There's nothing I love more than the hustle and bustle of running around my kitchen getting a cake and various other treats ready. But the production of these were turned up to almost warp speed! Now I know they aren't my best looking work, but there was a lot that went into these with less than 48 hours to go before we had to leave for the con! Not to mention transport TO Providence and then keeping them cool 'til our epic Arkham Horror Book Club meeting on Saturday evening! Let me tell ya, I was freezing for a good chunk of our trip for the sake of my craft! But it was all worth it in the end! The tentacles got a little melty but I think it actually made them look a little creepier! My fellow AHBC'ers absolutely loved them and that's all that matters!!
Upon arrival to Providence on Thursday evening, we had the honor and privilege to work and participate at the H.P. Lovecraft Bronze Bust Unveiling at the Providence Athaneaum. What a wonderful experience it was! You know it's going to be a good time when the first person you run into at the Forbidden Fountain is none other than Lovecraft himself! I'm talking about the fabulous Leeman Kessler of the "Ask Lovecraft" YouTube video series! If you haven't checked those videos out by now, please do! He truly does a remarkable job with them! I don't think I've ever met a sweeter human being! He came all the way from Toronto for the con! And we were lucky to have him to pal around with for most of the weekend :)!
As I mentioned earlier, Yeti and I were technically working at the event and making sure to not let in the riff-raff by checking people in at the door! I have to say I'm incredibly proud of how I handled myself when S.T. Joshi (who is THE authority on Lovecraft) showed up right in front of me to check in. I think I said something like "You're all set, just go in!" The bust itself was truly breathtaking. Bryan Moore, the artist behind it, did a marvelous job capturing Howard's likeness. The bust is now on permanent display downstairs at the Athenaeum. What a fitting tribute to a man who spent much of his time there while growing up in Providence!
The next morning (Friday), we were up bright and early to begin working at the registration table! What a fun experience it was! It took some time to work out some of the kinks but once we were all on the same page, everything flowed together nicely. All the guests and speakers began checking in (including Stuart Gordon, AHHHH!!!!) and the vibes in the air were nothing short of fantastic! Everyone was excited and ready to immerse themselves in the insanity-inducing world of Lovecraft. Of course we would not have been able to participate in such an incredible event if it were not for the efforts of one special lady who has been working her ass off and deserves all the praise in the world for her efforts! She is the one and only, Ms. Mallory O'Meara!
What can I say about this truly remarkable young lady that hasn't already been said about her! Between running three chapters of the Arkham Horror Book Club, organizing a walking tour of Lovecraft's Arkham, working on the Bronze Bust Project Team and organizing ALL of the volunteers for the Con, I don't know how she does it! She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age. Seriously where did all my enthusiasm for awesome things go? We are so lucky to have such a wonderful friend in our lives. Thank you, Mallory! We love you!
Friday went by in a flash and soon enough we were starting to get ready for the Eldritch Ball which was happening that very evening! Normally my vintage-era-of-choice falls somewhere between the late 1940's - early 60's, so when I had to find something to wear that fell between 1890 - 1936 (the length of Lovecraft's life) I was a tad bit thrown off. But I think Yeti and I pulled it off and looked rather dashing as a result! It was such a blast seeing everyone's creative costumes and fun masks! The dance floor was rarely empty thanks to the haunting tunes of Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores! It wasn't until the band stopped and the Spook Show took over that there was any sort of lull during the evening. Here are just a few shots from that lovely evening. I didn't get many full length shots of myself at the ball unfortunately (since I was taking most of the pictures) but as soon as I get some I'll share those as well!
Honestly, Saturday morning was kind of a blur! To be honest, I was still somewhat bleary eyed from the previous evenings events (Thursday included). Late nights partnered with very early mornings make for a very cranky Jo! I don't think I truly woke up until after lunch, ice cream and a nap. Thankfully, our little registration table had quieted down just a tad, but there was still plenty to do and see throughout the Biltmore and Hotel Providence. The real highlights of Saturday didn't come until later on in the day anyway. Yeti and I met up with Jessica (one of my oldest friends from high school), her husband Glen and their daughter Erin for dinner and frozen yogurt! It was so much fun to hang out with them and catch up! After that we made our way back to our hotel, packed up the tentacle cupcakes and headed off to the Trinity Brewhouse for the Arkham Horror Book Club Meet-up! What an amazing time we all had!! Great food, amazing beer and some of the best company anyone could ask for :). From there we headed over to the Providence River for WaterFire! Some of us actually got to participate in the very strange-but-fun cultist processional through the crowd which was followed up by the even more bizarre Cthulhu Puppet Show, in a manner of speaking. That's what it looked like to me anyway :). What a spectacle it was! I only wish they could've gotten the big Cthulhu they had to stand up straight. All that build up and it seemed that the stars weren't exactly right just yet. I wish I could' ve taken a few pictures but both my camera AND my phone were hidden under my cultist robe (There's a phrase I never thought I would say!). This is the only shot I got all night :-/.
After another quick sleep, Sunday morning arrived and I woke up with a heavy heart. I was sad because our wonderful time in Providence was coming to a close.I knew we would be saying goodbye to some amazing people. Some we may not see again for a fairly long time or maybe never again. But I tried to put on a happy face and we ended our Lovecraftian weekend in the only proper way we could: At the Cthulhu Prayer Breakfast, of course! What a service it was! It was the most fun I've had at "church" in several years! There was a cultist choir and some hilarious speakers! Let me tell you, Robert Price is the kind of preacher I can get behind!
In closing, we had such a blast at Necronomicon. With the exception of one snafu that will go unmentioned everyone was lovely and an absolute joy to spend time with. We all came together to honor a man who never saw fame in his lifetime and probably wouldn't know what to do with all this attention directed toward him. I've heard it said that they are trying to put another con together for 2015 and I certainly hope all the proper pieces fall into place so they can! I'm absolutely looking forward to the next gathering of the fine Lovecraftian folk that we met over the weekend.
Until next time, readers ;)....
No comments:
Post a Comment