It seems like right now, everyone in the OSR is down in Texas for some reason. Somehow, those bastardly Texans have convinced the OSR to relocate there for a weekend, but I didn't fall for the trap. I've been to Texas, and I know how terrible a place it is. Nothing like the cold, loving embrace of Mother Michigan. While everyone's down roasting their balls off in America's diseased crotch, I thought I'd talk about the RPG conventions that I'm actually planning on hitting this year.
MichiCon has been going on for a long time. Last year was its 40th anniversary, so this con has some history. Which fails to explain to me why I've never heard about it. Of course, I'm not from the eastern half of the state (at least not originally; I'm a West Michigan guy at heart, despite the 12 years I've lived in Washtenaw County), so I think I can be forgiven. MichiCon is not a large con (right now, it has four rooms assigned to RPGs with only two tables per room), and it seems to be dominated by Pathfinder, but nobody's perfect, right?
What's better than getting to go to GenCon? Having your geek wife suggest that "well, we'd better go this year, damnit!" So, now, we're rounding up troops from here in Ypsi, including +Mark Donkers, +Jamie Bradish and quite possibly +Matt Woodard along with some folks from other places such as Virginia's famed beardomancer, +Wayne Snyder, to make sure that her first GenCon and my first GenCon in more than a decade will be an experience to remember. Add to the mix folks who were going to be there anyway like +Harley Stroh and you've got a recipe for geek disaster.
MichiCon, July 12-13th
MichiCon has been going on for a long time. Last year was its 40th anniversary, so this con has some history. Which fails to explain to me why I've never heard about it. Of course, I'm not from the eastern half of the state (at least not originally; I'm a West Michigan guy at heart, despite the 12 years I've lived in Washtenaw County), so I think I can be forgiven. MichiCon is not a large con (right now, it has four rooms assigned to RPGs with only two tables per room), and it seems to be dominated by Pathfinder, but nobody's perfect, right?
The other day, +R.J. Thompson posted on his blog, Gamers & Grognards, that he'll be hosting an event at MichiCon this year, just like he does every year. It was the first I'd ever heard of the con, so I did some digging and signed on myself. As of this moment, I'm running DCC on Friday night (6:30p onward), July 12th and Saturday night (again, 6:30p onward), July 13th. Friday night's game will be Goodman Games's the Tower Out of Time and Saturday will be my own To Catch A Fallen Star, re-written for the non-Metal Gods (but still damn METAL!) crowd.
If you're a Michigan/Ohio/Ontario area GM and are looking to run a session during this con, hurry up! There aren't many spots left, but we could use some more OSR-style games in the D&D room and you've got to get your events in by June 12th for the schedule to get finalized so registration can begin. If you read this blog and are actually planning on going to MichiCon, look me up and we'll grab a beer. Or drain a flask. Or something else awesome.
GenCon Indy, August 15-18
What's better than getting to go to GenCon? Having your geek wife suggest that "well, we'd better go this year, damnit!" So, now, we're rounding up troops from here in Ypsi, including +Mark Donkers, +Jamie Bradish and quite possibly +Matt Woodard along with some folks from other places such as Virginia's famed beardomancer, +Wayne Snyder, to make sure that her first GenCon and my first GenCon in more than a decade will be an experience to remember. Add to the mix folks who were going to be there anyway like +Harley Stroh and you've got a recipe for geek disaster.
I had originally planned to run at least one event at GenCon, but when I realized that this was going to be more of a crazy-ass, whacked-out gamer-splosion shebang, I changed that plan. Here's the skinny folks, during GenCon, I will run sessions of DCC, they will be Ur-Hadadlish, and to get in on all the action, all you'll need to do is find me (or tune in to the blog here because I'll probably talk about it here, too).
Intermission: Pulaski Days, October 4-5th
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| You probably don't know why I'm important, do you? |
If you're not from Grand Rapids, Michigan, chances are you'd be surprised to know that there's an amazing Polish festival there the first weekend in October. All over Grand Rapids, these neighborhood associations (public halls) open up to the public all over town with Polish food, drinking and lots of Polka music & dancing. My wife and I went last year (her first time) and had a blast. That weekend is also my birthday weekend, so it's more awesome added on top. Along the way, we'll probably hit Argos Comics & Used Books in East GR to dive through their stacks for rare and strange pulpy goodness. Seriously, though, this shit is crazy fun and I can't recommend it enough. If you do any non-gaming stuff this year, it should be GR's Pulaski Days. Polka, pierogi (not "peerogies," you can go to the frozen food section for those) and pivo (beer).
U-Con, November 22-24
So here's a no-brainer: this convention is now down the road from where I live. Literally. Unlike MichiCon, I'd heard of this con before, and even considered running DCC there last year, but me paying attention to stuff didn't make that work. I'm trying to make that up this year by bringing the DCC experience and making sure that my home town (well, current home town) of Ypsilanti gets its DCC strangeness on. Event registration for this November's con just went up this week, so I have no idea how things are filling out, but unless I miss my mark, there will be too many Pathfinder games and not enough OSR games. So, if you're here in SEMI (South Eastern MIchigan), come run something, damnit! Well, at least come. Play some DCC. It will be awesome. It will be more than awesome, it will be Kickass.
For U-Con, I'll be running The Tower Out of Time again, as well as a by-then-updated-once-more To Catch a Fallen Star.