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The Comiku Girls'
Connecticon 2004 Convention Report

Precon

Like several cons previous, Ctcon began Thursday night with Akiko and Li helping Li's comic store set up. At least, it was supposed to. Since Comicopia was late, we took off to buy a dog-leash for our costume on Sunday and a collar for our Kirara. When we returned from our errand, we spent the next couple hours chatting with Matt (con organizer) as he rushed about setting up his con, and Matt West, (Volunteer) who we were able to con into helping us unload the comic boxes from the truck when Matt (from Comicopia) finally pulled in at almost 10 at night. We were able to unpack until Midnight when the building manager kicked everyone out. And of course, we still had a forty minute drive to the house. Basically, we got in late, and had to get up too early Friday morning, so sleep was a luxury that we had little of. Particularly since we had been up late Wednesday packing and up early Thursday doing last minute Con Prep (and buying jeans, but that is another story).

Friday

Friday morning we set ourselves up in the artists' colony, right by the entrance in our hand made yukatas. Mookie was across the room, next to the other webcomic artists, but Li entertained herself by waving her arms at him as if she were holding zamboni(?) flags. The webcomic artists are a group of gaming nuts -- Tim from Ctrl-Alt-Del and others with him set up a projection screen on the wall and played Halo during the morning, while another group of web-comic artists set up on the main screen of the room to show Jay and Silent Bob cartoons (and then video games later that night).

On either side of our table were two talented artists who liked to draw winged creatures. To our left, was a color pencil (and other traditional media, but she was actively working on a CP piece that weekend) artist who drew a lot of fairies and traditional fantasy style work (and Akiko bought a pair of fairies from her before the weekend was over). The girl on our right did lovely marker work, predominantly winged characters, although Li and Akiko kept admiring her drapery. And of course, one table down from us was NovaBlade Studios, the staple of every good convention.

Across the aisle from us, we got to enjoy the work of Radbu Productions, the only legitimate independent comic at the con (as opposed to the multitude of webcomics). I'm skipping out of order, but we ultimately ended up doing a swap with him - we bought his comics, he got a print from us.

Akiko's vegan apple muffin recipe was well received, and over the course of Friday (and Saturday) we fed various artists (particularly Mookie, for whom the muffins were made vegan). Two dozen muffins was about the right number for half a convention.

We didn't spend the entire day in the Artist's Colony though. We started the morning by helping Comicopia finish setting up, and then Li started off the convention by storming the Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca!) panel, and although that panel didn't quite happen, she did get to meet him and get his autograph in the Dealer's room a little while later. Most of the rest of the morning and afternoon however, Akiko and Li stayed in the artist alley trying to make some money. Friday was a bit slow (no one at all bought prints), but we did alright with some commissions, and were on track to break even for the weekend, even if it didn't look like it was going to be a great sales weekend.

In the evening, we headed out to our very first panel. As in, the first panel that we had ever run. Li demonstrated a tea ceremony to a group of about 25 people, forcing Akiko to learn a couple Japanese phrases to help her out as the "head guest." The demonstration was on the whole very good, Akiko only forgot to bow a couple times, and almost got her lines right. Of course there was of course room for improvement, and next time we run this panel, it will be even better, if we get invited to do it again *laugh*.

After our panel, we sat in on the "Behind the Scenes" Panel with Matt and Ian of MacHall, Ian J of RPGWorld, and Brian of 8-Bit Theatre. The panel a bit slow, but the comic artists were interesting and funny people and we got to learn about this new technology, where you could go online, on the internet...

After the panel, we headed back to the Artist's Colony to eat a late dinner and hang out with Mookie and watch the webcomic artist's play projection video games until it was time for the "Piano Squall" concert. Michael performed many wonderful piano renditions of various anime and video game music. He was very talented and incredible cute with his big enthusiastic smile. We even overheard one guy comment that he (Piano Squall) was not going to have any problem finding a bed that night.

Saturday

We managed to get home all of about half an hour earlier than we had the previous night, but although Akiko remembered to change the time the alarm was set to go off, she forgot to actually turn it on. Thus, we slept in later than we intended to on Saturday. Despite this, and despite the need to make a stop at CVS on our way to the con to purchase nylons & a portable sewing kit, we managed to get to the con only about half an hour after we intended. It did mean that Akiko missed the Origami panel, but there is always the next con, or next year, to try again.

Saturday was another Artist's day. Mostly our print sales were to other Artist's and friends today. And we were kept company by Li's college roommate Ted throughout the afternoon. Also, we saw Andrea and Eric, our neighbors from the Artist's Alley the previous year briefly. They were being regular congers this year, but we got to talk for a little while. We stayed at our table until it was time for Cosplay rehearsal at 5. However, the Artist's Colony did not stay where it was originally located. The artist's room was boiling, as the air conditioning had broken. The artist's suffered as we were kept in limbo of waiting for the college staff to determine that the room was indeed dangerously hot. Our move to another location didn't proceed very smoothly though, as several artists took matters into their own hands and moved themselves which led to a rather disorganized exodus. However, our new location was in a large space right beside registration, and it was much cooler. And Li kidnapped, I mean borrowed, a plush Cthlulu from Daze in a Haze, which was eventually kidnapped from us by Radbu Productions during the move, but ironically, Radbu ended up seated next to Daze in a Haze after the move, and he was able to reclaim Cthlulu.

The cosplay contest was much fun. The only problem was that many people waiting for their turn to go onto the stage, or having just gotten off, chattered much too loudly in the waiting room, despite our constant 'shhhhing'. Akiko was tempted several times to ask them "Is the concept of SHUT THE FUCK UP so difficult to understand?" and "What part of ‘there are no mikes on stage so you need to be quiet’ don’t you get?" There was a large number of walk-ons, and only a handful of skits. The costumes were quite impressive, as they are at any Con.

Between the walk on costume contest and the skits was an intermission which showcased again the wonderful talent of "Piano Squall." He seemed overwhelmed when his performance resulted in a standing ovation, but was all smiles the entire time, and cheerfully played some unrehearsed requests while the judges figured out the cosplay awards.

Akiko and Li reprised our Royal Saiyuki Shakespearean Players skit, with two new monologues that we added that afternoon. Other fun skits included the Anime A-to-Z which starred four funny girls (As Integra from Hellsing, the girl from Read or Die oav, Einshi from the Kenshin oav, and a girl from Shaman King) with whom we had a chance to talk with quite a bit that day and the next day, as well as their friend who was dressed as Ginji from GetBackers. The RoD girl and Li found they had much in common as they were both librarians. Akiko's and Li's performance of Saiyuki Shakespeare went very well. We both struggled a bit with our new lines, but this time Akiko's spear didn't break. Also, since we were doing it live, we were able to pause a bit for laughter so the audience wouldn't miss our next line.

Our skit was in the top running for the prize, and we think it is safe to say that we came in second place, but we were beaten for the top slot by a Mario and Luigi duo who had signed up at the last minute. Though we joked about how they "stole" our prize, we have to admit we were impressed by their ability to think quickly on their feet and respond with a good deal of amusement to situations like parts of their costumes falling apart. And really, one can't expect to win against fan favorites like Mario and Luigi. It's just not done.

After the cosplay we stuck around for the uber webcomic panel, during which a few panelists were of questionable sobriety. Still, the panel was quite fun, and it was neat to put a face to many of the webcomics we like to read and just to watch them bantering with each other.

Sunday

Once again, we got in barely half an hour earlier than we had the previous night, and woke up far to early again In the morning for our final day of the con. The rest of the artist's however, were clearly hungover, and many did not arrive at the artist’s alley until almost noon. In general, Sunday morning was absolutely dead, as it was obvious many con goers and webcomic artists partied hard the night before. We passed easily half a dozen people sleeping on chairs and couches in the hallway around the con hall.

Akiko and Li's art table had been moved during the night to our new location, right beside Bob May's table, the robot from Lost in Space. He apparently wasn't pleased with having to have an artist next to him, so he requested that if someone had to be there, then it had to be pretty girls. Matt was happy to oblige him, and had asked the night before whether we minded being seated next to him. We didn’t. He was a fun dirty old man, who kept hitting on Akiko for her LOW cut top on her Saiyuki costume Saturday (If you've got them, flaunt them, right?), and for her rather SHORT skirt and wings with her domestic griffin costume on Sunday. Li dressed in her punk sex kitten outfit and completed her outfit with two chibi Cthlulu plushies-her own chibi chibi Cthlulu and a slightly larger chibi Cthlulu that she ganked (again) from the boys at Daze in the Haze.

Ironically, since the morning had been so dead, the afternoon was quite successful. Although we kept losing people throughout the afternoon as first Ted, then Mookie, and others left to get their planes and busses. We got to meet Mookie's Luna Cosplayer though, and glomp him before he left. Finally, the dealer's room closed, and Li put in an hour helping pack before she departed, having to work at 8 am the next morning. Akiko finished helping pack, and by then, the con was mostly populated by volunteers who had not yet left. It was clearly time to go, and we declare Connecticon over with regret.