Handicapping The Hugos 2011 Editors: Chris Garcia and James Bacon As always, it’s amazing to be on the bal- Montgomery, Claire Brialey, Mike, John Hertz, have nothing but respect for this year’s admins, lot again! I’m so happy that we did another great Cousin Claire, Dann Lopez, Kevin Standlee, but I really think they took too loose a hand this year. I have to start by thanking Mr. James Bacon. Brianna SpaceKat-Wu, John Coxon, Graham year and should have made some rulings. It hap- I love that guy! He’s done great stuff, the two Charnock, Paul Cornell, Espana Sheriff, Leigh pens. most visible and impressive issues of last year, Ann, Jean Martin, MIKO (MikoFact - MIko was On the other hand, this team seems to The Clarkes and the Hugo for Best Novel is- famously turned away from Ellis Island for not be the best that’ve been around, they’re just sue, OH, make that three with the Hitman issue, being huddled enough), Spike, Tom Becker, Bruce placed in dumb situations because of the weak- were all sorts of James, and he was around all Gillespie, Earl Kemp, Jan Stinson, Jerry Kaufman, ness of our rules. So it goes. year to make the zine as good as it could be! I’m Joel Zakem, Chris Marble, Mike, Radio, Lux, Cyn- So, this is the look at all the categories so happy to see that he’s on the ballot as himself thia, Jason Wiener, JB Whaley and so many oth- (except for the Campbell because it’s NOT A for Best Fan Writer. I assure you, he’s going to ers! SO many great people! HUGO!) and some snark, some fun and some destroy me in the voting! OK, this issue is going to be fun. I’ll look folks making comments along with me! I’ve got a lot of folks to thank. First off, at all the categories and the various things. I do Mo Starkey, on the ballot for the first time her- think the administrators blew it a bit this year self, has been doing great covers and art for The when it comes to PodCasts. There are two Pod- Drink Tank for a few years and it’s great to see Casts in two separate categories. I’ve listened to her up there. Thanks, MO! both, neither one seems that fundamentally dif- The greatest disappointment for me was ferent from the other. So why are PodCasts the the lack of Taral Wayne on the Best Fan Writer only things allowed to exist in two categories at ballot. He’s done so much for so many zines that once? I really hate that the answer always seems he really should be up there. Thanks, Taral! Even to be the same: Vox populi, vox Dei. It fails! I’m though I’ve not been the best of all possible sorry, we need guidelines in which the populi to zines to showcase your stuff, you keep sendin’ it vox properly. We have terribly weak definitions my way and I could not be happier! and we need to strengthen them! If two things Bill Burns made all this possible. Without that are the same can be put into two catego- eFanzines.com, there would be no Drink Tank. I ries simply based on where people vote them wouldn’t be a Fan Writer at all. Thanks, Bill! to, then that has to hold for everything. There’s And, of course, there’s the folks who’ve nothing special about PodCasts that make them been sending things along and letting me write immune to the rules of the other categories. If for them. Frank Wu, Warren Buff, Steve Green, one had been nominated for a specific episode Steven H Silver, Guy Lillian, Joe Major, Niall Har- and the other for the entire year’s of run, I’d rison, Brad W. Foster, Steve Stiles, Lloyd Penney, have bought it. John Purcell, Jay Lake, Judith Morel, M, SaBean, But it wasn’t. Daniel Kimmel, Mike Perschon, Jay, Jason Scha- We need to get serious and we need our chat, Kevin Roche, Andy Trembley, Padraig, Helen administrators to administrate more strongly. I Comments on Our Choices? [email protected]! Best Fan Artist The Drink Tank. Last Year’s Winner – Brad W. Foster Positives – One of the greatest fan artists of all- Most Wins in the Category – Brad W. Foster with 7 time, a Rotsler winner. First time Nominees – MO STARKEY!, Randall Munroe Negatives – Perhaps a bit less visible over the Missing from the list – Sue Mason, Ditmar (still a last year or so crime!), Brianna SpaceKat-Wu, Craig Smith, Frank It hurts to not say that Stiles should be Wu, Andy Trembley (Photographers have never made taking one of these home with him, but alas, I the ballot, I believe) don’t think this is his year. Still, he’s an amazing artist, one of the best that have ever graced fan- Fifth – Steve Stiles zines. Previous Nominations – Eleven of ‘em! Odds – 7-to-1 My Favorite Piece of his 2010 – The Cover im- age for Earl Kemp’s eI 52. I love that one. Fourth – Mo Starkey Appearances in Garcia Zines – Several, most no- Previous Nominations – None tably a couple of exceptional abstract covers for My favorite of her pieces in 2010 – Personally, I love the Tiki cover she did for the Drink Tank 239, but the one she did for Andy Trembley’s iKi- nook Reader was amazing! Appearances in Garcia Zines – She’s done a ton of covers for The Drink Tank, the cover for Jour- ney Planet 2, and is currently doing the art for 52 Weeks to Science Fiction Film Literacy. Positives – She’s been doing great stuff in some Third – Brad W. Foster very visible zines and Reno is in her Wheelhouse, Previous Nominations – 22 with 7 wins! as it were, and has the dreaded BASFA voting My Favorite Piece of his 2010 – Wow, hard to say. bloc behind her. I gotta go with the Bull for eI issue 51, though Negatives – First year on the ballot, not in a lot he did have an amazing piece in the most recent of the biggest zines. Exhibition Hall, but that’s 2011. I’d love to say that she’d be walking off Appearances in Garcia Zines – Tons, covers and with the Rocket, but I just don’t see it happen- interior art and on and on... ing, as much as that hurts. I really think she does Positives – One of the most-beloved Fan Artists great work and no other nomination made me in history, A Rotsler winner, who has been do- personally happier. Still, she could surprise with ing great stuff for years and especially in recent a win at a WorldCon that’s in her backyard. years. Odds – 6-to-1 Negatives – Has won twice in the last three years. Brad’s great. I totally think he’s one of Second – Taral Wayne Winner – Randall Munroe Previous Nominations Previous Nomiantions – None – Nine My favorite piece of his in 2010 – http://xkcd. My favorite piece of his com/857/ 2010 – IS in The Drink Appearances in Garcia Zines – None. Tank 259, on the Editorial Positives – xkcd is a massive hit and even I think page! It’s got me with a it’s pretty funny. gun at my head! Negatives – I’ve not found any zines or the like Appearances in Garcia where he’s appeared. ZInes – Too many to men- It’s just about dead certain that Best Fan tion, especially in the area Artist will fall for what Best Fan Writer has sev- of writing. eral years prior, where if you have a pro on the Positives – One of the ballot, you end up with them winning. It’s kind of biggest names in Furry a shame as there’s so much talent doing so much the best artists ever and one of the best work- Art, in Fan Art, in Fan Writing, and a Rotsler win- great stuff that to have it go to a guy who should ing out there today. His style is so distinctive, so ner also. be in the Best Pro Artist section isn’t great, but clean and baroque and awesome! I don’t think Negatives – He’s not a superstar beyond the fan still, I do love his stuff that I’ve seen. he’ll take it this year, but it’s always good to see art community. Odds – 5-to-4 him on the ballot. I really wish I could write that he was go- Odds – 4-to-1 ing to be walking off with it, but I don’t see it just This is an interesting category and I’m because of the guy I think will be winning. It’s a thinking that it may well turn out to be the one shame because there’ve been two years where I that sees the biggest win. Randall might even win really thought he’d take it, he certainly deserved without needing a redistribute. It’s going to be it, and it never happened. the broken record, we need better definitions. Odds – 3-to-1 And so on. It’s not like we’re all clamouring to give Hugos to the folks who do art for zines or programme books. I’d not have been upset if Dave Howell had won last year, primarily for his Hugo base design, but this just feels wrong. It’s a shame that Taral and Stiles haven’t won one.