It occasionally happens that someone somewhere decides it would be fun to have us show up as guests at a convention. This is usually the only way we get to a convention, since we are homebodies who are very fond of our drawing tables and our Seven Acre Woods. The fine folks responsible for Rocket City FurMeet asked us if we'd be Guests Of Honor for 2007. We'd never been to this particular con before but had heard wonderful things about it from those who had - and who are we to turn down a paid invitation? == Other Guests Of Honor At RCFM-5 == AnimeCat (FurSuiting), Commander Kitsune (Panelist), and Jeff Goode (Writer)    Gas prices went through the ceiling the two weeks before the convention, so we decided to take the more efficient Honda instead of our roomier Plymouth Voyager. This meant we had to pack a smaller fox-and-pony show, which suited us well since our GOH duties meant we would not have as much time as usual to sell our wares at the con. There is always a reason why things happen the way they do, and our decision to take the car was extremely fortunate. (More on that later.) IMPORTANT NOTE: NAMING NAMES We are not always very good with names, and the furry crowd has more than the usual number per person - a real name (often not given); a fandom pseudonym or persona; one or more online names for playing Second Life or similar role-playing games; and anywhere from 1-14 fursuit character names depending on which fursuit they are wearing - so please forgive us if we get a name wrong, refer to the same person several times by different names, or don't have a clue who was who. It's not that we don't care, we're just easily overwhelmed by all that variety! THURSDAY: PRE-CON CHECK-IN The drive to Huntsville from Oz was long, but not particularly hard. 11 hours got us to the hotel parking lot (after a few missed turns), where we saw a number of furry folk piling out of their vehicles and into the lobby. The hotel was predictably overworked trying to handle so many people at once, but we were soon checked into our room at the Radisson Suites Hotel, an excellent choice for a casual convention.    (A side note about driving in: we are fans of the space program and were eager to tour the U.S. Space & Rocket Museum, but were totally unprepared for the sight that loomed on the horizon as we drove into Huntsville: a Saturn V rocket, sister to the rockets which got us humans to the moon over 35 years ago. Margaret mistook it for a church steeple at first, and grew progressively more excited as we got closer. It's hard to impress on the space-uninitiated how inspiring it is to see it up close and personal.    It may be a relic of a bygone era, but it represents an accomplishment we can't repeat, all these years later....    Back to the convention:    We soon ran into Alexander Katz, head of RCFM security and all-around good guy. He got us a copy of the con book so we'd have a map and updated schedule for the convention - vital for anyone who is featured at lunches and special panels and so on. The con book was gorgeous, by far one of the most professionally done books we've seen in or out of fandom. Out hats were off to KiwiHunter, she who collected and assembled all the various bits of art and writing and who was responsible for how it came out. Prejudice aside (hey, it had our art all over it!), Kiwi did a fabulous job in creating a con book worth collecting. We met up with Pita, the official con GOH liaison, and she bestowed Margaret with a healthy supply of weekend chocolate, as well as a case of our favorite soft drinks and a whole bunch of enthusiasm. This was the beginning of a trend, in that everyone on staff seemed very happy to see us. If there's a better way to start a convention, we have yet to see it.    Before we left Con Ops we were also given our official con t-shirts, silk-screened by Turquoise Paw (the company) via AmberWolf (the person). Again, we were impressed. It's one thing to see your work on a computer screen; it's another to hold the finished product in your hand. We were touched and honored by the care everyone had taken with our work! To see more art we did for the con, click here.    We spent the rest of the evening catching up with a few friends we only see at conventions, then settled into our room to sleep off the road trip. The convention hadn't even started, and we were already having fun! FRIDAY: SETTING UP & SETTLING IN Getting started at a convention is a tricky thing for dealers, much less guests and panelists. When we wandered down to con registration Friday morning, there was already a long line of folks waiting for the doors to open so they could get their official con packets, books, t-shirts and schedules.    Panelist GOH Commander Kitsune found us and escorted us into registration. ("The guests of honor shouldn't have to wait in line," he explained. How honored can you get?!} He took it upon himself to make sure all us guests were where we needed to be and that we had what we needed to be functioning guests at the con. We dropped off our contributions for the charity art auction, then with con badges and paperwork in hand, hurried to the Dealer's Den to start setting up.    Our table was conveniently located in a row facing the doors, so people would see us as soon as they came in. (When we were there, anyway.) We were situated with con friend AmberWolf on one side, and newly-met friend Aura Moser on the other. A couple of tables down was Bill Holbrook, the cartoonist responsible for Kevin & Kell, which is the Webcomic that pretty much helped start Webcomics way back hen. (He also does two newspaper comic strips, On The Fastrack and Safe Havens; head down to your newspaper office and demand that they be added to your local edition.) This was the first time in six years we'd seen Bill in person, so it was fun to catch up.    One of the stumbling points for any convention is adherence to a schedule, and RCFM was no exception. Everything ran smoothly, it just ran a bit late. By the time the Dealer's Den opened to the public, the expectations of the fans had been raised to a fevered pitch. They rushed in and raced to their favorite artists, to get commissions started before all available slots had been filled. We weren't taking commissions since most of our time was to be spend playing Honored Guests, but it was fun to watch everyone else raking in the requests.    The room for the Art Show had been set up, but throughout the morning there was no one to run it. We later learned that the person responsible had been unable to attend, and Camstone Fox was recruited at the last second to get things moving. Once Camstone got settled in, things in the art show ran flawlessly. Margaret put up our art and got the related paperwork filled out, and we were up and running for real.    Lots of unexpected things happen at conventions, and some of them are great fun. Orvan Ox (in a dynamite costume!) sidled up to our table wearing the official brown uniform of Acme Deliveries, and had us sign for a sizeable box he was delivering. We opened it and discovered a huge (3 lb.?) jar of fresh Jelly Belly jelly beans, labeled "Back Pain Medication" - obviously, this Ox is one who keeps up with us via the FoxWeb. This generous and humorous gesture of friendship added to the already warm welcome we'd received, and was very much appreciated.    Our first scheduled panel was a bit of a bust. The band SubLevel 3 was busy setting up lights and equipment, and no one had told them they were supposed to be finished by any particular time. We held court in the hallway and chatted informally with whomever showed up, which is actually how we prefer to hold discussions. (Informally, that is - not out in a hallway.)    Opening Ceremonies called us away from the Dealers Den again, to be introduced to the gathering crowd. Head-of-con KO and staff got things going in a grand way. After that we were seated with fellow guests Cmdr. Kitsune, AnimeCat and Jeff Goode for a Q&A session hosted again by KO. Most of the other guests are well known on the con circuit, but a lot of folks had taken the time to track down Faux Pas online and had some idea of what we were about. KO was an excellent moderator, finding interesting things for each guest to talk about and (hopefully) entertaining the audience.    Afterwards we headed across the road for a pizza dinner with friend and volunteer Gregg Anderson (aka Gabriel, or sometimes Mythril). This is actually our favorite part of any convention: spending time with folks we only know online or at conventions. Selling our wares is great, and it's fun to hold panel discussions - but there's nothing for us that beats spending time with friends, old and new.    Margaret participated in the Transparent Aluminum event (ala Star Trek IV) - painting with a limited palette on large (2' x 3') glass windows provided by staff member Draconis. Hosted by Tiger-Nicks, the event was quick and great fun for those who participated and those who watched The results were added to the larder for the charity art auction to be held on Saturday. Everyone involved came out a winner - most of all the charity. (More on that later!)    There was an evening dessert party in the con suite hosted by Brim: lots of colorful and decadent pastries sure to add to the waistline of all who attended (plus a nice supply of fruit for those who prefer their sweets au natural). We wandered off afterwards to chat with folks and head bedwards. Even with all the running around we'd done, it was a great day. SATURDAY: AND THE CROWD GOES WILD The Dealers Den opened at 10:30 for setup, giving us a little pre-sales time to wander around. Con headmaster KO was busy serving Cappuccino in the hospitality suite. More folks were arriving to check in and take part in the convention. We spent a little time watching folks play on Second Life, an online graphical roleplaying game, and were impressed to see an online version of RCFM with various fur-fans loitering around in "fursona" there. (Going to a convention to sit around online with your laptop computer and play as if you're at the convention... bizarre, but cute!)    Our time in the dealers room was intermittent again. Lunchtime found us at a Chinese buffet where the Super-Sponsors got to mingle with the guests of honor - a nice way to reward those who spent extra to support the con. Gas prices being what they were, everyone car-pooled; so we got time to chat more quietly with Aura Moser and Robert as we drove them to and from the event.    Back at the hotel we watched the fursuit parade as it meandered through the dealer's den, then we headed off to hold our next panel - only to find that the charity poker tournament was running late. (No real surprise there!) Cmdr. Kitsune set us up in another room where we hoped interested folks would find us, and one or two did. As guests we were a failure panel-wise, but no one seemed to mind. The folks who did attend the panel seemed happy enough, so we called it good.    While we were away, AmberWolf's friend Bunny watched our table for us, making a sale or two and keeping our presence alive, which was very much appreciated. The folks we were with in the Dealers Den were all friendly and cooperative, and we watched other tables as often as ours was watched - a very nice arrangement!    The charity auction came and went while we were elsewise engaged, but we learned that Margaret's contribution from the Transparent Aluminum contest went for $220 - not too shabby for 45 minutes work! Our other contributions went for nice amounts as well, so the charity at least benefited from our guest-ness.    By late afternoon Margaret was really dragging, so after the dealers room closed we went to the room to crash before the evening's activities. By the time we got downstairs to the con-sponsored Pasta Feed, it had all been devoured by ravenous fans. (No surprise there, either.) Hats off to Pita for yet another well-planned and well-run food event. During the entire con, the hospitality suite and the various parties were all well stocked with drinks and snacks, so no one went hungry without trying.    Post-pasta, we mingled with folks at various events. We got to see lots of fans and friends, but only for a few minutes at a time - one of the downsides with any large group of people. Margaret wandered by the dance, then spent some quieter time at AnimeCat's fursuit panel, then wound up in the Artist's Alley at a Life Drawing session. Then it was off to Con Ops again for a Booster's Meet & Greet - this one with a chocolate fountain as the centerpiece, surrounded by a variety of tasty tidbits. Margaret the chocoholic rated the mix of dark and milk chocolate first rate. The punch, however - "Rocket Fuel" - was a little too high-test for her tastes, particularly given the lateness of the hour. After an hour or so we snuck away to hit the hay. SUNDAY: QUIETLY, WITH ENTHUSIASM As before, the Dealers Den didn't open until 10:30 for setup, giving us early risers plenty of time to mingle and see what was to be seen. As might be expected at a party convention, Early Risers were few and far between, and many of those wandering around had simply never gone to sleep the night before. If you want to partake in an impromptu version of Dawn Of The Living Dead, Sunday at a con is a great place to start.    Con Ops was running late, but the Hospitality room was well stocked with drinks and pre-packaged breakfast goodies. KO was once again making cappuccino, so a small group of hearty fans were blearily draped therein. We tried to find the Grey Muzzle Breakfast, but true to the rest of the con events it ran rather late. We had breakfast anyway, figuring others would join in if and when they could. Friend Gregg joined us, as did AmberWolf and a small crowd of her friends and fans.    Our GOH duties next included the Adamantium Artist contest, though no one at the panel seemed quite sure what Adamantium was. (Not big on classic comics, this group.) The idea was to make a sculpture out of supplied materials - in this case aluminum foil, with colored construction paper and hot glue for trim. Between us we constructed a reclining winged fox. At least, that's what we called it; what others saw was open to interpretation. AnimeCat created a dynamite winged dragon, and others created everything from a cute bipedal cat to a very realistic pear. (In retrospect, the latter should have been a peach, as at least that would have been "furry"... oh well.) KiwiHunter was dragged in to be judge, and she awarded us first prize: an upgrade in membership at next year's con - a happy prize indeed.    After a quick photo session with Draconis in the art show, it was off to the Booster Brunch, another GOH event. We sat in with KO, Pita and a crowd of happy, hungry fans, enjoying a repeat of the Grey Muzzle breakfast. (Which included lots of fresh fruit, so we were happy.) If the meal was familiar, the conversation was lively - or at least as lively as one might expect, con-Sunday morning. Once again we felt at home among a room full of relative strangers... or unknown friends as the case may be.    We finally got to the Dealers Den around 1pm, and enjoyed some last-day sales. Sunday is always a slow day for sales at a convention, which allows time for the dealers to wander around and see what's what. Margaret hosted our last panel for the convention (a Draw Animals workshop), then dropped in on the art auction where we had two pieces up for bid. Apparently she became an attraction herself when one of the pieces became the center of a bidding war, as she drifted from quiet delight to near-hysteria in the back of the room while the bids climbed ever higher. Margaret Excited is very cute, so everyone apparently enjoyed her enthusiasm.    At 5pm the Dealers Den closed and we could all pack up. Some dealers had shut down earlier in the day, so those of us who were left had plenty of time and space to get organized. We said goodbye to those who were leaving, always a little sad.    For dinner, we headed to the con-supplied Pizza Feed, where Margaret was ushered to the head of the line - GOH perks again. We settled into the hallway with AnimeCat, Gregg, Jim Groat and others, chatting. Once again Pita came through, as there was enough pizza for everyone to have seconds who wanted seconds, yet when everyone was through only 8 slices were left. An impressive job of planning and estimating, that.    Closing Ceremonies started at 8:30, and we sat in with Cmdr. Kitsune while everyone assembled. Some highlights included: The combined functions on behalf of the charity took in $1780, a tidy sum; but one of the con staff said, "Let's get it up to $2000!" and we all pitched in, getting the total happily above that mark in 2 minutes or less. Attendance for the con was announced as 320, up 40% from the previous year. Someone noted that the increase was greater than the entire attendance from the first year - not bad for a 5-year-old con! Total sales (Dealers Den, Art Show, Art Auction, Artist's Alley): over $25,000. This meant a lot to them of us what are artists and dealers. It probably made the IRS happy as well. Alexander Katz led the security forces (the Red Shirts) in a revolt against KO, and took over the con. A small contingent of freedom fighters announced they were supporting KO and were chased from the room... all in fun, giving folks something to play at prior to next year's convention.    After so many days of early mornings and late nights, Margaret dragged off to bed around 10pm, The other half of the team stayed up to attend the Feedback Session (which started late - what a surprise!), to chat with folks and collect prints for signing. Thus, the official last night of the con came to a close. MONDAY AND AFTERWARDS: WRAPPING UP Monday morning arrived early, as usual. We signed the prints we'd been given, then ran into trouble when no one answered at con ops, the place where we'd arranged to drop off the prints. We tried to leave a message on KO's voice mail, but the hotel put us through to his phone instead.    And he answered it.    Read back a ways about Dawn Of The Living Dead; that was KO. Turns out the con staff had been up late doing a lot of preliminary work on morning-after headaches, so I'm not sure he even remembers that we talked - but it was a definite faux pas on our part. This is what we get for not attending more conventions.    We left the prints with Camstone Fox who was both awake and seemingly aware, then got together with friend Gregg again, the first time we'd seen him all weekend without a security radio blaring in his ear. We snuck off to breakfast at an IHOP on the way out of town and chatted about things con and non-con, then parted ways: he for North Carolina, us for the U.S. Space & Rocket Museum. We normally rush home as soon as possible, but an 11 hour drive on Memorial Day seemed like a bit much, and we really wanted to see the museum... it was a fun day, and a great way to wind down from the weekend's activities.    True to form, Margaret came down with Con Crud - or more precisely, Von Braun's Revenge, having picked up something from the Museum's cafeteria. An evening of rest, a long drive home Tuesday, and our trip was officially over. We were glad for all we had done and everyone we'd seen, but we were happy to be home with drawing tables, woods, and kitties. (The latter set up a chorus of frantic "meows" when we walked in to rescue them from Kitty Camp.)    As mentioned early on, it was fortuitous that we took the gas-sipping Honda instead of our slightly guzzlier Voyager to the convention. Shortly after returning home, we discovered that the pre-trip repair on the minivan's brakes not been done properly. Had we taken the Voyager as planned, the brakes would have locked up on us somewhere between Springfield and Memphis on a Memorial Day weekend - meaning we'd probably have been stranded in the middle of nowhere with no way to get either home or to the convention. Saving gas saved our weekend, and maybe our lives... funny how these things work out!    There are a lot of things at the convention we missed entirely or were too busy to attend, and we didn't have nearly as much time as we'd have liked to just chat and share mutual enthusiasms - but that's what future cons are for. For now, we're happy to have gone, and happy to be back. Such is the way of us homebodies. SPECIAL THANKS (in no particular order) To everyone on the RCFM Con Staff who went out of their way to make us feel so much like welcomed family, both before and during the convention To Karen/Pita, who played Guest Liaison and took good care of us in every possible way To KO and Alexander Katz, who took responsibility for organizing the whole thing and ran it like a Swiss watch. (A slightly-behind Swiss watch, perhaps, but boy did she tick!) To Draconis who arranged the events and made sure we were happily settled in, con-wise To Larry Wise/Commander Kitsune, for his friendship and his enthusiastic devotion to keeping us guests in line, entertained, and entertaining To Renee/KiwiHunter for the excellent job on the conbook To AmberWolf and Illya for doing such a great job on the shirts To Camstone Fox for stepping in to run the art show, excellently To Tiger-Nicks for including us in such fun and charity-profitable events To Gregg Anderson/Gabriel for the entertaining time spent chatting To Orvan Ox for keeping us backache-free during the con To Shirokuma and all the Dealers Room staff for keeping things working in spite of the many obstacles they had to overcome To Bill Holbrook for sharing his talent and friendship, online and off - and to everyone who made us feel so welcome at RCFM. May all your conventions be so joyous! == A POST-CON POSTSCRIPT == Most of those who attended the con have probably heard; however - Kevin Onel (KO), the head of this year's convention, was brutally attacked and thrown down a flight of stairs by a washing machine he was helping to move. Whether or not the treacherous Red Shirts were involved is unclear, nor did anyone check to see if there was a red shirt in the washing machine itself. Kevin was rushed to the hospital with two broken wrists and a broken collar bone, and has since successfully undergone surgery. True to the theme of this year's convention, he now sports Borg implants which he must endure until he has completely healed. He is in good spirits considering all he has been through, and his wife and his close friends are keeping tabs on him in the meantime. Our thoughts go out to Kevin, along with our best wishes for a speedy recovery. For more information, or to send donations to help with Kevin's hospital costs, click here to read the LiveJournal post by Alexander Katz. To see more of the artwork we did for the convention, click here; or, click here for the FoxWeb Main Page, or here for Faux Pas.