MediaWest*Con/MediaWest*Con 1993

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Convention
Name:	MediaWest*Con 1993
Dates:	May 28-31, 1993
Frequency:
Location:	Lansing, Michigan
Type:
Focus:	multi-fandom
Organization:
Founder:
Founding Date:
URL:	1993 Convention theme
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front and back covers of the program book

Some Facts About the 1993 Convention

1993 flyer that appeared in a Bill Hupe fanzine catalog

1993 questionnaire, page one

1993 questionnaire, page one

• The theme that year was "Thirteen"

• The first of many "Tea for Tarrant" gatherings occurred at this con.

• One of the vendors at the convention offered custom made vampire fangs.
• "Anyone who accesses any of the electronic bulletin boards is asked to send MediaWest*Con copies of anything referring to the convention that appears on the nets. Since we do not yet participate in E-Mail, we have no idea what rumors might be swirling through this medium until we are contacted, and we appreciate any help in tracking down comments, etc., as well as the opportunity to "set the record straight" on a timely basis."

• "Lori Chapek-Carleton regrets that due to a variety of extenuating circumstances, no new T'Kuhtian Press 'zines are ready for distribution this year at the convention. Rest assured, Bill Hupe will continue to pester her and provide all possible assistance in getting upcoming publications out as soon as possible. The delays are Lori's fault, not Bill's."
• "Brendan Lonehawk is organizing an Irish Wake Memorial Service for Rodger Gonder, probably for Saturday night. Watch for postings."
• "From now until May 1, 1993, Kinko's has offered a deal for the early bird who wants to take advantage of having zines printed for MediaWest*Con without the hassles of mailing zine boxes to Lansing or having to haul them (and pay extra) onboard planes. For four cents a page on regular white (slightly extra per covers, depending on what you want), have your zines preprinted here in Lansing and ready and waiting for you when you arrive for MediaWest*Con. Kinko's offers a large assortment of interior paper, covers, as well as color laser copying (on regular weight and cardstock paper). Your zine can be bound via staple, vello, spiral, and tape (as done by their Kodak 5090). Sorry, but no perfect binding is available. All that's required is a work master that's camera-ready and instructions. This year, Ann Hupe has offered to serve as printer liaison to insure safe arrival, proper processing, and final inspection and pick-up of zines ordered in advance (as this is what she does anyways). As she has a well-established working relationship with Kinko's here in Lansing, she will be able to supervise all printing of zines. If interested, please send a SASE to Ann Hupe." -- from the first progress report

• a Pros fan commented on the 1993 zine piracy controversy and mentioned MediaWest*Con: "There's been a lot of talk lately about zine pirating, and the Library has been mentioned unfavorable. So this is a good time to restate policy -- it is not and has never been Library policy to distribute stories taken from in-print zines. There doesn't mean it never happens; as I no longer buy Pros zines I'm not always aware that a story sent to me -- sometimes with no name and no indication where it came from -- might not be "eligible." If any of you see a title in the Library that doesn't belong there, because it is still in print in a zine, please let me know! It will be immediately removed -- but someone has to tell me about it. I've also hear that "the Library might be banned from Media West Con" -- this is very strange, as the Library hasn't officially been at Media West for some years. The only appearance of the Library (in terms of selling off excess copies of stories) is at ZCon. No exceptions. What people choose to do with their own individual copies of stories, whether obtained from the Library or not, is their own business.
• The Voodoo Message Board:

  MESSAGES We hope to set up a "Voodoo Message Board" in the vicinity of Convention Registration for the duration of the convention. It works as follows: an alphabetical print-out of the MediaWestCon 13 membership roster is posted. Push pins are available, and anyone wishing to leave a message for a specific person finds that person's name on the print-out. If a push pin is not already placed to the immediate left of the name (indicating a message is already waiting), place a push pin there. Then write the desired message on an index card (or other piece of paper) and place it alphabetically in the file box provided next to the roster (behind the alphabetical divider for the appropriate letter of the last name of the person the message is for). When checking your name for messages, remove the push pin from the left of your name when retrieving your messages from the message box. Simple, nu?

Fan Q Awards

For specifics, see 1993 Fan Q Awards.

Skit

The skit/plays: "Once again we would like to thank everyone who participated in the productions of "Deep Space Nine: The Musical," "Top O the Form Sketch," and "Ten Forward Sketch," especially those who jumped in at the last minute, both on stage and behind the scenes."

"Ken Keisel is staging a series of Monty Python (or Python-inspired) sketches."

Fan Fund

As there were not enough nominees to require a 1993 ballot, a cash award was made to Johanna Bolton who was the sole nominee, and her name was carried over to the 1994 Fan Fund ballot.

Party Suite and Other Gatherings

• FRISCON '93 party; 3:00 PM-5:00 PM; Holiday Inn party suite #363.
• MOODY BLUES party; 8:00 PM-10:30 PM; Sue Powell's room at the Holiday Inn.
• VAMPIRES party; 8:00 PM-10:00 PM; Lisa Savignano's room at the Holiday Inn.
• RED DWARF party; 9:00 PM-1:00 AM; Holiday Inn party suite #363.
• SANDBAGGERS party; 9:00 PM-2:00 AM; Michael Macomber's room at the Holiday Inn.
• PRYDONIANS OF PRINCETON party; 9:00 PM - 11:30 AM; Gary Blog's room at the Holiday Inn.
• BEAUTY & THE BEAST party: 5:00PM-8:30PM; Holiday Inn party suite #363.
• WISEGUY party; 8:00 PM -10:00 PM; Darlene F's room at the Holiday Inn.
• ZORRO party; 8:30 PM-10:00 PM; Holiday Inn party suite #363.
• GOOD GUY VAMPIRES party; 10:00 PM-11:30 PM; Holiday Inn party suite #363
• QUANTUM LEAP party: 8:00 PM-1:00 AM; Jan Fennick's room at the Holiday Inn.
• "Michael Crawford fans - meet at 4 p.m. in the lobby to go out to dinner (contact Gayle Gordon for day and dining location!)."

Masquerade Winners

We are looking for any info or photos of the Masquerade contest and winners.

HALL COSTUME CONTEST WINNERS -- 1993

• Judge: Winston Howlett
• Organizer: Seth Bonder

• Best 19th Century Historical (1890's Woman): Connie Oberding and Kathy Kipper
• Best 20th Century Historical Woman: Christina Getrost as "Jazzera"
• Best Fantasy: Laura Schaaf as "Vampira"
• Best Comic Book Character: Melody Womack as "Two-Face"
• Most Colorful: Linda Billington as "Nova"
• Best Accessories: Jesse McClain as "Runecaster"

From the post-con report:

The 1993 Masquerade was a small one, having under a dozen entries. It has been noted by the Masque Director that there have been comments about too many expert costumers "crowding out" the newcomers; if this is so, the Masquerade staff would like ideas on how this might be alleviated. Otherwise, things ran fairly smoothly; run-through went without a hitch, there were plenty of folks present as audience, and Bill Dyer did his usual thing making excellent records as our Official Masque (Photo)Shooter. This will be the last time for a while that Seth Bonder will be running it. In his own words, "Some major changes are going on in my life. For those of you who didn't hear, I shall be attending MediaWest*Con next year as a married chap, and the amount of stuff I have to do between now and then (moving, finding employment, getting hitched, eta) precludes my being able to act as a ConCom member to my own satisfaction. And after four or five years, it's only logical to give someone else a chance. That someone is my MC and cohort in strangeness, Andre Lieven. If you have comments, suggestions, requests, eta he may be reached at [address redacted]. Postage for us South of the Border is 40 cents/lst ounce and 23 cents/each additional ounce. Andre is an excellent organizer --1 have seen him working at other cons, and though some may run in terror from his puns, he is capable and clear-headed on strictly business matters. He has chaired or co-chaired a couple of cons, and worked as staff on others. I hope to see you all again next year. Take care.

Door Decoration Awards

"Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest, from Satyr D'Nite Press & Tales From The White Hart."

• BEST IN SHOW, Room 570: "221 Baker Street-Sherlock Holmes," by Bills, DeBeneditto, Bills
• ENFORCEMENT/FIRST PLACE, Room 203: "Wanted By CIS - Don't We Wish," by Kerry O'Connor
• ENFORCEMENT/SECOND PLACE, Room 352: by Carr and Christjansen
• ENFORCEMENT/THIRD PLACE, Room 465: by Gaylen Reiss
• SCIENCE FICTION/FIRST PLACE, Room 220: "Galactic Duck!' by Janet Achart
• SCIENCE FICTION/SECOND PLACE, Room 372: by Chandra
• SCIENCE FICTION/THIRD PLACE, Room 515: by Oh Boy Press
• FANTASY/FIRST PLACE, Room 426: "Picture Perfect,"by Keetah, Dunn, Lenhard
• FANTASY/SECOND PLACE,Room370: by Jan Boll
• FANTASY/THIRD PLACE, Room 337: by Raymond Geiger

Art Show Awards

Art show winners were selected by popular vote.

MEDIAWEST*CON ART SHOW AWARD WINNERS

• STAR TREK: Lucy Synk's "The Dream Lives On"
• STAR WARS: Barbars Fister-Liltz's "To The Stars"
• QUANTUM LEAP: Kate Nuernberg's "Call Me Al"
• PROFESSIONALS: Warren Oddson's "The Professionals"
• MACGYVER: Jesse McClain's "Swiss Army Knife (S.W.A.K.)"
• U.N.C.L.E. : Suzan Lovett's "Afternoon Delight"
• BLAKE'S 7: Suzan Lovett's "Rebel With A Cause"
• HIGHLANDER: Barbara Fister-Liltz's "Velvet Denim and Silk"
• FOREVER KNIGHT: Barbara Fister-Liltz's "Forever Her Knight"
• BEAUTY & THE BEAST: Lori Knott's "Stone Lion"

• HUMOR: Ann Larimer's "That's Not Funny, That's Stupid!"
• FABRIC: Linda Jeffrey's "Guardian Angel of MediaWest"
• 3 - D : TAC'S "Fairy Elf"
• EQUINE: Heather Bruton's "Fantasy Carousel -- Winged Pegasus"
• FELINE: Lori Knott's "Cloud Games"
• DRAGONS: Lucy Synk's "Oriental Delight"

MOST POPULAR (tie)

• Suzan Lovett's "Brothers of the Hawk" and
• Barbara Fister-Liltz's "Velvet Denim and Silk"

Vid Show

From the 1993 Post-Con Progress Report

"Single Media (tie)

• "The Night Chicago Died" - California Crew -- Icy Calm

• "Midnight Sun" - Steele, Inc. -- Atlanta Division

Multi Media (tie)

• "Romeo" -California Crew

• "Into the Fire" - California Crew -- For All Intents & Purposes

Humorous:

"Trigger Happy" - California Crew

No Entries in the Constructive Reality (single or Multi) or Original categories

Other highlights of the competition included an ALIENS video using cuts from the laserdisc version of the film (ah,the wonders of advancing technology); Goin' Cross Town," an all-animation (DARKWING DUCK and BATMAN) video; and a new video-related art form: the video cassette box. Steele, Inc. -- Atlanta Division's entry into the competition came with an attractively decorated case (probably the product of a computer-graphic program, but nicely done nonetheless.)"

Programming

Among the slash themed panels were:

• "Writing realistic sex scenes -- He put his what where? Getting the details right." Shoshanna, Jane Mailander, Cynthia Walker, M. Urhausen, J. Belton. Recommended print sources: The Joy of Sex, The Joy of Gay Sex, Nancy Friday's books. The nurse suggested Gray's Anatomy. "K/S and company -- The queering of our heroic hunks: is any fandom safe?" Nina Boal, Henry Jenkins, F. Driver, L. Mangan, M. Mastoris
• "Smut -- Heterosex in fanfic: a dying breed?" (a similar panel was held in 2006)
• "Smut -- Slash as a fandom itself"

Friday

• Star Wars - How have the films kept their magic all these years? (J. Casselbury, D. Hoyt, E. Larson, M. Nowakowska, J. Yuenger*)
• Writing - Keeping romance out of the gutter: how to express love without using four letter words. (J. Fennick*. S. Hall, R. Schindler, S. Wisdom)
• Is there a place in fanfic (or pro fie) for strong female characters? (S. Garrett, J. Hindman*, N. Mack, C. Walker)
• Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - Still Boldly Going? (M.A. Espenshade, K. Keisel, P. Mauk, H. Nachman, L. Sandler)
• Writing good medicine - Excuse me, but your hero's been dead for the last five pages! (A. Hupe*, N. Mack, S. Moore)
• Forever Knight - More than just another vampire show? (S. Green, J. Hoffman, M.A. McKinnon*, J. Mergenhagen, L. Wexler)
• Carmen San Diego - Why in the world watch Carmen San Diego? (J. DeVore, S. Hovde, Lovejoy*)
• Media Wheel of Fortune
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Is this the same show Roddenberry created? (T.L. Bogolub, K. Keisel, Martynn, L. Sandler, J. Wagner)
• Writing realistic sex scenes - He put his what where? Getting the details right. (J. Belton, S. Green*, J. Mailander, M. Urhausen, C. Walker)
• Actors vs. their characters - Does meeting an actor alter your view of the fandom? (R. Arnold, K. Brown*, M. Robin, J. Wells)
• Matrix - What is this show all about, anyway? (L. Keeper, M.A. McKinnon*, V. Meachum, P. Spalding)
• Sherlock Holmes - The enduring appeal of the literary character. (C. M. Barkley, J. Casselbury*, H. Commodore, J. Littrell, L. Thomas)

• Alien Nation - Can the novels rejuvenate the fandom? (L. Falcon, J. Fennick, S. Hovde)
• Publishing - From computers to laser printers and beyond: the future of fanzine publishing. (M. Bloemker, A. Hupe*, S. Moore)
• More than just "holding" a con: the key elements to "organizing" one. (D. Hicks*, J. Kelley, N. Kippax, L. Mangan)
• Picket Fences - When in Rome...: what about this show has captivated us? (S. Garinger, L. Johnson, N. Silva)
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - More than just monster of the week: the lasting appeal. (K. Agel, P. Ames, D. Lozinski, C. Rancour4*)
• Going "pro" - tips and tales on crossing over into "professional" writing.)
• Editing - Taking the plunge with your first zine: basic tips and reference books you need to get started. (S. Garrett*, J. Hindman, D. Langsam, R. Stein, M. Wathne)
• Equalizer - Need help? Call this panel: the appeal of the series. (CM. Barkley, M. Basta, L.A. Carr, M. Christjansen*. J. Frazier)
• Fandom vs. the "reel" world - Picking up the pieces, or what can you do when the powers-that-be destroy your fandom?)
• From Dragnet to Law & Order: the changing face of cop shows.)
• The psychology of S/M: beyond leather and chains.)
• Quantum Leap - The Quantum continuity cops. (J. Fennick, J. Kelley*, M. Macomber, T. O'Shea)
• Whoopi Goldberg - From actress to talk show host: why we love her.)
• Computer bulletin boards: fandom at your fingertips. (M. Bloemker*, C. du Veritas, Ninja, D. Walsh, J. Webster)
• Keeping fandom safe for minors: who's ultimately responsible?)
• Shadow Chasers - A journey into the realm of paranormal phenomenon.)
• Blake's 7 - Beyond the debacle at Gauda Prime.)
• Writing original characters - avoiding the Mary Sue Syndrome and other common ailments. (T.L. Bogolub, S. Garrett*, D. Langsam, L. Sandler, R. Stein)
• Expanding the legends - Does media preserve the intended spirit?)
• Primer for neos - Where did all you people come from, and how did you find each other?: An introduction to fandom.)
• Ghost & Mrs. Muir - The resurgence of a timeless love story.)
• Robin of Sherwood - More than just outlaws and pagan rituals.)
• Filk Fest 1 (Until midnight.)
• Writing Star Wars fanfic - a beginner's round table.)
• Stephen J. Canned series - Getting beyond the car chases.)
• Batman Returns - Was it worth waiting for?)
• Michael Crawford - More than just a phantom.)
• Gay lit before fandom - Were we reading it? How did we find it?)
• Disney's Beauty & the Beast - Did it capture the essence of the legend?)
• The changing face of fandom - Have we come a long way, baby?)
• Susan Kay's "Phantom" - The elements that grabbed our imagination.)
• Vampires - Exploring the vampire myth through film, TV and literature.)

Saturday

• Beauty & the Beast - The definitive love story? (M. Basta, G. Berger, T. Blaes.T.L. Bogolub*. L. Wexler)
• Writing - Researching fan stories: developing an information base. (L. Blunk, V. DeVries, J. Strohm*)
• Lovejoy - A true original. (B.Dugan*, P.Feldman, R.Jordon, S.Powell)
• Our favorite shows cancelled way too soon -what's yours? (B. Franjevic, S. Hovde*. Lovejoy)
• Anne McCaffrey's Pern - More than just a tale of dragons? (E. Alward, M. Belviso*. S. Maiewski)
• Black Adder - To Black Adder or not to Black Adder, that is the question. (C . Duval, D. Grono*, C. Hotaling-Lyons)

• Quantum Leap - The long and winding road: a series overview. (M.A. Espenshade, G. Himes, M. Mastoris, M. Urhausen*. J. Wagner)
• Writing - Crossovers: what makes them good, or better? (T. Blaes, T.L. Bogolub, J. Mailander*, R. Rogow)
• Art - Illustration: more than just copying a photo. Making the characters match the action. (A. Larimer)
• Cartoon noir - An animated Batman with reel style. (K. Keisel, Martynn, M. Womack*)
• Goodbye, Donna Reed: have strong female characters come of age? (M. Brin, H. Commodore, C. Culhane, H. Jenkins, D. Langsam)
• Thank the Lord for the nighttime: the appeal of vampires. (J. Hoffman, E. Larson, J. Littrell, H. Nachman*. I. Ozernay)
• The Professionals - CI5: 10 years later. (T. Cawli, L. Fancher, P. Feldman, S. Powell*)
• Writing - Collaboration: how to put aside your ego for the sake of the story. (T. Cason, C. du Veritas, S. Hall, T. Kurth, S. Wisdom)
• Not just for kids anymore: the growing number of cartoons geared toward adults. (L.A. Carr, S. Flanagan, A. Potter, S. Schreiber. M. Womack*)
• Actors with big noses and the fans who love them: bonkers over honkers. (B. Cope*, S. Saye, M. Urhausen)
• Multiple vs. one fandom fen - Dueling fandoms: boxing yourself in or spreading yourself too thin? (S. Garrett, S. Hovde, J. Kelley, K. Robertson*)
• Unifying Star Wars fandom - state of the union. (C. Cargill, P. Grant, M. Wathne, J. Yuenger)
• Beginning writer's seminar - how to write a better story. (C. Walker)
• Dark Shadows - Love throughout the ages: a visit to Collinsport. (K. Resch, M. Robin, D. Rojano)
• GEnie - A media con 365 days a year for only $4.95 a month. (K. Agel*. M. Bloemker, J. Morris, M. Morris)
• Going "pro" - If you've made the leap to "pro" writing, how come you're still writing fanfic? (N. Boal, J. Lorrah, J. Mailander*. S. Moore, R. Rogow)
• FIAWOL vs. FIJAGH - Is fandom really a way of life, or just a fun way to spend your spare time? (H. Jenkins, M. Lozinski, L. Mangan, A. Venlos)
• Star Trek: Next Gen & Deep Space 9 • Women of the 24.5 Century. (J. Fennick*, J. Kelley, M. Macomber)
• Starsky & Hutch - What is the future of the fandom? (P. Masse*, L. Pfeffer, Leah S)
• The Sea Trek Cruise - Our adventures on the high seas. (G. Czetti*. N. Heska, K. Stritmatter, G. Wong)
• Attempting the impossible - Building a fandom on a cancelled series. (G. Berger, F. Driver, L. Falcon*, S. Kaminsky, M. Lozinski)
• Phantom of the Opera - The enduring appeal. (G.L. Gordon, H. Nachman, J. Mergenhagen, L. Thomas*)
• Dr. Who - The what, where, when and how of the fandom. (T. Beck, G. Blog*. J. Morris, K. Parker)
• Publishing - I'd like to do a zine, but I only have a limited budget: producing a quality zine with only a Smith Corona and a prayer. (M. Bloemker*, J. Hindman, D. Langsam, R. Stein)
• Art - The deadline's approaching and I promised 10 illoes - where do I start? Finding what you need to get going-researching artwork. (A. Larimer
• Zorro - A retrospective and new movie news. (J. Casselbury, K. Gregory, M. Kelly, M.A. McKinnon*, B. Wagner)
• Star Trek: Has the classic stood the test of time? (C.M. Barkley, T. Blaes, J. Lorrah, S. Maiewski*. L. Sandler)
• K/S and company - The queering of our heroic hunks: is any fandom safe? (N. Boal*. F. Driver, H. Jenkins, L. Mangan, M. Mastoris)
• Editing - Dealing with writers who won't be edited, and other tips on working with your contributors. (C. Cargill, J. Fennick, J. Paciello*, B.J. Tandarich, M. Wathne)
• Writing - Strategies for writing interactive fiction. (E. Alward, J. Doyle*, S. Moore)
• Disabilities in fandom.
• Fandom as a support group - Doing more than drooling over 8x10's, or what is it you people do all day? (R. Arnold, T.L. Bogolub, B. Franjevik, S. Green, K. Robertson*)
• Main courtyard: Sword fighting workshop/performance. (C. Barbeau)
• Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - Life at the edge of a wormhole. (T. Cason, S. Maiewski, J. Paciello, S. Powell, M. Ruff)
• Publishing - Design & layout: from page size through binding-some decisions to be made. (K. Agel*. M. Bloemker, S. Garrett, J. Kelley, R. Stein)
• Native Americans in Hollywood - Films that attempt to give a more accurate view of the American West.
• Red Dwarf - What's so funny? The appeal of the series.
• Smut - Hi, guy, new in Town? Or, why can't two male characters stand together for longer than 10 seconds without someone writing them into a slash relationship? (F Driver, D. Hicks, L. Mangan', J. Wagner)
• Star Wars fan history workshop. (M. Nowakowska*, J. Webster)
• Wiseguy - The stresses of working under deep cover: was Vinnie's breakdown inevitable, and how did it affect those around him? (C. du Veritas, [Darlene F.], A. Teitelbaum*)
• Indiana Jones appeal. From Young Indy to The Last Crusade

Sunday

• Writing - Finding and working with an editor. (S. Garrett*, A. Hupe, C. Rancourt, L. Sandler)
• American Sign Language - You won't get fluent in an hour, but you can learn the basics. (J. Frazier, G. Reiss*)
• Mystery Science Theatre 3000 - The convention exchange. (E. Dickenson, K. Keisel*. Martynn)
• Kenneth Branagh - More than just another pretty face: what's the attraction?
• Give me that old time religion: can you keep your ideals in spite of fandom's influence?
• Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - Can Starfleet keep a rein on Deep Space 9? (S. Flanagan, J. Morris, M. Urhausen, J. Wagner)
• Quantum Leap - The challenge of writing for an on-going series: what do you do when they change the rules in the middle of your story? (M. Agnew, S. Hall*, S. Wisdom)
• Art - Art 101: tips for beginning artists. (A. Larimer)
• Space Rangers - Last stand at Fort Hope. (B. Franjevik*. S. Hovde, Lovejoy)
• Media Jeopardy.
• Religion throughout history: spiritual guidance or mind control?
• Sherlock Holmes - How Granada TV has redefined Sherlock Holmes. (B. Bells, E. Gustainis*, M. Kelly, G. Martin, L. Stephens)
• Writing - How to write original characters your readers will enjoy. (K. Agel, M. Bloemker, A. Hupe, J. Lorrah, M. Wathne)
• MacGyver - Have clothes pin, will save the world: Mac's appeal. (J. Hoffman, J. Lundberg*. M. Mastoris, M.A. McKinnon)
• Mann & Machine/Alien Nation: Boy builds girl. (T.M. Cason*. C. du Veritas, D. Meinking, J. Paciello)
• Smut - Heterosex in fanfic: a dying breed? (T.L. Bogolub, J. Grundfesf, N. Mack, S. Powell, R. Smoot)
• Star Wars - Do the new novels fit "our" universe? (CM. Barkley, C. Cargill*. 2.P. Florian, J. Mergenhagen, J. Webster)
• Forever Knight - The best Canadian import since beer and bacon. (L. Cawli, B. Dugan, P. Feldman, S. Powell*)
• Writing seminar 2: advanced writers' workshop (Until 3:00 PM.) (C. Walker)
• From Eroica with love. (C. Jenkins, L. Mangan, A. Potter)
• Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips: our boys in infinite combinations! (M. Bonds*, R. Callahan, N. Kippax)
• Smut - Slash as a fandom itself. (K. Brown, S. Garinger, S. Green, M. Urhausen*)
• Quantum Leap - Is there life after cancellation? (T. Blaes, M.J. Frank, S. Hall, S. Wisdom)
• Good guy vampires - We still don't get no respect! (C. du Veritas, J. Hoffman, J. Littrell, M.A. McKinnon, H. Nachman)
• Crying Game - The secret's out: this film is a hit with fans! (J. Enright, S. Garinger, G.L. Gordon, K. Resch)
• Sandbaggers - Intro to an up and coming fandom. (C. Dunkel, N. Mack, M. Macomber)
• Is there a place in fanfic for strong female characters? (E. Alward*. N. Boal, R. Stein, A. Venlos)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - A view of life on the Enterprise. (J. Lorrah, S. Maiewski, J. Morris, M. Nigro, J. Paciello)
• Writing - Writer's research network: pooling expertise and knowledge. (M. Clemmer, B. Dugan, P. Feldman, S. Powell*)
• Have you seen...? - Which series, films, etc. generate fandoms? (S. Ballasch, M.A. Espenshade, S. Kaminsky, R. Rogow, J. Wells*)
• Last of the Mohicans - Why it has captured our hearts. (S. Magee*. R. Stuemke, L. Thomas)
• Remington Steele - Steele popular after all these years.
• Slash Talent In Fandom (STIFfie) Awards. Adult fiction awards ceremony; open to all.)
• Publishing - Why do zines cost so much? (M. Bloemker, C. Cargill, J. Hindman*, D. Langsam, R. Stein)
• Actors vs. their characters: confusing an actor with the character he portrays. (R. Arnold, C. Hotaling-Lyons, K. Robertson, M. Robin*)
• Disney animation - Still goofy after all these years: the attraction of Disneyana.)
• Editing - How to protect the integrity of your zine without making enemies: how to reject without hurting feelings. (E. Alward, N. Boal, A. Hupe*, B.J. Tandarich)
• Fan Q Awards ceremony. (Until 7:00 PM.)
• Writing - The importance of the rewrite. (Z.P. Florian, J. Paciello*, L. Sandler, J. Webster)
• I'm not gay, I just happen to have sex with my male partner, and other fallacies of slash.)

• Theatre - Old musical comedies: still full of life? Were they better?)

• Harrison Ford - From "American Graffiti" to "The Fugitive": why we're still wild about Harry.)

• Buddy shows - Oil & water: using partners from two different worlds to add spark to formula shows.)

• Are You Being Served? - What's so funny about retail life in Britain?)

• MediaWest'Con's famous ART AUCTION (Until the last piece goes...)

• Filk Fest 3 (Until midnight.)

• Getting the last laugh: the attraction of British comedy series.)
• Ghostbusters - Who ya gonna call: Ghostbusters or Real Ghostbusters?)
• Adaptations - Book to film, film to book: which work and which don't?)
• Mercedes Lackey's "Heralds of Valdemar" - a world worth exploring.)
• Spies in the 90's: where would they fit into today's changing political scene?)
• Heroes inside the law - the attraction of cop/spy/P.I. series.)
• Music videos - Basics for setting your favorite fandom to music.)

• Heroes outside the law - the attraction of series where the characters take the law into their own hands.)

• The science in science fiction - "Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow!" and other scientific impossibilities.)

Monday

• Sapphire & Steel - The appeal of the series.
• Comic books - Can we take these cartoon characters seriously?
• Fan clubs vs. fandom: What are the differences/similarities?
• Spaceships of TV and film - From flying pie plates to computer graphics: technology marches on.
• Dead Dog Panel - What went right/wrong with the con?
• Guilty pleasures - Do your friends know you watch that show? Is there a place in fandom for "My Mother The Car" and other eclectic series?
• World War II series - How did these compare with the real war?
• Kevin Costner - All American Hero, or just another average Joe?
• Star-crossed lovers - The enduring appeal.

Acknowledgments

From the program book:

Co-chairmen (and your hosts) Lori Chapek-Carleton and Cordon Carleton would like to thank the following
 staffers for their hard work: Sheryl Adsit (Fannish Videos), [Darlene F], Ann Teitelbaum (Programming), Deborah
 Layman (Fan Fund), Keith Grunenwald and Seth Cults (Security), Jesse McClain (Art Show & Auction & Security), Jan
 Gosnell (Fanzine Reading Room), Karen M. Klinck and Marybeth Gauthier (Art Show & Auction), Jeanne Sullivan
 (Gofers and Fan Quality Awards), Vivien Sheffield (Art Show & Auction), Seth Bonder (Masquerade), Bill Hupe (Registration Dealers), Kim Dyer (Blood Drive), and, additionally, Scott Rosema, Mary Jean Holmes, J.R. Holmes, Randy Kaempen, Paula
 Smith, Andre Lieven, Wolf, Linda Ruth Pfonner, Any Venlos, Ann Hupe, Peg Kennedy, Bill Dyer, Barb Gompf, Roberta Stuemke, Susan Clarke, Paula Block, Bjo Trimble, Terry Erdman, Ryan Effner, Cathy Boudreau, Mary K. Urhausen, Becky Cope, Sharon Saye, Terry Moller, Jeff Walker, and De Chapman. Also MCA/Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney, Columbia, and Castle Rock Entertainment for promotional giveaway items.

Convention Reports

It's been a week or so and many pertinent details have slipped away forever, but this is a summary of the panels [K] and [S] went to at MediaWest during the few moments we weren't in the dealers' room, cruising the halls for used zine sales, and attending parties (including a Tea for Tarrant, may God have mercy on our souls). Two of the panels dealt with slash, all with smut, and some of the topics were eerily familiar from this list.

"Writing realistic sex scenes -- He put his what where? Getting the details right." [Shoshanna], Jane Mailander, Cynthia Walker, M. Urhausen, J. Belton.

The basic question was 'does impossible/unrealistic sex make you throw away the story in disgust?' The nurse on the panel said 'yes' and several of the attendees seemed to agree that the mood of the story could be disrupted if the positions were not feasible and you began to worry that someone's shoulder was being dislocated. On the other hand, some felt that if the mood is strong enough the details go unnoticed. Excessive realism can also be too much -- reading about hairs on the tongue is generally a turn off. :-)

Squicking points (things you can't stomach, in case you wondered:-) were also briefly discussed. One man in the audience said the idea of things inserted into the male urethra made him squeamish. M. Fae Glasgow and others informed him some men enjoy it. Anal intercourse without lubricant was also mentioned. One panellist said she has a friend who insists it's possible. We learned that champagne is not a good lubricant....

Naming of parts is another potential danger area. By consensus, cock is the best word for penis. Clinical terms are jarring and unerotic, which is a problem since all nonclinical words for female genitalia carry negative connotations.

Avoiding these problems by "fading to black" was suggested, with some discussion about the appropriateness of including explicit sex scenes to begin with. I think I'm blending two separate threads here, but the conclusions of both had to do with the tone of the story overall: if it's a gritty story, then use gritty words and be explicit; if it's a more romantic story you can be more indirect and might not want to be explicit at all. All agreed sex scenes that are too mechanical and using them as a substitute for dialogue (dialogue apparently being more difficult to write) are a Bad Thing.

One man in the audience claimed it was obvious from some of the stories that the authors had never actually had sexual experience, sparking a debate on the necessity of experience for either straight or slash fiction. Most agreed that proper research with books and people (trying out positions or just asking an informed source) was sufficient. [The assumption that you must be doing what you describe if it's hetero was also mentioned in a later panel]

Recommended print sources: The Joy of Sex, The Joy of Gay Sex, Nancy Friday's books. The nurse suggested Gray's Anatomy.

"K/S and company -- The queering of our heroic hunks: is any fandom safe?" Nina Boal, Henry Jenkins, F. Driver, L. Mangan, M. Mastoris

The answer is no. But there are divisions within slash about politicizing stories and sticking to the characters, and even what constitutes slash. Apparently one of the adzines was calling any adult story slash. Jenkins sees slash as a narrative format involving social taboos. There was some discussion about whether female slash needs a name of its own.

On the pro-pol side (no one, BTW, expressed the idea somebody on the list did about the difference between writing that reflects your own politics and writing that is political), Boal's position was that Kirk was definitely gay, not 'Spock is just the right individual,' and she would basically not accept any stories for her zine (On the Edge) that did not address the issues of being gay in a hetero society because it wasn't realistic. Jenkins said he would like to see slash become more political.

We were surprised at the panelist's vehemence that they should incorporate their political agendas into what are, for us, fantasies. We concluded that the writers on the panel are not writing/reading for the same reasons we're reading. We will ignore a certain amount of political sermonizing, but probably will not like a story where it is the central focus. What we really like is stories where the men are just fucking each other's brains out.

[comments by Sandy Herrold]: Nina Boal is waaaaaay out there in her point of view (and I've had some run-ins with her myself) but--perhaps in simple reaction to her--you two sound like you've gone a little too far the other way.

I don't think that a slash reader needs to be gay to notice, and eventually become, perhaps, uncomfortable with the enormous numbers of "We're not gay we just love each other stories out there." I wish Sue was a Pros reader just so that she could read the wonderful pair of stories "Two Up" a typical Jane of Australia story and it's politically correct and *Wonderful* rewrite "Two Up Truly Queered"

"...stories where the men are just fucking each other's brains out..." are just Gay Male Porno (GMP), and most of us after getting into slash make an effort to find some GMP and realize that it doesn't work (as well) for us as slash. We say the diff between GMP and slash is the characterizations. Well, at the risk of showing my age, the political is the personal, and their characterization includes the political reflected onto them.

[K] hypothesizes that the existence of so much A/U pros is because they want to write slash as fantasy and it doesn't work very well in 1980 England; in that social context only a very brief story can ignore the problems and remain convincing.

Sue thinks that the reader's political and sexual orientation have a lot to do with how much the issue matters -- as straight women we have much less invested in the exploration of real problems faced by homosexual men and women. For us, slash is purely (well, Impurely if it's done right 8-) a fantasy.

There was some discussion about creating new characters and at what point a story became "original" fiction rather than fan fiction. This was also discussed in the heterosex panel. The general sense was that if you focus too much on new characters you aren't really writing fan fiction anymore; the reason for reading and writing fanfic is the series characters.

Someone on the panel mentioned the Kinsey scale and the problem with contemporary society's insistence that one is either straight or gay with nothing inbetween, which effectively eliminates bisexuals and ignores the idea that most people are somewhere along the sexual preference scale. This was in response to someone else's comment that that people were really gay or lesbian and not bisexual and that it was a cop-out to write the characters as anything but gay.

Jenkins made the point that the default assumption is that characters are straight, whether we see them in a heterosexual relationship or not, and suggestions otherwise are usually met with a demand for proof.

A question was raised about whether there should be a special term for f/f slash, as a political point. There was some discussion on inclusionary/exclusionary language and the use of the term queer to unify gay, lesbian, and bi interests.

There was some discussion of the differences between gay fiction and slash, and if/when making slash more political and adding new characters will move it from the realm of fan fiction into gay lit. Jenkins said something like slash appeals to some gay males because it has a different sensibility than porn written for men -- more emphasis on feelings and caring and all that.

There was a passing mention of slash as a woman's space and the inclusion of men. Most seemed to welcome men...in public anyway.

"Smut -- Heterosex in fanfic: a dying breed?" I don't think the panelists listed in the program were all there but I'm not sure who was...

We felt that this panel had an equally strong political agenda and was very anti-slash although the panelists tried not to sound as if they were.

One point was why write slash when "you really mean heterosex." Some on the panel and in the audience seemed to have the strong opinion that m/m relationships were really a stand-in for m/f; i.e., they were really m/f, but the author was afraid to write it that way because of the assumption that what you write is what you do, and the disheartening trend to label any story with a strong original female character as a MarySue. There was some feeling that slash is anti-woman. Writers dispose of female characters or denigrate them by implying that only m/m is "real sex." It was also suggested that the appeal of writing m/m is that it's removed from m/f -- the writers can distance themselves from their own sexuality and this is cowardice.

Several people voiced the usual objection to slash -- it violates the characters as presented on screen. There seemed to be some fear that it has pushed adult nonslash stories to the fringe.

Some were of the opinion that adult stories were making a comeback and that if we wanted more we had to say so, not assume every new female character is a MarySue, and support the writers in general.

There was some ragging on romance readers but I can't remember how it started. Romance readers were generally considered less intelligent than fan fiction readers because they plow through 6 or 8 novels a month.

Sue found this part of the panel offensive especially combined with the plea to be supportive of heterosex writers and the knowledge that she had just spent enough on zines to finance a house.

"Smut -- Slash as a fandom itself"

We saw this as Lezlie's wave theory in action, but somewhat simpler: slash fans of a series vs fans of slash.

Memorial day weekend was once again lime for MediaWest. Media West is one of the odder but more fun conventions I do everywhere. They have no guests whatsoever, the main purpose of the convention is the selling of media fanzines and the chance for likeminded fans to get together, talk, exchange ideas, hang out, buy LOTS AND LOTS of fanzines and buy art. This is also one of the odder art shows I do. 99% of the show is media orientated, and of various actors from mostly favourite TV shows but also movies and even plays. It's a reasonably sized show. The hangings areas are on metal gridwork that you hang your art from using 's' hooks and bulldogs clips. It's an amazingly efficient way to hang as you have complete freedom as to where to hang the hooks. I'm sure most of you have run into the same problems I do with pegboard. At any rate, it does mean you can use your space very efficiently. Panels are $10 a shoot and are 4 wide by 6 tall. The show also takes a 10% commission. Usually I don't like panel and commission fees on the same show as I view it as money grabbing. But MediaWest has an interesting twist. Any piece you sell you get $1 back on. I sold 14 pieces so I got $14 back. So in the end I paid only $1 for my space. I rather like that. Usually this show just amazes me for the prices people are usually willing to pay but this year it looks like the recession finally affected art sales. The highest selling piece was $450 and after that $235. Trust me, this is down quite a bit. Part of that can also be blamed on the fact that some of the real big name media artists either didn't show this year or hung stuff that really wasn't up to the usual standards. There also wasn't a real big new fandom this year to draw in the big bucks. HIGHLANDER and FOREVER KNIGHT came closest. Still there was some very nice money on the medium end stuff. I did very well, better than last year and some of the animal art this year did real well. Animal art is real popular at this show with cats and wolves drawing the most bucks. Cartoons as usual did well also. It was two bids to auction (shudder). They really have to raise the piece to auction. This year's auction was five hours! Yee gods! Once again I sat through it. I had ten pieces in auction and they were spread all through. There were some complaints this year for the length of the auction so maybe things will change next year. The con paid artists at check-out on Monday, most in cash.

Overall, sales were slower this year and the show was not as flashy as usual. Still, compared to many shows the prices were very nice and the buying public there is still solid. The art show was well run with friendly and helpful staff. Main complain for me remains the auction.

Heather showed 14 and sold 14.

Other exhibitors were Jean Kluge, PJ Alexander, Sandy Schreiber.

Media West is held over Memorial Day weekend (end of May) and is billed as a convention run by fans for fans. It has no personages in attendance and is considered a multi-media convention. Multi-media encompasses such random things as Beauty and the Beast/ Simon and Simon, Pern, Phantom of the Opera, etc. The Star Wars contingent has pretty much become one of the largest fandoms represented.

The Dealer's Room is an absolutely huge room and you can purchase fanzines of every type and description, dolls, jewellery, rubber stamps, buttons, badges, photos of your favourite stars, paperback books - the list is endless! Plus there are many dealers who are not in the Room but rather sell out of their rooms.

The next largest room is the Art Room where you will find all types of paintings - oils, pastels, watercolours, pencil, etc. There are also various assortments of stained glass, hand painted sweatshirts, dolls, etc. All items are for sale. Bids are placed on the items, and if yours is the only bid you can purchase it on the night of the Art Auction. Everything else goes to the auction and bidder's frenzy runs rampantly wild!

In the smaller rooms there are panels. Panels are simply groups of people who get together to discuss the topic of the panel. The panels are mediated by fans. Again, almost every fandom has panels on various aspects of their fandom. Star Wars panels include "How have the films kept their magic all these years?", "Writing Star Wars Fanfic - a beginner's round table", "Unifying Star Wars Fandom - state of the union", "Star Wars fan history workshop" and "Star Wars - do the new novels fit 'our' universe?" Other things available are plays, a fanzine reading room, a fannish video room. Fan Quality Awards ceremony, a door decorating contest, a Masquerade/ Dance and a blood drive. With all this going on, keeping busy is not a problem - eating and sleeping is!

On the night of the masquerade almost everyone dresses up in some sort of costume and believe me, there are some truly gorgeous and inventive ones. Most t people dress in costume during the entire convention and the largest contingent of these are the members of the FORCES OF THE EMPIRE. They are a Star Wars role-playing group and this is their biggest game. They run a Cantina (you must be in costume when in the Cantina) and they run the Blaster Battle which is held in the hallways. I belong to the club but do not role play, but love to sit in the hallways and watch the mock battles. There were also two parties this year for Star Wars - both were so well-attended that they spilled out into the hallways. The Rebel Breakfast hosted by the Forces of the Empire and Southern Enclave (a Star Wars letterzine) held a get together.

One other Star Wars event was held - the STAR aWARdS. When I first went to Media West, I was appalled that there were so few awards for Star Wars and I opened my mouth, inserted my foot and was soon running Star Wars own awards system. There are categories for best Star Wars zine. Best Short Story, Best Illustrator, Best Cover Artist, Best filk, etc. Every zine printed during the year is included and ballots are sent out and fans themselves vote. The winners receive a beautiful medal and a certificate. Last year. Princess Leia (Melea Fisher) and a Imperial Officer (Pat Grant) gave out the awards. There were two funny moments - when Pat Grant won an award for Forces of the Empire and Princess Leia was putting the medal around her neck and someone called out "Probably the only time in history that Leia would give a medal to an Imperial". With that Leia tried to strangle the Imperial with the medal! The other funny moment came when Melea Fisher (Princess Leia) won a medal for her cover art and Pat couldn't get the medal over her buns! This year the medals were given out by the Emperor (Debbie Hoyt).

Media West is so well attended that within a month of this year's convention Media West '94 was sold out.

To me, one of the highlights of the convention is meeting old friends and making new ones. We're all counting the days until the next one!

The 1992 STAR aWARdS were given out at Mediawest. I had asked that, if possible, everyone attend in costume and it was nice to see So many costumes. The ceremony was held in the FORCES OF THE EMPIRE Cantina, and I want to thank the members of Forces of the Empire for the use of their facilities and all the help they gave me. Again, this year the awards came as a surprise to everyone. Once again I wore my Corellian costume to read the awards. The awards were handed out this year by Debbie Hoyt dressed as the Emperor. She did an excellent job, in spite, of being scared to death

We started by giving out special awards to Arwen Rosenbaum and Z.P. Florian. Arwen prints up the certificates for me and often has to do them at the last minute and, in spite of threats o severe torture, has never revealed the winners. Z.P. saved my sanity by getting the artwork for the certificates to me when I desperately needed it,AND she got it to me FAST! A BIG thank you to both of you.

There were two really interesting moments. The first was when the Emperor nearly took the Blue Jawa's (Tina Bentrup) head off when she tried to put the medal around her neck; and a few minutes later when I told Tina there had been a mistake. She clutched her certificate and tried to hide! Actually, the mistake was that particular award was a tie.

In fact, this will be known as the year of the ties and really close contests. Some of these were so tight that it wasn't until the last ballot came in that even I knew who the winner was!

It was suggested after the ceremony that we give out Honorable Mentions to those who were so close to the winners. I felt this was a good idea and this year they will be sent by mail. Next year, however, they will be announced along with the winners at Mediawest time . The Honorable Mentions are being seen here for the first time.

Hope that you can all join us next year!