Wiscon, Day 1

[coraa]

(I'm counting yesterday as Day 0, since I checked in and then slept a lot.)

Today, on account of still being on Pacific time, I didn't stagger out of bed until late morning. Once I did, though, I met up with ckd and rushthatspeaks for lunch, which was lovely! We discussed the joys of being in an army family, the entertainment value of eccentric relatives, and the ways to get through a wedding without losing your mind. And it was a great way to break myself into the con, meeting with two friendly and interesting people in a more casual environment so I didn't get too overwhelmed. And then, on the way back, rushthatspeaks gave me the scoop on which Gundam series to start with, as a space opera and steampunk fan.

rushthatspeaks: Well, which ones do you know?
coraa: Well, I mostly know of Gundam Wing from when I was in high school, but that was on Cartoon Network with...
rushthatspeaks: ...the awful dub?
coraa: Oh yes. So mostly what I know is that that's the one that's slasheriffic and has the most hilarious emotional trauma.
ckd: *cracks up*

(She recommended Gundam 00 for the space opera and Turn A Gundam for the steampunk-y influence.)

After that the three of us went to the Gathering, where I tagged along after rushthatspeaks. The Gathering is like nothing I've ever quite seen at a con: it's like a meet-and-greet with tons of activities you can take part in at the same time, many of which recall the fun parts of kindergarten. I got a temporary tattoo of a firebird (a bit redundant today, when I'm wearing my firebird t-shirt, but it'll be great tomorrow with my Shinra Electric Power Company t-shirt), made a word-art picture with lots of swirls, voted in the Carl Brandon Society cagematch, saw a lot of people doing fantastic things with fiber art, picked up a couple of ARCs in the Galley Ho! sale, and picked up a faux-fur vest at the clothing swap. (Me: I normally wouldn't get something like this, but it'd be perfect for a Seattle winter and it has kind of a Wolfrider vibe. rushthatspeaks: It does, at that.) (How much do I love being able to say that casually to someone who knows what I mean.)

On the way out, I said hello to meganbmoore again, and then headed into the Dealer's Room. I picked up a pair of elisem earrings, and also some books, including a copy of The Neverending Story in the proper red-and-green coloring. (The ones in italic-and-non have never looked right to me.) I'm sure I'll do more shopping as the week progresses—there was someone selling a gryphon puzzle, for instance, that I am weak to. Plus I'm in a mood where picking up short story collections seems like a good idea, to expose me to new authors.

I took a breather and got dinner, and then went to the LJ party for delicious cake, and the "Goblin Girls and Bedlam Boys" reading. I was particularly taken with Caitlyn Paxson, who had beautiful lyrical works (including a steampunk-esque poem) and was a fantastic reader (writing and reading, not the same skills!), and the beginning of a YA fantasy novel by Ari B. Goelman, set at a Jewish summer camp.

And that's it for today, since I'm about ready to collapse. If I can wake up in time tomorrow, there's "Tarot for Writers;" after that is "The Craft of Writing YA," which is, of course, relevant to my interests. And from there, we'll see!

Comments

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

If you still haven't seen Gundam Wing by Sirens, I will screen some for you. Ideally, we will have a bottle of something alcoholic and drink every time Heero attempts suicide.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

I would enjoy that tremendously! I'll bring wine and/or beer.

I did see some episodes (perhaps about the first quarter?) of Gundam Wing, in the bad dub, back in the day. My memory of it goes like this:

Heero: *attempts to kill self*
Relena: Heero, I love you!
Heero: ...why?
Relena: I dunno.
Duo: *is American*
Duo: *has no other character trait*
Heero: *attempts to kill self*
Relena: Kill me too!
Heero: ...why?
Relena: It seems like the done thing.
Relena: Otherwise I will have to inexplicably go on safari.
Quatre: *randomly plays the flute*

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

You certainly have Heero and Relena's relationship down. Also, I see that you recall the WTF closing credits in which Relena molests a series of African animals.

Duo (pictured above) is cool! When he's not voiced as a stoner. Let me put it this way: he's on my "sanity" icon.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

I am certainly more than willing to believe that there's more to Duo than I'm remembering! In point of fact, I am sort of suspicious that characters who are sane tend to fade in memory in comparison to characters who are bugfuck nuts, and so Duo has merely been subsumed in memory by the OMG WTF of Heero.

(See also: Iruka-sensei. Although my personal theory as to why Iruka is surprisingly popular in Naruto slash fandom is that attractive and badass ninja are a dime a dozen but comparatively kind and well-adjusted ninja are rare as hen's teeth, and he's, therefore, a hot commodity.)

Even at the time, when I was about fourteen, I remember going, "...why does she have a giraffe?" Only, in retrospect, any 'why' question as regards Relena is doomed to end in disappointment.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Iruka is sane, loves kids, is a great dad, and, more to the point, is employed. He should be beating women off with a stick.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

And not only that, he's employed at something that doesn't regularly involve a) killing people, or b) gratuitously risking his own death! Bonus points!

Iruka: Konoha's Most Eligible Bachelor.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Also, omg. To what does your icon refer?

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Hee! It's by octopedingenue, and refers to how two of the main characters of Blade of the Immortal, Manji and Magatsu, bear suspicious resemblances to Iruka and Kakashi. XD (Or it may be that Iruka and Kakashi bear suspicious resemblances to Manji and Magatsu. I'm not sure which was published first. Either way, the resemblance is cosmetic only. XD)

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Ha! That is amusing.

I would totally read an actual "Iruka and Kakashi have adventures and stuff." They'd drive each other nuts. It'd be awesome.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Also, he is physically present instead of constantly off on missions.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Of course, anyone who gets seriously involved with Iruka is going to be stuck with a hyperactive and preternaturally destructive (albeit well-meaning) semi-hemi-demi-stepson, which might put a damper on things....

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Things I learned by spending most of the day being the shared indentured servant at The Gathering: If you are helping to set up, you get first crack at the galleys and clothing swap. Ok, I mostly just learned that.

Advaned copy of Red Riding Hood's Revenge? Me? *innocent*

[coraa.livejournal.com]

:D :D :D That's awesome! I am so looking forward to Red Hood's Revenge.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I considered reading it at the con between panels and such as a form of silent gloating, but that would be rude.

[paperclippy.livejournal.com]

Dude. Don't watch the dub of Gundam Wing, go out and watch the subtitled version! Because it is awesome, and while yes, there is some nonsense stuff, and it is slasheriffic (a selling point IMO), I totally loved that show when I was in high school. But seriously. Dubbed anime is awful and painful to watch. The subs, however, are great, and GW actually has quite a lot of famous voice actors who were in a lot of other anime as well.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Oh, I wouldn't watch the dub now; while there are some dubs that I don't mind, "older" anime generally has dreadful dubbing.

When I tried to watch it last, I was fourteen, and the only way I could get ahold of it was the dub on Cartoon Network. :) I just haven't tried to watch it again since.