ASKANCE Volume IX, Number 2 Whole Number 37

1 June 2016 ASKANCE Volume IX, Number 2 Whole Number 37

Edited and published by John Purcell, 3744 Marielene Circle, College Station, TX 77845‐3926 USA

Proofreading services rendered by Katrina Templeton. Many thanks!

Even so, all rights revert to original artists and authors upon publication. Disclaimers are a dirty business, but are always included.

What you have here in your hands (or on screen) is another Mythical Publication. Copies of this fine, sort of semi‐ quarterly fanzine can be had for The Usual, which means expressed interest, submission and eventual inclusion of articles and artwork, letters of comment, expressed interest, and cold hard cash in the amount of $3.00 USD. Bribes are also accepted. Of course, if you send in locs, articles, and artwork, you just earned a life‐time free subscription. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.

Contents

Bemused Natterings………………………………….…..……….3 In Full Retreat, by John Purcell………………………...…….5 Fun‐eral Music, by Walt Wentz………………………….…….9 Notes of Little Note, by Taral Wayne…………..….…….11 The Stars Talk Hugo Awards, by David Thayer and Teddy Harvia………….………...14 Figby, by Bill Fischer……………………………………..………..15 Chat, the 4th Fannish Ghod, by Teddy Harvia….……..16 Fanzines! ……………………………………………………….………16 From the Hinterlands, loccol………………………….….……18 Regional Convention Calendar………………………..….….31 What’s Next……………………………………………………………38

ART CREDITS: cover by Al Sirois Sheryl Birkhead – 2; Rob Williams – photo, 3; Harry Bell – 4; John Purcell – photos, 5, 6, 7, 8; Taral Wayne – 9, 10; Clip art – 11, 32; nicked from Internet – 18, 26, 35; Joe Mayhew – 31 (found on the Internet); picture of Glenn Frey, taken from the Internet – 38.

Member: FWA (since 2007!)

Hey, mister, that’s me up on the jukebox

Over the years I have made no attempt to hide the fact that I play guitar and attempt to sing. Of these two skills, my personal assessment is that I am decent guitar player (need to improve as on lead solos, improvisation skills, and so on), and as a singer… Well, let’s just say I have never had proper vocal training and leave it at that. At the very least I am capable of carrying a tune without the use of a bucket.

One of the fun things about living in the College Station/Bryan, Texas area is that this being a college town (two cities, actually) there are a lot of coffee houses, bars, and restaurants offering live music, and quite a few of them have open microphone nights. Since the fall of 2014, I have been playing at two of these weekly jams or open stages: both are on Thursday nights, but since the blues/rock jam at the Chicken Oil Company starts at 7 PM, I can go to that one first, then go five minutes up the road to Village Inn in downtown Bryan where the Singer‐Songwriter open mic night runs from 8 to 11 PM, often ending closer to midnight. The photograph above was taken at the Village Inn on the evening of April 28, 2016. In fact, I have been more of a regular at the Village Inn than the other Thursday night jam this year so often that I now have developed three set lists of 10 to 12 songs apiece. This means I actually have enough material to do a couple hours worth of playing: my own full gig! This has long been a goal of mine, and it appears to be within my grasp – a mere 52 years after getting my first guitar as a Christmas gift in 1964 when I was ten years old. (Go ahead, do the math. I know I’m old.) My tagline: an overnight sensation, decades in the making.

More rain than necessary

The monsoon season returned with a vengeance in early May. The College Station/Bryan area received at least nine inches of rain in one 24‐hour period. As a result, half of our backyard became a pond, and from that same storm, our older daughter’s home in the Woodlands (a northern suburb of Houston) was threatened by rising water to the point where she and her boyfriend began acquiring sand bags Just In Case, and there was flooding all over the southeastern part of Texas. There were at least a dozen deaths attributed to the flooding, which is tragic. The garden that Valerie and I put in was blasted by two weeks of constant rain, somehow surviving (sort of), and it took almost a full week of hot, windy, non‐rainy weather to dry out the yard enough to mow. I had to do it in two shifts: did most of the front yard on a Sunday afternoon, then three days later I was able to get the lawn mower into the backyard so I could mow that tropical rainforest.

Now it is officially summer. Let the massive heat commence! *bleagh!*

Life in the fast lane A somewhat surprising thought hitSurely me make you lose your mind Life in the fast lane, everything all the time Fortunately I ducked, so it was only a glancing blow.

While putting together this issue, it suddenly dawned on me that two and half pages ‐ specifically, pages 14 through 16 – are essentially the Askance equivalent of a newspaper’s Sunday Funnies section. I am not complaining, mind you, but then I started thinking along the lines of “Gee, I wonder which other fan artists would like to get in on this?”, then started jotting names down, like Marc Schirmeister, Ken Fletcher, Charlie Williams, Kurt Erichsen, Taral Wayne...at which point my mind went blank, an all too common occurrence these days.

This is definitely reminiscent of when Steven H Silver asked me to cobble together a “Sunday Funnies” publication for ChiCon 7 in honor of that WorldCom’s fan guest of honor, Peggy Rae Pavlat. Steven (no period after the H, thank you very much) told me about conversations he had had with Peggy Rae over the years about fan artists putting out special WorldCon artwork in comic strip format. Hence, Steve’s inspiration for the ChiCon Funnies. When I couldn’t attend, I passed along what I had to Steven, who then finished the project. From what I hear, Peggy Rae was delighted.

So it will be interesting to see which other fan artists feel like contributing occasional fannish comic strips to Askance in the future. Having a funny pages section in this fanzine sounds like a fun idea to me.

Who is in this issue

Bill Fischer Once again, our favorite lab assistant is back, traipsing through the dense jungles of deepest, darkest Africa – which apparently resemble the insides of Bill’s head.

Teddy Harvia Not to be out‐done, Teddy Harvia likewise returns with yet another installment of “Chat, the 4th Fannish Ghod”, and also illustrating a text written by his good friend, David Thayer. Over the years their collaborations have produced many wonderful results.

David Thayer Many years have gone by since David produced an issue of Nebulousfan, his fanzine from the late 1970s, mainly because he has concentrating on other more serious writing projects. I hope to be at FenCon later this year to see him and his lovely wife Diane again.

Taral Wayne This issue has a two‐fer from Taral: an article and artwork for Walt Wentz’s article. Sometime in the next few weeks the last issue of his fanzine Broken Toys will be posted to efanzines.com, which will be a sad state of affairs, but I believe he has ideas for another fanzine to ease the pain. Then again, he can always write for other fanzines. Sounds like a win‐win for all of us.

Walt Wentz Walt has appeared in these pages before ‐ “A Complaint to Hanes” in Askance #30 (Dec. 2013)– and this particular contribution happens to be one of those things that I enjoy. My hope is that readers will share that enjoyment. I hope that future issues will have more contributions from him, too.

Thank you one and all, now let’s get on with the show, shall we?

4 Three and a half months ago, I had the distinct pleasure – as In Full Retreat that cliché goes – of presenting an abridged version of my doctoral research on a reading motivation study at a Texas higher educational conference known as the 17th Annual Wakonse South Teacher’s Conference. It was held once again at the Canyon of the Eagles Resort on the western shore of Lake Buchanan, about an hour west of Austin, Texas. Here is my shadowy form on the deck of my cabin, which had a marvelous view of the lake. As is my wont, what follows is yet another fannish report on a professional conference. You might say this is a look askance at it. by John Purcell

One would normally think that presenting one’s research at a professional conference, attended by other educators who probably have more funny letters after their last name than I do, would make the presenter, shall we say, a mite nervous. Apoplectic? Incoherent? I could go on like this, but for some reason these feelings never hit me. Oh, sure, I was a bit nervous, as if I was defending my dissertation, but not as much as I honestly thought. In fact, overall I felt quite assured of my presentation, scheduled for 2:30 – 3:30 PM on Saturday afternoon, April 2nd, and actually looked forward to it. More on this later. For now, allow me to present an argument as to what contributed to my peace of mind in the face of what could have been a full‐blown mental breakdown.

First and foremost is the simple fact that I didn’t have to pay a dime for this conference. My place of employment, Blinn College, foot the entire bill for registration, transportation, lodging, and food ‐ a pretty penny, I am sure – for not only myself, but for seven other Blinn faculty, as well. Every year the school budgets x‐amount for x‐amount of people to go to certain conferences, which is a really nice perk. Since my proposed presentation/discussion was accepted by the Wakonse South Conference on College Teaching, I had to go, so for the remaining seven memberships it was first come, first served. Needless to say, it certainly removed the burden of budgeting beaucoups bucks for attending Wakonse South; this was their 19th annual conference, and the twelfth in a row to be held at the Canyon of the Eagles Resort on the shores of Lake Buchanan in the hill country of Texas, roughly an hour west of Austin. Also not having to drive there by myself was huge. Because that “other school” in College Station/Bryan – you may have heard of Texas A&M University – was sponsoring this year’s conference, they had a large contingent of attendees, and Blinn’s Instruction and Research Department arrangement with TAMU included space on the charter bus out to Wakonse. By car I could have driven in less than three hours, but by charter bus it was a three and a half hour ride. But like I said, I could relax. So I packed three fanzines – Reluctant Famulus #110, CounterClock #24, Trap Door #31, and a book, Richard Matheson’s The Memoir of Wild Bill Hickok – into my carry on book bag, and was basically set for the weekend.

5 The ride over was relatively comfortable mainly because there was nobody in the seat next to mine, so I could spread out a bit. Alternating between watching the scenery – an overcast day projected to turn partly‐cloudy by mid‐afternoon – and reading CounterClock and the Matheson book helped pass the time. By the time the bus took the exit off the highway onto a two‐lane road that wound around hills, ascending higher and higher through what passes as a “forest” in Texas, I had not only finished reading CounterClock but also The Reluctant Famulus, while rattling through the first 70 pages of The Memoir of Wild Bill Hickok. A good start to the weekend. I decided to ignore reviewing my notes on my presentation until later that night in my cabin – this is a resort, you see; more on this in a bit – and on Saturday before my moment in the sun.

When we passed through the town of Bertram, Texas, founded in the late 19th century, I couldn’t help but admire the turn of the century architecture, which was all wooden – some brickwork here and there – and recalled the age of the wild west, which matched up well with the Matheson book. My readings were interrupted by the varied assortment of ring, tweet, and text tones emanating from the other passengers on the bus; I had turned my phone off out of courtesy, but some of the tones were funny, albeit distracting. Rude sods!

Finally we arrived at Canyon of the Eagles Resort at approximately 3:30 PM Friday, April 1st (no fooling!), and check‐in was fast: ten minutes later I was setting up in my assigned cabin. Two years ago when I attended Wakonse South I had no roommate; this year, with attendance up dramatically, the Powers That Be assigned a Blinn math instructor – I will simply call him Ben to protect his identity ‐ as a roommate, and we got along just fine mainly because we were rarely in the room at the same time thanks to scheduled panels and such.

This is a good place to describe these cabins. As you can see by the picture on the right, there was a deck outside of each room; the cabins were essentially four‐plexes, with two adjacent connecting rooms (if you wanted the door unlocked and opened, you had to arrange that with the resort management), and separate single rooms on each end. They are quite spacious and comfortable, each room containing two king sized beds, but no television or radio. That was no surprise because part of Texas is pretty much out in the middle of nowhere in terms of broadcast signals, and that included wifi and the internet. But I believe this is a major reason why I was so relaxed and confident presenting my research results. The cabin served as a refuge, a personal retreat away from the panel discussions and other academic hoo‐hah, and the deck chairs were a great place to look over my notes and run my presentation through my head not only Friday evening, but Saturday afternoon before my scheduled “performance.”

Yes, I tend to treat teaching like a music gig. When one thinks about it, a teacher is on a stage of sorts, commanding the attention of a roomful of people, some who enjoy being there, the remainder just dealing with it because the course is required on their degree plan. Often before class I am reminded of Roy Scheider in the Bob Fosse biopic All That Jazz, when he says, “it’s showtime!” This is true: many times I feel a bit “meh” before walking to the front of the classroom, but once I get into that day’s lesson plan I wake up and get into it. I know my students pick up on that vibe, too; I can tell when they’re into a discussion, focused on the subject matter, getting things done. In the back of my mind I knew that my presentation on “Student Motivation in the Classroom” would go just fine. After all, Academics are just older students.

The environment likewise contributed mightily to my frame of mind. After opening ceremonies on Friday afternoon and the first set of panels, it was dinnertime, which was barbecued chicken or beef brisket, baked beans, biscuits, and so on. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. Or go into great detail in a con report, for that matter.

After dinner, everyone at the table decided to find the path that wound down to the lakeshore about a hundred feet below us. It wasn’t a cliff, but a relatively steep slope covered with trees and boulders and shrubberies (nih!). Leslie found the beginning of the path, and down all six of us went. It was almost sunset, so there was plenty of light to see our way. Once down at the shore of Lake Buchanan, we wandered out onto the pier jutting out sixty feet, and enjoyed the sight of not only the sun setting over the still waters, but also a humongous swatch of bluebells that wound around the shore as far as we could see. I have never seen that many in one place before, and it was as fragrant as it was beautiful. By the time we trudged back up to the resort it was almost dark. Some went to the bar – pricey beers and mixed drinks – while the rest of us repaired to our cabins, which didn’t need any fixing, but as native Texans say, we were fixin’ to get some shuteye. Me, I chatted with Ben for a bit, then read another fifty or so pages of The Memoir of Wild Bill Hickok and called it a night.

Saturday morning began with a breakfast buffet that was a damned sight better than the one served two years prior. This time the eggs were fresh – I really do not want to get into detail what they were like at the 2014 conference, but those scrambled eggs did not smell right, so I shall leave it at that – and tasty (adding cheese and salsa is a nice touch), the bacon was crispy, not overcooked, plus there was gluten free bread by request, so I filled my tank and felt ready for the day.

Since I wasn’t doing my thing until 2:30 PM, I marked time at a few discussions, dutifully took notes, chatted with folks, ate lunch, then settled on my cabin deck to review, rehearse and prepare. My session was held on the back deck of the restaurant, overlooking the lake on a bright, Texas afternoon in early April. It was gorgeous. There was only a slight breeze that never threatened to blow anybody’s papers away as I handed out the abstract and data analysis to the sixteen academics gathered to learn how to motivate freshman composition students. The results of my reading motivation study were based on five consecutive semesters of English 1301 and 1302 classes, taking into account variables such as time of day, subject matter (1301 is straight composition, 1302 adds literature – stories, plays, poems – to the mix), control and experimental groups (traditional teaching methods vs. my teaching methods, which are more interactive and creative). The findings did indicate that students were more likely to do assigned readings if they had more ownership of the material (deciding what to read and write about), which was still under my control, but that sense of autonomy was something that the post‐interviews revealed as a positive element. My research continues (as it should; I am always trying new things in the classroom), especially since there did seem to be a correlation between class retention and motivation that, as predicted, was reflected in better grades. I freely admit that I am not breaking new ground here – these have long been predictions for classrooms of any subject matter – but my approach is kind of like an old Our Gang two‐reel movie, treating the composition classroom with a “hey, let’s have a show!” attitude. Kids of all ages like to play, and this includes teachers. It is all in how you present the material.

The actual presentation lasted twenty‐five minutes, occasionally interrupted by queries, but the following open discussion was the best part. I knew that once I got these people started, they wouldn’t shut up. Boy, did I nail that one! Everybody had something to say, a story to share, and only one person – a 73 year old math teacher from Tarleton State College – exhibited any grumpiness about the subject, but I attributed this to his age, plus the fact that he had been acting like this ever since the conference began: quite a few presenters had begun complaining about him, one person from Texas A&M University even going so far as to opine, “when some teachers retire, that is a blessing for the institution.” I can see that.

Feeling really good about myself and having a couple hours until the evening reception began in the bar – cash, again, but this time munchies were provided free of charge – at 5:30, and because the weather was a lovely 72ᵒ F without a cloud in the sky, I decided to hit the pool. Now, you might think that’s too cold to go swimming, but I’m originally from Minnesota, where the average summer high is in the upper seventies. Yes, the water was a bit on the cool side, but it felt great. Not surprisingly, I had the entire pool to myself; a nature hike was going on at the same time, but since I had had my hike through the woods the previous evening, and the presentation/discussion had gone so well, I decided to unwind poolside. Sometimes I surprise myself with my wiseness.

I suppose that now I could say the rest of the conference went swimmingly.

It did.

Saturday night’s events were dinner and an outdoor movie shown on the front patio of the restaurant ‐ Back to the Future 3, no thank you, very much – but I opted to join the stargazing group. The management of Canyon of the Eagles has three reflecting telescopes of various sizes (3‐inch, 6‐inch, and a whopping 12‐incher) that gave us incredible views of not just the moon, but of stars, planets, and nebulae. A considerable advantage of being in the Texas Hill Country is that there is absolutely no reflection from city lights. They even turned off all the patio lights to make it as dark as possible. Like I said, the sky was perfectly clear, and the viewing was spectacular. This was the first time I have ever seen Jupiter’s Red Spot through a telescope. Fantastic sights. What a great way to finish the day.

After all of that, Sunday’s programming was a let‐down. Sure, there were a couple morning events scheduled, including the final large group session that was for all intents and purposes Closing Ceremonies. Goodbyes were spoken, door prizes handed out (none for yours truly), and then it was time to pack up and get out of Dodge City.

The return bus ride to civilization got us back to College Station by three in the afternoon. Once again, great time. I threw my bag in my car and went home, feeling completely relaxed and successful. My presentation was well‐received, got rave reviews (well, I exaggerate, but humor me), and I felt wonderfully relaxed. All in all, this year’s Wakonse South Conference was more like a personal retreat, a weekend to relax, than an exercise in academia.

To cap it off, at home that night I finished reading The Memoir of Wild Bill Hickok. Perfect.

8 Non-Visual Manga Presents: Fun-eral Music … a Japanese Suicide Comedy

written by Walt Wentz art by Taral Wayne

Scene: a cliff edge with a short railing, and a sign reading: “Vertiginous Viewpoint, no leaping, please.” A trashcan labeled, "Please to depositing trash here."

A depressed‐looking artistic type holding a violin stands at the edge, striking a despairing pose: “Alas, my music is unappreciated… this cold world will not support true artistry…”

As he continues to complain, “Farewell, cold world! With my demise, I deprive you of a great artist…” a Haggard‐looking character behind him breaks in: “Hey, could you just get on with it? Some people here are waiting…”

Violinist: “Oh, excuse it, please… Go ahead.” (stands aside)

The Haggard type takes his place at the cliff edge: “Hah! So she rejects me, the proud beauty! When she hears of this, she’ll be sorry… If only there were some suitably dramatic music to accompany this poetic tragedy of my death…” The violinist, standing behind him, is struck by an idea…

The Haggard type continues, “Because of my honest poverty, my love is thrown away like trash, as I…” looks back at the Violinist, who is fiddling away… beside him a hat on the ground and a hastily lettered sign: “I will Play Sad Music while you commit suicide… 500 Yen.”

Haggard type waves his arms furiously and yells: “Do you MIND? You are totally RUINING the mood here!”

Violinist (sullenly): “I am doing my best..."

Haggard: “Your BEST? Your lousy playing shows me there are even worse things in the world than my own rotten life! I could play better music on a KAZOO!”

9 Violinist (glaring sidelong): “Hah! Prove it!”

As Haggard and the Violinist are glaring, tootling and fiddling away at each other, a thin, balding Businessman staggers up to the cliff edge, bawling, “RUINED! RUINED! I’ve lost everything… I cannot face my family…”

As Businessman assumes a diving pose on the edge, the Violinist bows politely and points to his sign: “Excuse it please, sir… will you pay for our service now, or may we go through your pockets after your honorable demise?”

Businessman: ”Ah, my most abject apologies, young sir… I haven’t a yen left to my name…” Violinist: “Well then, can you fill in on the drums?”

A fat wad of cash is thrown into the hat from offstage… the Businessman goggles at the money, his eyes bulging...

The Businessman has eagerly joined the group, drumming on the upturned trashcan as the others fiddle and squawk … a tubby, flashy producer‐looking type waddles in, weeping, and saying, “Play me something showbiz for my big exit, lads… My little recording company is finished, Toho and the big boys have monopolized all the talent… I haven’t had a hit all year…”

Violinist: “Our first paying customer, boys! Let’s do “Flight of the Bumblebee” in ragtime…”

Producer stands on the edge, blubbering, while the group fiddle and drum and bleat away…

Producer assumes a startled expression as the music continues…

Producer turns around, snickering, as the band blasts away…

Producer laughs hysterically, stamping his feet: “Stop, you’re killin’ me, lads! You’re the funniest comedy group since The Three Honorable Stooges… We’re gonna make a million, I tell ya, a Million!” The band members look at each other, grinning gleefully…

Last panel… the cliff edge has collapsed, leaving a ragged edge and taking everyone down with it…

I was standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see; It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford, slowing down to take a look at me.

10 One thing I truly enjoy about the contacts I have in science fiction fandom is the sheer variety of interests people have and that they are willing to share their opinions on said interests. So here is a handful of brief movie reviews from north of the border.

Notes of Little Note by Taral Wayne

Recently seen:

The Good Dinosaur A fun bit of fluff, gorgeously animated, very kid‐friendly, but doesn’t bear much thought. This latest Disney/Pixar flick seems aimed at six‐to‐ten‐year‐olds, but shouldn’t bore the adults in the audience.

Mr. Holmes This is one of the best films I’ve seen in years, and one of the most unusual in the Holmes film canon. Unlike the two Robert Downey Jr. depictions of Holmes at the height of his powers, little short of a physical superhero, Ian McKellen’s Holmes is in his 90s, retired to his bee farm in Sussex with a housekeeper and her boy, and frightened by memory losses. In particular, he can no longer remember how he botched his last case and why it drove him to retirement! It is a very human Sherlock Holmes in which we still see the greatness in him, but for the first time also see him as a man in need of compassion.

Hop A rather disappointing story about a young boy who sees the Easter Bunny bringing candy, and grows up hoping to see him again. Unfortunately, he becomes a dreamer and slacker, a plotline that ought to resonate with many fans. But the character seems neither interesting nor particularly easy to like. Needless to say, he does meet the Easter Bunny again … or rather, Easter Bunny Jr., who has run away from home because he’d rather be a drummer in a rock band. Yeah. To put the film in its place, it is best compared to the two “Smurf” movies and the slew of new c.g.i. “Chipmunk” films. Other than the animated characters, all actors are filmed in the real world, and have little to show us in the way of an existence outside of the familiar. All of them have relatively uninteresting straight men, too. If it weren’t for the Pink Berets, and their immobilization in chocolate, I’d never have sunk my teeth into Hop. But if you don’t have fantasies about romping in melted chocolate, that won’t help you.

Green Lantern This is one of the least successful superhero movies made in the last 10 or 12 years. The frustrating thing about Green Lantern, though, is that it’s nearly impossible to say why. It has good visuals, violent action, exotic locales, blood‐stirring music … so what went wrong? I have two possible explanations. The most likely is that the actors make or break superhero films. Toby McGuire was Spiderman. Can anyone else be Iron Man after Robert Downey Jr.? Hugh Jackman as Wolverine practically carried the X‐Men series. Other than him, only Ian McKellen as Magneto and Patrick Steward as Professor Xavier had any real presence in the films. Not that I ever got tired of watching Mystique in her painted‐on blue scales. “Hal Jordan” in Green Lantern, though, gave a truly unremarkable performance. As a young man troubled with his own fear of fear, he merely came across as an annoying jerk most of the time – too narcissistic in his overcompensation to be likable. My other theory is that the viewer watches superhero movies to see men in spectacular fights, and not much else. In fights, men punch each other – or shoot big guns. Superheroes who have passive powers like being invisible or invulnerable never catch on, and what Green Lantern does is particularly uncool – he materializes giant boxing gloves or Hot Wheels ramps (no, I’m not joking). Far from being as cool as punching

11 somebody so hard that brains come out of their ears, hitting someone with a luminous green Teddy Bear is just ludicrous. (Now I am kidding.)

Inside Out By now, few readers will have missed seeing Inside Out, and will not know what a superb, bittersweet animated film it is. Original. Funny. Beautifully rendered. Touching in its discovery of Sadness’ place in a life, and in the inevitable loss of cherished childhood memories. It is tempting to try to imagine the control room in our own heads, and the quintet of Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger who run our lives. Alas, all that is really there are Freud’s tedious ego, superego, id and all that Germanic melodrama. If you are one of the few who haven’t yet seen Inside Out, I suggest you not leave it any longer than you must to correct that omission.

Open Season 4 There had been three theatrical releases in this series, with mixed results. In general, the first film holds up well, while the next two do well enough for retreads, but have little new to bring to the table. The newest addition to the franchise is subtitled “Scared Silly.” Actually, “Bored Silly” might have been more accurate. The premise is tissue‐thin and does little but launch an endless procession of physical gags that might just as easily have been written into any Hanna‐ Barbara cartoon. Boog the bear is likable enough, though too passive to drive the story in any way, but Elliot, the hyperactive deer with one horn, is just plain irritating. Had he been given a massive sedative at the beginning, we would have been spared all the unnecessary, misfired adventures that followed. There was also a clear sense that although the animation would have been seen as miraculous ten years ago, it had an uncomfortably cheap feeling in 2016. I only discovered later that Open Season 4 was a direct‐to‐video release … which explains much. I hope to gawd it’s the last, but it won’t be.

Hotel Transylvania 2 I loved Hotel Transylvania 1. All right, the plot is full of holes, and much of the humour is corny, but it was a fairly fresh idea, and the realization is very spirited – so to speak. Rather than a monster, Dracula is a wronged vampire. His wife was killed by an angry human mob, and he with his infant child, Mavis, were driven from their ancestral home. Unexpectedly, he opens a luxury hotel for monsters, where he raises his little girl to a teenager … who then falls in love with a human named Johnny, of all things. The sequel opens a few years later, when Mavis and Johnny have a five‐year‐ old boy of their own. Grampa wants him to be a vampire, but so far young Dennis has not developed his fangs. Will he ever? The second film might be even funnier than the original, which is rather unusual for sequels. I was especially pleased to see that Grampa Drac wasn’t pitted against his daughter and son‐in‐law, which would have been the predictable plot. Instead, Johnny and Drac conspire against Mavis’s plans. Although the gags and plot may not be anything remarkable, the humour is at least driven by a considerable amount of energy. But if Hotel Transylvania is about anything, is about extremely likable characters. What a father‐in‐law! I suppose I shouldn’t have been disappointed that the critics, by and large, did not like the movie. On the other hand, it played very well with the public.

Tomorrowland Disney’s most recent foray into straight SF seems to have drawn mixed reviews, although many unhappy critics seemed unable to articulate just what they found so wanting in Tomorrowland. I will concede that the plot is a bit murky, and the explanations of how the AI in the other‐dimensional Utopian city is adversely affecting the outside world is not totally convincing. Yet the story moves quickly over various terrains that sustained my interest throughout. The picture painted of the 1950’s futuristic city are a fascinating glimpse into a technological paradise, much anticipated in pulp‐era SF through the Atomic ‘50s, that for some reason we never got around to creating. Most intriguing of all is the “recruiter” – an android who we first meet at the New York World’s Fair in 1964, as a young girl named Athena. She is still a young girl when we meet her again, decades later, but we quickly learn she is not human, and that she seeks out those who have the intelligence and talent to be recruited for Tomorrowland. She is Mr. Data, and a proper Victorian young lady, and a razor wit all in one! If I had any big problem with the film, it was that it left me feeling jealous. I have a huge I.Q! I’ve got talent coming out my wazoo. But nobody has passed me one of the cloissoné pins that guide one to Tomorrowland! Am I not good enough? Fuck you, geniuses!

Ex_Machina When does an AI become human? That is the central question in this film … as is how far you can trust a superior intelligence, human or otherwise. Either Bateman, the billionaire programming genius, or Ava, a humanoid artificial intelligence, is lying. A naïve programmer has been given the job of testing Ava to decide whether or not she is truly self‐aware, or merely mimics it so well it is nearly impossible to tell the difference. It gradually emerges that much more is at stake, and he cannot be sure who to trust. It is as well‐made a piece of science fiction suspense as you can imagine – including some moments of pure horror as a less sophisticated model batters herself to pieces against a glass barrier in her desperation to escape. Failure for an AI, in this lab means switching off and disassembly … death, in other words. Be prepared for an ending that does not hand you all the answers on a platter … if anything, more questions are raised than answered. ‐ Taral Wayne

Those of you who are on Facebook…

,,,might be aware of a fanzine project that I came up with recently. This could be a very dangerous idea, but at the time it seemed like A Good Idea. We shall see.

Essentially it all began with Donald Trump being…well, Donald Trump. The presumptive Republican Party presidential candidate went to Scotland to visit one of his golf clubs, and oddly enough he scheduled this for the week of the “Brexit” vote: a national public referendum on whether or not the United Kingdom should leave the European Union. The result was not an overwhelming vote: 52% to 48% in favor of leaving the EU. Interestingly, only Wales and England proper were for the exit, while Scotland and Northern Ireland were not. Well, to make a long story short – too late! – Trump opened his pie‐hole and said that he was proud of the people “taking their country back.” Remember, he said this in Scotland, where an overwhelming majority – nearly 70% ‐ of the voters elected to stay in the EU! The resultant Tweeter Storm of Scottish insults went viral, and some of them were simply fabulous. I have to admit, the sheer creativity of the Scots was not only entertaining, but inspiring.

Some of the expressions used would make crackerjack fanzine titles, which I started discussing on my Facebook page on June 25th. Eventually the online give and take led me to conclude that “I have settled on the general concept behind this one‐off zine: a collection of fannish rants about this mess called planet Earth. Topics are therefore wide open, like politics, media, popular music, celebrities, Michael Bay movies, lack of common sense, grooming, warm beer, or whatever else pisses you off. Let's see how quickly I can get this put together. By worldcon? That's two months.

Tentative title is HOOFWANKING BUNGLECUNT, although SHITGIBBON is admittedly snappier.”

Well, it is official. I hereby announce that I am now accepting submissions of articles and artwork for Shitgibbon: the Rant‐thology, which will be exactly what it says: a one‐off fanzine in which fans can creatively rant and rave about whatever topic pulls their chain. Politics, Brexit, popular culture, smofs, poorly run sf conventions, the weather in France, more warm beer, stupid band names, the Zika Olympic Games... Pick a topic, invent one, and have at it. My goal is to post Shitgibbon: the Rant‐thology to efanzines.com in late October this year, and mail it as a pdf directly to the fans in my address book; I might even print off contributor's copies. We shall see. Since I want it posted at least a week or so before election day (Nov. 8, 2016), the due date will be October 1st so I can have three weeks to assemble the beast. This gives people three months to put something together and ship it in. Here is hoping this can be done. It sounds like it would be a fun project. Have at it, gang.

In particular, I think I might spend some time sharing my thoughts about one type of fanzine ‐ a fan‐fiction fanzine.

This kind of a fanzine does exactly what it professes: it runs short stories (even poems) written by fans. Sometimes the fiction is completely original work, other times these stories are based on characters or events in a popular television or movie series, such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and so on. These fan‐fiction fanzines serve their purpose well, and some‐ times fan writers develop their writing skills to the point where they begin to start selling their stories professionally. This used to be the de rigueur method for the progression from rank amateur fan to filthy professional writer, and in many ways it still is. I even ran fiction once: In a Prior Lifetime #6 (late 2006) included “Mephisto Dropped in One Day”, a short story of mine that needs more work; in its original form, not bad, but not publishable. Even I can recognize that fact. So it shall be rewritten. Just to be clear, this little overview does not include “Faan Fiction”, a very specific type of fiction writing that is centered on fans and fandom, often naming specific people, or changing the names to not really protect the innocent, but more or less lampooning fans, groups, events, etc. So here are just a few of the fanzines that are currently being published on a semi‐regular basis. I am positive that a more vigorous internet search will uncover dozens more.

Straight fiction fanzines:

Planetary Stories (Shelby Vick)

Long‐time fan Shelby Vick (affectionately known as ShelVy) started up this in 2005 as an online amateur science fiction and fantasy magazine, focusing on stories that evoke the days of Space Opera and other galactic spanning epics. Issues are naturally archived at www.efanzines.com, but it also has its own website: http://www.planetarystories.com/. It doesn’t come out that often, but considering that ShelVy is well into his 80s, the fact that he doing this is a testament

16 to the love he has for the genre and the sf community. It is worth reading, especially because it is rooted in the pulp era, alongside its sister publications Wanderlust and Pulp Spirit. [An aside: one of my stories, “Customer Service,” appeared in Planetary Stories #18 (2010).]

Surprising Stories (John Thiel)

To be honest, I do not know if this particular title is still appearing. When I did a check on the internet—which led me to the zine’s website at surprisingstories.dcwi.com/ ‐ the most recent issue is the 33rd, which was posted in September 2013. This issue has a lot of stories, articles, and poems by all sorts of people, and the quality is just as varied. If you enjoy the hunt for that pro‐ verbial diamond in the rough, this could be a good place to start.

Pablo Lennis (John Thiel)

John just published the 343rd issue (June 2016) of this danged fanzine, which began back in the mid‐1970s, I do believe. It contains a bunch of stories— a few of them are serials—and poems, of which quite a few were written by Neil Wilgus and John Polselli. Once more with feeling, I need to insert the caveat that these are all amateur works. The interesting thing about Pablo Lennis is its length of publication. John Thiel started this one a long, long time ago, and it is still appearing on some kind of schedule. Originally mimeo'd—and poorly, I recall—with different sized fonts and clusters of text mushed all over the page, Pablo Lennis was universally trashed as the ultimate crudzine by many fanzine fans. Unfazed, Mr. Thiel has persisted, for which I commend his persistence and belief in his publication. PL now has a much cleaner, easier to read layout, and it seems to me that the quality of the stories and poems have likewise greatly improved. Ask John for a copy at 30 N. 19th St., Lafayette, IN 47904.

Fanzines that will include fiction/poetry, in addition to traditional fannish fare like con reports, book reviews, and so on:

Tightbeam (the N3F publication edited by George Phillies)

This one is the “voice” of the National Fantasy Federation, the longest running science fiction fan organization, and includes club announcements, reviews, and has an annual fiction/poetry contest, then publishes the winners. Some of these are pretty good, thanks to the competition. Tightbeam has been running for a long time—it is now up to 272 issues; it’s companion zine is The National Fantasy Fan, which is now in its 75th year of publication. That’s not too many...

Journey Planet (Garcia & Bacon, et al)

For the most part, editors Chris Garcia and James Bacon—along with a slew of others— run articles on a particular theme, which is a popular methodology that faneditors follow. Every so often a short story or a poem will crawl into the pages, wedging themselves between articles about comic book characters or hot topics like diversity in fandom, women in fantasy, and the like. Journey Planet won the Best Fanzine Hugo in 2015, which was Garcia and Bacon’s second Best Fanzine Hugo (their zine The Drink Tank won in 2011).

The PDF Dragon (John Thiel)

This is John’s newest fanzine, available online at efanzines.com, with its fifth issue recently published (well, posted on June 8, 2016). Unlike his other zines, this one is more of a general interest fanzine: the latest ish has a brief overview of sf and fandom’s history, a brief lettercolumn, and a couple short stories; one of these stories—”The Questing Beast” by Timothy Scott—is quite good, and could easily be submitted to the professional market with a bit of polishing. Again, this is how many authors started out in the past, and that process continues.

17 And now, fresh from the files of where‐ever, it’s… From the Hinterlands

Letters from readers

Welcome, one and all, to the show that never ends! Come inside, come inside, come inside!

Thank you, Emerson, Lake and Palmer for that introduction, and now it is time to get into comments about the 36th issue of Askance, published this past March. In that issue the lead article was by Mark Oshiro, originally posted on Mark’s Facebook page. Because I felt that the things he wrote about regarding behaviors at ConQuesT 46, specifically how Mark felt he had been treated as that convention’s Fan Guest of Honor, were important matters to be discussed, I asked if I could reprint that posting in my fanzine, and Mark gave his permission. Long story short, this lettercolumn will begin with a lengthy response from Charles Rector, who produces the fanzine Fornax, which is likewise available at efanzines.com. Also, instead of responding at the end of the letter as I usually do, for sake of the discussion I shall insert my comments about key points in this font face and color. In that way I can answer Charles’ comments.

Charles Rector May 10, 2016

Got done reading Askance #36 and found it to be 2 different fanzines wrapped into one. About 90% of it was interesting and the other 10%, aka the Mark Oshiro stuff, was dreadful. More on that later. Noticed that you stated that you were offered articles for publication by Dr. Robin Bright and you rejected them? Granted, he's a bit of an acquired taste, but they are still thought provoking and help fill up the fanzine. {My turn! Like a lot of other fanzine editors, I have received quite a few

18 articles from Dr. Robin Bright, all of which are quite thoroughly researched and academically written, but of the ones I have read, none of them really fit what I could call the “personality” of Askance, which tends to be non‐serconish in nature. Now, there is nothing wrong with such material; in fact, you have run a couple of those articles of Dr. Bright’s. They fit Fornax’s style and format better than Askance, for whatever that’s worth. He is more than welcome to send more articles my way. Who knows? This is, after all, a science fiction fanzine, and I am not amiss to running articles that discuss the literature. I *almost* ran Dr. Bright’s “Starship Trooper” article; oh, I debated about that one for over a week. At the time it was hard to put my finger on what I didn’t like about it, but reflecting on that article now I think it was the heavy religious interpretation that threw me off. It was interesting, though, and I’m glad it found its way into another home. If I ever get the urge to do an “all sercon issue” of Askance, something like that would be a perfect fit. It all depends. I have nothing against Dr. Bright, and would like to see something again.}

You mentioned Margaret Middleton, who you regarded as being both an active fan and as a "filker." That may have been true at one time. However, by 1997 when I moved to Little Rock and joined the Little Rock Science Fiction Society (LRSFS), she had pretty much dropped out of fandom. She only sporadically attended LRSFS meetings, was not forthcoming about fanzines or any of her past activities, and as for filking, I don't remember either her or any other LRSFS members engaging in anything like that. The programming for the more or less annual SF convention in Little Rock Roc*Kon, did not include any filking in its programming. at its 2000 incarnation.

You did not bring attention to it, but the most significant aspect of your fanzine as it related to Arkansas fandom was its listing of two conventions to be held in that state later this year, Konsplosion in Fort Smith and Glitch Con in Springdale. Back when I lived in Arkansas during 1997‐2000, the LRSFS and its Roc*Kon convention was the only game in town so to speak. There just simply was nothing else relating to either fandom or to stuff that fans are interested in other than a few amateur astronomy and computer clubs. After reading Askance, I got on the Internet and found a website called "Arkansas Geek Central" that listed a far greater variety of activities and organizations than ever existed when I lived in Arkansas. All this is most surprising given the fact that from what I could discern from the Internet, after I left the state, the LRSFS went into decline, held its last convention in 2004 and the group dissolved a few years later. Now, from what I can gather, aside from Middleton and perhaps one or two others, the membership has scattered to the winds. Interesting how despite the fact that the core fandom group of old no longer exists, fandom has blossomed all around the state. {Back again. Margaret Middleton was at FenCon V (2008) in Dallas, Texas, when Gregory Benford was the Author Guest of Honor. She was one of many performers giving one‐hour filk concerts over that weekend, and we had the chance to finally meet and talk on Sunday morning! The funny thing is that she remembered trading fanzines with me back in the early 1980s. Based on your comments here, it sounds like she has dropped out of fandom, which happens. As for fannish happenings in Arkansas, I am glad things are picking up in that state. }

Moving on to the 2nd and most contentious part of Askance #36, I feel that I must provide the following notice:

ACCURSED TRIGGER WARNING: If you are Politically Correct, you will not want to read the following critique of Mark Oshiro's drivel that was originally posted on Facebook and reprinted by Prof. Purcell since he had a hole to fill in Askance #36 that was caused by both his rejection of the proffered articles by Dr. Robin Bright and his failure to see that blank pages would have been far more worthy of his fanzine, or for that matter any fanzine, than Oshiro's offering. As Vox Day put it on his blog, Oshiro's posting was "[o]f pure schadenfreudesque amusement," a sentiment that describes the piece in question rather well.

First off, I want to make it clear that I've experienced some of the stuff that Mr. Oshiro legitimately complains about. I

19 might even be writing about it at length in my fanzine, Fornax. However, for the remainder of this LOC, I'm going to address the Politically Correct hogwash that Oshiro engages in for his self‐aggrandizement.

Second, I want to make it clear that Chris Gerrib was 100% on the mark when he said that the Indians (Our pioneer forefathers would have used "injuns") were killing each other long before Columbus came. Oshiro was completely off‐ base in insinuating that Gerrib was some sort of racist and needed to apologize. When Cortez besieged the Aztec capital, he did so with an army of over 100,000 of which less than one percent consisted of Spaniards. Oshiro insinuates that it is somehow racist to say anything positive about the Spaniards who he claims were "white" despite the fact that they were the original Hispanics. Oshiro was similarly off base in whining about how it was wrong for white people to have so many seats in panel discussions as well as claiming that it was racist for any white person to disagree with him.

If anything, it is Oshiro who needs to apologize for coming to the convention with an ulterior agenda of raining on everyone else's parade, complete with wild accusations of racism, homophobia and whatever else offense against Political Correctness that he could come up with. His behavior was especially offensive given that he was accorded the high honor of being made a Fan Guest of Honor. He clearly showed himself as having very little, if any, honor. People like him do not need to be invited to conventions and given special perks.

One last thing: Oshiro whines and cries like a little girl about how so many writers, including myself I might add, do not use black characters in their fiction. When I was an undergraduate I took over 20 hours of creative writing classes and heard several prominent writer‐scholars such as B.C. Hall and James T. Whitehead talk about how you are really playing with fire when you use non‐white characters. This is because if you describe a non‐white character in such a way that activists think that they can use it as ammunition for their own self‐aggrandizement, they will go after you without mercy. They thought that it was a much better course to avoid non‐white characters entirely. An example of this is using a black female character who is plump opens you up to baseless allegations that you are perpetuating a stereotype that all black females are overweight. Stuff like this is one big reason why there are so few movies and TV shows starring black folks.

Charles

{Ah, here is the biggie. First off, I did not have a hole to fill in this zine because I rejected an article from Dr. Bright. That wasn’t the case at all. In fact, like I mentioned at the start of this lettercolumn, the only reason why I wanted to run Mark’s “con report” was because I believed it was a matter of relevance to those of us who attend science fiction conventions. Any kind of behavior that belittles or insults anybody at a convention should not be tolerated, and as somebody who has been attending sf cons since 1973, I find the fact that so many convention committees now need to enforce rules concerning uncivil behavior of attendees a disconcerting trend. For the longest time that has not been the case, True, people have been cruel and rude in the past, but it wasn’t as blatant as it has become. On your point that Mark Oshiro was at ConQuesT “with an ulterior agenda of raining on everyone else's parade , complete with wild accusations of racism, homophobia and whatever else offense against Political Correctness that he could come up with,” I think you are incorrect. I doubt that he had that intention when he accepted the concom’s invitation to be one of their guests of honor. Being asked such a thing is remarkable, and I’m sure that Mark was definitely appreciative. It seems to me ‐ re‐reading this piece for the umpteenth time to refresh my mind – that he simply did not like what he was seeing, and his intent was to bring these incidents out into the open to get the attention of convention committees in general to formulate ways of dealing more effectively with rude behavior by attendees.

20 In all the years that I have been going to these crazy things, incidents like Mark describes have always occurred, although way back in the Seventies and early Eighties fans were probably more willing to write them off with the “fans will be fans” attitude. Unfortunately, such a response is no longer valid. I have also witnessed recent incidents like this, and they usually occur after x‐amount of alcohol has been imbibed, and the perpetrators are much younger than my generation of fans. *sigh* It is all a matter of maturity, I am afraid. As for GoH’s getting special perks… well, that’s to be expected, or that’s my opinion. Fan and Pro Guests of Honor should be treated as just that: honored guests of the convention. If that means free membership, dinner, sitting at the GoH table, etc., then so be it. Something tells me there is much more to this story, but since it’s been so long from when it all happened, perhaps the best thing to do is learn from the experience and share what we’ve learned with others so that such problems and incidents can be avoided in the future.}

P.S.: Just wondering, but do you provide "Trigger Warnings" to your students? Do you list the "Micro‐aggressions" that their fragile little minds might suffer if they read anything that is even the slightest bit challenging, aka thought‐ provoking? {Nope. They know what they’re getting into in college. At least I would hope they do.}

P.P.S.: You made some optimistic observations concerning the number of fanzines that folks are publishing nowadays. However, I've noticed heat the great majority of these editors, writers and letterhacks are older than I am (51). Question: What happens 20 years from now? Who will produce the fanzines of the future? That reminds me: You have not sent in a LOC about the latest issue of Fornax yet. You were letterhacking so well for a while there, it’s disappointing that you have not sent one yet. Did the sight of a Robin Bright piece that you had earlier rejected traumatize you that much? {An excellent question! No, I was not traumatized (nice intra‐loc comment there, Charles), but teaching a full load of classes can be time‐consuming. Keep publishing your zine, though. By the time this fanzine is posted to efanzines you should have a letter of comment from me.}

P.P.P.S.: Since I am currently planning on writing about this nonsensical controversy at length later on, I decided to make my critique of the Oshiro Facebook posting much shorter than what I had originally planned. {This is naturally your prerogative. Funny thing: since that original posting was five months ago, it is not a point of discussion on Facebook anymore. If anything, people are heavily discussing the current presidential campaign, terrorism, sharing travel stories, and posting even more cute pictures of babies and kittens. Life goes on, tra‐la!}

Of course, not everybody shares Charles’ perspective. Here is an overseas veteran fan’s opinion on that article:

Paul Skelton

April 3, 2016

Mark Oshiro’s piece was a genuine horror story. You don’t marginalise and dishonour one of your Guests of Honour. You don’t put him in secondary hotel space – you don’t fail to make sure his room is complimentary – you don’t fail to ensure there’s room for him on the GoH table – you don’t fail to follow up on his formal complaints of harassment. You just don’t do these things...unless you are, for some bizarre reason, doing them deliberately.

Indeed, as Mark himself concedes, concoms are not infallible, but I am reminded of Goldfinger’s line in one of the James Bond books, the gist of which was “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.” That was a lot more than three times.

21 I am so far out of touch that I had to Google Mark to find out who he was and why he was being honoured. There’s lots of him out there, complete with pictures, so you’d think they’d know who they were getting, especially as he’s hardly likely to have been invisible at other conventions given his prominence and profile. It just beggars belief and he was certainly doing the right thing by going public on it. I shall though let your other, more au fait and au courant, correspondents tackle this piece with the thoroughness it deserves.

Moving on then I must admit that I could never share your enthusiasm for David Bowie. I quite liked the ‘Ground Control to Major Tom’ one, but whilst I must have heard lots of his other famous stuff, none of it sticks in my mind and when Cas says of that “Oh, you must remember...” whatever, I check it out on YouTube and confirm that, not only do I not remember it, I don’t particularly like it either. What can I say? Simply ‘different strokes’, I guess.

An enthusiasm I can share (in a different sense) with you is the writing of Caitlin Moran. She has been (or possibly was – I don’t generally read newspapers so that information could possibly be out of date) a columnist for The Times since she was eighteen and has many times been voted ‘Columnist of the Year’, not to mention also Interviewer and Critic of the Year, and her first collection of columns, How To Be a Woman won the British Book Awards ‘Book of the Year’ in 2011. Her novel How to Build a Girl went straight into in the UK charts at number one. Oh, and she also co‐writes a sitcom, Raised by Wolves, for Channel 4. You will gather that this is a woman of enormous talent who does not hide same under a bushel. I somehow missed her second collection of columns, Moranthology (so that’s a treat I still have in store), but I recently bought her third, Moranifesto, and have been eking it out a few columns each night ever since.

The reason I am sharing this information with you is not simply so that, if you were unfamiliar with her collections, you could acquire/read them and then thank me effusively. No, it is because whilst I may not share your enthusiasm for Bowie, she most certainly does. So I am taking advantage of this fact and subcontracting the ‘Bowie enthusiasm’ element of this LoC to her, at absolutely no additional cost.

She is also a listaholic. One of the chapters, All the Lists of My Life, mentioned Bowie in at least two of the lists. In ‘Reasons Why the Future Will Be Better than the Past’ number 2 was “David Bowie might play live again”. In ‘Things Every Teenage Girl Should Know’ number 9 was the rather more extensive “When in doubt, listen to David Bowie. In 1968, Bowie was a gay, ginger, bonk‐eyed, snaggle‐toothed freak walking around south London in a dress, being shouted at by thugs. Four years later, he was still exactly that – but everyone else wanted to be like him, too. If David Bowie can make being David Bowie cool, you can make being you cool. PLUS, unlike David Bowie, you get to listen to David Bowie for inspiration. So you’re one up on him, really. YOU’RE ALREADY ONE AHEAD OF DAVID BOWIE.”

In the letters I was interested in Charles Rector’s comments about mosquitoes in Wisconsin. We were in Wisconsin back in 1990 and again in 1993 and were never once bothered by mosquitoes. Mind you, whilst the weather on these visits was sunny (enough so to cause me mild sunburn in 1990), both visits took place in the month of October so maybe the various insects were trying to be as American as the human population by never going anywhere ‘out of season’.

You were absolutely spot‐on in your response to Chuck Connor’s LoC – it was awesome! It was also not only perfect, but also perfectly complete and self‐contained, leaving fumbling LoCers like me unable to say anything in response that wouldn’t be both underwhelming and disappointing. We can but stand and applaud. {Or bow in humble obeisance.}

Anyway, John, it was a pretty good issue but I don’t want you to go away feeling to pleased with yourself so I will leave you, on my one negative point, with the question...

Why did you feel the need to open pages of John Brunner’s A Planet of Your Own completely at random and, with your eyes screwed shut, stab your finger down on the pages and select equally random sentences? I know you did this, because I can think of no other reason that would explain how you could find twelve equally unremarkable and non‐ quote‐worthy quotes.

22 Skel

{Well, I have not liked *everything* that David Bowie recorded or did (including his acting roles), but for the most part I found him to be a marvelously creative performance artist. I will have to check out the work of Caitlin Moran online. In this day and age, a columnist for any newsletter anywhere in the world probably has a blog. As for the John Brunner linos, why the hell not? If I had actually bothered to read A Planet of Your Own I probably would have chosen a Professor Jameson novel. }

Lloyd Penney 1706‐24 Eva Rd. Etobicoke, ON CANADA M9C 2B2

April 5, 2016

I am carrying on with a loc a day (or at least, good intentions) to help with the never‐ ending catch‐up, and up next in my IN box is Askance 36. Nine years already? Here goes!...

Planning the tenth anniversary issue…perhaps I can send you some more “Tales From The Convention!”. I do try to keep track of what I send you, so maybe I can send some, and you can use what you wish. {Please do! Thank you for offering.}

As I have witnessed the deathwatch on Facebook so far this year, I am amazed how many names have died. 2016 has truly been a deadly year for the famous. I know so many people die every year, but each announcement was usually followed by, “Oh no, not him too!” It does get depressing.

I have been on convention committees for over 30 years, and there are no committees out there who invite people in to be guests of honour, and then intentionally abuse them. One committee I was on simply forgot about one guest, which started a long series of apologies and gifts. But, it was not intentional. As I read this, and I did see parts of it on Facebook, this sounds like it was intentional, as if some GoHs were more Honoured (and Honourable) than others. Sexual orientation shouldn’t be a reason for such discrimination. I would like to think that fans are more open‐minded, but they are open‐minded as the next person, which often isn’t much. {I don’t think the concom went out of its way to treat Mark like this, just that some of the concom members working with Mark were inexperienced at this level of involvement and simply over‐reacted or non‐reacted in inappropriate manners. I just hope everyone involved has learned from the experience.}

Good to see that Arnie is finding and enjoying some good radio drama from the CBC. Up to a few years ago, CBC Radio had voice dramas, but they are gone, and dismissed as immaterial in this modern age. Arnie might also like Vanishing Point.

Good to see another Chat strip! There’s a cat I’d like to see chase some Puppies. Eat the losers, Chat! And if not that, chase them away. I can think of a Worldcon or two that would like to see them gone.

Indeed, we miss the flood of Garciazines around here, but others like Garth Spencer and Graeme Cameron have stepped up to try to fill the gap. I responded to the newest Auroran Lights last night. I think you’d like Vcon, Yvonne and I were Fan GoHs for Vcon 25, and Yvonne was the science GoH at Vcon 26, as she attended a space conference in Vancouver, literally the weekend before Vcon 26.

My loc…each generation of fandom fractures more than the previous generation, and so now, that fractures may have reduced fandom to a fine powder. The job hunt continues, but I had a great interview with accounting firm KPMG, and I

23 am hopeful they will take me on for a 6‐ to 9‐month contract. We are already hearing about this year’s Grand Canadian Steampunk Exposition, and Abney Park will be back for the third straight year. I thought I had secured my place in that company, and if I did something wrong, I don’t know about it, and I cannot think of what it was. However, when I was there, two of the four floors of the building were under construction, and I might have been let go to free up money to finishing the construction and remodeling. Who knows… Just this past weekend, Yvonne and I were vending at a comic show in the city of Kitchener, Ontario, and we did well, and had ourselves a great time.

Check Connor asks what happened to all the various punks connected with Cyberpunk, Steampunk, etc.? Yes, there’s lots…Splatterpunk, Decopunk, Dieselpunk, Teslapunk, Atompunk, Clockpunk, lots more. I have some graphics I can send to you, John, to help illustrate this…who knows, they might even be attached…

At the end of the month is our regular annual home convention, the one we were on the committee for 30 years, Ad Astra 2016. This is the 35th Ad Astra, and there will be special celebrations, and we will be behind two tables in the dealers’ room, selling our steampunk wares. The little con in Kitchener was fun, so we should have a blast at Ad Astra; we usually do.

Off it goes, John…hope this was a decent loc, worthy or printing in the locol. Sometimes, I think I’m losing my touch, but all I can do is try my best, e‐mail them off, and hope for the best. We had a freak snowstorm a few days ago, so the ground is white again. See you with the next zine.

Lloyd

{Even though you do live in Canada, now that it is July I am positive there is no snow on the ground in Toronto. Since you and Yvonne are soon to be heading off to England, I hereby offer you space in this fanzine for a trip report, complete with plenty of incriminating photographs. Glad to hear Penney’s Steampunk Emporium is doing well at these conventions. And you are most certainly not losing your touch. Keep those locs coming, friend!}

Milt Stevens 6325 Keystone St. Simi Valley, CA 93063 [email protected]

March 28, 2016

Dear John,

In Askance #36, Mark Oshiro has probably learned a couple of things about SF cons.

A. Panels will discuss anything they want to discuss Topic? What topic? B. Nobody is obligated to agree with him. Fans like to argue. {No kidding!}

My comic book reading fell into three periods; the early fifties when I was in grade school/junior high school, the early sixties when I was in college, and the eighties when there was a comics shop next door to LASFS.

E.C. Comics were riding high in the early fifties. I never liked E.C. Comics. I’ve always had the capacity to be horrified. I don’t like being horrified. I don’t enjoy horror fiction to this very day. My favorite comics in the early fifties were Tarzan and Uncle Scrooge. I was already interested in SF, but SF comics didn’t attract me. I tried Mystery in Space a few times, but the stories didn’t impress me. Planet comics was better, but Planet Stories the pulp magazine was better still.

24 Marvel Comics were a vogue when I was in college in the early sixties. They were fun. They had a wit that was usually lacking in comics before that time. Their characters had personalities and personal problems. Comics characters had probably always been American cultural icons, but this time the country noticed it at the time.

Having a comics shop next door to LASFS made it easy to find out what was available. The various incarnations of Conan were my favorites. Howard the Duck was another of my favorites. I’ve always had a soft spot in my head for parody. All sorts of comics got my attention at one time or another. I recall one publisher was reprinting Prince Valiant comic strips on slick paper. They really looked nice. Unfortunately, a reprint the size of an old style comic book cost $11. I was interested, but not that interested.

When the comics shop next to LASFS went out of business it was the end of my comics buying career. There aren’t any newsstands or comics shops in Simi Valley, and I’m not energetic enough to go looking for them further afield.

Milt

{There is one comic book store left standing in the Bryan‐College Station area, and that is BCS Books, a small, family‐ owned shop that is run out of their house. Well, duplex: they live on one side and converted the other unit to a multi‐ roomed store with the front two rooms (living room and dining area) as the comic shop, and the remaining rooms are a used bookstore with each room filled with a specific genre. It is a fun arrangement, and it’s been there for almost 25 years now. They admit it’s slow business these days, but the house is paid for, so they don’t have to worry about monthly mortgage payments.)

Dave Haren [email protected]

March 26, 2016

You have probably noticed I lack the necessary depth perception to be engaged with the burning issues most folk find so worthy of the time to get exercised over them. Acting badly in public/semipublic venues seems sure recipe for giving outsiders the ammunition they need to confirm their worst prejudices about any grouping of the enthusiasts (original meaning here of excess bordering on full blown insanity).

When I was first reading SF it was characterized as mind rotting trash with covers capable of corrupting innocent youth by the mere sight of them. The reality inside was so puritanical it would have called for Cotton Mather to be burned for heresy. The cover might raise prurient thoughts but the prose failed to deliver the goods.

Given the current political climate in which we seem to lost track of Americas first virtue that wasn't imported from Eurolands, the idea that by adopting intolerance to the point others were not allowed to impose their will on your own brand of nuttiness and you were not allowed to meddle in their nuttiness, this created a systematic milieu where folk could find a niche with others of the same type by simply moving on until the local community seemed benign. In the beginning it was religious meddlers driven from the shores of Europe by their neighbors and governments who washed up on USAs shores like a plague of scum. Once they had an enclave for practicing their brand of intolerance they became semi ‐civilized until the time came to form a greater union with other communities. The real burning question of the day was how to get all of these various brands of intolerant idiot to form a country at all. The solution flawed as it was by

25 various good old boy nest feathering worked by setting the questions that exercised everyone aside by removing religious questions from the hands of the central power.

When capitalism got back into control after the civil war their need for cheap labour flooded the country with another set of scum from europe. Worse this bunch lacked cohesions, practiced funny religions and spoke strange languages. The baked in intolerance that tamed the pilgrim maniacs managed to absorb and transmute the various emigres into the wonderful people of today known as the Americans. Then we raised a generation so dumbed by schools (see John Taylor Gatto for details) and television sets (see McLuhan and McKenna for details) that they thought the wonderful melting pot of America was a multi‐cultural, multi‐racial, multi‐gender paradise with only a little more effort they could make the Millennial paradise out of it by getting rid of that nasty old intolerance.

There's another Old Time American virtue called minding your own business. It is what keeps the village bluenoses and Dame Grundys from forcing you to put bloomers on your piano legs to keep youth from impure thoughts at the sight of a naked limb. Otherwise you get the current nuttiness that thinks they have the one true way encoded into a legal system that tries to legislate morality.

Few recognize that Islam has done just that and that the emigres and refugees from there think that is the way a society should work. Hindus who float up on these shores think a caste system is a wonderful idea as well. Multicultural homegrown idiots are quite willing to think both (and other nuttys) should have their way.

Now let’s suppose these trends manage to take over the government here and a caste systemic theocracy winds up in control of the massed firepower of maniacal America. How long do you suppose any dissenting view would last before being paved with radioactive glass (for their own good of course their thoughts were just so wrong).

Let me assure you the home grown nuts who want USA to be a Godly Christian Nation of True Believers whose mission is to fight at Armageddon (Megiddo) so Jeeze will float us all up to heaven are worthy of just as much disdain and disbelief as any third world camel jockey or beady eyed smelly in a dhoti.

And to bring it all back to SF, you might want to look at the future projected by Heinlein in which he was so disheartened by the idea of a theocracy in USA he couldn't bear to write those sections of future history. Take another look at Starship Trooper and ask yourself what another financial collapse here would do to an army abandoned in Afghanistan. Of course the same political machine that repealed G/S freeing the crooks of Wall Street is being bankrolled by those very banks this time.

Now that I've lightened the tone of your letter col with a blast of sweetness and good fellowship, thanks for your efforts on a better understanding between fans. I found a couple of great ships to try and duplicate in paper models in this issue as well.

Dave

26 {Well, I thank you for brightening the mood around here. (*) The general mood in this country now is to see exactly how things will transpire at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. In many ways, it ain’t over yet, and there is no sign anywhere of sanity returning any time soon. It’s bad enough the USA is run by an oligarchy, and the public seems finally to be waking up to that fact. There may be hope yet for ‘Murica.}

Wolf von Witting

[email protected]

March 26, 2016

Among my projects for the future, is to become a better LoC‐writer. I have to start somewhere, and it feels like I am beginning all over every time I sit down to comment on a fanzine (which doesn't happen nearly often enough). I need something (a topic) to write about. And while Askance # 36 generally made a great impression, I love Teddy Harvia's toons, I used to collect comics myself once and I always enjoy reading Arnie Katz, but I will focus on what I perceived as the lead article, “How to Dishonor a Guest of Honor.”

I always perceived sf‐fandom as a safe‐haven from the follies of the world. At least for as long as I attended German, Swedish and British conventions. But sf‐fandom in Europe is far from homogenous. Expect a patchwork, should you come here. The aforementioned along with the dying Dutch fandom, are the old fandoms, the other countries are young and growing at various stages (except French speaking fandom, which I truly dare not say anything at all about).

And since the mid 70's I have never experienced racism or sexism at European conventions. Considering the sheer number of events, I can't say that it couldn't happen. But I would be surprised and I could absolutely not shut up about it, if it occurred. The only attitudes ever bothering me, were the ones I encountered at the Italian Eurocon in Fiuggi 2009. Italians do not seem to understand what fandom is about at all. In Italy, a published writer, a publisher or an actor from a sci‐fi‐flick is everything and a fan is nothing.

What happened to us fans being Slans? Are we not all deviants? Are we not used to the different, the abnormal and the alien? Would we not rather sit down and have a beer with Frankenstein's creation, Quasimodo and King Kong, than with any jet‐setters? Okay, so maybe not... if Kong got drunk...

But on the other hand, he would need several barrels of beer to get there.

So, what happened to our fundamental values? As sf is becoming more accepted in the mundane world, the number of tolerant sf‐fans dwindles. At least in percentage or in its ratio compared to the mundane population. I try to remember what brought me into sf‐fandom in the first place. I was never an outcast other than in my own self‐proclaimed deviant emotional world.

What should we do, when fandom mirrors all the follies of the mundane world? Start a new fandom? One where fools are banned? Is that even possible? Aren't we merely a different kind of fool? Actually, there are still places where mundane hasn't crept in. Novacon in Nottingham was such a place. I haven't had the privilege of attending any Corflu yet, but I believe that would be another such instant. Small fannish conventions. I think that's the answer.

Finally, perhaps there ought to be some kind of an official standard guideline to how GoH's are to be treated. Just to have something to point at, when an organizer fails. Ah, that could prove useful to European fandom, where so many are in different stages of their development.

27 Now there's a new angle to LoC‐writing (getting ideas what to write about in one’s own zine).

Anyway, thank you for having made Askance # 36. Wolf

{It is always interesting to get a completely different perspective. Knowing that fans in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America are reading this fanzine, I have always wondered what cons in countries other than the USA, Canada, and England are like. I had no idea, for example, how Italian conventions treat their professionals and fans; I guess I had always assumed fans possess an international sense of camaraderie, but so much for that idea. Your suggestion of creating official standard guidelines for the proper care and feeding of GoH’s makes sense. I know that the WSFS business meetings at WorldCons discuss this matter, and major regional conventions in the USA and Canada do this, too. Before things get out of hand it would be a good idea to set limits and enforce them. I hate the thought of creating a fandom with a strong authoritative arm, so perhaps we should all take a deep breath and calm down.}

Garth Spencer

[email protected]

June 11, 2016

Mark Oshiro’s report made me wonder if many people in Kansas live in a particularly white‐privileged, insular culture, condescendingly ignorant of gays or Latinos or unconscious harassment to non‐WASPs – like the community I grew up in. Then I realized they aren’t particularly unusual in this respect, and that right there is the issue.

Thank you for your kind remarks in your fanzine review column, but it has actually been three decades since I was fanpubbing a whole lot – when I was, as a friend put it, a one‐man threat to Canadian forests. In fact since the apa TePe closed, I have been e‐pubbing merely The Art of Garthness (my monthly personalzine) and I Never Got the Hang of Thursdays (my e‐APA contribution).

As you noticed, R. Graeme Cameron has been producing quite a number of titles, ranging from newsletters about and for the Aurora Awards, VCON and WCSFA to his new (paying) fiction magazine. But you’ve covered this adequately already.

Milt Stevens is right about grandfatheritis. I now find myself compulsively making faces at small children on the bus, and doing itsy‐bitsy‐spider hand games, to make them laugh. Parents are pretty consistently amused, if their children don’t always get it, so I guess I’m not freaking anyone out.

Now, a question. Can anyone, anywhere, locate a series of Harry Harrison novels set in an alternate history of King Alfred’s interactions with Norsemen?

Apropos of nothing: this weekend I have been putting together my own encyclopedia, mainly to track down everything I think I know, and have written, with a view to identifying subjects I still need to learn. Everybody knows more about cars and sports and contemporary dance than I do, for instance, but I still have surprising gaps in my knowledge of popular culture and language, reading people, contemporary manners, office procedure, job‐hunting, and even home maintenance. Maybe I should be a science fiction writer and take my mind off these things.

Garth

28 {Being a grandfather is definitely fun. Sounds to me like you’ve got the idea, and as far as I know, you have no progeny. (*) Hm. I have no idea about that series of Harry Harrison novels. Anybody else have this question covered? (*) How is that personal encyclopedia coming along? It might be a winner.}

Graham Charnock

[email protected]

June 12, 2016

I’m sitting here in my underpants on a hot muggy summer morning with nothing better to do than read Askance. How can that be? Am I desperate, or is it because I received a threatening letter from John Purcell visiting down such terror as the revenge of the Visigoths if I refused to do so? Yes, to both.

Yes a lot of people have died, but that is not my fault. Lots of people always die. Lots of people who we may consider famous die, but that is surely not our problem but the problem of those who define fame. Remember Andy Warhol’s fifteen minutes. Nowadays anybody and everybody gets at least fifteen minutes due to the ubiquity and indiscrimination of social media and also, let’s face it, national tycoon‐owned media. Also, remember no one is really famous to primitive tribes living in rain forests, not even Mohammed Ali. I’ve stopped reading obituaries these days for any people I haven’t met personally. There are still too many of those of course, because, like most people I am getting old and so are my friends.

I’ve been lambasted elsewhere for considering David Bowie a musical vampire with very little original talent, so let’s not re‐vamp that her, except, oh dear, I just did.

I too met Jack Speer at a Corflu, but I think it was Silver in Las Vegas. He was being chaperoned by Elinor Busby attached to an oxygen tank. I was drunk and did my best to entertain him, but I suspect he was not impressed. Still, he didn’t tell me to fuck off.

I followed Mark Oshiru’s trials and tribulations when they were reported on File 770. It seemed to me then he was over‐ sensitive although he did seem to be treated with a certain off‐handedness. I really don’t see the point of you recycling such stuff, especially since the whole situation now seems to have shaken down into broad agreement. {It certainly has by now. Even so, we should all be courteous to one another. For example, here is a sincere and heart‐felt “fuck off” just for you, Graham. Next time we’re at the same Corflu again let’s enjoy a pint together and tell each other to “fuck off” in as many different languages as possible.}

I like Arnie, I really do (although he thinks I don’t) but I really have nothing to say about his reminiscences of a totally American experience.

I never really got into comics, despite buying Young Marvelman in my teens and having a letter published and paid for twice in its correspondence columns. At that time I was reading sf and seeing images in my head; I didn’t need artists to interpret them, and I still don’t. I’ll just say I hate fanzine review columns and fast forward through them unless they mention mine. This didn’t. Oh, yes, I see it listed it. Thanks a lot.

Grandchildren are great, Milt. What more can I say. Not only do they provide substantial evidence that your genes have got somewhere other than in your own body, but they dress up and giggle and entertain you, and occasionally boss you about. You enjoy their childishness whilst still maintain an air of arrogant adult superiority, and that is a great feeling.

29 Unlike Lloyd Penney I am no longer obsessed or even interested in finding intelligence and civilizations outside our own. That was never part of the appeal of sf for me. I liked stories which came out of distinctly human sensibilities, which addressed strange concept s by distilling them down into stuff we could all understand. I wasn’t interested in Mission of Gravity, for instance, because of the in‐depth pictures it drew on an alien world, but because it showed intelligent beings working together to solve problems. My own sf for what it’s worth is now purely observational. I stand apart and look at alien and non‐alien situations and try to see how you and I would figure in them. Needless to say, it doesn’t sell crap.

Well John. Now it is no less muggier than it was, but I still have my underpants on. Does this count as a loc, or merely the rambling of a madman? See you later.

Graham

{Graham, the merest imagining of you in underwear is enough to give me nightmares. Especially since you are a borderline madman. A fun madman, but the key word is “madman.” In the meantime, thank you for this loc. (*) You and I share the same appeal of science fiction in reading about humans or aliens reacting to and solving problems. That is the kind of story I enjoy a lot, too.}

Brad Foster –who now has a new email address: [email protected] ; A.B. Kynock – who sent a DVD of new artwork which shall start getting used in Askew #16; Mike Meara; Ian Millsted – “Sadly, I fear that this whole area of intolerance may get worse before it gets better. Sometimes things have to be brought out into the open in order to be resolved and worked through. The only cons I've attended since Loncon3 have been the local‐to‐me Bristolcons which are exemplary in being positive and reaching out to all groups. I may be a 49 year old white heterosexual male but the last thing I want is to go to an sf convention where I will only meet others like me. I write this just days after events in Orlando. Do we really need further debate on this?” ; Charles Rector – supplying more interesting ideas for articles; Steve Stiles – sent his Corflu zine, Sam #18, and hinting at artwork to come; John Thiel; and Taral Wayne – who likes the idea behind Shitgibbon – the Rant‐ Thology. See the “What’s Next” page in this issue for more on that project.

He's the crimson in your face du jour, the fiddler in your darkest night. He's the melody without a cure and Rome is burning, but that's all right. Just slip into the arms of the disco strangler.

Once again, this listing has been edited down: I have kept gaming, anime, and comic conventions to a minimum here, but have included those events that appear to be of significance for these genres. Yeah, it’s subjective, but should help keep things under control. After all, SF&F related events are extraordinarily numerous. Several Unlimited Summer Party

Club event (Presumably July 2016) Greater Houston, TX area Come together with fellow fans! RSVPs preferred. And tell your friends!

Texas ComiCon 2016

Comics & gaming July 8-10, 2016 San Antonio Shrine Auditorium 901 North Loop 1604 W. San Antonio, TX 78258 San Antonio, TX area Celebrities, Dealers, Artist Alley, Gaming, Kids' Costume Contest, etc.

Take another shot of courage Wonder why the right words never come You just get numb .

31 ArmadilloCon 38

Literary science fiction con. July 29-31, 2016 Omni South Park Hotel 4140 Governor's Row Austin, TX 78744

Austin, TX area

Guest of Honor: Wesley Chu Special Guest (Artist): Dominick Saporano Artist Guest: Christina Hess Editor Guest: Joe Monti Fan Guest: Ken Keller Toastmaster: Joe McKinney Panels, Art Show, Gaming, Charity, Full Day Writer's Workshop, Dealer's Room, and more! ArmadilloCon is a literary science fiction convention held annually in Austin, with several hundred attendees. We are a place where the smartest people in the world gather to celebrate their uniqueness and intelligence. Oh, and we talk about books too. The primary focus of ArmadilloCon is literary science fiction, but that's not all we do -- we also pay attention to art, animation, science, media, and gaming. Every year, dozens of professional writers, artists and editors attend the convention. We invite you to attend the convention especially if you are a fan of reading, writing, meeting, sighting, feeding, knighting, and all the other things folks do at a sci-f/fantasy convention. Sponsored by the Fandom Association of Central Texas, a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization

Glitch Con 2016: Into The Wasteland

"A fandom oriented convention focusing on Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, and Anime." July 29-31, 2016 Holiday Inn & Convention Center Springdale, Arkansas area Glitchcon is a multi-genre convention focusing in areas such as Sci-Fi, Anime, Gaming, and Tabletop. We sport some of the best and coolest events in the region with the largest Tabletop Room where you can join in with local gamemasters or host your own game! We offer a full weekend of panels, chances to meeting the guests up close and personal, voice actor lead panels, a cosplay contest with amazing prizes, an amazing artist alleyway as well as vendor room and much much much more!

All this gratification and sick conversation Someone get me out of town Oh well, it's been a good day in hell And tomorrow I'll be glory bound

32 MidAmeriCon II, the 74rd World Con

August 17-21, 2016 Kansas City Convention Center and Bartle Hall 301 West 13th Street, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO 64105 Kansas City, MO GOH: Kinuko Y. Craft GOH: Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden GOH: Tamora Pierce GOH: Michael Swanwick Toastmaster: Pat Cadigan Five days of programming on hundreds of topics from books to media, from art to costuming, from movies to television to anime, from science fiction to science fact, as well as an art show, masquerades, the Hugo Awards ceremony, dealer's rooms, and much more!

CTC GeekFest 2015

August 19-21, 2016 Mayborn Planetarium & Space Theater Killeen, TX 76540 Geekfest activities for kids and adults will include video game tournaments, contests, movie screenings, interactive video game demonstrations, presentations and entertainment by local groups and companies, vendor booths and a silent auction. Yes, the Humans vs Zombies competition is back along with two showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Bubonicon 48: Rockets, Robots, & Rayguns (The 3 R's)

Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention August 26-28, 2016 Albuquerque Marriott Uptown 2101 Louisiana Blvd NE (Louisiana & I-40) Albuquerque, NM 87110 Albuquerque, New Mexico area Co-GOH: Rachel Caine Co-GOH: David Gerrold Toastmaster: Joe R. Landsdale Guest Artist: Lee Moyer Panels, Art Show, Dealers Room, Gaming, Auctions, Film Screenings, Readings, Autographs, Filking, Science Talk, Costume Contest, Green Slime Awards, Fan Programming, and more! Presented by the NMSF Conference in association with various kind folks of the Albuquerque SF clubs. Bubonicon 48 will benefit at least the Williamson Library Collection at Eastern NM University, the Roadrunner Food Bank, and the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation. Bubonicon 47 gave away $6,000 to the charities/non-profit organizations!

Amazing Houston Comic Con

"[B]est and brightest in comic book and pop entertainment." September 9-11, 2016 George R. Brown Convention Center 1001 Avenida De Las Americas Houston, TX 77010 Hilton Americas Houston Houston, TX (downtown Houston, Texas area) Meet your favorite creators and celebrities at this 3-day event, filled with a giant exhibitors hall, an international artist alley, video game arena, hundreds of people in costume and more. There is something for everyone at the Amazing Houston Comic Con, from After Hours parties to family fun on Sunday Kid’s Day!

SoCON

Mini Comic Con September 17, 2016 9 AM-5 PM Tulsa County Parks South County Recreation Center 13800 S. Peoria Bixby, OK 74008 (within Glenpool City Limits) Free to the public family event with a variety of vendors, gaming tournaments, a cosplay contest run by professional judges, door prizes, & food trucks. SoCON is dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of an event that celebrates the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. SoCON is a fusion of events, sponsors and participation. Activities include breakout sessions, vendors galore, costume contest, and art displays appropriate for all ages and a multitude of photo opportunities. See Facebook page for complete rules and Cosplay Contest details.

Houston FanFair 2016

Comicpalooza Presents: Houston FanFair is a fan appreciation media-centered event bringing the best of pop culture to Houston. (Presumably September 2016) George R. Brown Convention Center 1001 Avenidas de las Americas Houston, TX 77010 (downtown Houston, Texas area) Fan appreciation event to show how much we love our fans and want to continue bringing fun and affordable pop-culture events to the City of Houston year round.

34 Fencon XIII: Magical Journeys

A Fan-Operated Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary and Filk Convention September 23-25, 2016 Westin DFW Airport 4545 West John W Carpenter Freeway (SH 114 at Ester's Road) Irving, TX 75063 (DFW Metroplex area) Guest of Honor: Jim C. Hines Music Guest of Honor: Bill and Brenda Sutton Artist Guest of Honor: Kristina Carroll Fen Guest of Honor: Sara Felix Science Guest of Honor: Michael S. Brotherton Toastmaster: Ester Friesner Special Workshop Guest: Cat Rambo FenCon XIII will also be hosting this year's 1632 MiniCon with Guest Eric Flint Art Show & Auction, Dealers Room, Panels, Concerts, Filking, Short Story Contest, Writers Workshop, Children's Programming, Masquerade, Readings, Gaming, Demos, and lots more! FenCon is a production of the Dallas Future Society, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of science, literature, and music for the future of all mankind. Wizard World Austin

Comic Con September 23-25, 2016 Austin Convention Center 500 East Cesar Chavez Street Austin, TX 78701 Austin, TX area Comics, Celebrity Guests, Artist Alley, Panel discussions, Masquerade Ball (extra fee), Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles, Anime, Manga & More! Konsplosion

September 23-25, 2016 Science Fiction, Fantasy, Anime, Gaming, etc. con Fort Smith Convention Center 55 South Seventh Fort Smith AR Holiday Inn City Center ["overflow hotel"] 700 Rogers Avenue Fort Smith, AR 72901 Ft Smith, Arkansas area A Joining Of Forces! Anime, Comics, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, Larp, Pop Culture, and More! Guests, Activities, Vendors, Artists, Tabletop Gaming, Cosplay, Video Games, Nerf Wars, Live Performances, Dances, Stage Shows, Card Gaming, Prizes, Classes, Panels, and so much more!

35 RealmsCon

Comics, Anime, Gaming, Multimedia Convention & Community September 30-October 2, 2016 Emerald Beach Hotel 1102 South Shoreline Dr Corpus Christi, Texas, 78401 Corpus Christi, TX area Realm’s Con is a three-day, multimedia convention held annually in Corpus Christi, Texas. If you love anime, gaming, horror, comic books and having a fun time, this is the convention for you! Anime Dating Game, AMV (Anime Music Video), Anime Jeopardy, Cosplay, Dead or Alive Volleyball Tournament, The Katamari, Movie Rooms, Panels, Pool Party, Rave, Scavenger Hunt, Table Top Tournaments, Video Game Tournaments, Workshops, and SO MUCH MORE!!!

CONtraflow VI

Science Fiction & Fantasy Literary Convention with a New Orleans Flair. September 30-October 2, 2016 New Orleans Airport Hilton Kenner, Louisiana New Orleans, LA area Fanzine Lounge and Filk Salon. Focuses on science fiction, fantasy, comics, and related literary genres in any form, including but not limited to writing, visual arts, dramatic arts, and interactive fiction. Panels, Dealers Room, Gaming, Art Gallery, Fund Raising Auctions, Costume Contest, Dances, Room Parties, Artist Alley, Kids Con, Hearts Tournament, plus much more! In fulfillment of CONtraflow’s mission to promote all types of Science Fiction and Fantasy literature, the charity is still New Orleans Public Library. Corporate Sponsor: Bayou Images Screen Printing Club and Fan Group Sponsors: Area 504, Krewe of the Enterprise, USS Corsair (NCC 26556)

Alamo City Comic Con

Comics con October 28-30, 2016 Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center 200 East Market St. San Antonio, TX 78205 San Antonio, TX area Celebration of the comic arts in San Antonio, Texas. You’ll find top-tier talent in the form of comic book artists, writers and publishers. You can also find many of your favorite actors from movies and television to comics and pop culture in general. We offer the opportunity to meet, get autographs, take photos and view panels with some of your favorite celebs, artists and writers. You can also purchase your favorite comics, collectibles, and toys from all our exhibitors.

36 Brazos Valley STX Comic Con

Comics November 5-6, 2016 Brazos County Expo Bryan, TX area Millenniumcon 19

Historical Miniatures Game Convention November 11-13, 2016 Wingate Hotel & Convention Center Round Rock, TX NORTH of Austin. This is in the Round Rock / Central Texas area Millennium 19 is a three day convention that supports Tabletop Wargaming with Historical Miniatures. We provide a unique event to celebrate our passion for playing wargames and crafting the miniatures and terrain used in these games. While we do focus on games involving historical time periods, our convention caters to many different gaming tastes and styles. Unlike other conventions that support multiple genres, we don't have one group trying to be all things to all people. There are also a limited number of RPG games but the emphasis is on miniatures games. Because of our focus on miniatures, we are proud to call Millennium 18 the largest miniature convention in Texas. How to Submit a Game at MillenniumCon: Please login to http://millenniumcon.gamecon.us/reg/ and click on 'Submit a New Event'. You will need to create an account if you don't have one. Table Size Our standard table is 8' x 5'. For smaller games please select a 6' X 18" table. Larger tables are extremely limited. Convention Pre-registration and event signup will open October 2014. During the pre-registration period, you will register for 3-Day passes only. Single Day passes will be available at the convention. Dickens on the Strand

Galveston's World Famous Victorian Holiday Festival WEAR A VICTORIAN COSTUME FOR 1/2 PRICE ADMISSION! (Presumably December 2016) Strand National Historic Landmark District Strand & Mechanic Streets between 20th & 25th Galveston, Texas The annual holiday street festival, based on 19th-century Victorian London, features parades, non-stop entertainment on six stages, strolling carolers, roving musicians, bagpipers, jugglers and a host of other entertainers. Costumed vendors peddle their wares from street stalls and rolling carts laden with holiday food and drink, Victorian-inspired crafts, clothing, jewelry, holiday decorations and gift items. Continuous entertainment on several stages, over 150 craft and food vendors, children’s activities abound at Piccadilly Circus, 3 grand parades, Victorian Bed Races, London Wharf and the Official Tall Ship of Texas ELISSA, GHF Member’s Club, Costume Contests, Scrooge’s Scavenger Hunt and wonderful special events throughout the weekend.

First off, clever readers with a musical bent should have noticed by now that there have been bottom of the page text boxes with lyrics from assorted Eagles songs. This is because one of that band’s founding members, Glenn Frey, died a few months ago at the age of 67. I freely admit that I have been a fan of the Eagles from day one. When they were touring in support of their landmark Hotel California album, the band played at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Twins (baseball), Vikings (football), and at that time, the Kicks (soccer) professional sports teams, on August 1, 1978. Two other bands played before the Eagles did their set, and the only one I can remember is Pablo Cruise. Over 60,000 people jammed into a stadium that could only seat 46,000, which means another 14,000 were on the playing field. I wanted to go in the worst way, but the tickets sold out in no time flat. The overhead photo of the concert published the next day on page one of the Minneapolis Tribune was something else. *sigh* I wish I could have been there. Still, the music lives on, and I thank Glenn Frey for being part of my musical memories. RIP, kind sir.

On other notes of import, even though this issue is being finished just after the Fourth of July weekend, 2016, I am still calling it the June, 2016 issue because (1) I can, and (2) I really, really, really want to stick to a quarterly schedule in order to make the 40th issue appear next March, which would be the – ta‐da! – Tenth Anniversary Issue! Collect the whole set! And if you call in the next fifteen seconds….

*whap!* The person responsible for the previous outburst has been sacked.

Seriously, though, I really, really, really want to make the Tenth Annish a very special one. So that gives people a fair amount of lead time to get something written, drawn, or scribbled and sent for inclusion. I thank you in advance. And don’t forget that the deadline for Shitgibbon: the Rant‐Thology is October 1, 2016, because I really, really, really want to get that posted to efanzines the week before election day in the USofA. See page 13 for fuller details on this fanzine project. *sigh* Sometimes I wonder why I do these things.

With that, this issue is a wrap, which means it is now time to look it over, pruf‐rede for errors, ensure that a handful of typos and misplaced commas are left in place, then convert this sucker to pdf and fire the file off to Bill Burns, esq., so that this sucker can find its home on efanzines.com. Thank you, one and all, for again making this fanzine come alive and be so much fun to assemble. Until next issue, keep your stick on the ice.

John Purcell