Jim at Phoenix ComiCon - June 5-8

[OZ]

This will be my first con as well and I'm really looking forward to it. My daughter has gone before but not me. I think she's just going on the weekend this year. I took the time off to go to the whole thing but we'll see.

[mcjanie]

Thanks, all, for your kind replies!  The ticket prices are staggered to go up this year the closer it gets, and I want to pull the trigger by 4/30 on which days I am going. But now they seem to have backtracked on the scheduling that had been listed for the author panels - several have disappeared, and most of the rest say "date/time TBA."  Sad face!!

[OZ]

If you go Saturday and Sunday it's the same price as the whole week. I figure I might as well get the week long package since I plan to go on the weekend for sure and even one weekday (or night) will mean I've come out ahead.

[Cenphx]

Omgomgomgomgomgomg!!!!

I just checked the forum for the first time in months and it's like my birthday and Christmas morning all in one! I could WALK to this convention! I've never been to a comicon, but this one will have Jim, MLN Hanover (Daniel Abraham), Kevin Hearne, Seanan McGuire and oh yeah, did I mention JIM FREAKING BUTCHER!!!!!!!

Ok. I might be a little overly excited. Going to buy my membership dealey thing now. Better than Christmas!

[OZ]

You live in downtown Phoenix? My work takes me from Central to 7th Street and from Adams to Fillmore. I haven't been to the convention center but I'm across the street at the Herberger Theater almost every day.

[Cenphx]

Yep! Live and work there. I work over by the downtown courts and live over in the Coronado neighborhood by the Barrio cafe. I'm about a 2 minute drive from the convention center! And I bought my signed copy of Cold Days from the Poisoned Pen where Jim will be doing the book signing!

So, howdy neighbor!! How excited about this are you? As I have no awesome costume, I will be the non-cool dork walking around in street clothes. Maybe we should see if any of the people from this forum want to actually meet up at the convention? Or is that weird?

[OZ]

The Barrio Cafe has a few dishes that I really love. The poblano pepper stuffed with chicken, spices, nuts and fruit (garlic, onions, pecans, apricots. I think there are a few more) is really good. I think it would be fun to meet other forum members. I often see them talking about it at other conventions. I assume we will be seeing most if not all of Jim's panels so maybe we could arrange to meet before or after one of them.

[OZ]

Oh, and for what it's worth I don't think I'll be dressed up either. There don't seem to be many roles for fat, balding middle aged men. I did threaten my daughter that I could wear a black wig and no shirt and claim to be Kull but she unfortunately has known me enough years not to be dismayed by my attempts at humor. She just laughs and says go for it.

[sftv]

A quick update for you all.

First of all, yes, we are trying to make sure everyone who wants to see Jim will be able to get into his panels. His solo talk will be Saturday morning and in the ballroom at the Sheraton that seats around 1,500 (where we will have several of the author guest solo talks this year).  One group panel will also be there on Friday. The rest will be in 500 seat rooms in the convention center, so those may reach capacity.  There's been lots of going back and forth with other programming departments over who gets to use the bigger rooms and we think we have it sorted out now. Its really been a big jigsaw puzzle this year with the number of authors we have and as the schedule comes together, pieces get moved around so I've held off publishing the specific day/time for those that might still move.

We are planning to do a signing each day, but those haven't been finalized yet.

I do want to note that our membership projections have gone up and there is the possibility that memberships may end up capped.  The price for the weekend does go up at midnight tonight, so if you want to save a few dollars, go for it.

We did announce some new guests of note, Paul and Storm, who will be doing a concert on Friday night with definite participation by John Scalzi and Pat Rothfuss (and possibly others).  You may have seen their video with George R. R. Martin showing up called "Write Like the Wind".

Any other questions, post them here.

Lee Whiteside
Books and Authors Manager, Phoenix Comicon

[Priscellie]

You ROCK, Lee!

I remember a NYCC a few years back, when they boneheadedly shoved a panel that had Jim Butcher, Brandon Sanderson, and four other immensely popular authors in a room that seated 200.  Each one of those six authors could've filled that room five times over!  And it was scheduled at the same time as the other amazing-sounding SFF author panel, featuring Seanan McGuire and other awesome people.  There were a lot of disappointed fans at that con.  I'm glad PHXCC knows its audience!

[OZ]

I bought my event pass tonight before the price went up so I guess I'm in for sure. The Sheraton ballroom sounds like a great idea. Now people can just line up to get good seats rather than waiting to get any seat at all. Now I have to figure whether to spend the money to park downtown or ride the lightrail in.

[mcjanie]

Thank you, Lee!  The update is much appreciated, as is your scrapping for room assignments with the other departments. Just bought the full membership and am really looking forward to the author panels that are shaping up (Scott Lynch too? squeee!). Really great work on the con this year, thank you so much. You guys keep exceeding all reasonable expectations, and should be very proud of yourselves. See you all at the Jim show!

[Serack]

A quick update for you all.

First of all, yes, we are trying to make sure everyone who wants to see Jim will be able to get into his panels. His solo talk will be Saturday morning and in the ballroom at the Sheraton that seats around 1,500 (where we will have several of the author guest solo talks this year).  One group panel will also be there on Friday. The rest will be in 500 seat rooms in the convention center, so those may reach capacity.  There's been lots of going back and forth with other programming departments over who gets to use the bigger rooms and we think we have it sorted out now. Its really been a big jigsaw puzzle this year with the number of authors we have and as the schedule comes together, pieces get moved around so I've held off publishing the specific day/time for those that might still move.

We are planning to do a signing each day, but those haven't been finalized yet.

I do want to note that our membership projections have gone up and there is the possibility that memberships may end up capped.  The price for the weekend does go up at midnight tonight, so if you want to save a few dollars, go for it.

We did announce some new guests of note, Paul and Storm, who will be doing a concert on Friday night with definite participation by John Scalzi and Pat Rothfuss (and possibly others).  You may have seen their video with George R. R. Martin showing up called "Write Like the Wind".

Any other questions, post them here.

Lee Whiteside
Books and Authors Manager, Phoenix Comicon

Wow, sounds like a mini-w00tstock.  I envy your guests.  It's been 13 years since I lived in AZ.

[Rasins]

Wow, sounds like a mini-w00tstock.  I envy your guests.  It's been 13 years since I lived in AZ.

Agreed, only it's been 35 years since we moved out of Phoenix.

[RetroGamer]

Oh man, I just looked on a whim to see if Jim was going to be anywhere near me any time soon, and he will be two hours north of me, three days before my birthday!  I am so in.  I missed the Tucson Comicon when he was the guest, so I'm getting a party together to head up to Phoenix!