Hi all,
Here's a quick rundown on UK GenCon, which has just finished - a lot of
this is pretty irrelevant (and irreverant) but I thought it might be of some
interest.
NOTE: it's late, I'm knackered, and a lot of this is written with tongue
firmly in cheek - any list members with a sense-of-humour bypass should
probably stop reading now.....
UK GenCon, 2-6 Sept 98.
Held at Loughborough University, the con is VERY different from US GenCon.
For a start it is only about 2000-odd people (some VERY odd...), and
there is relatively little miniatures gaming, most of the con being CCGs
(arrgh, shufflers!), RPG stuff and LARPers (Fantasy ones and lots of
vampires). In
what mini gaming there was, GZG stuff was quite well represented - Barry
Giles of the SFSFW was running some good FT games, Gary Guy was doing
assorted FT/Trek stuff, the BITS boys were demo-ing some Traveller FT
crossovers and a couple of chaps (sorry guys, can't recall names) were doing
both SG and DS with the same lot of 6mm minis. What other minis there were
consisted largely of a lot of Battletech, one small Warzone demo, some GW
stuff by a local store club, and demos of Flintloque and Leviathan by the CCI
and Grendel trade teams respectively. The trade hall hours were a ludicrous
9am to 8pm, which by the time we'd
got in and out each day meant effectively twelve-hour days. Due to this,
our crew (me, Tim and Simon - Dave couldn't make it) had no time to get
involved in any gaming - after trade closing time each night all we
wanted to do was eat and then find a suitable bar. Trade was good overall,
similar
to last year in total though Thursday and Friday were worryingly quiet -
Saturday and Sunday made up for it, thankfully. Buying patterns were
completely different to those at wargame shows - we sold a lot more of
the various character figures, anime figs and general weird stuff than
military things like SG figs. A lot of FT ships sold as usual, and the B'tech
boys cleared us out of Microtac resin. As usual, we spent much of the time
admiring the various vampire and elf costumes and the young ladies who were
almost wearing them, but had to be much more careful at the ritual Rocky
Horror screening on Saturday evening due to the difficulty of accurately
discerning the sex of many of those wearing basques and stockings....
Highlight of the Con has to be Claudia Christian as GOH, who is a lovely lady
with an evil sense of humour and a staggering capacity for alcohol.
After becoming totally rat-faced drinking god knows what in the Students
Union bar on Friday night her behaviour and language degenerated into
something more reminiscent of her character in Hexed than that of
Ivanova -
a truly wonderful sight to behold! (Mind you, the B5 episode when Ivanova gets
completely plastered and trashes the Zocalo bar now seems eerily
accurate......). A moment of sheer farce occurred when a couple of
neo-fascist security goons with limited brain functions, checking con
badges at the door of the bar after 11pm to keep any rogue mundanes out,
refused to let Claudia in because she hadn't actually got her badge on her.
They still wouldn't budge when one of the senior organisers vouched for the
fact that she WAS the GOH, and it took someone lending her a spare badge to
get her in.... (meanwhile, Warwick (Wicket) Davies marched in with "Drunken
Ewok" proudly scribbled on the back of his pass). Other guests included
Michael Sheard, Peter (Chewbacca) Mayhew (who is VERY, VERY tall...), the very
pretty girl who played Oola in RotJ and Kenny "I spent the whole movie in a
dustbin" Baker. The food was crap, the beds awful, bits of the organisation
were farcical (though Chris Baylis did a sterling job against frightening odds
keeping the trade hall in line, as always), but at the end of the day we had
fun AND made money. By next year we'll all have forgotten the bad bits and be
looking forward to it again.
Oh, I nearly forgot, they put all the shufflers in a couple of big tents
(Marquees de Sad....??), which leaked when it chucked it down on Saturday....
<grin>
> Jon (GZG), who probably disclaims most of the responsibility for
Careful Jon, some of us might want to cuddle up next to you just to get some
of that CC ambience.
(Shudder). Its late...
> Ground Zero Games wrote:
> As usual, we spent much of the time admiring the various vampire and
Obviously Europe breeds a much more attractive female gamer than we do on our
side of the Atlantic. Trust me, girl watching at our GenCon is (with a couple
of RARE exceptions) an exercise in masochism. The mailing list delegation made
up for it by going to Hooters on Saturday.
(Sigh..... I still can't get that red-head out of my mind...)
> Highlight of the Con has to be Claudia Christian as GOH, who is a
Of course... she's Russian. ;-)
> After becoming totally rat-faced drinking god knows what in the
The next day those same rent-a-cops were found unconscious in
the parking lot after receiving numerous blows from one or several blunt
instruments. When they came to at a local hospital, they would mumble
deliriously about "red eyes," "spots," and "louisville sluggers."
> (meanwhile, Warwick (Wicket) Davies marched in with "Drunken
There's nothing more dangerous than a drunken ewok! Just ask any Imperial
Stormtrooper.
> The food was crap, the beds awful, bits of the organisation were
Of course... it's a gaming convention.
> Oh, I nearly forgot, they put all the shufflers in a couple of big
Hmmmmm... sounds eerily familiar. We were monsooned upon in Milwaukee for two
days straight during GenCon. That was all right for the RPGers and CCGers who
didn't have to budge from their nice, dry, climate controlled convention
center. We miniature wargamers had to trek two blocks in the pouring rain to
get from the convention center to the Auditorium where our events were being
held.
> Jon (GZG), who probably disclaims most of the responsibility for
SIGH.... Claudia was at US GenCon too. However I have this "thing" about
celebrities; they make me nervous. The best I could do was catch the
occasional glimpse of her signing autographs at the Precedence booth.
> -----Original Message-----
I agree. I shocked several straightlaced US industry people by complaining
loudly last year that if they had warned me it was "fat chick in chainmail
bikini day" I would have stayed away.;) Americans always try to be polite. I
just try not to horrified.
> Jon (GZG), who probably disclaims most of the responsibility for
Eccchhh.....
> Ground Zero Games wrote:
Oh, we have our share of ones for the flesh-fetishists too!! LARP and
associated things seem to be an excuse for exhibitionist tendencies to come
out in most gamer girls of whatever shape and gross tonnage........ Mind you
there were a good few extremely cute ones there!
> Highlight of the Con has to be Claudia Christian as GOH, who is a
[snip]
> Jon (GZG), who probably disclaims most of the responsibility for
The really nice thing is that instead of being shepherded around by minders
and organisers and only allowed near us slavering gamers under carefully
controlled conditions, Claudia (and the other guests) was mixing freely with
everyone and having a great time (until she fell down while very, very
drunk and did something nasty to her ankle - she was in plaster on
Saturday....). I got some lovely photos of her signed (paid for them, but all
money to charity), got the latest issue of SFX signed across an interview with
her and spent a good while just chatting with her.
> --
> On Tue, 8 Sep 1998 09:46:32 +0100 Ground Zero Games
[snip]
> But did you give her examples of CR-2A and -2B? After all,
Yes, I gave her a CR2B, and she was really chuffed with it - hopefully
it won't get us sued!!! She also wouldn't give my copy of SFX back till she'd
read the interview
-
she hadn't seen that issue before!
> I still say that you should do GC versions of Ivanova and
As a double figure vignette, perhaps.....??
> Phil, official GZG-approved pervert to this list,
Small commercial BTW for all you perverts out there: we've had some
A3-size
frameable prints made (just 200 copies) of the Biker Babe (BB03)
illustration that we use on the back of the 1998 catalogue - they're on
sale now at £5.95 plus p&p (£1.20 postage in UK, £2.50 overseas). Put
On Tue, 8 Sep 1998 09:46:32 +0100 Ground Zero Games
<jon@gzero.dungeon.com> made us all *insanely* jealous by writing:
> Highlight of the Con has to be Claudia Christian as
> Jon (GZG), who probably disclaims most of the
To which Mark replied:
> SIGH.... Claudia was at US GenCon too. However I have
> Then Jon wrote:
But did you give her examples of CR-2A and -2B? After all,
these days, true fame is being made into a figurine, and GZG did it for the
gorgeous Claudia before anyone else!
I still say that you should do GC versions of Ivanova and Delenn.
Phil, official GZG-approved pervert to this list,
reminding everyone _how_ I got that "title" <g>. BTW, Mark,
how about some details about the red-head?
> On Tue, 8 Sep 1998 00:03:18 +0100, Ground Zero Games writes:
Claudia defenitly has a tendency to get.... cuddley.. after a couple of beers.
Or maybe more like a couple of couple of beers.;)
Maybe someone should start a "I've been cuddled by Claudia" fanclub.
(Speaking as someone who once spent an hour teaching this strange and very
drunk person to sword fight by lantern light, getting a very
drunk kiss as a thank-you, and only finding out the next day
that it was Claudia.)
> On Mon, 07 Sep 1998 19:44:30 -0600, "Mark A. Siefert." writes:
Mark, as all the star type people I've met (and I've met a number at Bay Area
scifi cons), Claudia was one of the most approachable. Especially after shes
had a few.:)
> Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 16:36:10 -0400
> Matthew Seidl wrote:
I have not. I think my parents might get a little distressed with the thought
of there 14 year old son 'Cuddleing with Claudia?':) Aaron Davis
http://www.geocities.com/timessquare/castle/8274/index.html
> Matthew Seidl wrote:
Great, is there anybody on the list other than me who HASN'T 'Cuddled
with Claudia?' (8-)
J.
<Snip> I'm sorry, I seem to have subscribed to the 'I got drunk with Claudia
Christian' list by mistake. Which seems to have a very large number of
members. Hmm. Grr. Why do I only ever remember about Cons on the day they are
happening. Next year publicise it a bit on the list, I'll drop by.
TTFN
Jon
> At 16:36 08/09/98 -0400, you wrote:
Yes. Me. <Sulk>
:).
TTFN
Jon
> At 04:36 PM 9/8/98 -0400, Jerry Han wrote:
> Great, is there anybody on the list other than me who HASN'T 'Cuddled
Well,I've only shook her hand.:) And that was after she made fun of my last
name in front of an entire SF convention (on stage,the whole bit. My last
name's 'Blow',and she has a rather bawdy sense of humor. I got crucified.:).
But at least I won the door prize at the con (free pass to the next con),got
to meet Claudia,AND got a signed poster of her in her Highlander outfit. Well,
almost in her Highlander outfit (she's laying on a bearskin rug wearing a
string bikini bottom,with a pair of swords concealing the other exciting
bits).:)
> Matthew Seidl wrote:
Jerry Han wailed:
> Great, is there anybody on the list other than me who HASN'T 'Cuddled
Who is Claudia? (I don't need to know, but that should make you feel better,
Jerry)
> At 16:33 08/09/98 -0600, you wrote:
When did Mark turn into Al Bundy? I thought that was to be my fate...
On Tue, 08 Sep 1998 22:00:58 +0100 Jonathan White <Jw4@bolton.ac.uk>
writes:
> At 16:36 08/09/98 -0400, you wrote:
I haven't, but I have dated Cher. I didn't want to; I had to, because it
was my turn. :-)
> Atcliffe, Phillip wrote:
> Phil, official GZG-approved pervert to this list,
Not much to tell... Dean Gundberg and I were served by a NICE looking
blonde. However my eye kept straying over to said red-head. She was
tall, "volupcious," (Come on! This was a Hooters!) with shoulder-lenth
red hair. I never got to speak her. So I had to admire her from affar.
Something I have to do with all the women I'm interested in.
Jerry seeks info:
> Matthew Seidl wrote:
Yeah, me. But y'all can have her; I've my sights set on Pat instead.
;-)
(dragging this ever so briefly back on-topic, and speaking of my fave
teep, anyone worked up any decent rules for psi powers in StarGrunt?)
Mk
> Keeper of the Unofficial FT Page writes:
Oh, come now, Mark, I seem to remember there being a point when you were
involved with someone (I even remember her name ;) - that's more than
some of us on the list can say. You can't be telling us you weren't interested
in her!
Okay, I can't think of a way to drag this onto a relevant topic. (unless you
provide Jon with an accurate description of your redhead so he can get a fig
sculpted for Phil and you:)
Mk
> You wrote:
> I have not. I think my parents might get a little distressed with the
One would hope Claudia wouldn't get THAT drunk.:)
Jon (GZG) writes
> Small commercial BTW for all you perverts out there: we've had some
> Jon (GZG)
Well, that all depends on who's *in* the Russian Army uniforms (Claudia, could
you put this on?)
With jealousy,
> Off the beaten path I reign wrote:
> Oh, come now, Mark, I seem to remember there being a point when you
Gina was her name Indy. Yes, I was VERY interested in her. ;-)
However, there is one slight problem: She stopped being interested in
me. :-(
> Okay, I can't think of a way to drag this onto a relevant topic.
(unless
> you provide Jon with an accurate description of your redhead so he can
Funny you should mention it. I just finished painting my complete SGII
platoon. (Including a couple of APCs and some Heavy Weapons marines I
received from Geo-Hex today-- Thanks again KR!) One of my female sqaud
leaders is a carrot top, the other is a blonde. I would have made the other a
brunette, but that would have reminded me of... <sob>... Gina.
> You wrote:
Nice job, just one comment:
> Fearless
In this case, I'd consider even a minor sucess as a major one, inflicting
potential casualties. Supression isn't just 'coz troops are nervous, it's
because they are hitting the dirt to avoid sudden death. If you march up
without ducking, you end up very very dead instead.
> At 04:36 PM 9/8/98 -0400, Jerry Han wrote:
Where do I get a poster like that from..............(drool drool drool)
> At 02:57 AM 9/10/98 +1000, Paul Frigo wrote:
> At 04:36 PM 9/8/98 -0400, trapper wrote:
> Where do I get a poster like that from ..............(drool drool
At the con I went to she had a guy/agent/helper-slave with her that was
selling them along with lots of other publicity shots. It was kinda on the
pricy side ($25 bucks for a poster about 2 feet x 2.5 feet),but well worth it.
If you folks want to see Claudia at a con you'd better act quickly. At the one
I was at she announced that,since she's no longer on B5,she's going to stop
doing conventions soon. She mentioned her last convention appearance will be
at a huge B5 con taking place next year,called The Voice of The Resistance. It
sounded real interesting,all the cast members from the show,many recurring
characters and other people associated with the show are going to be there.
Unfortunately it's in Southern California,which is kind of a long hike for
most of you (and me).
> At 02:57 AM 9/10/98 +1000, Paul Frigo wrote:
At
> the one I was at she announced that,since she's no longer on B5,she's
I would assume she means she's going to stop doing B5 conventions, not stop
altogether. At UKGC, she was there with the crew from the proposed(?) new TV
SF series "First Frontier", which she's apparently signed up for. As to
the pictures/posters, at UKGC she was charging for the photos, but with
the money going to the John Wayne cancer charity; stuff brought along by
attendees was being signed free.
In a message dated 9/9/98 6:56:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> jon@gzero.dungeon.com writes:
> I would assume she means she's going to stop doing B5 conventions,
new
> TV SF series "First Frontier", which she's apparently signed up for.
As to
> the pictures/posters, at UKGC she was charging for the photos, but
Most, if not all of the cast of B5 that I have had sign autographs were
donating the proceeds to one charity or another, and many like CC signed the
first item free. I'm not really an autograph hound so I'm not sure if this is
common pratice among sci-fi/fantasy stars but it is refreshing after
hearing tales of some sports legends autograph prices.
> At 07:02 PM 09-09-98 EDT, you wrote:
As to
> the pictures/posters, at UKGC she was charging for the photos, but
Uhh, guys. What part did she play on B5, I watched it but not that close.
> Uhh, guys. What part did she play on B5, I watched it but not that
Heretic!!
Pardon my zeal, I've been a fanatic about this show for a while.
She plays commander Susan Ivanova, second in command of Babylon 5. Shes the
tall sexy woman with the stern outward demeanour.
> Niall Gilsenan wrote:
"The expanding Russian frontier... with very nice borders." (8-)
OKAY, I need to get some sleep. NOW. (8-)
J.
> At 01:04 10/09/98 +0100, you wrote:
Hmm.. I could see how it wouldn't appeal to the SG/DS mobs actually.
> Pardon my zeal, I've been a fanatic about this show for a while.
Shes
> the tall sexy woman with the stern outward demeanour.
Hmm. Is she that tall:)?
Can we kill this thread now folks? It's been fun but it's getting very geeky.
TTFN
Jon