(last updated on: 05-21-2007)
Welcome to the official home page of the 2007 St. Louis Comic Cookout! This year's cookout is being held in and managed from a hotel - we've outgrown any one single residence. The cookout will be held at the Airport Plaza Inn (which will soon be Best Western Inn) in St. Louis. This Inn has free shuttle service to and from the airport which will make it much easier to get people to and from the cookout (last year we drove 180 miles back and forth to the airport, which is only a few miles away). This is also the first year where it'll be a cookout in name only - rkolter won't have to spend hours at the grill this time around, as the hotel requires we cater. On the other hand, it means you'll get your food fairly quickly, and not be attacking the plates of food as soon as they arrive from the grill! The catering company we are using is Russo's Catering - the number one catering company in St. Louis. A full menu is (or will be) available at the index. As with the 2006 cookout, this is an international event! Thus far we have people showing from Denmark, Malta, and Australia! Trips around town are available, pretty much at the discretion of the people willing to take you. But it's never been a problem before. Rooms are available at the hotel, held under the name Kolter Family Reunion, from Thursday thru Sunday (you may reserve them for less time if needed; that's how long they're held for by default). They're $65 and up to four people can stay in the room for that price (They're double-queens, and all very stylish rooms with cable, wireless, refrigerator, and microwave). Find out how to reserve rooms or request someone to stay with, at the index. The other big change is that there's a fee for the cookout this year. Even with hundreds in donations, we sunk a couple grand of our own money, and just don't have the extra cash this year. Thus, the cost is $35 a person. This covers everything related to the event itself - you won't be begged for donations or asked to buy ice or soda, or bring chips, etcetera. The cookout is not a profit-making venture - that $35 will be used nor nearly so, for cookout related things. Finally, it's been asked if this is a Comic Genesis only cookout - it is not. It just happened to start out as a thing within Comic Genesis. If you're a fan of webcomics, or a webcomic artist from anywhere, or just interested in webcomics, you are welcome to attend. Update - Registration is over. We have FIFTY-ONE people attending, nearly 30% more than last year! 
THE BASICS
BECOME INVOLVED
CANNOT AFFORD THE TRIP? Carpooling - driving a carpool and/or info on people carpooling.
CANNOT AFFORD THE HOTEL ROOM?
EVENTS AND FOOD AT THE COOKOUT
GUEST LIST AND NEWS!  There are very few hard and fast rules of the cookout, but here they are:
1) There will be no alcohol at the cookout. The above three rules are the biggest ones. And we are not kidding about them - while alcohol is permitted at the hotel, if you come to the cookout drunk, or if if you bring alcohol or drugs to the cookout you will be immediately escorted out of the cookout and back to your room. This is even if we like you and think of you as our friend. We've never had to do this and would rather never do it. As for "True Jackassery" that also hasn't happened, but basically, if you try to ruin the party for people, you'll be asked to leave.
4) No smoking in the cookout confrence room. The confrence room is labelled a non-smoking room; you may smoke in your hotel room if you got a smoking room. We'd rather not have young children at the cookout because of possible swearing, R rated movies, silly anctics, and the like. If you are ok with having your child there, just let the Kolters know in advance. If you are arriving in St. Louis before Thursday the 7th of June If you're arriving early, then you can either reserve a hotel room for the extra time, or speak with the Kolters. Provided we aren't deluged, we'd be ok with having some folks stay with us a day or two. But we will be at the hotel Thursday on, so you will have to be too. The standing rule is, if you come early and stay with the Kolters, we will feed you while you are our guest, but we get to decide what to feed you, since we're buying it. 
Name: 4th Annual St. Louis Comic Cookout
Cutoffs: * The $35 fee covers food and beverages on the day of the cookout as well as (if available) whatever beverages we have before and after the cookout. But it also covers reservation fees, the "free to those who can get here" (aka pity) rooms, the banner, gas to and fro to get stuff to the cookout, and basically all the other preparations that it takes to get a thing like this started. What we're saying is, the $35 doesn't make this a profit-driven event. It's about what it costs to do this thing.
Hotel and Site Address
Contact Info  The Location for the 2007 Cookout and the Hotel we held rooms at are one and the same this year! Better yet, they have four star catering, and a shuttle to and from the airport, as well as a location right off I-70 for those coming into town via car.
Airport Plaza Inn (soon to be Best Western) Hotel rooms are being held under the name "Kolter" for the dates of June 7th - June 10th 2007. You may option to reserve the room for fewer days than this; some people like to come in early, so we held them from Thursday thru Sunday just in case. The cost is $65 per night for up to quad-occupancy (a discounted rate for a room well worth over $100). But only until May 7th, then it's $79/night for only dual occupancy.
The amenities include: The rooms all are two queen beds, with refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, complimentary cable, etcetera. All new furniture, carpetting, bedding, and so on. The rooms are really nice.
Pictures of the rooms (sorry they're shaky)
Pictures of the confrence room:  Can't afford a hotel room? Can afford one, but want a roommate to split the cost? This is your section! If you have reserved a room and need a roommate, please contact cookout2007@yahoo.com with your name, contact information, and how many roommates you are looking for. We will add your name here. Once someone contacts you and agree to be roommates, let us know so we can update the list. Seeking a person to room with? Check out the list that will develop here, and get in touch with someone who needs a roommate!
PrettySenshi2k6 and Christwriter Are willing to take up to two additional, female non-smoking roommates.  Carpooling is common for the cookout. If you want to be a driver, then let us know at cookout2007@yahoo.com. We will put your name in here along with the requisite information so that you can pick up strays. :D Watch the forum for people offering to drive and/or people needing rides too.
People looking for rides:  Due to the popularity of dancing and the requests received, this has been made it's own little section. Legostar is an accomplished dancer and is willing to teach people to dance on Friday and actually do some group dancing on Saturday. During the 2006 cookout this was such a great experience that people have been clammoring for it ever since. Please forward song requests to: legostargalactica AT gmail.com Legostar humbly requests that you bring your own music if possible, and that if you are going to bring music, you let him know what you're bringing so he can be prepared for it.  You are welcome, and encouraged, to suggest events on the threads for the cookout, the chat, the forums, and in email. The more stuff to do, the better the doing will be!
Thursday, June 7th, 2007
Friday June 8nd, 2007 - Keencards poker, probably all day as people arrive. We bet things. No cash. Suggested things include stickers, pencils, diskettes, faubites (ask FAUB), candy, and anything else cheap or trinket-like. The value of the things you bet will be decided on by consensus of the players. It's a blast! - Roleplaying. This year we have a huge room and so plenty of space for roleplayers. And we're all together instead of broken between a hotel and the kolter homestead. So, a two day gaming spree can commence! - Movies? - Legostar will be offering dancing and dancing lessions on Friday. Please see the Dancing Section for details!
- Drive in movies?
- Science Center has "Marvel Superhero Experience" - supposed to be very good.
Saturday, June 9rd, 2007 (cookout day) - Chatting, Talking, Mingling. - Drawing at least one cookout jam and on one large piece of bristol board we will supply for a mural. - Annual Tasering. Year one was Chill Clan. Year two was Orion. Year three was Rkolter, Orion, and FAUB. Who will be Year four? - Roleplaying - Orion ran a Call of Cthulu game year one. Jim North ran a Shadowrun game at year two. Year Three we had a few sessions start but not go too far. What will happen Year Four? Who will take up the challenge?? - Dancing! - Legostar will be helping people learn to dance, and handling the music for dancing at different points during the cookout. This was a big hit last year! Please see the Dancing Section for details! Suggested: Network gaming. Bring your own system. Someone bring a hub and cables? Suggested: Movies! We are planning on renting a big television and sound system. Bring your favorite anime, movies, etcetera. Last year Faub brought a BOX of anime, and he is bringing it again this year. Suggested: Table games - Cards, board games, etcetera.
Sunday, June 10th, 2007 Possible: Going to the Ma and Pa place ("Sunrise Restaurant") for brunch? Greeaaatt food, good price. Small time diner too, so you're helping the local culture.  Note that the trip fund is now closed - thank you to all who donated. This section remains for archive purposes. Would you like to help someone who cannot afford to come, but who would dearly love to, make it to the St. Louis Comic Cookout? If so, then this is your section. The donation pool is being handled by Vorticus and Rock_Dash this year. You can contact them for anything donation pool related at cgtripfund@yahoo.com For details about the Trip pool including how to donate, how the money will be allocated, and how to get your name into the pool, please visit the donation pool website at: http://pwk.comicgenesis.com/Cookout2007Donation.html
 Nobody requested the pity rooms by the end of March 2007 so they were de-registered; they are no longer available. This section exists for archival purposes only. This year, because everyone is staying at a hotel room, the Kolters are renting two rooms as pity rooms. The rooms will hold 2-4 people each. If you are pretty sure you can come, and can afford everything but space to stay, then talk to the kolters at cookout2007@yahoo.com and request space in the pity rooms. You must be ready to put down your $35 to attend, if you want pity room space. Requesting is not a guarantee you'll be approved. Despite the connotation, the pity rooms are standard rooms like all the others, just paid for by the proceeds of the cookout. There's no shame in requesting one - money is tight for everybody. The rooms will be available 6/8 thru 6/10 (check in Friday, Saturday, checkout Sunday) and will be on a first come, first served basis. You are responsible for any additional costs - room service, movies, damage, phone calls, etcetera. If someone wants to sponsor another pity room, please email the kolters at the above address. Likewise, if this becomes a huge event (80 or more people) there will be enough funds to afford more rooms.
Pity Room 1: (unavailable)  Food is being catered this year, from the best catering company in St. Louis, Russo's! You are welcome to bring, but not required to bring, any food that does not require refrigeration. This includes soda, chips, and so on, but not for example, Salsa. We are restricted from bringing refrigerator-required food into the confrence room (it must be supplied). Again, this is voluntary. Not required. But cool if you do. Also, you are welcome to bring food that requires refrigeration if you want to eat it in your own room, or send a note to everyone to share! Food will be served from 12pm - 5pm on Saturday. Grab what you want for later by 5pm. The exception will be Salsa, Chips (and the like), soda, and whatever anyone happens to bring. That will be available until it runs out.
Food: Not finalized yet and subject to change: Vegetarians - there will be Boca burgers available.
Also available,
Salsa
Soda provided will be -  Total Registered: 45
CONFIRMED - 51 people will be in attendance
People deregistered for non-payment:  05-21-2007 - We have our grand total! 51 people are registered and confirmed! That's nearly 30% more than last year! I've picked up the banner and some sharpie markiers. We're getting the last of the chips and salsa, and this thing is happening soon! Whohoo! 05-09-2007 - 52 registered, 50 are 100% confirmed showing. BeefoTronX is now 100% confirmed. Also, many people who needed rooms have rooms, and a few people are still offering roommates. It is now officially too late to get a $65 room that up to four people can share, although you can get a $79 room (dual occupancy). Updated the deadline information, added soda information, added drive in's and the Science Center's "Marvel Superhero Experience" as an optional fun activity people might want to do. 05-02-2007 - 52 registered, 49 are 100% confirmed showing. Removed Corgan Dane. Added Ajoy, Derenge, and Ryuko. 04-24-2007 - 50 registered, 46 are 100% confirmed showing. Removed Mon Ami, but added "I am a Baby Peanut" - a friend who has shown before and is a fan of several of the comics whose artists are showing. The hotel's restaurant is closed, but we are using the best caterer in St. Louis instead; So better food at same price, but no room service. Verified wireless, cable, refrigerator, swimming pool, weight room, and microwave info. Pity Rooms are closed - deregistered because nobody wanted one. Travel fund is closed - we got lots in, and many thanks! New deadlines - the VERY LAST DAY you can register and the VERY LAST DAY you can pay for the cookout is May 20th, 2007. This gives some of you extra time. But, if you aren't paid by the 20th, you're deregistered. The food is paid for immediately thereafter, and it'll be too late to add you. The last day you can reserve a room at the $65 rate is May 7th. Also confirmed - we will have a dance floor. Prettysenshi is looking for a hotel room and will room with any female roommate. Clarified the Food - we have the final menu! 03-31-2007 - 50 registered, 43 are 100% confirmed showing. Removed Mortician, who can't make it, from the pity room list. Made some changes to the guest list as information has come in. Yay for people who paid! 03-26-2007 - 49 registered, 42 100% showing. Today I did a major update to the list. Those who have paid are now at 100%. Also, Pimpette kept telling me to put her at 100% and I've done so. I've also made a note as to who has paid and who has not, by popular demand, so that those who aren't sure if they've paid or not can get paid. I also put the names of the artists' comics in the list, instead of just a link via their name. Finally, I alphabatized the list. 03-04-2007 - 45 registered, 29 100% showing. Added someone needing a ride, someone needing a room, someone willing to give rides, and someone needing roomates. 01-06-2007 - 33 registered, 21 100% showing. Added the actual cost of a hotel room per night ($65). Somehow I forgot to mention that. Added a seperate section for dancing at the cookout, and also added some people seeking rooms! 12-09-2006 - 25 registered, 18 100% showing. Trip fund details are added! Broke the Things To Do in St. Louis section into it's own web page due to size, and added significantly to it. I finally added Legostar's dancing lessons on Friday and Dancing on Saturday to the events (about time, I know). Also, it's Ian Moulding, not Boulding, my bad. Cleaned up the Index a lot. Clarified that the cut-off date to register and pay fees is May 1st, 2006. We can accept later entrants, but you have to contact us so we know to plan for it. 12-03-2006 - 20 registered, 15 100% showing, and 1 pity room person added. Added some tourist destinations. 11-20-2006 - Able to take payments and reservations. |
