VCONVERSATION #3

Dedicated to Promoting the Upcoming VCON 37 SF&F Convention September 28th to September 30th, 2012

VCON 37: POST-APOCALYPSE VCONversation - May 2012 Last but not least, WE NEED YOUR HELP! Events like VCON run entirely on volunteers, and we’re running short this year. ConCept in Montreal In this issue is dead (for this year, there is talk of a 2013 revival) for lack of people like you and us to help out. We’re Page 02 – Introduction still looking for all types of help, big and small, now – T-shirt art design contest. and during the con. Help us stay alive in the face of Page 04 – ‘VCON Awards Hour’ by R. Graeme the apocalypse! We offer letters of recommendation, Cameron. resume buffing, and undying gratitude. Page 05 – Review of ‘Cabin in the Woods’ by Michael Walsh Sayata Gabriel, Editor-in-chief Page 07 – ‘Sequelitis?’ by Victor swartzman. Page 08 – ‘The Avengers: Worth the Wait and Hype?’ by Victor Swartzman The Vancouver Convention of Science Page 09 – Letters of comment. Fiction and has been gathering sci-fi and Page 09 – Basic Info Re VCON: Memberships, fantasy culture since 1971. Room Booking, New Forums, Hosting Panels, & Sponsoring VCON. Author Guest of Honour: Science Guest of Honour: GREGORY BENFORD Intro Artist Guest of Honour: JAMES NG

May is here: flowers and a warm breeze, VCON 37 is September 28-30, 2012 at the designed to lure you out into the fresh air. Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel in Surrey. Springtime is undoubtedly here, and summer’s even on its way! And of course, now’s when we get to Get involved or find out more: visit vcon.ca see a new batch of movies come out, designed to entrap us before the outdoors become too enticing. I’ve ventured out multiple times in the past month VCON 37 T-Shirt Design Contest or so, a rarity for me since movie theatres aren’t my thing. VCON 37 T-Shirt Art Design Contest

But luckily, there were a few leftover free A Call to All Artistic VCON Fans and Members! advance passes from a VCON 37 contest, and some of us, myself included, got to see ’s How would you like to see YOUR t-shirt design new Cabin in the Woods! My humble objective on OUR t-shirts? opinion? We have unfortunately learned that the VCON GO SEE IT!!! 37 Artist Guest of Honour, James Ng, won't be able to provide art for this year's t-shirt. We are, of And whatever you do, don’t watch any trailers. I course, saddened by this, but life must go on and we knew nothing about it going in, and I think that’s do need a design... and so we're opening it up to all the best way to do it. Hit your friends repeatedly if of you! they try to rant about it. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a horror movie so much. First we'll accept submissions from any artist who cares to try their hand at the deed (full rules In this edition of the VCONversation, we’ve got and requirements are noted below). Once multiple articles on movies to help you decide submissions are closed, the "VCON T-shirt Design whether or not it’s safe to leave your computer Review Sub-Committee" will review them and screen. Michael Walsh gives his own take on it, choose our favourite designs. These will then be while Uncle Victor tackles the yet-to-be-released presented online giving all of our members and fans new Spider-man movie and The Avengers. And the opportunity to vote for their favourite design. keep an eye on our contests to win stuff! 2

The design earning the most votes during the . You may optionally include any of the voting period will be used as this year's t-shirt following: design. . The VCON Logo.(download source The winning artist will receive one of "their" image files below) t-shirts in the size and the colour (if multiple You may alter the logo slightly to colours are offered) of their choosing AND a $50 better fit it into your image – e.g., tilt cash prize. or curve it to make it appear part of a surface – but it must remain Artists are encouraged to submit designs that immediately recognizable. fit VCON 37's "Post Apocalyptic" theme. . The Robotter, VCON's "cyborg Submissions must be in one of these file formats: otter" mascot.(download sample *.AI, *.EPS, *.PDF, *.PNG, *.GIF. images below)

You may NOT use a direct copy of . Vector formats (AI, EPS or PDF) are preferred. the provided Robotter images but must instead present your own interpretation of our favourite . Raster formats (PNG, GIF) must have a 300dpi resolution. mustelid.

. The city name "Vancouver".

Submit Your Design . The full date of the event, in any format: Submissions will be accepted until Friday, May 18th at Midnight PDT. . September 28–30, 2012 . Sep 28–30, 2012 Deadline Extended! . 2012/09/28-30 . etc. Our monthly newsletter was released later than usual, so to give our members and fans who use it . Multiple submissions by the same person as their primary source of VCON updates, the ARE allowed — if you’ve got the juice to deadline for this contest has been extended. squeeze out more than one design then go ahead and pour it on! Submissions will now be accepted until Friday, May 25th at Midnight PDT.

Rules: Download Download . The design must be 100% your own work! VCON Logo Source Files Robotter Sample Files (3.5 MB) (165 kB) . The image must be black and white.

. Maximum image dimensions are 12" wide by 16" tall. The art does not have to fill this entire space; this is just the maximum it is allowed to fill.

. Design must include the words "VCON 37" and the event year "2012".

3 Sample T-Shirt Designs from Previous Years The ELRON Awards are VCON’s annual Click thumbnail image to view larger version in recognition of the Most Dubious Achievements in another tab or window and Fantasy. They are Canada’s oldest Science Fiction Awards and North America’s oldest Fandom ‘spoof’ awards.

The Elrons are not fan-voted or juried, but are instead bestowed on their hapless winners solely by the SMOTES, the Secret Masters of the Elrons (though suggestions are welcome). The design of the Elron is the purview of the SMOTE presenter of the year, and almost always consists of bronzed plastic lemons, sometimes mounted on a Gor novel, or some other suitable appendage: a ray gun, a flying saucer, or--in the case of the Elron presented to Mr. Science--a space station.

The Elrons are a proud VCON tradition, having been presented for the first time at the very first VCON by Mike Bailey. The original concept was to By submitting your art to the VCON 37 T-Shirt reward the ‘worst’ in any given category, as for Design Contest you grant the West Coast Science example the ‘Worst Novel Elron’ awarded to Fiction Association (WCSFA) the right to post a Robert Heinlein in 1971 for his I Will Fear No Evil, watermarked copy of your artwork online so that, if with selected excerpts being read out “to hilarious it is selected as a favourite by the T-shirt Design advantage.” Over time, however, the mandate of Review Sub-Committee, fans and members may the Elrons expanded to gentle japes, with less and refer to it during the voting period. less emphasis on outright condemnation. Indeed, it is now considered (almost) an honour to win an If your design wins the vote for the top design, Elron, especially for local fans... like the ‘Special you further grant WCSFA the right to use your Elron’ awarded to Frank Skinner artwork on t-shirts and other merchandise created for outdoing Spider in terrible puns at local pun for the purpose of raising funds for the VCON 37 contests. event, and in printed or online marketing collateral advertising the VCON 37 event. Ursula K. Le Guin wrote a letter to the BC SF Association in 1974 suggesting that John Norman, Full ownership and copyright of the artwork author of the Gor novels, surely deserved a “bronze will be retained by you. lentil for semi-literate fetishism,” and such was awarded at VCON 3. Since then John Norman has won over thirty Elrons, including the ‘Special Brass The VCON Awards Hour Bra Elron for Best Feminist Gor Movie’ awarded at VCON 18 in 1980 (it consisted of two brass-painted by R. Graeme Cameron lemons glued side-by-side). In 1993 he won an Elron for having won more Elrons than anyone else. Have you ever attended the Awards Hour at VCON? This is a special event absolutely unique to While the early Elrons mimicked other awards VCON and found nowhere else. It features half an with a limited selection of categories confined to hour devoted to the infamous ELRON Awards fiction (films and novels, for example), subsequent followed by a half hour assigned to the equally Elrons have evolved to include politicians, coveted FANED Awards. Let me tell you what corporations, space programs, genuine mad makes them unique… scientists, crazy inventions, pretentious artists, and, in general, anyone or anything guilty of realizing AND THEN THERE ARE THE ELRONS…. splendidly stupid SF&F concepts to our detriment. 4

The emphasis of the Elrons is above all humour. What these zines have in common is enthusiasm The intent of the awards is sheer entertainment: to for the genre, be it a narrow focus on one aspect in raise a few laughs and chuckles, not hackles. For particular (say SF comics, a particular TV series, or this reason the Elrons have been a fixture at VCON fannish history) or a wider, more general focus on from the (very) beginning, and an event looked all things SF-ictional. Also in common is the forward to by many. creative self-expression exhibited by all who contribute, which goes a long way toward AND NOW…. THE FANEDS! explaining why SF&F zinedom is such a satisfying and rewarding hobby. The Faneds--Fan Editors--are awarded by the Canadian Fanzine Fanac Awards Society (‘Fanac’ is Come out to the Faneds to learn more! fannish for ‘fan activity’) to the most accomplished fans contributing to the publication of traditional TO SUM UP: Canadian SF&F Fanzines. These are brand new awards, having first been presented last year, at To shamelessly ‘borrow’ the tagline of a famous VCON 36. The winners were: TV network, the VCON Hour of Awards is TIME WELL WASTED! BEST FAN ARTIST: Taral Wayne.

BEST FAN WRITER: Garth Spencer. “A Cabin in the Woods’ Review BEST LOC HACK (an affectionate fan-lingo term for most indefatigable letter-of-comment writer): by Michael Walsh, VCON Film Critic Lloyd Penney.

Music by David Julyan. Co-written and BEST FANZINE: WARP, the clubzine of the produced by Joss Whedon. Co-written and directed Montreal SF&F Association, edited by Cathy by . Running time: 95 minutes. B.C. Palmer-Lister. rating: 18A.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: the unknown editor CAST: of Canada’s first SF fanzine, ‘THE CANADIAN

SCIENCE FICTION FAN,’ out of Vancouver BC, Dana Polk Kristen Connolly way back in 1936. The one surviving review of the Curt Vaughan Chris Hemsworth zine neglected to give the name of the editor, but Jules Louden Anna Hutchison the anonymous person is nevertheless deserving for Marty Mikalski Fran Kranz having begun a hallowed tradition. Holden McCrea Jesse Williams Richard Sitterson Richard Jenkins ‘Traditional’ fanzines (which for our purposes Steve Hadley Bradley Whitford Daniel Truman Brian White are restricted to hardcopy paper zines or PDF Wendy Lin Amy Acker versions posted on the web) are a minor yet thriving Mordecai Tim De Zarn aspect of SF&F fandom, and CFFAS is dedicated to Ronald the Intern Tom Lenk promoting ‘em. These include Clubzines (such as Mathew Buckner Dan Payne BCSFAzine, published by the BC SF Association), Anna Patience Buckner Jodelle Ferland Newsletters (like AURORAN LIGHTS, published Father Buckner Dan Shea Mother Buckner Maya Masser by the people who administer the ), Judah Buckner Matt Drake Genzines (general fanzines with articles submitted The Director Sigourney Weaver by multiple writers on varying SF&F topics; the one Canadian Fanzine to win a Hugo, ENERGUMEN, "If you give away the plot of this film to was one such), and Perzines (personal zines whose someone who hasn't seen it, I will personally come contents represent the editor’s take on SF&F past to your house and make fun of you in front of people and present; an example being SPACE CADET by you respect." yours truly). — Joss Whedon 5 The man has a way with words. Joss Whedon, the screen throbs with blood-red blobs adorned with the third-generation television writer who gave the bits of artwork: a pen-and-ink sketch that just might world , has a genuine love be Abraham sacrificing Isaac, another that could be of genre and a talent for mockery. an Aztec ritual murder and yet another offering what appears to be a full-colour detail from a Bosch image of hell.

The action begins with a scene set in an office lunchroom. Standing by a vending machine, a pair of older white-collar workers are bantering about personal health issues. It's not really clear, but Richard Sitterson (Richard Jenkins), the senior supervisor, seems to be twitting his colleague Steve Hadley (Bradley Whitford) about visiting a fertility clinic.

As it turns out, the actual issue is of no importance to the plot, serving only to establish the men's camaraderie and their physical setting, a Joss Whedon (Co-writer/Producer, left) and Drew Goddard (Co-writer/Director, right) on the set of THE modern building that could be anything from a CABIN IN THE WOODS. Photo credit: Diyah Pera corporate headquarters to a government bunker. The Both are on display in , the see- nod is to the 1970s, Michael Crichton and the worthy feature film he co-wrote with debuting director science-fictional horrors of his Westworld, Coma Drew Goddard. In Whedon's own words, the picture is "a and Looker. serious critique of what we love and what we don’t about horror movies.

"I love being scared," he said in a recent interview. "I love that mixture of thrill, of horror, that objectification/identification thing of wanting definitely for the people to be all right but at the same time hoping they’ll go somewhere dark and face something awful.

"The things that I don’t like are kids acting like idiots, the devolution of the horror movie into 'torture porn' and into a long series of sadistic comeuppances. Drew and I both felt that the pendulum had swung a little too far in that direction."

"Torture porn," a phrase coined by New York From left to right: Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Holden Magazine critic David Edelstein to describe the (Jesse Williams), Jules (Anna Hutchison), Marty (Fran 2005 gore-fest Hostel, is often applied to the Saw Kranz) and Dana (Kristen Connolly) in THE CABIN IN series (2004-2010). Cabin, the Whedon/Goddard THE WOODS. critique, invites moviegoers into a funhouse film A quick cut (by editor Lisa Lassek, VCON 36 media that pays tribute to some 40 years of horror history, guest of honour) sends us into another movie entirely, a program brought to you by the letter C. one in which the camera is hovering outside the window of a cozy apartment building on a tree-lined street. In a Cabin’s opening shot is an homage to the voyeuristic moment reminiscent of 1980s slasher films, our attention is focused on coed Dana Polk (Kristen American (International) shockmaster Roger Connolly), a redheaded beauty bustling about her room Corman. A surface alive with psychedelic shapes, in a blouse and panties

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Films such as John Carpenter's Halloween, Sean The Cabin in the Woods was shot here in S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th and Wes Craven's Vancouver from March to May, 2009. Its release Nightmare on Elm Street all morphed into date was postponed because producer MGM franchises in which erring teens faced off against wanted to convert it to 3D, plans abandoned indestructible serial killers. when MGM went bankrupt in 2010. There is a touch of irony, then, in that fact that rights to The Cabin in the Woods appears headed in the Whedon's "loving hate letter" to torture porn same direction, as Dana is joined by saucy blonde were picked up by Lionsgate, the distributor of Jules Louden (Anna Hutchison), bespectacled the Saw series. Holden McCrea (Jesse Williams), jock Curt Vaughan (Chris Hemsworth) and stoner Marty Mikalski (Fran Kranz). Sequelitis?

Together, they're off for a weekend "off the grid" at the cabin of the title. As their RV disappears up the street, the camera pans up to the apartment block’s roof, where a lurking observer reports "the nest is empty. We're right on schedule."

In 1992, Joss Whedon's screenplay for Buffy the Vampire Slayer combined humour and horror. The final result, directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, seriously disappointed its writer, who went on to reimagine it as a television series. The show went to air in 1996, by “Uncle” Victor Schwartzman the same year that Wes Craven successfully combined horror and humour in the first film of the Spider-Man, you may have heard, is getting a Scream series. reboot. The new film is due out this July. New director, new cast, and apparently a largely-new Twenty years on, Whedon has become famous Spider-Man. for capturing the pop-cultural moment, an ability he's nurtured in such Buffy writers as Marti Noxon How far should the commercial art business go? (Mad Men; Glee), Jane Espenson (Warehouse 13; What is a reasonable reinterpretation and what is a Once Upon a Time), David Fury (Lost; Fringe), cash grab? David Greenwalt (Eureka; Grimm) and Drew Goddard (Alias; Lost). Apparently the revised Spider-Man will feature Peter Parker’s parents. The original comics never Goddard, of course, wrote 2008’s Cloverfield, mentioned them... Peter was an orphan who grew the Godzilla-inspired monster movie in which the up with his aunt and uncle. According to the new monster is more McGuffin than principal player. director, the spider bite and the uncle remain, Who better then, to help Whedon connect the dots although the circumstances of the uncle’s death are between eldritch abominations and our surveillance different. Other than that, they apparently tried for a society, make book on a zombie redneck torture whole new take. family and realize the deadly possibility inherent in unicorn horns? It is easy, and commercially sound, to re-invent the wheel. Whatever the rest of the design might With The Cabin in the Woods, they create a look like, a wheel will always roll if it is round vision of today that makes it a must-see for all (Post enough. You can change the size of the wheel, the Apocalypse) VCON 37 members. And, if that's too spokes, and whether it has soft rubber around the much of a plot spoiler, I'll look forward to Mr. outside... it’ll still be a wheel! Whedon's verbally abusive visit. * * * *

7 Movie makers love re-inventing the wheel Parker was a nerd who lived with his aunt and because it seems so easy, but somehow recapturing uncle. He received great power only by accident, what ultimately makes the wheel work remains but it was a creepy kind of power related to an largely a mystery. Filmmakers become locked into insect most people fear. His initial use of his power maintaining characters and situations, with the was related to the death of his uncle, so Parker result of too many sequels ending up square, or with saddled with guilt. The terrific part of the original bumpy edges, or at least with all the soft rubber comics was how subversive they were. Peter Parker gone. was no standard super hero of the time, wearing a cape and being adored. He was a loser, who was Part of the problem lies in what the wheel is often feared. made of. Why are some sequels wooden? If you introduce his parents, then you may upset Hollywood ‘builds’ on what worked in the past. the delicate balance. Also you may get trapped into A sequel should, understandably, give the audience origin-story-itis. The recent Captain America more of what it enjoyed before. But more often this suffered in part from origin-story-itis, but the story translates into bigger, not better. The Spider-Man was told with some humour and speed. Still, the film trilogy of the 2000s is a good example of good trouble with origin stories is that: when do I get to and not so good. the good stuff?

Spider-Man 1 went overboard with the origin So why should any chance be taken at all? story, but okay. It worked. The film had a real Because there is money to be made. And let’s be charm, the leads were very good. The first wheel clear: okay, fine, movies are exceptionally was in place. Spider-Man 2 even built a better expensive, take the opportunity when you know wheel. Having already established the characters, it there is a built in audience waiting for the film! could move directly into the story. Happily, that story built properly on the first film. A great villain The real test of whether the new Spider-Man is was introduced, and the film felt not bigger, but round or square will be, most likely it will rely on better. The second film in the series holds up as fine whether the film focuses on the characters or special in its own right, and an excellent sequel. effects battles. If it focuses on the battles, it will likely have a been there done that quality, given, Then came Spider-Man 3. Now the filmmakers well, we’ve been there and done that. If they take clearly opted for bigger. So there were now three the basic ideas of the characters, and do something villains sharing screen time. The special effects new with them (but that is true to the characters), dominated the film rather than supported it. Perhaps success! the repetitive character approach, at least, was understandable: the first two films had already pushed the story to a comfortable limit. A lot of this ‘The Avengers’, sequel felt like talented people trying hard, but with Was the wait and hype worth it? nowhere to really go.

by “Uncle” Victor Schwartzman Now, after some years, comes the reboot.

Undoubtedly, the film will look bigger: the Short answer? capabilities of special effects continue to grow more sophisticated, and the filmmakers probably assume No. that’s what audiences want. But tinkering with the basic story line and main characters is dangerous. Of course, that depends on how long you’ve Not dangerous from a purist point of view: this is, been waiting. Since the seventies, when the comics by now, after all, commercial product. Nope, first came out? Since a few years ago, when Iron tinkering is dangerous because the original story Man hit the theatres? Or since last summer, when worked so well. the commercially transparent build-up started to become annoying with Thor and Captain America? 8

Expectations were high for The Avengers. It had Then we go on SHIELD’s nifty airborne aircraft stars, Joss Whedon, and state-of-the-art special carrier, and it almost crashes in an attack, but effects. What could go wrong? doesn’t. Then, for about forty minutes, there is a big battle where the enemy is defeated and the Earth Nothing. But neither did anything go saved. dramatically different. We do know that Whedon has stuff to say, yet you can walk out of this film There are certainly funny points that play with and have nothing at all to think about. the genre. The script has some funny lines. The Hulk has a lot of fun with Loki, flopping him The hype machine was in overdrive for this around like a doll. But just before that, when told he one... and it worked. The movie made a tad over should smash things, the Hulk grins. Pardon me, but $200 million in its first weekend. What we were in the movie version of the Hulk, he is a dimwitted promised were a few things. For starters, getting angry beast who just wants to be let alone. When several Marvel superheroes, some of whom had did he get intelligence? When did he become a team been in successful films, some not, into one film. player? Is he in line for corporate Vice President? Then we were promised 3D and CGI, and assumed the film would look fabulous, which it does. Then The Hulk’s sudden turnaround doesn’t make we were promised, or thought we were promised, a much sense, but thankfully, we’re given little time different take on superheroes. to think about it. And that’s about it for character development--or anything vaguely interesting. Oops. There were by-the-numbers speeches from Captain America about working together. That worked for The film succeeds in looking good. It also him as a character, as he is the one Avenger used to succeeds with some well-placed humour. But story following orders. That doesn’t explain how he and character remain strictly been there, done that. becomes so good at giving orders: his character is a seasoned soldier, yet he only had very limited battle SPOILER ALERT (BUT IT WON’T MATTER) experience (and not much of it as a team player). Remember? He went into battle and got frozen The plot device is the “Tesserac,” which was pretty quick into a Captainsicle. cleverly introduced in Captain America last year. First the Nazis use it. It has a whole lot of power, Yes, the film is very well acted. All the leads although how it has all that power in a tiny cube is come off well. But they have little to work with that never quite explained. Now Loki wants this isn’t smashing stuff or banter. A few of the MacGuffin, as Hitchcock called it, to start some exchanges are downright dull. Perhaps the long chat kind of interdimensional war (also never quite Loki has with his inter-dimensional bad-guy friends explained). The Avengers fight him and--surprise!-- contained an explanation, but it’s hard to say save the Earth. Thank Goodness!!! For a long while because my mind kept drifting. during the movie, I thought that the Earth was a goner. In the end, The Avengers is a clever blockbuster and nothing more. It lacks the heart of, say, Spider- Fortunately, all that’s a goner is our mass man 2, which had two tragic stories at its core. Let’s culture. hope the next superhero offering has more heart-- but I won’t hold my breath. The rest is comic book plotting. As happens in almost every comic where superheroes are brought together, there is an initial misunderstand leading to Letters of Comment a pointless battle. This also happened with Iron Man and Thor. All either hero had to do was stop and ask April 14, 2012 a question. Dear Sayata (Editor-in-Chief) and Graeme (PDF But nope. First gotta slug it out. Why? Because version Editor): that’s what comic book superheroes do! 9 Well, it certainly looks like you Vancouver fans April 24, 2012 are going to have yet another stellar V-Con this coming September. I do believe it is the weekend Dear Sayata (Editor-in-Chief) and Graeme (PDF after FenCon IX, which my wife and I will be version Editor): attending in Dallas, Texas, and is always a good time. Here's a healthy dose of positive vibes for you I’ve fallen behind on so much recently…I never and the rest of the Vancouverites working on the did get any response away to you on the first two con. issues of VCONversation, and it’s time to right that.

[ Graeme: Thank you! It’s shaping up to be one of 1…I hope you’ve been proactive, and have sent our best cons yet! ] this directly to as many VCON members as you have e-dresses for. The various membership levels So I see your artist Guest of Honour is James should help to swell the treasury, I hope. We got our Ng, who is definitely a worthy choice. But I do not membership message, seeing we were FanGoHs at see anywhere else in this PR the names of your VCON 25, but this country is simply too big to drop other guests. Who are the Professional and Fan everything and go. One of these days, after we’ve Guests of Honor? Not that I'm going to be there, but won 6/49, I think… I'd like to know. After all, the listing you have of upcoming events in Vancouver is quite extensive. I hope you’ve got enough volunteers to run the You folks are busy, almost as busy as fannish con. I read on Facebook that Con*cept 2012 in doings in the San Francisco Bay Area. Montréal has been cancelled because of a lack of volunteers. That’s the fear of every convention [ Good point about listing Gohs. VCONversation is committee, and why something like the gopher hole a kind of substitute progress report but of course it doesn’t seem to exist anymore. I am always leery goes out to more than just the paid-up members and distrustful of professionally-run conventions which progress reports are traditionally aimed at, who not only take away a lot of attendance from VCONversation being both a progress report AND a promotional tool. In addition to James Ng as Artist fan-run cons, but also take away a lot of the local GoH, Connie Willis is our Author GoH, and Gregory fannish labour base. Benford our Science GoH. ] [ I was under the impression Con*Cept was Victor Schwartzman's brief review of the films permanently deceased, but I was wrong. of the 1970s sure brought back some memories. Apparently a sincere effort is being made to attract enough volunteers to revive it in 2013 and with a Science fiction movies certainly came of age little bit of luck enough people will join the ConCom following the special effects breakthrough of 2001: to make it possible. But you are quite right the A Space Odyssey. Definitely a wide variety of fannish labour base is being eroded. There are future visions were available, some of them upbeat many factors involved, and changing expectations and a bunch very downbeat. This was a nice of fans based on their exposure to professional ‘for encapsulation of the movies of that decade. profit’ conventions is one of the more significant. The old difference between a ‘ticket’ and a [ Expect more to come! ‘Uncle’ Victor, Michael ‘membership’ seems to be turning into a barrier Walsh, and yours truly are noted for our extreme these days. A trend best to be ignored. Better to love of genre films. A good thing, no? ] concentrate on making VCON as much fun as possible for everybody. Then the volunteers will With that, this little missive is done. Have a come out of the woodwork, as happened last year.] great con, and don't work too hard. I remember over-doing it while working on some Minicons Other parts of this issue, like the hospitality back in the Eighties; getting the con crud is no fun review, show others what it takes to run the show at all. So take it easy and enjoy your con. for a particular part of the con. If they see it’s not so difficult to run it, they may be inclined to help out All the best, John Purcell and eventually run it. (I don’t mean to say running the con suite is easy, but once we figured it out, we ------ran a couple of dozen con suites and green rooms.)

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[ I assume you DO NOT mean you ran a couple of Best SF/F Theme. I know we have creative bakers dozen con suites and green rooms at a single in our midst: let's see what you can do! convention. That would be an instant fannish legend for sure! A convention in itself!... In any More information will appear on the Hospitality event, a con suite is a very important venue for fans page of VCON 37's website. Meanwhile, enjoy the and guests to hang out and meet with one another. ] good weather, but don't forget to bake something

We voted on the Aurora Awards just a few delicious every so often! nights ago, and we are hoping for record turnout, The Cosplay Masquerade is VCON's way of and with some luck, a pointy trophy. acknowledging just how much our fan community loves a great costume. Whether you think of it as a [ Every Canadian fan should vote for the Auroras! costuming, cosplay or just dressing up; whether the Go to www.prixaurorawards.ca ] costume was sewn by hand, pieced together with 2…Sayata, are you putting your editorial items bought at thrift stores and garage sales or a position here up for grabs? I thought a newsletter little bit of both; whether you become a princess, a might also be going on during the convention. I pirate or a super hero; the Masquerade is the place wish I could go out west not only for VCON, but where you can strut your stuff. also for the Victoria Steam Expo. I heard good reports on this convention, and it is finally where it For complete contest details, should be, the Empress Hotel. check out the Cosplay Masquerade page!

Yes, you ARE putting your position up for grabs…well, Graeme, in this more modern age, Upcoming Events there’s more to editing a newsletter than making sure it’s printed properly, I guess. The website Vancouver Comic Arts Festival needs to work properly, the pages need to link, etc. May 22–28, 2012 Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre [ I have no idea how to create an online newsletter 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver with multiple independent pages linked to each other. Putting together an electronic version of a Festival of local cartoonists featuring galleries, hardcopy edition is the best I can manage. Back in readings, panels, and workshops, culminating in a 1981, when I was using Version one of Word, I only two-day convention for cartoonists from across the mastered as much of the program as I needed to country and down the coast. Admission to all events do very basic word processing. Since I failed to will be free, and table costs for exhibitors will be as access the full potential of Word thirty or so years low as possible. The Vancouver Comic Arts ago, imagine how little I grasp of the current version! Festival is managed and organized by the I’m not exactly up to date. On anything.] Vancouver Comic Arts Association, a non-profit Guess I’m done…Sayata, thanks for these two organization. -- SOURCE: Keith Lim issues, and Graeme, time to put your HR cap on, and find a new editor. Good luck, and see you with Crypticon Seattle Horror Convention issue 3. May 25–27, 2012

Yours, Lloyd Penney. Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center 17620 International Blvd, Seattle

Team Starkid Presents: Apocalyptour CONTESTS: Tuesday May 29, 2012 7:30–8:30 PM VCON's 2nd Annual Cookie Taste-Off will take place on Saturday afternoon in the Hospitality Vogue Theatre Suite. Depending on the submissions, we might 918 Granville Street, Vancouver even try for TWO categories: Best In Show and

11 Slayage: Whedon Studies Association Sponsor VCON! Conference July 12-15, 2012 Allard Hall, UBC Vancouver BC VCON is run by the not-for-profit WCSFA society. We offer paid sponsorship of all our UBC will play host to Slayage, the 5th bi-annual materials, including the newsletter, in the form of conference of the Whedon Studies Association. ads. This helps to offset costs and fund the This international conference brings together convention. approximately 100 scholars from a wide range of disciplines to present on the works of Joss Whedon If you have a product or service that you would (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, like to promote to hundreds of science fiction and Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, The fantasy fans, please visit our Advertising page or Avengers, etc). contact [email protected].

BASIC INFORMATION: Get involved or find out more: visit vcon.ca

our m mbership COLOPHON

Remember, registering and booking your room VCONversation #3 – May 2012 early helps seed-fund the convention so we can Volume 1, #3, Whole Number #3 have better workshops, guests, and events during Published monthly by the VCON ConCom the con. Memberships packages are also now available, and come with swag! Website & Subscriber Online Version: Editor-in-Chief Book your room! Sayata Gabriel

We'll be at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford PDF Version: Hotel (15269 104th Avenue) in Surrey, 10 minutes Assistant Editor from Surrey Central Station. Shuttles available! R. Graeme Cameron

It’s only $99 for a huge room with a King or Note: Send all letters of comment to Sayata Gabriel Two Queen beds, at double, triple or quadruple at [email protected] occupancy! Free parking, free internet, hot tub, and a heated outdoor pool. Or, for the PDF version, to:

Our new forums are now open! [email protected]

Got suggestions? Please join us and offer your VCONversation is free via download from Bill thoughts on what panels and other events should be Burn’s Excellent < http://efanzines.com > web run at VCON! site.

Want to host a panel? Cover by Barry Kent MacKay.

Professionals who would like to be considered To Sum Up as VCON 37 panelists may send a bio and personal write-up to Pauline Walsh at: By R. Graeme Cameron PDF Version Editor [email protected]. The PDF version is late because persistent ill Panel suggestions and request forms will be health has been sapping my fenergy (fannish available on the website soon. energy). Next issue will be more timely.

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