Good News, Bad News...

OK, the good news is that Bootleg #13 is paid for. We had to borrow money
to do it, but thanks to one particular WLP sponsor we were ABLE to borrow
$2500 and get #13 out. We'll then be able to cycle the money into Bootleg
#14 before we have to pay it back.

The bad news is that our printer, Brenner Printing Co., no longer prints on
newsprint. To you this might seem like good news- "Yay! Better quality
paper instead of that see-through crap!"- but the new paper adds $400 to
the print cost. Instead of the $2200 I originally thought the 64-page
format would require, or the $2500 I thought it would require this time
last month, Bootleg will cost $2900 to print.

It also means, between order adjustment and other factors, WLP's losing
$600 printing Bootleg #13. We're raising the price of #14 to $8.95, and
we'll have to adjust orders when they come in to reflect the new price
point, which means likely lower sales again.

At this point we have to face facts; eventually the comic format, the
saddle-stapled comic anyway, is going to become unsustainable for us. It's
time to start saving up for graphic novel publishing on a serious scale.
The first expense, one which we SHOULD have gone into years ago but never
had the money to spare, is getting WLP an ISBN/ISSN account for bookstore
tracking.

Unfortunately, between Bootleg #13 and a printing order for T-shirts for
BAR-1, WLP is tapped out of cash. AGAIN. And everything we have coming in
the rest of the year has to go to getting Bootleg #14 out.

Order. Donate. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Good News, Bad News...

OK, the good news is that Bootleg #13 is paid for. We had to borrow money
to do it, but thanks to one particular WLP sponsor we were ABLE to borrow
$2500 and get #13 out. We'll then be able to cycle the money into Bootleg
#14 before we have to pay it back.

The bad news is that our printer, Brenner Printing Co., no longer prints on
newsprint. To you this might seem like good news- "Yay! Better quality
paper instead of that see-through crap!"- but the new paper adds $400 to
the print cost. Instead of the $2200 I originally thought the 64-page
format would require, or the $2500 I thought it would require this time
last month, Bootleg will cost $2900 to print.

It also means, between order adjustment and other factors, WLP's losing
$600 printing Bootleg #13. We're raising the price of #14 to $8.95, and
we'll have to adjust orders when they come in to reflect the new price
point, which means likely lower sales again.

At this point we have to face facts; eventually the comic format, the
saddle-stapled comic anyway, is going to become unsustainable for us. It's
time to start saving up for graphic novel publishing on a serious scale.
The first expense, one which we SHOULD have gone into years ago but never
had the money to spare, is getting WLP an ISBN/ISSN account for bookstore
tracking.

Unfortunately, between Bootleg #13 and a printing order for T-shirts for
BAR-1, WLP is tapped out of cash. AGAIN. And everything we have coming in
the rest of the year has to go to getting Bootleg #14 out.

Order. Donate. Etc. Etc. Etc.

OniCon 2005 Report

ONICON 2005 - HOUSTON TX - OCT. 21-23, 2005

EXPENSES

TABLE & BADGE - $80
PARKING - $40
FOOD - $40
TOTAL - $160

SALES - $655.10

WEB COMIC DONATIONS
Peter is the Wolf - $6,45
Chocolate Milkmaid - $0.51
Chichi-chan - $6.50
ALL - $1.25

PORTFOLIOS SOLD
Experiment 45-EEE - 1
Honies - 1
Street Furry - 1
Shadowlina - 1
Half Crazed - 1

The big seller this weekend was the “How to Glomp” shirt- it sold as well as all forms of “Eyes” and “Tentacle Monster” combined…

… oh, wait, you don’t know. It’s not on the website yet. WLP’s newest T-shirt design is text-only:

“I WANNA BE A TENTACLE MONSTER WHEN I GROW UP.”

And amazingly enough, most of those who looked and laughed were female, although the buyers so far are all male.

I didn’t see much outside the Artist’s Alley table- I made a couple passes through the dealer’s room, bought three more used TenchiMuyo GXP DVDs (only two more and I have the complete set). Saw Otaku Hell Saturday night. Played some Munchkin Friday night next to my table, some Sakura playtesting on Saturday night. All in all, though, this was an all work, little fun convention…

… made that way in no small part by the hotel dicking over the convention in SO many ways.

* Hotel charged $20 per day for outdoor parking. This is just remotely understandable on Sunday, with a Houston Texans home game just across the street, but they began charging Friday and towing Saturday. YES, CONGOERS WERE TOWED- even though free parking was promised under the contract the con had with the hotel.

* Hotel AC was either chronically busted or DELIBERATELY TURNED OFF in various places in the hotel- notably the hallway where most of the Artist’s Alley (but not me) and virtually all the con foot traffic was located. Said hallway is lined with huge pane-glass windows with an eastern view, which made that hall a sauna both Friday and Saturday.

* Hotel security shut the con down at 2 AM Friday and Saturday nights even though the con had 24-hour events in the contract. Security shut down concerts and dances/raves even earlier than that, for no apparent reason whatever.

* Hotel refused to provide cleanup service- including towels or even TOILET PAPER- to hotel rooms.

* Black mold in many rooms. One building rumored to have been CONDEMNED by the city of Houston, guests put in. Many reports of filthy rooms.

* HORRIBLE customer service, including congoers in lobby ordered to depart at once OR BE ARRESTED.

The parking charges hit me hardest of all, because a significant number of Friday con attendees reported not being able to return because of the high parking costs. Others did return, and the place was packed Saturday, but many people reported lack of funds for shopping due to the parking issue. Dealers did well or poorly almost exclusively depending on the high-ticket or low-ticket nature of their items. (Half of my T-shirt sales were on Sunday, and I sold very little else on Sunday…)

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID, AVOID, AVOID the Houston Grand Plaza Hotel (formerly the Park Plaza Houston), Kirby @ South Loop I-610.

But attend OniCon 3 in 2006, which will NOT be at that hotel ever again.

My next convention: AggieCon 37 (I think), Texas A&M University, March 23-27, 2006…

OniCon 2005 Report

ONICON 2005 - HOUSTON TX - OCT. 21-23, 2005

EXPENSES

TABLE & BADGE - $80
PARKING - $40
FOOD - $40
TOTAL - $160

SALES - $655.10

WEB COMIC DONATIONS
Peter is the Wolf - $6,45
Chocolate Milkmaid - $0.51
Chichi-chan - $6.50
ALL - $1.25

PORTFOLIOS SOLD
Experiment 45-EEE - 1
Honies - 1
Street Furry - 1
Shadowlina - 1
Half Crazed - 1

The big seller this weekend was the “How to Glomp” shirt- it sold as well as all forms of “Eyes” and “Tentacle Monster” combined…

… oh, wait, you don’t know. It’s not on the website yet. WLP’s newest T-shirt design is text-only:

“I WANNA BE A TENTACLE MONSTER WHEN I GROW UP.”

And amazingly enough, most of those who looked and laughed were female, although the buyers so far are all male.

I didn’t see much outside the Artist’s Alley table- I made a couple passes through the dealer’s room, bought three more used TenchiMuyo GXP DVDs (only two more and I have the complete set). Saw Otaku Hell Saturday night. Played some Munchkin Friday night next to my table, some Sakura playtesting on Saturday night. All in all, though, this was an all work, little fun convention…

… made that way in no small part by the hotel dicking over the convention in SO many ways.

* Hotel charged $20 per day for outdoor parking. This is just remotely understandable on Sunday, with a Houston Texans home game just across the street, but they began charging Friday and towing Saturday. YES, CONGOERS WERE TOWED- even though free parking was promised under the contract the con had with the hotel.

* Hotel AC was either chronically busted or DELIBERATELY TURNED OFF in various places in the hotel- notably the hallway where most of the Artist’s Alley (but not me) and virtually all the con foot traffic was located. Said hallway is lined with huge pane-glass windows with an eastern view, which made that hall a sauna both Friday and Saturday.

* Hotel security shut the con down at 2 AM Friday and Saturday nights even though the con had 24-hour events in the contract. Security shut down concerts and dances/raves even earlier than that, for no apparent reason whatever.

* Hotel refused to provide cleanup service- including towels or even TOILET PAPER- to hotel rooms.

* Black mold in many rooms. One building rumored to have been CONDEMNED by the city of Houston, guests put in. Many reports of filthy rooms.

* HORRIBLE customer service, including congoers in lobby ordered to depart at once OR BE ARRESTED.

The parking charges hit me hardest of all, because a significant number of Friday con attendees reported not being able to return because of the high parking costs. Others did return, and the place was packed Saturday, but many people reported lack of funds for shopping due to the parking issue. Dealers did well or poorly almost exclusively depending on the high-ticket or low-ticket nature of their items. (Half of my T-shirt sales were on Sunday, and I sold very little else on Sunday…)

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID, AVOID, AVOID the Houston Grand Plaza Hotel (formerly the Park Plaza Houston), Kirby @ South Loop I-610.

But attend OniCon 3 in 2006, which will NOT be at that hotel ever again.

My next convention: AggieCon 37 (I think), Texas A&M University, March 23-27, 2006…

One Bit of Good News...

... I now have a DeviantArt account.

http://redneck.deviantart.com/

Only two pics up yet, both of which are available elsewhere- one to show why I don't draw myself, and another to show people what to draw for the contest...

Contest?

Contest.

If you're on DeviantArt, that is...

One Bit of Good News...

... I now have a DeviantArt account.

http://redneck.deviantart.com/

Only two pics up yet, both of which are available elsewhere- one to show why I don't draw myself, and another to show people what to draw for the contest...

Contest?

Contest.

If you're on DeviantArt, that is...

Stupor Bowl Standings Update...

Well, two weeks ago Army took itself out of the running, not merely winning but shutting out the University of Akron 20-0 two weeks ago. (Which, in one sense, is a shame, since I have to root for any school brave enough to call themselves the Akron Zips.)

That leaves four schools, all of whom fell on their faces yet again this weekend. Here's an evaluation of their chances to evade the Stupor Bowl- the fictional matchup between college football's two most hapless teams.

( Which stinky teams will fail the grade? )

Stupor Bowl Standings Update...

Well, two weeks ago Army took itself out of the running, not merely winning but shutting out the University of Akron 20-0 two weeks ago. (Which, in one sense, is a shame, since I have to root for any school brave enough to call themselves the Akron Zips.)

That leaves four schools, all of whom fell on their faces yet again this weekend. Here's an evaluation of their chances to evade the Stupor Bowl- the fictional matchup between college football's two most hapless teams.

( Which stinky teams will fail the grade? )