Gen Con Milwaukee Remembered Part 4

Today we start a new chapter in my recollections of Gen Con when it was held here in Milwaukee.

Part 3 wrapped up my mussings on what happened in 2001. We now venture into Gen Con 2002, the last year it was in Milwaukee.

So, here we go, back in time to experience....

ZANGZ’S GEN CON GAME FAIR JOURNAL 2002 – THE LAST HUZZAH!

PROLOGUE:

(Yes, there’s a prologue. Stop your whining!!)

For nearly 20 years the Gen Con Game Fair has called Milwaukee its home. As a local gaming geek, I felt great pride that thousands of gamers as well as Sci-Fi Fantasy and Horror fans have made the pilgrimage to the city I call home. They come together every year and bask in all of Gen Con’s geeky - Gothic glory as the people and businesses in our city have welcomed them with very open and affectionate arms!!!

Sadly, things change and few years after TSR, originators of Gen Con, got bought out by Wizards of the Coast (or WOTC as they shall hence be referred to as), WOTC announced that after their commitment with Milwaukee convention officials is over in 2002, they’ll be moving our beloved Gen Con Game Fair to the way happening, party town of…………..Indianapolis, Indiana…………(sound of crickets chirping).

Imagine, if you will, what it would be like if one day some big conglomerate bought out Harley-Davidson Motorcycles and wanted to move the plant to Zimbabwe. Although that’s admittedly a gross exaggeration upon my part, it’s kind of a close analogy of how the move feels to me.

This decision would make this year, 2002, the last year that the city of Milwaukee would have Gen Con …The last huzzah.

Why did this happen, you may ask? Perhaps it’s because a certain huge gaming company is far more concerned about making more money than keeping tradition alive. Or maybe it’s because local housing officials, local city planers, as well as local convention and tourism officials, care very little about keeping big, popular conventions in the town they work for. Yes, I’m a wee tad bitter.

In any case, this will be the last Gen Con Milwaukee will see in a very long time, if not ever again.

This FINALLY brings us to the beginning of….

ZANGZ’S GEN CON GAME FAIR JOURNAL 2002 – THE LAST HUZZAH!

Here’s a play-by-play of my adventures culminating from this years GenCon….

Early January, 2002 to Late July, 2002.

- I could waste time telling you of the craziness of what it was like trying to pre-register for the Gen Con Game Fair on-line, but then I would start grinding my teeth again. Since my teeth are ground down to their gums by now, I’ll save you the agony. Suffice it to say, there was a lot of registering and re-registering and “Product not available” messages. Throw getting charged twice on your credit card for something you attempted to purchase ONCE into the mix and you’ll get a slight idea. All I could think was, “If this is the last Gen Con in Milwaukee, it better be worth the madness of the on-line registration they put us through.”

July 29^th, 2002.

- Since WOTC didn’t send out a schedule booklet, I go to the WOTC Gen Con website to get a grip on what all I really want to do at this year’s game fair.

- I see they have the celebrities finalized and set….

*Warwick Davis (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Willow, Leprechaun)

*Don P. Davis - (Stargate, SG-1, X-Files)

*Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager)

*Teryl Rothery (Stargate: SG-1)

*Lisa Ryder (Andromeda, Forever Knight)

*Majandra Delfino (Roswell)

*Brom - Incredible fantasy / horror artist who does wonderfully creepy and disturbing as well as mind boggling and beautiful artwork.

-Originally Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: Next Generation) and Ted Ramie (Xena, Seaquest: DSV) were to attend, but those appearances fell through at the last minute.

-I make note of who I want to see when and what seminars I want to attend and make myself out a schedule, fully knowing that this schedule will be completely revamped when the convention starts.

Wednesday, August 8^th, 2002

- After a nice long walk, I get to the convention center in the late afternoon, to sign up for whatever events I couldn’t sign up for on-line (See Early January/Late February).

- I notice several huge lines of gamers also trying to register for events. The lines head every which way and never seem to end. Just great.

- After 10 minutes of running around in a state of major confusion trying to make some sort of sense of it all, I find a con program and the line I’m to be in to get registered for a few seminars I want to get into. The line winds around to the opposite side of the convention center than where the ticket booth is.

- I get in line and read through the program once.

- I read through the program a second time.

- I read the program a third time.

- I read the program one more time just to make sure there wasn’t anything I missed the first three times.

- Made awkward small talk to the individual in front of me.

- Read through the program yet again to initiate the whole, previous, vicious cycle all over again.

- I finally reached the Event Registration Ticket Booth.

- I recognize the individual who’s selling me the tickets, it’s Fred! Fred is a friend of Spanky’s (more on Spanky later).

- I finally have the seminar tickets in hand 3 hours after arriving. Time to go home and get some sleep.


Part 5 is just down the road, so keep your eyes open!

Zangz.