The Drink Tank
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The Fifth Annual Giant Sized Annual [email protected] It has been five years since the first Awards, including second for Number One A Note on the Art Drink Tank appeared on eFanzines.com. Back Fan Face once, which was neat, and even This issue features wonderful pieces then, I was dating Genevieve (Evelyn’s Mom), had John Picacio know who I was before from Taral Wayne and Brad Foster. I love those was an Assistant Curator, was reading, on we had ever met. That was awesome. I won guys! I needed some more art though and I average, 10 books a year, attending 6 cons and TAFF, administered TAFF through a time of its figured the Bay Area Science Fiction Association was generally happy and having fun. In 2010, I’m greatest financial growth, and basically did a lot (BASFA) was a good place to dragoon people. completely smitten with the Lovely & Talented of fun stuff all over the place. The Art pieces you’ll see with the big 5s are all Linda, am a full curator, read 20+ books last I’ve met hundreds of amazing people. done at BASFA where I bought in photocopies year, attended a dozen conventions, put out That is no exaggeration. HUNDREDS! I feel and forced people to draw on them. I like the a bunch of issues of a bunch of fanzines and happy to have got to know people from a results! I even did a piece, which now makes generally find myself happy and having fun. The dozen countries, and I especially love the fact me eligible for the Hugo for Best Fan Artist. reasons are different, the result is the same. that I’ve got to know a few wonderful Brits That cover is from Mik eMcLaughlin, an artist The Drink Tank is still the zine that’s enough that I can go to Eastercon this year and who is just fantastic! closest to my heart, largely because it’s the know that there will be no lack of entertaining The articles in here are from a good zine that’s the most me. Yes, my voice has conversation or meal-eating. I’ve managed to bunch too! There’s a lot mor eme than normal, rung less in these pages over the last year, bring some new folks into writing or doing art but there’s also Vanessa Van Wagner, Jeff Boman but there’s still a lot of me in the entire thing. for fanzines. (who is up for DUFF!), Taral Wayne, and the Since the Drink Tank launched, I’ve also started And of course, there’s The Lovely & debut of Jason Wiener. It’s a good bunch. Claims Department (which will have a Five Talented Linda. She’s the best thing that’s Year Anniversary issue come April), was there happened to me, I’m sure of that. to become a co-editor of Science Fiction San This has been a busy time. Francisco (a post I’m stepping down from with I think that the Drink Tank has been the latest issue), L*I*S*P* (which I haven’t done a lot of fun, and I’m planning on keeping it up, in ages!), teamed up with James and Claire maybe not as weekly, but certainly pretty darn to do Journey Planet (which I really think has frequent. I love doing the Drink Tank, and I just become a special zine) and started Exhibition can’t see myself not doing it. It would be really Hall with Ariane and James. I’ve joined, and hard to stop. This issue sorta gives a feel for sadly left The eAPA, Everlasting Club, FAPA, what I’ve been doing over the last five years. I SNAPS, Stipple-APA and ANZAPA. I’m not as think if you’ve never read an issue before, this is much of a APAn as I’d like, though I’m going the one that’ll make it all come into focus. to dip my toe back in that pool at some point. So, this issue is dedicated to all y’all I’ve been a Toastmaster a couple of times, I’ve who’ve helped me through the last five years. been a Fan Guest of Honor, I’ve spoken at There are too many of you to mention. You cons around the country and at 3 different know that I couldn’t do this without you and I WorldCons. I’ve got 6 Hugo nominations, won wouldn’t even want to try. Best New Fan in the FAAn Awards, came in And, of course, this one, like all the with a few top five finishes for other FAAn previous issues, is for you, Pops. The fifth hole by Me My Five Favorite Issues blogs. The Train issue was also fantastic stuff. so the original cover, which was amazing, There’s no way around it: you’re gonna We’ve been doing Journey Planet with Claire, has never been seen. It has some fun art in have favorites. Yes, parents say they could never and that’s the zine I’ll probably be the most it, if you like 1⁄2 dressed women, including nd choose, but there’s always the obvious one. proud of when I’m in my 90s, and there’s always what I consider to be the 2 best piece I’m fairly certain that I’m my Mom’s fave, since Exhibition Hall, which is so much fun. These I’ve had used form Espana Sheriff (there’s there’s only the one of me. The Drink Tank, two right there are real close, but not quite top the cover for issue 182 which I think of which, let’s face it, is probably as close as I’ve five. as her masterpiece!). I think there was a ever come to giving birth, has its ups and its Here now, are my Top Five Issues of The lot of good writing on this one, including tremendous downs. Looking through all the Drink Tank pieces from Jean Martin, myself, M and former issues, I’ve determined that there are James Bacon. It’s got around 5k views on about 5 that I wouldn’t mind folks reading, and 5- 100 Words- issue 64 Scribd.com, which is I think the third most oddly enough, three of them are among the This was the first time I tried to do read thing of mine up there. most widely read of my issues. something wider than just the usual. I There are also issues that I know I’ve worked on getting folks to send me 100 3- The Vonnegut Issue going to do every year or so that turn out word pieces. I got stuff from all over the The death of Kurt Vonnegut was a big pretty good because they’ve got content built- place and it’s arguable that this was the first deal. He was the most significant writer in. Handicapping the Hugos is one. While I issue that any really noted as standing out in the development of my love of writing wasn’t dead-on this year (I think I got 6 right, from the rest. It was just slightly more than and science fiction. Well, maybe Hunter S. though a lot of my seconds came in first), it was a year after I started The Drink Tank. This Thompson. I’ve been aping him for years. one of the best issues from a slightly weaker has some fun layout than usual 2009. This Were WorldCons, and stuff. I loved doing the issues after I’ve been to a WorldCon or this one and I’ve often NASFiC where I review it, tend to be pretty thought about doing good. There’s the post-BayCon issues, the issue another one, but I’ve where I go over the National Film registry, the never managed. ones where a movie I’ve been waiting for finally comes out and I rave or blast it. Those are the 4- The Corset Issue- ones I wish wer the baseline for all Drink Tanks. Issue 150 Not quite making the list are the issues This one was a joy I’ve done with James Bacon as my co-pilot. and a terror. I had a The Watchmen Issue was a lot of fun (and if I ton of art that I got make the Hugo ballot again, that’ll be the one and in the permissions I submit for the Voter’s Packet) and I think phase, had a bunch there was better content in that issue than of folks say that they any other one I’ve done. It also got almost no couldn’t let me run the response, which I thought odd until I started stuff for one reason to put together the reviews I saw on people’s or another. It happens, The Vonnegut issue is far and away the 1- The Cocktail Issue 139 the Drink Tanks I’ve ever done. It was like most widely read issue of The Drink Tank Let’s start with the obvious: booze. It’s play, plain and simple. If some of the other with more than 13K reads. It’s got a list a part of fandom, and at times, I’ve been a issues were more engaging, some looked of contributors that I would die to have boozehound. There’s great art from Espana, better, but to me, none felt better than The again: Steven Silver, George Van Wagner, Mtt Mo Starkey, Frank Wu, and a bunch of Cocktail Issue.