DaveCon Gaming Convention This Weekend in Okemos, MI

by on September 24, 2013 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News

[dc]I[/dc]f you are a board game fan, and live in Michigan, you might want to check out DaveCon this weekend here in Lansing (well, technically the suburb Okemos, aka Spendthemos, AMIRIGHT?). DaveCon takes place at the Okemos Comfort Inn Conference Center, 2187 University Park Drive (Okemos, MI 48864).

play dominion card game davecon

I’ll buy a Dutch-y. Image via Amazon.

Play With Strangers New Friends at DaveCon

I have never been to DaveCon myself, but I might try to go this weekend (my friend Francis went last year, and is trying to round-up a group outing). If you want to spend your weekend playing board games, or learning a new board game, DaveCon, put on by the Lansing Board Gamers group, might be your next favorite thing.

Via the DaveCon website:

 Open Board Gaming and Tournaments. (Rio Grande, Mayfair, Avalon Hill, Fantasy Flight, Z-man, Steve Jackson, Railroad, etc.), and Texas Hold-em (no gambling). Board gaming tournaments are being organized. Please bring your favorite games for yourself and for our game library! Also, new this year – official play testing. Would you like your feedback to help shape the next big game? As a play tester, you not only get a preview of new games, but also get to provide feedback in the clever art of game design.

My pals who went last year (Francis and Ken), had fun and even took part in a Dominion tournament (something I would be keen on trying myself). Dominion, one of my favorite games, is perhaps best described as Magic the Gathering minus the capitalism (you can’t just buy the best cards, which is what I like the most about Dominion).

I Need About $20 to Make You Holler

Like most conventions, DaveCon requires registration and a fee, but there are prizes and tournaments. A single day at-the-door registration looks like only $20 or under, which is great for a convention (most cons are nearly twice that amount, at least, for the day). Register for the whole weekend, and save money (you can even stay at the hotel).

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Friday Six: Small Press Webcast, Chewie Cat Collar, Persimmon Cup Kickstarter, Legend of Korra Season Two, HappyLight

by on September 20, 2013 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, Friday Six, News

[dc]T[/dc]oday on the Friday Six: Ryan Claytor’s Small Press Webcast, a Chewie Cat Collar, Nick Bertozzi’s Persimmon Cup Kickstarter, Legend of Korra Season Two, and HappyLights.

[ ] As I mentioned the other day, I switched to a different email subscription service (dropped the WordPress/Jetpack version, went with Feedburner). If you were a subscriber under the old system, you need to sign up again (or just subscribe via RSS or Facebook if you don’t want emails).

[ ] I watched the first two episodes of the new Legend of Korra season the other night. I’m excited to see where these season goes in terms of story, as it focuses on the ‘spirit world’ side of the Avatar universe. Avatar as in The Last Airbender cartoon, not Unobtainium. Legend of Korra is a sequel to The Last Airbender series, and well worth a watch.

legend of korra season 1

Boom! Season One of Legend of Korra. Image via Amazon.

[ ] Comic pal and Michigan State University comic professor Ryan Claytor is hosting a webcast next Wednesday called Small Press Professionalism for Artists. It starts at 12:30 PM EST. Via the website:

This webcast is aimed at everyone from the generalist artist to intermediate comic-makers.  Topics include how to keep your motivation high when working on larger projects and how to get the best bang for your buck when you’re ready to print your masterpiece.  Delivered by University Professor and Comics Artist, Ryan Claytor, who boasts a decade of experience in the field of comics.

I don’t think I’ll be able to watch (someone has to shave the chickens), but I highly recommend registering (you get a link after doing so). Ryan knows his stuff when it comes to small press publishing. It will be an hour well spent, trust me.

[ ] Geek Thing of the Week: this Star Wars Chewie Cat Collar.

chewie star wars cat collar

Because my cat isn’t embarrassed enough already. Image via ThinkGeek.

Our cat Nigel could use a new collar, and this Chewie collar might be The One. Now, if only the bell roared like Chewie instead of jingled. See previously on Ye Old Blog: On Wookiees.

[ ] Speaking of comics, Nick Bertozzi began a Kickstarter campaign for his Persimmon Cup graphic novel. Bertozzi gave the keynote address at last year’s Michigan State University Comics Forum in nearby East Lansing.
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Amazon Enigmas: Geeky Leggings for fans of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Video Games

by on September 19, 2013 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Amazon Enigmas, Blog, Humor

[dc]L[/dc]ike them or not, leggings are everywhere. Downtown? Leggings. On and off your local college campus? Leggings. In an enchanted grove, bathed in the light of a full moon preparing for the End Times? LEGGINGS.

Pants by Any Other Name Would Still Cover My Butt

While the “Leggings are not pants!” fashion battle rages on, causing fashion casualties on both sides (probably), some continue to wear leggings as pants. Now, leggings mustn’t always be the same old skin tight-stretch-black material variety.

This is 2013, people, and where there are leggings, there are ways (sure). Here’s several geeky leggings for fans of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, video games, and more–each sure to make any outing or parole hearing much more interesting.

Lord of the Leggings

middle earth map leggings

Don’t ask where the Eye of Sauron is either. Image via Amazon.

When fashion meets functionality, LOOK OUT. These Map of Middle Earth leggings not only look great, but are geeky and educational. Sure, you’ll be the butt of Helm’s Deep and Mirkwood jokes, but you’ll know the way to Gondor or Mordor better than any hobbit or Tom Bombadil.

Warning: watch out for creepers using the ‘is there a palantír in your leggings?’ pick up line and boneheads making ‘why didn’t they just ride the eagles?!‘ jokes.

 Yet Another ‘These ARE the Droids You’re Looking For’ Joke

star wars droids leggings

Who needs an oil bath? Image via Amazon.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, pants were still pants. But then, Chewie didn’t exactly wear pants, did he? And what about Jabba the Hutt? Can you even imagine him in pants? More like a tent, am I right? Don’t even get me started on Ewoks either. For geeks wanting to combine their love of leggings and The Star Wars, consider these C3PO and R2D2 leggings.

Warning: watching out for creepers asking where you keep your Death Star plans or asking about ‘making a trench run.’ Set phasers to BARF. Wait. Wrong geekdom.

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Subscription Issue Fixed (I Hope)

by on September 18, 2013 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News

[dc]I[/dc] think I solved the ‘comics not appearing in subscritption emails’ problem. We’ll see though, I won’t really know until I publish another comic. I killed the Jetpack subscriptions–sorry to those who signed up–and went with Feedburner email subscriptions (watch, Google will kill Feedburner in like two weeks).

I Like to Push All Kinds of Buttons

You may notice a few changes around the site, including a pair of Subscribe buttons. I decided to focus on boosting my subscribers, hence the buttons.

clattertron subscribe

Be a pal. Give a hoot. And so on.

Magic Eyes Upon You

This handsome fellow appears in the top right sidebar (which, based on some recent reading is a good place for such at thing). You might remember this panel from the comic, The Proxy, Part 4. I just moved No Filter Fox’s eyeballs to the center, and now he’s looking AT YOU. MAGIC.

For the “Subscribe!” text, I grabbed a bunch of letters from different words in my finished comics, and pieced ’em together like a digital ransom note. Sure, it would probably be as much work to just write, ink, and scan the word, but season two of Legend of Korra started this weekend, so…

Artisan Handcrafted Mostly Recycled Graphics

I did the same with the second subscribe button, which appears at the bottom of each post.

clattertron subscribe button

He rocks the mic.

This No Filter Fox comes from the comic, Ask No Filter Fox. Again, I just moved the eyes (and erased the terrified child). Observant Raptor on the right comes from the same comic as the first subscribe button. For her “Please,” I grabbed the whole word from the String Cheese Theory comic. My Oh No Robot transcript page came in handy for such a task (See? Being meticulous has its advantages).

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