Anime Central in Chicago

[mark_engels]

is happening May 16-18.  I live in northwestern Indiana so may well head over there for the day.

http://www.acen.org/main.html

Might I see any other EHOL listers there?

*cough*Adcock*cough*  All work and no play, you know...

Of late when I go to anime cons its usually to hang out with other fictwriters and make some new friends.  Maybe it's just me--dealer's tables don't hold much interest for me anymore (save for that rare EH or Eva trinket I might pick up.  These days I'm into hat badges, pins, and patches.  Does anyone know if one was ever made of the Roshtarian double-sun crest?)

Fictwriting panels are sometimes interesting to sit in upon, especially (as was the case the last time I was at Anime Iowa) when the panelists are not fictwriters themselves.  The best part was I didn't even have to open my mouth before someone recognised several of my wider known fictwriter bretheren; pretty soon the panel revolved more around them than the original panel.  

--me

Mark Engels

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Might I see any other EHOL listers there?

Well, naturally, you know I'm out of range.  

Of late when I go to anime cons its usually to hang out with other fictwriters and make some new friends.  Maybe it's just me--dealer's tables don't hold much interest for me anymore (save for that rare EH or Eva trinket I might pick up.  

I kind of have the same problem, but it's more related to the fact that the general way I've operated throughout my life is that if I'm a big fan of something at a given time period I only nurture that.  That is, I won't put money into anything else I happen to like anymore than to get it basically.  (Ex: I love Back to the Future, but only enough that I got the DVD Triology set; I abstain from buying soundtracks or any collectables.)  Probably if my money grew on one of those trees in my backyard it'd be a little different.  

Does anyone know if one was ever made of the Roshtarian double-sun crest?)

I DON'T know, but I'd be interested in knowing if they did.

The best part was I didn't even have to open my mouth before someone recognised several of my wider known fictwriter bretheren; pretty soon the panel revolved more around them than the original panel.  

Heh, it's nice to have that kind of fame.  I'm a little nobody in my corner at the moment.  

[MrWhat]

Might I see any other EHOL listers there?

*cough*Adcock*cough*  All work and no play, you know...

No, sorry, I'm pretty much booked at least thru mid-June.  Keep after me, though, and we'll probably run into each other one of these days.

Of late when I go to anime cons its usually to hang out with other fictwriters and make some new friends.

Never been to an anime convention.  To be honest, can't say I'm that interested in going to one, at this point in my life.  Not much of a socializer, I'm afraid.

This message board is by far the most Internet socializing I've done since I quit Usenet and all my old mailing lists in the mid-1990s.  Don't you all feel lucky  

On the other hand, it might be fun to get some EH people together at one of those Chicago conventions, and have a mini-El-Hazard convention.  I think several of us are living in and around the midwest USA.

Fictwriting panels are sometimes interesting to sit in upon

I don't know if I'd want to be recognized as the fanfic writer "MrWhat" at a convention  

Female attendee:  Are you MrWhat?
Eric:  Yeah, that's me.
Female attendee:  So you're the pathetic loser that wrote "Mara's Worst Nightmare."  (laughs in Eric's face and walks away)

[mark_engels]

No, sorry, I'm pretty much booked at least thru mid-June.  Keep after me, though, and we'll probably run into each other one of these days.

Don't MAKE me have to come to Springfield, Adcock.    Actually, I've never been there.  Maybe if I get the gumption to visit my kin folk in St. Louis I'll let you know.

Not much of a socializer, I'm afraid.

This message board is by far the most Internet socializing I've done since I quit Usenet and all my old mailing lists in the mid-1990s.  Don't you all feel lucky  

Actually, I do, because you have a lot of insightful commentary to contribute.  And the primary reason I have for going to cons at all anymore is to have chance to meet folks up until that time I'd only had chance to meet over the Internet in a setting where we wouldn't get strange looks for leafing through a copy of Etranger.

Ken Wolfe and I got together in Fargo, ND once simply because it was about halfway between Winnipeg and Minneapolis.  I felt a little uncomfortable with some of the glances being turned our way as I was reading through one of the EH art books he brought.  Then I realized the back cover had that rather...er..."revealing" picture of Rune on it with Ifurita.  We found a table large enough to lay the thing out flat to take care of that problem.

On the other hand, it might be fun to get some EH people together at one of those Chicago conventions, and have a mini-El-Hazard convention.  I think several of us are living in and around the midwest USA.

I don't know about 'mini-con' but certainly a chance to hang out in the con suite and get to know each other better.  Who knows who might join in on the EH conversation?

The only bummer is I'm pretty sure most EH (and Pioneer) VAs don't make it to the Midwest being out on the left coast and all.  ADV VAs on the other hand are a Midwest con staple.  In fact, I see that one of the guests at this years ACen is Monical Rial.  I'm a great fan of the Princess Nice anime and though her rendition of the angsty and catty Izumi Hino was a stellar performance.  Usually it's Tifanny Grant who ends up playing the angsty teenage heroine (to wit, Asuka Langley Soyhru from Eva) but in P9 she was the vain and flightly Yoko Takashigi (and will also be an ACen guest.)  Fans of the series might be interested to know Ms. Grant was originally cast and recorded as our favorite bookworm Kanako Mina (who given the Charlie Brown fandom here will cetainly exclaim "that's Marcie!" should they ever take time to watch P9.)

Ah but I digress.  

Maybe we can ride together to Anime Iowa in the fall.  AI is by far the most enjoyable con I've been to.  It's large enough to attract some big name guests (The Right Stuff IS based in Des Moines, after all) and small enough to have a very freindly feel to it.  The guests at AI usually hang out with the congoers rather than being surrounded by the goon squads I've seen at a few other cons.  

As for your self-depricating comments w.r.t. MWN, I suppose I'll have to read it again to know from whence you speak (as I do recall there is an SI portion therein.)  Your EH fict work has been solid and enjoyable, however, and certainly timely to breathe new life into the fandom.

--me

Mark Engels

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Then I realized the back cover had that rather...er..."revealing" picture of Rune on it with Ifurita.

Sorry, but that is pretty funny
I'm not quite sure who's sick idea that was.  I mean, granted I usually miss the point in Japanese symbolism, but that one is just out there.

Of course, I'm assuming this is the bugger:


As I heard, my sister jumped in disgust upon discovering that little tidbit when she found that Viz had released volume 3 of the manga series.

What makes it so dirty even is this page which depicts Rune and Ifurita making amends between themselves.  And then "friends" is taken to a whole new level.  But now I'm falling way off topic...

(who given the Charlie Brown fandom here will cetainly exclaim "that's Marcie!" should they ever take time to watch P9.)

O_o  Someday I should document some of this great trivia.

[Kathy Guinea]

Of course, I'm assuming this is the bugger:


As I heard, my sister jumped in disgust upon discovering that little tidbit when she found that Viz had released volume 3 of the manga series.

Errr... not REALLY "disgust" I mean... I AM an art student... I HAVE drawn naked people before (not like... that but... ) I looked at it in more like... a WTF kind of way ^_^ as in...
"Rune + Ifurita = Scary"

It was like random to flip it over and see that... especially when there is no indication of such a realtionship between them... it was like stumbling upon a scary assed fan art website where your favorite characters are randomly paired up with people they wouldn't be caught dead with just to quell morbid curiosity and delve into realms better left untouched... or something like that...

In short... it "surprised me"

And Ifurita is practicing the art of M4x1MuM 0wn4g3... is scary indeed....

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Well, the manga is practically fanart, so I guess it's right in the category.

And you're practicing 1337 |-|@><><0rz.

[Kathy Guinea]

And you're practicing 1337 |-|@><><0rz.

LOL well... Ifurita does have that "1 50000 0wN3d j00!!!!11!!!" look on her face ^_^ I was just being silly.

[Saucer]

Well, the manga is practically fanart, so I guess it's right in the category.

And you're practicing 1337 |-|@><><0rz.

Yup, that's because Hidetomo Tsubara actually is a doujinshi artist!   ^_^

LOL well... Ifurita does have that "1 50000 0wN3d j00!!!!11!!!" look on her face ^_^ I was just being silly.

LOL! M4x1MuM 0wn4g3 indeed!!! That picture really caught me by suprise at first. But hey, that's just Tsubara-sensei's doujinshi roots! I used to have that pic as an avatar at several boards. And it always made people go WHOA! Or, -________-;  I love it. It's so random and fanservicey!

[mark_engels]

I don't know if I'd want to be recognized as the fanfic writer "MrWhat" at a convention  

Female attendee:  Are you MrWhat?
Eric:  Yeah, that's me.
Female attendee:  So you're the pathetic loser that wrote "Mara's Worst Nightmare."  (laughs in Eric's face and walks away)

I've read through MWN up to the end of the "debug" phase.  Is that all there is of MWN to date?

Really, I think your comments about MWN in your recent post declining an appearance at Anime Central were too self-depricating.  I enjoyed MWN a great deal, as I think any Oh My Goddess fan would.  

It had a lot of the same feel to it as Fujishima's original story it.  Light, funny and, most importantly, the story didn't take itself too seriously.  Given the SI nature of the piece suggests a laudable ability to laugh at yourself.

It was enjoyable, so I'll hope I'll see more!

Sorry for the Yggdrasil hiccup.  Back to your regularly scheduled EHOL programming.  

--me

Mark Engels

[MrWhat]

Well, here I go, multi-posting to the same topic again.

Maybe we can ride together to Anime Iowa in the fall.

That's the one in Cedar Rapids?  Long ways for you to go.  But that could work.  If nothing else, I've got some college friends in Cedar Rapids, wondering why I haven't visited them for two or three years.

I'll try to keep the weekend of August 22-24 open-- I should plan well in advance for things like this, given the situation with my mother.  And maybe you can talk some other EH people into showing up, while you're at it.

[MrWhat]

And Ifurita is practicing the art of M4x1MuM 0wn4g3... is scary indeed....

Yeah, it's obvious who's wearing the pants in that relationship-- both literally and figuratively.

But the most disturbing thing about that picture might be the look on TV-Rune Venus' face.  That's an "I need a cold shower" look, if ever there was one.

And where's Rune's other hand?  

I can't believe I just wrote all that  

[MrWhat]

I've read through MWN up to the end of the "debug" phase.  Is that all there is of MWN to date?

Yes.  That serial is "resting" for one or two updates, while I hammer out more of the EH angst-fest.

Really, I think your comments about MWN in your recent post declining an appearance at Anime Central were too self-depricating.  I enjoyed MWN a great deal, as I think any Oh My Goddess fan would.  

It had a lot of the same feel to it as Fujishima's original story it.  Light, funny and, most importantly, the story didn't take itself too seriously.  Given the SI nature of the piece suggests a laudable ability to laugh at yourself.

Well, thanks for the kind words, both here and elsewhere.  But, yes, it's a self-insert.  And that's my point.  I mean, a single and socially awkward 33-year-old computer nerd writing an OMG! self-insert serial?  It is mostly a humor/parody story, and "Eric" is about 23 years old in the story, but still-- we're talking the high end of the Creepy Scale here  

It was enjoyable, so I'll hope I'll see more!

That serial is actually open-ended.  It could just go on indefinitely.  Or until people start telling me that it's Jumped The Shark.

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

And where's Rune's other hand?

I never noticed that before.  I'm not sure either.    Round the back somewhere's it almost looks like...

[mark_engels]

That's the one in Cedar Rapids?  Long ways for you to go.  

Worry not, my friend.  Remember, I'm the former truck driver who's used to tearing up the interstates for four or five hours at a shot.  

Actually one time I drove from Des Plaines, IL straight through to St. Paul, MN, though I thought for sure my bladder was going to burst.  My fellow drivers back at the yard were particularly bemused when I crumpled into a heap on the ground beneath my tractor when I dismounted.  Apparently my left thigh and leg had fallen asleep and I didn't even realize it.

But that could work.  If nothing else, I've got some college friends in Cedar Rapids, wondering why I haven't visited them for two or three years.

I'll try to keep the weekend of August 22-24 open-- I should plan well in advance for things like this, given the situation with my mother.  And maybe you can talk some other EH people into showing up, while you're at it.

Phooey!  I just read an email from a friend and fellow fictwriter named Daniel Snyder who lives in Iowa City.  He usually meets me at AI, that is, when he's not busy working on his doctoral thesis in University of Iowa's paleontology program.  But he mentioned that he would be at an anime convention in Toronto (CN Anime) that weekend and asked me if I'd like to join him.  I looked at my schedule quick like and --horror of horrors!-- noted my work was actually imposing upon my life!  Damn!  That's why I got out of the computer business in the first place!

So happens that I will have just finished the third section of my signal school that Friday after having been in lovely Barboursville, West Virginia for the better part of two weeks.  (Rosh knows I'm speaking facetiously.)    Only thing on my mind then will be to get back home to see da honey, I'm afraid.  

So I'm afraid I'll have to decline your generous offer of fellowship, Eric.  There is another Chicago anime con coming up in the fall, however.  I would think that a place like Springfield would have an anime presence at a college or something.  Isn't there an anime club in Champ-Bana?

Keep this up and I just might have to cruise down I-55 some Friday on my day off and seek you out.  

I do have some railroad industry buds down in CR I need an excuse to go see also.  So if not for AI then maybe for a SWAMP showing.  

--me

Mark Engels