The Big ACME Delivery of MFF 2008

[vakkotaur]

The first ACME Deliveries of a few years ago were fairly minor things. Hopefully memorable and amusing to the recipient and hopefully anyone else around would get a chuckle or smile out of it. Most ACME Deliveries are like that. But a few stand out.

* At Penguicon 5 Orvan didn't find security guy Bruce Schneier and so Matt Arnold wound up with the security guy's keys at Closing Ceremonies.

* At MFF 2007 Uncle Kage got ACME wine, some of it from Iowa and bottled in a screw-top plastic bottle.

* At Penguicon 6 Jer Lance received a physically real F-bomb. (And I got a cookie!)

And at MFF 2008 2 the Ranting Gryphon... well, for those not familiar with the story, perhaps it's best to fill in some details first. Earlier this year 2 was at an event in London and not everything went right, to put it mildly. Somewhere along the line, he was drugged. The consensus of the emergency workers who dealt with him was that it was most likely some sort of date rape drug. 2 posted about this incident a few times: here, here and here.

If you haven't read that last link, please go at least skim it. Seeing that 2 was taking it so well, a delivery idea occurred to me. But even though 2 was taking it well and all, I wasn't sure of things. I sent a message to Uncle Kage about it and got a reply that didn't say anything about the delivery contents, just to be mighty careful not to mess up 2's show timing with an interruption. I had hoped to do the delivery just before or just after his show, but I thought it over some more.

And then I did something I hadn't done before: I informed the recipient of ACME's plans and asked if it was something that should best be done at a specific time or if it should be forgotten. I was expecting to be told to do the delivery right before or right after 2's show. I was half expecting to be told to forget it. I was not expecting the reply I got, which was to change the contents, "going all the way" - and then deliver it in the middle of the show.

If you were there, you saw the gag and all the stuff that 2 and another did around the delivery to make it much funnier than a simple delivery ox could have done. If you were not there, the delivery happened during a specific segment that was cleared for the delivery, 2 signed for the parcel and took it and then left it alone for a while. As Orvan walked off, his job finished, 2 made some remarks about the ox and then went on with the segment.

At the end of that segment a character appeared on stage and worked around the parcel, eventually indicating that it was from him and 2 should open it. When he did, he eventually revealed a 2 Liter bottle with a big yellow label that read "DATE RAPE DRUG." From what I recall the audience reaction was a fraction of second of a weird silence or worried reaction of the "My God, he didn't..." or "The hell?" followed immediately by at least chuckling as the "hey, it's a joke" thought processed. I don't have any of the photos Jay took at MFF ready yet, but nikolai_miko posted this one to flickr.

There was a bit more to it that I didn't see, but did hear, and then 2 started talking about his London experience. And drinking from the bottle (which of course had only water in it). I was later told that 2 drank most of the bottle through the rest of his show.

Let me update my list:

* At MFF 2008, 2 the Ranting Gryphon got a big bottle labeled DATE RAPE DRUG.

As you read above, it was all coordinated and from what I could tell went off very well. While I hope every delivery is memorable to the recipient, I think this one is the one that stands out for me and probably many others. I really must thank 2_gryphon for not only going along with the delivery, but also making it so much more than I had hoped for. I was also way too amused by seeing that bottle sitting in the fridge for a few days before MFF. As for the original delivery idea, I'm not saying what it was for a good reason. I think it might still get used for someone else. Mwahahaha!

I suppose I ought to ask, "Did anyone get video of all of it?" But there's only a segment or so that I'm really interested in, and would like to put up om the ACME Delivery site assuming permission was obtained from various parties.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/jer_/]

For me, the F-Bomb delivery was among the highlights of my Penguicon that year. :) Thanks for doing these deliveries at cons, I know scads of folks for whom the deliveries are among the first things mentioned when they reminisce about the con.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I had many co-conspirators. More than I knew, in fact. And I'll need them or more again for the next Penguicon. Shameless plug/plea for help (http://vakkotaur.livejournal.com/450684.html).

It's good to know that Orvan and the ACME shtick has made an impression and hopefully a good one. I guess we'll just have to keep attending Penguicon.

[thecanuckguy.livejournal.com]

Brav-fucking-o. You are the master at delivery my friend. :) I've always been an admirer and fan of 2, even though I've never heard any of his shows or even met him or anything. (I think it's partly because he's a fellow standup like I, seems to be a genuinely great guy, and, from what I *have* gleaned from his shows, funny as all get-out.) This couldn't have worked without 2, but both of you together ... *mwah*! I know if I was there (and knew the whole backstory) I wouldn't have the "awkward pause" at the start, I'd be rotfling from the get-go.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

That pause is, as you probably know from experience, a good sign. At least I take it as such. It means something has or had to process and the audience is thinking and getting it. A musician friend of mine says that when the group finishes a tune and there's a moment of silence between the end of the song and the start of applause, that the moment is (almost?) more impressive than the applause. It's an indication that the audience was really into the tune.

One of the things about 2 that has impressed me is seeing him (before this delivery was set up) off stage and watching him. More than once I've seen a group discussing stuff and really getting into things and watched 2 sort of edge his way out of things. He wasn't abandoning the group or the conversation, but he was obviously getting himself off center stage as it were. A couple years ago I had the chance to mention that and he replied that he had a show and had his say there, so it's not like folks don't know his opinion and it's their turn to speak.

And I really must say, Orvan's (and therefor my) part in this was pretty minor. 2 had the idea to turn it up to 10, setup the timing and setting, and then found a way to crank it to 11. I've left out a more than a little detail in the main post. I expect you'll either see it (eventually) in a cartoon diary or some night I'll be able to fill in some spots for Ken D. Lion.

[kinkyturtle.livejournal.com]

I got the whole thing on video.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

Cool. Do you have video digitizing abilities? And if so, could I get video of the delivery and the results? That's just for me. I'd want your, 2's, and Kage's okkay before putting it on the ACME Delivery site, assuming it can happen at all.

[kinkyturtle.livejournal.com]

Not that I've yet developed. I'll need to figure out what software and hardware are needed to convert MiniDV into a computer file.