Right long reply in-coming.
First thing, don't spend 3 day's in Brighton and then try and work a 13 hour day, it doesn't work.
Now I have to say I had a epic time at SoS, but being a member of staff and helping set up on Friday and stay around sunday probably influenced that quite a lot. We got a much better experience in trade of for the work we had to do.
So I can totally understand why people didn't have as good a time as I did.
To just respond to a few comments other people made,
@sega merch. It's difficult, I understand why sega limits the merch, it's also a shame, to be honest i'm not there to make money so next year I hope if we're invited again and I have the money we'll have a lot of cool things to give away stc-o related. I have some idea so fingers crossed
Also worth pointing out Sega merch is not sold by sega, so there making no profit on this at all, all the money goes to 'sonic merchandise' who have paid to be the official distributors with there online shop, so it's not Sega bleeding you dry with £25 t-shirts.
@ venue and cost, I know the event felt quite sega controlled this year, but to be fair they have pumped a lot of money into this free event for us, they haven't got everything right, but you have to salute the amount of time and money there putting into a free event, not to mention obviously the time and money that the community put in.
@ the more... let say interesting fans.
I mean were all part of the online community and we know there are some more excited, and fanatic fans out there. I also know it's hard being that up close and personal with them sometimes you have my sympathy.
I think it difficult, cause obviously some of them have mental health issues or other personality things going on, and you know they deserve a place to, I mean I know SoS means the world to some of them.
How you make it less “OMG scary Internet people’, i'm not sure, but maybe a bigger venue and some more things STC-O to do could help? Idea on a self addressed postcard please
Obviously I know Svend and Adam are always working really hard to put on an awesome event, and the guys from Sega were all really genuine, from the community rep's all the way up to Takashi Iizuka. I mean the amount of time and expense and work that went in to moving everything to Brighton was huge, but they all did it so well, and for saying the scale of the change and it's last minute nature, what they pulled off was amazing and the effect it had on visitor I think quite low.
Also I mean giving everyone a free copy of Sonic generation's was a huge expense to them, and very nice, shame most of us already have it.
Now personal stuff that I got up to, no pictures yet but they'll come soon.
It's been great hanging with Pete and Stiv all weekend, we had a very nice guest house, that was mostly full of the SoS guy's which worked out well, for them and us.
About 5 on friday we got the call about the venue change, and were asked if we could help out, so pretty much spent all evening at the Brighton convention centre, setting up well everything.
Saw the brilliant Banner they had for our area
Stiv tried to sell T-Birds hat
got interviewed for the retrospective video.
Quite a bit of work, but on the plus side, Jun Senoue popped in half way though to check everything out, and I got chatting to some of the sega guys which was cool.
after which me Pete and Stiv hit a couple of bars and a burger king, for a brief night out.
Got to sleep at 1:30 possibly later after I butchered the stc wiki (sorry arch) so we could hide the quiz answers.
Then up at 6:30 to get to the convention for 8... (got there at just before 9 >_>)
still we set up on time and were joined by Cal, Marcus and Charles, who were all great as normal. Managed to grab some sonic merch before you guy's came in and got our cool staff badges and my third original stc page from Nigel D.
also Megadroid, unfortunately couldn't make it, (at the very last second he walked out on us, complaining about the us humes and our various flaws)
but hey I had Sonic the cat puppet, <_< (strange is it not)
signed a few art pieces for people which was weird, but generally chatted to the Nigel's and every one who stopped by during the day, Pete worked on an awesome up coming poster and stiv kinda worked on 258 (it's coming honest) and marcus like he already said was a trooper and drew anything for anyone all day.
Our postcards (thanks admais) and stiv posters went down a treat, (particularly after people realized they were allowed to take them)
and Charles as always was full of the most out there stc story pitches, all of which need to see the light of day.
Stu appeared and so did some awesome doodles from Stu, (one of which we gave to Nigel K who loved it, one of which we snuck in the art contest)
also the Tekno drawing we got needs to appear in 258
then we all got interviewed by Elson Wong.
there is lot of things I can say about the day, particularly some of the stuff the Nigel's said, some of which will really change the way I write and draw Sonic, but i'm sure your getting bored of reading this.
so working the table was ace.
Sumited a piece to the art contest and came in the top 5 and not disappointed I didn't win as the two piece the Nigel's picked ahead of mine to win were really well done, and obviously had a lot more time and skill put into them.
but when I found out how I’d done from Sonic Mark he informed me that Takashi Iizuka had looked at all the entries too. Takashi Iizuka looked at my rubbish picture, that’s pretty cool, particularly as I knew I had no time to see queue to see him or the Crush 40 guys to get stuff signed.
ASRT looked ace, though didn't play it myself, but did watch for a while.
Crush 40 were cool, I mean the acoustics Stu already mentioned, but they gave it 100% and also this is like the second time they've played in the UK, and Jun has worked on Sonic music since sonic 3, and Johnnys been around since 1996... so I mean to see the guys play live is a quite cool treat.
also got a sketch off the two Nigel's, and found out what Mr Cuddle Bunny is up to now
So then it was the end, pack up, and sort everything out, as staff guys, me Pete and Stiv stayed back and ended up clearing lots of stuff away.
The really awesome plus side was that Takashi Iizuka Jun and Johnny all came up to meet the staff and they stayed and chatted for while, so I got some stuff signed, and the 3 of us, managed to get photo's with them all. Which I’d thought was something I’d miss out on.
After it was also sorted, quick group photo, Stiv tried on Sonic’s head and then back with the SoS guys to teh guest house, showered changed off to
the after-party
that went on for while, which a few drinks
got drunk enough to think walking though the street's singing crush 40 with 20 other sonic fans was a good idea (sober matt realizes it wasn't)
and then the after after party
(yes Pete in the club)
followed at the end of the night by a touching rendition of guy love.
in a 3:30 and then back up at 8:00 for breakfast with the SoS guys and Stiv,
check out
and then back down the pub with everyone where we chatted and watched the tennis.
And they all lived happily ever after….
a didn't get to chat to people very much sorry about that, next time honest....