Edmonton

Get in the Con Game!

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cropped-brent-chibi-96.jpgGen Con started today, with tens of thousands of gaming nerds gathering in Indianapolis to celebrate the hobby they love. Sadly, I am not among them this year, though I have made the pilgrimage to gamer mardi gras in the past. If you have the means, I highly recommend attending Gen Con at least once in your lifetime. The experience is like nothing else.

But even if you can’t get to Gen Con this year, there are likely plenty of smaller gaming conventions just waiting to entertain you. There are regional and local cons held all over the world, run by nerds who love the tabletop hobby as much as you. Sites like Upcoming Cons and Game Convention Central can help you track down nearby cons. Most local cons will advertise where the gamers hang out, so check out your FLGS or game café for posters and/or flyers.

I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and we have a number of local cons which feature gaming. It wasn’t always the case, of course, but with the general rise in popularity of tabletop gaming came an interest in sharing that experience with others. Even five years ago you could struggle to find something year-round. Now, I’m actually staggered a bit by choice. For those living in Edmonton (and the rest of Alberta, if you want to make the trip) here are some upcoming gaming cons happening in our fair city.

Edmonton Expo (Sept 23-25, 2016) – While not a gaming con per se, the Expo is a big convention and has a little bit of everything. In the last couple of years the tabletop gaming area has expanded and improved, and the Expo has introduced hundreds of new people to the hobby, as well as showing off new games to the veteran players. Full disclosure, I’m the Tabletop Gaming Team Lead for the event, so I might be a touch biased. But we try to make the tabletop gaming area as welcoming as possible, with an eye toward getting folks around a table and playing something. Because playing the game is the fun part, right? This year I’m excited because we have a number of local game designers and companies demoing their stuff, and folks can come try out games which are fresh on the market.

FallCon (September 30- October 2, 2016) – Not a local con, but definitely close by when compared to other cons you could travel to, FallCon happens every year in Calgary, AB. Currently in its 29th year of operation, it is currently the province’s longest-running gaming convention. And it shows; every year FallCon is a well-run weekend of fun for boardgame enthusiasts. Also a great con to help get an idea of what it’s like to travel to a con, if you haven’t done that yet. Think of it as the start of your training regimen for attending Gen Con.

IntrigueCon (October 14-16, 2016) – Locally run by Hazard Gaming, IntrigueCon is an annual role-playing convention. Its attendance is growing nicely, with a wide variety of both new and classic RPGs for local gamers to try out. The staff and volunteers are great, and the times I’ve managed to get out and run a game have been a blast. Edmonton gamers, if you’re looking for a great con experience while still being able to sleep in your own bed at night, this con’s for you.

Gamealot (October 21-23, 2016) Yes, that’s right, you can get in two back-to-back gaming conventions in the space of a week. One of the Edmonton area’s longest running gaming conventions, Gamealot used to be run out of Mission: Fun and Games’ store every September. This year they finally acknowledged that the store could no longer contain all the gaming goodness, and have moved to a much larger off-site venue. But in true Gamealot fashion, the weekend is shaping up to be just as packed with boardgames and card games as ever. And this is definitely the place to go if you want a boardgame palette cleanser after your IntrigueCon RPG experience. You’ll likely find me there running some Cheapass Games and the like.

KefCon (November 19-20, 2016) – An acronym for “keeping evenings fun”, KefCon is brand new boardgaming convention just entering its second year. No dates are announced for the next one, but they seem to be trying to run a single-day event every six months (the last was in mid-July). I haven’t been myself yet, but friends have told me it’s a good time, not unlike spending a day at your friend’s house playing boardgames. You know, if your friend’s house was the size of a local community hall. Update: They’ve picked some dates in November, and have expanded to two days. Tickets are on-sale now!

GOBFest (April 8 & 9, 2017) – Organized by local group POGOB (Players of Games on Boards), GOBFest is a wonderful two-day boardgaming event. Went to KefCon and you’re ready for something a little heftier? This is for you. Not only do they feature scheduled games and tournaments, but they have an impressively large library of games you can borrow for open gaming. Not to mention a number of “life-sized” games, for when you want to be the meeple. I’ve run games and played games at GOBFest, and had a blast doing both.

Okay, that’s my list of Edmonton gaming cons available for your enjoyment and titillation. Did I miss one? Did I get something wrong? Drop a note in the comments. And for everyone not living in my city, get out there and see what’s going on near you. You’ll be surprised at what you might find with just a bit of digging.cropped-brent-chibi-96.jpg

Nerdiness Afoot in YEG

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Ahoy, nerdlings!  Winter seems to have passed us by and it is time to shake off our hibernation and get out into the world.  Conveniently, your fellow geeks are running events  firmly in your wheelhouse.  So give yourself a shake, put on your best pop-culture t-shirt, and hit up one of these upcoming events:

50,000 tweets, a fundraiser, and a (fake) birthday celebration

No one can deny Brittney Le Blanc’s status as YEG geek royalty (minor royalty, like a duchess or something. Don’t get cocky, Brit!).  Her work with YEG Girl Geek, coupled with her tireless promotion of all things Edmonton have certainly earned that for her.  And she is generous to a fault.  So generous, she has turned the celebration of her new column and her (fake) birthday into a fundraiser for the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation.  Join her and a gajillion of your fellow nerds at  Brittany’s Lounge (10225 – 97 Street) on Friday, March 30 for cake, drinks and merry-making!  And as an added bonus, for just $2 you can enter the raffle for Brittney’s 50,000th Tweet!  That’s right, for one brief 140-character moment, this member of geek royalty could be your mouthpiece.  So come on out and celebrate for a great cause!  Click on the heading for more details and to register.

Brass and Brew IV

Join the Edmonton Steampunk crew for another merry event on Saturday April 7, starting at 5pm.  Put on your steampunk finest (or don’t, no one will judge) and enjoy some fine company and libations.  This is an all-ages event, though minors do need to leave before 9pm.  This event occurs inside City Center Mall in the Elephant and Castle restaurant and pub located on the third floor of the mall, next to the Cineplex movie theatre.  So fire up the steam velocipede and head on down!

Robert J. Sawyer TRIGGERS Launch in Edmonton

Join Hugo and Nebula Award-winner Robert J. Sawyer as he launches his 21st novel TRIGGERS.  The reading takes place at Audrey’s (10702 Jasper Avenue) on Wednesday, April 11 at 7:30pm, and there will be signings afterwards.

“A thriller’s pacing and a chilling near-future world. Sawyer delivers here.” — Booklist
“A turbo-charged techno-thriller. A combination of classic and contemporary science fiction.” — Publishers Weekly
“A tense, race-against-the-clock adventure with a surprise ending.” — Library Journal

Avengers Movie Marathon

With all the upcoming events such as the Calgary Expo (April 27th to April 29th), The Avengers Movie (May 4th) and Free Comic Book Day (May 5th), what better way to kick it off than an Avengers Movie Marathon at Happy Harbor (10729 104 Ave).  Spend all day Sunday, April 15th watching all the movies that will lead up to what we all have been waiting for since 2008.  Starting at 10am, here is the chronological movie schedule:

Iron Man
The Incredible Hulk
Iron Man 2
Thor
Captain America: The First Avenger

So pack some snacks, bring the family and spend the day reliving the stories of the Avengers and anticipating the movie that will bring them all together!  Admission is a donation to the Edmonton Food Bank. That’s all. Please make sure to support the cause while you enjoy your day!

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That’s all for now!  Get on out there and get your geek on!  And as always, if you have a nerd event and you want to get the word out, drop me a line here.

Public Displays of Nerdery (and where to find them)

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There is nerdery afoot and aflight in the city of Edmonton!  And you need to get out there and take part, lest your nerd cred atrophy over these long winter months.  To forestall any nerd-cred shrinkage, why not take in some of these fine events:

An Epic Valentine’s Day of Epic Epicness

Join the Graphic Content folks, along with Comics! The Blog as they host a special Valentine’s Day screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, tonight at the Metro Cinema.  Starting at 9:00pm, there will be drinks provided by Metro’s official supplier Alley Kat Brewing Company.  And, you can have your drink – in a fancy red party cup, just like in the movie! – inside the theatre itself!  Screening starts at 9:30pm.  Tickets are $10 adults, $8 students/senoirs, and Metro Passes will be accepted. The film is 112 minutes long, rated PG, and we’ll be showing it in glorious 35mm.

Chapters Mini-Comicon — Author Appearances

Saturday, February 18 at 11am, join Edmonton literary and comic celebs Andrew Foley (Done to Death, Cowboys & Aliens), Dave Gross (Pathfinder, Forgotten Realms), and Robert Burke Richardson (Old School, The Matriarch) for readings, signings and a Q&A.  Where else are you going to talk to these three together in one place, outside of a fancy-schmancy convention? Well, at the 170st Chapters, in this case.  But besides that, nowhere!  You would be the most foolish of fools to miss out on this opportunity, so make your way there this Saturday!

GEEKS UNITE! “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”

Friday February 24th at 11pm at the Metro Cinema!  At Last! Another film completely different from some of the other films which aren’t quite the same as this one is. King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights Sir Galahad the Pure (Michael Palin) , Sir Lancelot the Brave (John Cleese), the quiet Sir Bedevere (Terry Jones), and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot (Eric Idle) embark on a low-budget search for the Grail, encountering many very silly obstacles. Classic 35mm film comedy on the big screen…costumes & coconuts encouraged! Join the Knights Who Say Ni!, Tim the Enchanter, Roger the Shrubber, the Black Knight, the oppressed Dennis, Prince Herbert & his father the King of Swamp Castle & many more!

Happy Harbor’s Movie Nite! U-Decide!

Happy Harbor is having a movie night, Saturday, February 25th, and you get to pick the movie!  Choose between TUCKER & DALE vs EVIL or VAMPIRE GIRL vs FRANKENSTEIN GIRL; you can cast your vote on the Facebook event page (follow the heading link)  Whichever gets the most votes is what you will watch.  HH now has a snack bar (chips & chocolate bars) with coffee to go along with our pop so all you need is a donation to the Edmonton Food Bank and it’s extra crazy, geeky movie action time.  And if you haven’t seen the new HH theater in action, it’s pretty awesome!  Movie starts at 7pm, so cast your vote and don’t be late!

Okay nerds!  There are four events to get your nerd juices (ew!) flowing!  As always, if you know of any nerdly events going on in Edmonton drop a link in the comments below and I’ll post them on the blog.  Now get out there and have fun!

Update: The Year of the Con

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Those of you in my inner circle (anyone who reads the blog even once) will know that I declared 2012 The Year of the Con.  I am still on track to attend more cons this year than I have in years past.  But as with many great plans, the exact details have changed since implementation; life has decided to step in and deliver a few curves.  Am I still going to a metric @&%$-load of cons this year?  Yes.  But I’ve had to focus and sort out my priorities, and that has led to some changes.  Let’s take a look…

Emerald City Comicon – Unfortunately, I’ve had to drop this con from my list.  Looking at finances, I could have made attending this con work, but at the risk of missing out on one of the two other US cons I have this year.  As much as I wanted to hit a big con with my buddies, the other two cons now have a higher priority (I’ll tell you why when we get to them).  Since I’m not willing to risk missing out on the other two, this one had to go.  But it is definitely pencilled-in for next year, because there are definitely things I want to see at this con.

Calgary Expo – Given their big announcement recently (all the ST:TNG principle cast? Yes please!), it breaks my heart to have to drop this one.  But my new job at Wizard’s Comics means that I have to stay behind and watch the store while the owner and my boss are flying the Wizard’s flag at the con.  Such are the trials and tribulations of geekdom.  There are two silver linings to this cloud: 1) there is an outside possibility I can make it down for at least the Sunday, which would be cool; and 2) there are people attending that will allow me to give them money to get autographs from some of the guests.  So the Calgary Expo won’t be a total write-off, but my participation is definitely diminished.

Paizocon – Okay, here’s the first piece of positive news!  I am all registered, and locked in to run some games at the event.  I have transportation worked out, thanks to the Venture-Captain from Winnipeg; I’ll join him and a few friends in their road-trip to the con.  The only thing I haven’t done is book my hotel room, but I can now divert the funds I was saving for ECCC (*sniff*) to do this sooner rather than later.  So Paizocon is a definite go, and I am looking forward to hanging out with the company for which I volunteer.  Plus, an entire weekend of Pathfinder? Yes please!

Gencon – This con is a definite go as well.  As a Venture-Captain I get advanced dibs on volunteering to run Pathfinder events at Gencon, and I have volunteered for enough slots that Paizo is taking care of my weekend pass AND putting me up in a hotel room (with 3 other GMs).  So all I have to do is get there.  Which is where the Nerdbus comes into play.  Kris over at Warp One Comics is organizing a road trip from Edmonton to Gencon for any nerds that want to make the trip.  You can get the full package (weekend pass, hotel and transport) for a staggeringly reasonable $650.  Since I have two out of three covered already, I am opting for just transport which gets me a price reduction on that.  And looking at the latest update, it looks like it’ll be Nerd RVs as opposed to a Nerdbus.  Which makes a heck of a lot of sense, both for comfort and scale-ability of the trip.  So if you were thinking of going to Gencon, I think Nerdbus might be your best bet.

At this point you might be thinking, “Okay, but so far that is just two cons.  How does two cons equate to the Year of the Con, slappy?”  First off, that “slappy” was hurtful and unnecessary.  Second, I am adding some more cons to the list.  I’ll post later with details, but I have added the following conventions to my Year of the Con: Pop Culture Fair (March 4);  Edmonton Collectible Toy & Comic Show (April 1);  Prairie Con 33 (June 1-3); Underground Con (June 9); Animethon (August 10-12); and of course Pure Speculation is on the list as well.  So fret not, fair reader, I am packing the year with conventions big and small.

What conventions are you hitting this year?  Talk them up in the comments below…

NaNoWriMo Will Not Orphan the Blog

/ Renaissance Gamer / 3 Comments

If you read my previous post, you know that NaNoWriMo is upon us!  I want to assure my tens of readers that my participation in that will not slow down blog entries at all.  I’ve found, as have other writers have, that the more I write the more I am able to write, limited only by the number of hours in the day.  So the posts will still happen, though individual posts may be a bit shorter for the next month.

But, lucky you!  I’ll also share the odd (and I promise they’ll be odd) excerpts from my burgeoning novel, and you can track my progress.  If you want to follow my progress throughout the month, you can check me out through my NaNoWriMo profile.  And to celebrate my fresh start, here is a small excerpt from today’s writing:

Sighing, Michael drew a red line through another few lines of text. In the margin he scribbled some notes for the paper’s author, and flipping to the front page jotted down a grade and further comments. “Not your best work, I expect better next time.” Did he, though?

Michael rubbed his eyes, and then stared at the still unmarked pile of student essays. How many more times am I going to write this tonight, he wondered, not for the first time. That familiar thought led his mind to consider how many times he had already written that same comment, but as always he gave up on the tally. Too many students with too many papers over so many years… Such was the lot of an English professor. He could always switch credentials, move to another town, teach something else at another university. Math, maybe, or psychology. Not history, of course; that would be a little too “on the nose”. But surely another identity would be less work than this…

Sighing again, Michael reached for the next paper in the stack. No, that is just my poor lazy brain talking. I have a nice life here despite my whining. If grading papers is the worst thing I have to put up with today, the day is pretty damn good.

In one of life’s little joking moments, that was when the bullet smashed through the office window.

And so on.  Michael’s adventures will continue through the month, and we’ll see where this crazy ride takes me.  I do have an outline, but sometimes the outline comes off the rails due to inspiration and I think this may end up being the case.  Stay tuned to see.

If you are taking part in NaNoWriMo, come be my Writing Buddy; you can find me as RenaissanceDork on the site or follow the link above.  The more support/peer pressure we have the better chance we have of finishing, so let me hear from you!

Have a comment about NaNoWriMo? Want to tell me that my excerpt is a) awesome or b) fantastic? Comments are just below…

Edmonton Nerdery and Future Plans

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Today is sort of a two for one post; I have some local nerdery to promote, and I want to talk for a bit about my plans for Renaissance Dork.

But, nerdery first!

Costuming Help 101: An Informal Affair

Join the Edmonton Steampunk group for a casual afternoon of costume planning and instruction!  If you have questions about steampunk costumes, need some inspiration or just want to hang out with an awesome bunch of nerds, this is the event for you!  Taking place at 2pm at the Elephant & Castle downtown (10200 102nd ave), this is an all-ages event so don’t be shy.  With Pure Spec just around the corner, this is the perfect opportunity to put the finishing touches on your steampunk array…

22nd Annual Folding Festival

Curious about the mysterious art of origami?  Ever wondered if you could do it yourself?  Pop on down to the Folding Festival and find out!  With a mix of origami displays and hands-on instruction, the Folding Festival is your place to explore this beautiful and deceptively simple-looking Japanese art.  Running two afternoons in the Edmonton Room at the Stanley Milner Library, admission is free to the public.  Come get your fold on!

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Okay, that’s the nerdery.  Don’t worry, there is more coming, I just don’t want to spoil the surprise too early.

On to Renaissance Dork!  Since I started running fairly regular Edmonton Nerdery posts, I’ve had a really good response from readers.  Obviously there was a niche to be filled for a local “What’s On for Nerds” type of site here in YEG, and I am quite frankly happy to be the niche-filler.  Edmonton nerdery is there, no question, but some days I think it needs an amplifier to be heard properly.

So I am going to be that amp, brethren and sistren, and I go to eleven!  In the next while you’ll see a separate page go up with a list of the regular and ongoing geekery around town (things like the Social Media Breakfasts, monthly events at Metro and so on), with links to find out more.  As well, unless there really is no nerdery to report, the Edmonton Nerdery posts will continue on a weekly basis.  If I have to skip a week I will be a very sad panda, so keep those geek events coming!  Seriously, if you are organizing a nerd event or have an ongoing event you’d like on my event page, contact me at brent.jans(at)gmail.com with the details.

In addition to promoting YEG geekery, going forward you will start to see interviews popping up in the posts.  I am reaching out to people I know in the geek community, to chat with them about this and that.  I will then post our chats here on Renaissance Dork for your edification and enjoyment.  It turns out I know a lot of really interesting nerds, so it seems fitting I should introduce you.

Last but not even least, I am opening the door to guest posts.  I have a few people that have expressed an interest in writing the occasional bit of geekery, but don’t have the wherewithal to set-up their own blog.  Down the road I will provide a home for these orphan posts, and I thought it only right to extend the offer to my tens of readers as well.  So if you have a nerdy piece you want to write and you need a place to post it, talk to me.  It can be anything; editorial, review, amusing anecdote.  Just drop me a line at brent.jans(at)gmail.com with a query (or even the finished piece) and we’ll talk.

That’s all for now!  The game is five card stud, nothing wild, and the sky’s the limit!

Comments go in the Comment place!

 

Random Acts of Publicity: LitFest

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For the final instalment in Random Acts of Publicity Week, instead of talking about a single book by someone I know, I’m going to talk about a single book festival by someone I know.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you LitFest, produced by my pal David Cheoros.

As described on the website:

“Litfest is a festival, not a conference. We don’t just sit around and read books (although we do that too). At LitFest, nonfiction content comes to life. Avid readers with nonfiction content and creators through a series of events chic gatherings and gourmet experiences.

LitFest is an exclusive event. LitFest is the only nonfiction festival in Canada. It brings together some of the best-selling, award-winning and emerging authors of books, magazine and film content. It also supports Edmonton as a local incubator for nonfiction literary talent.”

Begun in 2002 as the successor to the Alberta Book Fair, LitFest provides 10-days of non-fiction literary programming.  The festival presents a wide range of readings and events focused on some of the most interesting non-fiction writing to be had today.  Examples: Irshad Manji discussing the content of her books The Trouble with Islam Today and Allah, Liberty and Love; Will Ferguson reading from Canadian Pie; A Taste of Scots, featuring a reading from How the Scots Invented Canada by author Ken McGoogan, followed by a reception toasting Scotland (yes, including whiskey).  And this is just a fraction of the events running over the ten days; the schedule has to be seen to be believed.

One of the things I love about this festival is that it is not set in a single location in the city.  Events for LitFest run at locations in St. Albert and Spruce Grove, as well as various locations around Edmonton: the Stanley Milner library, Garneau Theatre, Haven Social Club and The ARTery, just to name a few.  This was a great choice by LitFest, because it gives the festival a very inclusive community feel, as well as opening up what would otherwise be and Edmonton festival to our surrounding communities.

You can buy a Festival Pass, or pick up tickets for individual readings and events.  You can even grab a Gold Pass that will get you into the festival and the special events, like the Charles Taylor Prize Gala, A Brunch of Writers and Genu-Wine.  Tickets and passes can be picked up in advance through Tix on the Square.

If you love reading non-fiction, and want to expose yourself to some of the best in NF literature, LitFest is the place you need to be.  Check out the LitFest website for details like event times and locations, and make sure to take in an event or two or ten, during the October 12-23 run.  You will likely see me there.

Comments? Questions? Hate mail? Below.