Conventional Wisdom

Look, anyone who read the AUSA comics knows that I just don’t like the Hyatt Regency in general. However, a convention center the size of Katsucon is ESPECIALLY ill-suited for such a small, inconveniently arranged location. The con staff did the best the could with what they had, and I applaud them for the effort, but STILL…

Oh, and just so you know, there seems to be someone standing right behind me in this picture cosplaying Layla from Far Out There.  Okay, I’ll stop with the plugs now.

(Historical Note: I still don’t know EXACTLY what went down with Katsucon’s hotel situation, but for some reason there was a year’s gap between when their deal with the Omni Shoreham ran out and when they’d move into the Gaylord in the National Harbor.  I dunno if they expected to re-up with the Omni and were surprised to find they weren’t wanted anymore, or if the Gaylord was booked solid farther out than they anticipated, or what.  But for whatever reason, Katsucon had to spend 2009 down in Crystal City, and the very hotel they’d LEFT to move up to the Omni.  Because they’d gotten too big.  You can see the problem here.  I find a lot of these early comics kind of gross to look at, but the art on this one is quite effective.  It’d be better if I’d put the caption in that empty space in the corner rather than down below, but otherwise the crowded feel and general shape of the lobby area comes across very well.  This page was one of the first times where real con staffers actually singled out a comic for praise, which is the sort of thing that still throws me for a loop.)