Escapade/Escapade 1996
Escapade 1996
Escapade 6 was held February 15–19, 1996.
Program Book
from the 1996 program book
from the 1996 program book
from the 1996 program book
from the 1996 program book
Programming
Friday:
- Paired Fans Revisited—Open Discussion (The most talked-about panel from last year is back! What else can we say? Is there a dark side to paired fandom? What about people who long to be half a pair and are unfulfilled?)
- Favorite Sex Scenes, led by Tina and Carol (What makes us love them? How much realism does our fantasy need (or tolerate)?)
- Cross-Class Species Relationships, led by (Megan Kent) and Colleen (The underpinnings of the modern buddy show—the radically different partners who must cooperate, and eventually come to depend on each other—are also the underpinnings of slash. From K/S to Alien Nation to DS9 to S:AAB, have we given the cultural differences short shrift, or are they part of the appeal of the characters we love?)
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The Aesthetics of Zine Production, led by Nancy (If you're thinking about doing your own zine, or if you'd just like a better appreciation of the details of zine design, come to this workshop. Presentation and discussion of design issues, plus zines exemplifying good and poor design (including Nancy's own duds and mistakes!). Handouts for those who attend. Questions, discussion, and dissenting opinion welcome.)
- Music Video Critique and Workshop, led by Media Cannibals (Roundtable critique of videos, how to tell/recognize story, POV, rhythm. Also, tricks of the trade.)
- Seminar 1: A Brief History of Slash Fandom, led by Pat and Gayle (An effort to examine how slash fandom started, what the issues facing the community were then, and how they've changed over time. From the personal perspective of two long-time fans.)
- Deep Space 9: Garak/Bashir, led by Cherri and Vicki (Can a middle-aged Cardassian spy find happiness with a young Starfleet doctor?)
- M. Fae Glasgow Bedtime Story Reading (until 9:30 p.m.) (Nancy and Joan and others will read stories Nanny never would have approved of...)
- ESCAPADE Party (Hang out in the Con Suite for music, food, drink and scintillating conversation. Serving margaritas, ceviche and dip.)
Saturday:
- Internet—Will it eat your brain? Or take you to the poorhouse?, led by Stacy and Beth (Nearly everyone has or can get access to a computer and thereby the Internet and the World Wide Web. What's out there for fans? What should you look for? What might you want to watch out for? How can you protect your pocketbook at the same time?)
- Writing Workshop; Session 1, led by Nancy, Sharon, Fiona, and Joan (How do you hold the reader's attention? A practical session, covering what questions need to be answered, what tools are available to you.)
- Seminar 2: The Fannish Social Contract, led by Kathy (What expectations, spoken and unspoken, do fans have of one another? How are they formed, agreed to, communicated and changed?)
- Starsky & Hutch: is this fandom growing or dying?, led by Stacy and Christy (Will TNT and the internet save this fandom? Does it need saving? With re-prints of old classics and a sprinkling of new stuff out there, is the fandom growing or stagnating?)
- Due South, led by Vicki and Kay (Perfectly happy couple, or the world's most dysfunctional relationship? And where does the wolf fit in?)
- Crossovers: The Awesome Extended Universe Project, led by Sandy and Nicole (Frank McPike could have known Starsky in Viet Nam (and Roger Lococco for that matter). It's a small world for fannish characters. Come help us unearth the meta-universe where all our characters have (or could have) met, worked together, and who knows what else. Guaranteed hot spots: Vietnam War, Africa, New York, Los Angeles. We're inviting everyone in order to get as wide a range of fandoms as possible.)
- Wiseguy: Hidden Agendas, led by Jill, Gayle and Kay (In addition to discussing the hidden agendas that are part of the show's plot (e.g. Roger's role as a CIA operative), we intend to dig deeper into the characters' motives. Is Vince really what he appears, an FBI agent doing his job to bring organized criminals to justice, or simply an adrenaline addict who gets off on controlling others? Why does Roger hold fast to his own almost fanatical belief in the worth of what he is doing, even as he shows clearly that he has long since ceased to have any faith in Ketcher? Was Frank really thinking of the imminent danger to his wife when he shot Sid Royce, or was it simply his own form of justice?)
- Sherlock Holmes, led by Nancy and Jane ("Watson, come here. I want you." What more can we say?)
- Character Bisexuality: Convenient fiction or character trait?, led by Dawn, Sandy, and Cath (Is this a good compromise between "We're not gay, we just love each other" and "I was gay all along and just faking it with women"? Or is this too easy? Special mention for the stereotypical bisexual villian who's evil, sexy, and can come on to everyone.)
- Writing Workshop, led by Nancy, Sharon, Fiona, and Joan (Plot. Given that in fanfic we're starting with existing characters, what do we need to do to create plots that satisfy our readers and stretch our characters? You need not have attended session one.)
- Craft Hour in the Con Suite, led by Melissa (Obviously, you're welcome at any time, but during this hour Melissa invites everyone who enjoys handwork to rest your feet and run your mouth (and fingers).)
- Seminar 3: Upheavals in Fandom, led by Nancy, (Megan Kent), (Charlotte Hill), and Cassandra (What are the events that have changed slash fandom significantly? How have they changed it? How prepared are we for future shifts?)
- The Wild Wild West, led by DeeJay (A TV series that could never have been made without modern, stretch fabric and Bob Conrad's butt! And there were other things to like, too!)
- The Professionals: How amoral do you have to be to work in CI5?, led by Christina and Kim (We've seen George Cowley threaten to addict suspects to drugs, Bodie more than ready to use physical violence, and Ray Doyle try to throw someone off a roof. Would CI5 agents really do this? Under what circumstances? Are fans willing to face (and write about) this kind of brutality?)
- Blake's 7 -- Avon; Masochist, Sadist, Both or Neither, led by Pat and Tashery (Does the series give canonical grounds for a sadomasochistic streak in Avon? And if so, how much does he admit to himself about his darker tastes, and how far would be be willing to go to act on them? Would he rather top or bottom, or does it depend on his partner? Where would he draw the line, and why? Do writers confuse Avon's kinks with their own?)
- Forever Knight: Slash vs. Non-slash, led by Kim, Mary, and Cherri (Bring supporting evidence for your position.)
- Female Heroes: Female Empowerment, or male power in women's bodies?, led by Laura, Barbara and (Charlotte Hill) (Give a woman a gun and make her really tough. Wow, cool! yes, or no? Are we celebrating women, or are we merely putting breasts on male action heroes? Heroines under discussion may include (but not be limited to) Sara Connor, Ripley, Vasquez, Thelma & Louise.)
- SONGTAPES (Thanks to Kandy and all our contributors!)
- Fan Entertainment (Skit, fan-written and fan-performed, followed by the return of performance filking.)
- Priest (watch on the big-screen TV, A stash story with a gay character, Priest offers social and emotional taboo that actually tops the "I'm straight but I'm in love with my partner" impasse: a young, zealous priest falls in love with a man, amidst a parish of pain and honest, blunt adult themes. The sex/romance is delightfully filmed and romantic,the actors are some of Britain's best, and the story is intelligent, real and honest. Priest pulls no punches, not with people, religion, faith, love or forgiveness.)
Sunday:
- Art Auction, led by Shoshanna
- Space: Above & Beyond: Second Class Citizens Shine, led by Wendy, (Charlotte Hill), Jo and Carol (In a show like Space: A&B, there Is still a moment of shining perfection: artificially engineered second-class citizens. They're better than the rest of society, they're stronger than the rest of society, society made them, and society hates them. Why does that make us want to take them home?)
- Seminar 4: Perceptions of Slash, led by Shoshanna, Sandy, and Constance (From within: Are we ashamed of our obsession? From other fandoms: Is slash less ostracized than it used to be? From society: How has increased visibility affected society's view of us (or our view of ourselves)?)
- Going Pro, led by Jane (It can be done after being a fanzine writer/artist. Tips and warnings from someone who's been there.)
- Babylon 5, led by Laura, Meg, and Carol (With all that's going on, is slash irrelevant?)
- Rock & Roll, led Sandy and (Megan Kent) (What slashy about rock and roll? From Zeppelin to the Black Crows to Nine Inch Nails—rockers are advertising and slash fans are loving it.)
- X-Files: To Slash or Not To Slash, led by Jill, Meg, and Sammie (With a juicy M/F partnership on screen, is slash a cop out?)
- Loner Slash, led by Chris and Vonne (What becomes of slash fans who fall for a show with only one guy (MacGyver, Stingray, Equalizer, Highlander)? Are we destined to write crossovers forever?)
- Seminar 5: Economics of Fandom, led by Lily, Henry, and Christina (The shift from barter to fandom-for-profit. Or is it a shift? Could fan producers tell the truth about the financial bottom line without being shot? Is there a general rule, or can we only decide on a case-by-case basis? Is fan "profit" at risk with the changes in corporate media that are happening now?)
Fan Skit
A skit was performed that included a play written and narrated by Sandy Herrold: A Dramatic Dissertation on the Role of Slash in Western Civilization, or: Sodomite, or Savior? (may also be referred to as "How Slash Can Make The World A Better Place.")
In addition, Melissa D write and performed a number of slash themed filk songs. Joining her were Charlotte Hill, Sandy Herrold and Laura A. One of the filk songs is included below.
The M Fae Glasgow Song (a tribute to M. Fae Glasgow). Sung to the tune of "Mr. Sandman" -
- M Fae Glasgow,
- Write me a zine!
- Make it more nasty
- than I've ever seen.
- Tie up the hero
- from London to Dover
- but tie him tightly so he can't roll over!
- All your stories
- are rated "X".
- I like the lack of
- consentual sex,
- so please include a spanking scene!
- M Fae Glasgow, write me a zine!
- (chorus, bum-bum-bum-bum...)
- Won't you write me
- The man of my dreams?
- Give him a pair of cuffs
- with that stainless steel gleam.
- Give him a black rubber vest
- and a whip and a saddle,
- and skin that bruises when you use a paddle!
- ETCETERA (forgot the last half of this lyric)
- M Fae Glasgow
- write me--
- please, please please!
- M Fae Glasgow,
- write me a zine!!!
Vid Show
| Song | Vidder | Fandom |
| Wild Thing | Gayle F & Tashery S. | Ray Sharkey, Wiseguy |
| Black Night Moves | Tashery S. | Roger in Wiseguy |
| Ordinary World | Morgan Dawn | Pros |
| Missing Link | T'Rhys | Blake's 7 and Jurassic Park |
| Fumbling Towards Ecstasy | Jill & Kay | Wiseguy |
| Starry, Starry Night | Sylvia Bond | B7 |
| Strong Enough | Sylvia Bond | Pros |
| Dimming of the Day | Sylvia Bond | Pros |
| Different Story | Sylvia Bond | Pros |
| I Think It’s Going to Rain | Sylvia Bond | Pros |
| The Water is Wide | Sylvia Bond | B7 |
| Bird on a Wire | Sylvia Bond | Pros (may actually be a Blake's 7 vid with Avon focus) |
| I’m the Only One | Stacey D | (S/H) |
| Little Red Corvette | Stacey D | (S/H) |
| Must Have Been Drunk | Stacey D | (S/H) |
| Too Much Love Will Kill You | Charlotte Hill | Wiseguy |
| Professionals Parody |
Convention Reports
In 1996, Michelle Christian wrote and posted a short convention report to the Virgule-L mailing list. It is reposted here with permission.
Just thought I'd post a teeny con report, so here goes: I loved it! Okay, a little more detailed.I always like smaller cons (Escapade, Z-Con, RevelCon) mainly because I feel like I can sit down and talk about stuff with the people I really want to without the stress of "so much to do, not enough time"-syndrome that goes along with a con like MediaWest. This con was no exception. And the great thing about being a slash slut (or fannish butterfly, as I prefer to think of myself) is that you can have half-a-dozen completely different conversations about completely different fandoms over the course of one weekend. I talked DUE SOUTH with a few people (the panel was kinda interesting), Blake's 7 with several others (boring an ever growing number of people with my "Avon's Wall theory"), WISEGUY (whose panel I thought was very interesting), Babylon 5, etc. Not to mention the more general discussions on the Internet and fandom (didn't make it to any of the formal panels, though) and videos we love/hate. Speaking of which, I very much liked the videos shown on Saturday night. No real huge clunkers and I was very pleased with the WISEGUY vids in particular. My favorite part of the Saturday night entertainment, though, despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the "play" as well, was the singing. "Mfae Glasgow, write me a zine...." *snicker*
What else can I say? I had a great time, talked myself hoarse, converted a few more people to the movie TOMBSTONE and had a few Meaningful Discussions. The only thing I *didn't* like about the con, off the top of my head, was the fact that there were very few new zines there that weren't at Z-Con, but I know I had already gotten several right before the con that were new to most everyone else.
Good job!
She then posted a Post-Escapade convention report to Virgule-L:
I'd say it was "the blues", but I'm still to tired to have those. Maybe it's "the blahs" because I've only had one decent night's sleep since two days before the convention started. :-)I *think* it's because normal everyday life....canNOT offer the thrills and fun of having a bunch of my fan friends visiting for extended periods of time.
Wendy and Carol made it out of Santa Barbara on Wednesday, and Jo and I held down the fannish fort in Santa Barbara, until Saturday, completing a SAAB songvid that the five of us had started. I made three trips to L.A. in seven days. Every one was VERY worth it!
Escapade was a great deal of fun for me, after the nervous breakdown <G>. Seriously, until early Saturday every year I worry, "Are they having a good time? Are they bored? Are the panels going well? Should we have done something more for Saturday night?" and then, abruptly, I realize people are smiling at me and each other, talking about the panels and throwing parties in their rooms and then I relax.
So, *I* had fun. Hi to Wendy, Carol, Jo (when you wake up), Sandy, Wickedwords, Nicole, Agnes, Shoshanna, Gayle, Tash, Kathy R, Denetia, M Fae, Nancy, Kim, Laura, Tina, Terri, Morgan Dawn, Stacy, Liz, Charlotte Hill, Kathy S., Joan, Sharon and everybody else I may have missed. It's really neat for me to realize that at least 27 people from the slash list were at the con!
Okay, enough scattered, stream-of-thought commenting. When I'm awake in a couple of days, I'll try to track down the tapes of the "Fandom 2,000" seminar, so anyone who wants a copy of the transcripts should e-mail Megan Kent.
We should be getting information together for the post-con report within the next two weeks. I'd like to post information about the charity proceeds and some other stuff directly to this list, if people are interested? Let me know.
Only 347 Days till ESCAPADE VII!"
From a K/S fan attending the 1996 convention for the first time:
Arriving at the con in the late afternoon - just in time to turn in the pile of artwork. Dealer's room didn't open until Saturday. (The art committee hangs all the art-not like Shore Leave where the artists/agents hang the work.)…
Saturday, bright and early the con started. The dealer's room turned out to be a K/Ser's dream. Pon Farr Press, Wendy Rathbone's, and MKASHEF zines were there. And at clearance prices! (as they are all really getting out of K/S ). Kathy Resch was there. I talked to her and she will have 2 or 3 new K/S zines coming out between MediaWest and Shore Leave. (Great news!!) [EA] was there wearing a sweatshirt of the cover of Kaleidoscope 4. ( I begged for the sweatshirt - but gave up gracefully as it wouldn't fit me.) Counterpoint was there as well. And naturally, [RH] was there with two tables full of K/S, loads of artwork, and prints. Some of the "oldies" of K/S were there as well: including [RM] and [GF]. Sunday morning, [my friends] show. Chris Soto had some HOT K/S art that sold really well. [J] didn't bring her list, because [S] told her there wouldn't be any K/S. She will never let [her] live this down. (Besides the afore mentioned editors, there were tables selling used zines!!) I had a great time, came home broke, and can't wait for Shore Leave.[1]
In 1996, Sandy Hereld also made an Escapade post to the Virgule-L mailing list titled: The Escapade That I Missed. It is quoted here with permission:
I promise to review (eventually) the parts of Escapade I participated in, but I'd love to hear about the many parts I wanted to see but couldn't make time for...
[S] and [C] - what were the conclusions of the "Starsky and Hutch: Is this fandom growing or dying (i.e., can TNT save it?)"
[V] and [K] - Tell me about the Due South panel! Now! (Can you tell I've seen 8 eps in the last 2 days?)
[K] (Seattle)--what did you decide about "How immoral do you have to be to work for G. Cowley...? (Great topic, btw)"
[C] and [K] (Tucson)--what did you decide on the "Forever Night--slash vs non-slash"?
I mean, panelists, Megan Kent and Charlotte Hill did explain that your job wasn't over when the panel finished, didn't they? You did all understand that we'd want an essay (proofread and copy edited) about all of the interesting parts of your panels, right?
Back to the parts of Escapade that I remember: maybe it was just the lack of sleep, but I honest think I hurt my jaw when I heard someone at the 'Female heros" panel say that they thought of Avon as a hero. Am I alone on this? Do most people think of Avon as a hero (as opposed to a ordinary schlub caught up in events and suffering beautifully?)
More later, Sandy
[N], Megan Kent, Morgan Dawn and Charlotte Hill--How did the Upheavals in Fandom panel go? (I meant to go, but the (outdoor!) hotel pool kept calling my name...
One of the panelists on the Starsky & Hutch panel, Michelle Christian replied with a brief panel report. Her comments are included here with permission:
Starsky & Hutch fandom is] growing for the first time in years. There are new zines coming out--and most of them are *not* published by April Valentine! There are also several older zines that have been reprinted (WHO YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU KNOW AND HOW YOU KNOW IT being the one that immediately springs to mind), so I thought it was on the upswing again.
Another Virgule-L list member, Jill, also added a few comments about the convention. They are included here with permission:
....I wanted to add my comments on Escapade, too. Had a wonderful time, better than last year. Vid show was terrific. Gayle and Tashery's Ray Sharkey vid, Wild Thing, was a real hoot. And Charlotte Hill's F/V [Frank/Vinnie Wiseguy] vid, Too Much Love Can Kill You, made the members of the Church of Frank weepy (you know who you are). My only complaint: so many good panels, so much to do, so many people to visit with! I need a vacation to recover from my vacation! Looking forward to next year.
From a member of Rallying Call #17 (April 1996)
Escapade was a fine, low-key con. I worked the Art Show (there was next to no B7 art, and this is unusual, because it's an art show that does not differentiate between new and resale), and attended panels that were held in the Art Show room. Three of those revolved around the idea that fandom is changing and the fears that change engender. Fans on the Internet, fanfic on the Net, the old travel-to-cons fans versus the virtual cons held constantly on the Net. And the perpetual, What is Fandom? Some old-timers nattered on about the Fannish Contract; apparently one does not know that such a thing exists until a Rule is broken, and then the Fannish Contract is invoked. I'm being snide here, sorry. I just don't find Fandom any different than any other group of like-minded folks who are a bubble off society's plumb. Courtesy is paramount in any group of humans who wish to play together, not just Fandom or the SCA or the kinky-sex club down the street.
I had a great time at the Extended Universe panel, which I moderated with Sandy Hereld. We mapped out who in the last 30 or so years in TVLand could have logically and canonically met. And they really were all in Vietnam! We even found that the space shows had EU potential - green slime aliens appear in Blake's 7, X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, War of the Worlds, and of course, Ghostbusters. It was an hilarious hour, with the prime question being: can bald touch bald? Can Frank McPike (Wiseguy; FBI, Vietnam Vet, round glasses, highly controlled, intense, short and bald) get together with Walter Skinner (X-files: FBI, Vietnam Vet, round glasses, highly controlled, intense, tall and bald)? You had to be there.[2]
From a member of Rallying Call #17 (April 1996)
Every year Nicole and I work the art show. It saves us some money, allows us to drool over the art, gives us time to gossip, and allows us to sit in on panels. So my first stop, after the con suite, was the Art Show where I found Nicole and our Fearless Leader, [Shoshonna]. The Art Show was quite a bit smaller this year, no new B7 stuff, and some yummy Pros stuff (Lewis Collins) that [(Charlotte Hill) L] was selling. It seems that I had arrived in time for Nicole and Sandy Hereld's panel on extended universes.
Now I am hoping that Nicole has recreated the information here for us all because, slash fan or not, this is definitely something worth having. We managed to link all sorts of characters, from Pros and UNCLE, all the way to War of the Worlds with Blake's 7. Of course, I have to argue the rules. I know the Rule of Curl (Curly may not touch Curly) stands, but Sandy wants a Rule of Bald (Hair-Impaired may not touch Hair-Impaired). I protest! (Unless this keeps Frank away from Skinner. And the bottom line is, as Nicole says, "They could have all met in Vietnam."
After that, we raced to lunch where I was happy to see [Lynn C] ([Dr. C now]) and and then I worked the Art Show, just in time for a fascinating panel on the evolution of fandom. Despite everyone's expectations, this one proved to be rather tame and very polite, until the topic of the Internet was introduced. I was amazed that people who weren't online felt almost threatened. My take (and anyone else who was there can correct me) was they felt that fandom had become divided into the Haves and Have Nots, that those of us who are online were leaving them out. Yet the women who were not online seemed reluctant to even try it. Price was, of course, a factor, but with so many people upgrading their machines, used systems can be had for reasonable prices. Others compared the pc to the vcr of 5-10 years ago....it's becoming more affordable with time. The demise of APAs (hmmmm) and other traditional methods of communication were laid at the Net's doorstep. But an APA is far less immediate than the Net and allows for more thought. Sometimes people think for MONTHS before they reply
Unfortunately I had to miss Tashery Shannon and Pat Patera's panel on Avon's Kinks because I was in rehearsal for the Evening's Entertainment. Those of you who missed the con truly missed an exercise in fannish drama, including a filk called, "M. Fae Glasgow," to the tune of Mr. Sandman." Of course, M. Fae herself also missed it because....she wasn't there!
In honor of all our academics, Sandy Hereld delivered a "paper," Sodomite or Savior, with some massive subtitle about polymorphic perversity that Nicole can remember and I can't (but I AM older she is). As Sandy expounded on slash as a way to achieve World Peace, Talented Members of the Cast portrayed Our Heroes in vignettes that illustrated the point. Nicole and I had prominent roles as Sandy explained how Slash has the ability to end the tyranny of the diet. Yes, Nicole was Blake, expounding on the need to save the universe while Vila (brilliantly played by [Laura A]) only wanted to call him, "Daddy. Behind a sheet, Blake reveals his perfectly sculpted body - as drawn by fan artists, of course - to Vila admiring the smaller man's form when Avon (me....imagine...) arrives, highly incensed at anyone else calling Blake , "Daddy." Avon draws his "weapon" - one of majestic proportions, (Not unlike one of my rotten sentences above.) I WISH that I could adequately describe the sight: Laura is so....cute? With her loads of red curls, her cherubic face, standing with one foot lifted, looking sweetly up at Nicole and saying, "Daddy." It was downright pornographic! And Nicole has missed her calling. I am trying to find the cash to get Suzie Lovett to draw ME a perfect body.
Videos were great. Tashery and Gayle did a fantastic tribute to Ray Sharkey to "Wild Thing," complete with some of his trashier movies. A new woman did a bunch of Blake's 7 videos that I can only say were "nice," because she missed the point. On the other hand, it was nice to see a new fan enter the fold. I just hope she gets some direction for next year.
And, as you already know, I may have been subverted yet again. After subtly approaching Denetia for the details of her Visions "buy" of quality time with Gareth Thomas (I said rumor had it that she'd glowed like Rudolph's nose), I was thoroughly thrilled to be sucked into Garrison's Gorillas. What did she tell me about Gareth? Hey, you all went to the con....you know more than I do!
After a very late night, I staggered out to breakfast in time to see Shoshonna being dumped into the pool by (Charlotte Hill). Retaliation was attempted, but (Charlotte Hill) managed to avoid it. Therefore the art auction was late because our Auctioneer was changing her clothes. After the auction made one last sweep of the Dealers' Room where I bought the RoS zine with Rebecca s story in it and hit the road. I was home in time to do laundry and make dinner.[3]
References
- ^ published in Come Together #27, March 1996.
- ^ from Rallying Call #17
- ^ from Rallying Call #17