In The Beginning...
Me just outside me house, as part of my traditional picture-of-me-in-car-window-reflection picture. ... Anyways, on August 3rd 2005, I left to visit Chicago. It was one part to visit friends, and another part business trip.
Traffic Jam
Downtown SF
Gate 26
The shot outside my window
I hate getting a winged-window seat. It kinda defeats the purpose of having a window seat.
Hills of Eternity
I wonder why I never took pictures of the ground in flight before...
Rainbow Sunset
Flying Over Chicago
One of the few pieces of woahtography I would end up taking... sadly.
Hey Suckfish!
Paul comes to Midway to greet me. How thoughtful!
Hollywood Grill
I was a bit hungry by then, so Paul takes me to this place. By this time I discovered how hot and humid Chicago was. Even at 2 AM.
Paul looks over at some gel
"Hello hello hello hello"
Two jerkz
The guy on the far left of this picture was drunk as fuck. When Paul asked him to stop bothering the resturant staff, the guy at the far right of this picture told Paul to mind his own business. Oddly enough that guy didn't mind his own business to tell Paul that.
Gas prices...
...don't seem to be much different out there.
The morning after...
Thursday Paul had to work, and since that was really my free day, I decided to follow him to work. ... Paul lived off of North Humboldt Blvd, in the middle of a Prieto Rico neighborhood. Aye!
North Humboldt Blvd and North North Ave.
Paul lives maybe two blocks down that way.
Ridin' the CTA
Paul's trek to work takes him on one bus (the 72) and two trains (Blue line and the Orange line). It takes him, at the most, about and hour and a half or so.
Fiddy Cent
This picture of Fifty Cent reading The Wall Street Journal kills me.
Downtown
Paul deviates from his main route so we can take a quick look downtown and visit a Walgreen's.
Big, tall buildings!
Why do they call them buildings if they're already built?
Chicago Theatre
A trolly...?
Where do they think they are? San Francisco??
Connie's Pizza
Paul's new work du jour
Outside Connie's
Boy was it hot and annoying out there... but inside was pretty nice. Mmmm air conditioning. It's man's greatest triumph over nature.
A poster next to their drive through
They have a drive-through...?!
The Café
I was sat here and waited upon by Southside Rick... I think. Lunch wasn't that bad.
Paul, the working man
It's odd seeing Paul not in his Xebec getup....
Gears in the sky
Connie's Pizza was not unlike a TGIFriday's. Only they sold pizza.
This is really sad.... :(
Sears Tower 1
Obligatory tourist shot.
On my way to Harlem Ave
Paul had to work, so I left him to visit my friend Jen. I promised I'd be her convention boy slave for the weekend, so I had to fulfill my duties.
Perspectives are fun
Silly me, I didn't realize that there were two Harlem stops on the blue line. I took the wrong one.
Welcome to Wizard World!
Jen picked me up from the RIGHT Harlem station, so we went to Copymax to pick up her minicomics. Sadly they weren't done correctly, so while we waited for them to be made, we went to the Rosemont Convention Center to set up her booth.
Jen's Booth!
Lesse.... she had buttons, mini-comix, advertisements, prints, and a winning smile. Woot!
Other preparations
Behind the booth
A view I quickly got used to.
Oh my goodness
Out booth neighbor was a model named Dazza Del Rio. She was a welcome distraction. Ayeyeya!
The Scarecrow
I really didn't walk around the floor much. After being to a number of conventions prior, these things were beginning to turn into the same ol' shit for me.
Matt and Spike
Thursday was just Preview Night, so after 8PM Jen and I left to visit Copymax again. Afterwards, Jen too me to "Artist Night", where her and a bunch of other comic artists gathered.
Jen, Brian and Dirk
Brian (sitting down) unfortunatly did not have a booth at Wizard World, so this night was the only time I got to see him. Oh, and he's Jen's boy too.
Jerry
There was only maybe a few people that night... apprently there are more. In any case, it was a good crowd and I had lots of fun. Thankfully it wouldn't be the only time this week.
Red Stripe Boulies
When I returned back to Paul's joint back at around 1 AM, he was waiting for me. A bottle of Red Stripe with my name on it was waiting for me too.
Sears Tower 2
Yet another obligatory tourist shot. ... Paul had to work Friday, despite originally getting that day off. I could tell he was a little disappointed. I however still went to Wizard World.
From Damon Station
A shot of the ground from above
Showtime!
Friday was the first official day of the convention. I stood in for Jen while she had to go back home because she left her new comics at home. Funny thing was that her comics and buttons were obviously very girly, but here I am sitting in for her... so I got quit a few odd looks. Tee hee!
Photoshop does wonders for Dazza
OK, obviously that's not Dazza... but a number of people quipped her assistant here about how he looks better in the pictures... 'cause y'know, they do a good job of making him look pretty. Hahaha.... oh, I got nothin'.
Is he your best friend?
More or less around now I wandered to the Sony booth because apparently they were handing out 20 free PSP games. I managed to get one late in the day, but only because apparently no one else knew about it!
Dazza again...
...this time in her tight Supergirl shirt. Oh boy
Who ya gonna call?
The Chicago Chapter of Ghostbusters. Complete with a Ghostbuster patch with the Chicago city flag in it. Daymn
More Cosplayers
Mystic Revolution
Jen's Artist Alley Sketch Contest sketch. I know who these characters are too! There's Lilly, Lourdes, L33t-ninja, xxxgothgrrlxxx, Toasty, and... uhm.. Aeryn. Peace.
Exhibition Floor
Jerry and Jen
The three of us walk to Jerry's car... we're going to go eat with other Artist Alley'ers! Woo!
Tasty Cuisine
About 16 of us showed up here. It was no Kams, but it was pretty... uhm... tasty.
Jen and BMAN
BMAN there is responsible for the comic series Soulchaser Betty.
Emily, Dirk, Jerry and... Friend.
Emily is Dirk's girlfriend. Dirk is writer/artist of Paradigm Shift. Jerry programs video games, claiming the job "sucks". Yeah, sucks to be programing VIDEO GAMES. Sheesh! I forgot who the guy on the right is... but if you can remind me, that would be awesome!
And.... The Other Table
More cool people too...
The Tao of Dirk
Plum is the yin. Soy is the yang. All is well in the world of sauces.
Jen's mutant cat
Jen has a mutant cat too! ... Afterwards I return back to Paul's pad, but not before having to wait an hour for the fucking 1AM bus. DAMNIT. Meanwhile Paul shows The Total P-Tip to his roommate Brent to his delight. Yeah!
Leroy Walker
On Saturday Paul finally gets a day off, so he comes with me to the convention. Woot!
Look at this cool shirt I got
Meanwhile, Paul took my video camera and went on a Best Friends tour.
Joker and Mystique
Rosemont Hyatt
After the convention ended, Paul, Jen and I went into the Hyatt to find some place to eat and converse. ... This, not surprizingly, looks a lot like the Downtown San Francisco Hyatt.
Jen and Paul hangin' down by the escalators
Knuckles Sports Bar
Apparently there are a lot of these in the Bay Area. I mean the Yay Area.
Sup Dawgz
Obligatory shot of the place
Our waitress was from Lithuania.
OMG IT'S TWIZTID'S VAN
Walking to Rosemont Station
Southward at Irving Park
After Jen left us (at the Harlem station), Paul needed to releave himself, so I took a few long exposure shots.
Northbound at Irving Park
Paul's 'Hood
Brick Roads
....sooooooo old.
Sunday Came.
And I broke down and bought this silly hat. But only because it looks like an inverted Test Specimine.
The teeth
I'd better get a Radiohead pin in order for people to distinguish the new hat's intention. ... The intention being an inverted Test Specimine. It's a Test Specimine. Not some cat from some anime. ... A Test Specimine.
Captain S-An-Merica
I'm going to hell for that joke.
It's Spike, Matt and Dirk again!
Matt is Spike's boi. Spike runs www.ironcircus.com. W00t
THIS is just ink on paper.
The thing below THIS is Beavis, Spike's Mummified Rat. It smells like frakensence and myrrh, which incidentally is what Baby Jesus' farts smell like.
Dazza und Jen
Oh my goodness, teh h0ttness!!
Head towards the light!
Sunday was the last day of the convention. Here I am... well... here is me looking... uhm... this is what I was looking at while I waited for Jen to drive up in her fancy automobile in order for me to put her supplies into it. Humph.
Cobra Baroness and Wonder Woman
Manage oh twois pour moey?
Down North North Ave
To my left was a Walgreen's. They saved me life like five times this week. OMG
Spooky house
Naajayaz
Well, I finally got to watch the film that the song "Lal lal Honte Pe" came from...
Paul at KCSM
He had a photograph of this on his fridge... I think it's pretty much the only piece of evidence of Paul ever working at KCSM.
Paul and Brent
Brent is a musician, part of bands like the Rhineland Bastards and I, Rowboat. I brought some Rhineland Bastards back with me, it maybe be the next Chicago hit to reach the P-Tip since The Rivalz.
A painting aside the kitchen
Brent's Workstation
Lots of music, editing gear... when I walked in the first night I met him, he was editing together clips to be played on a screen behind his band when they play. Hmmm!
Paul in the hall
Brent compliments Paul on his shirt. Behind Paul is an unfinished game of Risk.
Rhineland Bastards, and other, concert posters
A P-Tip Classic
On the Orange Line
Monday comes, so I had to go. Paul had to work at 11:30 AM again, so I opted to tag along upt until he had to get off.
Rosevelt Ave.
Sears Tower 3
Another obligatory touristy shot.
Paul Leaves for Connie's
Later bouly.
Chicago is so depressingly flat....
At Midway
Well, this ends my journey.
A bird made out of toy airplanes
A look down upon flyover country
OK, bye.