Gather ‘round the fire, Toons! It’s time for the first installment of the daily ToonFest recaps! That’s right, we’re keeping every Toon in the know about what’s happening here at ToonFest Columbus, so be on the lookout for regular updates on all things ToonFest all weekend! Without further ado, let’s get right into it!

Meet and Greet

Yesterday marked the second ToonFest Meet and Greet and, in spite of the difficult weather conditions causing travel delays for Toontown Staff Members and players alike, it was spectacular! 

Attendees interacted with one another and completed icebreaker activities to win fun prizes! Getting to see everyone, whether it's their first ToonFest or 8th ToonFest, was a thrilling experience that set the precedent for the whole weekend! 

Welcome to ToonFest

GalaxyCon doors opened promptly at 2:30pm, officially starting the party! The halls are decked and spirits are bright, from stockings to twinkling lights! 

Players had the opportunity to partake in a variety of activities, including Connect 4, Guess Toon, fishing, and even make their own snowflakes at our very first Snowflake Station! Those frozen fractals looked positively perfect; it’s clear we’ve got some talented Toons in the house this weekend. 

Kicking off the first day, the Cog Building elevators opened, revealing Toontown’s favorite Bossbot, Flunky! Fortunately, Flippy was right behind him, Birthday Cake in hand to keep that Cog in check! 

Q&A with the Toontown Team

The first panel of the weekend kept Toons on the edge of their seats! You had questions, panelists had the answers! From the development of Clear Coasts and Under New Management to more general questions such as Toontown Aquariums, panelists Joey, June, John, Susie, and Tony had it covered. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Q&A without questions diving deep into Toontown’s lore! There was hearsay that The Brrrgh might melt. Ha! With a snowstorm like this, no chance! It’s safe to say that the snow won’t be going away anytime soon. For that, you can thank Doctor Surlee and his Super Duper Air Conditioner! 

Speaking of Doctor Surlee, the beans have been spilled! We’re partnering with Makeship to bring two beloved Toontown characters to life! You’ll soon be able to purchase a Doctor Surlee plushie–as well as another character yet to be revealed– and all the proceeds will be donated to charity!

Toontown Rewritten x @officialmakeship.bsky.social is real. Doctor Surlee, now in plush form. Another mystery plush to be revealed later. All proceeds to charity. Coming "TOON"!

— Toontown Rewritten (@toontownrewritten.com) 2024-12-06T22:47:29.201Z

Backstage Toontown: Creating Brand Art

Brand Artists play a crucial role in the development of Toontown Rewritten, and our incredibly talented Brand Artists panelists June, Ellie, and Little guided us through their processes and Brand Art highlights! 

One of the first steps in Brand Art is creating thumbnails, quick drawings that help envision and explore different creative options for the sketch. Attendees were first shown 4 thumbnails for a Paula Behr drawing before jumping into a speedart of June’s detailed sketch of the chosen thumbnail! June’s methods were hardcore, even drawing upside down and mirrored at times. What a feat! 

Brand art can also change drastically throughout the process. As shown in the panel, a first pass can look incredibly different from the finished product, even when it’s still the same image at its core! 

On top of the amazing art they create, Brand Artists inspire! Did you know that the Cartoonival Cavalcade was actually inspired by the ToonFest: Birthday Bash poster? Our Brand Artists are truly Toontown magicians! Don’t let the Blizzard Wizard hear about this… 

Staying Warm in the Snowstorm

Toontown is seeing unusually bad weather due to a massive storm bringing snow and frosty air everywhere! 

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. Use the code “galaxycon-2024” to redeem a cozy winter hat straight from GalaxyCon Columbus! 

Get it while you can, as it will expire soon! 

What’s Next?

Day one of ToonFest is wrapped up with a bow but the fun isn’t over yet! We’ve got plenty more up our sleeves. Here’s what you can look forward to tomorrow at ToonFest Columbus at GalaxyCon: 

• Fish Bingo (10:30-11:30am EST)

• Toontown: A Chat With Jesse Schell (12:00-1:00pm EST)

• Cosplay Cavalcade (4:00-5:00pm EST)

• Toontown Funny Feud (6:15-7:15pm EST)

Time to rest, Toons! We’ll be back tomorrow to bring you more ToonFest updates, so stay TOONed!