As part of our visit to the Salem Craft and Vendor Show on March, 29, 2025, I thought I would invite everyone who saw us at the show, who was not a member of our Patreon, a chance to see what we offer. Then I asked why should I limit it to just people at the show. So, if you wanted to see what happens with our Patreon every month but you just haven’t had the courage or spare dollar to join, use this link to get one month free at the $1 level.
What Do You Get?
It’s a dollar, so we’re not giving you the world. However, the $1 level allows you to access all of our posts and almost all of our past freebies. I say “almost” because I’m not sure if it is actually “all.” Generally, I think if you’re willing to support us monetarily, you should get access to everything, but there may have been a time when I thought something was more important for those who subscribe for more. You’ll see the posts for Advent Calendars and Penguin Christmas Train.
Every month I try to write a post about what happened the last month. However, for the next three months, I have creativity posts written, including The Eureka Moment, the Myth of the Muse, and Where Do Ideas Come From? More may follow as I have time.
Every Patreon member at the dollar level or higher gets their name in my latest book if they are a member when that book is uploaded to Amazon.
What Do You Have to Lose?
Nothing as far as I can tell. You help us move forward creatively. You get access to exclusive content, like the Advance Reader Copy of my next book. And if you don’t like what you see on our Patreon, it didn’t cost you anything. We hope you’ll stick around. But in order to stick around, you have to take that first step and join our Patreon. Thank you.
Fine Print: Limited to the first 300 people who sign up. Current Penguinators are ineligible for this promotion; however, we would love for you to comment on why you support us at Patreon. Without you, we couldn’t do half of what we do.
As with every comic convention, scheduled panels can be rescheduled and moved in an instant. This happens for several reasons, most of which have to do with a celebrity’s livelihood. If you get a gig, you gotta go do it. As long as fans remember this when planning their comic con visit, they will be able to embrace the change. FanX 2024 will be no different. Somethings may get changed, and we’ll just have to make sure we are prepared to enjoy other aspects of the convention when that happens. That disclaimer out of the way, here’s where I think I will be going with the schedule as it stands on Sept. 7, 2024.
The Pirate Rules for FanX
The first and only rule I follow, which is more of a guideline really, is: Choose one thing every day that I would like to accomplish. When I go with someone else, we make it two things. As long as these two things get accomplished, everything else is gravy. If they don’t get accomplished because something changed, that’s okay, too. We won’t be disappointed because we are ready to face that contingency.
The FanX Multiverse
It looks like FanX 2024 features two timelines: one starts on the hour, and one starts on the half hour. That means you’ll need to be aware of those panels that start in the middle of other great choices. It also may mean waiting longer for a particular panel if you happened to have gone to a panel on the alternate timeline. (Use this time to visit the Vendor floor and seek out some local artists and creators. Support them in their endeavors and you’ll have more than just a treasure to take home for yourself.)
Thursday’s FanX 2024 Schedule
Thursday’s must-see panel is Anthony Daniels, the man who brought C-3PO to life. I’ve met Tony Dyson, who built R2-D2, at a comic on in Malta. I met Peter Mayhew, aka Chewbacca, at one of the earlier FanXes. I’ve seen Carrie Fisher on stage, so Anthony Daniels just seems to fit with what I’ve done so far. His panel is scheduled for 6pm, which means we have most of the day to do whatever else we happen to fall into.
Kicking Off FanX2024
Thursday’s FanX 2024 panels kick off with a tribute to Jack Kirby at 12:30. CelloCat is playing at 1:30pm. It’s between two and three that we have our first conflict. Sam Jones and Will Conrad of Flash Gordon fame will take the stage at 2pm. Paul Williams, who I know from the Muppet Movie and Smokey and the Bandit, as well as some of his amazing songs, and Randy Quaid, from a bunch of movies including Independence Day and the Christmas Vacations, have their respective panels at 2:30pm. For me, it’s Paul Williams. His work with the Muppets is enough for me to want to see him, but his musical contributions put him over the top. You can’t go wrong with any of the three; it’s just a question of who do you feel most connected to.
However, Williams’ panel will bleed into the 3pm hour, which means missing out on Matthew Lillard, aka live-action Shaggy among other characters. Lillard is likely comedy gold. Other panels happening at this time are “Low Observable Technology” about a real-world cloaking device and “Imagine If? Remaking Disney’s Lands.” I’ll have to think about this more, but right now, Paul Williams is still the front runner.
Thursday Afternoon
At 3:30pm, the decision is between Star Wars Villains and a Voice Actor panel, which is sure to be great. However, 4pm has panels dedicated to Little House on the Prairie, a show that still carries relevant themes, and Napoleon Dynamite. Garret Hedlund from Tron: Legacy will also be doing his own panel, but the big draw will likely be the She-Hulk panel with Jameela Jamil and Patty Gugenheim. At 4:30pm, Daniel Logan will be holding court in his own panel, and there is the intriguing “No harm ever came from reading a book” Mummy celebration of 25 years.
Thursday Evening
At 5pm, Analyzing the opening music of Anime seems like the best panel for the hour, but it does compete with the High School the Musical panel of celebrities. Jennifer Blanc will be presenting at 5:30pm. However, since these both lead up to Anthony Daniels, it is questionable as to whether I would risk missing the Star Wars star. The HstM group is in the same room as Daniels, so I may see them by default. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen the movies, so I know the people in the panel. It would be a joy to see them.) At 7pm, Brandon Sanderson holds court in the same room, so I may just camp out there for the three panels.
Putting It Together
Coming up with a rough schedule of panels to see would look something like this:
Jack Kirby at 12:30
Cello Cat at 1:30 with a stop for food at some point
Paul Willliams at 2:30
4pm is a toss-up with each panel having its own draw. This might be another good time to pony up for something to eat. Sometimes, you have to go by feel. I’m leaning towards Little House or Hedlund.
5pm again is a toss-up, but since my main goal for Thursday is to see Anthony Daniels, I will likely opt for High School the Musical or food.
6pm Anthony Daniels
7pm Brandon Sanderson or going back to the hotel to post about Thursday’s activities and rest for the next day.
FanX 2024 will be a lot of fun, but it’s important to remember that it is supposed to be fun. As a reporter, I had an entirely different view of the convention because it was my job to cover as many panels as I could. Now, however, I can take it easier, relax a little bit and find those panels that will teach me something or that I will get great joy from. I also have to remember to eat and hydrate. Last, but not least, there is always something great to be found in the vendors areas – like Tank Tolman – I’ll need to make time for that during the convention as well.
What will you being doing at Thursday’s FanX 2024? I’ve prioritized panels, but there are other things to do as well. Leave your preferred schedule, FanX pirate rules, and other tips in the comments.
The next post will look at Friday when my panel “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” takes place. I’ll be discussing creativity tips using the Haunted Mansion’s history and structure as a guide. Get your book before FanX on Amazon or contact me at shadexaminer@gmail.com, so I can reserve you one of my copies.
Creativity is core to being human. Your very humanity comes with the tools to be creative. Back when humans were living in caves, they painted, they told stories, and sometimes they painted and told stories. (That’s not a six-legged animal. It’s an animal on the cave wall that would seem to move as the firelight flickered across it.) Creative expression is just a part of who you are.
Unfortunately, we’ve come to a time when society says that everything we do needs to be productive. All our waking time needs to be monetized. If you aren’t making money from it, it isn’t worth doing. The exceptions to this rule are going to the bathroom, eating, or going someplace to spend the money your making, even if that someplace is your living room couch to watch Netflix, to which you’re paying a monthly fee while also paying the Internet and electricity fees.
Beyond this neurotic need to make money, we have to be good at something in order for it to be worthwhile. The good news is that we don’t have to be Olympic or professional level athletes to enjoy sports. However, we can’t be bad at those sports either. If we pick up a tennis racket and can’t hit the ball back over the net, we might find ourselves saying, “I’m not any good at this.” That’s not the truth. What you should say is, “I haven’t had enough practice at this.” Or you can take a cue from Goofy, even if you’ve played for years or you play like a beginner, as long as you have fun, you’re number one.
The same is true for creative works. You don’t have to be good in order to enjoy an activity. If the activity is something that helps you cope with the world, all you have to do is spend the time to do it. You are worth giving up as many hours as you need to do something you like and you don’t have to be good at it.
Abraham Piper reminded me of this in one of his reels. He paints to center himself. The results don’t matter.
Find that creative activity you love, enjoy it for what it is.
When panel suggestions opened for FanX 2023, I had no idea what I would be doing in September during the convention. I was looking for jobs and hoping to get something that would pay the bills. I figured if I wasn’t employed by the comic convention in Salt Lake City, I could get to the Salt Palace and have a good time. So, I filled out the form and suggested “Disneyland Is Creativity.”
Disneyland Is Creativity
“Disneyland Is Creativity” is the name of the first book I published. It uses the structure and history of Disneyland to illustrate creativity principles. Main Street, U.S.A. is a good example of how Disney made people feel comfortable when coming into the park; you need to feel comfortable if you want to practice creativity, especially in a business setting. Disneyland’s opening day provides plenty of examples of failure and mistakes; in creativity, you’re going to fail and make mistakes because you’re trying something new.
I had done a panel based on my book at Lilac City Comicon, and I have also done the follow-up panel based on the Haunted Mansion at Lilac City Comicon and Ogden UnCon. I was confident I could present a compelling and enjoyable panel for FanX conventioneers and Disney fans.
FanX 2023 Notification and Work
When I got the email to let me know that I had been chosen, I was excited. I was also working at a bookshop and didn’t have days off available. Still, I figured I would figure out the time off at the time that I was able to let people know I was invited to FanX as a panelist. The bookshop was fine with me going; I just wouldn’t get paid.
Then, I got a notice that my rent would be increasing. My bookshop job would no longer pay for my expenses. I was going to have to find something new.
I applied for a hotel job and a bank job. I scheduled interviews for both, and I was offered the job at the hotel. I told him I would have to discuss it with my wife. He said he would get back to me the next day with the exact pay amount they were offering. He didn’t call the next day.
I did the interview for the bank and was offered the job there as well. However, they had some details to work out before they could give me the benefits package. I called the hotel, the person at the front desk refused to take a message. I called a second time, and left a message with a different front desk person. I called a third time, and I had the bank offer in my hands. There was only one more hurdle to jump for the bank before the offer was finalized. I asked for time off to go to FanX. While waiting for the approval, I called the hotel manager one more time. He did not get back to me. The bank did with the approval for unpaid leave, and I accepted the offer.
Flights and Hotels
I had to book flights and hotels for FanX. I booked the cheapest hotel I could find within walking distance. If I was going to drive, I didn’t want to have to deal with my car during the convention. I should have looked at the reviews. By the time my wife looked at the reviews, it was too late to book a hotel with the FanX discount, which is what I should have done in the first place. We found the City Creek Inn and Suites about 1.5 miles away from the Salt Palace. It ended up being good enough – quiet, waffles for breakfast, clean room. It could do with a renovation, but we were just going to be sleeping there.
I booked flights out of Eugene with Southwest Airlines. They were the least expensive that didn’t charge for luggage. That meant I could take my books, computer, and posters to FanX without paying anything additional. The flights went smoothly; we didn’t even need to pay for earlier boarding. (We got the last two seats that were together on the flight back. All the other flights we sat together without having to worry.)
The Worst Buddhist
Geek Buddhas from The Worst Buddhist
I knew Darren Lamb, the Worst Buddhist, was going to FanX. I think he may have been at every convention put on by the group since its inception – 15 shows or 10 years ago. I edit Darren’s books because he writes stories that need to be written and read. If you’re looking for something amazing with some Buddhist leanings, Darren delivers. His fiction works include “The Book of Benjamin,” an exploration of what happens if the answers are literally inside of us, “Rebirth: a Zombie Tale” explores reincarnation during the zombie apocalypse, and “The Pit Bull” brings together a dog and a disparate and desperate group of people who are looking for healing.
I asked if he would allow me to do a book signing at his booth. He was enthusiastic about it. I asked him to pick us up at the airport, and he was enthusiastic about that, too. I scheduled and did the signings at his booth immediately after my panels.
Darren also writes some great non-fiction. If you are looking for a way to practice spirituality, and you can’t find anyone to help you, “Ronin Buddhism” is a great read to set you on your own path. (I have used affiliate links for the books in this post. They take you to Amazon, which provides me a small commission if you purchase something and doesn’t cost you or the author anything additional.)
Walt Disney World Vs. Disneyland Panel
Josh Twelves Facebooked me and said I was scheduled for a panel on Thursday. I looked at my schedule and told him I didn’t know anything about that panel. I knew I was scheduled for Friday, but Thursday was free as far as I could tell.
He clarified that he added me to his panel. I didn’t know Josh, but I have been to both parks. Disneyland is my go-to vacation, and I was a College Program participant at Walt Disney World (which was amazing). After a little back and forth, I agreed to do the panel with Josh, Tracy Mangum, and Jake Dietz. (The latter two do “the Movies that Make Us” podcast.)
It was a fun panel that Josh moderated well. There was plenty of audience participation, but I think the consensus was that Disneyland is better overall. We did have a West Coast bias because it’s super easy to get to the Happiest Place on Earth from Utah. We also had a Walt Disney bias; Disneyland is the only park he walked and lived in. Neither of those two things can be said for Walt Disney World.
Disneyland Is Creativity Panel
Jenya said this was her favorite panel of the two days we were able to attend FanX. I had brought the wrong laptop, so I couldn’t connect to the projector. That meant I had to do the presentation without the PowerPoint prop. Jenya thought it went even better than the previous panels I had done on the same subject.
I enjoyed being able to take a group of Disneyland fans down the Main Street, U.S.A. of our imagination while relating aspects of the park to creative principles. The questions afterward were great, and we found out that one of our audience members was headed to do her own Disney College Program experience. If you want me to upload video, leave a comment.
Panels and Books
I was able to sell three sets of the books I brought: “Disneyland Is Creativity,” “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity,” and “Penguinate! The Disney Company.” All three are available on Amazon in eBook format. Only “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” is available on Amazon in both paperback and as an eBook. I have some paperbacks of the other two still available. All three sales came from people who came to the panels.
FanX and Its Guests
Outside of my panelist duties, I was able to see several stars and a couple of panels. Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Zachary Levi, John Rhys-Davies, and Christopher Lloyd were the biggest names that I saw on stage. Lloyd said this would be his last comic convention. Abel was hilarious. They were all hampered about what they could talk about by the writers’ strike that is being supported by SAG-AFTRA.
We started the day with Jim Meskimen, who was funny and sincere. He made a good impression on us, pun intended. Meskimen does impressions as part of his act; you can visit Jimpressions.com for more information. Jenya really enjoyed the History of Costumes panel put on by the costume department of the Hale Center Theater Orem.
Artist Alley
As with almost every comic convention I have attended, there just wasn’t enough time to do much with Artist Alley beyond my own book signing. We saw Ty Hulse from afar, who we had met at Lilac City Comicon. On Friday night, our last day, I took a couple extra minutes to rush through the aisles jam-packed with amazing artwork, stickers, and posters, but nothing caught my eye until I saw a comic book for $2.99. That’s a great price. As I looked more at the booth, I noticed that the proceeds were going to help stop animal abuse. I wasn’t really sure I wanted it, but as I walked a couple of booths past the comic books, I decided that I had budgeted the money, and I should come away with something from my FanX experience. (Plus, Jenya was sure I wanted it and said I should get it.) If it doesn’t support the artist, at least it will go to a good cause.
So we made a U-turn, and I went to the booth. The Calico comic book series from Sigma Comics was eight issues and a sticker for $20. I was warned the comic was graphic; the bad guys won’t make it out alive.
I would’ve loved to stay for Saturday, but budget constraints and other circumstances required me to go home. Thursday was great because it was less crowded than Friday. Friday was great because the convention energy picked up. We were glad to have been able to attend and participate in FanX2023.
It’s official! We are less than a month away from FanX 2023 in Salt Lake City, and I have a panel, “Disneyland Is Creativity.” Based on my book, this panel will provide ways to improve your creativity by using examples and metaphors from Disneyland’s structure and history. This panel is a must for fans of the park and for those who are interested in learning principles of creativity to improve their lives and the lives of others. The time and place of the panel will be released with the FanX app. Download the app, bookmark our panel, and join us for a walk down memory lane.
Get ‘Disneyland Is Creativity’
You can get a copy of “Disneyland Is Creativity” and its sequel “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” from Amazon. You can also order them directly from me and pick them up at my panel. We will bring a very limited supply of books to be available at Darren Lamb’s table in Artist Alley. (Darren is known as the Worst Buddhist; his table will have cool, geek-inspired Buddhas and stickers as well as books he’s written.) I’ll be happy to sign your books when I see you at FanX in Salt Lake City.
FanX 2023 in Salt Lake City
FanX 2023 is Salt Lake City’s premier comic convention. It will be held September 21 to 23, 2023. Tickets often sell out. Get yours ahead of time.
As always, events and panels are subject to change. Be sure to confirm the panels and activities you’re excited for, ahead of time.
Oliver Penguin sat down at his dining room table, where he had placed a smattering of carrots, some cuts of celery, the saltiest of potato chips (They all talked like they had served on a merchant marine ship somewhere on the seven seas), a couple of flaps of pita bread, and some crispy, homemade tortilla chips that were so flaky, they couldn’t hold a job for longer than a couple of minutes. Still, he had the sneaky suspicion that something was missing from his amazing table.
The salt and pepper shaker sat in the center in all their crystal glory. The two brass candlesticks did their best imitation of gold and looked longingly at the porcelain plates they thought could help them earn a layer of karats or 24. The white, taper candles in the brass candlesticks were lit, they were higher than anything else on the table. A couple of purple lilacs, Oliver thought of them as lilac lilacs, but they were really purple, floated in two bowls of clear, diamond cut, glass bowls that were frosted in such a way, cakes, if there had been any, would have been jealous. The silverware gleamed with reflected candlelight. Yet, Oliver Penguin still thought there was something missing. What could it be?
He took inventory again: carrots, celery, cucumbers (He had forgotten to mention them, but they were there, they weren’t missing), potato chips, pita bread, tortilla chips… “AHA!” He put his wing to his forehead. “DIPS!” How could he forget the dips?
Oliver went back into the kitchen, grabbed the dips, put them in bowls, and brought them out to his table. Then he waited. His friends would be over soon; he couldn’t wait to see what they decided for the evening’s entertainment. Would it be a musical or a mystery? It was already a mystery, but when they decided, would it still be a mystery? Maybe they could find something with elements of both.
Oliver Penguin seeks a family that shares his love of dips, musicals, and true crime. You can adopt Oliver at our Etsy page or here on this website. He’ll bring his scarf with him.
Periwinkle Penguin was painting a picture from a book he read when he slipped and fell into the canvas. Now, you might think that he slipped and fell onto the painting because that’s usually how it happens. People, and penguins, for that matter, don’t slip and fall into paintings, as a rule. However, this time Periwinkle fell into his painting hand-knit sweater and all.
He looked out from the painting and didn’t see himself in front of the canvas where he normally stood. He looked all around him and didn’t see the room he normally saw. Instead, he saw all the colors he had used on this particular canvas. There was even some white space in the corner that he hadn’t gotten around to painting, yet. Periwinkle Penguin could not deny that he was inside his painting.
And what a wonderful painting it was. It had all the colors of the rainbow and several more colors he had mixed from his acrylic pigments, but mostly, it had a lot of blue. Periwinkle loved the color blue.
He decided that he might as well take a walk and see what he had created. After all, this was a perspective, from which he had never seen one of his paintings. He walked past the irises, blue of course, and by the butterflies, red, orange and black, and onto the green grass that was outside a cozy home, the lightest of blues with a red tile roof. Periwinkle sighed. This would make a wonderful house if it were real and not just a painting.
He turned and slipped again, but this time he slipped right out of his painting and back in front of it. The sun was going down outside, and Periwinkle Penguin could see all of the other canvases he had painted. Each one had a version of a place to live, but they were missing the most important element – his family. Periwinkle smiled and looked forward to the day when someone would adopt him and take him on some real adventures.
Periwinkle Penguin is available for adoption on our Etsy website or from us directly. All of our handmade stuffed penguins help real penguins (and other birds) at the Royal Albatross Centre in New Zealand through a donation of a portion of their adoption fees.
I’ve written this article, or a version of it, three times now. The other two versions were not quite positive enough to be motivational. Instead, they were trying to work through my own fears and frustrations. With coronavirus, politics, and stupid people, those anxieties are legion. Some days, there just isn’t anything for it, and those are the days that I turn to Jimmy Buffett.
In Mary Holm’s “Rich Enough?” (affiliate link) Holm connects the reason for investing is to be happier. There’s no point in being rich if you’re unhappy. In the research she looked at, she found that there were ways to use your money to improve your happiness even if your income doesn’t make you a millionaire.
Celebrating success comes easily to Americans. You see professional football players dancing in the end zone, even if their touchdown didn’t mean they won the game. You see confetti pour out of the ceiling at NBA games, even when the team is no longer in the playoff hunt. You get a bonus in your paycheck when the company has a banner year… Well, we can dream that’s what you would get if you were a part of the company’s success, and I’ve heard they do that somewhere. And by all means, celebrate your success! You earned it. However, success isn’t the only thing you should celebrate. You should also celebrate your failure.
Penguinate! Positive Creativity 