Freedom City

Typing this whole weekend on my phone has been educational. It’s doable, but my thoughts move faster than my thumbs. My brain has been extensively clocked at eight fingers worth of typing. Point being that when I get home these entries will likely see some expansion.
We’re looking over our loot and admitting to ourselves that it’s time to go see FedEx.
We’ve got our last bundle of exclusive cards ready. The night’s planned so I can get some sleep before the 6am flight; my ride’s all arranged. Just have to put my sell face on.
We did catch up via phone with Will and Jeremy, which is what we’ll take when they can’t be here. Clear Feb 2012, fellas; Megacon’s a great con!
More after we set up.

925am
Our shuttle driver is a former upstate New Yorker and continuing Bills fan. We commiserated over what will probably be a fantasy season next year for football fans in general. Even with an actual season, Alby was only cautiously optimistic. He showed us a ridiculously short walking path back to the hotel. Traditionally this is a Sunday sort of discovery.
Shipped my grand-niece’s big Pooh bear via FedEx so he wouldn’t annoy the TSA folks with all that giggling when they searched his tummy.
All set up now. The line for one-day tickets was at least a hundred people 90 minutes before opening. The FedEx folks were buzzing about Stan Lee stopping by yesterday. They heard Stan was staying another day due to overwhelming response. This con surprises everyone.
I just sold a Syphilitic Cowboys to one of the security people. He said there’s no cool cowboy comics anymore. That’s about 30% of why we do most books…we say things like “Where’s the cowboy book crossed with THE HOT ZONE that also has Mennonites?” I talk like that all the time.
1045am
I have discovered that the word YAOI in all caps and upside down in a serif font looks to the casual eye to be IOWA. Busy Sunday so far.
207 pm
Mild territorial dispute with neighboring table: the fellow next one over seemed to think it was fine to come up behind our table to chat up someone actively looking through our stuff. The guy saw we weren’t happy and when Carter left the table, he tapped me on the shoulder and rambled about professionalism and how he’s had a lot of jobs. That’s fantastic; but we paid for our space and he paid for his. Whenever I run into one of these devil-may-care rebel types, they’re always mystified when the don’t go over well, that you’re supposed to tolerate them.
I spotted an opening and hopped in line for a custom SHIELD ID as a tie-in for the Thor movie.
2.75 hours to go.
Also saw Brittany, a local artist we met about 18 months ago at the summer version of Megacon they tried. She’s graduated now and looking for gigs.
Sell sell sell sell..
327pm
Things are winding down steadily. About 75 cards left of the 500 and I’ve only seen one on the floor whilst walking around. People are walking a bit faster and hurriedly scanning for anything they missed or think they forgot. It’s always the fall of Rome at the end these things.
424pm
The Exodus has begun! Artist Alley and the dealers are slowpacking and getting ready to bolt. Carter is talking megawonk with a fellow on Legos.
743pm
Am sitting in Icebar amusedly correcting autocorrect gems like “Aristotle” for “Artist”, though every community could use a local Aristotle. We’ve been musing about the last few days and nodding sagely at our good choices. Video and pics will go up late tomorrow, I think.
Icebar actually has a chamber with a bar made of ice. We have determined this would be too depressing to do before coming back to Iowa.