The mounted gorillas and their nets, the chimp doctors and their lobotomies, those bastard orangs . . . I’m sure you’ve seen it all on the news already, so there’s no sense in me going into Zaius’ side of things of what went down at GenCon. Especially before the trial.
But there is more to say about GenCon than a recounting of the ape-based horrors that made international headlines, and if you want a really comprehensive look at the gaming side of things be sure to check out Black Gate’s Andrew Zimmerman Jones’ multi-part coverage of the highs and lows of the con.
As with Origins, I was at GenCon playing pitchman and sales thrall to my friend Nathan Jerpe’s roguelike crpg, Legerdemain. We were down in entrepreneurs alley with the other indie and fledgling businesses, mostly of the board and card variety. Once again the con experience proved that it isn’t so much about how many copies you sell — though getting to that break-even point is a nice pat-on-the-back moment — but how much buzz you generate. It only takes one business card in the hands of the right person to change the entire trajectory of your product. Prowling the con floor are reps from companies small and large — and by large I mean Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Microsoft — and they’ve got their eyes peeled for the little indie products that come out of nowhere. Talking to our fellow sellers back in 2500 lane was illuminating and inspiring, as they were all chasing that elusive dream of the creative class — trying to succeed doing that thing you love.
Bumping into like-minded people left and right has to be the best part of these conventions, whether it was chatting with the guys from Apex Magazine, or striking up a chance conversation with someone at the hotel bar that turned out to be one of our neighbors on the floor, cons like these are a great place to go and meet the other people that make up this big extended family of genre gamers, designers, writers, and readers.
Now that I’ve had my soup and salad at Origins and GenCon, the main course itself looms on the horizon for next month — Dragoncon. I’ll be there with Black Gate, Rogue Blades Entertainment, and Ricasso Press (and Dr. Zaius!!!), so if any of you within blogshot are planning on going be sure to find us in the exhibitor’s hall at the Marriott and check out the latest releases from this superstar triumvirate of publishers. I’ll even sign the books if you like — and when I say that, understand that it doesn’t necessarily have to be my signature.
I’ll sign any name you like, and lie about it after. Zaius has taught me well on that front.
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I’m sure none of the people stopping by our booth will remember that line a year later either, Bill.
See you in a few weeks.
I have the right to recycle my own material!