All-Con 2013: Have You Ever Wondered What Monopoly Would Be Like If It Was Fun?

So if you were wondering what that cash-clutching baby in the top hat was all about (and what it had to do with the JediCole Universe) then your answer is now here.  As part of ongoing, cross-website pre-show coverage of All-Con 2013, the following is an explanation and more.

This intrepid little fellow is the official mascot for Life Isn’t Fair Monopoly, a variation on the game created by Mrs. JediCole nearly a decade ago.  After thorough play-testing it was brought to All-Con 2007 with scheduled open play on Friday night.  While the game attracted only a handful of players the first night, word of mouth insured a much larger group the next night.  And while there was nothing scheduled for Sunday, she was tracked down by some of her repeat players and an impromptu game was played at the hotel bar!

Needless to say, Life Isn’t Fair Monopoly has been a much-anticipated aspect of All-Con ever since.  With such elements as Welfare, dependant children, and a lottery, this truly is Monopoly if it was fun to play.  Each player starts the game with property and going to jail has a few twists of its own, including potentially framing another player!  You can go from rags to riches to rags during the course of a game of LIF Monopoly, something that would never happen in traditional game play.

If you are attending All-Con 2013, be sure to be a part of this long running tradition.  Mrs. JediCole will be hosting up to three separate boards (Veteran Player and New Player boards plus one additional as back up should the crowd exceed last year’s turn-out) on Friday and Saturday night.  Be sure to sign up each day as there are only eight players per board each night and those chairs fill up quickly.

Life Isn’t Fair Monopoly*

Presented by Catherine “Mrs. JediCole” Houston

All-Con 2013

Friday 11 PM – 2 AM in the Maple Room

Saturday 11 PM – 2 AM in the Maple Room

*Life Isn’t Fair Monopoly is open to all paid attendees of All-Con 2013 (up to 24 players over three boards).  Preregistration on the sign up sheet outside the Maple Room is highly recommended.  Unclaimed chairs will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Want to Attend Staple! For Free? Then Tell Me Why

Late this week the details of Staple! The Independent MediaExpo (along with an interview with the founder) will appear on this very website.  In the mean time I would like to give you the opportunity to attend this amazing event for free!  “Uncle Staple” was goodly enough to forward a pair of passes to the show (held March 2-3, 2013 in Austin, Texas) to share with those who frequent this site.  Now I just need to find them a new home!

If you are able to attend Staple! next weekend then please send me an email and briefly explain why you should get the free passes.  I will look over all of the entries and choose the most compelling explanation as the winner.  The lucky recipient will be notified by email and the passes will be mailed right away.  Please be sure to be able to reply to your email promptly so I can get the tickets to you in time should you win, or include a mailing address with your entry to save some time. 

This contest will close on Friday, February 22, 2013 at 12 PM Central (so as to be able to get the tickets in the mail as soon as possible).  Use “Send Me to Staple” in the subject of your email so I know it is not spam.  I look forward to reading the reasons why you should go to Staple! 

Find a Little Bit of Everything at G.A.T.O. Con This Weekend

This very weekend the campus of Texas A&M - Kingsville will play host to G.A.T.O. Con!

This convention brings gaming and anime fandom together with a variety of other genres under one roof.  From cosplay to sci-fi to just about anything that interests fans, G.A.T.O. Con continues a fine tradition of filling a weekend with fun.  

But don't just take my word for it.  Here is what Cory, founder of this convention, had to say in a recent interview...

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The Fine Details
G.A.T.O. Con 
February 16-17, 2013
Saturday: 9 AM - 11 PM
Sunday: 9 AM - 8 PM

Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Memorial Student Union Building
700 University Boulevard
Kingsville, TX

Admission:
Both Days - $30.00
Saturday - $20.00
Sunday - $15.00
$10 per day discount with TAMUK, military, or high school ID.  Children 10 and under accompanied by parent or guardian are free.

Sci-Fi Expo Brings a Ton of Guests (and a Ton of Fun) to DFW This Weekend!

If you like your conventions chock full of media guests then you need look not further than Irving, Texas and this year's Sci-Fi Expo!

One of the Dallas area's longest running conventions, the Sci-Fi Expo yet again brings a vast array of celebrity guests to appeal to every taste and genre.  Comic book, film, television, and other guests abound in this convention extravaganza.  And they have a cavernous dealer room in the bargain!  

This year's line-up includes such favorites as Gil Gerard and Erin Gray of Buck Rogers fame, Edward James Olmos, Tricia Helfer, and James Callis from Battlestar Galactica,  Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan from Tron, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson from Back to the Future, and Laurie Holden and Danai Gurira of The Walking Dead.  Do you sense a theme here?  Other media guests include Avery Brooks, Billy Boyd, Sam Witwer, Kevin Sorbo, and many more!  

And as always they have a great variety of comic book guests including writer/artist George Perez, Adam Hughes, Michael Golden, and Steve Erwin to name a few.  You can see the entire guest list right here.  And did we mention the huge number of dealers that will have collectibles galore there?

The Fine Details:
Sci-Fi Expo
February 9-10, 2013
11 AM - 7 PM Saturday
10 AM - 5 PM Sunday
Irving Convention Center
500 Las Colinas Blvd.
Irving, TX

Admission:
$40.00 Priority 2-Day Pass
$25.00 Saturday General Admission 
$20.00 Sunday General Admission
$5.00 - Kids 5-12 (per day)
Free - Kids 4 and under 

By the way, this show is HUGE!  And so is the venue.  Be prepared by checking out the floorplan so you know where to go when you go.  The Irving Convention Center is a massive building so be prepared to log some miles.  Also it is highly recommended that you arrive early for the best parking (this center has a huge parking garage but there is a fee to park for the day, so keep that in mind when budgeting your day at the Expo). 

C2 Ventures has been putting on conventions in the DFW are for close to 20 years now and they always pull out the stops.  There is literally something for everyone from celebrity and media guests to the independent artists and publishers who exhibit there, to that previously mentioned ton of dealers selling all manner of cool stuff. If  you are not able to attend the Sci-Fi Expo, be sure to check out their other upcoming shows - Dallas Comic Con (May 2013) and Fan Days (October 2013).  You will see more coverage of these shows in the future right here at Convention Awareness Project Texas.  

You Can't Go If You Don't Know!

Attention Collectors! Get to San Antonio This Weekend!

Yes, if you are an avid collector of Hot Wheels, comic books, action figures, statues, or other pop culture favorites then in just one week there is an event in the Alamo City that you just don't want to miss! 

I am of course talking about the very first Texas Collectibles Expo, brought to us by the folks at Texas Comic Con.  This one day tabletop show promises a variety of collectibles dealers offering their wares from 65 tables.  And you can even meet me, "JediCole" Houston at the show!  I will be there promoting this very site as well as the parent site, The JediCole Universe while selling a few things from my collection.  Drop by and get your official JediCole Universe trading card (while supplies last) and learn more about what is coming up at Conventions all over Texas.

Of course there will be a whole lot more to be seen at this great show.  Collectibles of every kind and likely some bargains to be had in the mix.  Expo producer Kris tells us more...

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You Can't Go If You Don't Know!

The Fine Details:
Texas Collectibles Expo
February 9, 2013
9 AM - 5 PM
Mariott Courtyard
11605 State Hwy 151
San Antonio, TX 78251

Admission: $5.00 (Adult)
Children free with adult supervision.

Below is a layout of the show floor for the Texas Collectibles Expo.  "X" marks the spot where you can find the table for The JediCole Universe.

JCU Trading Card Available at Texas Collectibles Expo!

There is more to JediCole (founder of CAP-TX) than Star Wars.  Discover for yourself at the parent website of this site, The JediCole Universe, today!


Special thanks to Stuart Baulk of Midnight Movie Cowboys for assistance with the audio file for this feature.

Get Your Game (Roleplay/Tabletop/LARP) On at OwlCon!

In just under two weeks the campus of Rice University in Houston, Texas will again become a gamer's paradise!

OwlCon is a gaming convention with a lot of history.  At just over 30 years old it has been around longer than many of the games being played this year!  A quick overview of their 2013 lineup reveals no less than 61 different board and card games (think "Ticket to Ride", "Battlestar Galactica" and "Puerto Rico" rather than "Monopoly" and Texas Hold 'Em) along with rich variety of miniatures (historical and other) and roleplay (tabletop and live action) games.  But don't just take my word for it.  Here's what Angelo of OwlCon XXXII had to say...

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You Can't Go If You Don't Know!

The Fine Details:
OwlCon XXXII (a.k.a. OwlCon 2013)
February 15-17, 2013
Rice University
Houston, TX

Friday, February 15 
Convention Building 6:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Primary Gaming Slots 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Dealers 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Saturday, February 16

Convention Building 9:00 AM - 1:00 AM
Primary Gaming Slots 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
                                    3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
                                    8:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Dealers 9:00 AM - 12:00 AM


Sunday, February 17

Convention Building 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Primary Gaming Slots 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
                                    3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Dealers 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Admission:
Weekend Pass - $25.00 (preregistration*)
                           $30.00 (at the door)
One Day Pass - $18.00 (preregistration*)
                          $20.00 (at the door)
*Preregistration ends Friday, February 8, 2013.
Currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff of Rice University receive a discount on admission.  See the OwlCon website for details.

There is more to JediCole (founder of CAP-TX) than Star Wars.  Discover for yourself at the parent website of this site, The JediCole Universe, today!


Special thanks to Stuart Baulk of Midnight Movie Cowboys for assistance with the audio file for this feature.

You Can't Go If You Don't Know - February 2013 Update

It is a brand new month and like most this year it is chock full of conventions here in the Lone Star State!  If you don't want to miss out then you owe it to yourself to watch this post.  If other shows come to my attention they will be automatically added to the list, thereby altering what you might see today.  I have already had to add two shows to the February listings and that was before the end of January!  Note: All conventions mentioned below in red have links to the CAP-TX features specific to the individual show, many with organizer interviews!

So what does this second month of the new year have to offer the convention goer?  Why there is the (recently added) monthly DFW Toy & Diecast Show as well as the Texas Collectibles Expo (where I will be found next weekend, please stop by my table and say hello).  The recurring Awseome Toy Collectors Show is coming as well.  

If collectibles are not your thing there are two conventions that focus on anime, the adult anime fan Ushicon leads the monthly offerings along with GATOCon, a show that includes anime as one of its various focus themes (check their website for details on the mix), Con DFW returns for the sci-fi literary crowd, and OwlCon offers something for everyone in the realm of tabletop and roleplay gaming!  And Furry Fiesta brings together furries of every species (would that be right?) under one roof at the hotel that also plays host to All-Con and FenCon later in the year.

And of course there is C2 Venture's voluminous extravaganza of fandom, the Sci-Fi Expo!  

Individual profiles for each show (with details on location, pricing, etc.) will be forthcoming in the next few days and weeks along with interviews with the convention producers whenever possible.  Keep checking back for all the details. 

February

8-10 Ushicon 2013 (Round Rock, TX)

9 DFW Toy & Diecast Show (Arlington, TX)
9 Texas Collectibles Expo (San Antonio, TX) 

9-10 Sci-Fi Expo (Irving, TX)

15-17 Con DFW XII (Addison, TX)

15-17 OwlCon XXXII (Houston, TX)

16-17 GATOCon 2013 (Kingsville, TX)
17 Awesome Toy Collectors Show (Houston, TX)
22-24 Furry Fiesta 2013: Time Travelers Ball (Addison, TX)


And this is just February!!!