Supanova day - 1 (or I didn’t shit in my pocket)

I’m not going crazy with the report this year – but I’ll try and break it down with highs and lows and witty and insightful observations.

Friday was a really anxious day. It started with a cabbie that ranted and raved for the 25 minute trip about 3^rd world athletes, streets with inconsistent names, ikea and the weather. I don’t understand how you can rant about the weather – so I was on edge just in case he started to rant against 30 year old comic publishing guys with clean shoes. When a conversation with a stranger starts with “For fuck’s sake, what kind of fucking fuckwit fucking names streets in a fucked up way as this?” I get anxious (I had to clean up the language a bit).

Then there’s the flight, I always consider that a plane is bound to crash and burn sooner or later and I’ll most likely be on it. The Sea-King helicopter crashed because a split pin wasn’t inserted into a bolt – since i heard that I’ve become afraid my bed will spontaneously combust if I don’t use all the washers to build the bedside drawers.

I flew Jetstar which I like because you can pick your seat. I don’t care about aisle and window, I’m more interested in screaming children and hot supermodels; I want to sit away from the former and near the latter. Jetstar’s seating policy helps with this goal.

Tonia, thankfully picked my up. Though I felt guilty as I commanded her around - drive me to the bank, to somewhere for lunch, to the showground.

Also there was a background level of anxiety about the weekend; will my stuff sell, will I get beaten up, will I need emergency dental work.

Anyway after lunch, that I ate nervously whilst Tonia watched (why isn’t she eating - does she know something?), I felt something icky on my hands – I discovered that a chocolate egg I had put in my pocket had melted in the Brisbane heat. So I had to go wash out my pocket.

After that it was off to the showgrounds.

We were one of the first to set up at Artist Alley because most creators wait until 30 minutes after the doors open on Saturday morning to put their shit together. I assume they are still drawing and printing their books. We set up in 30 minutes with table cloth, posters and books. I ran into Tim and Danny, plus Wendy (Stew’s partner) and that’s about it. Except for Michael Li, ultra talented Michael Li of Last Time I Fetch Water fame. He’s very quiet because he lets the drawing talk for him.

In the end I caught up with Cool Hand Weber. The rest of the night involved driving around hunting for an air mattress, I did state I didn’t need one, I had my sleeping bag which would suffice. Weber compromised and bought the cheapest one possible, thankfully he bought a pump too. We had some dinner -a really nice Indian dinner which was almost ruined by some drunk loser complaining about Weber’s shouting and swearing. And the night ended by seeing V for Vendatta which was perfectly made but I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters; Stephen Fry’s character was the only one that had any spark of personality.

And that was it. the night contained no salsa dancing.

Highlights – not dying at the hands of crazed taxi drivers, not crashing in a malfunctioning planes, not being stabbed in a dark cinema and getting a air mattress.

Lowlights – chocolate in the pocket