Magnum Opus Con

Convention
Name:	Magnum Opus Con (often referred to as "MOC")
Dates:	1986-2001
Frequency:	annual
Location:	Georgia, later South Carolina
Type:	fan run, celebrity guests
Focus:	multimedia
Organization:
Founder:	Roland Castle
Founding Date:	1986
URL:
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Magnum Opus Con was a multifandom media and science fiction convention series.

The first two cons were called "Macon Opus Con."

They were founded in 1986 by comics retailer Roland Castle, owner of Comics Castle in Macon, Georgia. He created a nonprofit, the Middle Georgia Society for Fantasy and Science Fiction, under which to run the show.

The second con is notable due to the fact that Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton died there.

two con program covers

General Fan Comments

MOC1 and MOC2 were two of the finest conventions I have ever been to (outside of MediaWest Con, but it's something special). Most cons that can afford more than one Big Name Guest are run by professionals out to make a buck. But Roland Castle is out to throw a big party and the fans (fen, whatever) come first. But why am I mentioning all this? A friend of mine asked Roland if he would run some tables at a lower rate for the fan dealers. Roland said that he was giving tables free to fan dealers, but no one was taking them. HUH??! Why didn't you tell us that? You didn't ask, he said. She then had to explain to him that free tables, or even low rate tables are not something most fan dealers expect and wouldn't ask for. He'll know better next time. MOC3 might be held in Greenville, SC, and that's right next door to me. For rnore info, write Roland Castle, Middle Georgia Society for Fantasy and Science Fiction [contact info redacted]. I know most of you can't come out here in the South, free tables or no free tables, but if one or two of you can, you can carry other people's zines. MOC originally stood for Macon Opus Con (Roland started the Bloom County Fan Club, and at the time tried to get Berke Breathed as a guest) but Macon seems to be the Mundane Capital of the South and did its best to stop the convention (rumors that the KKK was going to burn a cross on the hotel lawn seemed plausible at the time) so now it's Magnum Opus Con. MOC2 was the convention where Patrick Troughton died, by the way. I truly regret that I didn't see him for his last can. May the Schwartz be with you. atlanta fantasy fair: magnum opus con 1986-2001, ^{Archived version}</ref?

Another wrote:

Magnum Opus Con was ahead of its time; embracing movies, TV, comics, gaming and all the other fandom categories that now make the various Comic-Cons and Fan Expos gigantic spectacles, and doing so in secondary markets far from typical con territory. MOC's peak attendance was somewhere in the thousands, but in spite of the nerd appeal and an enthusiastic crowd, MOC was its own worst enemy. After 16 years of conventions in Georgia and South Carolina, it vanished, never to rise again.

1986

flyer for the first convention

The first Magnum Opus Con was held April 18–20, 1986, at the Macon Hilton in Macon, Georgia. Official guests included Doctor Who stars Jon Pertwee and Louise Jameson, along with Star Trek actor James Doohan, authors Marion Zimmer Bradley and Andre Norton and artist Phil Foglio. In addition to panels and guests, the convention featured popular activities such as filk singing, two masquerades with the PG version being televised throughout the hotel closed circuit television, 24 hour gaming and gaming tournaments, Japanese anime, a video room, con suite and "a large huckster room".

1987

News article about Patrick Troughton's death at the second con

The second MOC moved to Columbus, Georgia, where it was co-organized by retailer Pat Robinson, owner of Columbus Book Exchange. It took place March 27–29, 1987, at the Columbus Ironworks Convention Center. It was at this event that Doctor Who actor, Patrick Troughton died at the age of 67. Guests included Deforest Kelley, Jimmy Doohan, George Takei, Patrick Troughton and Louise Jameson, and Alan Dean Foster. Footage from the 1987 convention can be seen at Rare 1980s Sci-Fi Con Documentary » Drewprops Blog, ^{Archived version}

Footage of Troughton's final appearance can be found at [1]

1987: Con Reports

George was a guest at Magnum Opus Con '87, Columbus, in Spring of this year and his room was next door to Patrick Troughton's. He said that Patrick had been in fine spirits and took the stairs two at a time the day before he suffered his fatal heart attack. His death was a great shock to everyone, and saddened the Convention. De and Jimmy were also guests.

1988

1988

1989

1989

1990

• March 23-35, 1990
• focus was Star Trek, Doctor Who, comics, and film
• Hyatt Regency, Greenville, South Carolina
• Guest of Honor: Marion Zimmer Bradley, Robert Lynn Aspirin, Lynn Abbey
• there was an art show, live RPG, Japanimation, and a "cinema contest"

1990: Con Report

Both the main and backup hotels for the annual Magnum Opus Convention, March 23-25, in Greenville, S.C. were booked up solid in early March. I made my lodging reservations at the Ramada Inn, which is only about 1/2 mile from the Hyatt convention site. I spent all of Thursday night and most of Friday morning putting the finishing touches on the STARFLEET uniform that I planned to enter in the masquerade contest. I only got two hours of sleep, early Friday morning.

Friday afternoon, March 23rd, I left work early and set out driving to the Con. I left Research Triangle Park at slightly after 4 P.M., and stopped in High Point, N.C. to pick up my roommate for the weekend. Our route took us through Greensboro, Charlotte and Spartanburg, S.C. We finally arrived in Greenville at the Hyatt Hotel at about 9:15 P.M. that night, to find the convention already in full swing. The convention formally began at noon Friday. I was exhausted from the long 220 mile drive and lack of sleep. Therefore we registered for the convention ($32 for three days), skipping the Friday night revelry. Instead we checked into our hotel and got a reasonable night's sleep. Being a hearty-partyingindividual, I regretted missing the dance and the Rocky Horror Picture Show happening Friday night.

Saturday morning there was a STARFLEET meeting scheduled for 10:00 A.M., so we got up early, had room-service breakfast, and were off to the Con. Fleet Admiral Jeanette 'Mad Dog' Maddox, Vice Admiral Sue 'Captain Mom' Hampton and Captain David Forvendel were the featured speakers. Admiral Maddox told the packed crowd about STARFLEET headquarters (her veterinary clinic STARFLEET's charitable activities, the Jimmy Doohan Aviation Scholarship and the STARFLEET service awards. These awards are given for valor, and have been presented to six individuals so far. One of the recipients was the CO of the USS Hornet in Charlotte, for the resuscitation of a dying baby. I had purchased a new camera en route, so, after the meeting, I bought extra film at the hotel gift shop and began taking pictures like mad. We helped Jeanette and Sue unload a van full of merchandise and other equipment for setting up the STARFLEET recruiting table in the hotel lobby. At the table we sold STARFLEET memberships, sweatshirts, tote-bags, coffee cups and stickers. Also sold were autographed photos of Jimmy D. to benefit the scholarship fund. There was only one full color picture, and raffle tickets were sold to win this. 'Lobby' is not quite the correct word, since the main entrance of the Hyatt is as high and spacious as an indoor arena - a circle of towering concrete and glass accommodation buildings, ramps and balconies, covered with a glassed-in roof seven stories up. The hotel bar had been changed into a 'hospitality suite' with free soft drinks and bar munchies. There were eight 'activities' rooms, four meeting rooms, one large dealer's room, one large role playing game room, another large art exhibition room and a movie room. Workshops and STARFLEET meetings were held in the meeting rooms. Workshops included 'On Becoming an Astronaut', 'Let's Talk Fanzines', 'Computer Art' and 'Costuming - the Fun Nightmare' (I can certainly relate to that!). Guest stars included George Takei and Yvonne (Batgirl) Craig. George came on at noon in the main lobby and talked for over an hour before signing autographs (limit one per person). His main topic for discussion was the letter writing drive to persuade Paramount Pictures to drop their current Trek film Star Trek VI - 'Starfleet Academy'. This film concept involves dropping the original cast (except for minor before and/or after roles), and replacing them with young actors to portray Kirk, Spock, and company while they attended Starfleet Academy. To quote George - "Can you imagine anybody but Leonard Nimoy playing Spock?". Both project and letter writing campaign are now three months old. George claims that the campaign is working, but to keep it up.

I got in the autograph line long before he stopped speaking. When it came my turn, he complemented me on my 'monster maroon' uniform ("Well done"), and gave me an extra autograph for my seamstress Marianne. told him that I had a big surprise for him when he judged the costume contest that night.

The guest authors were Lynn Abby, Robert Asprin, Sharon Webb, Ian Wallace, Mercedes Lackey, Brad Strickland, Tom Deitz and Brad Linaweaver. Other activities included Art Auction, Belly Dancing, Slave Auction, Drag Race (yes, you guessed it), folk dancing, Japanamation, Lip Synch Contest, Live Fantasy Role Playing, Miniature Workshop, Silly Cinema Contest and Tarot Reading. The most exciting event for me was the costume contest, in which I won 2nd prize for my Starfleet uniform and my surprise dress hat. This also got me a big hug from Captain Mom. Other costumes included several Batmen, the Joker, Superman (both in and out of drag), Beetlejuice, Time Lord (Lady), Vulcan Trader, Elfish Hunter, Middle-Aged Ninja Turtle, drunken Highland Scotsman, Elf Lord, Farengi, Klingon and literally dozens of scantily clad maidens (SCMs). Oh, yes ladies, there were scantily clad dudes too.

After the costume contest, the crowd went up to the third floor to party. There were many party suites, including the Monty Python Marathon, Lost Colony Tardis (boring), USS ADVENTURER and USS REPUBLIC (Atlanta). The Republic's party was terrific, as they handed out 26 ounce cans of Foster's Lager to drinking aged guests. I enjoyed talking to all of them, including Brian Flatley, their computer bulletin board SYSOP/bartender. When the parties started to wind down, the dance began at about 1 A.M. Sunday morning. I am sure that it is illegal to have that much fun in South Carolina on Sunday morning. danced a lot, but decided to go home when the unicorn in a tutu, whom I was dancing with, told me that Its wife had helped it make its costume.

Sunday brought hotel check-out and our last chance at the Con. I did my last minute shopping in the dealer's room (with my prize money), perused the Art Show, talked to some more nice people and took a few more pictures of some newly arrived costumes and SCMs. Then we left for North Carolina. We made one stop on the way back at the King's Mountain National Park, the site of a famous Revolutionary War Battle, since my roommate is a student of historical battles. The MOC-5 Con was, in the words of Robert Heinlein, "More fun than kittens". It remains by far my favorite convention, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is considering attending MOC-6.

1991

1991: Con Reports

STARDATE 9104.28 - Larry Pischke, Kristen Schlicht, and I are on the way home from Magnum Opus Con #6 (M.O.C.) in Greenville, S.C. This was the biggest party con I have been to yet, and it was great!! One whole floor of the hotel was nothing but parties - walk in, show your LD., and grab 2 cold ones - it was that easy! Many hours were partied away - and that was just the first night!

As for the dealers' room...all I can say is the ownership of many, many Ben Franklins was changed that weekend by most of the parties involved. I found a couple of alien resin model kits that I had not previously come across, and my big ticket item was an officially licensed Indiana Jones "Khyber Bowie Knife" - 24" of finely honed stainless steel and brightly polished brass with a wood inlaid handgrip and a full leather sheath. This was (supposedly) designed after the machete he used in the South American jungle in Raiders of the Lost Ark. On to the guest list: Tasha Martel

(T'pring), BRION "can't spell my name right" James (you know his face if not his name), Amanda Bearse (Marcie on Married With Children), assorted sci-fi authors such as Roger Zelazny and Robert Aspirin, and a plethora of artists and role-playing garners. (Yes, a plethora. I counted them myself.) A slave auction was held as was the "Miss M.O.C. Bimbo 1991" pageant. (A guy in drag won last year if that says anything.)

During the festivities, we were informed by a group of Klingons that our illustrious captain has a price on his head! (J.R. didn't go with us, so we couldn't collect. Oh, well.) It seemingly stems from a few possibly mischosen words said at Trek-A-Rama in Raleigh (with Marina Sirtis).

Also seen at M.O.C. was gone-but-not-forgotten Dave Vosper, as well as assorted Bonny-V members, Klingons, and even some mundanes! (They were the ones with the shocked, stricken looks on their faces.) All in all, few hours, many beers, much money, many parties, many friends, and a good time were slept, drank, spent, attended, made, and had by all. (Read it through again - it makes sense.) Look out, M.O.C. #7 - the KITTY HAWK contingent will be back!!

On Thursday night, April 25, a small group from our good ship stole a shuttlecraft and headed to Greenville, South Carolina for Magnum Opus Con 6, which lasted from April 26 to April 28. My partners in crime were our television producer Kristen and Chief Engineer Pat, with yours truly in the pilot's seat.

The main guests at MOC this year were Tasha Martel, Brion James, John Levene, and Amanda Bearse as a last minute entry (apparently the attempts to get Gates McFadden fell through). This lineup was a little weak compared to previous MOCs with the likes of George Takei and Sylvester McCoy. The only reason that I could find for Amanda Bearse being there was because of her appearance in Fright Night, which was played constantly on one of the con's two in-room TV channels (the other was for messages).

The real hit for our merry little band (aside from the room parties) was the dealer's room. It is one of the best that I've seen, but that also isn't saying much compared to the rooms at Trek-A-Rama or at CreationCon. Yet every time we went in, we found something new to buy.

Although this was not primarily a Star Trek/STARFLEET convention, we were well represented. I would like to welcome the USS Star League, whose commissioning we toasted Saturday night. I would also like to warn all crew members not to go about unarmed. At the end of the last major STARFLEET meeting of the con, a contingent of Klingons stood up and announced that henceforward, they were at war with the USS Kitty Hawk. They concluded with a rousing cry of, "Death to J.R. Fisher!!" It seems that some Klingons took offense to an alleged remark made by our Captain and overheard at Trek-ARama; I believe it was something along the lines that Klingons are the criminals of the galaxy. At any rate, our tiny unarmed landing party bid a hasty retreat from the scene and hid our insignias for the duration of this fun

convention.

THE BEST DAMN CON ON THE EAST COAST

Well MOC-6 came and went with it's usual revelry. This was my second encounter with this con and as usual it lived up to its reputation as a party convention. I went up with Larry Pischke and Pat Heinske on Thursday night, arriving approximately 1 a.m. at the hotel. Even at this early hour, there were conventioneers milling about in medieval attire. Some of them were even having mock battles with swords and battle axes. Pretty exciting for that hour in the morning. Well, the next day brought more con-goers in assorted costumes, both fantasy and science fiction. Guests for the weekend included: Brion (Blade Runner) James, Tasha (T'Pring) Martel, Amanda (Married W/Children & Fright Night) Bearse, and John (Dr. Who) Levene. One of the things about MOC that I have always appreciated is the relaxed atmosphere of the con. Part of this is due to the excellent organization by the con staff and the tolerant hotel workers. This is the type of con where the guests wander among the fans and are not mobbed at every turn. Actually, for awhile it seemed that everywhere I turned, from the dealers' room to the atrium, Amanda Bearse was standing next to me.

The dealers' room had most of the same dealers from two years ago. There was plenty to choose from in the weapons category, even a full suit of armor.

Friday night began with the infamous third floor room parties. For those who are not familiar with MOC, it is chiefly known as an adult con and children are not permitted unless they are with a parent. Third floor parties are known for being wild and lasting till dawn. Well, this year was no exception. Without going into details, let's just say that I had probably the best con experience of my life. Saturday had the annual MOC Slave Auction. This was a charity event where the $$ raised went to two MOC scholarships. Also on Saturday, the U.S.S. Star League was commissioned. Ran into Admiral Dave & Kathy Forvendel several times. Dave Vosper made an appearance. Later that night, the parties had doubled from the previous evening. Attended the Star League commissioning party and had a wonderful time. Welcome to the fleet U.S.S. Star League!

It should be noted that another con was being held in Greenville on Saturday. Trek-A-Rama had Marina Sirtis as its guest. I have really no idea what possessed its organizers to schedule a con in the same city and time as MOC, but I can only imagine the turn out it had.

In conclusion, MOC still reigns in my mind as the best convention on the east coast. I would encourage anyone who is looking for a con that gives you more than the typical dealers' room, art show and guests, to go to MOC and be prepared to party. But if you go and are not interested in the nightlife, don't get a room on the third floor. For everyone I met this year, I'll definitely see you for

MOC-7!

1992

1992: Con Reports

Magnum Opus Con 7. That pretty much says it all. This was my first REAL convention, or would that be MOC convention? After driving some 550 miles from Cape Canaveral, I was ready to party! I arrived about 12:30 a.m. (as in after midnight) on Thursday night/Friday morning. After paying my 10,000 credits to get in, I got a chance to check things out. Just as I expected. MOC is a cool place to be in the spring. The dealer's room was quite impressive. Almost as impressive as their prices! And of course, since everyone in the hotel was with fandom (i.e. NO MUNDANES!!) it was a great atmosphere to promote revelry. There were MOC Marriages (psst, Larry, the marriage is over now, or is it?), costume contests, dancing, general partying, fencing demonstrations, etc. One of the better events was the Slave Auction. Yes, that's right. If you had the green, you could bid for a slave that had put him/her/it-self up for auction. The money went to charity, and you got a slave for three hours to do your bidding. And if you couldn't make the auction, there was the Home Slave Shopping Network on MOC TV, the convention television channel.

Speaking of MOC TV, it was run just like you would run your own TV station. While we were watching The Terminator, during Linda Hamilton's nude scene, the picture suddenly FROZE. It then rewound and started at the beginning of the nude scene again! Talk about service! And we didn't even have to touch the remote control!! STARFLEET's Region One Conference was held at MOC this year. After attending the prerequisite meetings and doing all the political brown-nosing type stuff (just kidding, really honest and I mean that) we got to go to the USS Star League's one year anniversary party. Singing filksongs with the likes of the Admiralty and special guest Bjo Trimble is not to be missed. A truly good time was had by all, and some mortals even got to buy stuff at the auction since STARFLEET's two main highrollers (namely J.R. and Jeannette Maddox) weren't trying to outbid one another. Even so, I still couldn't afford to buy anything! Maybe

next year... See ya there.

Most of the fantastic convention is still a blur to me, even after three weeks. I can only recall bits and pieces, images and impressions. Here are some of them:

Thursday: Dull Day

Reunion: Steve and Suzanne, Big John

"Welcome to the Region One Conference - Please work Security"

Free Beer!

"It's a buying frenzy!!" ("Then send them this way!")

Pat finally shows up

New episode... "The Naked Now!!?!

Bjo Trimble is a great guest

Affordable auction prices - but still nothing bought

Mawwage : "I Do ... Pig!"

Slam dancing? Last year's dance was better

Jesus on the toilet handing out beer

"Afro man Afro mangy"

What a convention! Sign me up for next

year!

1993

Held April 1-4, 1993 at the Hyatt in Greenville, S.C. Guests: Ben Bova, Melanie Rawn, Robert Asprin, C. J. Cherryh, Jane Fancher, Brad Strickland

1993: Con Reports

STARDATE 9304.06 - MAGNUM OPUS CON - Kinda says it all, doesn't it? On Friday afternoon, Lieutenant Commander Elaine Pischke and I lit out of the team - Larry Pischke, John Miller, shuttlebay in my high-warp scout shuttle and, at speeds approaching warp 9, made our way to Greenville, S.C. There we met up with the advance force of the away Diana Waldier, and Jeff Habrych. (We sent them ahead to secure the convention and prepare it for out HIGH-ranking arrival.) This year, Larry was finally successful in getting an inward-looking hotel room! Yeah! Our first disappointment was that there was no free beer this time around. But, that's Okay - I managed to stay properly fuzzy throughout the weekend anyway - The room parties were great! (And plentiful!) The Rocketeer made his appearance, as well, but only jetted away with an honorable mention. Oh, well - next year's costume competition will definitely be different. The dealer's room was a bit disappointing, though. I managed to get the rest of the ST-TNG figures I was missing (thanks, again) - I was even able to buy a Deanna Troi figure for $12! They were $50 at the last con I went to! All in all, it was a very, um, interesting weekend, and plans are already being made for next year.

Oh, and before I forget... AAARRRRGHHH! (That was a Klingon death-yell to warn FEHK'LAR that someone's coming to dinner...)

I have heard many conflicting stories about MOC, both good and bad, so I had to go and judge for myself, Well, the verdict is in - GUILTY of being a SUPER-FUN convention. It is definitely NOT a typical Star Trek convention, though Star Fleet uniforms as well as Klingons were in attendance. The whole Hyatt Regency in Greenville, SC, was devoted to this one convention for 4 days. I arrived Friday afternoon, got checked into the convention, found Jeff for the key to the room, and got moved in. Then I just roamed around a little to get a feel for the convention. I was amazed at the relaxed, fun atmosphere and it didn't take long for me to get into the mood to participate.

I spent some time looking thru the convention guide and was pleased at the variety of things to do - 24 hours a day!! There were seminars about a wide variety of subjects including: Virtual Reality, Laser Propulsion, Miniature Paintings, Planetary Cultures, Hard S F, Computer Graphix in Movies & TV, Martial Arts Discussion Groups, Writers Group, Technology of Magic, Movie FIX, Belly Dancing, Fencing, Dr. Who, Defensive Knife Throwing, Tarot Card Readings, Costuming, Creating Characters, Animation, Mythological Roots, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. And these were not all of them! I had a hard time deciding which ones I wanted to go to.

There were also more unconventional happenings during the day and evening. These included Fencing; a Slave Auction for Charity; Bimbomania, Mr. Macho, Lip Sync and Silly Talent contests; and last, but not least, LIVE gaming. These were also shown on closed circuit TV at the hotel so you didn't have to stay in the Atrium (where all these were held on a central stage) and could relax in your room or watch from numerous monitors around the building. They had a constant message board going on another TV channel.

Well, once Pat and Elaine got there, we all dressed up, however we wanted to, and joined in the fun. The guys made up number sheets to help in judging the Bimbomania contest and let their voices be heard during the judging. I enjoyed seeing how different people dressed. I saw everything from a lady in a Tomato costume to men in full armour and chainmail. Vampires, capes, sword, leather, and feathers were in abundance. Whatever you are willing to be seen in is allowed at MOO, within minimum decency limits. Those limits were not really tested as no one was asked to 'cover more up'. I did not see anything going on in public that could not have been seen by anyone. However, this is an adults only convention.

Friday night's dance was rocking, but our guys, as usual, were unwilling to get out there and shake it. So we roamed, watched, looked, and were looked at. We crashed a few parties and got to meet people from all over. Most of the room windows facing the atrium had pictures, posters or some other kind of identifying feature to let everyone know who occupied that room.

Finally, about 4:30 AM we headed back to the room and crashed for what was left of the night. The dance was still going strong when we left.

Saturday was full of different seminars, events, going thru the dealers room, and gaming. The costume contest was held and our Pat Heinske got 4th place. Then we went party hopping again until the wee hours. Some went longer than that and paid for it the next day. Sunday was checkout, so it was up and out. One last tour thru the dealers room and then the long drive home. I was so 'up' from the relaxing, fun-filled weekend that not even going back to work could bring me down. We all voted that we want another MOC in a few months rather than a full year. I am definitely going next year and maybe for

all 4 days.

1995

1995: Con Reports

The Atlanta con - this is embarrassing — was just a meat show. I took snotty pride in saying I may be a fan, but I wasn't a star chaser. Well, I am now a lowly obsessed fan. I went to see Chris Potter (Peter on Kung Fu). He was beautiful. I'm glad I went, but I think I'm cured. The con was nothing — mostly gaming with a fantasy oriented dealer's room. So I didn't spend much money which was a good thing considering what I've spent on my move and the new apartment.

SD 9507.13 - .16 Our Away Team headed down for our yearly pilgrimage to Magnum Opus Con the weekend of July 13 - 16. This time we were to rendezvous at a place called "Callaway Gardens Resort" in Pine Mountain, Georgia. I first began to long for the Greenville, SC MOC's of old as I drove right through Greenville on my way to Callaway Gardens. Since MOC-7, my first MOC, I haven't missed one yet, and I wasn't about to let a little thing like 600 miles of driving keep me away. ...Little did we know what awaited us upon our arrival.

I arrived at MOC late Thursday afternoon only to be surprised by the surroundings. This didn't look like MOC. It looked like a retirement resort! There were mundanes and eddies wandering all over the grounds. None of these people knew about MOC or even what MOC is (was). I later learned that there was even a nun's convention of some sort at the resort the same weekend?!?!!? Anyone who's been to MOC in the last five years knows something is dreadfully wrong here. When I flipped on the TV to check out the Electronic Message Board, all I could find was the Resort's channel touting their Vegetable Scavenger Hunt in the vegetable gardens, and their Insect and Butterfly exhibit. (DOH!) <Ingest large quantities of alcohol to deaden pain>

Thursday was pretty uneventful. Casino night was a little slow, but I figured things would pick up on Friday or Saturday. I was wrong. At the biggest event of the con, the Masquerade Ball, only a couple hundred people showed up. Our own Brian Jones won Best of Show for his outstanding Darth Vader costume. And yours truly was awarded the Harty Koeller Memorial Scholarship at the Ball. All in all, the Masque was a great idea. I can only imagine how awesome it would have been in Greenville. Shortly after Brian won Best of Show, he was asked to go over to the dealer's room (closet) to get his award. No mean feat in a quilted jumpsuit and cape in 90 degree heat across the resort. When he returned, I was dumbfounded by his award. Remember the 5 foot trophies of last year? Well, for the amount of work, money and effort Brian, et al, put into that costume, all he got was a MODEL. A friggin' MODEL that was left over from the MOC Store stuff!! !) <Ingest large quantities of alcohol to deaden pain> Later on that night, I found out that Roland had not collected much money for the Scholarship fund this year, what with no slave auction, and only casino night was supplying money. That meant that I wouldn't receive my scholarship until MOC- 10A, so he can add some money from its events to make the award "worthwhile" (Roland's words, not mine). !) <Ingest large quantities of alcohol to deaden pain>

After all that fun and glory, decided to leave early Sunday morning. Getting away from there was the best thing I could think of to do. I eagerly await MOC-10A at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Charlotte next February. You better believe I'm gong to be partying enough to make up for MOC-10. Rumor has it that Roland was trying to put Dragon Con out of business. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he tried something new and it just didn't work. If he tries it again, I'll no longer be a member of Magnum Opus Con. Hey Roland, you better have my money waiting at the door when I get there in February!

At each MOC, there seems to be one saying that sticks in your mind for the weekend. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, it just gets repeated over and over in a drunken stupor. Over the last few years they have been:

MOC-7: "It's a buying frenzy!" or "FREE BEER IN THE CON SUITE ALL WEEKEND LONG!" (GOD, I miss MOC-7!)

MOC-8: "*hic* Cthulhu!" MOC-9: "Look at me! Don't look at me! Look at me, Dammit!" So I thought it fitting that this year's slogan turned out:

MOC-10: "Na-Naw, Don't go there!"

We didn't plan that, It just sorta happened. Like the rest of MOC-10.

Oh, yea, one more think: DON'T EAT THE TUNA! :-)

MOC 10 was very different from the usual Magnum Opus Con. Instead of the cozy, enclosed atmosphere of the Hyatt Regency, the place they held it was a very nice resort in a very small town. There was a lake, picnic areas, a train ride, mini-golf and regular golf, swimming pool, fitness center, and various other attractions, most of which we did not use because they charged extra to use the facilities. I did take Graeme swimming in the lake and the pool, and once on the train ride, which were all free for guests. My main complaint was that this place was very spread out and hilly, and definitely not stroller (or wheelchair) friendly. I got very tired hauling the little one around everywhere in the backpack. And having him along also meant I didn't participate in any of the evening activities, which is when most of the good stuff happehs at MOC. However, I did get to see Robert Picardo (who is the holographic doctor on Voyager) and get an autograph. Then later I went to get an autograph from Bruce Boxlitner. He brought his wife, Melissa Gilbert, with him and she was signing autographs, too, but I didn't have anything for her to autograph because we were not expecting her to be there. Anyway, Graeme made an impression. Just as I was approaching the front of the line, I set him down on the table so I could take a picture, Before I got the camera ready I heard a crash and looked, and he had grabbed a pitcher of water and dumped it all over the table in front of Bruce and Melissa. The picture I was getting autographed was soaked. Someone got some paper towels and wiped it off, and Bruce found a dry spot on it to sign, but I thought it was ruined. It dried out pretty good, however. Anyway, Melissa said that he was real cute and she couldn't wait until her baby was born (she's about 7 months pregnant). I made some comment about how they may be cute, but you have to watch them every second. She said, "Oh, I know. This is our fourth." Anyway, I was just glad he didn't actually get Bruce and Melissa wet or ruin anyone else's pictures. As for the rest of MOC - well, all I saw were two performances by the Shadow Players, and that was it.

MOC was not MOC this year. It didn't even seem like a convention. I was there for two days before I really saw anything convention-like at all (the dealer's room was a joke). There were no crowds, very few costumes in evidence, at least when I was out and about. Anyone who has ever been to MOC knows that it is usually the biggest party on the East Coast. Rumor has it that Roland moved MOC to Galloway Gardens in an effort to hurt Dragon Con, which was held the same weekend in Atlanta. Well, it looks like he may have killed MOC instead. But we'll wait until MOC-10A to make that judgment. Personally, I didn't really miss some of the wilder, raunchier aspects of the usual MOC, but this convention seemed like a con without soul - kind of lost and directionless, too spread out, with no focal point. And way too many mundanes everywhere. And too far away. All in all, if MOO continues to be held in Calloway Gardens, I don't think we will be

going again.

1996

1996: Con Reports

STARDATE 9602.18 - I have just returned from shore leave at Magnum Opus Con 10-A - the "A" being for Apology. Basically, MOC- 10 sucked so bad, it pulled matter back out of black holes. So, we figured MOC 10-A (actually A was for Appreciation) was the MOC we should have gotten the first time around.

Oh, what a weekend it was. I arrived on site at the Adams Mark Hotel in Charlotte about 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, after having lunch with my friend and costuming partner, Cheralyn Lambeth, who works for the Paramount Show Services in town. While waiting for the rest of the landing party to arrive, I registered with the con and Kirk-Riker-Bashir-Paris'ed around for a couple of hours until they finally arrived. (By the way, Scott - thanks for the key - Emily thank you, too.)

As usual, since the rooms were registered under Lieutenant Commander Pischke's name, the hotel screwed up the reservation (through no fault of Larry's). But, after some finagling with the manager, we got our 3-room suite - the room of the beast - room 666 (and 664 and 668). Now, normally, this would be bad - but at a party convention like MOC, it's the only place to be!

So we piled our stuff in our humble abode, chose beds, and went down to the dealer's room. Some very nice stuff was to be had, and prices were actually pretty darn reasonable, too. (Except for the autographed photos - AAAHH!!!) I also learned that L'ursa and B'etor, out of makeup, are both babe-alicious! Wow!

I brought most of my costumes with me, of course, so throughout the weekend, I appeared at different times as myself, Luke Skywalker, Leopold Zeitgeist, Indiana Jones, The Shadow, and in my Monster Maroons. People started asking me by Saturday afternoon just how many costumes I had brought with me! But the best was yet to come... Saturday night was the Masquerade Ball. I decided to wear my freshly completed Babylon 5 uniform that Cheralyn had made for me, and she decided to join me in her B-5 uniform, too. We won 2nd place in the popular vote competition and won a 2 foot tall trophy - my first since 1992 and the rocketeer! But we were happily upstaged by Brian Jones in his Darth Vader outfit and John Miller in his new Obi-wan Kenobi outfit - they won best of show and a 4!4 foot tall chrome and gold monstrosity that they had to help each other carry away! So congrats John and Brian, and thanks, Cheralyn! (By the way - Diana Walther did the sewing and leatherwork on both John's and Brian's costumes, and I did the chest and belt boxes on Brian's and the pins and insignia on my B-5 uniform.)

Last, but by all means not least, I have to mention Hope. Hope is a wonderful, sweet, beautiful lady who happens to be the ROC OF AGES (a con coming soon) "poster girl", for lack of a better term. The paths of the Shadowplayers and hers crossed many times during the convention, and she helped make MOC 10-A a success, at least in my mind, if no one else's. (And no, this has nothing to do with Kirk, Riker, Bashir, or Paris.) This was her first con, and Saturday night, as we said goodbye, she thanked me and the rest of the Shadowplayers for making it a really fun con for her, and she's looking really forward to ROC OF AGES now, 'cause she knows it's going to be

a blast, too.