Designer Con L.A trip
So only a month after the event I have finally got a little time to recall my recent trip to L.A.
Was over for a few days to launch my G.N.O.M.E toy at Designer Con and hang out with friends.
The first version of the G.N.O.M.E was released as a Designer Con exclusive. There were 150 of the little fellows available and pretty much all of them sold out at the event. I was signing at the 3D Retro booth for an epic 3 hours, doodling on toys, sketchbooks, skateboards, you name it.
Ben Goretski who owns 3D Retro as well as running Designer Con with Ayleen (from Toybreak/October Toys) was running around all day sorting things and making stuff happen with the aid of his natty little headmike.. not quite 1990’s Boyband material maybe?
He wrangled the many artists in attendance into contributing to a large live painting jam session. I was called up late in the day along side the splendidly talented Miss Mindy to add my bit to the canvas. Whilst we were painting the Dr Sketchy’s anti-art-school model threw poses up a rather wobbly ladder on the stage next to us.
The final piece at the end of the day.
On there besides myself and Mindy are : Chris Ryniak, Buffmonster, Joe Ledbetter, Bwana Spoons, Voltaire, Ritzy Perrywinkle, Angry Woebots and several others I cant identify I am afraid.
Honestly the event went by in a blur of sketching and signing. I was a doodling machine………..
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I got to meet a lot of great artists, though sadly only briefly. Mostly at the “Sketchbot” custom show opening the night before Designer con. (Yes I went right off the plane and a 15 hour flight directly to Munkyking for the show… Hardcore art shmoosing..)
Including these two apparent clones…. Odd!
The next few days were spent meeting people I wave wanted to meet in a very long time and spending a little time seeing some of the more geeky sights of L.A. In fact overall it was a bit of a Geektrek. Let me explain:
For a start Ben is a bit of a collector of awesome geek stuff. So a visit to his home and office was a joy.
I Busted Ghosts :
Rocketeered :
And the ultimate, got a ride in his Delorean. (Ben is what you might call, a bit crazy for the Back to the Future movies.. which is just dandy with me..)
And what’s that inside the Delorean?
Of course it’s a Hoverboard….(TM Mattel).
There was also a trip to Disneyland with my splendid hosts George and Ayleen and bestest art buddy Mr. Chris Ryniak in order to check out the new TRON area set up for the month.
Yes more geekery.
You are scanned by a full sized Recogniser as you enter the area, who informes you to report to the games grid……..
There was a large M.C.P style construct in the center of the arena under which a DJ in Tron garb mixed 1980’s pop whilst Troned up podium dancers shook their stuff and other “programms” flung frisbiees ( sorry, data disks) and chased through the crowds.
Ultimatly this led (via an odd outside bar area) to Flynns Arcade.
The inside was a splendid reconstruction of a 1980’s video games arcade with lots of classic stand up cabinets you could play. It even smelled right……
Hidden in amongst the likes of Galaxians and Zaxxon was a real version of Space Paranoids………. Which I had several goes at. Though I wasnt very good at it. I believe the trick is “all in the wrists”…
There was also a full sized Lightcycle which was quite a sight and a 20 minute screening of a chunk of the new movie which was interesting for the 3D but a little flat I felt.
We went on a few of the classic rides and generally wandered about chatting. As George pointed out a theme park is a great place to socialise as it forces you to stand around chatting for hours whilst you que up..
All in all a splendid trip. I hope to be back for more next year…
