Westercon 69 Pubs are off to press

by Meredith 24. June 2016 09:04

Files uploaded, proofs approved, we’re good-to-go! I've compiled all the files, made low-res exports, and uploaded them to the gallery (view web PDF copies of the Souvenir Book and Pocket Program).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OryCon 36 Pubs are at the printer!

by Meredith 2. November 2014 06:41

Files delivered, proofs approved, the Souvenir Book and Pocket Program are off to press. I've compiled all the files, made low-res exports, and uploaded them to the gallery.

My goal for the Souvenir Book this year was to focus on the general content of the convention; giving information relevant to people new to OryCon as well as long-time veterans. I also wanted to spotlight the people that make OryCon a unique experience; including full color pages for the Guests of Honor, more photos of members throughout the book, featuring panelists by programming track categories, short bios for panelists (if provided), and extended text about charity organizations that partner with OryCon. Listing the panelists by category was new and a ton of work. We didn't have existing reports to create those lists so I had to do a lot of scrubbing manually. In the end, I think it was a pretty neat feature. It looked really good and I hope people like it.

My goal for the Pocket Program this year was to provide a pocket sized book that contains all the details of the convention programming. I wanted the book to be a single source of information to find panels (date/time, location, description) in both grid and text formats; with a compromise between making the text large enough to be legible and the book small enough to be portable. My intention was to make this the book you carried around the con; giving you easy access to hours of operation, quick reference programming schedules (readings, concerts, autographs, panelist locators), maps, fan groups, dealers coupons, policies, and local area restaurant information. I upped the page count (from 80 to 104) and we moved to a spiral binding. It's the cheapest print media we have so I am hoping that more content (like paid ads) can be added to it over the years.

Another success this year was reworking the ad pricing and focus for our printed pubs. I evaluated the purpose of the ads we print (2/3 of our ads are swaps or for charities) and decided that this year our mission is to support the convention community instead of trying to make money. We analyzed the cost per page and set fan/non-profit ad rates to nearly at-cost. As a fundraiser, however, we offered the premium space of our inside front and back cover at a premium price and we sold one! I also created layout options for half page and coupons in the Pocket Program. In the end, even though we cut costs, we nearly doubled last year's ad revenue. Plus, the ads are more focused on the community of the convention.

New Ad for OryCon 37

by Meredith 17. October 2014 07:58

OryCon needed a generic ad for situations where we're doing a swap but the latest convention information isn't ready yet. I've made this a full page but will also make a half page and maybe a quarter page too. A web ad probably wouldn't hurt as well.

This version of the ad is updated with just a bit of the O37 information we have right now. Photo credit goes to Phil Whitehouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Westercon69 Ad for OryCon Pubs

by Meredith 13. October 2014 08:09

It is that time in the production schedule to make ads for everyone. Westercon69 needed a new full page ad to be used for a flyer and I had to create a half page version for the OryCon36 publications. Not exciting stuff but it needs to be done. /smile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Last Portland in 2016 Ad

by Meredith 16. June 2014 07:03

I needed to make one last ad for our Westercon 69 bid (published in the Westercon 67 program book). I had been thinking about it for days, trying to think of something that would be striking in black and white, use images that we already have, and incorporates our logo. I came up with the idea of using keywords from the website and used one of those word cloud generators to pull text from the website text. I then pared the list down and started playing with the layout. It was a bit of random luck when I placed the logo into the document that it got tossed onto the text and I really liked the moon effect it created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fan girl squee for Anima! X

by Meredith 22. April 2014 07:22

This was the highlight of my weekend at Norwescon 37. I was invited to the Costumer's Tea Party with Anima! X and not only did she sign my book but she gave us all a backstage tour of the costumes presented in the book. We also talked a bit about my work in the art show and I explained how I was inspired by her work. She loved Fea and said the gown was "beauuuuuuutiful!"

At the end of the art show I discovered that Fea had won three ribbons: People's Choice Best of Show, People's Choice Best Horror, and Best Textile. That was not something that I was expecting. I'm also all out of Fea business cards. It was a very positive weekend for Fea and I.

 

 

 

 

 

Bookmark: Westercon69 Portland in 2016

by Meredith 3. March 2014 15:55

Portland in 2016 bookmarkI've updated the Portland in 2016 bookmark with the new logo. Time to get another 5000 printed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bookmark: OryCon 36

by Meredith 2. March 2014 15:49

Artist Guest of Honor Mark Roland has some amazing artwork and he has granted us permission to use his work in promoting OryCon 36. The colors and imagery are so vibrant and eye catching. The convention is incredibly lucky to use his work for promotional purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Logo: Portland in 2016, a bid for Westercon69

by Meredith 1. March 2014 15:43

Portland in 2016 LogoWe needed a logo and I was given the following criteria to design with:
Use the font already selected; Portland; reaching; optimistic; no roses; bridges are ok if the photos are lit up at night; and the skyline is ok if it is lit up at night. Something that can work both really tiny (1/2 inch sticker) and really big (banners, t-shirts, and other advertising). Need to be able to resize it significantly.

I interpreted these instructions as a vector graphic that had a bridge and the Portland skyline. Another artist, Samuel Klein and I passed files back and forth, working out options for the logo. He had the fabulous idea of adding in a space ship flying through the foreground and adding a pop of red into the logo. Building this logo was a great collaborative experience.

Below is the example sheet of the logo with different background options as well as the 1/2 inch sticker version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portland in 2016 web content is ready

by Meredith 18. February 2014 15:38

www.portlandin2016.org

I've spent the last couple of days polishing up the content for the Westercon69 bid page. The webmaster should be updating the site content and design soon. I have learned a lot about Portland that I had no clue was out there. The Chinese Gardens were built after I had moved to Washington and it was a pleasant surprise to discover them. I hope to visit the gardens this summer. I also had no idea about Portland's craft distilleries. Breweries I knew about, but distilleries, I did not. On a sad note, I also learned that the Church of Elvis and the Clinton's Street Theater are closed. No more midnight performances of Rocky.

About Meredith Cook

Welcome to my repository of creative expression. I'm not a happy camper unless I am making something and over the years I have dabbled in quite a few different kinds of art projects. Some projects come from taking art classes, others are completely hobby driven, and projects like home decor come from a need to customize an item and make it better or unique. The overall theme behind what I do is to learn how to manipulate objects and practice what I know about visual aesthetic and good design. Oh yeah, and to have fun.

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