Not so crazy. There is a "reader cameo" list I keep (which there are several ways to get onto), and when I have opportunities in the comic I pull from it.
Have you tried FF with noscript disabled? I'm just curious if this is an issue with noscript or FF on Windows (I use FF but on a Mac, so it might be a build difference). If you need to block my ads, adblock plus doesn't seem to interfere with the comment system :P
That's really weird. -- what browser are you using? ( this may be a security issue -- the comment form is in an iframe hosted on trhonline.com, so some browsers may be blocking the login )
It's weird the site thinks you're logged in but it's not giving you a comment box -- the comment box is just iframed in -- being served directly from the TRHOnline.com URL.
Maybe you have the nonlogged in version of the comment box in a local cache? Or you have a security setting preventing my cross domain kludge of a comment system from letting you be logged in?
ALLOW ME TO DECONSTRUCT YOUR JOKE NICK AND TURN IT BACK ON YOU: It is absolutely correct to say that I am not a classification of human sex - as those would be defined by terms such as male, female and intersexed.
I HAVE.a classification - but that's only the business of myself and my wife.
When's the last tie someone confirmed YOUR classification, Nick? :P
Glad you like it! Encourage your friend to do his comic - the world needs more comics set at cons. There are plenty of other, good con related names for his comic. :)
Let me know when it hits the interwebs - I'd love to read it.
That person isn't "me" - there is no Trae Dorn in the universe of UnCONventional as I incorporated too much of my own background into Marcus during Room 825 and Full Circle which share the same continuity. That guy in the hat just LOOKS like me.
(And Langland, I'm not sure if you quite understood that Max was judging just on the costume... The joke comes from presumed motivations and their reversals...
You did notice we're talking 2014 and not 2013, right? Most cons don't announce more than a year in advance even if they have a contract with their hotel.
And Unagi Con, if you recall, has borrowed resources from Bork Con before, so there's a closer relationship here.
Maybe the relationships between cons is unique to Wisconsin, but that's the world I know - and there's an interdependence between events there.
I don't think any of us get paid to run cons -- or at least no one who reads this comic -- but you just said "offering stuff for work," not "offering stuff for working cons." :P
I'm just suggesting you're advocating we all move to a commune in rural Nebraska where we live off the land, stop bathing, get rid of all of our doors, share sandals and play ukeleles all night. :P
Well, and if you go back, you'll note they're only going to be in this hotel for one year - as Max reserved space in a hotel in their home town for 2013 (it's offhandedly mentioned once).
Note: While it’s true that many things are based on actual events, the characters contained within this strip are not meant to be direct analogs for actual people. They are not based off of people living, dead, or undead and any resemblance is coincidental. Nor are they based off of Ferrets.
Because that would be weird.
so... I clearly don't know what you're talking about :P
Wage Project is a fictional anime series I created so fictional voice actor Troy Harrington could star in something. It's been mentioned in the comice half a dozen times now.
I have a vague premise for it, but nothing worth going over. :P
Tara's the kind of person to stay to the bitter end of a con (and she grew up locally, so it would have been easy to do - remember, she attended the con for years prior to joining staff).
At the very least Max would have assumed she had heard it there, because as one of the senior convention staff (Treasurer) she was involved in the 2011 closing ceremonies herself.
Which means she was sitting next to him when he talked about it.
Lynn's religion is a carry over from Full Circle. It was put into her back story mainly because Marcus, the character originally based off of me, is an atheist, and I wanted to leave the door open to explore my own actual faith.
...and once I establish something as canon, even if no one can check it, it bothers me to change it.
So no, Lynn's neither a self insert, author avatar, nor a "mary sue" (and you're kind of using that term wrong)
For year one it was just the single sheet, yeah. I remember doing them myself. We didn't have a lot of stuff year one - no program guide, no t-shirts, no Sunday... :P
Nah, I just mentioned it once during a meeting ice breaker where we had to say a few of our hobbies. Also, I get along with my coworkers, and when I take time off of work (which doesn't happen often) they ask why -- and usually it's because my wife and I are going to a con -- so I tell them.
It also helps that when I still worked in the office I wore con shirts a lot :P
Kitty - There's a second bedroom in the apartment (that Lynn had previously set up as an office). There's a Futon in that room as well, but Megan apparently slept in the living room instead. I did think of this, I just didn't think it was important enough to explicitly state in the strip.
Calvsie - Jeff is just a coworker of Lynn's. In this strip we move from the morning to later in the day when Lynn is done with work.
Megan got sidelined for a while, yeah. I think before this storyline she gets talked about almost as often as she appeared - that's why I tried to insert her during the Bork Con storyline, and had Lynn talk about them moving in together with Marcus during the con.
The extreme cliff notes version over the next couple of days, yeah. I originally was going to go much deeper, but I figured three pages of monologuing was already pretty high. :P
I've been watching people's reactions to Scrappy, and while Scrappy has sometimes done the wrong thing (like the Awesome Roy situation), for the most part he's been kind of crapped on. I've been surprised with how some people don't understand his point of view, really.
I write our leads to be likable but flawed. They do not always do the right thing, and their point of view is very specific. Think about the fact that Veronica, who has truly been unreasonable to Tara admittedly, has been elected to a high position in the con. Other people MUST like her, or else that wouldn't happen. And maybe she's been cruel to Tara because not long after she and Max broke up, Max started spending all his time with Tara (if you pay attention to Veronica's first appearance, the breakup is mentioned as being recent). Considering how young Tara is, isn't it reasonable to assume that this may have hurt Veronica even more?
Sure, Veronica has still been unreasonable, but she's at least understandable. What I'm saying is that like all things in life, you have to try and see it from both sides - and just because you like someone doesn't make them always right. :P
I want to be clear that I'm mixing elements of multiple real events (at multiple hotels) for this story, but yes - a hotel once did respond like this to an issue this sized.
I'd rather it not be posted here. Really, we've all gotten too specific... I mean, I changed the names and a couple of details because even in my glee mocking this guy, I just want to make fun of him - not ruin his day.
I don't want to directly comment on the real situation, but many of said con's staff read this comic - including their con chair. I wouldn't bother talking to their security team, but do whatcha want.
As for "how this is handled," the model you're describing is a far more complicated one than most Anime cons in Wisconsin use - especially a 1500 attendee con like the one in this strip. The fictional Bork Con uses a model similar to the convention I cofounded, No Brand Con, and you may find my fifteen years of Con staffing - a decade of which were spent running my own event from scratch - lacking, but hey, I'm 31. It's what I've got.
While we have seen a vendor head, Gary, in the strip, the vendor has directly approached Max. Max is the Con Director (equivalent to Con Chair), and has the authority during the con to make any required executive decisions. If the vendor had approached the Vendor Head, the Vendor Head would have consulted with Max anyways.
The vendor has asked that another vendor, in this case the fictional Skylar Games, be removed from the event. The proposed offense is merely that one of the vendor's workers is wearing a political T-shirt (this is a little different than the real situation this parodies - but is close enough). As this is not prohibited in either the general con rules or the vendor contract (as a simple statement opposing a politician isn't classified as Hate Speech), demanding the removal of Skylar Games isn't something that can be done without violating the contract with Skylar Games.
Max, politely I might add, informed Paul from Anime Funzone of this.
If you think obfuscation is the best approach, I can only be skeptical towards what kind of relationship those cons have with their attendees and vendors. Transparency is king, and directness appreciated in my experience.
Can I point out the "let's not get into this" on the previous comic was put there because I was afraid a lot of my audience would use it as an opportunity to bash republicans?
The real Funzone guy is a dick. I've known it for years.
I only learned what his political affiliations were a week and a half ago when he made it an issue. :P
The story is meant to be about how this ONE GUY is crazy, not an indictment of a political philosophy.
As for abandoned tables: Most con vendor contracts have terms regarding table abandonment and the con being allowed to resell them, at least at the cons I've worked.
Secondly: the only reason the character is a Republican or that Gov. Walker was the issue was because THAT'S WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
I'm sorry that offends you, but it's true. The character in the strip has actually been more polite than the real person he's based on as well.
This is about him demanding someone else being kicked out of the con because they expressed a different political belief even.
Also, what you may not know, is that these particular strips are based off of a very real incident which recently occurred, and I have not exaggerated the actions of the vendor in the story.
I often lift real incidents in their entirety and just change the names and put them in the strip. That's all that's happened here.
Yeah... Well the. You're waaaay more prepared than I am. :P
To be fair, Tara had been counting on the ability to use a digital check in system that uses the internet. She's only having problems because the hotel wifi is down so they can't use it.
It gets really important during 24 hour cons, when something happens at 4am and you've only got a skeleton staff. Clear authority about who can make what decision really kicks in when 90% of your senior staff is asleep.
Department/Track heads still run their departments, but it means they can focus on making sure their own events function, and not have to, say, hunt down a rogue volunteer... Or call 911.
I also have a personal distaste for dedicated security staff. Don't get me wrong, I've known some great guys who do con security - and they do it well - but I prefer a holistic, integrated approach for medium sized cons... But if you do that, you absolutely NEED a floor manager.
The floor manager is effectively the active staff member "in charge" at any given moment. The role is filled by a high level (or in Phil's case former high level) staffer. They make sure all staff and volunteers are where they're supposed to be, as well as handle any problems. If there's a problem or emergency, they have the authority to deal with it.
This role is sometimes called Manager on Duty in some other cons
It's a really common role in midwest cons, not just anime ones.
They're just doing the first step -- stuffing envelopes with generic letters.
Each envelope must also be mailing labelled, have the member specific letter placed in it, have the correct postage affixed, have the return address stamped on it, be double checked prior to sealing, and finally be sealed.
So a full letter is assembled by at least eight people (not counting the one to two people printing out more stuff while the assembly line runs - and there's likely someone coordinating as well).
Of course, the first fifty always take more time than the last hundred and fifty, as you have to build the rhythm. :P
That's the only problem with the twice a week update schedule and a cast this size. Heck, Sunny was meant to be a much larger character, but we haven't seen her in a looooong time.
Scrappy's storyline is going to be an interesting one though, so expect to see more of him over time. :)
Eh, this is probably where we'll leave Jerkface (my official name for him -- check the tags), as he's caught in a trap constructed by his own twisted worldview.
He's in a position where he has to either admit to being wrong, or he has to consider himself a "failure" as a man. The normal reaction for him should be rage, but he also knows Lynn can beat the snot out of him if she wants to.
I think the self inflicted humiliation being compounded on him is the only karmic punishment needed.
Oh Langland... just because some members of staff think someone's crazy, doesn't mean there aren't people who disagree.
There are multiple social sub-cliques in every con staff. You've been seeing Veronica from the point of view of Max, Max's current girlfriend, and Max's two best friends. Of COURSE they think she's crazy - and YES she has been acting out of hand towards them. There's no doubt their view is easily justified.
But what you haven't seen is her interactions with OTHER people. While Veronica may be treating our main characters like crap, she may be really nice to everyone else. And when groups (like the fictional Bork Con) elect their leaders, they see a person who interacted with them positively and did their previous job fine.
And, frankly, if Max went around saying "Veronica is a crazy b*tch," he'd just look like he was bashing his ex-girlfriend to everyone else.
Why? If you have three con staffs with equipment at a hotel, with vendors who want to try to make their money back (as a canceled hotel room at that point they'd still have to pay for) - this seems like the most logical outcome.
I know it is. It's also the state animal because of the copper miners who were referred to as Badgers moreso than the prevalence of actual animals in the state.
Cheesus - a phone would require a person to dial it. And you'll notice there are quite a few people who showed up looking for the con... and it's not as far fetched as you might think.
I learned to drive in a 1986 Mercury Grand Marquis - they really are great cars. That V8 with rear wheel drive was honestly a lot of fun to drive. I honestly miss that car -- it was a nightmare in winter, but still.
Mine was the standard 5.0 Windsor V8, but I figured since there was a (rarely sold) 5.8L V8 availaible in the 86... well, that would be Lynn's.
Also mine was silver - where I made Lynn's the same red as the one from the car chase in To Live and Die in L.A. (which was probably an 84 or 85, but the exterior body would be identical)
Actually, meeting your dad when Crysta and I first started going out wasn't that bad - he was perfectly friendly. I think the only thing the fictional Mr. Pryzbl has in common with your father is the possession of a shotgun. :P
It's for that exact reason that when I wanted to create my "Nightmare Guest" I invented Troy Harrington instead of going to anyone real (as I have for most of the other jokes involving guests)
Simple, you just kick them out. You check IDs at registration, and give the reg workers a list of those not allowed to come in. In truth, I've never been banned from anything in my life, but I can only imagine that if I started punching people it would happen. :P
Alex -- the Go-Mega-Con thing was a fairly large plot point. It's the whole reason Tiffany Grant was mad at Max, remember? Go back to this strip.
It's actually a lot more complex than that Langland (and as a person who worked staff on a con I was the director for, I hope you're joking :P)
Even though you aren't doing a lot of the work, you have to not only make sure that other people are doing things, but actually know what those departments are supposed to be doing at any given moment.
Hell, the month before the con may be the most time consuming part, but it's also the easiest. Knowing what to do say, six months before the con... that's hard.
Actually, I was just skipping over the three months of dead time that cons I've worked usually have. No Brand Con doesn't really do anything in June, July or August for example. It's hard to make con planning jokes when they wouldn't be planning the con yet.
(Also, it lets us get back to "Current time" in the strip, without getting sidetracked by the several month time delay)
Langland -- Tara had a crush on Max since the beginning of the strip. Hints were dropped several times PRIOR to the events at Unagi Con even.
So... to summarize the story so far, Tara had a crush on Max. At Unagi Con, when Max was drunk, Tara made a move on Max and they slept together. With all the angst and public pressure that immediately followed a few hours later, Tara effectively ran away from the whole thing. Max, of course, likes Tara but wasn't sure what to do -- so he did nothing. Now, several months later, Tara has kissed Max.
There's nothing easy about it at all. Very few of my actual relationships were anywhere near this complicated.
Although I think it's fair to say we've been building to this for a very long time. It's not like they didn't sleep together a few months prior (remember, it's still August in the strip)
Well, I actually could make them look about a thousand times nicer, but if I made them look too nice, they'd contrast with the rest of the strip.
Considering this is based off of an actual location too, I wanted to get the feel right. When I do backgrounds like this, it takes about five times longer to do the comic. This is why the Tuesday comic had so much re-used artwork (so I could make the time to do this one)
Actually, no - Megan is just a straight forward love interest for Lynn. I have a storyline planned for this, but I haven't decided *when* I want it to play out.
The massive time slow down of the past few months has made it hard to execute their story (It's still August in UnCONventional as Bork Con only ended a few days ago for the characters)
Wow - what a bitter, pessimistic view you have there.
We've gotten a lot of good feedback over the years. It's lets us know what people liked and didn't like. I've been a part of the closing Ceremonies panel at No Brand Con for most of its existence, and while we have to say no to some ideas, we do consider a lot of what's said.
What also happens at closing ceremonies is that when we have to say no to an idea it allows us to explain WHY we don't do something. Understanding why things happen is important.
Well I was one of the ushers in the earlier scene, and it was the easiest way to show that the two different usher snippets were different people, since most of the other ushers were "generics." :P
Actually, it isn't. I have a floorplan for the fictional hotel Bork Con is being held in (so I could be consistant), it just happens to have two doors at the one end of their main events hall like the Eau Claire Ramada.
Well Langland, when a man and a woman love each other very much... a webcomic artist comes up with a storyline and writes in things he believes make sense. :P
Oh Langland... never underestimate the determination of someone like this...
Okay, in truth this is comic is where we'll wrap this up -- but you should imagine that Max's conversation with this guy took a half hour and just went in circles... I'm just not going to make the readership sit through it. :P
In truth? I'm not sure. I didn't bother checking every Anime DVD the guy had, and I have a hard time remembering who is in what series. It's just that I used the fictional "Wage Project" series as the example in the previous strip, and I've already established that Troy Harrington stars in that show. Originally, when I scripted it, that last line wasn't in there. Max just told off the vendor... but I decided I liked this ending better.
No. In truth, most vendors are great. I've made friends with quite a few vendors over the years, and they are for the most part honest, hardworking people who love the con scene and would never dream of ripping off their customers.
There are a few bad apples though. And when you catch those few with bootlegs, almost always their first response will be "That isn't bootleg."
In the case that this strip is based off of (of which it is not even an exaggeration), we were dealing with a special kind of jackassery which is rarely seen.
Well, for the record Langland, if you're working a con and you see someone selling bootlegs, you should inform either the Vendor head or the current Floor Manager. The Merchandise Head I'm sure has other things to worry about. :P
