Vendor Round Up

As I've been heading to cons over the past few months, I have built up quite a stack of vendor business cards. Maybe it's a habit I never lost from being a conchair, but I hoard these things like they're going to be the Nuka Cola caps of the future. I figured I was going to sit down and do a quick round up post, but had to stop about a third of the way through to keep this list from becoming completely unmanageable.

If there's an interest, I can keep doing these periodically. I know how frustrating it can be to lose a card or forget a vendor's website. Because they're not always listed on the con's website, I decided to get your back. Here are a few of the awesome vendors out and about in the DC con scene. Here's a chance to window shop (or actually shop) without having to throw an elbow to get around the kid with the "but I had to make it to scale" Sephiroth wing.

I don't know that this is the best
part of faire, but it's not the worst!
(via Frank Kovalchek)

Shinies, Trinkets, and Hats

• Kelly's Keychains are so adorable that you should watch out for a sugar drop after leaving the site. 
• You want a cool Rainbow Dash hat? Buy one at the Prancing Unicorn. 
• GBee Fabrics provides cute, game-themed, felt hats and toys.
• Fizz Man Industries makes action-figure-like sculptures of everyone from Samus to Professor Layton.
• More cute random hats, by the aptly named Random Hats.
• I can't "D'aww" hard enough over Omonomopoeia (I spell it so that you don't have to). 
• Doesn't get much shinier than chainmail, and the Silvered Griffin has it. 

Local Game Shop Plug

• The End Game Center brings back all sorts of nostalgia for me since I grew up in Charlottesville. Check it out if you're down that way. Besides, doesn't supporting local stores make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

Artists
I happened to grab only two artists in this random set of cards. I promise more in the next round up.

• From buttons to shirts, Adorability has loads of cute, brightly colored gaming art. 
• Noah McCarthy does amazingly detailed hand painted canvases of old school video games. 

Webcomics

• "Slackjaw: The Working Dead" is about a few guys hired to take care of zombies around town. (Once again proving to me that you can never really know about every webcomic).

God saw the Pocky, and said, "Dibs." (via Dave Walker) 

Miscellaneous

• Two guys hanging out and talking about newly released games: Big and Stoopid Game Reviews.
• Fishnet, Inc. throws my favorite Rocky Horror show around (I think it's like the fourth longest running show ever).
• Super Art Fight! One canvas. One Hour. Audience decides the winner. It's epic. Watch it live at Katsu today! 
• Sure, you can get pocky anywhere nowadays, but what about all those other amazing con-only foods? Asian Snacktime to the rescue!

Music

• Arc Impulse has examples of their video game cover rock up on their site.
• 8-Bit Extravaganza, exactly what it sounds like. Streaming video game remixes 24/7. 
• American Pixels is an album of video game tribute music, centered around American composers. 

Authors and Publishers

• Dragon Moon Press is a small press publisher in Canada, they had out awesome CCG-like cards advertising some of their most recent releases. 
• Chris Berman's latest book examines how the human race would prepare if we knew that an alien invasion force was headed to destroy earth. 

Geek Gear

• I usually hit up Jinx or ThinkGeek, but I found a flier for Glitch gaming apparel, and we could always use more Aperture gear.
• Shark Robot - beyond the badass name, their "I'm doing an internet" shirt really says it all. 

Podcasts

• I was listening to 8-Bit Radio while I was working on the draft for this post. It's hilarious and fun. Hopefully, we'll convince Tyler to be a guest on our Katsucon podcast. There may be puppy dog eyes involved.
• I fangirled over this last week, but Heat Flash by Helen Madden (probably nsfw/18+, and definitely a "headphones on" podcast). 
• Jason Bayless has convinced me that zombies are way more popular than I ever imagined. Check out Zombie Popcorn. 

I like you and all, but if I see this chick
coming after me, you're getting tripped.
(via Kevin Dooley)

On that awesome reanimated note, I'm going to head back to enjoying Katsucon. Hope to see you there.