Hugo Negron's Blog - Posts Tagged "codcon"

Sponsored by the College of DuPage Sci-Fi/Fantasy & Gaming Club!

April 13-15th! College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Gaming, costumes, fantastical art, LARP dungeon, video game tourney, and did we say more gaming? AND of course Forging of a Knight will be there too, so you gotta go!

https://www.codcon.com/

CODCON was an amazing experience and one I can't wait to return to.

In terms of size, it was small when placed against a Gen Con, but in terms of engagement, quality, and fun, on equal ground! Despite the wind, snow, and rain that has been dumping on IL lately (hey its only April, who would expect anything else around here?), daring visitors still made the trek and like me found it was well worth the effort.

Dan the Bard was there - and that name will ring a bell to many con-goers and medieval fair attendees. Gaming, video gaming, cosplaying, and more, all in the wonderful student resource center atmosphere of the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. Tip of the helmet to Dr. James Allen who has been orchestrating this event.

The small things always stand out - the new friends you meet, like readers who have gone to Gen Con and could share similar stories of events/experiences, or the old friends you bump into. One in particular stood out for me - back in the early 90's when I was working on my undergrad, I was employed as an office clerk at a company known as Barton Incorporated (a beer/wine distributor - corona, peroni, anyone?). One of the managers I would occasionally do projects for was a guy by the name of Tim. 20+ years later (I still cant believe I'm saying that), I bump into him again as an adjunct faculty member at where else but at CODCON! Small world or what?! It was great catching up with him, and reliving all of those Barton memories. Who woulda thought...

And a shout out to Mike, a manager from Suparossa, who was dishing out the pizzas and the pastas at his own stand right across from mine. Friendly, gregarious, and as professional as they come. Rigatoni with vodka sauce? I wasn't able to resist that for long...

...the countdown to next year's CODCON begins.

So as a follow-up to the amazing time at CODCON, I interviewed Jak Lore, a fellow author at the 'Con. His book is called The Last Demon Hunter, so ready your holy symbols and Angelic lore...!

Hi Jak - thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Jak Lore is.

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
A. High school. I always wrote just as an escape from my boredom. When I was done with my homework, or test, or whatever the task was, I broke out my notebook and started to write. I had a separate notebook to write in. I never really thought anything about it as I had always done that, but when I entered into, probably the 8th grade, a few people were interested in what I was always doing. I let them read it, thinking they’d get bored after a few pages, but they didn’t. They kept reading, even after I wanted the book back. They wanted to be kept up with what was happening with the story. After a while, I thought about writing something a bit more serious. Maybe try to actually publish something. I wrote something completely separate from my original work and there was interest in it. I decided to keep pushing it.

How did you develop the idea for The Last Demon Hunter?
A. After deciding to write something seriously, I wanted to write something different. I wrote sci-fi at the time and wanted to try something a little more serious and maybe darker. I was a fan of the Jason and Freddy movies so decided to write a horror story. It was meant to be a simple slasher story with nothing supernatural in it, but I found some boredom in that. While I wanted to keep it mostly “realistic” I started adding a little supernatural stuff. It started with the killer being a Satanist instead of the generic nut job. He had some supernatural abilities, which I realized would be hard for the police to counter. He needed opposition, hence Angel was born. He had no powers per se, but knew how to deal with the situation. It just grew from there as I developed those two characters.

Which characters were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
A. That’s a little harder to answer. I’m not sure there was a character I had the most fun developing, but there was a relationship I enjoyed a lot. I enjoyed writing the interaction between Rebecca and Úna. The most challenging was probably Michael. He had a different personality before the story even started, which I had to understand so his actions and thoughts made sense. Getting that across is also a big challenge.

What are your plans long-term for your writing? Do you have additional/different works in mind?
A. Continue writing as long as I can. I would like to devote more time to it, but right now that’s just not feasible. I have so many other ideas I want to put down on paper, and so much research that needs to go into it. I have the next two or three books in the series planned out, just not outlined yet. Beyond that, I have a lot of ideas of where I want to go and for how long. There are some short stories I want to write, as well as different genre’s I want to work on.

As a fellow author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my works. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your books?
A. Facebook hasn’t been as great of an avenue as I thought it would be, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up on it. Conventions, until recently, have been my biggest exposure. Amazon Ads has helped some and recently I took to Twitter and that seems to be expanding my reach more.

This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Jak Lore – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?
A. The Four Horsemen are a neutral entity. They don’t care which side actually wins. Ever wonder what would happen if they were forced to pick a side? In this series, that’s exactly what happens and showcases how all sides deal with this decision.

As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your stories? Where there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
A. I’d honestly be afraid to touch it at this point. If anything I would have changed the POV of the first book. It’s in 3rd person where the preceding ones are a mixture of 1st and 3rd. I think it tells the story much better this way, switching between the two POVs with interludes.

I have a 5 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to write your stories?
A. That must be nerve wrecking. I have a slightly different problem. I work overnight, so energy becomes my biggest enemy. I want to write but find I have a hard time getting the energy to focus. The key I find is to get adequate sleep. There are mainly two times I get to work, that’s in the evening when I wake up and on my lunch break. If I’m not well rested, there’s nothing getting done on my lunch break. In the evening, coffee is my friend. It helps make me alert enough to sit and focus on writing for an hour or two before I head off to work. That’s how the first book was written and most of the second.

Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
A. I’ll write anywhere, but prefer a quiet, clean place. Music helps a lot. I listen to a lot of Within Temptation, Evanescence, and Nightwish. I have a few playlists on Youtube that I listen to depending if I’m writing, plotting, or doing combat.

What are you reading right now?
A. Currently, I’m trying to finish Atlas Shrugged. That thing is huge. I want to read the Art of War after that.

Where can readers go to find out more about Jak Lore?
A. There’s a couple places you can go. I can be found on Facebook/Jak.Lore.Author where you’ll find updates about events I’m attending and uploads of pictures I’ve taken at those events. I’m also on Twitter @authorjaklore and have an author page on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thanks Jak, for sharing some of your time!

Huzzah! CodCon starts this Friday - can't wait! Stop by ye ole Forging of a Knight booth to say well met!!

https://www.dailyherald.com/submitted...

This will be my second time in attendance - wonderful campus, atmosphere, staff, and with expanded events, this coming Friday-Sunday will be an awesome time!

I had the pleasure of meeting this fellow author at CodCon (College of DuPage Sci-Fi/Fantasy gaming convention and more!) awhile back and was eager to interview him after reading and enjoying one of his works, What on Earth, a political satire. Take it away, Dennis...!

Hi Dennis - thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Dennis Bartizal is.

HN: When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

DB: The seed was planted during my freshman year in high school. I had good, creative and encouraging English teachers. I was shy and wanted to overcome my shyness, so during my freshman year I joined the staff of our school newspaper. Because of the creativity of the writing projects from my classes I began writing a humor column for The Profile, that was the student newspaper at Proviso West High School. I enjoyed our science classes: Biology and Chemistry. I also took active part in our mathematics classes: Trigonometry and Geometry. Civics and History seemed important to me. How could I overcome my own shyness if I could not understand where other people are coming from and how their background is important. I began rock collecting. I began questioning history. I began reading Franz Kafka. Anyway, six months ago, while I was straightening up a storage area at home, I came across a box I saved from my high school years. In that box were fossils I had collected during those years. I also saved many English papers from my various classes. I dug out several of my newspaper columns which I had cut out from The Profile and rubber cemented on sheets of typing paper. On September 27 of 2020 I retyped those columns and English themes and I published them in my 10th book on Amazon. The title of that book is What I Got Out Of High School. Along with that box of what I had written (stories, poems, and song parodies) during high school, I also excavated notebooks and typewritten pages of some of the creativity I attempted during college. I am currently typing them up as word documents and I hope to publish an anthology from my college years.

HN: You have written seven books (What on Earth being my favorite). How did you develop the ideas for your stories? Which are your favorites?

DB: Several years ago, I retired from my career as a computer programmer. With the free time now available I joined The DuPage Writers Group, with hopes to encourage myself to developing more stories. This writers group meets on a monthly basis. We read what we are currently working on. The group critiques what we had shared. Each year this organization publishes a book of short stories, poems, and art work called our Possibilities Journal. Even before I was a member of the writers group, actually since I graduated college, I would occasionally write something for my own enjoyment. I would also, occasionally, attempt to submit something I had written, to various magazines, to no avail. Since I was getting a few of my stories published in the Possibilities Journal I felt encouraged enough to try self-publishing. I use Amazon. My first book Kafka Can Wait was a Trial, on my part, at self-publishing. (Not sorry about the implication.) Along with his novels and short stories, I have also liked Franz Kafka’s aphorisms. I felt a closeness between my short stories and Kafka’s aphorisms. I also felt a closeness to certain people in my past that this collection emoted to me. My novella Thrown In A New Dimension was inspired by the science-fiction works of Brian Stableford, especially his books that were inspired by The Iliad and The Odyssey. My other novella A Chance Of Mars was inspired by Issac Asimov. Over the years I’ve read a lot of Stableford and Asimov. My novel Sticking Your Neck Out came from my love of nature and my want to write about Man learning from animals. Man learns to communicate. The animals taught him, he did not teach himself. When I was in college, I took a Geology Field Camp. Parts of what I experienced about nature and existence is expressed here. My next novel, What On Earth, is my science-fiction look at current days. Sometimes I call it a political satire. Other times I call it political sarcasm. I enjoyed writing it. I have three other collections of short stories. The Photon And The Dog 2017, 2018, and 2019. I have a blog called “The Photon And The Dog.” I write this blog to try to get people interested in reading what I write. I try to have a new post each week. At the beginning of the year I delete all the posts from the previous year and start each year a new. The last year’s posts get published in a book. I’ve tried something new, for me, recently. This fall I also published a children’s book. It is called Why Did The Turtle Cross The Road. It is about a boy, in grade school, saving a turtle from getting run over by a car. The boy takes the turtle home and they both grow together. This book was inspired by my childhood. From when I was six years old until I was a sophomore in high-school I had twenty-seven turtles. Two box turtles, one tortoise, twenty-three mud turtles, and one snapping turtle. I took care of them. I fed them. I brought them down to our basement over the winters. My turtles never died under my care. School got to be too much for me, so I donated my turtles to the zoo when I was a sophomore in high school.

HN: Which projects were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?

DB: My turtle book was the most fun to develop. I took a lot of things that had happened to me and turned them into pieces of fiction. Since this was my first children’s book, I asked my 11 year old nephew to read what I had written many times. Robbie is a good kid and cares about me. I got good advice from him. My anthology of my high school stories was the most challenging. I needed to just type in what I had written years ago and try not to change it (too much). I would correct the grammar, but that’s about all, other than changing people’s names. Several things I said back then I wish I had said or written differently. But, to be honest, I needed to keep the stories the same as when I originally wrote them.

HN: What are your plans long-term for your writing? Do you have additional/different works in mind?

DB: In the long term I would like to write more novels, especially science-fiction novels. Short stories are fun but novels have more dimensions to them. I would also like to write some more children’s novels. I don’t know what to write about in that line, I will ask my nephew about that. Currently I am three quarters of the way finished with writing a science-fiction novel. Also, since the year is coming to a close, I will be putting together The Photon And The Dog – 2020. As I stated previous, I am typing an anthology of my college writings. I have also been making some notes on a sequel to A Chance Of Mars.

HN: As an author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my books. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your works?

DB: I need to learn more in this area. I have found a couple libraries that have local authors shelf sections. Some of my books are there. Not only do the local library patrons get a chance to read what you write, your books get listed in the Illinois Card Catalog. I met you at the DuPage Comic Con. I have been getting tables at other Comic Cons in order to get my name out there that way. I also take part in local library Local Authors Festivals. I look for Coffee Houses that have Open Mic Nights. I will read my works to live audiences. Since I do write song parodies, I want to look into making sound recordings. I have a computer programming album in mind. My satirical Christmas songs might sound good. Maybe I could sell them on Amazon.

HN: This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Dennis Bartizal – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?

DB: Look at how advanced our civilization has become. We are cloning sheep. We are flying to other planets. We can build computers that talk, act, and think the way that we do. Did you know that there is another planet of people more advanced than we are? They are here! But they are learning too. Don’t worry! They are not trying to take over our world. They are only trying to live among us so they can understand how to live on another planet. They will not stay here and take over. They did not put one of their people in as our president. They are going to leave soon and they will leave us as we are. Or are they?

HN: As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your completed works? Were there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?

DB: I feel the need to work on my dialogs more. I hope the different people do sound like individuals. I hope they do not sound the same. One of my characters had a friend who died in outer space. I wish he didn’t die. I may bring him back in a sequel after having gone through a white dwarf supernova explosion, instead of his ship and self being destroyed, his electrons echoed the speeds and cycles of that part of the cosmos. Our physicists have found some evidence that electrons in areas of their clouds move back in time instead of forward. If the supernova divided his elements in monopole space he exists now in a different timeline and I can write about their attempts to reunite. At least with science-fiction and fantasy you are not stuck with permanent changes.

HN: I have an 8 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to carve out your ideas?

DB: I carry a notebook. At least when I am struck by a fleeting idea I might be able to write enough parts of it so I can get my mind to working that way later. When I get to the computer I have a group of folders with many, many documents of ideas or parts of stories or a small chunk of detailed work that I can hope to find the time later to work on or even just string together. I wake up at one or two in the morning, turn on the computer, and type if I am so mentally pushed. There is never enough time. That is life.

HN: Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?

DB: For my blog’s flash fictions I try to get a quick story put together on a Tuesday. I’ll return to that story the rest of the week, reading it, correcting it, making it larger, more dimensional, more characters or more activities. Then, Saturday, I post it in my blog. For books I am working on, I write with a goal to have a good part finished by the time The DuPage Writers Group is going to have its meeting. I bring those last few pages with me and share them with our gang so I can get critiques and suggestions. I like to take walks at the zoo. I always have a notebook with me. I walk and think and write.

HN: What are you reading right now?

DB: Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman by Richard Feynman, The Panda’s Thumb by Stephen Gould, The Year Of The Angry Rabbit by Russell Braddon, Caging Skies by Christine Leunen.

HN: Where can people go to find out more about Dennis Bartizal?

DB:

https://thephotonandthedog.blogspot.com https://www.amazon.com/author/dennisb... http://www.illinoisauthors.org/

Thanks Dennis, for sharing some of your time!

The "Fish" returns - College of DuPage's CodCon XXV: "Re- Roll", Glen Ellyn, IL April 8-10, 2022!

Cosplay, gaming, video games, artists, authors .... by Urgsh, did I say, "authors"?! Yep - I'll be there as well!

Come join the fun (and stop by the Forging of a Knight booth to say hi!)!

https://www.codcon.com/?fbclid=IwAR0M...

CodCon XXV has dropped the mike for another year...

After a two-year Covid hiatus, College of DuPage's CodCon completed today, and it's always sad to say goodbye (until next year 4/14-4/16 2023, that is!!). Amazing vendors, amazing College of DuPage volunteers, and of course, the amazing head mage/honcho himself of CodCon, Dr. James Allen.
Role playing games, maid cafe and masquerade, a LARP gauntlet, appearances by the awesome 501st Legion as well as Dan the Bard, video games, and more - despite the delay, CodCon was an absolute success!

Check out some fun pics from the event over at my Forging of a Knight website:

https://www.forgingofaknight.com/blog

As I have mentioned in the past, gaming/fantasy/sci-fi conventions are amazing things - not just for the fantastic cosplayers, the thrilling games, and all the wonderfully creative fans and attendees that you can commiserate, kibitz, and otherwise converse, babble, and banter with, but also for that shared love and passion over the game, comic, movie, cartoon, book or (insert interest here) of your choice.

I always try to pull in a fellow creative table boother to interview/showcase here, and I struck gold again at the recent College of DuPage’s CodCon gaming convention with cartoonist and artist Ryan “Mastafran” Francis!

Hi Ryan - thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Ryan Francis is.

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

RF: When I was in grade school, the biggest thing that convinced me that I can make my own comics is reading the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey. The Captain Underpants books introduced me to the idea of creating your own comics and animation yourself! His Flip-O-Rama Sequences are the start of my interest in animation!


How did you develop the ideas for your stories?

RF: Many of my ideas began with me drawing a cool character. Others start as one big gag or point that I want to talk about. The rest of the writing is figuring out how to build up to that gag or explain the point I’m trying to make.


Which projects were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?

RF: The Pizza Man is my most challenging project. I needed to write and draw a set of panels in a certain theme every day in June. The comic was an Art Streak challenge called Journey June (https://www.journeyjune.com/).


What are your plans long-term for your writing? Do you have additional/different works in mind?

RF: I want to make a universe of my characters in as many mediums and works as I can learn. Currently, I’m working on a video game and that’s a new challenge art and storywise. If it’s successful, it can spin off to more games or other media. Even if it’s not, I can still go back to comics.


As an author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my books. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your works?

RF: I spent ten years after college not doing much with my art. I was waiting for affirmation by some publisher or editor to tell me I’m a “real artist.” Going out to conventions, selling or not, helps to get your name and face out to people. I also recommend going to events tangential to your creative work. Events like art festivals, local galleries, college events, town community events, and more! It’s good to see the local things around your neighborhood as a resident!


This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Ryan Francis – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?

RF: “Hi Ryan, I’m [Your Name here]!I love/follow your work on [Cool project Ryan worked on or is working on] I’m a [Your career here] and I was wondering if you want to see my artwork and talk if that’s okay with you!” You can replace my name with any other artist you admire, and I guarantee you’ll get a response! Do remember to listen to their answers with intent, and you can’t go wrong with talking to artists in general!


As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your completed works? Where there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?

RF: Shirley’s Day comes to mind as a comic that I realize I can shorten. At first, the story was nine pages and I reduce it to seven pages. I didn’t need to make a comic panel for every movement like an animation storyboard. But the story is still too drawn out for a simple gag, and the middle doesn’t add enough to make things interesting.


I have a 9 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to carve out your ideas?

RF: I have a SketchWallet (https://www.sketchwallet.com/) that I use to doodle art ideas. I also use the blank pages to jot down notes for writing and general note-taking. I don't need to have lined paper to write if I'm typing it in the future. Likewise, I also use Google Docs on my phone to write in my drafts, which can save and sync to my desktop to continue.


Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?

RF: My local library has been a great space for me to work on things more than being at home for me. Since I’m in a public quiet space, I'm accountable to be working and not messing around. With all the books around, I can take a break and browse books that might be interesting to check out or flip through.


What are you reading right now?

RF: Currently, I’m reading Tuki by Jeff Smith! I’ve followed Jeff Smith since Bone and I enjoyed RASL as well, so I’m excited to see what he’s working on next!


Where can people go to find out more about Ryan Francis?

RF: You can find me on my website, mastafran.com or follow me on Twitter and Instagram at mastafran!


Thanks Ryan, for sharing some of your time!

GameOn, P.H.S.G.C. (Peoria High School Gaming Circuit) will have its inaugural gaming event Saturday, July 8, 2023 at Peoria High School, 1615 N. North Street, Peoria IL 61604 10am-4pm! Card games, RPG's, cosplay, console games, and more!

Forging of a Knight will be there - hope you will be too!

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...

Yet another awesome time at this awesome event! PeoriaCon was held at the Peoria Civic Center for 2024, more of a downtown centralized space, which didn't keep the crowds away at all from coming in and joining the fun! James Pax (Big Trouble in Little China) was there, Rodger Bumpass (voice of Squidward) was there, more vendors, more guests, more game competitions, and activities galore! Some pics follow on my website link below - and the clock is set for PeoriaCon 2025!


https://www.forgingofaknight.com/blog