Science Fiction/San Francisco Issue 107 Editor-in-Chief: Jean Martin July 28, 2010 Editor: España Sheriff email: [email protected] Compositor: Tom Becker Contents Editorial............................................................................................ Jean Martin......................................... ...................................................................... 2 Pirate Festival Breaks Guinness World Record............................ Christopher Erickson........ Photos by Christopher Erickson..................................... 4 Westercon 63..................................................................................... España Sheriff.................. Photos by Chaz Boston Baden, Lisa Hayes and Andrew T Trembley.......................................... 7 Letters of Comment......................................................................... Jean Martin....................... ...................................................................................... 15 BASFA Minutes: Meetings 1038-41................................................ .......................................... ...................................................................................... 17 Bay Area Fannish Calendar............................................................ España Sheriff.................. Photo by Lucy Huntzinger........................................... 22 Art Credits Cover Little bee, big flower by Lucy Huntzinger Page 3 In flight by Lucy Huntzinger Page 16 Dragon’s Trainer by Jose Sanchez Science Fiction/San Francisco is the monthly news zine for the San Francisco Bay Area. All issues can be found at www.efanzines.com. Except as noted, all articles and photos are copyright 2010 by the original creators. Used with permission. 1 Editorial By Jean Martin photos is the first step for me in writing times at my new job (well, relatively Editor-in-Chief anything as they’re like a visual journal. new at the six-month mark). So, I didn’t At some point, I need to also do a yearly get around to catching up on writing as I It’s almost the end of July and I can’t scrapbook album. I haven’t done 2008 had hoped. believe we’re past the halfway mark for and 2009 yet and that’s as behind as I’ve The only good thing about my being 2010 already. This year, as I’ve been in the 13 years I’ve been doing ill this time was that it only lasted a mentioned in recent editorials, started this. I also did get to rest though. week, and my new beau took care of me with a bang with lots of events, I was hoping to do my taxes and the entire time. A lot of new things for performances and cons for me and for a catch up on articles for SF/SF as well. me in the first half of this year for sure! I lot of people too. Looking ahead, I don’t There are reviews I still want to do from took all of last year off from dating, but have any plans for any conventions for events as far back as March. I really this year I felt ready again. And I had the rest of the year as most of the later want to do these still as they were major considered, as I mentioned in two past ones are not happening. So unless I go to events that were quite memorable. Editorials, that it might be better if I the Steampunk Convention in Seattle in Unfortunately, my memory will not be found someone within Fandom. Still, my October or Loscon in L.A. over as fresh as if I wrote those sooner but new relationship was a surprise (albeit a Thanksgiving weekend, BayCon last then it’ll be good to just have the pleasant one) in how it happened and May would be the last con for me this highlights, which would be more from what source. Because he was right year. I’m sad about it but, as I’ve also concise. I tend to write long articles under my nose all along (figuratively been saying in previous Editorials, I because I have so much to say soon after speaking, of course)! He and I are both need to slow down and take it easy. an event. into scifi, costuming, dancing. We do a I did take a week off from work in But, as luck would have it, I got sick lot of the same things and have several June to catch up on projects and rest but again and from nothing more exciting friends in common. And we’ve been only managed to catch up on photos. than my Dad’s birthday dinner. I only friends for more than two years. Little Which is a big thing, actually since I usually get sick after a big trip or a con did we know that we would be so take 300-500 photos a month, which or during the winter so this one was an compatible relationship-wise as well. So need to be winnowed, edited, uploaded, anomaly. I had to work while I was we’re both very happy and I think we’ve distributed and archived. Processing home sick as July is one of the busiest gone to most of our usual events 2 together already so most people know about us. He’s at Comic-Con as I’m writing this, and so are a lot of my friends. So I’m going to take it easy and recover from being sick and do my taxes (yeah, right) and write and do scrapbooking. I wish I could go to Comic-Con too but I can’t because of my work. And even if I could getaway in July, I probably would have gone to Prague for the Steampunk Ball (part of Richard Powers’ Vintage Dance Week) or the Doctor Who concert (with Matt Smith!) in London. I haven’t been out of California in two years and I’m feeling the urge to travel again. I was hoping to go to the Space Shuttle launch in Florida in September but that was moved to November. I’m still planning on going to that and seeing the new Star Trek exhibit at Kennedy Space Center as well as the new Harry Potter attraction at Universal Orlando. And of, course, go to Disneyworld. If Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, what does that make Disneyworld? In flight by Lucy Huntzinger 3 Pirate Festival Breaks Guinness World Record By Christopher Erickson Father’s Day was rather uneventful aside Saturday prior. However, none of these Staff Writer from getting lost coming from Berkeley. affected the event at all. However, finding parking became The weather was rather warm and I journeyed by car to Vallejo to take something of a harrowing experience. sunny, with a light breeze blowing in the fourth annual Northern California The parking lot across from the throughout the day, so it made Pirate Festival. The drive there during waterfront where the festival is staged costuming in layers rather bearable. I was usually crowded but never packed where there were not a few spaces or people leaving when I went the last three years, even getting there around noon or so. The popularity of the event has grown to the point where people are now parking in the business zones and residential neighborhoods further up the hill behind the parking area. I walked into the festival and was stunned how packed it was for an event that takes place on Father’s Day, in a town that is generally out of the way for most of the Bay Area, with a toll bridge and a large body of water to cross. In addition to Father’s Day, there was a NASCAR race happening that weekend as well, so there would seem to be a good reason for the crowd to be somewhat thinner considering most people would have wanted to go the The Governor overseeing his domain Captain Jack Spareribs with Pirate Christopher by Christopher Erickson by Christopher Erickson 4 had decided to go with a mix of Caribbean pirate and Asian pirate (sneaky pirate) mixing in tabi boots, a katana blade, and a happi coat (the kind you would see Bruce Lee wear) along with the typical pirate shirt, hat and cutlass. I actually had several people remark on how they liked the outfit, while several others where wondering where a certain Time Lord was. Pirate Ship by Christopher Erickson Despite the rather warm weather, the year. There was also a few Steampunk/ venue was well attended on Sunday. The airship pirates in attendance along with layout of the booths and stages did not zombie pirates. change from prior years, but it seemed The major difference this year tighter because off all the people this seemed to be the number of new vendors year. There were many people dressed in that were at the Festival along with the typical pirate garb with only a smaller displays for previous vendors. A Beautiful Mermaid by Christopher Erickson handful of Captain Jack Sparrows this There were a few more of the inflatable 5 was vastly reduced compared to previous years as well as the Dark Garden booth. There was also another womenswear/corset vendor. The one exciting piece of news was that the Festival set a Guinness Book world record for the most pirates at one gathering on the Saturday before I went. There were no official numbers announced, but it was over the 2,000 m a r k . T h e r e w e r e a l r e a d y commemorative t-shirts printed for sale on Sunday at a couple of the merchandise booths. The gathering was exciting and a bit sad as I got to see several old friends and took photos with them while catching up on conversations, but there were several that were either not there the day I went Ladies Shopping by Christopher Erickson due to family obligations or people that Vintage Games by Christopher Erickson just couldn’t go or that I didn’t see there. bouncers for the children as well as a I also didn’t get to see much in the way qualified success and should continue few new game vendors.