Thread by @GailSimone

@c2e2 @Amtrak Okay, I asked if any game companies wanted to send games for us to try on the #traintoc2e2.

WE DID NOT EXPECT BOXES AND BOXES OF GAMES!

We got games from a BUNCH of publishers, all kinds of cool games. Whatever we can't cover on the train, we will talk about when we get back!

@c2e2 @Amtrak Hey, tomorrow, I have permission to preview something AWESOME from the wonderful #heroclix folks for the #traintoc2e2! Be sure to check in if you play!

@c2e2 @Amtrak The @wizkidsgames reveal got delayed a couple days, sorry, hoping to get it to video today. VIDEO IS HARD!

Anyway, THREE DAYS UNTIL #Traintoc2e2 and I almost can't stand it. SO EXCITED!

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames Here are SOME of the companies that sent games for #Traintoc2e2! @c2e2

@joindicebreaker
@wizkidsgames
@LootandLute
@DeepWaterGames
@RTalsorianGames
@ghoulash
@GoodmanGames
@jackboxgames

And that's not even all of them. WOOT!

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames What happened was, we thought it'd be fun to ask if games companies wanted us to try a game of theirs on the train, and we'd video it. We had NO IDEA they would send BOXES of cool stuff.

It's way too much for us to pack! But we'll cover all of it eventually...

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames We're doing a video of what they sent and you guys can help us pick what to take on the train.

@wizkids said they were packing SPECIAL stuff just for the train ride, so that will be fun to unbox.

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames @wizkids AND!

We have an extra cool thing, where we have been given a BUNCH of steam codes for full version games to give away to viewers/readers! I'm excited about that, details in the video as soon as it goes up!

You may get a free awesome game from a great publisher!

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames @wizkids If any other game publishers have games on steam and want us to give away some codes, let me know, but time is running out.

Ack, this who train ride is going to be games and murder mysteries!

#traintoc2e2 @c2e2 @Amtrak

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames @wizkids And seriously, respect to the youtubers, even the ones who are angry all the time. This stuff is way more complicated than it looks!

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames @wizkids Oooh, so we are downloading some of the games that we are going to be giving @Steam Codes away for on the train. We have over two dozen full game codes to give away so far!

If you ask a question that we answer during the trip, you get a free Steam code! WOOT!

#TraintoC2e2

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames @wizkids @Steam So, here's how we prepped for two days on a train.
TWO music playlists based on your suggestions (one of songs about trains, the other is Chicago songs).
LOTS of train-related suspense movies (Strangers on a Train, Murder on the Orient Express, and more)
And tons of games! Woot!

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames @wizkids @Steam It's too late to send any more physical games (we got a TON and we're leaving tomorrow).

But if you are a games publisher and want to donate some Steam codes or console keys for us to give away, please contact me today. We already have about 25.
#TraintoC2e2

@c2e2 @Amtrak @wizkidsgames @joindicebreaker @LootandLute @DeepWaterGames @RTalsorianGames @ghoulash @GoodmanGames @jackboxgames @wizkids @Steam Okay, I mentioned on this thread that it would be cool to play some games on the train and film it, right?

And I asked if companies wanted to send some games that might work on a train.

#Traintoc2e2

WANNA SEE WHAT THEY SENT?

Here we go!

Look! Holy Moley! These aren’t even all of them! #traintoc2e2 @Amtrak @c2e2. THESE AREN’T EVEN ALL OF THEM.

Holy moley, today is #traintoc2e2 day!

Today we board the mighty @Amtrak EMPIRE BUILDER for two days across the country to get to Chicago, for @c2e2! It’s a trip I’ve wanted to take my entire life and you wonderful nerds are going with! :)

HUZZAH!

PLUS, we were giving ANOTHER 25 steam codes for full games to give away, WAHOO!

We’ll be doing that during the trip, so keep an eye out.

I CAN’T WAIT.

I know I asked this before, but could you guys recommend some good podcasts? Comedy, true crime, horror, literature, urban legends, you name it! It’s for the trip! #traintoc2e2 @@c2e2

#traintoc2e2

So here are the movies we DLed for the #traintoc2e2, all trains!

Silver Streak
Bad Day at Black Rock
Strangers on a Train
Murder on the Orient Express
North By Northwest
Throw Momma From the Train

FUN!

Some interesting facts about the train we are taking on @Amtrak, the EMPIRE BUILDER.

First, if you just get regular seats, food is not provided. There's a little concessions stand, which is not expensive, and a dining car, which is.

The dining car all three meals.

@Amtrak If you get a sleeper, even the smallest one, all your meals in the dining car are included, even if you order steak and crab cakes (which is an actual option).

I mean, the dining car sounds great, but the food choices without it are VERY limited, like microwave pizza, etc.

@Amtrak And the kinda weird thing is, our train starts as two SEPARATE trains in two different cities. The one leaving from Seattle has a dining car before we hook up in Spokane, the one from Portland does not.

Guys. This is already the best day and we’re not even on the train yet!

I am so happy. We just left a few minutes ago, I am already just gleeful. I know a lot of you do this all the time. For me, it’s been a dream since forever. #TrainToC2E2

So, good sign, at Union Station in the first class lounge, the gentleman who runs the station came up and just started talking about comics! He talked about @BRIANMBENDIS in a very nice way. Good start!

The observation cart at night is the coolest thing in the world. Everything I hoped. @Amtrak @c2e2

The Empire Builder rides along the Columbia River, and even at night, from the second floor of the observation car, you pass snow-capped mountains, little floating islands, and the lights of small cities on the other side. It’s kind of miraculous.

We have the whole observation car to ourselves...debating if we want to watch a train movie or play one of the games publishers sent us...

Guys. Guys. Listen.

The concession cart is having a sale on yogurt.

But if you want blueberry, ACT SOON!

#ominous

#traintoc2e2

I seriously am bummed that this trip is only two days. It’s so peaceful and charming.

Sad that we don’t travel more by rail, I would do this all the time, if I could.

What if some poor bastard gets there, looking to score some premium blueberry yogurt, and SUDDENLY, IT’S GONE.

Also, here’s a thing, the announcement guy said, ‘if you are coming into the dining car, please wear shoes, if you don’t have shoes, you will be asked to leave,’ and it made me realize people are coming to the dining car WITHOUT SHOES.

A guy is taking photos of us for @Amtrak magazine...

Guys, we had no idea there would be so much of this part of the trip with no cell reception, but we will catch up with the updates as soon as we can.

We are LOVING the train, we played our first game, RAILROAD INK, which was provided for us by @joindicebreaker. Super fun!

Plus...YOGURT update! Still on sale, but NO MENTION OF BLUEBERRY.

#Insidious

We are in East Glacier Park, Montana, just passing through.

The desire to go wander around these little towns is incredible, what is the history, why do people choose to live this remotely, who got murdered?

A million stories from the window of this train.

We are going to Big Sky Country, it’s called.

Browning, Montana is next.

People said the train was noisy, but it’s just a gentle rumble, it’s kind of peaceful.

It’s great that you have interesting people to sit next to, just had a nice conversation about Kraftwerk with the photographer.

KRAFTWERK.

He’s a young, handsome guy, and he’s trying to get KRAFTWERK tickets but there’s so little cell service.

Also, we had breakfast with a guy who works for oil companies, he says all the stuff we think we know about oil is wrong, it was fascinating AS HELL. I wanted to interview him!

He said Wall Street invests in local oil drilling, and they are starting to realize there is NO MONEY in it. He said tons of money has come from Wall Street, and very little has gone back.

He said that’s what’s driving fracking and the like, desperation of investors...

...when they realize there’s no money in it. He says a small site might be a ten million investment but there’s no profit.

He also said that’s why there’s a push to go offshore, it’s not from the oil companies, it’s investors. He said an offshore well is ten times harder...

...and fifty times as expensive. But they’re long-term, they EVENTUALLY make a profit.

But he said the idea there’s huge profit in these wells is a myth to attract investors, not anything based in truth.

And he also said the politicians know the reality, but keep the myth going for political reasons on either side. Interesting.

Just saw a bunch of horses grazing on a snowy hillside.

I’m telling you, TRAINS, you guys.

:)

@Amtrak #traintoc2e2

We have been told that the gentleman watching over us in our cars is into geeky stuff. He’s just been absolutely lovely. Thank you, Alberto!

@RocketSpouse touring the Whitefish train station. I love how everything feels a little bit like a saloon from GUNSMOKE.

Seriously.

I’m kind of wondering if ‘Blueberry’ is the secret yogurt code word for saboteurs.

GUYS, THERE IS ESPIONAGE IN THE SNACK CART.

By the way, I have NO IDEA if the oil stuff is true, I don’t know ANYTHING about the topic.

He said when everyone was getting rich, that was investors, not oil, producing the wealth, and now they want their investment back and some profit. But there’s no profit.

ALSO! At the train station, we saw a guy wearing an HP Lovecraft shirt, which I complimented. Then this conversation.

GUY: Yeah, he’s doing his best.

ME: ...

ME: He’s been gone a while now.

Sipping hot cocoa, playing games, listening to podcast, watching the world go by. I’m staying on this train.

Reason number #1119 why trains are better than planes...

So, we went back to our sleeper for a little nap, and got a knock on the door, and a sweet voice said, COOKIE DELIVERY!

It turns out that a train conductor’s partner, made home-made cookies for us...cont.

And they delivered them by hand, gorgeous little snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies and the most beautifle handmade card. Thank you, Pete and @GwynnDoesGaming, can’t wait to try them!
#TrainToC2E2 rules!

Now, say what you like, but no one ever knocked on the door of a Delta flight in transit with fresh cookies. :)

Gonna try one of each right now.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such perfect, adorable homemade cookies.

The snickerdoodles are delicious but the chocolate chip are just incredible! Thank you, Gwynn!

Okay, we seem to have stable cell service for a bit!

We are going to give away the first Steam game codes, for full versions of some excellent games.

Please use this thread and ask a question, any topic...we’ll pick ten out of the first batch, BUT! 1/

The question has to start with ‘What’s it like?’

We’ll answer some here and some on YouTube.

When we get ten we plan to use, we’ll stop, but save your question, we have lots more codes!

These are all STEAM codes, full games! #traintoc2e2

The questions can be serious or silly, they can be about greyhounds, comics, trains, travel, stuff I’ve written, whatever.

If we pick your question, you get a free game code.

Go!

Okay, STOP on the questions for now! We got the first ten!

Thanks, guys! Some will be answered here, some on YouTube! #TrainToC2E2

Please HOLD OFF ON QUESTIONS for now, we have our first ten choices! More to come soon!

People said this part of the journey would be dull, but I find it really beautiful and evocative.

Montana twilight.

It’s beautiful.

I don’t know anything about Montana, any followers here from there? What do you like about it?

I was wrong, we are in North Dakota!

Oh, and I forgot! We have met SO many nerds on this trip, a lot of great employees of @Amtrak here who love nerd culture, you forget sometimes that a lot of people don’t know this stuff at all.

The oil guy we had breakfast with, he wa very nice, and he said...

...”my son bought a movie at Goodwill, something about a guy with stretching fingers...was it X-men? Is that a thing?”

I wracked my brain trying to figure out which X-men he meant. Or maybe he meant Mr. Fantastic or Ms.Marvel, I have no idea. But...

...it’s kind of a good reminder that a grown adult with four kids might not know if X-men is a real thing.

Geek culture is pervasive now, but it’s not ALL-pervasive.

Is there a stretchy X-man? I am drawing a blank.

Okay, it’s pitch black and we are going through North Dakota. We keep seeing these controlled fires a hundred yards or so from the tracks, otherwise nothing. What are these fires? They are clearly intentional, like a fire barrel?

I thought this trip would go slow, but we have loved it so much and it’s almost time to sleep and tomorrow we hit Chicago. Boo.

Thank you, @c2e2! Thanks, @Amtrak!

I have lots of videos and stuff still to post, for those interested.

We are going through Minneapolis, I always like to see cities as they’re waking up.

In the dining car, they always seat you with another rider or couple. We have met some interesting people.

Last night we met a woman who has been a nurse for 45 years.

She said it used to be about compassion and care, now it’s about politics.

She said that they have people watching over every dollar spent on a patient, and people who are not doctors make all the decisions on who is worthy of care.

She was not a fan of Obama at all, but she also is scared about the current pres defunding the CDC.

We are in the observation car, and the @Amtrak gentleman is giving a presentation on the area, and we’re sipping hot tea. Awesome.

The first game we played, provided by @joindicebreaker, called RAIL INK. @c2e2 #traintoc2e2

Sorry, it’s called RAILROAD INK, not Rail Ink.

Thanks, @joindicebreaker!

So, the gentleman from @Amtrak who runs the concession stand gave a presentation about the area around the LaCross (sp?) area, and he said that the area in the 70’s had FOUR pairs of mating bald eagles, and now they have over 400. GO, BALD EAGLES!

He also said that the area had their own Loch Ness Monster, called Peppy, or Pepi, something like that.

He said there’s a $50000 reward for its capture, and now all I want is to write stories about him.

Anyone know about this particular legend?

Again, our trip is almost over, and we are sad about that, it feels like we just got started.

But we’re definitely doing this again. If we get a BUNCH of people from Portland and Seattle and other places along the way, we could all play games and stuff in the observation car!

I want to compare flights versus trains for a moment.

I love to travel. I don’t mind planes.

But even first class, a lot of what is happening in air travel is about monetizing basic comfort and dignity.

It’s often hugely unpleasant.

In virtually every category, we preferred the trains over planes, and I have taken a LOT of planes all over the world. @Amtrak #triptoc2e2

Planes

PRO: Speed

Trains: Almost everything else.

Start with check in.

Airports are crowded, you’re jammed into long lines, security is often a nightmare, and you have to be there two hours in advance. You’re often taking multiple legs and that, plus the layovers can eat up a LOT of speed advantage.

Union Station in Portland looks like a glorious holdover from a more elegant time. Marble and wood everywhere, a really nice convenience store, friendly people, neon signs, and a terrific first class lounge. It’s just vastly more relaxing.

Check in is minutes, not ages.

The LOWEST grade of seat on this train, the economy seat, is super cheap, but also hugely comfortable in comparison to planes. They’re huge, they have leg rests and foot rests, room to recline comfortably, and they’re big, with no middle seat.

They have outlets in each row.

A couple people have said they prefer these seats even to the sleepers.

There’s just no comparison. You can get off the train rested.

When you walk through the aisles, you don’t have to climb on top of someone.

The food is far superior. Last night I had baked cod with pineapple habanero salsa & wild rice. Hubby had steak and crab cakes. We each had a lovely desert, far more than we could eat.

All meals are free with any sleeper,even the roomette, which barely costs more than 2 seats.

If someone’s annoying you (which we haven’t experienced), you move.

The staff are friendly and helpful, you get to know them. It’s fun.

And the observation car lets you see parts of America you might never see otherwise.

We got the shmancy bedroom car, but I don’t even know if that is necessary, the roomette looks pretty comfy.

Also, EVERYONE is less stressed, just watching the view, playing games, or napping. It’s unlike any plane you’ll ever be on.

Also, when we booked the tickets, we booked them so that we would have to switch rooms in Spokane very late at night. @RocketSpouse called @Amtrak to ask if we could stay in the same room the whole trip, the agent made it happen, AND said we overpaid, and gave us a $250 refund!

So I guess I’m a train nerd, now. :)

You guys.

WE SAW BALD EAGLES over a snowy river.

(Faints)

And thank you to Reggie, Amanda, and especially Alberto on this @Amtrak trip on the EMPIRE BUILDER.

They have been wonderful the whole trip.

Okay, I want to tell a little story about why @c2e2 is one of my favorite cons and one I try to go to almost every year.

This is obviously related to #TrainToC2E2

I’ll try to go quick, and if there’s an interruption in cell service, I apologize.

I had no interest in Chicago, I didn’t know anything about it. The first year I came to the con, it changed EVERYTHING I thought about the city.

First, I was swamped at the con, like, SWAMPED.

We had to keep cutting the line just so it didn’t get too bananas. But beyond that, everyone was so KIND. Amazing food, world famous comedy clubs, great museums, art and music everywhere, and AMAZING comic book stores.

SO we were hooked.

The first day of my first con, this tiny, beautiful young woman with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, was in the long, long line. Smiling the whole time. She has a roller cart behind her, that’s not uncommon, people bring lots of books when there are lots of creators they like.

She gets up to my table finally (I’m going to call her Sandra), and she’s got this cart, and she can barely talk, but you just love her immediately because of that smile...

...And I realize, all the comics are mine, she brought the biggest stack of my comics I’ve ever seen.

Now, I have a policy. I don’t charge for signatures and I will sign everything you bring me, no problem.

But the line was huge and this stack was...it was as big as she was, nearly. What I do in this case is, sign a bunch, then sign for the people in line, then sign more...

Sandra is just BEAMING the whole time but barely talking.

We were kind of kidding about it, that she brought a bookstore’s worth of books.

But I signed them and she was super happy and she made my day and that was it, I thought.

The next day, guess what?

Sandra brought another cart.

OF MY STUFF.

:)

Now, at this point, we are a little suspicious. There’s a thing that some creators won’t sign huge stacks of books for retailers, who turn around and sell the books for more $$.

I am HAPPY to sign stacks of books for retailers, I WANT them to make money.

So we thought, Sandra must be getting these signed for a shop. They sometimes send a person to get it done (shops, you don’t have to do this, I am DELIGHTED to sign as many books as you like).

So I asked her, and got that beaming smile.

She was adamant, but still smiling. “No, these are mine, this isn’t even my entire collection.”

Now, again, she’s tiny and lovely, but her smile is the size of the sun, and I ask who her favorite character is, and she says, “Scandal” and we talk about that, she opens up.

She says Scandal makes her feel powerful, and she cosplays as the ‘Puerto Rican Scandal Savage.’

And she thanks me and gives me a hug worth millions, and I tell her to bring the rest next time.

Just a gorgeous little memory, I think, right?

Next year, she comes to the con, not only cosplaying as Scandal (complete with awesome lamentation blades she made herself), but she brought EVERY new thing I had written since the previous year. She came with a Bane cosplayer, it was just the happiest day.

Now, I’ve had large stacks of comics before, but never that many from a single person. It turns out Sandra had a special room for her precious collection.

And we just really bonded. I completely adored her and it made me feel so happy that these books meant so much to her.

A couple years later, I saw her at the con again. She was dressed as Scandal, looking amazing. Then I saw her five minutes later, walking by in street clothes.

Then she came back as Scandal a few minutes later. She had a twin and never told me. :)

I had to miss the con for a couple years, even though it became my favorite, partly because of Sandra and people like her.

She had a massive stack again, like the first time.

I couldn’t figure that out.

It turns out they lived in a flood zone, if I understand correctly, and her entire room with her beloved comics collection got ruined.

But because she’s a sparkling piece of sunshine, she just set about buying her collection all over again from scratch.

I gave her as many books she was still missing as she would let me.

But her smile never faltered, this awful thing happened and she was still beaming.

And she brought me a present. Her collection destroyed and she brought ME a present.

It was this.

The original Jenny Frison art to this Red Sonja cover.

One of my favorite artists, on one of my favorite books, one of my favorite covers.

This was a big, big, big deal.

I told her I couldn’t allow that, she should keep it for her collection.

She said absolutely not.

So this beautiful piece is mine, and a reminder of why I love Chicago, @c2e2, and the Puerto Rican Scandal Savage.

She went through a hard time and we lost track a bit.

Last year, she came to another con entirely and I took her to lunch, and she’s happy, in a new career and situation, and full of joy as always...

...And she had some books for me to sign.

:

Sandra, you are one of the reasons I attend cons. Thank you for being a light that never seems to dim even a little bit.

I’ve said it a million times, meeting readers is the best thing there is.

Thank you to anyone who came to a con and said hello, it means the world!

@c2e2

Everyone needs a Sandra, I’m telling you.

:)

So, how cool is this? We were walking through the observation car, and someone was making a comic, it looked like they were adding letters, and it happened to be the amazing and highly acclaimed @bluedelliquanti! Check out their link to see their stuff, it’s fantastic!

So, dang. We are on the last hour of our #traintoc2e2. Thanks to @c2e2 for making this possible and @Amtrak for being so helpful.

No pun intended, but this trip just flew by, and we had the best time. Beautiful views, lovely people, room to stretch.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Thank you all for listening in.

We have lots of little videos to send, especially gaming stuff, and we will start giving away the actual game codes tonight, so keep an eye out!

We’re coming into Chicago.

Thank you for coming on this train journey with us, it’s been a lifelong dream.

So, so fun.

:)

Bye, bye, Empire Builder!

<sniff>

Okay, for those of you who asked about Sandra, and if she was coming to @c2e2?
And I said I didn’t think so?

She came to @c2e2.

No big deal, just trying not to cry.

And she told me I could use her real name, which is Linda, and that I could use her photo and share it with you guys.

Here she is, the Puerto Rican Scandal Savage!

The kicker?
SHE BROUGHT MORE BOOKS FOR ME TO SIGN! :). @c2e2 is the best!

Bonus update on the Linda/“Sandra” situation...

Today we’re going to have breakfast and I get to meet her new girlfriend!

LINDDAAAAAAAA!

So, update on Linda from this thread. We had breakfast with Linda, her new girlfriend, and Linda's brother and sister-in-law (whom we met before and are lovely).

And Linda's girlfriend is AWESOME. We love her.

SO big thumbs up all around!

They are adorable together, too! :)