Jim and Shannon at MarsCon in Williamsburg, VA - 1/14-16/2011

[Chiroptera]

Death Masks 

[Heartsonycgr]

Death Masks 

Thank you!  Time to hit the Kindle!

 

[Chiroptera]

You could just try reasoning with it instead of resorting to violence.


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[Heartsonycgr]

You could just try reasoning with it instead of resorting to violence.
  

Oh, you had me there for a second!  Whew!  I do have an Italian temper and can get a bit, shall we say, worked up, at times, so when you said that my first reaction was "Oh gosh, what did I do?"...then I reread my message and yours...ha ha ha....good one!

[Chiroptera]

   Sorry. 

I always do that to people when they tell me to "hit the lights."  I'm sure it was funny the first 99 times.

[Enjorous]

ANd if they said to kill the lights?

[Chiroptera]

I would love to kill the lights at work.  They buzz.

[Enjorous]

*offers shotgun*

[Chiroptera]

I think we should light the office with candles.

[Enjorous]

Lime lights

[Starbeam]

  Sorry. 

I always do that to people when they tell me to "hit the lights."  I'm sure it was funny the first 99 times.

That's like my response for when people ask "What's up?" I look up, and then say.

[Heartsonycgr]

Lime lights

Oh, do you use those to make Margarita lights? 

[Myyrdn Eopia]

All righty, tentative schedule of events is up here:  http://www.marscon.net/Home/programming

Also will be in my next post for those who want a list list.

Key to rooms:

Lafayette — Main Programming — Guests of Honor Programming
Board Room — Programming #2 — Guest Programming
Room 103 — Programming #3 — Fan's Programming
Room 303 — Children — Crafts

Patriot A — Entertainment
Con Suite — Entertainment
Video Room
Room 200 — Gaming
The Bar

==========

Jim and Shannon's appearances at MarsCon and items of possible interest:


Friday, January 14th

5:00-7:30 PM — Con Suite — Dinner

6:00 — Lafayette — Opening Ceremonies

7:00 — Lafayette — Urban Fantasy: An Ocean or Just a Wave? — Jim Butcher, Shannon Butcher, and Andrew Fox

8:00-10:00 — Con Suite — Friday Night Theme Party: Urban Fantasy

9:00-11:00 — Room 303 — Costuming Contest/Feedback



Saturday, January 15th

Until 10:00 AM — Con Suite — Breakfast until 10:00 AM, followed by snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep

11:00 — Lafayette — Jim Butcher Guest of Honor Reading

12:00 PM Noon — Lafayette — Shannon Butcher Q&A

12:00-2:00 PM — Con Suite — Lunch

1:00-3:00 — Room 103 — Jim and Shannon Butcher Signing (three item limit per pass through line, last entrance to line at 2:15)  (Shannon may have to take off early for 2:00 panel)

1:30 — The Bar — MarsCon's got Talent — Open Mic sign-up

2:00 — Board Room — Putting the Speculative in Romance — Shannon Butcher, Pamlea Kinney aka Sapphire Phelan

2:00-4:00 — The Bar — MarsCon's Got Talent Open Mic

3:00 — Lafayette — An Interview with Guest of Honor Jim Butcher — Mike Pederson

5:00-8:00 — The Bar — MarsCon Karaoke

6:00-8:00 — Con Suite — Dinner (if not going to fan dinner off-site)



Sunday, January 16th

Until 10:00 AM — Con Suite — Breakfast until 10:00 AM, followed by snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep

9:30-11:00 — Lafayette — 9:30-11:00 — It's Not Big, It's EPIC, Building a Fantasy — Jim Butcher, Leona Wisoker, Allen Wold, Danny Birt

12:00 Noon-2:00 PM — Con Suite — Lunch

1:00 PM — Lafayette — SF/F Cage Match:  A Rowdy Discussion of Who Would Win the Battle Royale btw.  Famous heroes, Villains, and Creatures — Mike Pederson, Steve Pritchard, Butch Allen, Tony Ruggiero, Peter Prellwitz, artists


==========

Will keep this updated as we go along.

[Myyrdn Eopia]

Current MarsCon Schedule in its entirety.   May also be found at http://www.marscon.net/Home/programming.

DISCLAIMER:  MOST OF THESE EVENTS ARE STILL SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Key to rooms:

Lafayette — Main Programming — Guests of Honor Programming
Board Room — Programming #2 — Guest Programming
Room 103 — Programming #3 — Fan's Programming
Room 303 — Children — Crafts

Patriot A — Entertainment
Con Suite — Entertainment
Video Room
Room 200 — Gaming
The Bar

==========



Friday — January 14, 2011


4:00 PM

Lafayette — Movie
Patriot A — Artist Alley
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed for cleaning and prep


5:00 PM

Lafayette – Movie (continued)
Room 303 — Overflow for Con Suite
Patriot A — Artist Alley
Con Suite — Dinner (5-7:30)


6:00 PM

Lafayette — Opening Ceremonies
Room 303 — Overflow for Con Suite (cont)
Patriot A — Artist Alley  (cont)
Con Suite — Dinner (5-7:30)  (cont)


7:00 PM

Lafayette — Urban Fantasy: An Ocean or Just a Wave? — Jim Butcher, Shannon Butcher, and Andrew Fox
Room 303 — Overflow for Con Suite (more cont)
Patriot A — Artist Alley (cont)
                 — 7 PM:  The Boogie Knights
                 — 7:45 PM:  Tom Smith
Con Suite — Closed: Party Prep


8:00 PM

Lafayette — Ursula Vernon:  Artist Guest of Honor Speech
Board Room   — 8:00 — Tony Ruggiero
      — 8:15 — Danny Birt
      — 8:30 — Pamela Kinney
      — 8:45 — Reading, Q&A, Signing
Room 103 — Coming Soon to a Galaxy Near You:  Talk Up Forthcoming SF/F Projects, Invent Dream Projects — Steve Pritchard, Mike Pederson, Peter Prellwitz, Andrew Fos, Chris Berman
Room 303 — Overflow for Con Suite
Patriot A — Artist Alley (cont)
                 — 8:30-10:30 — Poisoned Dwarf
Con Suite — Friday Night Theme Party: Urban Fantasy


9:00 PM

Lafayette — Reading from Starfire — Steve White & Charles E. Gannon
Board Room — Photography:  Paul Cory
Room 103 — Writing a Webcomic — Barb Fischer, T. Campbell, Kara Dennison, Erin Fitzgerald, Chris Impink, H.A. "Chezhnian" Kennedy, Peter Prellwitz, Donnie Sturges, Jamie Sturges, and Danny Valenti
Room 303 — Costuming Contest/Feedback
Patriot A — Artist Alley (cont)
                 — 8:30-10:30 — Poisoned Dwarf (cont)
Con Suite — Friday Night Theme Party: Urban Fantasy (cont)
The Bar — 1st Annual MarsCon Pun Contest:  Prizes for winners, PUNishment for the Audience — Lord Ramirez


10:00 PM

Lafayette — Zombie Pickles from Space:  Animation Film and Worshop — Elizabeth Pasieczny
Board Room — They Might Suck, but You Might Like It:  The Vampire Panel — Andrew Fox, Tony Ruggiero, Teresa Bane
Room 103 — Breaking into Publishing — Laura Haywood-Cory, Rachel Graves, Leona Wisoker
Room 303 — Costuming Contest/Feedback
Patriot A — Artist Alley
                 — Until 10:30 — Poisoned Dwarf
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep
The Bar — 1st Annual MarsCon Pun Contest:  Prizes for winners, PUNishment for the Audience — Lord Ramirez (cont)


11:00 PM

Lafayette – 11:00-12:30 am — Win, Lose, or Draw
Board Room — Exploring the Spine:  Shivering World of Paranormal Research — Pamela Kinney, Cheralyn Lambeth, and Theresa Bane
Room 103 — Living at Sea:  A Science Fiction Fan's Perspective — Christopher Weuve
Patriot A — Fishnet Inc:  Rocky Horror Picture Show
Con Suite — Filk and Cookies with Tom Smith, Boogie Knights, and Danny Birt


12:00 AM Midnight

Lafayette – 11:00-12:30 am — Win, Lose, or Draw (cont)
Patriot A — Fishnet, Inc.  (cont)
Con Suite — Filk and Cookies with Tom Smith, Boogie Knights, and Danny Birt (cont)


1:00 AM

Lafayette – 11:00-12:30 am — Win, Lose, or Draw (cont)





Saturday — January 15, 2011


10:00 AM

Lafayette — Bringing Creatures to Life:  A Multimedia Perspective — Ursula Vernon, Cheralyn Lambeth, Daniel Trout, Elizabeth Pasieczny
Board Room — Writing 101 — Allen Wold with Darcy Wold, Leona Wisoker, and Danny Birt
Room 103 — Top 10 Things Art Collectors Should Know — Gina Canady Adler
Room 303 — Family Programming, TBA
Con Suite — Breakfast until 10:00 AM, followed by snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


11:00 AM

Lafayette — Jim Butcher Guest of Honor Reading
Board Room — Writing 101 — Allen Wold with Darcy Wold, Leona Wisoker, and Danny Birt (cont)
Room 103 — Are You Wearing the Costume, or is the Costume Wearing You? — Deb Fuller, Anne Knight, Cheralyn Lambeth, Allegra Torres
Room 303 — Family Programming, TBA
Patriot A — Quidditch Demo?
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


12:00 PM Noon

Lafayette — Shannon Butcher Q&A
Board Room — Working at Sea:  A Science Fiction Fan's Perspective — Christopher Weuve
Room 103 — Webcomics Panel #2 (TBA) — Barb Fischer, T. Campbell, Kara Dennison, Erin Fitzgerald, Chris Impink, H.A. "Chezhnian" Kennedy, Donnie Sturges, Jamie Sturges, and Danny Valenti
Room 303 — Con Suite overflow
Patriot A — "Ye Olde Multiverse Faire"
Con Suite — Lunch


1:00 PM

Lafayette — Print, E-books, and the Future of Publishing — Laura Haywood-Cory, Bud Webster, Neil Hollands
Board Room — Military SF Talk — Jeffrey Becker
Room 103 — Jim and Shannon Butcher Signing (three item limit per pass through line)
Room 303 — Con Suite overflow (cont)
Patriot A — "Ye Olde Multiverse Faire" (cont)
Con Suite — Lunch (cont)
The Bar — 1:30 — MarsCon's got Talent — Open Mic sign-up


2:00 PM

Lafayette — "Doctor Horrible" Shadowcast
Board Room — Putting the Speculative in Romance — Shannon Butcher, Pamlea Kinney aka Sapphire Phelan
Room 103 — Butcher Signing continues (three item limit per pass through line, last entrance to line at 2:15)
Patriot A — "Ye Olde Multiverse Faire" (cont)
Con Suite — 2:00 — Making Suite Dreams — Chris Adotta, Beverly Peterson-Allen, and Lynn Popma discuss how they created the Con Suite dιcor
                   — 2:30-3:30 — Castle Gummistein: Experiments in Gummi Surgery
The Bar — MarsCon's Got Talent Open Mic


3:00 PM

Lafayette — An Interview with Guest of Honor Jim Butcher — Mike Pederson
Board Room — 3:00-4:30 — Movement for Actors — Lord Ramirez
Room 103 — Live Art Drawing with Models — Daniel Trout
Patriot A — Luna-C Setup
Con Suite — 2:30-3:30 — Castle Gummistein: Experiments in Gummi Surgery
The Bar — MarsCon's Got Talent Open Mic (cont)


4:00 PM

Lafayette — Mars Panel — Eric Queen
Board Room — Until 4:30 — Movement for Actors — Lord Ramirez (cont)
       — 4:30-5:00 — Peter Prellwitz Reading
Room 103 — Live Art Drawing with Models — Daniel Trout (cont)
Patriot A — Luna-C
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


5:00 PM

Lafayette — When Military Meets SF:  Fact vs. Fiction, the Possibility and Limits of Dialog — Chris Berman, Steve White, Charles Gannon, Jeffrey Becker
Board Room — The Art of Webcomics — Barb Fischer, T. Campbell, Kara Dennison, Erin Fitzgerald, Chris Impink, H.A. "Chezhnian" Kennedy, Donnie Sturges, Jamie Sturges, Danny Valenti, and Ursula Vernon
Room 103 — Hate on It, Mate on It, Wait on It:  Join a Lively Discussion of the Best and Worst in SF/F — Steve Pritchard, Andrew Fox, Peter Prellwitz, tom Smith, Danny Birt
Patriot A — Coyote Run Set-up
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep
The Bar — MarsCon Karaoke


6:00 PM

Lafayette — Survive Norfolk - Zombie Tago Gone Wild:  How It Started, how the Virus spread, and How We Survived — Whitney Metzger
Board Room — Everything Rocky Horror Panel — Fishnet, Inc.
Room 103 — EPIC LARP demo:  The Best of Boffing in Hampton Roads —Timothy Grabowski
Room 303 — Hold
Patriot A – Coyote Run Set-up
Con Suite — Dinner
The Bar — MarsCon Karaoke (cont)


7:00 PM

Lafayette — Movie
Board Room — What's New with Doctor Who? — Rick Siebigteroth, Kara Dennison, Richard Kirsch
Room 103 — Urban Fantasy Costuming Ideas — Deb Fuller, Anne Knight, Cheralyn Lambeth, Allegra Torres
Room 303 — Hold
Patriot A – Coyote Run Set-up
Con Suite — Dinner
The Bar — MarsCon Karaoke (cont)


8:00 PM

Lafayette — Movie (cont)
Room 303 — Hold
Patriot A — 7:45-8:30 — Treasure of the Sand
        — 8:30-9:30 — Charity Auction
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


9:00 PM

Room 303 — Hold
Patriot A — 8:30-9:30 — Charity Auction
        — 9:30-11:30 — Coyote Run
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


10:00 PM

Room 303 — Hold
Patriot A — 9:30-11:30 — Coyote Run
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


11:00 PM

Board Room — The Men (And Women) in Black:  A Guide to the World of Fetish Clothing (ADULT) — Lord Ramirez — No Minors — ID Required at Door
Room 303 — Hold
Patriot A — 9:30-11:30 — Coyote Run
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep
The Bar — Dance


12:00 AM Midnight

Room 303 — Hold
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep
The Bar — Dance (cont)






Sunday — January 16, 2011


10:00 AM

Lafayette — 9:30-11:00 — It's Not Big, It's EPIC, Building a Fantasy — Jim Butcher, Leona Wisoker, Allen Wold, Danny Birt
Board Room — Sea and Space:  Similarities and Differences of Two Military SF Environments — Christopher Weuve, Chris Berman, Charles Gannon, Steve White
Room 103 – Traditional Painting in a Digital World, including demonstration of How to Use Layers in Photoshop — Gina Canady Adler
Room 303 — Family Programming, TBA
Con Suite — Breakfast until 10:00 AM, Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


11:00 AM

Lafayette — Reading
         —11:00 — Keith DeCandido
         — 11:30 — Andrew Fox
Board Room — Webcomics Roundtable — Barb Fischer, T. Campbell, Kara Dennison, Erin Fitzgerald, Chris Impink, H.A. "Chezhnian" Kennedy, Peter Prellwitz, Donnie Sturges, Jamie Sturges, and Danny Valenti
Room 103 — Getting into Filmmaking — Panel discussion with Elezabeth Pasieczny, Ethan Marten, TBA
Room 303 — Family Programming, TBA
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


12:00 PM Noon

Lafayette — Reading
         — 12:00 — Leona Wisoker
         — 12:30 — Q&A Signing
Board Room — MarsCon Photo Critique — Paul Cory, Andrea D'Amico, Earl Harris
Room 103 — Space Occupied A.W.
Room 303 — Family Programming, TBA
Patriot A — Art Auction
Con Suite — Lunch


1:00 PM

Lafayette — SF/F Cage Match:  A Rowdy Discussion of Who Would Win the Battle Royale btw.  Famous heroes, Villains, and Creatures — Mike Pederson, Steve Pritchard, Butch Allen, Tony Ruggiero, Peter Prellwitz, artists
Board Room — Making Polymer Clay Heads and Figures — Daniel Trout
Room 303 — Family Programming, TBA
Patriot A — Boogie Knights concert
Con Suite — Lunch


2:00 PM

Patriot A — Tom Smith concert
Con Suite — Snacks, may be closed at times for cleaning and prep


3:00 PM

Con Suite — Dead Dog Party

=========


Again, will update as we go along.

[MarsCon1]

From an insider's point of view, here are the things you don't want to miss if you can fit them into your schedule.

Coyote Run - Excellent Celtic Rock band. They are local to Williamsburg but perform all over the East Coast and once a year they travel to Scotland, Ireland and next year England. This is one of the groups you get your dancing shoes on for. Plus you will need a couple of brews to cool down when they finish their set.

Poisoned Dwarf - They are more of your traditional Celtic Band. Great musicians. Their following has increased over the last few years and their local concerts all ways draw well.

Tom Smith & Boogie Knights - What would any SF con be like without your filkers. They will be performing 3 times throughout the weekend so you should be able to find a performance you can attend.

Treasures of the Sand - You like Dancing Girls? We got Dancing Girls! This is not just your typical Belly Dancers. They perform various Middle-Eastern dances and are an annual favorite. Especially with our Hotel Owner.

Fishnet Inc. and Rocky Horror - They perform all over the Tidewater Virginia area and help keep the legacy of Rocky alive. They also throw one hell of a Saturday Night party.

One of my Favorite Programs - SF Win, Lose or Draw. Great party game. In the days when MarsCon was a small Relax-a-con, this built our reputation as a con to attend. They would lynch me if we ever dropped this from the con schedule.

Finally, the best part of MarsCon - other than Jim and Shannon Butcher - is our con suite. You can pretty much feed yourself through-out the weekend. Yes you might go out for Pizza - wait a second the con suite if having pizza - okay you might want to go out for Coffee - wait we will have coffee, maybe even some Starbucks - well you know you'll have to buy drinks - nope! We have them all weekend long. Want hot tea, ice tea, milk (only available during Filk and Cookies), homemade cookies. We got them. For Breakfast, we will have pastries and fruit, but we will also have some ham and hard boiled eggs. At lunch time, we will have sandwiches. For dinner, we will have some hot foods. During our party we will have some great snacks. If you away hungry from MarsCon, then (A). You are a very picky eater, or (B) You have a medical issue and although we try very hard, we can't cover everything.

And don't miss the Champagne Toast at Opening Ceremonies. If you still have questions when you get to the con, just ask for Butch. Every regular knows Butch.

Sincerely,

Butch