Con On The Cob Day 3: Robot Wars, Trick-Or-Treat, And Experiment TB-4

Howdy folks! Day Three of Con on the Cob is winding to a close (well, except for the parties that are exploding all over the place tonight). As the revelry continues into the night, I'm going to give you one last peek inside my experiences with this year's Con on the Cob. Tomorrow is the final day, so the final Day Four post will go live later after I return home. But onward to today's summary:

• After a bracing breakfast of "hotel eggs and sausage", I peeked into The Atrium to see what games were running. Even at the 8 a.m. hour, there were some stalwarts who had already gotten started. (Or perhaps they were still going strong from the previous evening. Hard to tell...)
• Today there was an all-day Robot Wars event. In one of the side rooms, a small plexiglass arena had been assembled, and robot gladiators were inside, zipiing around and slicing each other to ribbons. There were also two trapdoors that would drop any unfortunate 'bot down into the murky depths...and onto the carpet. The room smelled of oil and ozone. If I had more time, I could've stayed and watched and cheered all day. Cool stuff.
• Many of the folks in the Vendor's Hall were fairly sluggish after staying up late gaming and partying. But that's the toll CotC has on you -- it doesn't end until Sunday afternoon or until you walk away.
• Again today, lots of Cryptworld/Monsters Macabre interest and sales. Very pleased to see the reception the game gets. And it appears I have a full table for tonight's game of "Condition Critical!"
• The kids attending the convention are known as "The Children of the Cob." Each year, there are tons of events for the kiddies including a visit from Santa, a scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, and a masquerade parade. This afternoon, it was time for trick-or-treat as the kids got up in their costumes and went from vendor to vendor, asking for candy and treats. This year I was prepared as I had a whole bucket full of Smarties, gumballs, taffy, bubble gum, chocolates, and other goodies.
• Tonight, I had six reporters and investigators checking out what happened to the missing hospital staff in "Condition Critical." As they toured the abandoned clinic, they knew something was seriously wrong, except for Pat West, the resident cynic and skeptic. (When the thing attacked him, he came around.) After they found Dr. Eastman's video logs and discovered the nature of the paranormal threat, they went to the hospital's OR and cobbled together some makeshift weapons from the supplies there, including oxygen-tank-powered flamethrowers, Molotov cocktails made from bottles of alcohol, and a coat-rack that was surprisingly effective. When the thing attacked for the final showdown, they somehow managed to set the room and everything in it on fire. However, they succeeded in their fight against Experiment TB-4 and were taken away by the authorities. (Meanwhile, a black helicopter lands at the scene of the carnage and special agents are now investigating...)

Lots more pictures today than yesterday, so on to the visual stimuli!

Remember those eerie screaming baby faced creature figures I mentioned yesterday? Some of you asked for a visual as to what I meant. OK, here ya go.

 The Robot Wars room was filled with whirring saw blades, clashing mechanical combatants, and the smell of oil and burning wire. It was awesome.

Early this morning, there were folks starting to get their games underway in The Atrium. 

 And just turning slightly to the left, the rest of The Atrium saw kids playing on the mini golf course, the Gymboree, and a host of other playground equipment. I wanted to crawl through the tube-maze, but was afraid of getting stuck.

 The Artitorium artist's room was filled with amazing pieces and stunning works all for sale.

The Northeast Ohio Ghostbusters were on-site to keep any supernatural incursions minimal. Thanks guys! 

And today's purchases include two Star Ace modules I didn't have, a three-CD compilation of medieval folk music, a chocolate-encrusted super-pretzel, and the original artwork of the Boo Hag, which also appears in Monsters Macabre.

Con On The Cob Day 2: Original Artwork, Screaming Baby Faces, And Brian's Not Dead

Greetings once again from this year's Con on the Cob. It's Day Two and -- well -- I honestly don't have that much to say about the events of the day. Today was a booth-intensive day as Jim Yoder and I manned the Goblinoid Games booth, and didn't find much time gaming, mischief, and all of the other stuff you come to expect from these daily missives. But let me see what I can dredge up:

• Spent a large portion of the day manning the Goblinoid Games book, as I mentioned. The biggest seller so far is -- of course -- Cryptworld and Monsters Macabre.
• Speaking of Monsters Macabre, I heard that Brian Thomas -- one of the artists for the book - was at the con and he had original artwork from the book for sale. I stopped by in the morning to visit, and was told by Jason Braun that Brian had "one too many" the previous night and was sleeping off a nasty hangover. I purchased a couple of pieces (see next bulletpoint) and left to return later. At closing, Brian STILL wasn't available. "My God, did he die?" I asked. "I bet he wishes he had," was Jason's answer.
• The two pieces I picked up are the original drawings Brian did for the Brundle and the Harvester -- two things I wrote for Monsters Macabre. These will be framed and hung next to my original Mummy and Troglodyte pieces from the Cryptworld rulebook. Thanks Brian!
• The booth across from ours features clay sculptures of creatures with screaming baby faces. Turtles with screaming baby faces. And giant worms with screaming baby faces. And more screaming baby-related nightmares. Plus there was a jar with a pickled squirrel skull in it. The woman assisting in the booth is nice enough. Showed me a picture of her boobs, in fact. (I am not joking with anything written in this bulletpoint.)
• Even while tending the booth, I feel the need to be the biggest Grammar Nazi in the room, apparently. I spent an embarrassing amount of time ranting about proper semi-colon use to Kevin who just wanted me to proof his flyer for an upcoming game.
• My 6 pm Cryptworld game went bust as I didn't have anyone sign up for it. No matter, as Roy, Kevin, Jim, and Kelly said they'd like to play after dinner. Sadly, after dinner, I was sluggish, tired, it was late, and I'm old. I begged off to go back to my room and crash for the evening.
• At dinner, I ran into Brian. HE'S ALIVE! (And I'm done giving him hell.)

Sorry that today's recap is so terse, as the Wi-fi is still uppity, and my playtime was fairly limited. I also didn't take many pictures -- just one in fact. I'll try to do better tomorrow. For now, Old Man Snider's gotta get to bed. Hell, it's nearly 10 pm!

The Brundle and Harvester from Monsters Macabre as illustrated by Brian Thomas who is, in fact, NOT dead. (OK, NOW I'm done.)

Con On The Cob Day 1: Cherry Air Freshener, KODT LAS, and HRONK-HRONK-HRONK

Greetings readers, as once again I live-blog from one of my favorite conventions -- Con on the Cob in Brecksville, Ohio! The convention calls itself "Four Days of Games, Art, Freaks, & Fun", and it always lives up to the billing. The Con outgrew its old digs in Hudson, and this year is the first in its new location, so I'm curious as to how the new location pans out.

I'm up early to head down to the vendor's hall to begin setting up the booth for Goblinoid Games as I type this up. As always, this "Live From The Convention" travelogue will be a running commentary of my impressions of what I've seen and done during the event, updated throughout the day, and posted before turning in later tonight. So here we go:

• Room is nice enough, but I hate the sickly-sweet air freshener/disinfectant used by the cleaning staff. It smelled like cherry cough syrup when I walked in. Blergh. Fortunately it aired out fast enough.
• The Wi-fi connection here SUCKS. It is best described as "spotty" as the hotel's "automatic connection" isn't automatic. Takes 20 minutes of fiddlin' to get a connection. It won't connect unless you enter the hotel's magic password, yet you can't enter the password without being connected. Plus everyone trying to use the system at the same time taxes the signal, kicking me off during peak hours. It's driving me batty. We're see if I can limp through the next few days with these posts. However, if this is the only one you read, that's the reason.
• When I checked in, the front desk gave me one of those plastic clip-on bracelet things you might get at a hospital or at a concert. When I asked what it was for, she said it's so they could ID me as a guest. Still confused by that. Ain't wearing it either.
• Inspired by an earlier G+ post, I brought a stack of unwanted gaming materials that I left throughout the convention's halls with "FREE TO A GOOD HOME" stickers on them. Every so often, I'd leave some random goodie out for someone, and it'd be gone in minutes. Enjoy!
• Booth is set up and well-stocked with tons of games. Once the vendor's hall opened, there was a ton of interest in Cryptworld, Monsters Macabre, and Starships & Spacemen 2e. Made several sales, but the first day is usually light. I'm set up right next to Roy Snyder and the Goodman Games booth, so we whiled away the hours gabbing about games, life, and other jazz.
• I love the way the con is laid out at this new location. There's a lot of space in all of the ancillary rooms, and most of them over look The Atrium below where all of the open gaming is held. If you've ever wanted to watch an RPG being played like you were in a sporting stadium, this is the place.
• However, The Atrium is in the same room with the pool and hot tub, so it's 98 degrees and 115% humidity in there. The echoing is a bit hard to manage too. I'll see how bad it is when I run my games  tomorrow afternoon.
• This year's souvenir CotC shirt is sheer awesome. Pix to follow.
• While in the booth, I had a group of three friends ask about Cryptworld. I explained the system, then gave them a thumbnail description of tomorrow's game "Condition Critical." All three had their mouths agape. Then one muttered, "We're so there, dude." So looks like I have some new players!
• HOLY CRAP, THE HOTEL'S FIRE ALARM WENT OFF. THE VENDOR'S HALL WAS BEING EVACUATED AS HRONK-HRONK-HRONK ECHOED THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP AND INSPECTED THE HOTEL, AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FALSE ALARM. BUT HOLY CRAP, WAS IT LOUD. THAT'S WHY THIS IS IN ALL CAPS. THIS IS WHAT IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO TALK TO OTHERS WHILE HRONK-HRONK-HRONK WAS SOUNDING.
• Spent 20 minutes laughing about the existence of a store named ACME in the area. I desperately want to go there and ask where they keep the anvils, rocket skis, portable holes, and comically big red magnets.
• JESUS, THE FIRE ALARM HAS GONE OFF AGAIN. HRONK-HRONK-HRONK.
• Met up with Jim Yoder who joined me in the CotC Con Suite for some rather suspect "fruit punch." I don't think it was Hawaiian at all.
• At 10 p.m., there was a special showing of all episodes of the Knight of the Dinner Table live-action series. In spite of the troubles this project has had, it was incredibly funny and true to the strip. Loved every minute of seeing these classic characters on the screen.

And now, as always, are some shots taken from the Con floor and around the area. Tune in tomorrow for more missives from Con on the Cob! (Wi-fi willing, that is....)

Always nice to know immediately if you've found the right place.

Just a few of the freebies I "salted "around the convention for a few lucky folks.

 The Gobinoid Games / Pacesetter booth is open and ready for business!

 Just a few of the items up for sale.

This eyeball-headed drone stood watch over the registration deck. I named him "Roger."

 The Vendor's Hall during set-up.

 The fire truck that responded to the fire alarm. I think they should've offered rides around the parking lot for $5 a person. I would've enjoyed that!

Yours truly live at the convention!

 This year's shirt and a few DCC RPG items I picked up from the Goodman Games booth "next door."

The Atrium has gaming running 24-7.

Con On The Cob Starts In Six Days! Come Check Out The Goblinoid/Pacesetter Booth!

Ok folks in Ohio and neighboring states! Con on the Cob starts next Thursday, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Sniderman will be in attendance for his third straight year! This has become my favorite Ohio-based convention filled with gaming, parties, pick-up games, artists, vendors, seminars, more gaming, drinking and debauchery, auctions, live entertainment, and even more gaming. It's four straight days of fun, fun, fun, and I'd love to meet some of you there this year. As always, I'll be live blogging from the event each day, so be sure stay tuned to The Savage AfterWorld for news and updates from Ohio's "Four Days of GamesArtFreaksFun"!

• Goblinoid Games/Pacesetter will have a vendor's booth again this year manned by myself and the ever-genial Jim Yoder of Random Dispatches (from Ohio)! I'll have the entire GG / Pacesetter library available for sale -- in hardback and softcover -- so if you need Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, Cryptworld, Starships & Spacemen, or anything else, stop by the booth!
• And, as a special release, Con on the Cob will see the first public offering of the new Monsters Macabre sourcebook for Cryptworld for sale! Come pick up your own copy of Pacesetter's newest book for its modern horror RPG.
• Speaking of Cryptworld, I'll be running two games during the con: "Unquenchable" and "Condition Critical." Think you're savvy enough to survive the night? Test your mettle in these two horrifying scenarios!
• Do I have swag for my players? Damn skippy I have swag for my players. Folks who play in my games always get goodies! This year, all CW players will get a newly-printed copy of the new zine "Creepy Comic Conversion" Issue 1. This mini-adventure for Cryptworld is based on a classic horror comic tale from the 1950s! Even if you don't play in the game, these will be available at the booth, so swing by!
• I'll also be available for after-hours pick-up games too! I'll be playing games throughout the con, but I'm always up for any board games/RPGs that pop up after the show "ends." Let me know if you've got something going on!
• This year, Con on the Cob has moved to new swankier digs at the Days Inns & Suites in Brecksville, Ohio! Bigger gaming areas! Bigger vendor's halls! THERE'S A MINI-GOLF COURSE IN THE HOTEL. Looking forward to checking out the new location!
• And, as mentioned, I'll be posting each day I'm there. So be sure to stay tuned next week for news, updates, photos, coverage, and tales of adventure from Ohio's bestest funnest game con and 24-hour party!

What Am I Running At Con On The Cob / U-Con This Year?

The fall con season is upon us, and two of my favorite conventions are just around the corner. Ohio's Con on the Cob will be held October 15-18 at its new digs in Brecksville. And Michigan's U-Con Gaming Convention will be held November 20-22 in Ypsilanti. If you're in the area for either of these great gatherings, make plans NOW to attend.

At Con on the Cob, the Goblinoid Games/Pacesetter LTD vendor's booth will once again be present, offering up the complete line of games and supplements for Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, Starships & Spacemen, as well as Timemaster, Majus, Rotworld, and Cryptworld. (And there's a good chance the new Cryptworld supplement Monsters Macabre will be available for purchase too!)

As for the games I'll be running at the convention, lots of horror is on the docket!

Cryptworld: “Condition Critical”
Dr. Howard Eastman has called a press conference at his remote research facility to announce a medical breakthrough that will “eradicate human illness and suffering forever.” But what if the cure proves to be worse than the disease?

Cryptworld: “Unquenchable”
Three days ago, a group of hunters failed to return from their annual deer hunt near Akron, Ohio. Your team of expert trackers and investigators have been brought in to assist in the search. But there seems to be an undercurrent of unease amongst the police who whisper of a disturbing discovery they’ve made. Is there something sinister lurking in the forest?
 
Chill-Black Morn Manor boardgame
Something is loose in Black Morn Manor. Your team of envoys has been dispatched to investigate and (if possible) drive off the unseen evil. Will you succeed, or will you be converted into yet another minion for the creature? Come play this classic Pacesetter boardgame from 1985!

And a month later, I'll be running a bunch of games for U-Con's OSR track, including the following:

Mutant Future: “Thundarr the Barbarian: Warlord of the Sacred Library”
Lords of Light! Drakexx the Unstoppable has established a stronghold in the forbidden Congers Library where thousands of Ancient texts are stored. What use does a warlord have with these tomes, and what secrets does he hope to unlock? The tribal shaman of the village of Linkon has tasked Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel with stopping and driving out the mindless brute!

Stuper Powers!: “Apocalypse...NOW?!”
Doctor Dredd and his evil team of villains have taken over Washington DC! They plan to start World War III unless your team of "D-list" heroes are able to stop them. Will your ability to "Induce Slight Headaches" and "Turn Things Plaid" be enough to thwart Armageddon? (Nah...probably not...)

Ghostbusters: “Ragnarok-A-Bye Baby”
Judgment Day may be at hand!  In the center of all the chaos and destruction, one place seems untouched – The Wee Tots Nursery School. Could this be the Antichrist’s day care center? The Ghostbusters are mobilized to save the world (and perhaps change a diaper or two)!

Cryptworld: “Wasted”
It's a raucous Saturday night at "Sweet Oblivion," the roadhouse on the outskirts of town. But this night of revelry will turn to horror when Death stops in for a nightcap. Can you survive The Night of The Living Dead (Drunk)?

Stop by and say "Hey" if you're at either of these events!

Con On The Cob Final Day And Wrap-Up: Silent Auction and "Time Bastard"

Well gang, I'm home after the final day of Con on the Cob. Had a great time, sold quite a few things in the booth, and am energized for future convention attendage. Some interesting developments regarding Con on the Cob popped up toward the end of the event you may want to be aware of, so read through to the end:

• While packing up my room this morning, I realized I nearly forgot the three remaining bottles of beer in the mini-fridge. When I pulled them out, I was surprised that they had frozen! So I left them in the tub to dethaw and also in case they decided to explode. I hope housekeeping enjoys the dethawed brews and/or I'm sorry for the mess I left behind.
• One of the booth vendors brought his dog today. Nice pooch, but he's a bit overexcited. About once every five minutes there's an ear-shattering BARK that echoes through the hall.
• Oddly enough, I've been asked twice if I have the new 5e Monster Manual. Both times, I said "No," and the customers shuffled off dejectedly without saying another word.
• There is apparently a tattoo artist on the premises as I see TATTOO signs tacked up everywhere. But I don't hear anything nor do I see any tattooing going on.
• The Silent Auction was pretty cool. Folks brought in their rarities, and they placed them on tables throughout one of the rooms. You'd write a bid on the list and, at the end of the time limit, highest written bid got it. Lots of cool stuff available: RPGs like Dallas, Judge Dread, Masters of the Universe, and tons of Hackmaster, C&C, and d20 stuff; many obscure and brand new board games; and collectible books and comics including a laundry basket filled with loose Endless Quest paperbacks. (Interested, but I filled the holes in my collection long ago.) I managed to snag The Challenge, Friday, and Grave Business for less than $20 total.
• Someone mispronounced "Timemaster" as "Time Bastard" and that just struck me as an incredibly funny farcical concept. "Jerks and dopes lost in time and screwing up history." Might make for a fun one-shot at a future con.
• CotC's organizer and chief wazoo-polisher Andy Hopp has announced that CotC has outgrown the current location and, next year, the con will be in Days Inn in Richfield. Twice the vendor's hall space! Twice the games! Twice the games, art, freaks, and fun!
• And twice the Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter as we committed to a second year at CotC as a vendor with a corner booth in the new Vendor's Hall next year!

It goes without saying that I had yet another grandious time at Con on the Cob, and I have made arrangements already to be there as a representative of Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter again. Next year, though, I hope I can get someone to join me in the booth, as it would give me a bit of downtime to both play in a few games as well as run many, many more. (There have been several requests for more Cryptworld and Timemaster games on the games schedule. Your requests have been duly noted.) And stay tuned because, in one month, I'll be doing this all over again at Michigan's U-Con in November.

This is Your Friendly Neighborhood Sniderman, live from Ohio's Con on the Cob, signing off until next year.

Grabbed my B.A. Felton original sketch from KODT's Jolly Blackburn this morning. And upon the gaming room wall it goes!

 The Silent Auction is underway. Folks were darting back and forth placing their bids. Two minutes before cutoff, this room was a LOT more chaotic!

And what I brought home. Getting a complete copy of The Challenge for $5 was a true score.

 And the last gamers finish out the con in lonely solitude as Con on the Cob 2014 comes to a close. See you in Richfield in 2015!

Con On The Cob Day 3: Trick-Or-Treaters And An Essential NPC

Howdy-ho folks, and welcome to Day 3 of Sniderman's adventures at Con on the Cob. I'm not really playing or running any games today, as I'm running the Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter booth from opening to closing. But I'll let you know what I've seen and heard from my little corner of the Vendor's Hall. Let's see what going on...

• A familiar-looking fellow came up and slyly mentioned an obscure piece of personal trivia I've not thought about in 20+ years. Turns out it was my old pal Jeff Fournier, who I haven't seen face-to-face since college. I went to college with he and his future-wife Lisa, and gamed with them during the downtimes at school. (There's a lot more history too including double-dates with them and my future wife Chris, but I won't bore you with details.) And later, when some current gaming pals stopped by and saw him, it was all "Hey Jeff." "Hi Jeff." "Oh, hey guys." I lost it. "YOU ALL KNOW EACH OTHER?!?" I said. Turns out after I lost touch with Jeff and Lisa, they found a new group -- one I've been gaming with for the past few months.
• Jeff asked me if I remembered the Paranoia game I ran at a convention 20 years ago. "Yup, that was the one where I sounded an air horn to wake the players," I answered. "Well, the guy running CoC at the table next to yours was super-pissed about it and complained. Did you know you were banned from that con?" Cool, I've never been banned from a location before, let alone a convention I haven't attended in 20 years.
• Conversation snippet I overheard: "It's Sweetest Day today. You should totally buy him that lightsaber."
• A young teen and her friend stopped by the booth. "What are these?" "Ah, these are role-playing games." "Role-playing? Never heard of it." "You know, you and your friends sit around and roll dice and play an adventure, like in Dungeons and Dragons." "Dungeons and Dragons? Is that some kind of game or something?" I decided to just stay quiet as her friend tried to explain RPGs while they wandered slowly away to look at Grumpy Cat merchandise.
• Just got an email from the folks from the Dead Game Society. The podcast interview I did with them on All Things Pacesetter should be up sometime tomorrow. (Will post a note when it goes live.) It's not con-related, but cool nevertheless.
• As I sat here in the booth, meeting people and shaking hands (or meeting hands and shaking people), Will Thrasher of Skirmisher Publishing stopped by to introduce himself. I'm a big fan of Skirmisher's stuff, particularly their Wisdom from the Wastelands supplements for Mutant Future. We jawed a bit about upcoming products including a new Labyrinth Lord-focused supplement similar to WftW. They also just released a new mini-supplement that would be perfect for Cryptworld that I'll discuss when I get home.
• The annual Con on the Cob Witches' Ball is tonight. The parking lot is currently filled with brooms. (I keed! I keed!)
• "So what do you like -- specifically -- about the Pacesetter system?" he asked. After sharing 30 years of expereince and running him through a quick scene, he walked away with Majus and Rotworld. (And he plans to order Cryptworld upon returning home.)
• There was a game of Dread scheduled at 8 p.m. that I was tempted to play in, but I'm so tired and shaky, I'm not sure a Jenga-based RPG would pan out favorably for my character.

The day has ended and I'm finishing up this post while I eat a club sammich. Tomorrow is the final day to this most fun of local cons, so I'll wrap up today's post with a handful of pix from the Vendor Hall:

The Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter booth in all its glory.

A close-up of the shirt I wore today. Pacesetter represents!

Not often you see a minotaur and his handler shopping for chainmail dice bags.

And there were kids trick-or-treating during the evening!

Grabbed a handful of DCC zines I didn't have yet as well as a nifty "Essential NPC" t-shirt

Con On The Cob Day 2: Meet B.A. Felton And "Fumbles The Mok"

Howdy gang, and welcome to Day 2 of my live reports from Ohio's Con on the Cob. I hope you enjoy reading these gaming missives as much as I enjoy bringing them to you. So let's see what what Friday had in store for Your Friendly Neighborhood Sniderman!

• Wow. When you game until midnight, go to bed at 1 a.m., then get up at 6 a.m., you can reeeeeally feel it. As long as my throat holds out for this morning's Thundarr the Barbarian game, I should be OK.
• Was at the buffet at 6 a.m. Hostess from yesterday seated me. "Looks like I won't have to chase you out this time!" she jokes. "Looks like I won't have to leave a tip this time!" I joke. The jokes kinda stopped there. (I left a tip.)
• Four Saturday morning adventurers made it for this morning's Thundarr the Barbarian game at 8 a.m. Everyone was tired, but LOUD cartoon action was had. Three players played the trio from the series, and my pal Jim Yoder played Oosoo, a young Mok who was accompanying the team to train as a new post-apocalyptic hero. And Oosoo had some the worst luck I've seen in a game -- which actually worked in the context of a new hero learning the ropes. Some of the highlights: Thundarr and Oosoo each grabbed a giant snake by the tail, swung them over their respective heads, and CRASHED the heads together which downed the evil serpents; while in an Ancient flying machine, Oosoo threw a sandbag ballast at an enemy -- and hit Thundarr by accident; after ripping off the leg from an animated statue, Oosoo tried to strike the automaton with it -- and hit Thundarr by accident; Ookla, who's afraid of both fire and water, decided to "watch the horses" while the rest of the team entered the swamp to retrieve the "Forever Fires"; Princess Ariel cast Control Animal on a giant snake and caused it to attack its brethren; and Thundarr dove a flying bat into the chest of an animated statue, rolled a 28 on the d30, and CRUSHED the bat into the statue. The statue fell while Thundarr rode it down to the ground. And in spite of Oosoo's fumbles, he dealt the final blow to the evil wizard, redeeming himself at the end. Demon Dogs, what an adventure!
• The Goodman Games booth had three DCC modules I don't have. So that was a nice unexpected score. I grabbed them while they were still available. I'll give 'em a readthrough later tonight.
• And I just sold my last copy of Cryptworld. The demand for it has been astounding, and the folks who already have it have been very excited to talk about it. (Wait 'til you see what's in the pipeline. Mwah-ha-haaaaa...) 
• Speaking of Cryptworld, as I sat here in the booth, inspiration struck. I hammered out and posted The Curator, an evil artist for Cryptworld. Enjoy!
• Knowing that Knights of the Dinner Table's Jolly Blackburn was going to be here, I brought my cherished copy of KODT Issue 48. In this issue, I had my Tales From the Table story printed. Jolly was kind enough to autograph the cover for me. And tomorrow, he'll have a custom sketch of beleaguered gamemaster B.A. Felton for me!
  
• I was supposed to play in a game of Are You A Werewolf, but only 4 people showed up. Not really possible with so few, so we decided to cancel the game. Now I'm in my room and, honestly, looking forward to a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is gonna be quite a stretch as I'm in the booth from 10 am to 8 pm.

And, as I like to do, here are a few random shots of this and that from the convention floor. See you tomorrow as we enter Day 3 of the Cosmic Circus!

 Andy Hopp's style can be found all over the banners for the Con, lending quite an unusual and distinctive "flair"

 One of several game rooms in full-fledged gaming action!

 Sweet, sweet loot has been grabbed and purchased!

 My even-more-cherished Issue 48 of KODT with Jolly's autograph on the cover!

 And for the old school arcade lovers, when was the last time you saw a WORKING Simpsons Arcade Game? The hotel's game room has one! Might have to toss in a few quarters for old times' sake.

Con On The Cob Day 1: Vendor Booth During The Day And A Ghosttown Shoot-out At Night

Howdy gang, and welcome to Day 1 of the 2014 Con on the Cob travelogue. Unlike previous years where I'm running back to my room to hammer out the daily updates, I'm blogging from the Vendor's Hall in the Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter booth. So if you stop by the booth and see me hunched over, I'm bloggin'.

here's today's highlights:

• For the first time at a convention in a while, I didn't have an early morning game to play or run on the first day. So I was able to sleep in until 9 a.m. Nice to not have to race off on the first day.
• Stopped by the restaurant for the complimentary breakfast buffet that comes with my room, and they were putting everything away -- at 9:30 a.m. When I asked, the hostess seemed a bit exasperated and made it CLEAR that the buffet ended at 9:30 a.m. She begrudgingly allowed me to grab some sausage and a piece of French Toast. So tomorrow I'll be beating on the door at 6 a.m. sharp. "IS THIS EARLY ENOUGH?!?"
• Got the Goblinoid/Pacesetter booth set up. The banners and signage are very sharp. Gotten a lot of complements on them. As I type this, the Vendor's Hall is 1/2 hour from opening.
• First sale: Cryptworld. Boo-yah.
• Just met Ron at the booth. He picked up Mutant Future and said, "Did you see some guy wrote a Thundarr supplement for this?" We had a laugh when he found out who I was. He also mentioned two other local Ohio cons I was unaware of. Looks like my con schedule next year just expanded by two more! (Good to meet you, Ron!)
• There seem to be a lot of Pacesetter fans who are thrilled about the resurrection of the brand and system. I have heard a LOT of tales about old Chill, Timemaster, Star Ace and -- yes -- even Sandman campaigns.
• One of the Con runners heard I was from Mansfield and mentioned a game convention that was once held there. He was stunned to find out I was at "Panzer Con" in 1985 as well. Spent a good amount of time reflecting on a long-dead game convention. Never met anyone else who remembered that con, let alone attended its one and only showing!
• At 8 p.m., I ran my first game of the convention -- Cryptworld's "Death in the Dust." Five agents for the DAPA organization (Defense Against Paranormal Agents) are dispatched to an Old West mining ghosttown that's being renovated into a tourist attraction. Someone or something was damaging the facility with some very nasty vandalism, including a pickaxe driven into a painting of the town's founder. During the course of the game, two agents used an air conditioner to "freeze out" a pair of threatening rattlesnakes under a desk; another agent tried to talk to an animated construct made out of mining tools -- and got a pickaxe to her chest and a sledgehammer to her shoulder for her efforts; all five agents scrambled to get out of a house that began sinking into an underground mineshaft; and an Old West shoot-out occurred when the True Owner of the property rose from his underground tomb to reclaim his property and get beyond-the-grave revenge on the current owners. Another great time fighting the supernatural!

Well, it's 1 a.m. as I put this post to bed. Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog post. Thundarr in the morning! Werewolves in the evening! And more merriment from the Cosmic Circus of Con on the Cob! And now, some pictures taken during the day:

 The Cosmic Circus is now underway!

 The new Pacesetter signage is awesome. Jim Holloway's artwork is impressive wall-sized.

The Goblinoid Games/Pacesetter booth is now open for business! Free Pacesetter d10s with purchase! And quick Action Table runthroughs upon request! (And I just noticed my reflection is in the mirror to the far left - gah.)

Arial photo of the Vendor's Hall about to open.

Five intrepid DAPA members go undercover in Cryptworld to solve the mysteries found in Weaver, Arizona, in "Death in the Dust"