Convention Advice: Vagrant Alert!

If you happen to go to conventions in big cities, such as Atlanta's Dragon*Con or San Diego Comic-Con, you've probably been approached by people begging for money. Over on livejournal.com, one person posting to the Dragon*Con group has a particularly nasty/funny post about how to deal with this. Here's the link (don't know if it works for non-LiveJournal members).

http://community.livejournal.com/dragoncon/993919.html

This post has sparked some heat. Some people call it "too rude." The only reason that the poster wasn't accused of racism is that he's black. That doesn't necessarily mean he isn't racist, but it's a pretty common defense.

I posted a response that suggested that people going to genre conventions are usually targeted due to "white guilt." Young, white people of college age or liberal/left inclinations, a big part of the attendees at science fiction, fantasy or anime cons are very susceptible to having that guilt preyed upon. My suggestion; inoculate yourself from such guilt. Give to a responsible charity. Contribute or help with a food drive. Help out in the serving line for your local charity's Christmas or Easter dinner for the poor. Give to causes that you know are responsible with their money; the guy on the street approaching you with a sob story isn't responsible at all.

(By the way, if for some reason you can't read the post from LiveJournal, let me know and I'll post it here. Just understand that it's not MY post.)

A friend of the Cartoon Geeks needs our aid.

Jim Smith is one of the most amazing artists I have ever met in my life. He is truly a Renaissance man: not only a remarkable cartoonist and creator of animation but he is also a virtuoso rock n' roll guitarist.

A family emergency has forced him to sell a very special piece of animation history: the Fender Squier he used on the Ren & Stimpy opening and closing theme music. The guitar was later drawn on by both him and R&S creator John Kricfalusi. It's a good guitar, good tone, one of the Squier Strats made before Fender started cheaping out on the brand. However, it also is covered with Jim Smith and John K. art. You might want to not play this guitar if you buy it.

It's on eBay now. Go check it out.

Tim, Eric, Saul and Other Guys You May Have Seen...

I don't want to say anything yet. I am going to wait until I can get DVD copies to Ms. Geek and Dr. Toon of this thing. And I want them to discuss it on the next recorded Cartoon Geeks podcast (which hopefully will be in a week or two, depending on our mutual schedules).

However, in the meantime, I wish to direct your attention to the two non-animated shows that Adult Swim have started: Saul of the Mole Men and Tim and Eric Awsome Show: Great Job! Just watch. Set a recorder or a Tivo on it to grab those shows. Just watch. Ponder them.

Then wait 'till we talk about them.

Among other things I hope we'll be discussing on the new show: the new Disney animated/live-action film planned for Christmas release, Enchanted. The curious actions of Cartoon Network in running, without advance announcement, the two Hellboy cartoon hour-long features - the most recent one before its official DVD release. The end of Marvel Comics's "Civil War" maxi-event, ending in the assassination of Captain America, and the next step, "The Initiative," which drafts all the superheroes into working for the government. And some other surprises.