Certainly a compelling question!
Begining in 2008 Half-Ass Productions became a part of my efforts at All-Con (game shows, talk shows, etc.). While the name certainly spoke to the how prepared I usually seemed (to myself) for the events I was hosting, it really did not become official until shortly after All-Con 2007. On a trip to the dollar store to pick up some supplies I passed a display of Easter merchandise near the front of the store. I gave this only a passing glance, but enough to notice a box of vinyl farm animals that were inexplicably classified as Easter fare. There were cows, chickens, donkeys, horses, and ducks. It was the donkeys that stuck in my mind as I headed down the aisle. Soon an idea began to form and I had to double back and pick up one of the donkeys.
The idea was based largely on recognizing that these toys were made of hollow vinyl. With that in mind it would be an easy thing to cut one in half, creating a "half ass". Looking around the store I found a round candle tray to act as a base (a two legged plastic donkey will not stand on its own after all) and I was ready to roll. Once I was home I used a heavy duty box cutter to carefully slice the little donkey in half and super glued the front hooves to the metal base. Thus was "HAP", the official mascot of Half-Ass Productions born! I would return to the store later to buy several more donkeys to cut in half. These were given away at the various productions I put on at All-Con, one at each show, to a lucky audience member. Each time HAP was brought out at the opening of a production he was a hit and the source of a lot of laughter.
While I continued to use the Half-Ass Productions name at All-Con in 2009 I managed to forget to bring HAP along with me for the show! This was a mistake I rectified in 2010, though in the mean time HAP had become a fixture in my studio. So for 2011 there will be a "stunt" HAP produced (I actually have two spare donkeys I bought just in case) that will become the official show mascot while the original will remain at home.
In 2011 all of the All-Con game shows, talk shows, and other productions that I am personally producing will fall under the Fandom at Random/Half-Ass Productions banner. Fandom at Random in tribute to the club of the same name I founded some years ago with Half-Ass Productions being a fitting title for all of my own endeavors. As the year progesses I plan to expand the use of Half-Ass Productions in a greater number of efforts, but as there is now an official banner on the All-Con website I felt it best to explain why that linked to this website. And now you know the story of HAP! I hope to see you at All-Con.