Character Name: Gary “House” Williams
Class: Orc
Race: Half-Giant
Height: 6’6”
Strength: 24 (used to haul items for CoreCon)
Constitution: 24
Sarcasm: 38
Intelligence: 12 (arguably higher but we docked points for his jokes)
Charisma: 30
Wisdom: 26
Volunteerism: 152
CoreCon began ten years ago with the idea of “By The Fans, For The Fans.” One fan in particular deserves special notice. This gentle orc would give you the chainmail off his back if you needed it, and CoreCon would not be the same without House.
So many people have committed time, love, and labor to make CoreCon what it is today, but few (if any) have put in the number of hours that House has. He has been a member of the Inner Core, the convention volunteers who organize CoreCon, since the first year, though it feels like he has been a member since the beginning of time. The number of things he has accomplished and done for our team are just simply not possible to do in only ten years, yet he did it. House did not start CoreCon alone, but his help in so many different areas made the con what it is today.
House was definitely known in the early CoreCon years for his help in some amazing fansuites. Camp Hack and Slash still holds fond memories in our hearts; people could party to vinyl records and embrace all things chainsaws. He was also one of the people behind Spaceballs: The Fansuite because an awesome movie deserves an awesome room run by an awesome person.
But House’s love of all things nerdy could not be contained to just one room. He had to become a crucial part of the Inner Core. He put in countless hours as the head of Merchandising and also sat glued to the registration desk. He was invaluable to the project team. Even when he started getting sick, he still helped build a pirate ship for CoreCon VIII: On Ancient Seas. He even stood up during a panel when the Powerpoint was malfunctioning to dance to “Sexy and I Know It” and ensure everyone stayed entertained while the technical difficulties were handled.
Ultimate Warrior is a panel where contestants talk smack about the other contestants until one of them is declared a winner. Only House would think of something like this, so of course, this is his pride and joy. Even if he can’t be around to help with it, we will continue having this panel in his honor for many years to come.
House became “the moral compass” of CoreCon (though many may question those morals…) This incredible goof has touched a lot of lives throughout CoreCon and the good things like anti-bullying, transgender bathrooms, and especially treating others with respect are some of the good ideas he helped implement to ensure everyone has a great time at the convention.
There are literally thousands of things House has done for CoreCon. He has been a part of nearly every aspect in some way or another, and it will never be the same without him. If you know House personally then you know how much he has contributed to the convention over the years. If you don’t know him, you are missing out.
