The Gen Con Keeper

The Keeper looks at the brand new JW Marriott

2011-02-07T16:24:00Z

Keeper here and I went to the JW Marriott on Saturday and WOW I am sorry but it makes the Hyatt Marriott, and Westin look like a Motel 6 on Southport Road. Now I don’t know the square footage but I would guess that the JW has about as much as the ICC did when it open in 1972. The JW has twice or three times the amount of function space as the Marriott itself. According to the newspaper the 3rd floor ballroom is the largest in the state. So this is what I saw.

The video information displays that grace the walls are interactive. Need the weather report or flight info just tap on it and away you go. I wonder how long it will take an attendee to hack them. I worked through them and they seemed pretty handy but it was hard to find a building layout. Something you would thing would be 1^st on your list of important info.

The first floor has not only a lobby bar and check in but the High Velocity Sports bar and Osteria Pronto Italian restaurant. Now this was 11am but the smells coming from the Osteria Pronto were …wonderful. I think many attendees will walk around the corner to ‘Friday’s’ for some more affordable food.

Another thing that attendees are surely going to enjoy is the Pre-function spaces. They are everywhere. Not especially in the lobby but the 1^st floor events area, and the 2^nd and 3^rd floors. There are chairs, couches and tables scattered about, many with scenic views of Victory Field. I mean you can watch the game in comfort from the 3rt floor.

But as nice as those areas are the function space are MONSTERLY HUGE! The Griffon Ballroom is a little under the size of Hall A at the ICC, while the Whiteriver Ballroom is a little under half Hall A’s size. I peeked into the Whiteriver and even with it partition into small portions it looked pretty big. You could put three ‘True Dungeons’ in there with room to spare. It makes the Sagamore look dinky. Besides the larger event spaces, there about 30 smaller s function rooms scattered on all three floors.

Now getting lost may just be a problem, like I said it’s the largest hotel convention space in the state, what may solve that is the individual info screens at every door. You know at most convention hotels there are signs at the rooms telling you what event is in the room and the schedule for the day; well at the JW they are LCD screens. Now I don’t know if Gen Con will be able to list the events going on in a room for the day, but they will certainly have that option. Plus as time goes by all the hotels will be going to this system, it only stands to reason.

Now for the….peculiarities? The 1^st may just be something that will be needs to be addressed is the lack of ADA capable doors leading from the ICC from the JW. So someone in a wheelchair would have a difficult time getting them open. Now the Tubes and the hallway from the ICC to the JW was the City’s responsibly I can only guess that task that will be taken care of later on, but it needed to be mentioned.

Next is access to the 1^st floor function space. It’s kind of odd. If you’re in the 1^st floor lobby you have to go 1^st floor function space you will have to take the escalator to the 2^nd floor walk about a hundred feet and then take a escalator back down to the 1^st floor function space. Not to be confused with the now gone Whiteriver Ballroom that was at the ICC. It not going to be much of a problem since most attendees will be using the Gerbil Tubes to get to the JW anyway. Like I said it’s a little weird.

The JW Marriott is simply beautiful. From the lobby to the pre-function spaces to the ballrooms it is a delight to the eye and the last piece to the Indiana Convention Center puzzle. As someone lobbied his city leaders, state representatives, and friends and neighbors that the Arena was good idea because we needed to expand the convention center it is nice to see the payoff. It’s also been more than ten years since the late Steve Whitesides told me that the city was bidding for Gen Con and I would be tossed into the flame war that would entail. So Gen Con you have an expanded convention center and a brand new hotel waiting for you this year, plus as always Hoosier Hospitality to welcome you next August. This is how Gen Con is, we have a new space to grow and expand into. From Lake Geneva, to UWP to MECCA to MEC to the ICC were given a new space and we’ll come up with a new way to game in it.

I am and forever always will be

The Keeper of Ancient Gen Con Lore

Randall Porter

Wisconsin Gen Con Haunts Revisited 2010

2010-09-08T18:34:00Z

Wisconsin Gen Con Haunts Revisited

The 3^rd weekend of August this year I drove up to Milwaukee to go to Irishfest. During my trip I was going to visit some of my favorite Gen Con haunts and see how they had changed since my last stop in 2007. You would think that thing might not change that much in three short years but I was in for a surprise.

I rolled out of Indianapolis at 6am, that was so I could have plenty of time to motor around SE Wisconsin and Milwaukee before reporting into my buddy's John's house. Thank God for Audible Books. The Tri-State was busy and I am now convinced I need to get an Ipass just to avoid the toll stops.

My traditional 1^st stop was the Wisconsin Visitor Center. After two hours on the Tri-State is was the perfect place for a pee break and to stretch ones legs. Back then my party would roll in and be on the lookout for....'Gamer Sign'. That would usually be, four guys in a in an overloaded subcompact in black t-shirts. When we saw them we would start playing the "Dune" soundtrack in the car. When I started going to Gen Con there was nothing there except the Visitor Center and a gravel parking lot out back. Now there is a mega outlet mall, Culver's, and gas station behind the place.

My next stop was the Russell Military Museum, just before the Ill state line. It used to be the Kenosha Military Museum until it got booted out in 2007. I was there when they were moving and they had the gall to charge my full price while they were towing things away. It's right across the road from the Bristol Renfest that I went to a few weeks before so I didn't have any trouble finding the place.

It had the same selection of rusted out military hardware as before with some additions. They had an Old Russian Hind attack helicopter that they must have bought from some former Soviet republic. Again the same old same old don't need to go back there for a few more years.

I94 was also being beaten on which was odd since I thought they had been working on the Border/Kenosha section either in 03 or 07. My friend John said something about them working on the bridges and Stimulus money.

I decided to get some snacks at Mars Cheese Castle, a Kenosha favorite. It appears this will be the last time for this location since they are putting up a new building 50 or so feet behind it because of the highway construction. From what I could see of the plans they had on display when completed it will look like a real castle with a drawbridge and everything. It should be cool.

I took a wrong turn and took the back roads to finally find County Rd E that took me to University of Wisconsin Parkside for many surprises. Now the only major changes to the lovely campus in the woods had been the expansion of the Phys Ed building, where the Dealers Room used to be, and the addition of student housing. When I turned left off on E on to campus I forced back off campus by a large building project. When I got a place to park I was found the Student Center completely changed. Then Student Union of Gen Con's past is gone

The new entrance was now off to the left and you come in to a huge round stair case. The wonderful dining room on the 2^nd floor with its wooded views is gone. With the dining room now on the 1^st floor gone were those wooded views that made eating in there such a pleasure.

The Den, where you could get pizza and beer has been cleaned up and decorated with wood from the bowling alley from the basement. The bookstore was moved from the Library building right by the main entrance. It's nice and everything but it was a shock to the system. Now for all those worrying about one of UWP most important art installations, the barfing Pac Mac still hangs in the Library Building.

Another shock was the lost of the little piece of prairie between the Communication Building and the Phys Ed building. The Communication building is expanding and they are taking out with the building and mounds of dirt the peaceful place that many a Gen Con attendee found some rest. It was a big old mess.

The fall semester was about ready to start so there was a general buzz about the place with student workers, faculty, and staff getting UWP ready for the fall semester. I headed for the bookstore for some UWP gear and the open road.

The next morning was a Keeper work morning at the Milwaukee Public Library. This was my second visit and this time I had the exact dates for when Gen Con was in Milwaukee from my research on the Gen Con 40 book. Thanks Mike Carr. I had a running battle with the Librarians on keeping the lights on in the microfilm reading room. They wanted to turn them off and I want them on so I could read my notes. Since I and the other guy there were of like minds we got them to stay on.

I didn't know I was going to be reminded why Gen Con left Milwaukee. I pulled the Thursday-Sunday of Gen Con week Milwaukee Journals from 1985-1990 and could only find one newspaper article and that was from the 1^st year 1985. Funny apparently TSR did not believe in advertising either. Something I will have to ask around about. For the week of the show there was nothing in the community calendar, the green sheet, no ads, nada. Now I've got some clippings coming from my host John Setzer, but still it was very odd.

Passing by what had been the Holiday Inn now it's a Double Tree Inn, and if I know my hotel pecking order of hotels this is a downward step.

I moved my car to the familiar parking lot between the Hilton/the Mall/ and the former Midwest Express Center now the Frontier Airlines Center. Something you may be seeing in Indy is that they have replaced the friendly parking lot attendants with the computer payment machines. You feed the machine and put the payment slip on your dash and you're done.

The Frontier Airlines Center hasn't changed much since I last visited, except the name. And nothing was going on there either. The little Visitor Center is now a Coffee Shop (not opened) and the Visitor Center itself is now a booth in the lobby. Other than some Asian tourists having fun the place was dark and empty.

Well the Grand Avenue Mall has only gotten sadder; oops I mean the ‘The Shops on Grand Avenue' has gotten sadder. The 1st floor on the west wing was all right, with the exception of the Radio Shack was all alone. There even some holes up on the Food Court.

The cool Milwaukee shirt store is still there. The east wing is even worse. The ‘Linen and Things' which took up the center court, well the whole chain went under so that's that. Other than the Chocolate Factory and the T J Max's it is empty as a miser's purse. The International Clown Hall Of Fame packed up and moved some time ago. You could hear the ghostly honking. I still miss the balancing bear in the main court.

Across the street the iconic Johnnie Walkers also had closed. According to the Milwaukee Journal the owner shut the door June 11^th. My Canadian buddy Kevin bought himself a wicked pimp suit there. I thought it was one of the coolest shops on the Avenue, I doubt they will find anything...soon to replace it.

The Hotel Wisconsin is long gone to condo land. I popped my head into the lobby and it looked very very nice. Maxi's was replaced with a convenience store. The King and I moved into Toy's old spot across from the Hyatt. I only ate once at Toy's and hated it. I think you would call it "white people's Chinese". The type of Chinese food from the 50's and 60's that well was the kind your grandmother would eat. What's funny is "The King and I" is right next to the other little downtown Thai restaurant the"Thai Palace". A great little Mom and Pop place.

The Renaissance Book store still looms over the Milwaukee River and as always it I took a flash light, but forgot the bottled oxygen. And again found some gems.

On our way to the Safe House on the landing where the Wells Street Stations used to be I got my picture taken with the Bronze Fonze. A life size statue of Arthur Fonzarelli A true Milwaukee Hero.

The Safe House was still going strong when I had lunch with John and his wife Katie there Friday of my stay. It looks well taken care of and even had a few new things. Many of the Celeb photos John and I noticed were from Gen Con appearances. So it's still a good Safe House.

The last item that I have to mention is the Marquette Exchange Project. The Marquette Exchange used to be nightmare pasta bowl of highways, on and off ramps in the heart of downtown Milwaukee that would frighten a saint. Well the redesign and construction has really changed the way you get around the heart of Milwaukee. For us we would come up I94 only be on US 41 a few second and then quickly take the Convention Center exit which took us under the Justice Center. Now I and no way of describing how to get there except I just looked for the Milwaukee Hilton and there I was. Next time I think I will study a map.

Irishfest was a blast as always being the largest Irish-American Festival of its kind in the world. Held at the Summerfest grounds I went with local friend John and Katie Setlzer from West Bend. Back in the early days of Gen Con being in Milwaukee we would blast out of the dealers room, on Thursday night cause if you got here early enough it was free. But 1^st we'd head to the Grand Avenue Mall for some cheap eats. Grab the shuttle in front of the Mall to the Summerfest Grounds for Irishfest. The beer was cheap and music was great. We would drag back to the Hotel Wisconsin around 1pm on the last shuttle. Bleary eyed we'd all shovel down breakfast at Maxi's before back to the Dealer's room grind. Irishfest has always been special to me.

It is strange coming from a city that is busting it's behind to keep its downtown and convention center district vibrant to a city whose convention center is empty and it's mall is a ghost town. John told me the biggest show at the Frontier Airlines CC is an international bead show. Yes beads, the type you thread to make jewelry. Kind of sad. While Indianapolis doubles the size of its convention center and adds 1000 more hotel for the next Gen Con. One of the Milwaukee's convention center hotels takes a brand downgrade.

I still love Milwaukee and will come up for Irishfest when it does not conflict with Gen Con. I will again walk the halls of UWP, listening for calls from the auction, or gamers rushing up to challenge one another in ‘Ace of Aces'. I'll stop at Woodman's to get some snacks or Mar's Cheese Castle to check out the new store and to get some cheese. It sort of like going back to your old grade school, it doesn't seem as big as it used to be and somehow it's alittle more worn. But still I guess again I'm lucky that Gen Con's held only a few miles from my house, and the people who run it are now my friends. But back then it was an adventure and a journey. Now it's a right, two lefts another right and park the car, and I am there.

I Miss Wisconsin Part 3- Parkside

2006-08-30T16:43:00Z

I Miss Wisconsin Part 3 - Parkside

The week after Gen Con 06 I drove up to Milwaukee to attend Irishfest. Along the way I stopped by Parkside. Classes had not started and I had the place to myself. I though about how my journey to Gen Con geekdom had started here and how things had changed from failing college junior to Keeper of Ancient Gen Con Lore. But its good to know where ones root are.

The University of Wisconsin at Parkside is about half way between Racine and Kenosha. Even though it’s ten minutes from Kenosha proper, the campus itself is almost completely surrounded by a small forest, making you feel cut off from the world. From 1978 to 1984 it was the 2nd home for Gen Con, and my favorite Gen Con location.

You would exit the interstate at the Country Road E exchange into nothingness. There were a couple of close gas stations but that was it. You pointed your car east. You were either going to Gen Con, or to a dunking into Lake Michigan. It was mostly farm land with a few houses, a church, and a tavern near the railroad tracks.

After crossing Highway 31, you noticed the big patch of trees and the sign for the University of Wisconsin at Parkside (UWP), home of the "Rangers." A quick turn onto Highway JR, and you’d soon see the Sports and Activity Center. It has doubled in size since it was the unair-conditioned sauna it was when it was the dealer’s room, but more about that later. Next to it was a huge parking lot that was the 24 hour party place for all of us who camped out for Gen Con.

By taking Loop Road, you wound around to the head of the UWP Complex to the Union. Today you would pass Ranger Hall dorm and University Apartments, which were not there when Gen Con was, and were probably built shortly after Gen Con left.

All the buildings are connected, except the Sports and Activity Center, on the 2nd floor, or level 1. This must have been a powerful draw for the TSR folks after the mish-mash venues of Lake Geneva. You could walk from the Union to the Communication Arts Building, a ½ mile or so, in air-conditioned comfort. So let’s take a closer look around the joint.

On the north side was the Union. For the Parkside run it held Registration; later, the auction took place in the Theater. It had a great cafeteria that served breakfast and lunch, with a pleasant view that overlooked the woods which surrounded the campus. On the ground level was a pizza joint that served beer! It was here that one year that Duke Seifried entertained the crowd with the stylings of "Duke and the Dragons'A shock to those of us who have gone to school on a dry campus. The basement contained a bowling alley.

The next building was Molinaro Hall which, if I recall correctly, was a general classroom building, so it had rooms for games and the show offices. The two big lecture halls were used for seminars and the like. Greenquist Hall was much smaller than Molinaro Hall, but it too had some rooms that were used for general gaming.

For the 1st half of Gen Con tenure Wyllie Hall was the home of the dealer’s room. With that big cracked egg thingie on the wall, it had dealers set up on three levels. This is when Gen Con was first introduced to the concept of the booth babe. Now, some would say that would be TSR with the Gygax sisters. Compared to Metagaming, who had hired some hot babes to work their booth, the Gygax sisters had to work due to familial obligations. Still, this was the days of AD&D and it was difficult to get to the TSR Booths anyway.

At the bottom level was TSR and ICE, and also a pretty good hot dog stand. Again, it was the early days of AD&D and you had to fight the crowds to get down there and get a copy or a dog. For several years in a row, TSR released its latest AD&D book at the show to mobs of adoring fans. That’s why I didn’t make it down too often.

In my one of my recent visits back to UWP’s Wyllie Hall, it felt funny to be there without the mass of gamers there, either buying and selling games, or playing them in the later years. It was quiet and didn’t smell at all funky; quite the change!

Last in the complex is the Communication Arts Building and I have nothing to say about it. In all the years Gen Con was there, 1979-1984, I never went in there. Even when I have visited in the past I never went into that building. Something I will have to fix in the future; anyone know what went on there?

A short walk from the main complex of buildings is the Sports and Activity Center (SAC). Before it was expanded, it consisted of a gym, a pool, a wrestling room, and lastly the locker room and showers.

The best thing about the Gym was the showers. I could roll out of bed at 9:30 and drive like a manic to the hall. We’d open the booth and then cycle our crew through the showers. When things got really steamy, we’d take an afternoon shower just to remove the gamer funk. TSR did not want to pay for the air conditioning, so we who worked the dealer’s room in the SAC we sweated like piggies.

I wish I could remember the year, but one year, one day early in the morning before things had really started, I was walking from the main building to the Gym. The sidewalk went over a small rise with just a hint of mist. The sun was behind the woods to the east of the sidewalk. I was walking along when I heard it a set of bagpipes playing. When I turned to see where the music was coming from, I saw a piper in full regalia, full kilt and everything. That scene raised the hair on the back of my neck, sort of invoking some primal memories. It was spooky in a good sort of way

One of the last years, either 1982 or 83, TSR was ensconced in the dealer's room and I was running the till for Heritage Models. For various reasons that year, many gaming companies sent minions to run their booth but the bosses stayed home. Heritage sent a bunch of great guys to run the booth, but it appeared I was one of the only guys who had set up and run the Heritage booth before. So I ended up being one of the guys running things for Heritage. Now, these Texans were used to the heat, but not 90 degrees and 100% humidity Wisconsin weather we were going through.

As the days went on all our brains started to cook. It was then that TSR bought in a radio controlled robot to entertain the masses. It would work slowly down the aisle to the TSR end and then whip back to the head of the row, and then back down again. Our brains having been fried, we began to think of this robot as evil, and we started to plot the demise of the android. Luckily things ended on a happy note when someone went out and bought ice cream, and we set aside our plans for robotoicide.

(One of my favorite incidents was the Ernie Gygax and Steve Jackson encounter. It was the same year as the robot of doom; I was stewing in the Heritage Booth trying to stay awake when Ernie Gygax and some big guy came by the Steve Jackson games booth across from my booth. Ernie told Steve that he had to pull his game "Killer" because it violated Gen Con products standards. Something about the game making people want to kill one another. Steve looked up and Ernie and said that this was the 1st time he had heard of "Gen Con product standards" and that he would like to see the policy. Ernie told him that it had not been written up yet but "Killer" clearly violated it. Steve told him to get lost, and I went back to my nap.)

The lack of hotel rooms is one of the main reasons that Gen Con moved to Milwaukee in 85, but that lack of hotel rooms didn’t seem to bother those who camped in the parking lots. I had my old VW Microbus, the Phantom Cruiser, with an old army cot in it. I slept very well.

Under the parking lot lights, folks were talking, playing hacky sack, and generally having a good time. If you needed to use the restroom there was always an unlocked door available to use to sneak into a building. And every so often a certain odor would waft over the parked cars. Funny smelling, sort of like Otto’s jacket from the Simpson’s. I have no idea what it was. The last year of Gen Con at Parkside, the University banned overnight parking. Bummer.

The good thing about UWP was it was a secluded spot where Gen Con could grow. Away from a public that would readily call DnD devil worship, Parkside had easy access from the highway but was set back enough to allow our inner geek to thrive. Sure you had to eat University food, but most of us were used to that. Heck, in my 19 years of study for my degree in history, university food is always fondly remembered.

It was a gathering of …well, geeks, but we could revel in our geekitude, and prepare for Gen Con to make that big move out of its parent’s basement to the Mecca in Milwaukee.

The past couple of times I have gone alone to Milwaukee, I have made that right turn onto County Road E, and walked once again around UW Parkside. The halls are now quiet, and empty. There is no Duke and the Dragon belting out a DnD songs in the Union. There are no gamers running up and down the halls. There isn’t even anyone out in the parking lot playing a walk up game of DnD under a street lamp. It’s just quiet.

As 1984 rolled around, Gen Con was using every square foot of UWP, and also some Technology Center a mile or so away. Attendance had doubled or so, and the time had come for a move. With no hotels nearby, Gen Con had to pack up its tent and head north to Downtown Milwaukee. When the move was announced, there was no public outcry, and there were no letters to the editor of Dragon Magazine. We all wanted air-conditioning and clean sheets to sleep on. Besides, it was only an hour away.

The University of Wisconsin at Parkside was sort of like the teenage years for Gen Con. There were a lot of mistakes, goofs, and silliness, but it was also a community growing up. So, when it was time to head north, we all were ready. Yes, Milwaukee and the Mecca Convention Center was a big step, and it took a few years for Gen Con to grow into it; and grow into Mecca it did. There would be beer and brats in large numbers, and it would be fun. But we remember those days when the woods around Parkside did have monsters, and we were there to slay them.

As always I am your Keeper of Ancient Gen Con Lore

Special thanks to Marimacc who makes my words understandable. :)

Next time: Milwaukee, Mecca and brew

I Miss Wisconsin pt. 2 Adventures in Cheeseland

2006-04-27T15:11:00Z

I Miss Wisconsin- part 2 Adventures in Cheeseland

As you leave the toll road you begin a long S turn. It is then that you cross the Illinois/Wisconsin border and enter the Land of Cheese. Now, this stretch of I-94 is one of the oldest paved highways in America, and has a straight as an arrow feel. You pass the Bristol Ren Fest grounds on the left, but I never had time to stop; I had to get to Gen Con! You also pass the Prime Outlet Mall, which has a pretty good selection of stores for the Gamer Geek, including Black and Decker, Sony, and Pepperidge Farms.

Now the next exit, SR 165/CR Q, is the exit for this Mall and the Wisconsin Rest Stop. That’s a good place to take a restroom break, look at travel pamphlets, and stretch your legs. This is where we would usually have our 1^st “Gamer Sign” sighting. Usually big guys, in a Honda Civic packed to the gills, wearing black T shirts, and dumping Mountain Dew cans in the recycling bins. Behind it is a Mickey D’s and a Culver’s (my favorite hamburger) joint. You just take the road behind Culvers and it takes you a block or so to the Outlet Mall.

Now for those who want their mega sugar fix, you just head east two miles to the Jelly Belly factory store for all your candy needs.

Just before you make that exit you would see the Kenosha Military Museum on the left side of the road. You could then take the frontage road and play with some big boy toys. They have some hardware that I had not seen in a long time! I took Jeff the Enchanter and his evil twin Rob. They complained all the way, saying they didn’t to see dead military things; well, when we got there, they were like a couple of happy chimps, jumping in tanks, taking controls of helicopters, and generally having a good time.

The next major exit is Highway 50, a very major stop in the earlier year’s shows. When Gen Con moved there in 1978, all that was there was a Hojo’s, the Brat Stop, a Big Boy and some-notel-motels.

In the last years of the Milwaukee Gen Con’s, I always recommended that folks who were day tripping to the show should stay at the hotels on I-94 and SR 50. There were lots of rooms available there at affordable prices; and it would leave the Milwaukee hotels free for those who were there for the duration.

Now, there had been an outlet mall there until last year when it was torn down; who knows what they will put up next. The only thing that dirt mall had of any importance was an Eddie Bauer store, which I have been told moved to the Prime Outlet Mall.

Like I said, in the Parkside Years, 1978-1984, there were only two hotels; now there are about a dozen, with lots of places to eat too. However, the main attraction in the Milwaukee years was always Woodman’s.

Woodman’s is just about one of the biggest supermarkets in the country, (with Jungle Jim’s in Cincy being the largest), with a liquor store the size of a regular Walgreens. With a most excellent choice of snack foods, this was the stop of choice for munchies purchases.

Now there was one place at the Kenosha exit that I used to enjoy stopping at. One of the oldest restaurants there used to be a Mark’s Big Boy. Decent food for a decent price. We would stop there for lunch on the way up, get a burger and some pie, and attempt gamer sightings. Then it became a “Mark’s Café and Coffee Mill”, and then something else, and then it finally died. We even stopped eating there because it became so bad. Last time I drove thru it was empty, and by now it has probably met the fate of the wrecking ball, and something new is in its place.

Next is the exit for Mars Cheese Castle, as seen on Food TV, with its great selection of cheese. This was usually a stop on the way home, and a place I could get Sprecker’s Root Beer by the case; and generally bought a lot! Sometimes my homies would pick up some different types of cheeses at the Castle, and we would try them the following Saturday at our Gen Con “debriefing”.

From 1978 to 1984 you would pull off at County Road E and head east to the lake and University of Wisconsin at Parkside. But that’s another story.

(Stay tuned for I miss Wisconsin pt. 3: Parkside)

After you passed the exit for Racine, home of the Racine Kringle, the landscape flatten out to billiard table smoothness. On the right you pass this big old sign for University of Lawsonomy, do a Google search and you will be enlightened. Besides the “adult novelty” palaces and semi dealerships, it is a pleasant view. Before Seven Mile Road, there is a giant Santa Claus beckoning you to visit the year round Christmas store. At Seven Mile Road there is a huge indoor and outdoor Flea market.

The only major stop before the Marquette Exchange would be General Billy Mitchell International Airport; where I had to go to pick up folks flying in. There was also a great used book store in the Terminal.

Just days before the 1^st Milwaukee Gen Con; I got a call from the Holiday Inn, now the Holiday Inn City Centre, (see my future blog entry I miss Wisconsin pt. 4: We all Journey to MECCA) letting me know that a water pipe had broken and that they would not be able to accommodate us until Friday. They had booked us into the Red Carpet Inn, then called the Milwaukee Inn, now called the Four Points by Sheraton. This was the only time I did not stay downtown, but in the later years things got so crowded that even the airport hotels would fill up.

As you S-turned, you saw the Bauhaus inspired Central Wire and Steel warehouse. Until 2003 you saw the industrial building with huge banks of glass windows, and it made a potently dull building look like an incredible masterpiece. Unfortunately they were covered in 2003 with steel panels, making the building look like any other warehouse. Sigh.

As you pass over a small rise, you see downtown Milwaukee spread out before you. Now, before you pass over the Menomonee Valley you see the Allen Bradley Clock tower, the largest four sided clock tower in the world, on the right, and the three domes of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory on the left. Then the ground drops away into the valley, but the road stays level.

The 1^st time my pal Jeff Thompson saw the number of level of bridges and ramps and the like of the Marquette Exchange, after a short burst of cursing, he remarked “Who designed this Esther?”. The roadway is at least a hundred or so feet above the Valley floor. Ramps going every where violating even the laws of the universe. Next time you see the Nazi car chase scene in the Blues Brothers, remember that part of it was shot on the Marquette.

Instead of going straight to our hotel, we would take a detour to go to the happiest place in the world, yes Miller Brewing. The neighborhood we went through to get to Miller was on the rough side, but the three free beers made it all worthwhile.

We would descend in to Miller Valley and smell that smell that can make grown men cry. Think about standing outside the Ram when they are making beer, and increase that smell about 10,000%. Yea it’s that good. Passing all the different buildings, we would park in the Miller Brewing Visitors Center. In past video tapes I’ve made of the journey I have noticed the sound of beer bottles tinkling on the floor of the van.

I love any factory tour, especially when it involves alcohol. You see, I believe that the best way to demystify booze for kids is to show them it’s an industrial process, and not some magic potion made by pixies. And Miller does a pretty good job of it.

We always had to hurry so as not to miss the last tour, but we always made it. The Visitors Center and Gift Shop was pretty cool; showing the process and history of Miller. I would always get some stuff at the gift show, a bottle opener, a t-shirt, or a pin of some sort, as we waited for our tour to start.

After a while you would be called into a little theater where, on three big screens, they would show you the Miller story. Ok, I am an AV monkey by trade, not choice, but the projection and sound system are second to none. When they pop the crown off that beer bottle and the brew is poured on screen; it’s like they are doing it right in front of you.

Next, our lovely tour guide would take us to the Bottling Plant, where we would see that golden lager placed in either bottles or cans, and packed in boxes for shipping. It was really cool seeing those spinning filling machines fill up those cans at almost the speed of light.

Next was the shipping building, which is about the size of the exhibition hall at the ICC. For about as far as the eye could see, there were pallets and more pallets, truly an amazing sight; but more amazing sights were to come.

Now one of the reasons Miller is where it is, is because the caves under the hill are next to the site of the original brewery. Before commercial refrigeration plants, they would slice and haul ice from the river, put the ice in the caves, and store the beer there, thus insuring the beer supply year round. Today the Miller caves are also part of the tour. You enter and descend passing by mannequins and displays of coppering tools. At the bottom there is sort of a small museum to the other trades that supported the beer making process. The other neat collection is a display of all the Wisconsin breweries’ beer bottles, with some very odd and interesting bottles of beer.

After all that hiking around, a person gets powerfully thirsty, so it’s off to the Miller Inn. Back in the day the Miller Inn is where Fredrick Miller would entertain visitors and family in this Bavarian styled inn. Now, tour visitors get the 1^st of their three beers in this very classy background.

After draining the malty substance it was off to the Miller Beer Plaza, to fill out your free post card and drink your two remaining beers. Sometimes they would have a band playing, and sometimes not, but there would always be some jamming music, sunny skies, and cold beer. For me it was a time to put on my game face, get ready to meet the convention, and ready myself for what was about to come. I would look at my companions, hear the music blaring from the plaza’s PA, and just enjoy the pleasure of the moment.

Now before leaving there was one last thing you could see, and that was the brew kettles. Right next to the Plaza, the path to the kettles was located 140 steps up and 20 degrees warmer than ground level. After climbing to the top you saw the copper kettles where the beer is brewed. The smell was a bit overpowering, but as Jeff Thompson says, “but Randy it’s a good smell, a good smell.” I did it once and that was enough for me.

As we passed the Miller buildings, leaving the way we came in, I knew that Gen Con was now starting. These quiet moments would return on that Monday drive home. In 2002, it was partially sad this being the last Gen Con in Milwaukee, knowing that this journey I had made every year since 1985 was over. I could go back, and in fact I have, but now everything would be different. The yearly journey would now be a common place trip. But still, Gen Con would go on, and I was the Keeper of Ancient Gen Con Lore, I had my duties to continue with also. And now, the best four days in gaming would be just down the block!

But time pass all things and I am your humble Keeper of Ancient Gen Con Lore

Next-I Miss Wisconsin pt. 3 Parkside-Horror in the Forrest

I Miss Wisconsin Pt 1

2006-04-07T15:34:00Z

I Miss Wisconsin

The Journey Begins

At Gen Con ’03, I rolled out of bed and drove 10 minutes to the Circle Center Parking lot and walked via the hamster tubes to the Indiana Convention Center. Now, I’ve been going to the ICC since it opened in I972. But something was definitely amiss. I mean I saw all my friends and I hung out with my Gen Con LLC buds. I even partied, as usual, like a maniac, but something was missing; something I could not place at first. When I thought about it, I realized it was the trip itself that I missed! That pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Milwaukee that I had planned for myself and companions since 1984 had become an integral part of the Gen Con experience for me. The sites, the smells, yes, even the toll stops. I’ve missed these things enough that I sometimes go up to Milwaukee just to hang out.

For me and my traveling companions, I always had the trip planned out to the minute. No detail was too small, including the cost of fuel, housing, and tolls. Not to mention which route, stops, food, and other diversions would we have along the way!

First, we would gather and leave at 0 dark thirty on the Wednesday of the show. Most times our party would include Space Dog Zot, Jeff the Enchanter, Rob, Jeff’s evil twin, and sometimes Neil (Jeff’s Son), the cabin boy. We would drive up I-65 from Indianapolis to the Merrillville exit at highway 51, and stop for gas. Why there? Well, that Amoco was the last regular gas station before we hit the Tri-State and Oasis gas prices. It was also a good time to hit the men’s room; I told you I planned every last detail!

After that it was on the road to the Tri-State. We would always take the Tri-state because it always seems less congested than driving thru Chicago. We would tune in to WBBM “Traffic and Weather on the 8”s” to hear the latest traffic. We then would merge on to 80/94 and enjoy the little death ride of the Frank Borman freeway. After passing the Lincoln Oasis, we would come to what we called the Charlton Heston Memorial Hole. Now, we called this huge quarry, near Harvey, Illinois, the Charlton Heston Memorial hole because it reminded us of all the movies in which Charlton Heston was in a quarry, like Ben Hur, and in The Agony and the Ecstasy. I mean it’s a huge hole; maybe some of you have seen it?

We would drive past thousands of little homes and toll stops on the way, but one of my favorite places to stop was at one of those rest stops called “The Oasis”. Now, I’ve only seen them around Chicagoland, but what they are is a building that stretches over the highway, with entrances on each side of the road. Each side has a gas station, with shops and fast food in the building over the highway. Very cool to be sitting eating your lunch as cars whiz beneath you! Unfortunately, since you are on a restricted highway, the fuel prices are pretty steep, but where else are you going to buy gas? But, they always have a good assortment of fast food places, and for us, it was a chance to pick up some warm cookies with barely any slowdown.

Just before the turn to go around O’Hare, there are a couple of interesting things. Of course you pass over Chicago’s shipping canals, and sometimes get to see some lake traffic, but my landmark is the Tower that Time Forgot. You see, there is this 15-20 story office building in middle of a run down office park on the east side of the Tri-state. I was told by a traveling companion that it had been at first a hotel, and that he had in fact and one time gone to a gaming convention in it. Over the years it went from that, to condos, to a retirement community. Just another landmark letting me know I was one step closer to Gen Con!

Next before the turn was the HUGE revolving Mars Bar. Sadly, it had suffered the torments of time and had stopped turning. I always loved driving around O’Hare. I love airplanes, airports, and flying, so seeing all those planes coming in was a treat for me. Once we got past the Edens, the traffic thinned out, and we passed a dozen or so Corporation headquarters and aging office parks.

Until we got close to the border, we mostly saw Chicago northern suburbs with huge concrete sound barriers and huge water tanks. Just before Six Flags and Gurnee Mills, we would pass Lamb’s Farms, which has the feel of an old fashion petting zoo and amusement park. Nothing hair raising, but just good old fun (and not a bad place to LARP either!).

From a distance, we could see the towering steel structures of Six Flags of Chicago. As was our tradition, we would make roller coaster noises as we passed, and someone would always make barfing noises as we finished passing the park. It was interesting to see what they had added since the last time we passed by, but some big old truck would usually get in the way and block our view.

As we passed Gurnee Mills and made that long sweeping S turn, I could feel the temperature turn. It was sort of like walking into a dairy case. You could literally smell cheese and beer as we crossed the border. As we would pass one of the many, er, “adult” outlets, we would recite the words on the Wisconsin welcome sign:

“Wisconsin Welcomes You, Business, Industry, and Recreation”.

And of course, we would shout the word “CHEESE”! Thus, the hicks from Indiana would enter the Dairy State. As we passed the “Fuel Tanker Inspection” area hoping to see the Exxon Valdez , we knew there would be Beer, Cheese, and games in store for us in the near future

Next Time: Southeastern Wisconsin Thrills, and the Miller Brewery Tour. Yes our journey concludes.

Who is the Keeper?

2006-03-16T12:23:00Z

And what does he keep?

Ok you’ve seen my name on the community, the boards, and some of you might remember when I was a frequent poster on Usenet and rpg.net. How did this AV Monkey from Indianapolis become one of Gen Con’s most outstanding minor personalities? This is the guy who used to pretend to be a dealer so he could get a room in the dealer’s housing block before the general attendees. The man who had, in three consecutive years, new rules created specifically because of conduct that was attributed to him, but which he continues to deny to this day. I am the Keeper of Ancient Gen Con Lore, official Gen Con Historian (as decreed by Peter), and King of Gen Con, as ordained by big time game designer John Wick. Okay, how did this happen?

It was the 70’s

As a high school grad of the class of ‘76 I entered a local university as a broadcasting major. I did it because, well, I thought it would be easy; I did it in high school and I was good at it, so I figured I might as well get a major in it. While taking a TV class, I would take a history class as well. At the same time I was playing DnD. This was in the day when my group was so poor that one person had the white box set and Xeroxed it, while the rest of us would buy a book and have it copied too. We could not find multi sided dice so a friend wrote a COBOL program that would print out die roll results using a six sider. Say you need a 20 side roll, so you rolled the six, took the result down a 1-6 column and then went across the row until you found the 1^st unmarked number. Hey, it’s the best we could do since we had no dice, and even less money. I’m glad to say today I do own all those books!

I wanted to design a castle for our DnD game, so I started reading and taking more classes, until I was told I had a healthy minor in History. About the same time I had a part time job at one of the local game stores. After hearing about it from friends, in 1979 I went to my first Gen Con. I went again in 1981 when I started working for Heritage Models.

From then on I traveled up to the University of Wisconsin at Parkside for many Gen Cons and worked for a number of miniatures companies; either sleeping at someone’s home or camping out in my VW Microbus. Pack rat that I am, I started filing away the materials I got at Gen Con.

Now, after a prolonged absence from college, I decided to go back not as a broadcasting major, but in the subject I truly loved, history. With that vow of poverty I took classes while working as an AV Monkey for the IU School of Medicine.

In mid 90’s I posted some essays on how to survive Milwaukee and tips on having a good time at Gen Con too! Shortly thereafter I was asked to post to RPG.net about Gen Con. My two main reports were where to stay, and where to eat and have fun. I also posted the newest happenings regarding Gen Con, like what hotels were filling up the fastest, the room rate change from year to year, what was happening to the convention center, and who was and was not attending Gen Con.

Over time I was talked in to putting all my Gen Con knowledge on the web. Since my employer gave me free storage I could not pass it up. But what to call myself? I wanted something funny but true, something that let folks know I had been attending Gen Con a long time. Where the name came from I don’t really have a clue, but it worked and folks liked it.

I did a pretty basic Gen Con site, news, where to stay, where to eat, that sort of thing. General tips on things that would keep you from dying, including where to find a drug store, or replacement eye glasses. What it take in you back pack. Most of all, when to get there and when to leave. All in all, it was received pretty well and I developed a stable of informants on what was happening in Milwaukee.

One page of my web site was about the history of Gen Con. Going from articles in old magazines, and my personal collection of Gen Con memorabilia, I started to piece together Gen Con’s Story. I reported on the new convention center being built, WoTC’s acquiring Gen Con, acquiring hell, saving Gen Con, and Peter’s plans for the show.

The web fires alight

When I was told that a bunch of game store owners had been invited to a pitch meeting by the Indianapolis Convention and Visitor’s Association (ICVA), and a banner was being hung on the side of the RCA Dome, I knew something was afoot.

I knew even with new convention center in Milwaukee, Gen Con was in every function space in and around the Midwest Express Center, and was bursting at the seams. Even the planed expansion did not look like it would do the job. It appeared likely that Gen Con was going to move.

Now, I was not privy to most of the initial discussion about this, but I did know one thing; there may have been more people who knew more about Indianapolis than me, and there may have been more folks who knew more about Gen Con than me, but NO ONE knew more about Gen Con and Indianapolis combined, than ME!

So, I took up the Indianapolis banner on the Internet and suffered many a flaming remark on Usenet by making my case for Indianapolis. Most of my detractors were folks who did not have to make the hard slog around Chicago ever year, or pray they could find some place to stay within walking distance of the hall.

When it was announced that Gen Con was coming to Indianapolis, I was happy and, I admit, a little sad to be leaving Milwaukee. The story of that however will be the topic of my next entry. I consulted with the ICVA on how to sell Indianapolis to Gen Con attendees, and also ran errands for Gen Con when they needed them in Indy.

How I got my title

As 2003 ramped up, the local SF Convention, Inconjunction (Incon), had invited Peter to be their gaming guest of honor. At a panel on Gen Con I introduced Peter as Gen Con’s Gaming Mogul and myself as the unofficial Gen Con Historian. Peter then looked at me and said “I thought you were the official Gen Con Historian?” “Well” I said, “You’re the person that can say so”. I laughed, and Peter said, “Okay you’re the official Gen Con Historian”. And in an instant I became the person officially charged with keeping the history and story of Gen Con.

Since I’ve been attending Gen Con, even well before I earned my title, I have been collecting as much Gen Con Memorabilia as possible. It’s the Pre-Reg and Program books that I covet the most; they are loaded with tons of information. For instance, did you know that the 1^st year at Parkside Gen Con sold “flop space”? So, if you see “wrporter” bidding for something Gen Con related on EBay, you’d better watch it!

There are many holes in history of Gen Con, mostly from the early years. As time goes by the secret treasuries of Gen Con material will open up to me and I’ll find out those facts and fill those holes. It’s fun that all the training I got in my college history courses is finally being put to good use. Especially for something that I’ve grown to care about and that, I’d like to think, cares about me as well.

Next time: I miss Wisconsin

Special Note: If you have any Gen Con material you want to get rid of just drop me a note. Randy, aka, your KEEPER OF ANCIENT GEN CON LORE!