SOUTHERN FANDOM CONFEDERATION HANDBOOK 1997 SFC HANDBOOK & HISTORY Compiled by T.K.F, Weisskopf Editorial & publishing staff: Maurine Dorris Hank Davis Tim Lane Bill Francis Greg Bridges Janice Gelb Tom Feller Joel Zakem Ruth Sheilds Ken Moore Judy Bemis Sam Smith (electronic version) Becky Thompson Richard Brandt Contributing authors: Ray Foldhazi Meade Frierson III Sharon Rice Guy H. Lillian III JoAnn Montalbano Steve & Sue Francis Lon Atkins Jerry Page Ned Brooks Binker Hughes Ed Kramer Larry Montgomery Harry Warner, Jr. P.L. Caruthers-Montgomery Don Walsh Irvin Koch Lee Hoffman Dan Caldwell Hank Reinhardt, MSA Susan Stockell Julie Wall Further help and moral support was given by: Charlotte Proctor Marie Miesel, Richard & Nicki Lynch, Joe Siclari, mike weber J.R. Madden, Chloie Airoldi, Tim Gatewood, Patrick Molloy Charles Dickens, David Weber, Glen Brock, Steve Curt Phillips Hughes, Bob Madle, George Wells, Dee Holtsclaw, Bob Roehm Ben Yalow, Katie Baen & Baen Books. Typo Gary Robe Consultant: Roger Sims. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All work is copyright by the individual authors. Any unsigned work is probably by T.K.F. Weisskopf, comments in brackets [ihus] definitely are. Portions of this zine have been previously published in fanzines or program booklets. In some cases the material has been substantially revised (either by T.K.F. Weisskopf or the author). Art: Following long SFC tradtion of reusing artwork forever, note that the front cover art by D. Birdsong was first used in 1977. Cover altered and pasted up by the nimble fingers of Hank “Always There When I Need Him at the Last Minute” Davis. Much of the rest of the art I shoe-homed in is from convention badges & flyers. If I know or can give a good guess at the artist, I’ve done so on at the end of the zine; if not, not. In 1988 Atlanta Worldcon Inc. gave a grant to the Service Mark Protection Committee of the WSFS—they earned their keep. Hence the following Service Mark Notice: “World Science Fiction Society, ” “WSFS,” “World Science Fiction Convention,” “Worldcon,” “NASFiC” and “Hugo Award” are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. To join the SFC send $10 to Treasurer Judy Bemis at 1405 Waterwinds Ct., Wake Forest, NC, 27587. Club or convention membership is $50 annually. All checks should be payable to the Southern Fandom Confederation. Letters of comment can be sent to the editor, c/oTom Feller, RO. Box 13626, Jackson, MS 39236, or to Tom Feller via e-mail to: [email protected]. 1997 Southern Fandom Confederation Handbook & History CONTENTS INTRODUCTION What is This Big OV Zine? by T.K.F. Weisskopf........................................... 1 What is the SFC? by Meade Frierson, III.................................................... 2 Where is "The South”? by PL. Caruthers-Montgomery............................... 2 Required Reading If You Do Not Know What Fandom Means by Meade Frierson III................................................................ 3 The Birth of the SFC by Meade Frierson III................................................ 4 The SFC Bulletins, PM by T.K.F. Weisskopf................................................. 5 Officers of the SFC—chart.......................................................................... 5 PART I: Early Southern Fandom An Historical Perspective on Southern Fandom by Meade Frierson III....... 7 A Few More Yesterdays: The Columbia Camp by Hany Warner, Jr................ 7 Notes Towards a History of Early Southern Fans by Curt Phillips & T.K.F Weisskopf......................................... 9 The Cosmic Legion by Jerry Page...................................................................... 10 PART II: DSCs, Rebels, Rubbles & Phoenixes DSCs How it Began by Larry Montgomery.......................................................... 13 Southern Fandom Group and DeepSouthCons by Meade Frierson III .... 15 DSC Since 79 by Guy H. Lillian III........................................................... 18 A Tabular History of DSCs — chart......................................................... 21 The Rebel Award Rebel Mettle: The Rebel Winners by Guy H. Lillian III............................ 24 The Rubble Award If Life Hands You Sour Grapes— Try Making Whine: The Rubble Winners by Gary Robe........................... 26 The Phoenix Award Profiles by various hands............................................................................. 28 PART III: Regional Survey............................................................... 36 PART IV: Fanzines, Legends, & Mise. Southern Apas SFPA by Guy H. Lillian III..................................................................... 101 Reprise by Lon Atkins................................................................................. 102 All the Myriad Days by mike weber........................................................... 104 KAPA by Patrick Molloy.............................................................................. 105 SLANAPA.................................................................................................... 105 Southern Genzines Challenger.................................................................................................... 105 Mimosa......................................................................................................... 106 A Fosfax Retrospective by Timothy Lane................................................... 106 Miscellaneous Serious Stuff DSC & SFC Bylaws.................................................................................... 107 Southern Fandom on the World Wide Web by Tom Feller....................... 109 Library Resources....................................................................................... 110 The Masquerade by Maurine Dorris.......................................................... 110 Table of Southern Worldcons....................................................................... Ill Table of Southern World Fantasy Conventions.......................................... Ill Miscellaneous Silly Stuff A Bluffer’s Guide to Meeting Lee Hoffman by Lee Hoffman..................... 112 An Excerpt from The Hearts Primer by Lon Atkins.................................. 113 Southern Fried Fandom by JoAnn Montalbano......................................... 114 A Short Biased History of Southern Fandom Pie Throwing by “Carleton Grindle”..................................................................... 115 Behind the Legend by Jerry Page............................................................... 116 Truth at Last by Hank Reinhardt............................................................... 119 WHAT /S THIS BIG OL' ZINE AND WHY DID WEISSKOPF PUT IT TOGETHER? Southern fandom is something special. Of course, just plain old science fiction fandom is an in­ credibly neat thing, a cultural phenomenon unique to the twentieth century, an amorphous bundle of splendid contradictions. But Southern fandom is a particularly nice part of that amorphous bundle. This zine is an attempt to show why, and in so doing keep it flourishing. As I write this, in mid-1997, there are SF conventions held almost every weekend in the South, attended by thousands of people. There's a list in this zine, but it will be out of date quickly. For new listings check out Science Fiction Chronicle or Locus, or subscribe to Con-Temporal (Pegasus Publish­ ing, 2501 W. Sublett, #890, Arlington, TX 76017) or just read Mad Dog Madden's list of Southern cons published in the SFC Bulletins. But despite this plethora of entertainments available, the ques­ tion has arisen, is fandom dying? Specifically, has Southern fandom faded like yesterday's magnolia blossom and been taken over by kudzu? One of the things that made modem Southern fandom as cohesive as it is-—not very, but more so than other regions—was the Southern Fandom Confederation. Some history of the organization is contained below, but for many years the SFC was Meade Frierson's baby. He ran listings of conven­ tions, updates on clubs, fanzines, media events, pros living in the South—contained in his Bulletins was everything that might possibly be of interest to the widely scattered Southern fans of the 70s who became the peripetetic fan organizers of the ‘80s. And it was the SFC Bulletin that got me into fandom. So when there was some talk of possibly disbanding the SFC because Southern fandom didn't really seem to require it any more, I reacted vis- cerally. Aiee, thought I. As there was a surplus in the budget, it seemed to me a distinct possibility that the SFC might go out with a bang—a party at a DeepSouthCon, for instance. Fun, true, but if the SFC was going to die, I wanted to see a more tangible tribute. Out-going SFC president Sue Francis had asked in the SFC Bulletin and at the business meeting in Nashville, “Whither SFC?” Well, I thought it would be hard to say where the SFC should go without knowing where it, and Southern fandom, have been. Hence my proposed project: a summing up of the history of the SFC, DSCs & Southern fandom in general. After making my proposal at the “sex & donuts” meeting at the crack of dawn on a wet Sunday morning in Lebanon, Tennessee, I was overwhelmed by a wonderful surge of volunteers from all over the South. Since, happily, it looks like the SFC will keep on truckin' under the leadership of Tom Feller, this history will of necessity be incomplete. As for the handbook part of it, I think I've covered most of the larger organizations devoted to SF alive in