Fanzine Lounge in Action! The Drink Tank 171 Cover photo from Jean Martin of Mette, The people are was partying, there was Brian, Kevein Roche, Karen Tully, dude the best part of any con dancing, there was flirt- whose name I’ve forgotten, Jason Scha- and here there was no ing (and a LOT of flirt- chat Karisu and probably a couple of shortage of great folks. ing this year), there was others letting loose in the Lounge some- And most of the people costuming, there was time after 2:30 am on Sunday of Bay- I wanted to come by the zining, there was sing- Con. Fanzine Lounge came ing, there were action by the Fanzine Lounge. shooting sports (Jason If’n you’re lookin’ for a full report Jon deCles, one of the Schachat is very good on BayCon, the next SF/SF will have founders of the SCA with a blow gun) and it. It’ll basially say this, when boiled and a long-time fixture there were so many dif- down to syrup: it was a great time. around fandom, spent ferent things going on in Yeah, there were minor problems, a a few hours around, there. I was very happy few things thrown at us that might not including a wonderful with the way it turned have been optimal, but it was a great hour and a half with out. There were quiet time. Far better than last year and eas- me, RJ and Milt Ste- times, there were loud ily my favourite one since 2005 when I vens where we talked times, there were peri- was Toastmaster. the old days and just had a good time. ods of boredom, but there was always The big deal with BayCon 2008 I’d met him briefly once before but this something happening, whether or not was the new facility, the Hyatt Santa was the first time I talked to him (and it was entertaining being beside the Clara. The good was really good: big- that Kevin Roche gave me the rundown point. The lounge was a giant success. ger space, attached Convention Centre on how the effect Jon had upon his And one other problem was which opened things up to a huge new life). Tim Powers stopped by, though Chris Knight couldn’t make it to run Dealers Room, really good food with a I wasn’t around. It was OK because Trailer Park. That was a rough point reasonably priced but well-appointed we chatted a bunch a few other times. as he’s done it all but one year in the buffet and a beaturiful lobby. The There was Jean Martin, David Moyce, last ten (which is the one time I’ve done downside was the size of the big event Espana, and so many other SF regu- it in the past). They asked me to do it room was only 208 or so, meaning that lars. We had people popping by when and I recruited Jason Schachat and 1/10th of the con could fit in there we were a quiet-ish Lounge during the Derek McCaw of FanboyPlanet.com. for the Masq, and people were turned day, and folks flooding in when we The folks pulled off a bunch of trailers away. That’s a rough one. The sleep- were something resembling a party in from Apple.com and we did little intros. ing rooms were nice, but smaller than the evening. There were game trailers and many would have liked, and the party OK, it was a party room, more or some short films and movie trailers. floor was congested. We were spoiled less, and it was a blast. I thought the idea of combining all of by the DoubleTree. The party patio was Kevin Roche and Leigh Ann both those together in one program was a an amazing valve that allowed for some noted that the Fanzine Lounge was, really good idea. The audience only of the party pressure to be relieved. in many ways, a convention in and of half-agreed. They wanted movie trail- itself. There was programming, there ers and nothing but, which was weird. gree. A couple of them were great have to worry about either of you going hits and one or two were too long too far. That’s always an issue: know- or didn’t seem to have a point. On ing when to say when. We’ve both got the other hand, I thought that the that down, though. entire thing went really well. Derek And so, BayCon was a good time and Jason and I got some laughs and I’m glad I got to see so many of and maybe even taught a thing ro my friends and make a couple of more. two to the audience. I’d be happy to Next year, I wanna run the Lounge, I do it again want to do something like The Match There were some small prob- Game (Perhaps Hollywood Squares?) lems, like at any con, but mostly and if they need me, Trailer Park. the fun was what folks walked away Other than those, I don’t think I’ll do with. I was happy to see my buddy as much. Of course, I won’t stay up as Christian McGuire (and not only late either. I say that now, but when because he gave me a $500 check the time comes, it’ll 4am and I’ll still be for TAFF!). He’s a good guy and we buzzed wandering down to get another chatted a good deal. He’s one of bucket-full of ice to keep the party roll- those fixtures of fandom and even ing just a few more minutes. though I beat him like a baby seal This issure features a couple of in the TAFF race, the guy’s still article debuts: Dwain Kaiser, one of entertaining and will even still talk those fans who remembers when it was to me! Ed Green, who has grace- The Olden Days, with a little piece he fully appeared in these pages a few wrote in the Lounge, and there’s Steve times, was there and sadly I only Stiles with his debut Art and LoC, as had a few minutes to chat with him. well as Mr. McGuire with a drunken There was also Tadao. The man is a rambling and so very much more. And legend and I’m glad to be able to see away we go, onward! him as often as I have been over the last six months or so. That picture over there is one of my faves from the con. They’re just so darn cute! And of course, Linda, pa- Poi spinning photo by RJ Johnson tience of a Saint, was there and while we didn’t get to spend as There were a few folks who called out much time together as I’d have liked, we for game trailers, and a few that were snuggled up a few times and on Sun- really funny and the crowd liked. The day we partied hard. It’s nice to have Short Films were troubling to a de- a girlfriend you can party with and not You, on the other, have a damn fine seems like whenever I’ve scheduled Letter Graded Mail claim to being well-more-than-worthy time at the drawing board (which is also sent to garcia@computerhistory,org of a win. falling apart), something always comes up to hinder that. There’s art that I‘ve by my gentle readers promised John Purcell and Earl Kemp for over a month now, and despite my Let’s begin with an honor: art best efforts I’ve been blocked. The illo and words from one of the legends, I’m sending you now is a good example Rotsler Award winner and all-around of that: I’m reworking a panel of mine fanzinista...Steve Stiles! from HYPER Comics to learn Photoshop. Dear Chris, No sooner had I started on it, shortly First of all, I never had the honor after Corflu Silver, than my basement of killing Hitler: It was the Human Torch and family room flooded. It smells who did it, actually. The flaming android like two dozen wet dogs in our entire incinerated the murderous madman in house. Maybe dead dogs. I’m going to be his bunker as the Russians closed in on working on cleaning up this mess for at Berlin in the final days of WW II. With least the next two weeks. his dying, lying, breath the fried Fuhrer You had kindly offered to draw instructed his Nutzi henchmen to tell the something for an issue a year or so world that he had died by his own hand. ago, and I just never got my ass into Strange but true: Look it up. gear to eMail you back with details. Come off it, I know the whole Now, as to your Cons, that Mea Culpa. Flooded basements might Invaders thing was just a cover for certainly puts the finger on my problem be the worst. I’ve never experienced your swatch of destruction! as for the most part the Hugo Voting because 1) I live in Cali and we don’t It sure is nice to get annually audience are convention fans rather have basements and 2) Floods are the nominated for the Hugo, after, what, than fanzine fans, and, due to no time least of our problems. some 30+ years of inexplicable and little money, my con going and So….