Thursday Jan. 27, 2000 Well, it's here, the long-awaited time to my coming here... I get there Wednesday evening, after about a 6-hour flight, and being met out at the airport by Minnie and Jurassic. I check into Blaster's room, and chat with Blaster, Minnie, and Jurassic for awhile... Next day, Thursday, I'm to go out to a local day-care center with Minnie and Jurassic, with a coworker friend of Minnie's. The Tapenade has a nice breakfast buffet, though a little limited in what they have. $13 for the thing... [sigh] I really gotta take my own food out here rather than go out to eat all the time. The expenses really add up... As I promised a lot of people, they'd be seeing some new modifications to Mutant Cat. Bigger chestfur, new paws, makeup, and new wig. I had a newer version of the old wig hairsprayed with a darker brown that it was, but the damned stuff got all over my bathroom at home... Argh, the cleanup... I'm still cleaning up because the stuff just powders off all over you, and you know the rest... [sigh] I had to switch to a black sorceress-style wig, which gave him a nice look. Some people said that it looked better than the previous makeup job. I have to agree... I got more of a feline look, which is what I was trying to go for. After much walking around and talking with others, meeting those I'd met on the IRC, email, on the list, and from previous cons, I'm on the way to the daycare center. Minnie, Jurassic, and I get there, and go on inside, to greet the kids. From what Minnie told me, they've usually gone for her blue panther, or Minnie suit, crowding around her. Minnie's got her Minnie suit on, and Jurassic has on Bugs Bunny. For some funny reason, the kids don't quite take to me immediately, rather, they talk to me a bit. I start getting into it with some of the kids, playing with them, and so on. That seems to get them to open up a bit to me. You had to love this one little girl... "Are you a real cat? Are those your shorts?" A cat with shorts on isn't exactly something they see every day. Minnie's coworker, in Minnie's blue panther, was crowded and hugged by the kids when she walked in. Over a bit of time, the kids' parents were picking them up, and even they got a charge out of seeing us in suit. It didn't take long for the last child to be picked up and gone. That was a fun time. Then Minnie, Jurassic, and I head out to a local restaurant that has you cooking the food right there on the table. As usual, I get the stopped conversations and people asking about why I have this on. Finally, I'm able to move out of Blaster's room to another room, where I'm gonna be for awhile, and onto a dance for the rest of the evening. I even have the pleasure of meeting up with FastClaw and a few others. Tomorrow I'll post on today's events, which include the Furry Variety Show West. I'm in a few acts as well... Hmm... Preliminary thoughts about the con... Looks pretty well-run, staff seems to enjoy having us, though the food is, as usual, overpriced, though it seems to be the usual thing for hotels to overprice food... Friday Jan. 28, 2000 Well, Friday was a pretty good time for everyone, being in suit and so on. We've all been snapping pics, going through the dealer's den, and so on. The highlight of the day, if you want to call it that, is the FVSW, the Furry Variety Show West. It's pretty much now that I find that Mutant needs a change in neckfur, and maybe chestfur, since some of my makeup's coming off on the neckfur. Never overlook something like this... [sigh] At least much of it can be cleaned up with some rubbing alcohol. We're all busy with going to our sigs, panels, hosting them, visiting with friends and so on. I'm spending a little time in the dealers den when I come across this rather cute fursuit, or so it seems, of this female fox character, Kishma Danielle. Great makeup job and appliance, including contact lenses, which pretty much completes the illusion of a real fox female! I'm in the FVSW, in 4 acts, including a two-part one. Aeto is in his Kiko suit, a white tiger, with movable jaw. Good job, Aeto! The entire show goes along pretty smoothly, despite one character not being able to get on stage. I'm doing the Mischievous Kitty sketch, again hurling tootsie rolls into the audience using the bucket. Jurassic is in Rooter (blue kangaroo), and does a nice job, despite the thick mitteny paws that he has. The hilarious thing is that the nerf rocket shooter, unlike the previous Duckon, actually shot, bopping me in the nose! The two part skit, part of the "Got Fur" series, was me with Wabbit, doing a bit of a takeoff of the Alice In Wonderland scene, the "Drink Me" part. She holds up a sign saying "Drink me," and then after I drink the little bottle and leave, the little sign then says "only 1/2 tablespoon a day." Then the second part had me with Jurassic, asking him where the other person was. He holds up a placard, saying "Traffic." I then take off the 'jacket' I have on, to show that I had indeed grown fur, way too much. VermyFox does a good magic skit with Spiked Punch, and they do the Raccon Song. This time, they destroy a microwave. I'll post the FVSW playlist later on when I get home. After this, everyone goes to the Purple Nurple dance, dancing the night away. Loud music is the norm, and those in fursuits come out and dance as well. FastClaw's there, as well as the usual bunch. There's also Loriana, RobFox, and some others, all outside, in a group, talking and doing a little dancing. More coming up on the highlight of today, the masquerade. Saturday January 29, 2000 Biggest event of the day, and highlight is the masquerade. As usual, everyone's visiting their sig of choice and so on. I don't get into Mutant til about noon, since I'm doing some other things til then. The masquerade signups are up around the registration area, and it's there I find that we meet up at 6 for lineups, instead of the other time of 7pm. TygrCwby has the Fursuiters and Friends Fun and Frolic (4F) dinner in the Tapenade, after picking up our sandwiches from the nearby sandwich place, Briazz. Sandwiches there are $4.50, which is a little high... Those little cartons of milk are $1.15, and you can drink about a half gallon for that price. I have to break my sandwich apart just to eat it since I can't eat large things with my appliance on. The others are mostly talkiing, having a good time, while I'm talking with KoolKatt a bit. I also find that MarrokWuf is here, when he said that there was a good chance he won't even make it. [waves to Marrok] Great suit, too, and I even have a chance to take a closeup look. Shortly afterwards, when everyone's leaving, I'm back up to my room, to get stuff that I need for my makeup panel and masquerade parts. That means props, WerGoyle, makeup kit, and mirror... Lotta stuff to carry. The makeup panel goes along quite well. I've made it into something where everyone participates, and gives insight as to what to use, how to use it, with some small demos for blending, and so on. I have to say thanks to those who attended, especially Johnny Blanco, Marlos, and Fractal, who showed some of their own stuff. When I do a panel like this, I don't want to be the only person to be talking, rather, I'd like to have everyone giving insight, personal anecdotes, and so on. This gives for a rather interesting and lively panel. The funniest was from Marlos, who mentioned a guy that did full-body painting via airbrush, then finding out that he couldn't remove the makeup from himself. Turns out he used acrylic paints, and could not remove it for about a month and a half. I'll let Marlos tell this story in full. Unfortunately, it's also here that I realize that I'd actually forgotten to bring, and left at home, the cat and rabbit pieces that SuperJay gave me. Sorry, Jay! I did have someone taping the panel, though I'm not sure who he was. If you're reading this, email me, please! Then I have to head to the masquerade meeeeting area, and give the papers to those who are doing the staging and lineups. I have two acts, my signed presentation and the WerGoyle comedy act. I find that I'm the first act in Mutant, and nearly at the end, for WerGoyle. As usual, I have to bash Spiked Punch a bit, with a few visual gags. I'm hoping someone will post the masq listing and who won what. After the masquerade, everyone meets outside, and the madness begins of the photography and flashing lights... We've even got Charlie Kellner in his Legend suit, complete with wings, GOING ALL THE WAY OUT! It's a most impressive sight, him standing in the front of the gazebo, full wingspread! He's got more people snapping shots of him than just about any other fursuit out there. [chuckles] Then someone gives him an American flag to hold, which then makes for a classic shot. But of course, I've got some pics taken, me crouching on the ground, paws out towards the camera, including a couple of Cats-style poses. I've only wished that I'd had a chance to talk with him about his wings in better detail, since I'd be able to see what he did... [AARRRRGGGHHHH!] It's also here that we have the three Verdun werewolves, FastClaw, Smash, and Dragon, giving their classic poses, and a few 'horror' ones. There's also two bat suits out there, Vandringar, and what looks like a huge version of Vandringar, though made differently in places, nost noticeably the wings. For the rest of the night, it's the furdance... More will be posted on the final day when I get home Tuesday, as well as my personal con thoughts. Sunday Jan. 30, 2000 Final day of the con... What can I say here? Everyone's leaving at different times. I have my Fursuit Sign Language sig at 11am, but unfortunately, for the second time, no one shows up for this. I would suspect that it's the wording that's misleading. "Sign Language in Fursuit" would probably have been better. Other than that, everyone's also attending their sigs of choice. I have to leave the hotel room I've been sharing, with Wabbit and Ursus. A most fun couple I've met! Let's do this again! I also must thank Robert King and wife (what was her name again?) for allowing me to spend the night in their room, when Wabbit and Ursus had to leave Sunday. There's the occasional random fursuiting, and I spend a little time in the internet room after spending some time watching the last of one of those Japanese subtitled movies, something with Gamera and Gyaos. I then retire to the room for a bit of dinner and watching TV, while the Kings are out doing something else. I find that there's a Dead Dog party upstairs above, where the FVSW was. It's also here that I do my crack at Jim Groat again, asking him if he takes Prozac. Unfortunately, I miss his comeback line when he walks away. The Dead Dog party is just winding down, and I meet up with a few more people and start chatting a bit. Then, there's a bunch of fursuiters doing an impromptu fursuit party of sorts, just getting together, taking pics, and just making general havoc and fun. I use a part of this time as an opportunity to ask more questions about heads, and see head constructions. One thing I would like to do, is the 'bouncing muzzle' that Yippee, MarrokWuf, and a few others have. One rather humorous visual sight, is Chairo in his Pompeii suit, 'reversing' himself, by moving his feet and paws backwards, and wearing his head backwards. He can't stay balanced like that for too long, and I'm helping out in keeping him upright... Someone else got a few pics of that. I even play around with some people in suit, including the fem-suit Violet, a rather fun character to be around. At one point, she even 'resuscitates' this wolf, in a rather funny way. I even for the heck of it, raise the upper muzzle of Yippee's head... I get a razzberry from him for that from his own mouth through his head's muzzle. [chuckles] Ah... I definitely gotta hang out with the guy sometime. I don't know if I could keep up with him, or could I? What with the way he's so animated... In fursuit and out, no matter what, you'll get the guy himself giving you a bit of himself. Thanks so much for helping liven up my con time out there, Yips! Ah... It's been a fun con. I gotta go the next day, plane leaves at 1:35. It was great meeting everyone, especially those I'd only talked with on the IRC and through email. I got home safely, despite some delays in San Francisco and Chicago, due to Chicago's famous windy weather. I wonder if the politicians are doing it again? [weird chuckle] And everyone, thank you for the compliments on the new Mutant Cat look! He's bound to get more improvements around the neck and shoulder area, to keep that makeup from smearing too much on the chestfur, as well as a few other places. I'm also looking for a new act for him, as I'm not gonna do that Backstreet Boys' Everybody single again. Maybe something Weird Al, Cats, maybe sign something or just have an act to it. I have a few in mind. If anyone has act suggestions in mind, lemme know. I can't list everyone who was there that also helped out in livening up my con experience out there. The last time I was out in the west coast, in California, was about 20 years ago. I intend to try to make it out there again to the next FC if I can. Once again, thanks for helping make this a great con that's way away from home, a little over 2100 miles away. Final Thoughts Hmm... What can I say about this con? How many times have I said it? I said it in the previous message, and I'll say it again, it was a good con. I unfortunately, didn't have much of a chance to go to sigs, except for the first part of the Fursuit Performance sig. I had a hard time following what the moderator said, but it was pretty amusing watching Nicodemus and Yippee go at it together, as well as having fun with the moderator. Maybe I could have stepped up and done a few cat-like things with him? Despite some technical glitches here and there, scheduling conflicts, and so on, the con was nicely run. Even the staff and housekeeping seemed to get into it with us now and then, when the time was right. The FVSW, as usual, was superbly run, and I have to say that Aeto's Kiko suit livened up the show. It's also the first time that an FVSW has had a signed act with Wabbit and I doing Traffic Jam in sign. I wanted to attend the Creature Effects and Prosthetics sig, but it conflicted with the FVSW planning meeting, dangit! Wabbit, if you're reading this, thanks so much for being my interpreter at the planning meeting. It's much appreciated. But with masquerades, why is it that there's most *ALWAYS* a problem with the sound? Why can't we set up speakers in such a way, that they're pointed to the performer, rather than just the audience? I probably would have had a better performance with Mutant's act, had a speaker or two been pointed towards the stage, same with WerGoyle's comedy act. I'm definitely adding on an amplified speech unit to WerGoyle, so I can be heard better while I'm in him on stage. The last two acts I did with him, the sound just didn't do the act justice, even though I had a short one at FC. Also, why not allow the performers to interact with the audiences? The hotel rooms were great. They were clean, and so on. Has anyone had a complaint with their own rooms? Just the gazebo itself, lent an air of royalty, in a way, to the pics when they were taken. When I saw it, I just had to say that it would be a most excellent place to have the fursuit photography area. I wasn't disappointed at all when it was done there. The con staff were always available to answer questions, and if they didn't know, they'd direct you to someone or someplace who did know. The message boards could have been a little better, had they not used the dry erases, rather, the paper kind of thing. This was probably the most amount I've had in suit. I will need to make something that can be like Mutant, or way different, doing something no one's done before.