Tupelo After-Action Report

Coming to the Tupelo Comic Con, I wasn't sure what to expect; smaller shows are often a bit of a crapshoot as to quality.

Having now attended and enjoyed the show, I have some thoughts.

First, I want to commend the con staff for bouncing back from a really bad situation. Early Saturday morning, the first day of the show, the person who had volunteered to set up the concessions backed out. Between greater-than-normal attendance and some miscommunication with the front-desk staff, this didn't actually get to anyone's attention until it was time for lunch and no lunch was to be had. Credit where it is due: the convention staff rolled with the punch and got some takeout pizza which, while not enough for everyone, at least helped to quell the growing hunger. (And with a couple of Walking Dead actors in attendance, that hunger could have been bad.) On Sunday, they made VERY sure to have plenty of concessions for attendees and set up a truly lavish spread for guests -- clearly, they took Saturday's unfortunate events to heart and were determined not to have a repeat. What happened on Saturday wasn't good for anyone, but major props to the convention for not letting it overshadow the rest of the convention.

The game area was toward the back of the venue and didn't get as much foot traffic as I'd hoped. That said, the people who did come to play games obviously had a good time, and the show had a truly impressive game library for a smallish, second-year convention. I ended up teaching plenty of Simon's Cat and Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game, one hard-fought game of Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame, and even some Munchkin off and on. I also had a half-illustrated prototype of Munchkin Shakespeare, which was oohed and aahed at by several people who backed the recent Kickstarter. We got to play it Sunday night after the hall closed. I did not win. This is not a surprise.

I hosted a couple of panels with interested people who asked great questions. Thanks to the attendees!

Finally, I was privileged to share the bill with several great guests, including Power Ranger Walter Jones, Captain America Reb Brown, and someone I never thought I'd get to meet, much less share a shuttle bus with, Mira Furlan (Delenn on Babylon 5 and Rousseau on Lost). All the guests were lovely and I had a wonderful time.

I want to thank Jamey Nunley and his crew for inviting me to the show, with special thanks to Man In Black Witt Sullivan for being an excellent host and tour guide this weekend. I certainly hope there will be a third Tupelo Comic Con next year, and I encourage anyone in the area to attend -- it's a great time and a fun little show that deserves to become a fun big show.