OVGE Draws Near

Saturday, August 19th is the fourth annual OVGE (Oklahoma Videogame Exhibition) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Even though I only attended the first show (in 2003) as a spectator, it looked like so much fun that I’ve been an exhibitor ever since. In 2004 I showed off my console copier collection with a pirate-themed table. It was very popular — kids loved all the pirate decorations I used (blue table cloths, yellow netting, fake gold coins, and skull and crossbone suckers!) and the gamers liked seeing the copiers.

Since I didn’t want to become known as “the pirate guy”, in 2005 I decided to show off my Star Wars collection instead. That year I set up several consoles including the Atari 2600, Super Nintendo, Xbox, Gamecube and had Star Wars games playing on all of them. Along with the games I brought several Star Wars items from my personal collection, to complete the theme. I also brought my wife to help me run the table — she was nine-months pregnant at the time, and OVGE was held on our baby’s due date. Fortunately no one’s water broke at the show, and Morgan was born a week later.

This year, my theme is not going to be as unified. I’ve got three different tables to fill, and each one will have it’s own little theme. My main table will be dedicated to my new book Commodork. To go with the book I’m going to have a couple of Commodore items set up — probably my SX-64 (the 20 pound “portable” Commodore 64) and my laptop, demonstrating Commodore 64 emulation. C64 emulation is not particularly groundbreaking, but it’ll give me an excuse to play C64 games throughout the day.

I will be holding a raffle for a complete Commodore 64 system at OVGE. All you have to do is buy a copy of my book and you will be automatically entered into the raffle. I know a C64 system isn’t worth a goldmine, but it ties in with the theme and I ended up with an extra one sitting around.

My second table is going to be my “for sale” table. I’m bringing a TON of stuff to sell this year, some videogame related, some not. My laserdisc player, board games, DVDs, VHS tapes, it’s all going to Tulsa this year (and hopefully staying there). I will have some videogame stuff for sale as well. I’m bringing a ton of loose Commodore 64 games that I’ll be selling for a buck each, and some boxed C64, NES, and PC games that I’ll be asking $5 each for. I hate to even mention this and encourage the behavior, but I have a feeling the people coming by my table near the end of the day are going to get some GREAT deals to keep me from dragging this stuff back home.

The third table is going to be the official Digital Press table. Joe “Digital Press” Santulli can’t personally make it to the show, but he’s sending me a box of goodies to sell including price guides, t-shirts, and who knows what else! The final inventory will be as much of a surprise to me as it is to everyone else.

So, that’s what I’ll be doing August 19th. I’m driving to Tulsa Friday, August 18th after work and will be hanging out in Tulsa Friday night, all day Saturday at OVGE, and Saturday night after the convention. If you are interested in videogames (both old and new) in the slightest and live in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas or Arkansas, you should plan on coming out to OVGE. Several Digital Press regulars including Phosphor Dot Fossils, Icbrkr, Pantechnicon, AltairBoy, k8track and others will all be there, so come hang out with us!

The convention space isn’t gigantic so it shouldn’t be too hard to find me (I’ll most likely be wearing a black hat that says FLACK across the front); however if you would like it feel free to send me an e-mail or a message and I will gladly send you my cell phone number. It’s going to be a fun weekend — join us!