If it's the last thing we ever do

[austin_dern]

The closing of the cancelled-programmer panel left a lonely hour or so before Closing Ceremonies and the official end of the convention. And somehow the convention was at its end already. But bunny_hugger had put together enough colored beads to make her figure, a replica of Pengo, penguin star of the ice-block-sliding game Pengo. I realized, well, why couldn't I make an Austin Dern? I scooped up coupons of all the various colors we had and found that actually they didn't care at this point how many of what bead colors you took. Still, I turned in some coupons before scooping out what seemed like a promising set of the many, many beads they had left. And over in the game room I did follow more or less the directions and construct a tolerable eight-bit-style rendering of a coati, walking along and with tail held upright. Considering I started out with an elementary mistake --- I started on the lower left corner, instead of the center, so I was really committed to the figure once I started out --- that didn't turn out badly. This could result in a new pastime.

We also went to buy con t-shirts, to learn they were sold out. The design, with animal faces as the Space Invaders, was awfully appealing and it was heartening they made an extra print run of them after the con, that we'll hopefully be able to get.

At Closing Ceremonies they read out the closing of the script, about how some force of elemental evil was opening cracks in the world and all that and only the eight-bit video game characters could rescue things. That's when I realized I had tucked my figure in the hotel room for safety instead of bringing it to Closing Ceremonies to be held up and waved around on cue. Well, maybe next year. Spoiler: the world did not end.

But there were ending aplenty anyway. The full con programming book had a farewell message from SonicBlu, who'd normally run events like Morphicon Tonight and the Atomic Spectacle of Doom and a lot of puppeteering events, and who wasn't there. He had moved out of state and couldn't make it to the convention. And Talmak, head of programming, announced that this might be his last time as head of programming at this con, because his life is doing that thing where it keeps you from doing the stuff you enjoy anymore. And then they started warming up to announcing a major change and I worried: is this the last year at the Holiday Inn? The code-of-conduct sheet we had to sign --- never explained --- came to mind.

And ... no. All they were doing was declaring that this was the last Morphicon.

The convention's continuing, at some challenge to the idea of group identities. It's just to be called AnthrOhio from next year.

And ... why? Well, changes in the staff, changing times, they said. Also it would avoid confusion with the Power Rangers convention also called Morphicon. But there's always staff turnover, and Power Morphicon has been a thing since 2007. It feels like there's a missing element behind the name change, and we haven't heard anything about why. I'd imagined there would at least be rumors. Instead it's just ... our favorite convention and the one we always go to is trying to distance itself from its name, for some reason. That can't be ominous.

Trivia: From the 28th of February, 1861, through the 11th of March the Confederate Congress met in mornings as the provisional Congress and in the afternoons as the permanent constitutional convention. The constitution was unanimously adopted the 11th of March. Source: The Confederate Nation, 1861 - 1865, Emory M Thomas.

Currently Reading: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March/April 2015. Editor C C Finlay.

PS: A Summer 2015 Mathematics A To Z: dual, one of those ideas that's just all over mathematics, everywhere you look.

Comments

[mystee.livejournal.com]

I hear that next year will be a transitional year called Anthrohio Morphicon.

And in all seriousness those are the reasons they changed the name. There is no secret they are not telling you. From what I know - They didn't change the name earlier because staff didn't want to cause more confusion etc. However the new feel is to reshape Morphicon make it more appealing to more people and break away from past stereotypes and make it more easily found when searched for which meant changing the name. Anthrohio is a name that they could get on multiple social media forums (ie twitter, Facebook, etc). This was a decision made by the staff for the best of an expanding Morphicon. Eventually they will move hotels because honestly the holiday Inn only holds us back on space and growth.

So don't fear it is a name change a face lift maybe but not a personality change. You can change your gender, your name, but you aren't changing who you are .

[bunny-hugger.livejournal.com]

I had thought (or been told in the past anyway) that Morphicon wasn't interested in growing because of its identity as an intentionally small con. I actually like it because it's a small con...

[mystee.livejournal.com]

Initially yes this was true. however as Austin pointed out over the years there has been staff turnover.

They realize that without growth you get stagnation. There needs to be some growth to bring in new energy, new ideas, etc.

[bunny-hugger.livejournal.com]

I really don't like the name change. Morphicon flows better and is easier to say than AnthrOhio, and is more distinctive (variations on "anthro" being more common than variations on "-morphic"). Also, it does worry me when my absolute favoritest ever con that I've attended without fail since I started con-going in 2008... has a sudden name change. It certainly telegraphs "going in a new direction" and since I kind of liked the direction it had I can't feel enthusiastic about it.

[mystee.livejournal.com]

IT feels like you are apprehensive to change. Have faith change can be for the good. Now you can have a voice in making AnthrOhio the perfect con for you.

[bunny-hugger.livejournal.com]

It's hard to warm to change when you like something very well as it is. I'm not big on change for change's sake.

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

The design, with animal faces as the Space Invaders, was awfully appealing and it was heartening they made an extra print run of them after the con, that we'll hopefully be able to get.

Ooo! Does, I dare say it - a photo exist thereof? (Of course, then there'd be the question of how to lay my bunny mitts on it, but I'm always up for good new furry shirts, of which there seems to be quite a curious dearth)

Not sure about the new name - not bad. I think I mentally keep tripping over the fact it isn't AnthroOhio - removing that syllable makes it flow off the tongue with a bit of a stumble, like Anthrrrrroo-hio. I suppose tying a name to a location can work fine - Califur's been fine, after all. Perhaps this is a display of cunning on the part of EF and FurDU - they have locality and quite a choice of locale. =:)