Panopticon West

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Convention
Name: Panopticon West
Dates: 1981-1986?
Frequency:
Location: USA
Type: fan con
Focus: Doctor Who
Organization:
Founder:
Founding Date:
URL:
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Panopticon West was a Doctor Who fan run convention in the 1980s that often had guests from the TV show. It may have been an offshoot of the Panopticon conventions which were hosted in the UK. The conventions could be quite large (in 1984 attendance swelled to over 2000), with panels, filking, and a masquerade costume contest.

Timeline

  • 1981 - Tulsa, OK with the 5th Doctor, Peter Davidson as guest.[1]
  • 1982 - Chicago, IL (held at the same time with Chicago ComicCon convention, see convention report below)
  • 1983 - Columbus, Ohio [2]. This convention also produced the Panopticon West Filk Booklet.
  • 1984 - St. Louis, MO. Attendance 2,500+[3]
  • 1985 - New Orleans, LA

  • program cover for the 1982 conventions

Convention Reports/Photos

1991

The North American Doctor Who Appreciation Society (NADWAS) and the OKON committee held Panopticon West on August 14-15 at the Camelot Hotel in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Con turned out to be a wonderful festival celebrating all eighteen years of the amazing BBC-TV science fiction production, despite various problems the Con ran into (Tom Baker and Lalla Ward being unable to arrive, the air-controller's strike, to name a few).

The Con was held at the splendid Camelot Hotel (yes, it does look like a castle!), a comfortable, spacious locale for any convention. Registration took place Friday morning when attendees discovered the programming that would make the weekend. Guests would include: Peter Davison, the new Doctor; Sanda Dickinson, an American actress and Mr. Davison's wife; John Nathan-Turner, present producer of DOCTOR WHO; science-fiction writers David F. Bischoff, C. J. Cherryh, George Clayton Johnson, Mike McQuay and Wilson 'Bob' Tucker, and Larry Wauchop, a collector of British and Japcinese Science-fiction memorabilia. Even with the air-strike, all guests were able to come.

Programming was basically the same throughout the weekend. It included: "Destiny of the Daleks" parts, 17th season)' "City of Death" (4 parts, 17th season)' undeniably the most awaited and popular episodes, "Keeper of Traken" and "Logopolis" (see article, "The Return of Evil" this issue); "An Unearthly Child", the first DW episode; "The Edge of Destruction" (2 parts, 1st season); "The Rescue" (2 parts, 2nd season)' parts 1 & 2 of "The Armageddon Factor" (16th season); other miscellaneous SF and short subjects.

Two different Dealer's Rooms were loaded with almost anything a fan could want. Every TARGET book in print was there, including the two new Programme Guides and the new 'DW and the Cybermen' book, just reprinted with snappy cover art and the recent logo. Also available were the latest monthlies and annuals, tons of photos and posters, and for the 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' fan . .. everything.

Guests Peter Davison, John Nathan-Turner, and Sandra Dickinson arrived Saturday evening safe, sound, and exhausted, to judge the masquerade. Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything about that since I was involved in the masque. But the guests were reported to be in good spirits considering seven hours jet lag. They all showed up Sunday morning for talks with the fans and later in the afternoon for a press conference (where Mr. Davison played the guitar for everyone!). The guests and fans were equally considerate and the questions/ans wers session brought up some interesting tidbits of information: John Nathan-Turner will produce a Christmas special involving Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen) and K-9 (John Leeson). Mr. Nathan-Turner would reveal nothing else about it; Mr. Nathan-Turner thinks the Master is too good for the show to have disappear for another four years (hint, hint); Mr. Davison plans on playing his Doctor as sort of a 'big brother' to his companions; the Doctor's new costume will be a beige overcoat with maroon lining and pants to match, a cricket sweater over a white shirt with question marks on the collar, and a stalk of celery on the coat lapel. To give you an idea of the talks, here are some transcripts:

Q: Are the rumors about changing the shape of the TARDIS at all true?
JNT: Two things have remained basically unchanged throughout the eighteen years of the show; the title theme and Police Box shape of the TARDIS ... I don't believe we'll change either of them.
Q: So you won't change the shape of the TARDIS? JNT: (chuckling) Won't I ?
Q: Did Tom Baker say anything to you before you took over the role?
PD: Well, we went to the BBC pub to talk and while we were there he did say something to that effect . . . but the noise In there was so tremendous, we couldn't hear a word the other was saying.
Q: Is there any such thing as a Doctor Who 'blooper reel'?
JNT: The outakes are usually junked, but If there is a realy funny one, the videotape editors will keep It. But there's no such thing as a Doctor Who reel.

On the whole the guests were kind and witty. Their panels were quite a pleasure.

Panopticon West was a wonderful con where DW fans from all over could unite for the time of their fan lives. It was a well run and organized event which I would have recommended to anyone (I know, I know .. big help four months late!)

Special thanks to the guests for coming, Tom and Lalla for trying, BBC distributors for the fantastic tapes, the con committee, and Jean Alrey for getting us out there (and back!). [1]

1982

OTL: July, 1982. Chicago, IL. Some brilliant convention planners decided to hold Chicago Comicon and the North American Dr. Who convention, Panopticon West, conterminously. The Pick Congress/ Americana Hotel was not large enough for the turnout. The air conditioning system was sorely strained, what with thousands of idiots walking around in floppy hats, scarves and long coats, while the comics fen in Batman T-shirts and shorts goggled at them, having finally met enthusiasts even more insane then they, themselves. Now, let's have one or two things happen. 1.) The A/C gives out completely, bringing the ambient temp from about 80 F to 95 F, with ~95% humidity. 2.) The local fire marshall shows up, counts the house, and tells the hoteliers that they have seriously exceeded their permitted occupancy. The Con has to send home the attendees there on a day-pass, or close up completely. Worst....cancellation....ever. [2]

Sung to "Battle Hymn of the Republic"

We roasted in the videos, we sweltered in the lines.

There were times when we were quite convinced we'd really lost our minds.

We searched in vain for pop machines that showed no empty signs

At Panopticon '82.

(Chorus) Glory Glory Hallelujah, Glory Glory Hallelujah. Glory Glory Hallelujah, We actually made it thru.


One of the huckster rooms was only two-by-two-by-four.

The fans were packed so closely that you couldn't see the floor.

We even had to stand in line to get back out the door

At Panopticon '82. (Chorus)


Sarah Sutton's presence was an asset to the place.


She smiled right through the whole order with typical British grace.

She found the time for autographs despite the frantic pace

At Panopticon '82. (Chorus)


And then there's Anthony Ainley with his very sexy grin.


Blowing kisses to his fans and making their heads spin.

And then he sang a song about the city he was in

At Panopticon '82. (Chorus)


The creator of the Daleks, Terry Nation, was there, too.

And told us bits and pieces of his years on Doctor Who.

We hope he's done a story on the preppy Doctor, too,

Since Panopticon '82. (Chorus) [3]

1983

The guests of honor were John Nathan-Turner, Anthony Ainley, Fiona Cumming, John Levene, Ian Fraser, David Saunders (from DWAS).

1984

Panopticon West 1982 was held in August of 1982 at the Pick-Congress Hotel in Chicago. Prior to the convention, I got it in my head that I had to make a Tom Baker costume and participate in the masquerade ball. Most big conventions hold a variety of functions that allow everyone to participate: masquerade balls, writing contests, art shows and auctions, filk-sings, panel discussions with guests and autograph sessions. Each convention has a dealers room filled with merchandise, professional and amateur. Rooms are set up where science fiction films and videos are played 24 hours a day. I borrowed a sewing machine and created my masterpiece. My costume consisted of knickers, a white balloon-sleeved shirt, vest, brown velvet coat, wing-tip shoes and the trademark Tom Baker scarf (which is about 14 feet long). I stuffed my pockets with paraphernalia that would have made me a player on Let's Make a Deal. Preparations complete, Desiree, our friend Tina and I piled into my dilapidated 1969 Plymouth Valiant and set out for a weekend of Doctor Who abandon. The Pick-Congress hotel was a Chicago original. Towering, ancient and totally unprepared for the 7000 fans that converged upon it. We jammed eight female Prydonian Renegades into a room suited for two. The weather was uncharacteristically hot that weekend and soon, every pop and ice machine in the hotel was empty. To make matters even worse, the hotel's air conditioning system decided to call it quits. Soon, I began hearing conventioneers begin to call the convention "sweatcon" instead of Panopticon. Despite the heat, the lack of refreshments and privacy, I'll never forget the feeling of camaraderie that developed among our group. With eight women stuffed into one room, it's tough to keep too many secrets. At night we slept with the windows open and a phone book propped in the door to allow the breeze to pass through. We laughed and roamed the halls together, listening for clues regarding the whereabouts of British guests or making fun of the "mundanes" that we saw. (Mundanes, in fandom, are the guests who are staying at the hotel who aren't there for the convention.)... Somewhere between planning and the actual event itself, a deep and silent war began to rage between the older members and the younger ones. Desiree and I, after years of watching this war and at times becoming involved, devised a secret phrase that we used to classify members of both sides. The Prydonian Renegades, we decided, were victims of the dreaded disease ESI or "Exaggerated Self-Importance." Several battles erupted. The most devastating was the one that waged on and on and on through Panopticon 1984 and several conventions beyond. Each Doctor Who convention must, to be successful, arrange for at least two guests from England to attend and participate in panels and autograph signings. Although it's great to get together with other fans and party, buy stuff, dress up and watch videos, the bottom line was that people wanted to meet celebrities and the more celebrities the better. Autograph books burned in anticipation of those sacred scribblings. Fans dreamed of meeting their favorite Doctor Who Doctors or companions by accident while buying a can of Diet Coke or eating in the hotel restaurant. Convention officials had to supply the guests but also assign certain staff members the duty of keeping track of them, shuttling them around and keeping them amused. What happened, of course, is that those chosen few that were selected to keep guests company during their stay in Columbus enjoyed their duties just a little too much. Staffers swelled with obvious pride whenever they ushered a guest into a crowded room. Staff security guards appeared too eager to keep the fans away from their charges. Soon, the sight of walkie talkies pressed urgently to lips was coupled with the whispers of "gimme a break." Other staff members with less glamorous jobs began to resent this behavior. Friction began to erode away at friendships and camaraderie slackened miserably. [4]

1986

See also

References

  1. ^ from Zeta Minor #1
  2. ^ The Nerd Riot
  3. ^ a filksong by "The Unknown Time Lords," printed in Diverse Dimensions #3
  4. ^ Essay 5, by Sandra Manning, date unknown
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