Adventures of an Urban Jungleboy

Reliable sources* high up in the CC26 programming department have leaked some details about confirmed program items for the conference.

First, it is with great pleasure that I can announce that the retrospectives at Costume-Con 26 will be presented by

Pierre and Sandy Pettinger
&
Bruce and Dana MacDermott

You can visit http://www.cc26.info/main.php?section=program for lots more information about our classes, workshops and retrospectives.

Also, we're well past 500 registered members now, and are expanding the educational program as a result. IIf you'd like to suggest an item, we now have a great web-based tool that avoids email disasters! Make your suggestions at https://www.cc26.info/interactive/program_item_form.php. (You do not need to be a registered member to make suggestions, but if you are,
please log in before doing so; it makes it easier for us to contact you about them!)

Kevin Roche
Chair, Costume-Con 26

*Reliable as in the department head.

As part of a PenWAG project, I'm participating as a model in a "Fashionable First Friday" at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.

So come on down, and be greeted by me dressed as Vanamonde Heliotrope from Girl Genius!

(Since Van has a long wool coat, I've been stationed in the gallery by which folks enter the museum. It's supposed to be a bit chilly on Friday)

This weekend bovil and I are, as is our wont, joining the merry crew at vintacon.

We'll be checking into the Hilton Garden Inn Gilroy on Thursday Night so we can be rested and fresh for tasting on Friday morning.

hurray! A weekend where the only running around is in search of another glass of wine.

bovil and I will be going to the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association - Bay Area Chapter "Best Buck in the Bay" Gay Rodeo and Festival (how's *that* for a mouthful? this weekend.

We'll be checking into the Jack Tar Cathedral Hill Hotel on Friday in time to attend the Sponsor's reception (we sponsor the prize buckles for Goat Dressing )

Anybody out there going, too?

(And yes, I will be packing the infamous Half-Naked Cowboy Hawaiian Shirt)

These are sort of random thoughts and notes (not to be confused with Random's thoughts, which... oh, never mind :-)

bovil and I had a really good time. Minor bad travel-fu on the way east; our Seattle flight was delayed while they repaired the first class lavatory.

We picked up our car and made it to the hotel despite the error in the published directions. Said hi, got dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (which I saw the inside of *too many times* during the weekend).

Loved the concourse, banners, and kiosk, and have notes and photos for reference. The DoubleTree function areas are split into several areas, so we're definitely going to be installing some onsite navigational aids in that spirit.

The original location for the CC26 table was a bit problematic, because it was on the end of the Concourse opposite from reg, and there were a) the Now and Then display and b) the giant lattice partition hiding us from traffic. When we moved into the front half of the concourse things were much easier.

In general, I was impressed by the organization of everything, with one complaint -- the one-hour-on-the-hour program slots. Inevitably, the panel before mine would run up to if not over the hour and we'd get a late start. This was especially bad for the cross-dressing panel, as the ironing demonstration ran over, their equipment had to be broken down and our AV set up. Fortunately, ours was the last panel of the day and our audience was willing to stay a little late so we could cover the points we wanted to.

The Friday social was, well, nicely social. It was also nice of the hotel to make sure later on that CC26 guests could get into "Generations" (the main hotel bar) without paying a cover if we wanted to buy a drink and bring it back to the con suite. The hotel location was also great when I had to do my shopping run for the Evil Genius party.

I spent most of my non-panel time at the CC26 table for obvious reasons, but I always seemed to have good company there; we sold a number of memberships.

It was great fun being in the "hunk of the month" chair for Match Game CC. Sidebar: if you didn't watch the original, each of the six panel positions on "Match Game" acquired certain personalities. As I've come to know it, Seat 1 was for the current male hot TV property, Seat 4 the equivalent female star (and both of them tended to be bimbos). Seat 2 was Brett Somers (Jack Klugman's wife and one of the sharpest wits on the series), Seat 3 was Charles Nelson Riley, Seat 5 was Richard Dawson and Seat 6 was Betty White or Fanny Flagg.
I usually get cast in the Seat 3 position, so it was fun mental gymnastics being in Seat 1. Hope y'all enjoyed it, too.

I used to dread being an auctioneer; it's fun, however, when it's an occasional gig and I was happy to help out Betsy and the Archives. Thanks for playing along.

I was pleasantly gobsmacked to receive the LAA; there isn't much I can say about it that I didn't say on the spot!

There is apparently voodoo about hosting an Evil Genius party at Holiday Inns. Every time we do it, we get a noise complaint. Must be doing something right. Glad everybodyl liked the wine, and happy to share it with CC27 for the Sunday party, too.

Sunday morning came wayyyy too early, but judging the Fashion Show was not a hardship. Back to the table for the rest of the day.

Monday, after two nights of going to bed at 4AM, Andy and I opted to sleep in and skip the field trips. Dinner out at Las Margaritas was lovely, as was the dead dog and the Mousekerade.

One note on that, however -- I remember when it was all spur-of-the-moment and all the critters received an award (and most of them read "Most Humorous"). Bearemy was a bit let down to be one of he
only entries to receive no award at all. It was sweet of one of the mice to present him with their medal as a Miss Congeniality-type thank you backstage afterwards.

So, there you have it -- less a con report and more an assortment of impressions. I had a great time, and I'm still tired and loopy.

Kevin
(see you in April 2008!)

This year the GLAAD Media Awards in SF are on April 28th, well away from SJ Pride.

Andy and I have decided to host a table this year, something we regretted being unable to do last year.

However, we're doing it differently this year, because tickets are up to $300/person and we can't affort to pre-buy an entire table.

(Yes, it's expensive. However, it includes the cocktail reception, auction, dinner, and show. And the bar is hosted by Absolut)

We've bought our tickets. If you want to join us, go to the above site, click on "Buy Tickets" and you can select our table.

If you would like to attend the VIP party afterwards, that costs another $100. We opted to not buy a VIP table because as hosts we get to attend the party and we thought the extra cost might shut some of our friends out.

To get the VIP ticket, call the phone number for Stamp Event management and explain you'd like a VIP ticket buy want to sit at our table. They told me that can be accommodated.

Post a comment here if you are thinking about joining us. We've pledged to bring in at least 3 people besides ourselves, so I'd like some hope that will actually happen.

Today bovil and I drove down to Monterey to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I got up at oh-my-gosh-in-the-morning to meet my trainer for my regular 7AM workout. Before I left, discovered that fairegoddess might want to be catch up with us and dropped her a return commment. I got to the gym on time only to discover my trainer had had a blonde moment and double-scheduled my slot. Oh, well, we talked briefly about what I should train and I did it myself.

Got home, woke up the Tall One, called Recycle Plus to schedule the pickup of the old mattress, traded a couple more messages with fairegoddess so we could meet up, then off we went to breakfast at the Original Pancake House, and hit the road to Monterey.

Parking was nearly impossible, but I spotted a spot in a tiny pay-yourself lot and we hiked over to the Aquarium. Fortunately, I'd bought our membership last night and it turned out we could buy Lynn her ticket at the members' entrance rather than make her wait in the long long long long line stretching around the corner.

This is the first time I'd visited the MBA since before they'd built the Outer Bay tank, so there was plenty of wonderful stuff to see, of course. The Outer Bay tank was as spectacular as I expected, as was the beautiful "Jellies: Living Art" exhibit, which featured the very precious touch of framing every tank window with a giant picture frame.

My favorite moment, though was when one of the two giant octopuses decided to take a stroll across its tank and then jet back to it's preferred corner while we and several astonished children watched. I'm pretty sure it was eyeing the kids (who were at its eye level) as it strolled in front of the window.

We also managed to get squeezed into the restaurant for lunch. Faced with a plethora of spectacular gustatory experiences, I punted and opted for a Caesar salad and (halibut) fish and chips. It was wonderful.

We managed to stay until closing and get home safely. Maybe I'll post more later. It was a lovely day.

Gallifrey One has sorted out the glitch in online reservations for their convention.

We will be throwing an Evil Genius/CC26 party there!

We now have our room reservations for Anime Los Angeles

and for Costume College at the "lovely" Airtel Plaza in Van Nuys.

I was able to reserve our favorite suite at the Airtel for both weekends (it overlooks the main pool and hot tub, and is fairly close to the main loby if you are willing to cross the patio). Yay!

Unfortunately, neither conference has a suite rate. Boo! :-(

A major part of my life right now is working as the chair of Costume-Con 26, to be held in April 2008. If you've never heard of it, here's a bit of information. Feel free to re-post the following if you like:

---

Costume-Con is a premiere venue for professional and hobbyist costumers to meet, compete, share, and socialize.

Costume-Con 26 (www.CC26.info) in San Jose, April 25-28, 2008, welcomes space cadets, living history afficianados, reenactors, textile designers, theater designers, fursuiters, mascots, cosplayers, fantasy costumers, costume professionals and folks who just like to dress up! We look forward to mixing it up with all types of costumers (and those who appreciate costumes, such as photographers and artists).

Our first Progress Report is available! Check out *It Seams To Me* for all the latest info on Costume-Con 26 at http://www.cc26.info/progress_reports/CC26_PR_1.pdf.

Learn what kind of contests, competitions, shows, and socials will be happening at Costume-Con 26 . Check out our plans for classes, workshops and lectures covering the continuum of the art we call Costume. What's in the works for kids' costuming? Costume-Con 26 is planning a special activity track specifically for youngsters and their parents.

Wondering where to eat while you're in town? Or perhaps just how you can register for the first California Costume-Con in years? You'll find it in the pages of *It Seams to Me*.

(You'll need a copy of the free Acrobat Reader to view the Progress Report. You can get the Reader at http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/ if you don't have it already.)

If you'd like more information (or to volunteer!), visit us at www.CC26.info, or write us at: info@cc26.info.
(If you've heard enough and are ready to sign up, just click on the 'Register' link in the menu bar to register!)

Join us for the first Costume-Con to return to California in fourteen years!


Costume-Con 26 is a project of the UnConventional Foundation, Inc., a California non-profit corporation
Costume-Con ® is a registered service mark of Karen Dick, used by permission