What if you could be a fan object?

[Olaf the Stout]

I am, in the real world, by virtue of my job. It's a pretty awkward and uncomfortable place to be, although occasionally it gives you a pulpit to do something you feel good about (like encouraging middle school kids to work toward college after graduation).

But the weird gossip and outright lies about me (and other people in my position) range from amusing to disconcerting to outright hurtful, and it all gets old pretty quickly. Still, it's my job and it's one I feel passionately about, so I just suck it up and keep plugging along.

When I left my last job, it was mentioned on Internet computer game fansites, some of them pretty major. Again, flattering but highly disconcerting.

I thought that you were a newspaper reporter Whizbang? Why would that be mentioned on computer game fansites?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Goldmoon]

I thought that you were a newspaper reporter Whizbang? Why would that be mentioned on computer game fansites?

Olaf the Stout

I'm confused. I thought Wizbang was Gary Gygax?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I thought that you were a newspaper reporter Whizbang?

Now.

Why would that be mentioned on computer game fansites?

I previously worked for A Very Prominent Videogame Company.

Someone with way too much time on their hands and good Google-Fu will be able to use those two facts to identify me. People have done so on other boards. (Please just e-mail me to confirm. )

 

[Sound of Azure]

What was your home town originally? Was it in SA? Do you think that I would recognise you? And there's a possibility that you might recognise me if you saw me. (No I'm not stalking you, I swear! )

Olaf the Stout

I spent most of my formative years in central Queensland, in a small(ish) city named Gladstone. It's a bit south of Rockhampton and a bit north of Bundaberg. There's a little town in SA called Gladstone I noticed when I was going up to Wilpena pound for work.

As for recognising me, we may have met at Games Quest, or maybe even unwittingly on the street downtown at some stage. If you ever went to GeeWiz, I might have seen you there, too. I haven't exactly done anything to make myself notable down here. Not yet, anyway.

I probably would recognise you (it'd probably take a moment for me to figure out where), since I've seen your photo in the photo thread.

 

[Style]

We'd be going back a dozen years or more since I signed any autographs, but yeah, I'd do it. You have to keep the little people happy, after all.

 

[hafrogman]

I'm confused. I thought Wizbang was Gary Gygax?

That's Col. Pladoh

 

[Goldmoon]

That's Col. Pladoh

Oh, nevermind then. Wizbang must be R.A. Salvatore then......

 

[Piratecat]

I know who Wizbang is! AND Style!

The most surreal moment of the 2002 was when I walked into a hotel for a con and the complete stranger by the front desk said, "Hey, Piratecat!" It was weird. Nothing like that has happened in ages.

Equally odd was when my buddy was 3000 miles across the country at a con, and the people at the next table were talking about his PC in my game. Story hour wackiness, that is.

 

[sedarfairy]

I talk at local conventions about game design. Because I'm a BioWare person, that gives me a certain level of street cred, and when I ran a D&D game, it was referred to as "Celebrity D&D with Patrick Weekes".

It didn't bug me, because, while people were very polite and occasionally threw me off with praise and respect that I in no way deserved, nobody was ever weird or creepy about it.

That's definitely small-pond territory, though, and I figure that the likelihood of creepy behavior increases as the pond gets larger.

For what it's worth, I'd do it. Enjoy the 15 minutes of fame. It's usually fun, a nice little ego-boost, and, provided that you're respectful and humble yourself, doesn't hurt anybody.

Actually, the small ponds are creepier than you realize because there is less to hold your attention. I teach high school kids and I'm reasonably popular with them. I'm not a celebrity by any means, but I was stalked by one for a year and a half. I can't shop in our hometown without kids or their parents wanting to talk about school. I can't date without my students making comments. its a big pain.

as far as celebrity goes, I've seen it first hand through my work with Elmore Productions. At the cons he is treated like a rock star. its cool, but I am always glad to shrink into the shadows.