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My visit to @FUNimation in Texas (or Travels with Tom the #Anime #Nerd)
0The more I travel, the more I find myself blogging from airplanes. This isn’t a bad thing; just the product of opportunity – being stuck sitting someplace looking for a way to kill time and doing so with Wi-fi on an airplane (if I’m on Virgin America; I flew Spirit Airlines the day before yesterday… ug.)
My look of “joy” after my first time flying Spirit Airlines… WITHOUT INTERWEBZ!
ANYWAY – yesterday I found myself in Dallas, Texas where Marc (the CEO of the SPJA/Anime Expo) and I got a tour of FUNimation Studios.
As you might of guessed, the pure and distilled geekness… WHICH WAS AWESOME. We were led around by Sarah “Sully” from Marketing (who was an amazing host) and saw recording studios, the folks who subtitle the anime, music composers, artists, so much more. Their offices near Dallas are really quite remarkable – a fully functional Hollywood style operation in the middle of cows, country music, and BBQ.
Speaking of which, if you’re ever in the area this is the BBQ place to go. It was super yummy, super atmospheric, and just an all around a damn good place for grub: www.hardeightbbq.com
Right now I’m flying to San Francisco to meet with a few other anime companies to talk about Project Anime and other creative things we have in the works. You can check out more photos from FUNimation and the other places I’ll be stopping by on the Wasabi Anime Instagram:
http://instagram.com/wasabianime
Or the Wasabi Anime Tumblr:
Stay tuned.
Good morning 2012. Here’s my AWESOME life so far. #NewYearsDay
0While watching the ball drop in Times Square last night, I got to thinking about the time Shannon and I went to see that happen in person years ago. This got me thinking about the remarkable life I’ve somehow lead over the past [insert obscure number to make my age seem insignificant] years.
So this morning I present: “the story so far.”
Shannon & I watched the ball drop in Time Square in New York City back in 2005.
Other notable things we’ve done in New York:
- Went to the top of the World Trade Center. (That’s where the photo above was taken.)
- Saw the Rockettes perform at Radio City Music Hall on Christmas Day.
- Got engaged on the top of the Empire State Building.
- Saw a couple of Broadway shows.
- Visited Central Park, the zoo, and a few museums.
We’ve driven cross country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
We do a lot of driving:
- We’ve driven as far north as New York (from Florida.)
- We’ve driven as far south as Key West (to the Southernmost Point.)
We once rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror by ourselves.
Theme parks we’ve found our way to:
- Magic Kingdom
- EPCOT
- Animal Kingdom
- The Hollywood (aka Disney/MGM) Studios
- Disneyland
- California Adventure
- Universal Studios Florida
- Universal Studios Hollywood
- Islands of Adventure
- Busch Gardens Tampa
We’ve been to the Alamo in Texas.
We’ve had beignets and coffee in the French Quarter in New Orleans
I’ve been to the Daytona 500 with my pal Joey Snackpants.
We’ve been twenty feet under the ocean in the Bahamas.
We saw the damn Hoover Dam in Arizona and Nevada.
We’ve dropped in on Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (and confirmed that it is almost just like most parts of Orlando, Florida.)
We’ve gone white water rafting on the Arkansas River in Colorado.
Other amazing things we’ve done in Colorado:
- Went white water rafting again the next year… in class five rapids.
- Drove to the top of Mount Evans (the highest paved road in the U.S.)
- Went tubing in Clear Creek near Golden, CO.
We went to Fantasy Fest in Key West, Florida
We ate crab cakes on the harbor in Baltimore, Maryland.
We’ve been surrounded by alligators on an airboat in the Everglades.
We’ve been to the top of the Washington Monument in D.C.
Other Washington D.C. adventures include:
- Did a tour of the White House during Christmas.
- Walked ALL of the Smithsonian Museums.
- Visited all the major monuments including the Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt.
We have been to the top of the sombrero at South of The Border (South Carolina.)
We’ve visited the Chichén Itzá pyramid and ruins in Mexico.
More Mexico zaniness that ensued:
- We went diving at Cenote Ik Kil Mexico (a giant sinkhole in the ground.)
- We ate tacos and drank beer and tequila.
- I went to a 24 hour Walmart with some friends. (Trust me; this counts as an adventure in Mexico.)
We’ve been to the Grand Canyon.
We’ve been to Las Vegas a number of times.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I can tell you this much:
- We once saw the Spice Girls perform at Mandalay Bay.
- We saw Holly Madison’s real fake boobies in Peepshow at Planet Hollywood.
- We saw the Beatles Cirque de Soleil show “Love.”
We’ve watched the Cubs play at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.
More important Chicago adventures included:
- Going to the top of the Willis (Sears) Tower.
- Eating pizza (at Gino’s East.)
- Visiting that Art Institute and other local museums.
We’ve been to Indianapolis, Indiana a couple of times.
I’ve visited Los Angeles, California a couple of times now.
Some highlights:
- Joey Snackpants and I crashed the Occupy Los Angeles protest and grabbed food in Chinatown.
- Shannon and I drove down the Pacific Coast Highway and saw the sights.
Other places of note that we’ve been to…
- Phoenix, Arizona. It was really boring both times I’ve been. Sorry.
- San Diego, California. We didn’t have much time there, but it seemed nice enough!
- Biloxi, Mississippi. Shannon won money in the casinos there. She still hasn’t let me forget that.
- Miami, Florida. More times than we can count. Food, fun, concerts and more.
- St. Louis, Missouri. I went there one business trip and saw the Cardinals play in series game while there.
So I got some fan mail (sarcasm) from @Botcon in my inbox! Check it out:
11 year ago
by Tom
in Conventions
Pete,
Thanks for writing! I’m confused at what facts are in question. (In my best impersonation of the narrator from Pushing Daisies)
The facts were these…
- I have been attending fan conventions across the United States since 1991. I’ve visited events like yours of almost every shape and size from Los Angeles to Miami.
- In 2010, I went to Botcon in Orlando, Florida. My friend Joey Snackpants and I had been anticipating attending the event for years.
- I was tragically disappointed in Botcon’s presentation. (See this review online.) NOTE: My disappointment is a fact; my opinion of the event is… well… my opinion.
- I stated, during the ongoing online arguments that ensued on my blog, that the only way to see if Botcon had learned anything from their (in my opinion) failure in Orlando was to see the show at a location that wasn’t near Los Angeles (which resulted in 2011) or near Fun Publication’s headquarters in Texas.
- Botcon 2012 will take place less than 50 miles from Fun Publications in Texas.
Thus my argument holds plenty of water: 2010 was weak. 2011 was well attended based on location and proximity to the Transformers movie release. 2012 is less than an hour’s drive from Fun Publication’s headquarters.
Having run events across the United States, I can say that any promoter I know will tell you it is ALWAYS much easier running a convention local to your core staff.
FUN FACT: The movie Glitter has a 7% on Rotten Tomatoes. That means SOMEONE liked it; that doesn’t, though, make it a good movie: (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/glitter/) Think about that as you look at your convention. Instead of pissy Twitter replies (making your convention look unprofessional) try listening to the feedback and look to improve your show.
Or not.
Also, I am (of course) posting this email on my blog.
Thanks again for writing,
Tom Croom
www.TomCroom.com
—–Original Message—–
From: Pete Sinclair [mailto:pete@[FROM FUN PUBLICATIONS].com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 7:00 PM
To: me@tomcroom.com
Subject: Misinformed
Just an FYI… BotCon has been held, since FP started in 2005, in Frisco, Lexington, Rhode Island, Cincinnati, Pasadena, Orlando and then back to Pasadena.
Regardless as to whether the show is an hour a way or 16 hours away makes zero difference from a logistics standpoint. All shipments, guests and planning (and so much more) are done the same way. Same number of site visits are made as well. ONLY thing that changes is office staff will drive as opposed to fly. Out of state staff, like myself, actually handles the advertising we do for the show, so even that part of your argument holds no water I am afraid.
Please make the effort to ask before reporting the “facts” next time
Best!
Oh @BotCon. You never fail to amuse. (#BotFAIL Phones It In Another Year.)
01 year ago
by Tom
in Conventions
So last week I posted about how BotCon 2011 was destined to be well attended based on location and timing and NOT the work of the convention promotions company. Here’s the post: http://www.tomcroom.com/?p=8485
I don’t plan on digging through the sea of past posts, but I know that during the Great BotFAIL Online War of 2010, I mentioned that there was one other location that they could host BotCon that would be considered “phoning it in.” That place? Near Fun Publications, Inc. in Texas. There’s no challenge in promoting a show in your backyard if said show has been on the grid for a number of years.
AND SO, since the debacle of BotCon in Orlando (when they weren’t playing in their own sandbox) it looks like they’re keeping it safe by running the event in their backyard… just as I predicted. As a matter of fact, the new BotCon location is less than an hour’s drive from Fun Publication’s offices.
See:
Nice to know that (if nothing else) BotCon will remain a predictable trade show. Looks like I’ll have to wait until 2013 to see if they can build a better BotCon instead of taking the easy route over and over again.
My wife’s @HardRock Cafe Teddy Bear collection (with pics!)
0Last Monday I wrote a post about the spoils from my travels over the past few years: my Starbucks mug collection. Today, though, is the collection in our house over ten years in the making… Shannon’s Hard Rock Cafe Teddy Bear collection.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Baltimore, Maryland
Biloxi, Mississippi
Cancun, Mexico
Chicago, Illinois
Denver, Colorado
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (NOTE: This location is now closed.)
Hollywood, California
Houston, Texas
Indianapolis, Indiana
Key West, Florida
La Jolla, California (NOTE: This location is now closed.)
Las Vegas, Nevada
Miami, Florida
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
New Orleans, Louisiana
Orlando, Florida
Phoenix, Arizona
San Antonio, Texas
San Diego, California
Tampa, Florida
BONUS BEAR! This is an angel bear we bought from the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando before starting our cross country drive in 2007.
Flickr Friday: Remember the Alamo!
1
I occasionally update new photos (and old ones that I scan) on my Flickr account. In doing so, I get to revisit a lot of photos I’ve taken while travelling. Each Friday, I plan on posting a photo that I think is interesting. Maybe you’ll think so, too.
On our cross country trip for our Honeymoon, Shannon and I did stop in San Antonio to see the Alamo. The had a Starbucks nearby, but they did not have Peewee’s bike in the basement.
(Nor did they have a basement.)
Flickr Friday: Driving at 80 MPH legally!
1
I recently began a project to organize all of my photos on my Flickr account. In doing so, I got to revisit a lot of photos I’ve taken while travelling over the years. Each Friday, I plan on posting a photo that I think is interesting for some reason. Hopefully, the photos won’t just be interesting to me.
This photo was taken while driving cross country with my wife in 2007. As an avid fan of driving way to fast, this was thrilled to come across this on Interstate 10 in the Texas desert. Unfortunately, we were not driving my Mustang GT that day… but we made do.
