Con download

PAX 2008 was a blast from start to finish, and I'm glad I was finally able to finally make the trip down this year. Some personal highlights:

• The exhibition hall was absolutely packed, with tons of cool games to check out. I particularly enjoyed the indie PC title Strange Attractors 2, despite being incredibly terrible at it. And between De Blob, Mushroom Men, and The Conduit, it looks like the Wii is finally getting some more decent 3rd party support... and all of it based (amazingly) on entirely original IP, to boot!

• I think I might have spent an entire year's wages on Sam and Max swag at the Telltale booth. Whoops!

• The concerts were probably my favourite part of the entire show. I particularly enjoyed Jonathan Coulton's acoustic comedy bonanza (complete with surprise mid-set duet) and the The One Ups' jazz/funk reinterpretation of gaming classics. And man, you haven't really experienced MC Frontalot until you've seen him rip backed by his live band. Yow!

• Speaking of MC Frontalot, I got to speak with him briefly at his booth after the show. It turns out he once spent an entire day folding my shirts. That's right... that T you ordered last Christmas may well have been touched by The Front himself. Think of the added ebay value!

And of course, it's always nice to say hi to Jerry, who remains unwaveringly friendly even when on the verge of passing out. From top to bottom, everyone who works at PAX really runs themselves ragged to make the best show possible, and it really shows. I've been to a lot of cons, but never one that had quite the atmosphere that this one does. These guys have really got a good thing going, and after pulling it off five years in a row, they appear to know how to not screw it up.

A+ would attend again!

Sam Logan

Snap crackle pop

My body is back from PAX, but I'm pretty sure my brain is still somewhere back at the hotel in Seattle. So, let's leave the full con report for Wednesday, and save today for the consumption of precious, mind-refueling canadian Rice Krispies.

(American Rice Krispies have a marginally yet unnervingly different flavour that messes with my breakfast zen!)

Sam Logan

Pax romana

I am at PAX this weekend! Are you? Then maybe I will see you there!

In other news, today is link-to-several-webcomics-you've-never-linked-to-before-day -- or LTSWYNLTBD -- by order of the webcomics mafia high command. And who am I to disagree... especially when there are a few comics I've already been dying to talk about anyway?

Gastrophobia is an extremely new and extremely awesome strip by uber-talent David McGuire. I am a big fan of David's art, and was thrilled to hear he was finally launching a full-fledged webcomic.

Ugly Hill is currently running a highly entertaining and totally stand-alone series about sasquatches and robots. If you're not familiar with Paul's work, consider this the perfect gateway drug.

And finally, there's Girls with Slingshots, a gorgeously drawn strip by the dangerously gifted Danielle Corsetto. I'm kind of running out of metaphors for excellent by this point, but take my word for it... it is good and you will like it.

Sam Logan