but… With MTTS MINI provides Roadside Assistance to those on the route… not on the route? They’ll still help, but it might take more time and there are “vultures, vultures everywhere!” 🤪

The trip from Indy to Albuquerque wasn’t bad at all, I listened to two books Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs on the history of TSR and NPCs by Drew Hayes, a fantasy involving what happens when a bunch of Non Player characters decide to go on a adventure. I liked them both. When I arrived in Albuquerque I went to the airport and picked up Sue.

The next day we visited the Very Large Array and then headed north to check into MTTS at Sandia MINI. There we met up with some friends, passed out buttons and stickers, and picked up our lanyards, water bottles, and goodie bag. The cost for one person to go “All the Way” is $200. You get some swag, but the most important pieces are probably your lanyard with your badge and your wristband. This year they went with #CampMINI as a theme and we were divided into troops. Each troop was named after a MINI color and an animal. Sue and I were part of the Volcanic Orange Scorpions. There were competitions each morning pitting each troop against each other for fame and prizes. At registration they also handed us a bingo card to go meet new people. When completed we could turn this in for a merit badge. We stuck around discovering that many of our friends from past MTTS events were having some trouble and their MINIs were being serviced, before leaving tomorrow. We heard about a group getting together in Old Town for dinner and decided to join them. After many spilled drinks (mostly water) we ate and then headed back to the hotel to prepare for the first Rise & Shine.

Online terror strikes with people concerned about pretty much everything. We weren’t overly concerned since we had done this before and we actually do travel a bit. Having a trunk also helps because most of your things are out of sight. Each night we would bring in our cooler, our small suitcases, our snack bag and daypacks. We had planned for being on the road for over two weeks so we knew we would be recycling some clothes. we also knew space was tight.

First photo for MTTS as I entered Albuquerque I saw the supply trucks from the Interstate.

The Rise & Shine

We started off at the Balloon Fiesta Park with excitement levels high. There is a row of tents each dealing with something and over the course of the trip you get into a groove as to where to go.

  • Registration Tent- If you missed registration yesterday or are joining now, this is your first stop. You get you water bottle, folding daypack, lanyard, wristband and other SWAG.
  • Check-In Tent- If you’ve already registered, here is where you pick up today’s button. You are given a button at each location. You may also get other SWAG that they may give out for that day. Exclusive super cool stuff… or not, matters the day.
  • MINI Financial Services – in 2022 they gave out magnets for each state, this time around they went with window clings which are harder to steal. If you had a MINI credit card you could also get something special if you showed your card. MINI Financial Services has embraced being eco friendly so they had just announced a new card made from the plastics floating around the ocean.
  • Merch Tent – Yes, you can get a grill badge, t-shirt, sweatshirt…
  • Plant Oxford – Our guests from across the pond. They were giving away chances to take classes in Thermal, CA and you can sign the bonnet of their MINI Countrymen which will be hung in Thermal for all to see. They also had a couple of different buttons.
  • MINI Connected – Learn about all the cool tech in the latest model of MINI. They gave out pins highlighting one of the many features provided by MINI Connected.
  • American Camp Association – MTTS is a way for MINI owners to do good. This year we were motoring for Keep America Beautiful and The American Camp Association. Here You could donate and receive limited edition MINI SWAG or you could buy raffle tickets for the daily MINI Lifestyle package.
  • Breakfast – Ranged from Pancakes to other breakfast fare… sadly, no breakfast burritos. 😢
  • Urban X – showing off their cool 3D Printers and making license plate frames.
  • MINI Services – raffling off a cooler and a chance for free oil changes for 3 years. They also started scanning keys and printing out a picture of your MINI it’s mileage and how many services were due.
  • There would be other tents sometimes local dealerships selling shirts, or local groups telling you about the area.

Everyone got into a rhythm as to where to go first what to save for last. Throughout the morning our mistress of ceremonies, Dez, would go over things you should know, but many people didn’t listen to. This was when games would be played, the raffles would occur and execs would come up and say a few words. Raffle rules: your name is called three times and then the ticket goes into “THE POCKET OF DOOM.”💀

Once the morning is over we are sent to our cars, and we head off through a gauntlet of MINI people waving flags and cheering us on. Somedays this was 7-9am others 7-10am

Highlights from the Road Leg 1: Albuquerque to Salt Lake City

Each day brought about different scenery each unique. Day one for us ended with us in peril… OK not too much peril, but still. We had stopped for gas and a short break about an hour outside of Durango. When we restarted Alfie there was a red warning indicator which looked like the car was in the garage on a lift. If it were amber, I’d probably drive on… a little anxious, but still get into town and have it checked out in the morning. The car did start. However it was red… red usually means bad things. I called Roadside Assistance explained what was going on and was told a service vehicle should be there within an hour. I then got a call from the service vehicle and explained it was probably nothing, but I wanted to checked out. They arrived. and everything started with some laughing and a belief by everyone that it was “nothing.” Then came an “oh.” and next thing we know it, Mike Peyton, VP of MINIUSA is there and two other corporate MINIs. I kept repeating that I just had the car in days before I left… It seemed the FRM Module (which runs things that don’t make the car drive, things like the lights) had gone out. It was a known issue in that these things have an expiration date (kinda) they run so many actions and then – they die. There is no way to predict it… it just happens. So we are stranded…

As the story goes Jim McDowell the first VP of MINIUSA was at Disney and noticed that a kid had dropped their ice cream within a few minutes, the ice cream had been cleaned up by a cast member, and the kid had a new one. They say he felt that MINI Takes the States should have the same kind of service. If something goes wrong, the MINI owner should be taken care of. We were. One of those Countrymen were emptied out and we were handed the keys. Alfie would be towed to Salt Lake City and we could pick him up there. We had a 2025 MINI Countryman for about three days. I’ve already written up my feelings about the Biggest MINI ever so I won’t go into it. My only regret was Mike Peyton did offer to go over the new controls with me, and I turned him down… I still don’t know about many of the Easter Eggs hidden in the large round screen. We christened our new MINI “Joel Incognito” “Joel” because that’s who we took him from- the MINI kept say “Hello Joel” and “Incognito” because no one knew us since we weren’t driving the Roadster.

It was a great drive and each Rise and Shine brought about the same vibe. I spent a lot of time running around handing out pins and stickers something I will do less of in the future (you don’t get to spend that much time caching up with friends). I will note that while driving “Joel Incognito” I noticed that we did blend in with other cars on the road. MINI says the new Countryman is the “Biggest MINI ever” as if that should be a point of pride… ummm… We were driving through some small town in Colorado in a mixed line of cars when I saw this woman on the side of the road waving like a crazy person at all the MINIs going by. When the “regular” cars came by she stopped waving. We were sandwiched between a couple of non-MINIs and I watched her stop waving. She then looked around for other MINIs. We started waving at her and she ignored us. Still looking for MINIs to wave at. The new model doesn’t have the same characteristics as what people consider a “MINI” it’s just another car. While Members of the MINI community may politely embrace this change, the general public is looking for what they think of as a MINI.

We arrived in Salt Lake City and headed over to MINI of Murray to pick up Alfie. He was repaired and we happily drove off leaving some surprises for whoever ended up with Joel Incognito next. (stickers buttons, a drawing and note of “thanks.” That night was an evening event celebrating the end of the first leg. With lots of posts about parking, food, and confusion from the people who don’t listen to Dez when she makes announcements.

The group photo of those who had attended all nine MINI Takes The States and could make the photo… so many were missing. (See Seattle for the other photo)

Choose Your Own Adventure

Between Salt Lake City and Bozeman we had two days on our own. We were told MINI Takes The States staff would be off the clock, that regular Roadside Assistance would work, but the special set up for MTTS would not. Go have fun and explore. Which we did.

We started with a quick trip into Herriman, UT to see the “Up House.” Then to Promontory to the Golden Spike. From there we went into Idaho and the Museum of Clean. The next day took us to Jackson Wyoming and our first Troll of the trip. From Jackson we headed into the national parks. Ending up in Boseman for the night.

Highlights from the Road Leg 2: Bozeman to Seattle

The Return of Jim McDowell – The prime Chief Motorer returned from retirement to join us on the second leg. For those of us who had done MTTS since the beginning this was like the second coming- with a squirt gun. He was just one of us on this trip, but it was great to see him and his wife having a great time reconnecting with MINI owners. Yes, he tried to kidnap Cecil on multiple occasions, but that was part of the fun of having Jim around.

I’ve spoken about the diversity of our country, and sometimes we have stereotypes. one that persists is how the Pacific Northwest is pretty much mountains and pine trees… nope. A lot of Washington state is fields, 75% of all hops used in beer production in the US comes from this area. It is also pretty hot until you cross through the mountains.

MINI Roadside Assistance to the rescue (again) – When we left for the last Rise & Shine a low tire indicator when off. We pulled into the Roadside Side Assistance Tent, and the quickly discovered a very small, slow leak in one of my tires… They said keep an eye on it, and get it patched in Seattle. Which I did.

The last Rise and Rally was interesting, here is where MINIUSA auctions off all the stuff from the trip so they don’t have to carry it back, and it brings in a nice sum to the charity. over the years we have picked up a few items at these auctions and plan ahead since they are cash only. This time I had my eye on the Volcanic Orange Scorpions Troop flag and Sue wanted to continue our collection of event banners. The hardest part about this and anything else is the limited space in a MINI. We’ve been living for two weeks out of our little car and over the stops picked up stuff. Usually t-shirts or other small things, but still we had little or no room. With that in mind we did not go for the Large “Welcome to…” signs or the “Jelly Beans” used to direct people to the event. We dis get what we wanted, so we were happy.

The Museum of Flight

The final event was held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, there were the typical questions about parking and food. There was a mob to get into the Museum where we earned our “wings” which was awesome. One thing they also had (which drew the largest crowd) was the extras- buttons, pins, stickers that were left over from the trip. Sadly, for those of us who had “Gone all the Way” this meant that some of the exclusive items weren’t that exclusive anymore. While it is a bit of gambling- pay for the last day and get all the swag you missed. Of course Sue and I live by what we call the “Harley-Davidson Rule” – Buy the bike, then buy the shirt. So we won’t buy or wear stuff from things we haven’t done. As with all rules it can be bent, I wore a MINI cap years before I bought a MINI. (Still wear the cap) I just recall once wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers jacket my parents had bought me and getting quizzed by a sports geek about the team. I wore it because I grandfather was a fan and almost failed out of high school because he would skip class to go to games. After that I stopped wearing the jacket. Those who know me well, know I know nothing about sports.

…and so it ends at the Museum of Flight as it began…
A portion of the group that has participated in every MTTS since 2006. Kind of the “Perfect Attendance Club” There are around 14 of us crazy folks.

Oh, for the record it was catered and parking was available.

Pictures or It Didn’t Happen

So what did I learn from my 9th running of MINI Takes The States?

  • Be flexible, things happen, go with the flow.
  • Don’t Panic, it’s silly when you panic over stuff like “Where do I park?” or “Will they provide food?” you will find a place to park, and if no food is provided you can get something somewhere else.
  • Buy early… if you want SWAG, make sure to get it your first day.
  • Don’t obsess over buttons, stickers, koozies, ducks, or other signature items. You’ll be spending your time trying to hand things out instead of meeting people.
  • Fill up when you reach half a tank.
  • Leave yourself some room. Don’t overpack. We brought a cooler for drinks and ended up leaving in it Washington because it took up too much space.
  • While I loved having two days in the middle – it made it like it was two different trips. So many new people jumped in that it was like starting all over again, with people not understanding what was going on.
  • I missed the Surprise and Delights… With only one gathering each day there was limited time to get to chat with other Motorers. Therefore it was harder to find a group to drive with if that’s what you wanted. The only Surprise and Delight was on the first leg, a drive through photo op, which didn’t lend itself to getting together unless you were waiting in line at the port-o-let.
  • I need to keep in contact with my tribe better. While I’m an introvert and tend to like being by myself. I missed sharing meals with my MINI peeps. We were fortunate enough to meet up a couple of times on the road, but still.
  • Let the crazies be crazy. There are a number of people who think they are a “Professional driver on a closed course” and will drive dangerously. Enjoy your drive, stay safe and avoid those idiots like the plague. Give them all the room they need so you won’t get hurt.
  • I’m looking forward to MTTS 2026 (if it happens- nothing official has been announced) Do I care where or when? not in the least.
  • Need to plan/remember to get Adventure Labs in the places we visit or along the way… I made a list an promptly ignored it.
  • In this day and age we have learned something- there are too many places to get bad information. MTTS has a bunch of groups- MINI Takes The States 2024 (now 2026), MINI Takes the States- First Time Newbies, MINI Takes The States – Going All The Way, and a bunch of repeat groups (some set up by scammers). All giving out similar but in many cases slightly different information. I hope that by the next one, either there will be a central location to get information, or MINIUSA works with one of the Social Media groups to get official information out in a quick reliable way. Having an event App only helped a bit and sometimes led to more confusion.

By The Numbers

  • Days Motored: 19
  • States Motored in: 15 (We have now traveled through all 50 states in some way or another)
  • Miles Motored : 6,392 not counting a tow to Salt Lake City and driving “Joel Incognito”
  • Approx. Hotel Cost for the Actual Days of MTTS: $2700
  • Approx. Fuel for the actual Dates of MTTS: $850
  • Registration All the Way for two: $200
  • Official SWAG: $140
  • Donations: All in Cash so a bunch- One Event Banner, One Troop Flag, numerous raffle tickets, One Oxford Plant polo shirt (aka the most expensive MINI shirt ever)
  • Food: Umm… I never try to figure this out since we have to eat no matter where we are.
  • Geocaches & Adventure Lab stages: 125 We only have Alaska to go then we will have found a geocache in every U.S. State.
  • Signature SWAG handed out/lost: 41 MINIons Take the States Buttons, 33 MINIons Take The States Stickers, 90 MINIon 4238 buttons, 32 Extinct MINI Cooper Motoring Society Window Clings (v.1), 13 LEGO ducks, 20 MTTS 2024 classic stickers.
  • Buttons, Signature SWAG, Ducks collected: Does it really matter?
  • Photos taken: 1,056
  • Trolls (Thomas Dambo Sculptures) visited: 12, 15 if you count the portals.

The Journey Home

On the way home we stopped off to see family and then more trolls which, by now, might be like family, but aren’t. We made it safely back to rest for a few days before the next Whimventure®

On the Road, Again

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Bruce

It’s time to head off on another Whimventure®! This time It’s MINI Takes The States (MTTS) which is always a lot of fun. As I prepare for the final push to leave I head to the starting point Albuquerque, New Mexico. It will take me a couple of days to get there since I am no longer allowed to drive straight through after the MTTS Lubbock to Indy drive which the court of public opinion (not as political as the Supreme Court) certified me as “insane”, but since it didn’t get dark until I was almost in Illinois, I figured it wasn’t that bad… You never realize just how big and barren Texas is until you have to drive through it.

I will be joining hundreds (if not thousands) of other MINI owners as we motor together (and apart) across the country, What MINI is call calling #CampMINI. Like many campers there are those excited, and those anxious. I’m a little in-between. The anxious ones make me anxious, but having been doing this since 2006, I’m not too worried. I know that things happen, and you just go with the flow. There are people who are packing for an expedition into the unknown. Basically like “Moto-Preppers”, (Did I just make up another new word? 🤪) people ready for the end of the world while they are on the road. I think maybe they’ve watched the various Mad Max movies too many times. Read “Along The Scenic Route” by Harlan Ellison, or ‘Why Johnny Can’t Speed” by Alan Dean Foster- I think they believe driving through the wild, wild west is like that. Then there are those who have everything planned out to the minute, and are concerned that they have not been given the second by second details.

They just announced the apps they will be using, A navigation one and an event – social connectivity one. As with any technology, some of them are a little glitchy right now. The event doesn’t officially start until Saturday so they will be working on bugs the rest of the week. I was able to make sure Cecil had his account set up- I’m superfluous. Sue is still having difficulties, so we’re trying to figure out if it is because she is set up as a co-pilot, or because she uses the same app for work. Unlike the folks with their multiple lists I’ve been putting together a notebook so I don’t forget things (like stopping mail). I started writing down Geocaches and Adventure Labs for the route, but stopped. There are just so many… except in Durango😉.

We have some plans, but mostly, it’s going to be a time to see old friends who we only see at MINI events like this. We will most likely be driving by ourselves. Although driving in a group is safer, especially when confronted by the bands of post-apocalyptic gangs roaming the nuclear wasteland known as the American west. Hmmm… bI might just need to draw a Mad Max MINIon sometime…

When it comes to groups, we have found that it is really hard to have a Whimventure® when you have to worry about a line of cars getting lost, while you are trying yourself to get lost. I’d rather deal with the stress of being on the road alone being passed by hundreds of MINIs than trying to figure out what happened to the green MINI that was behind me, and listening to radio chatter about cars missing the stop light. If you can find the right group it works, but keeping the band together over the years can be difficult. Plus that’s a lot of stress on the person leading and the one in the back.

This in NOT a Geocaching Trip

OK we will be caching, because that is a really great way to see cool things that other people miss. What we won’t be doing is trying for a cache in every county, or getting as many caches as we can along the road. We know people who would call that a vacation, I am not one of them. Sue has a list, I have a list. I’ve gone over a number of virtual caches in the cities we stop at and wrote down the logging requirements. Some are easy- “Take a picture of yourself here.” Others are being ignored- “Email me the answers to these questions as you visit these 14 different locations. Use complete sentences, proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Do not log the cache until you have heard back from me.” Ummm… I don’t think so. If you’ve read this blog for long enough, you know proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling are not my strengths.

A Typical Day

I’ve gone over this before but it might be nice to hear it all over again. If things go the way they have in the past a typical day will start with a line of cars trying to get into the “Rise & Shine” location. One year people started lining up at 3:00 AM, hopefully that won’t be the case. It may be an open field, it may be a parking lot. There will be tents and port-o-lets. During the morning people will eat breakfast and talk about stuff. We’ll check in and get our button for the day and desperately try to get whatever the coveted SWAG is this year (in 2022 it was magnets for each stop). There will be button and SWAG trading, or just handing out. Announcements, will be made, games will be played, charities will be mentioned, breakfast burritos or pancakes will be eaten. We will head off for the day, sometimes escorted by the police. People will turn left when they should turn right. People will get lost. Mid-way through the day there should be a “Surprise and Delight” some people will stop, some won’t. It could be the line of cars to get in is too long, it could be that the delight isn’t delightful enough for them. We will then drive into our next stop and search for our hotel. Next morning we’ll do it all over again.

Normally, about a day or two into the trip one of us will get grumpy over something stupid. We’ll drive in silence for a few hours and then get back to normal. When you’ve been married for over 30 years you get into a routine. It would be nice to avoid this part, but… if it happens, it happens. Too much togetherness with two introverts can lead to a little grumpiness.

We will have a lot of time on the road and at each destination city to explore. Which is why I have a list of geocaches and have been looking at Adventure Labs in each location. We’ll also be checking out local micro-breweries and brewpubs. Nothing fancy, just normal stuff with a local flair.

Our Route – A Whimventure® In The Making.

As for driving, my trip to HeroesCon in Charlotte was around the same distance (and time) as each day I’m driving solo to get to Albuquerque. Much less than my trips to New York. Don’t even get me started on my drive from Lubbock in 2014! When by myself I tend to get up early and just drive until I get to the destination. I did Denver to Los Angeles in 2014 also… that was a year filled with stupidity.

  • Solo Day 1: Indianapolis to Tulsa – 635 miles (9 hours)
  • Solo Day 2: Tulsa to Albuquerque – 650 miles (9 hours) Pick Up Sue at the airport
  • MTTS Day 1: Albuquerque to Durango – 220 miles (5 hours)*
  • MTTS Day 2: Durango to Grand Junction – 165 miles (4 hours)*
  • MTTS Day 3: Grand Junction to Salt Lake City – 350 miles (5.5 hours)* Evening Event at the Gallivan Center.
  • MTTS Day 4 & 5: Choose Your Own Adventure Salt Lake City to Bozeman – 410 miles
  • MTTS Day 6: Bozeman to Missoula – 230 miles (4 hours)*
  • MTTS Day 7: Missoula to Spokane – 260 miles (5 hours)*
  • MTTS Day 8: Spokane to Yakima – 260 miles (3 hours)*
  • MTTS Day 9: Yakima to Seattle – 140 miles (2.5 hours)* Evening Event at the Museum of Flight.
  • Day 12: Seattle – Troll Hunting – ???
  • Day 13: Seattle to Bellingham – 90 miles (we have a tour of GCHQ that morning and are spending the rest of the day with family)
  • Days 14 to 17: Bellingham to Indianapolis via Fargo- 2,350 miles – Trolls in Detroit Lakes, MN!
  • Total estimated mileage: 5,750 miles (not counting driving around town, getting lost, or other excursions- did I mention we still hadn’t planned out the “Choose your Own Adventure” portion of the trip?)

*MINI’s estimated time on the road. In most cases we will be entering the city before we can check into our hotels.

It’s funny, we really don’t have the “Choose Your Own Adventure” or the trip home planned out. 😱 We have a few ideas and must do bits. There’s a Thomas Dambo Troll in Jackson, Wyoming, we need to get a geocache in North Dakota, and Thomas Dambo just placed a bunch of trolls in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. We have a National Park Pass, and some ideas, it just matters what we decide to do, where we decide to go. Day 4 we are going to need a hotel room. Our route home will retrace some of MTTS, so if we hear of something awesome that we missed, we might be able to see it on the way back.

For our return, we’ll drive as far as we want, stop when we need to. We should drive about 600 miles each day, but some days will be longer than others and I usually have the rule that I rarely stop if I’m in a state bordering Indiana, I might as well push a bit and sleep in my own bed, with my cats- who I will be missing and worrying about the second the garage door closes as I head out.

I’ve loaded my phone with a couple of audiobooks: Slaying the Dragon – A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons by Ben Riggs that I looked at when at The Book Loft in Columbus, OH. I also checked out NPCs by Drew Hayes, a comic fantasy story about a bunch of non-player characters in a game and what happens when the game isn’t being played. These should last me for the entire drive to Albuquerque. With Gen Con coming up I figured these might be interesting. I’m still figuring out what I want to focus on- Gaming & building with LEGO bricks have taken a back seat to drawing and comics. I also still need to get the classic Mini working- Oh the things to deal with after MTTS and Gen Con.

I’m only missing the coveted MINI Financial Services Magnets from 2022 because I really don’t want them to go missing. Alfie (aka Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All) , Cecil, and I are ready to hit the road tomorrow… once I finish packing. 155,573 miles on the odometer before we head out.

Planning & Packing for MINI Takes the States

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Bruce

As we close in on the start of MINIUSA’s “TransAmerican Motortastic Road Trip to End All Road Trips Rally” How does one prepare for this? In the immortal words of Douglas Adams “Don’t Panic.” I’ve watched Social Media since the dates and route were announced and there are a lot of people who either are anxious, or have never actually driven their car outside of their town, county, or state before. I suffer from travel anxiety, but I guess I’ve pushed beyond my fear enough times that some things I’ve gotten a “This too shall pass” kind of attitude. Do I like it when my car has issues on the road? duh. no. I panic just as much as any normal person would. I just understand things happen. While this is my process, your mileage may vary.

How Do I Prepare?

First things first, I do my best to keep Alfie (aka Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All) in good operating condition. I rotate the tires regularly, change the oil, bring it in for scheduled maintenance to the dealership. I tried another local garage once and found that they were just as expensive and didn’t have the experience or resources that the dealership had. Interesting experiment. So now about two weeks out, my car is at the dealership getting a once over and oil change. Having an olderish MINI I want to give them time if parts needed to be ordered. I also have the dealership do a full detail inside and out. It’s pricey but I only do it once every two years, and it makes Alfie look nice in the sea of other nice looking MINIs.

So Alfie has a clean bill of health before heading out. What else do I do? I pack some extra oil and a bottle or two of fuel additive since we will be dealing with gasoline from a wide variety of locales and high altitude. I may not need either, but I’m an old Boy Scout so I’ll be prepared. Outside of that I have my usual quick cleaning kit some microfiber towels, window cleaner, and spray cleaner (Griot’s Speed Shine). So I feel good Alfie is ready to go.

What About The Humans?

Sue is responsible for her stuff, and I deal with mine. They have stores if we forgot anything. I have a small cooler that we will put water and soft drinks (pop, soda, coke, or whatever your region calls it) and a bag that will contain snacks. We usually go with a Chex Mix, and trail mix, maybe beef jerky or gummy bears. I’ll be driving through Texas so I know I’ll pass a Buc-ee’s at some point if I need to restock. The LEGO bag is the stuff I have for the car that usually is in the glovebox and a few other items. Since My MINI is currently in for service, this stuff is at home.

Since I am old I have various medications I need to take on a daily basis. This is a long trip so I contacted my insurance company to make sure I was allowed by the rules of the policy to actually get enough to last the entire trip. Anytime I put in a refill early it gets dinged, so I wanted to make sure. I figured out that by the time I return I will have been out of everything for a couple a weeks. I also waxed nostalgically about when you could just go to a pharmacist and say “I need extras” and the reply would be “Sure, hope you have a nice trip!”

I don’t know how people who drive a MINI convertible do it, the roadster has a ginormous boot (trunk for non-MINI folks) so we can live out of it without a problem. We had issues when we rented a MINI convertible in May. I’ll need to pack at least one MINI shirt for each day of the event. I already know I’ll wear the 2006 MTTS shirt, the MINI United Shirt, and the “Most expensive MINI shirt ever” besides that I need to pick 4 more- hopefully not all black although all old school MINI shirts are black.

So I might have a few MINI shirts I’ve gathered over the years… I also know I’ll be picking up a few along the road.

About halfway through we have a couple of days on our own so we could do laundry. In the past if you were part of the ‘Going All the Way” group MINI provided a small laundry service midway through… not anymore. I’ll pack jeans and shorts, with the full knowledge that I will most likely wear them more than once. I’ll also pack a couple pairs of shoes. One pair that is more comfortable for driving, and another pair for hiking and walking around. I might also throw in a pair for the evening events, although black tie is optional at these events. 🤪 I know heat will be an issue, but I will pack a light jacket or some rain protection (be prepared). I’ll also pack a couple of hats- my Tilley and a baseball cap. Some people will pack for each day in a different bag… whatever works for you. I’m planning on bringing a separate bag for dirty laundry that way my clean clothes don’t mix with my… other stuff. Don’t forget electronics and chargers. While I will be using my phone as a GPS I will also pack all the various chargers and a FRS Radio (set to channel 7 sub 21). Most electronics will be plugged into the car charger throughout the trip, but better safe than sorry.

Then There’s SWAG

I often roll my eyes and joke over the people who bring all these things to give away… I’m just as bad as all of them. I have been keeping a notebook for this trip and figured out all the different things I’m bringing to make other people happy. I have buttons, stickers, and a top secret very unique and limited edition duck. My hope is that everything I have I will not be bringing back with me. With the passing of a friend (MINIon 0666) I also have some items for those who knew him to honor and remember him. I will be passing most of those off to another friend (MINIon 0001) for distribution.

A couple days ago I finally went through my bags from MTTS 2022. I hadn’t opened them since we had returned home. I’m glad there wasn’t anything edible, or alive in there. I won’t say I was shocked by the amount of stuff I had, more like I was shocked by how little I had. I think of MTTS like some of my first Cons that I went to as an adult. I would take pictures of everything, because “WOW!” and now I know what I like, I know what I want and I know I don’t need another button or duck or whatever. My Lanyard from MTTS 2022 had only two personal buttons on it, the rest were ones given out by MINI. I had another lanyard that had the destination buttons on it. I’ll actually be taking off those personal buttons and pins to wear them this time around.

Your Tribe, or not…

My first MTTS (2006) I took it as a Rally and we drove straight to Indianapolis from St. Louis. We were helping the local club with the lap around the Motor Speedway, so I had a commitment. I wish I had taken more time to enjoy the road, and the people. 2008 was weird being four different events. We did Chicago (Road America) and then flew to L.A. We pretty much did it on our own, hanging out with friends from our local club and in L.A. I invited my family to join us. At MINI United in 2009 we met people from around the world and expanded our group. In 2010 we drove with some of them along the route and created the MINIons group. From 2012 – 2016 that group was our motoring crew. In 2018 Sue and I decided we wanted to go “rogue” adjust explore. Driving with a group can become stressful. Where is everyone? Who needs to use the bathroom? Do we stop at this attraction? What about lunch? Dinner? While it was fun, we embraced being by ourselves and catching up with everyone in the evening, or at breakfast. In 2022 Sue and I decided to go even more rogue, with Sue driving her MINI and me driving mine. It was a logical issue in which I had things to do beforehand and had to get home. While Sue had work and then went to visit family. This time around, I’m driving and Sue will meet me in Albuquerque we will then head off on our Whimventure. Will we drive with the MINIons? Maybe, but I know we have other things on the list.

Worried about finding your tribe? Don’t be, it is something that happens naturally. Those extroverts out there will march up and start creating a group (if they haven’t already). The introverts will sit back and meet people at breakfast, at the surprise and delight, or just on the road. Your driving group might change every day. The important thing is to have fun on your terms. If driving around with a bunch of people is your thing- great! I’m sure it will happen. If you just don’t know, it’s OK to drive with a group and then cut out later in the day. Be polite, say “Thanks” and you look forward to seeing them tomorrow at breakfast. You won’t hurt anyone’s feelings. As I said, sometimes (especially for whimventuring® introverts) it can be stressful driving with a large group.

Who are the MINIons? For the most part these are a mysterious group of people I have met along the road or people who were invited by other MINIons. We’ve basically grown up in the MINI community together and we are all over the place. We laugh together at the antics of those “serious” MINI owners. “My LXM number is lower than yours” kind of people.🙄 We try to help out when possible, but basically we take everything in stride. We live by the Book of Motoring and the idea of “Not Normal.” The group has traveled together, but also many go rogue and have their own Whimventures®. Of which Cecil (my stuffed monkey bent on World Domination and usual co-pilot) approves of these actions.

Plans & Schemes

List? What list? Now as we close in on leaving I’ve been going through Geocaching.com, the Adventure Lab App, Atlas Obscura, Roadside America, and other sources to see what might be on the route or nearby to see. We don’t know what the route will actually be, or the Surprise and Delights along the way. For us, our major goal won’t happen until we start heading home, after a short visit to check on my brother and how he’s handling retirement. We need to find caches in two more states to have found a geocache in every state in the lower 48. This leaves only Alaska and we will have completed the entire U.S. Outside of that we have Trolls to find and a visit to Groundspeak’s Headquarters in Seattle. I’ve created a list in Atlas Obscura, of things that look interesting. Along with a list on Geocaching.com, both will be constantly updated, and no, we won’t see everything on the list. Most of the geocaches are virtual ones, We’ll use the app to catch actual hides nearby as we stop for things.

I do recommend using either Geocaching or Adventure Labs as a way to explore new places. Download the apps create an account and go have some fun. Geocaching is using a GPS (or your Phone) to find something hidden by another player. Think of it as a treasure hunt. Sign the log, put it back where you found it, log it online and take a look around. Most Geocaches take you places people don’t usually go to. Think of it as a local showing you around. A Virtual Cache takes you to a place and you either need to send in the answers to some questions, or take a photo of yourself at the place. Adventure Labs use geo tracking and as you get close to a location a question pops up that you need to answer. These tend to be tours of local art, or historically significant places. A nice way to learn about where you are visiting. I like them because, unlike geocaches, I don’t need to dig through plants to search for them, I just need to find the answer on a plaque.