PO Box 656, Washington, DC 20044 - (202) 232-3141 - Issue #180 - March 2005 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: http://www.lambdasf.org/ The LSF Book I claim this Discussion birthday cake Group in the name of Mars!!! If you’re interested in lively discussions of F&SF books (with an emphasis on elements of interest to the LBGT community), we invite you to join Happy 15th Birthday, LSF!!! the LSF Book Discussion Group. Each month, we conduct fascinating round- US Right Attacks table discussions of works by significant SpongeBob Video F&SF authors. info passed along by Kendall The LSF Book Discussion (from an article in the online BBC Group generally meets on the 4th News, World Edition) Thursday of every month, starting at 7:00 PM, at Peter & Rob’s home: 1425 “S” US conservative groups are up St., NW -- for directions or more details, in arms over a music video featuring call 202-483-6369. The next meeting will children’s TV heroes, including the be held on March 24th. Here’s the sche- cheerful cartoon character SpongeBob dule for the next couple of meetings: SquarePants. Focus on the Family and March 24th - Frankstein by Mary Shel- other groups say the video – a remake of ley (Yes, the classic!); moderator: Scott. the Sister Sledge hit “We Are Family” – April 28th - The Salt Roads by Nalo is a vehicle for pro-gay propaganda. Hopkinson; moderator: Krista. The video’s makers plan to mail ΛΨΦ it to US schools in the spring to promote apparently because he regularly holds tolerance and diversity. The video also hands with his sidekick Patrick. Sponge- - Next LSF Meeting - features children’s favourites like Bob Bob’s creators deny that he is gay. March 13th the Builder and characters from Sesame SpongeBob is, of course, not Street and The Muppet Show. the first such character to cause con- The next Lambda Sci-Fi meeting James Dobson, founder of troversy. Back in 1999, conservatives will be held at James Crutchfield’s apart- right-wing Christian group Focus on the claimed handbag-carrying Teletubby ment (1414 17th St., NW, #413) on Sun- Family, singled out SpongeBob at a Tinky Winky (an import from the UK) day, March 13th. The business meeting black-tie dinner in Washington in the was a bad role-model. will begin at 1:30 PM; and the social meet- run-up to President Bush’s inaugura- Nile Rodgers, who wrote the ing will begin at 2:00 PM. Please bring tion, the New York Times said. song, is the founder of the We Are some munchies or soft drinks, if you can. SpongeBob (Nickelodeon) is seen as an Family Foundation (WAFF), which See you there! ΛΨΦ icon for adult gay men in the US, (continued on page 2) * * * * WHAT'S INSIDE? 32nd Annual Annie Award Winners (pg. 2); Shortlists for 2004 British Science Fiction Assn. Awards Announced (pg. 3);Short List for Arthur C. Clarke Award Announced (pg. 3);Minutes for the February LSF Meeting (pg. 4);The Adventures of ConBoy (a cartoon by Chris Browning - pg. 4);Jack L. Chalker (obituary - pg. 5);About Lambda Sci- Fi: DC Area Gaylaxians &Con Calendar (pg. 6) 1 32nd Annual Annie Award Winners info passed along by Kendall On January 30th, Disney/Pixar’s Animated Feature Production (Kevin Character Design in an Animated Televi- The Incredibles soared to victory for O’Brien). Brad Bird (as the voice of Edna sion Production Best Animated Feature, as well as taking Mode) won for Voice Acting in an Patrick Matè - Father of the Pride the nine other categories it where it Animated Feature Production — one of Directing in an Animated Television received nominations — including three the other nominees for that award was Production personal achievements trophies to Brad Samuel L. Jackson, the voice of Lucius Shaun Cashman & Phil Cummings - Bird for Writing, Directing, and Voice Best/Frozone. The Grim Adventures of Billy & Man- Acting. The Nickelodeon series, Sponge- Hilarious emcee for the evening, dy “Attack of the Clowns” Bob Squarepants, won as the Best Ani- Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob), Music in an Animated Television Pro- mated Television Production. [Ed. Note: was especially delighted to see his series duction It beat out both Star Wars: Clone Wars win the award for Best Animated Tele- Robert J. Kral - Duck Dodgers (Cartoon Network Studios) and The vision Production after the recent flack Production Design in an Animated Batman (Warner Bros. Animation). from a “Focus on the Family” spokesper- Television Production Go figure.] son calling the yellow sponge who lives Richard Daskas, - Samurai Jack “Sea- Comic book legend Stan Lee under the sea a gay character. Kenny son of Death” was especially pleased to hand out the pointed out that this is a ridiculous Storyboarding in an Animated Televi- Best Animated Feature award to The accusation — and an incredible display sion Production Incredibles, which features superhe- of intolerance — when one considers Wendy Grieb - Disney’s Dave the roes. The Incredibles predictably bested that SpongeBob is a fictional character Barbarian “The Maddening Sprite of the other nominees in that category: and a little kid — plus the fact that the Stump” Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Go Fish sponges are asexual and therefore have Voice Acting in an Animated Television Pictures, DreamWorks Animation),Shrek no sexual orientation. Production 2 (DreamWorks), and The SpongeBob Besides its shared wins with Brittany Murphy - Voice of Luane Squarepants Movie (Peanut Worm Pro- Pixar, Disney had other big victories, Platter - King of the Hill “Girl, You’ll ductions, Paramount Pictures). The including Lorenzo for Best Animated Be A Giant Soon” Incredibles also won for Character Short Subject and The Lion King 1½ for Writing in an Animated Television Design in an Animated Feature Produc- Best Entertainment Home Production. Production tion (Tony Fucile), Animated Effects Some of the other awards given were: Etan Cohen - King of the Hill “Ceci (Martin Nguyen), Character Animation Best Animated Television Commercial N’est Pas Une” (Angus MacLane), Music in an Ani- United Airlines Interview - Acme For complete listing of all award mated Feature Production (Michael Filmworks categories, nominees, and winners, go to Giacchino), Production Design in an Best Animated Television Production their website: http://annieawards.com/ Animated Feature Production (Lou SpongeBob SquarePants - Nickel- 32ndannieawardwinners.htm Romano), and Storyboarding in an odeon ΛΨΦ SpongeBob Video continued from page 1 released the new video. He says the includes a recognition of tolerance of Razors pain you; video is intended to help teach children sexual identity. “We see the video as an Rivers are damp; the values of co-operation and unity. insidious means by which the organiza- Acids stain you; “We believe that this is the essential first tion is manipulating and potentially And drugs cause cramp. step to loving thy neighbor,” he said. brainwashing kids,” Paul Batura, a Guns aren’t lawful; “And the fun and exciting format makes spokesman for Focus on the Family, told it a lesson that’s easy for children to the New York Times. Nooses give; learn.” WAFF spokesman Mark Gas smells awful; But conservatives see the video Barondeso told the newspaper that You might as well live. as a cunning attempt to promote homo- anyone who thought the video pro- sexuality. They point to the fact that moted homosexuality “needs to visit -- Dorothy Parker -- WAFF is linked to a pledge being their doctor and get their medication (Résumé, 1927) promoted by some liberal groups which increased.” ΛΨΦ 2 Shortlists for 2004 British Science Fiction Association Stephan Awards Announced Martinièère’s cover for info passed along by Kendall Newton’s Wake by Ken MacLeod The BSFA Awards are pre- River of Gods by Ian McDonald (Simon (Tor US) sented annually by the British Science and Schuster) Fiction Association, based on a vote of Stamping Butterflies by Jon Courtenay BSFA members and – in recent years – Grimwood (Gollancz SF) members of the British national science (There are six novels on the fiction convention (Eastercon). shortlist this year because there was a tie The shortlists for the 2004 in the number of nominations received.) “Iguana” awards were announced on January Best Short Fiction photo by 23rd, compiled from nominations submit- “Delhi” by Vandana Singh (So Long Sebastiao ted by BSFA members. The awards will Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Vi- Salgado be presented on March 26th at Eastercon ions of the Future, ed. by Nalo Hop- (Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK). As usu- kinson and Uppinder Mehan) al, attending members of the 2005 “Mayflower II” by Stephen Baxter (PS Eastercon as well as BSFA members will Publishing) be eligible to vote. “Point of No Return” by Jon Courtenay “The Millau Bridge” – photo by Eric The shortlists for the 2004 Grimwood (New Scientist, Christmas/ Cabanis/AFP/Getty BSFA Awards are as follows: New Year) Cover for Newton’s Wake by Ken Best Novel “The Faery Handbag” by Kelly Link (The MacLeod (Tor US) – Stephan Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Martinièère (Gollancz SF) Realm, ed. by Ellen Datlow & Terri Cover for The Algebraist by Iain M Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Windling) Banks (original photo credited to Robinson (HarperCollins) “The Wolf-Man of Alcatraz” by Howard NASA!) Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Waldrop (Scifiction, 22 September) Cover for The Year of Our War by Steph Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury) Best Artwork Swainston – Edward Miller Newton’s Wake by Ken MacLeod (Orbit) “Iguana” – photo by Sebastiao Salgado ΛΨΦ Short List for Arthur C. Clarke Award Announced info passed along by Kendall The Arthur C. Clarke Award is given annually for the best British science fiction novel from the previous year.