This past weekend, PAX East opened for the first time. This weekend I also nearly had to be taken to the emergency room due to extreme jealousy of every webcartoonist that went to this thing. People on their Twitter accounts talking about hanging out with Jonathan Coulton and Wil Wheaton, playing new video games and D&D…. *grumble*. Only by the timely intervention of a can of Guinness was I saved. Seriously, people, I have wanted to go to a major convention forever, the last real major one I’ve been at was San Diego Comic Con… circa 1987. No lie. A couple of years ago, I and a couple of co-workers at the hotel I worked for at the time were going to go down to the San Diego Con and they asked me, “Do we need to buy tickets ahead of time?” I, in my finite wisdom, said, “Nope, just buy them at the door” which is what I had done in 1987.  I had completely forgotten that about 20 years had passed since I had last been there and it had since transformed from a fun little comic book convention into what is now known as Nerd Prom. Needless to say, we didn’t go to Nerd Prom that year.

Oh well. Live and learn. This year, the gathering that I really really really really want to attend is the second annual New England Webcomics Weekend in Massachusetts. NEWW specifically focuses on webcartoonists and their work. The event was organized by “Octopus Pie” creator Meredith Gran, and ever since I heard about it (two weeks after the 2009 debut event happened!),  I have wanted to go there, to be a part of that. I would love it if someone were to organize a West Coast version of NEWW, and I know that there are some folks working on that, sort of.  If anyone is thinking of starting a West Coast version of NEWW, know that once I know about it, I’ll be there in a heart beat. Until then, gotta start saving up and working more for the trip to Massachusetts in November.

OK, I’m done rambling. See you all Wednesday!

~Rob