The Con: Orycon31 the Science Fiction Convention

The Dates 27-29 November 2009

The Place : Double Tree Hotel, Portland Oregon. 

This is my third Orycon Science Fiction convention I attended. My adventure or misadventure started around January attempt to volunteer for staff. Volunteer days ended due to lack of communications and direction by the volunteering and PR departments of Orycon to the point I became discouraged and decided it better to focus on other conventions. With Thursday freed up, I decide to go visit my mother in Tacoma for Thanksgiving dinner. Next day I woke up had breakfast dove back to Portland and the Hotel, I got in around 2:00pm and picked up my badge.

Like at Kumoricon and Rainfurrest I took my big Hello Kitty plush around and she was a hit.  The first panel I attended was What Is This Thing Called Filk. They did a better job in discussing what is Filk  but eventually I could not find a real definition because like many   fan produced genres, Filk music is open to interpretation and is dynamic, not being held  to a single definition. Next panel was drawing with real artist, at first I was intimidated, I men me drawing in front of real good artist, but the way very patient and helpful and put me at ease, I did amuse them working on my fury art. 

Before going to how to make an AMV (Anime Music Video) at 8:00pm, I checked out both the Hospitality lounge and video room. The video room was dark and I took a bad fall, for a while I thought I torn a ligament or fractured my hip joint, luckily I just pulled a muscle nothing a few pain killers and a half sleepless night could no take care of. I did still attend the AMV creation panel and a late dinner at the Hotel Cantina. 

Saturday I had to pick up some stuff for my business then attended The Christian Science Fiction Panel and then the art jam. One panel that was amusing was the Turkey Reading, the best of the Worst Science Fiction every made, the panel live up to expectations and was the second funniest panel I attended. I then went out on a Todai Sushi buffet run. 

One good thing was plenty  of space to lounge  around in I used to time to work on my drawing and play Hello Kitty On-Line before getting a quick beer and attending Guy Letourneau AMV Showing. A helpful hint brig your laptop; Guy sets up a LAN so one can download you favorite AMV; as a result I have now 16GB of AMV goodness on my computer.

Sunday I attended my church before herding back to the con. I attended a few panels till four then went up to the Hospitality Lounge after four and stayed until the close at 6:0pm, making wise cracks how the convent shrunk from  the Hotel first floor to two table at the Hospitably Lounge. I went out for dinner then returned around 8:00pm for my traditional last evening walkthrough. 

The Good :

The Hotel, unlike Rainfurrest and Kumoricon, the hotel offer plenty of reasonable priced entrees. There was plenty of space and for the fist time at a con, I had a place to set up my computer or find a table to do art. A big Bravo Zulu to the Hotel. 

Guy Letourneau AMV Showing I nominate Guy Letourneau for Fan GOH at Kumoricon and Orycon 32. 

Richard Ebloe, Paul Guinan and Kamila Miller on the Drawing with Real Artist, thank for your time, hints, and making us amateurs comfortable. You all should be commended.   

The bad:

            Break out for the reading, I have missed the readings neither was not there a designated open reading room or time for new writers. I often use my free time to listed to upcoming writers if noting else to add moral support. 

The Ugly

            There should never have Iron Silk never been reading during the day during the Turkey Readings; I do not care parents were there but NC17 reading should not be done in the presence of children. It should be a late night readings so we adults can savor it like wine turn into vinegar laced with arsenic

Very poor Get out the Volunteer Effort: I head s “you could not do because of a lack of volunteers”; the reason is because you do not ask you not get. I know about Thanksgiving but no announcement was made about the day or time. I left because I thought I was no longer needed. Of all the convention I been to this was the worst recruitment effort. 

Poor PR effort, Lost opportunities at Rainfurrest  (not for Norwescon and Sakura-Con’), poor table at Kumoricon.

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