Aaaaaand the bleat worked.

Ft. Smith and Konsplosion came through! Saturday put us well on track to our goal, which is modest, because for first-year cons my rubric is "small con is small", and I set my expectations accordingly. Nonetheless, it is significant, because I do these cons to make money, so as to buy for my children Toys and Oatmeal.















The staff have been unfailingly polite and helpful, and by their report there has been little drama. This is a multi-con, with anime elements as well as LARPing (one of those things that fills me with Rage and Loathing, like bicycle lanes - no, it's not YOUR road either, because it is paid with gasoline taxes.), which consists of people in play armor, beating each other with foam-covered sticks, and the Society for Creative Anachronism, which consists of (mostly quite older) people in real armor beating each other with sticks and swords, while speaking King James English.

Woot.
 Other authors and suchlike are here (there's a website, for cri-yi....).
Sonny Strait was here, as was Samantha Inouye Harte, both voice actors for anime and games.
Bill Blair, who has a Guinness world record for being an alien in everything was here as well. 

The other dealers purvey shirts, comic books, anime trinkets, PVC figures molded curvaceously, Leather hats, corsets, and steampunky goodness, vinyl stickers, and pagan/New Agey stuff. Most are affable, at least one is irascable.

And then there's the Roller Derby chicks.

This is a fairly new phenomenon: city Roller Derby teams setting up at cons to promote their events, and promote they do. I have yet to meet an unpleasant Derby gal, and many are family folk, with kids and homes and keys; well-rounded persons.  The River Valley Roller Girls are the local stars, and they love the Aardvark and his shirts! And he loves the RVRGs!

Brooke and Courtney and crew have done an excellent job with the con, and Should consider a Konsplosion next year!

When we close at 4, I will have to pack up and drive the eight hours home. Prayers would be welcome.