I hate replying to these things over text, as they can be seen as biting or aggressive. Keep in mind, that is not the tone I am aiming to use here. No aggression implied.
Kirben wrote:Some feedback, in case you attempt similar in the future:
It wasn't my first talk, nor is it likely to be my last. I was disappointed in it because I was running on 4 hours sleep. My son doesn't like hotel rooms, and the lack of sleep made him pretty grumpy during the day. My poor wife had to keep taking him out the room as he kept crying.
Kirben wrote:Your talk on the English side on Astro Boy 80s was really interesting, but it wasn't the advertised 'Tezuka Talk: A Deep Dive into Astro Boy'. I was expecting an in depth on Astro Boy the character, and you didn't mention anything beyond the 80s series.
Appreciate the compliment, but it was exactly as advertised. The deep dive was into Astro Boy, the series, not the character. I did briefly mention the 60s series at the start (you can't NOT mention it), but why would I focus on that or go beyond the 80s series when that is what the guest starred in? Anyone who follows me on Twitter (@dizrythmia) knows the 80s series is my speciality research area. It would be inauthentic for me to step outside that because it wouldn't be information I had sourced.
As well as that, the talk was 90 minutes (supposed to be 60 minutes) about a 52 episode TV series from the 80s. The dives don't get much deeper than that, and I could have kept talking...
Kirben wrote:The Q & A was really disappointing, because she really couldn't talk in depth about Astro Boy. The questions failed to give any real insight, with short answers, and the organizer had to keep prompting to keep it going. She was very friendly and nice, but it was basically just a job she had fun doing with friends, which was forgotten right after, and never followed up upon.
You were welcome to ask clarifying questions if you wanted to know more. Patty would have loved to do more episodes if that was an option.
Considering this was Patty's first ever fan event, I think she did well.
Kirben wrote:Some real Astro Boy merchandise from Japan would have been good to have on offer too.
The organisers don't sell merch. That's up to the vendors, but the prices on specialty imported products would have been pretty high compared to pop vinyls. I'm not a pop vinyl fan either, but I get that they're popular.
Kirben wrote:It would have been better marketed as just a 'Day with Patricia Whitely', without any specific panels. Great for anyone wanting to meet Patricia Whitely, or get autographs/photos, but not for anyone looking for something more in depth.
This feedback would be best given to First Contact Conventions. You can use the Contact page on their website.