MediaWest*Con/MediaWest*Con 2006

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Convention
Name:	MediaWest*Con 2006
Dates:	May 26-29, 2006
Frequency:
Location:	Lansing, Michigan
Type:
Focus:	multi-fandom
Organization:
Founder:
Founding Date:
URL:	2006 Convention Page 2006 Convention theme
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Some Facts About the 2006 Convention

2006 program book cover, Gordon Carleton

• The theme that year was "MediaWest*Kong:: The 26th Wonder of the World: "MediaWest*Kong, er, Con has been called the 500 pound gorilla of SF/Media cons, so this year MediaWest*Con 26 (May 26-29, 2006) went ape and celebrated lost worlds and the fantastic creatures that inhabit them."

• There were 91 premiering zines.
• There were about 80 dealers.

• Fandoms represented in programming at MW*C 26 included 24, Alias Smith & Jones, Angel, Anime, Battlestar Galactica, Bones, Boston Legal, Brokeback Mountain, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Chronicles of Narnia, Cold Case, CSI/Miami/NY, Doc Savage, Doctor Who, ER, Fantastic 4, Firefly/Serenity, Neil Gaiman, Ghost Whisperer, Harry Potter, Horatrio Hornblower, House, John Doe, Kim Possible, Lord Of The Rings, Lost, Anne & Todd MacCaffrey/Pern, Magnificent 7, Man from UNCLE, Medium, Monk, NASA, NCIS, Andre Norton, Numb3rs, Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of the Caribbean, Real Ghostbusters, Runescape, Sentinel, Smallville, Star Trek, Stargate SG-1/Atlantis, Star Wars, Starsky & Hutch, Supernatural, Underworld, Veronica Mars, West Wing, Wild Wild West, Without a Trace, World of Warcraft, Xena: Warrior Princess, X-Men, and more.

• "The Eastern Michigan Tunnel Council will again be accepting soaps and travel sized personal care items (shampoos, conditioners, hand lotions, tooth brushes, toothpaste, small hair-combs and new wash cloths etc.) for Haven, the women's shelter and other charities. Last year, thanks in part to dontions from MW*C members, we were not only able to send stuff to Haven but also approximately 200+ bundles to Hurricane Katrina relief. The drop off boxes will be located in the Fanzine Reading Room and in the Celtic Rose Perfumery Room, number to be posted at the con."

• In 2006, Irene Heron's Han/Luke door display was destroyed.

Fan Q Awards

For specifics, see 2006 Fan Q Awards.

Skit

There were two plays that year: "Bye Bye, Jedi," a musical by Mark Kobrak & Bev Grant, and "The Bi-Lite Zone," a slash-themed play by Paula Smith.

Fan Fund

Due to a lack of nominations, there was no 2006 SF/Media Fan Fund recipient.

Party Suite and Other Gatherings

• 

Other: "The Celtic Tunnel Party Strikes Again! - to be held Fri. night at 8 pm 'til ? in the Celtic Rose Perfumery Room, number to be posted at the con. Featuring varieties of Canadian chocolate amongst other things. Ladies Sewing Circle and Terrorist Society annual shopping trip will once again be heading to Kean's in Mason and Everlasting Stitches in Holt. Interested parties are to meet at the Security Desk on Saturday at 1pm. Ryan Effner Memorial Nuclear Beach Party will be held Friday at 11pm to lam in the Con Suite. Glow in the dark items welcomed."

Masquerade Awards

A complete list of winners, with photos can be seen here.

• Best In Show: Recurring Nightmare -- Julie Garner & Ashley Harp
• Best Young Fan: Cameran Vampire -- Cameran Hayden
• Best Workmanship: Going to the Opera: Coruscant -- Bernadette M. Crumb
• Award for No Animals Harmed in the Making of this Production and Audience Choice Award: The Girls of Serenity vs. The Alliance -- Samantha Powell, Nola Thompson, Kelly Lowrey, Victoria Gold, Maxwell Powell, Salem Powell, Alex & Brian Kaempler
• Official Con Mascot Award: Barbie's Dream Date -- Peter Cooper
• Best Still Looking Good After All These Years: Lepercorn -- Brenda Gasahl
• Best Use of Outsourcing: It's So Hard To Find Good Help These Days -- Audrey Lynne & Stephanie White
• Best Nostalgic: Mrs. Bunny -- M'Jit
• Best Use of a Stargate in a Sports Event: Hogwarts ROTC -- Kelly, Karl, & Paula
• Best Moves by a Wizard Without Using Magic: Schmendrick and Molly Get It On -- Ron Maxwell & Erika Hayden
• Most Unorthodox Use of the Force: The Ultimate Negotiator -- Lady Ana
• Least Likely to be Suspected of Being Armed: Langley of the Lone Gunman -- Heather Zastawnik
• Best Use of Servent: Queen of Air and Darkness and Manservant -- Alyssa & Jaren Bane
• Audience Choice Raffle: Ann Beetem

Door Decoration Awards

A complete list of winners, with photos can be seen here. A few sample doors are included below. In 2006, Irene Heron's Han/Luke door display was destroyed by unknown persons.

Door Decoration Gallery

• 

  MediaWest*Con 2006 - door memorial for David Jackson (Gan), Blake's 7 actor

• 

  Gone Fishing. Winner of Best Romance Door (Stargate SG1)

• 

  Special Slash Edition of the TV Guide

• 

  one of two Brokeback Mountain themed doors that year.

• 

  this Brokeback Mountain themed doors won a Honorable Mention' in the door decoration contest

Art Show Awards

Winners are selected by popular vote.

• Best In Show: Once Upon A Time, In Your Wildest Dreams by Suzan Lovett
• Best SF: Purple Passion by John Kauffman
• Best Fantasy: Peacock Carousel by Heather Bruton
• Best 3-D: Fractured by Leah Rosenthal & Ann Wortham
• Best Critter: The New Seeker by Jesse McClain
• Best Needlework: Celtic Beaded Bag by Vicki Burke
• Best Glass: Fawkes Flies Again by CascadePD
• Best Cartoon: Dial 1-800-HOBBIT by Leah Rosenthal
• Best Portrait: The Doctor's In! by Jesse McClain
• Best Jewelry: A Pirate's Life by Pat Leslie
• Best Investigator: Goth Tech by Jesse McClain
• Best Horror: Dark Embrace by Barbara Fister-Liltz
• 2 Cute 2 Live: Dream Girl by Karen River

Source: 2006 Art Show Winners.

Vid Show

For a complete list of vids submitted go here. Winners are listed below.

Vid Show Awards

GEN

Credits -- Gen

• 1. Vid Weasels
• 2. SiDiC
• 3. Spaced Ponies

Song Interpretation -- Single Fandom -- Gen

• 1."Hicktown" -- Spaced Ponies
• 2. "Ghost" -- Morgan Dawn
• 3. "I Believe in Ghosts" -- Spaced Ponies
• Honorable Mention: "What Happens Tomorrow" -- Cherokee Chicks

Song Interpretation -- Multi-Fandom -- Gen

• 1. "The Other Side" -- Chris & Christina (C2-D2)
• 2. "I Can’t Drive 55" -- Cherokee Chicks
• 3. "Right Now" -- Vid Weasels

Humorous -- Gen

• 1. "Gilligan’s Island" -- Cherokee Chicks
• 2. "Basket Case" -- Vid Weasels
• 3. "Why Does the Sun Shine?" -- Vid Weasels

Original -- Gen

• "Sports Center" (Feline edition) -- Chris & Christina (C2-D2)

Credits -- Slash

• Vid Weasels

Song Interpretation -- Single Fandom -- Slash

• 1. "Forget Regret" -- P.R. Zed
• 2. "My Heart Will Go On" -- Llama Boy
• 3. "Be Thou My Vision" -- Vid Weasels

Song Interpretation -- Multi-Fandom -- Slash

• "When You Lie Next to Me" -- Recycled Media Station

Humorous -- Slash

• 1. "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" -- Kiwi Hootenanny
• 2. "Pop a Boner" -- P.R. Zed
• 3. "Best Friends" -- Vid Weasels

Video Box

• (Tie) 1. Cherokee Chicks and 1. Spaced Ponies
• 2. Vid Weasels

A review of the vid show:

"he vid show started at 7:00. Ginger showed a reel of last year's winners, which was nice. We got to see the screamingly funny "Holding Out for a Hero" by master_chatnoir again, since it won first place, humor, last year. We also got to *ahem* relive the Jar-Jar/Golum love. Oy, the crack.

Then as we were getting ready to start this year's stuff Cheryl (who's in charge of the vid show) started talking about people who have been helping her out. So I'm sitting there, reasonably sure for the most part that she's talking about Ginger... but she was actually talking about *me* and I got named "Associate Vid Show Producer in charge of the Slash Show." Squee. That was nice. It doesn't really mean anything, but it was nice.

The show was *short* Three hours all told. We've had years where we swear the Cali Crew *reel* was three hours. There were 9 gen producers and 6 slash producers. OUr stuff seemed to have gone over well. People seemed to get a kick out of "Right Now" if they could see the text... but not all of them could. "Basket Case" went over pretty well too. Our credits amused people. We were the only ones (I think) with actual lead in credits. That was odd."

Source: 2006 Vis Show Winners

Programming

Events

• Art Auction
• Blood Drive
• Dead Dog Panel
• Fan Q's
• Masquerade
• Plays

Actors

• Always an Aussie: an appreciation of our favorite men down under — Jackman, Pearce, Wenhan, Gibson, Weaving, Crow, LaPaglia, etc.
• Bamceps, Winchester butts and other eye candy.
• Barry Manilow: General discussion.
• Durandom: Focusing on the resurgence of the Fab Five, Duran Duran. Talk about fanfic, etc. Bringing photos, scrapbooks, etc. heartily encouraged.
• Gerald Butler: General discussion of this Scottish actor.
• John Barrowman: Beyond Captain Jack - a look at this multi-talented actor/ singer/ dancer.
• Kavan Smith: What's the appeal of the actor who plays Major Lorne in Stargate Atlantis!
• PC Casting/Playing against an actor's reality: Straights playing gay, Chinese cast as Japanese, etc; can these performers really play these roles, or what is all the fuss about?
• Richard Dean Anderson (Fan Club): Why we love this man.
• Rory Cochrane: From stoner to slacker to CSI: The films & TV roles of this actor.

Fan Fiction

• Bi-fictional: Is it possible for the same person to see/read/write both gen and slash in the same fandom? (/)
• Characters and Myth: From a Joseph Campbell point of view, how can we use these wonderful characters as role models to create our own mythology to help us on our personal quests.
• Characters that are fun or popular or easy to write for: Do they unbalance a show?
• Coming out about writing slash: What's harder to tell non-fans who are in the dark about it: that you write stories about TV characters or that your fic is homoerotic? (/)
• Content from the show: How much do you refer back to the original series in your fic and how important is rewatching the show?
• Creative Writing or Alien Takeover?: When your favorite characters are no longer recognizable in fanfic.
• Crossovers: What's the appeal? What works, what doesn't? (/)
• Do you want sex in your gen fan fiction? Are there 3 types of fanfic out there as far as sexual content is concerned: Hetfic (het sex/'ship), slash and gen, or is hetfic the same as gen? (/)
• Fan Fiction and the Networks/ TPTB. At least USA has links to fan fiction in some of its Original Series' web sites. Is fan fiction gaining more acceptance or just as shaky, legally, as it ever was?
• Fan Fiction: Is it written for the writer or the reader, and what difference does it make?
• Fanfic and the Internet: Just because we publish on the web, does it mean we don't have any standards?
• Gay men's view of slash: How do our stories read to gay men and what might lesbians think of male-written femslash? Are slashers even trying to paint realistic pictures of gay relationships? (/)
• Grammar "Nazis": Really, how important is good grammar to fan fiction? Do they set unrealistic standards?
• Harry Potter - Servus Snape, Kerr Avon, Tyr Anasazi, Lex Luthor: Why do fans love the bad boys'?
• Het writers and artists : Are - we -- Fandom's sexual deviants?
• Holy Canon! When is bending the rules while writing fanfic appropriate?
• Medical accuracy in fanfic: You can't really fool the audience anymore. Do's and don't to hurting characters.
• Punctuation and Grammar: Do's and Don't Redux (or, Once more into the breach, dear friends).
• Research is Your Friend: It makes your story better and gives your ideas for other stories.
• Slash: The Other Pair: Slashing that not-so-common pair (/)
• Where's the feedback? Why it seems writers need to beg for feedback? Discussion on why its so difficult to send feedback to writers.
• Writing Lord of the Rings: General discussion of style, characters, pairings in slash, canon vs. fanon, etc. (/)
• Writing. What do you do when you get stuck? Tips and tools to overcome writer's block.

Fandom

• But Would You Date Them?: As dating material goes, who's good and who's not.
• Conventions: Connexions, Z-Con and other cons are folding. What's happening to our happy fandom gatherings?
• Estate planning: Don't let your valuable fandom items disappear after you're gone. Finding and documenting places where you want your treasures to go and how.
• Fandom In Denial Support group.
• How to let go: If you can't stand a series anymore, why do some fans insist on hanging around and vilifying it and the fandom?
• In and out of fandom, meeting people in person whom you've only known online: Tips, warnings, your experiences, good and bad.
• Knitting your fandom.
• On Being a Republican in Fandom: How fans get along despite different views.
• SciFi Channel: Sucky movies or fun shows? Open discussion to dissect the network.
• Small, rare fandoms: What keeps our interest in them year after year, and how do we get the word out to attract more fans? (ShadowChasers, Sahara, etc.).
• Our husband and those [provocative?] posters of your favorite male star: Can they live together in peace? Spouses' reactions to fans' interests in celebrities; does he accompany you to autograph signings?

Film

• Brokeback Mountain: Are Jack & Ennis Kirk & Spock in bluejeans? (/).
• Brokeback Mountain: From short story to screenplay of finished film - discuss the differences.(/)
• Brokeback Mountain: has slash finally found a mainstream audience? (/)
• Chronicles of Narnia: Love it or hate it?
• Fantastic Four: Why did it get bad reviews?
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Did the film sacrifice exposition for teen angst? Was there enough setup for the events of the next film?

• Harry Potter: Predictions forPotter: Will Harry survive? Where are the other Horcruxes?
• Hellboy: Real Men are from Hell.
• King Arthur: General discussion.
• King Arthur: General discussion (/).
• King Kong: Comparing the Original to the Remakes.
• Last Samuri: Love among the blossoms (/).
• Lord of the Rings: Can bookand movie fans be compatible?
• Lord of the Rings:Favorite characters, and why,,.
• Lord of the Rings: Slash among the fellowship - who are your favorite couples? (/).
• Old Horror Movies: Why do pre-1970s movies work better than the current crop?.
• Phantom of the Opera fanfic: Phantom/Christine,Raoul/Christine,etc.- which pairings move you as a writer?
• Phantom of the Opera: 2004 film and the fandom and fanfic it's spawned.
• Pirates of the Caribbean #2: Let's discuss the new movie!
• Pitcha Movie to SciFi Channel: The SciFi Channel pays $750K for a grade-B horror movie. With after-market and foreign sales, such a movie can bring in over $1M. Could we do better with a $1 million budget?
• Serenity: General discussion of the Firefly movie.
• Star Wars EU: Canon, or fanfic with a paycheck?
• Star Wars III.: Is it that Easy to Turn a Jedi to the Dark Side?
• Star Wars: Canon or Fanon? Madine hates Han, Chewie calls Han "cub," and other fanfic-isms we're not sure where they came from.
• Star Wars: Han & Leia vs. Anakin & Padme — Comparison/contrast of how romance is handled across the Trilogies.
• Star Wars: Has Star Wars declined in popularity?,
• Star Wars: Padme, Shmi and Leia: Womanhood, Sexuality and Feminism in Star Wars --do the new films represent female victimization? Is the original trilogy more feminist?
• Star Wars: The "Look" - How did you react to the goodbye scene between Han and Luke in TESEH Confirmation of slash? (/).
• Star Wars- ROTS: Plot holes— how do you reconcile them in your stories?
• TransAmerica: Accurate depiction of transgender issues? Should we want more?
• Underworld & Underworld Evolution: Comparing the Original to the Sequel.
• Xena: Movie status and discussion.
• X-Men: Where are the movies heading?

Games

• CSI Crime Scene Investigation Murder Mystery game (J07) - 4 PARTS
• Lord of the Rings Trivia Game: Always a blast (2 hrs).
• Magnificent 7 Bounty Hunt (2 hrs).
• Whose Line is It Anyway? (2 hrs).

Literature

• Andre Norton: Your opinion of her new work (aka authored by other professional writers).
• Birds of Prey, Smallville, Aquaman: What Other Strips Could Make it On Current TV?
• Doc Savage: General discussion.
• Dragon Riders ofPern: the original books by Anne MacCaffrey,.
• Elizabeth (Betsy) Taylor: Queen of the vampires (book series by Mary Janice Davidson).

• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: The Snape Factor: Death Eater or member of Dumbledore's army?
• Harry Potter: A History of Magic- Discussion on the Harry Potter series and its mix of the old folklores and Fairytales.
• Harry Potter: Defense Against the Dark Arts- Discussion of the Darker aspects of the Harry Potter series and where the series is heading.
• Harry Potter: Snape and Dumbledore - Was that planned? Quietus.
• Horse Stories: General discussion.
• J.D. Robb: Can Eve Dallas be effectively transferred to the screen?
• Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes: Mismatched marriage or perfect partnership?
• Neil Gaiman: General discussion of the author and his work.
• Pern: If they made the books into a feature film on a miniseries, who would you like to see playing your favorite characters?
• Phantom of the Opera: What makes this story so compelling it's told over and over again?
• Supernatural romance: General discussion of the various authors and their works.
• Todd McCaffrey: His Pern books.
• Urban Fantasy: Why we prefer it to the Quest Fantasy.

Miscellaneous

• Clinical Hypnosis: General Q&A.
• Dead Authors/Actors: Your favorites and their impact on you.
• Dragons:general discussion of these mythological beasts.
• NASA: Exploration of Mars.
• NASA: General overview of the space program's progress.
• Old Time Radio: general discussion.
• The Tragic Trickster,: From ancient archetypes through Spike (Buffy) and Sawyer (Lost) - why do we love them and do they serve purposes deeper than mere trouble making? Are redemption character arcs appropriate for them?
• Things that go bump in the night: General discussion on UFOs in Hollywood, etc.

Televsion

• 24: How is the series progressing?
• Alias Smith & Jones: Was the new book all you expected it to be?
• Amazing Race: season 9.
• Angel The Series: Angel/Spike. Friends, enemies or lovers?
• Anime Otaku: Fan Favorites.
• Anime Slapdown: Full Metal Panic vs. Full Metal Alchemist.
• Battlestar Galactica: Apollo and Starbuck - friends? lovers?!?! What you see happening as the show progresses.
• Battlestar Galactica: Baltar - villain or simply just misunderstood? An in-depth discussion on this character and his motivations in the new series.
• Battlestar Galactica: Religion and morality in the BSG universe.
• Battlestar Galactica: Season 2 overview.
• Bones: David Boreanaz' new role as FBI agent Seclcy Booth.
• Boston Legal: General discussion of this Spader-Shatner legal series.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: Buffy & Angel Anon. Meeting, or Missing Our Favorite Slayers & Vamps.
• Charmed: General Discussion Panel.
• Cold Case: Where do we go from here?

• Crime Procedural Dramas: The networks are awash in murder; what's so appealing about watching people die?
• CSI Miami: do you like the way the show is getting more personal and less case oriented?
• CSI Miami: season 4 overview.
• CSI NY: Have the changes revitalized it?
• Doctor Who: 9 vs. 10.
• Doctor Who: Captain Jack will get you high tonight - everyone's favorite omnisexual intergalactic conman.
• Doctor Who: general discussion of the new series airing on SciFi.
• E.R.: Too long in the tooth or surviving the cast changes?
• Finales: The good, the bad and what the heck were they smoking?
• Firefly: General discussion.
• Firefly: Relationships - romances and friendships.
• Here Brucie, Brucie: Shows that have jumped the shark this past year.
• Hogan's Heroes: After lights out - slash at Stalag 13 (/).
• Hogan's Heroes: General discussion.
• Horatio Hornblower: General discussion .
• House: How did the second season go?
• John Doe: resurrected on Scifi; will it develop a new following?
• Kim Possible: Not just a kid's cartoon.
• Law & Order: General discussion and nitpicking on all three series.
• Lost: Might as well face it, you're a dickhead on "Lost." Why do we love Sawyer so much? Is he headed for redemption someday?
• Lost: The murderers among us - how did such a bad lot get to be heroes, or at least well-loved series characters?
• Magnificent 7: Episode and character discussion.
• Magnificent 7: Favorite AU's (is there anything left to do?!).
• Magnificent 7: Favorite characters and why we love them.
• Magnificent 7: Favorite characters and why we love them (/).
• Man from UNCLE: Espionage, plot, character study of romance. What kind of story do you like to read?
• Medium vs. Ghost Whisperer: Which one do you prefer?
• Monk: How did it do this season? ,, D, Sat, Noon-1:00PMNCIS: General discussion. Your favorite character, favorite plot, what is it you like about the show, (all seasons).
• NCIS: How's it doing? A general overview.
• NCIS: The Men of NCIS: what do we know about them so far in the series?
• Nip/Tuck: Sean & Christian - how do they compare to other fannish pairs? (/).
• Nip/Tuck: What has your favorite character done that was hardest for you to defend?
• Numb3rs: General discussion - your favorite character, favorite plot, etc. (all seasons).
• Numb3rs: Let's talk about incest. Excusable or complete taboo? (adult).
• Real Ghostbusters: General discussion (still bustin' after all these years!).
• Real Ghostbusters: Twenty years, baby!
• Sentinel: If the guys became lovers by the end of the series, where are they now? (/). Sat, 3:00-4:00PM Sentinel: Jim & Blair - how do they compare to other fannish pairs? (/).
• Sentinel: Jim & Blair's gen future - if they remain platonic friends, where are they in 10,20 years?
• Sentinel: Light-hearted discussion on why Blair is perfect dominant for Jim's submissive personality (/).

• Sentinel: Were the conquest in Blair's diaries true or great works of erotic fiction?
• Sentinel: What you're writing, what's got you stumped, and what kind of fie you wish is out there. Exploring Sentinel fanfic and where we go from here.
• Smallville: Clark's blind to Lex; Lex is reaching out to Clark; why can't they get together instead of being enemies? (/)
• Smallville: Drama, decisions, death. Was Smallville's dark path inevitable?
• Smallville: General discussion of last season.
• Sorkin-TV: How much of Studio 7 will be Sports Night redux? Will you watch?
• Sports Night: Danny and Casey's relationship, (slash welcomed),.
• Star Trek: Whither the franchise? What's going on with it?,.
• Stargate Atlantis: OTP in SGA - Heterosexual pairings.
• Stargate Atlantis: Overview and discussion of season 2.
• Stargate Atlantis: Spoiler discussion for season 3.
• Stargate Atlantis: Why does the McShep pairing work for you and why is it to popular? (/).
• Stargate SG-1: Sam/Jack ship- what hopes do have for RDA's return in season 10?
• Stargate SG-1: General discussion of season 9 (last 15 minutes devoted to season 10 spoilers).
• Stargate SG-1: Sam/Jack, circa Season 9: With Jack in DC, can they finally have a relationship?
• Stargate: ,Captain Kirk Syndrome': Sexual mores and relationships in the Stargate universe.
• Starsky & Hutch: Canon romantic behavior with girlfriends - would any of their techniques carry over to their slash behavior with one another for use in fan fiction? (/).
• Starsky & Hutch: Slash fiction - Solving the "I want the partner to be the most important person in his best friend's life forever" bugaboo (no wives & kiddies) or more than that? (/)
• Starsky & Hutch: Which, if any, modern-day buddies remind you of S&H?.
• Stuck in a Rut: Creators that keep repeating show concepts.
• Supernatural: General discussion on the series : your favorite character, favorite plot, what is it you like about the show, (all seasons).
• Supernatural: The Brothers Grimm.
• TPTB - When More is Less: How Show's TPTB end up diminishing their universes
• Veronica Mars: general discussion.
• West Wing: Postmortem on the show - a superior series, so what went wrong?
• When Bad Shows happen to good characters.
• Wild Wild West: Would the 1960s show work on TV today? Too sexist, too macho, or too gay? (/).
• Will and Grace, QAF: The final seasons and what they leave behind?
• Without a Trace: general discussion.
• Women as characters: Can male writers write convincing, intelligent, real and well-rounded women?

Web/Video/Role Playing

• Dissecting a DVD - Weall have them, but how many people know how they work? What tricks do DVD producers use?
• World of Warcraft: the wonder of the Burning Crusade (computer/internet game).
• Runescape (computer internet game).
• Role Playing Discussion.
• How to Vid on Computers.

Workshops

• Advanced Writer's Seminar (2 hrs).
• Bead Workshop: beginners and beyond (2 hrs),,.
• Holy Mother Grammatica: Test your knowledge! Fanfic basics, bloopers, prizes!.
• How to Tell a Better Story (2 hrs).
• Poetry Workshop: Writing a better poem. Bring one or more poems to work on.

Acknowledgments

From the program book:

Co-Chairs (and your hosts) Lori Chapek-Carleton and Gordon Carleton would like to thank the following staffers and assistants for their hard work: Elyse Dickenson and Dawn McLevy (Programming/Party Suite/Flyers), Jeanne Sullivan (GoFers, Con Suite), Keith Grunenwald and Scth Cutts (Security), Jan Gosnell (Fanzine Reading Room, Fan Fund), Karen M. Klinck, Jesse McClain, and Vivian Sheffield (Art Show & Auction), Jan Keeler (Fan Quality Awards), Andre Lieven (Masquerade), Debra & Anna Barber (Dealers), Robyn Deike (Main Video Room), Shcryl Adsit (Fannish Videos), Kim Dyer and Linda Pfonner (Blood Drive), Margaret Basta (Orphan 'Zines), Carl Tielking (Local Lansing Liaison), the Art Show auctioneers, runners, and auction staff, and all the GoFers without whom there could be no convention. Thank you all for your time and effort, especially to those who work not just during this weekend, but throughout the year!

Thanks to Alem for taking over the Dooer Decoration Competition.

Thanks to the producers of Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove (available on Amazon.com). Thanks also to Jeff Walker for the movie trailers and studio promotion freebies.

Convention Reports

• mrwubbles's Day One and Day 2 dated May 26th-27, 2006
• Hilary Booth's Media West 26 Day 1, Media West 26 Day 2, and Mediawest 26 Day 3, dated May 29, 2006
• kitt's MediaWest post con not-quite-report dated May 29, 2006
• tenaya's Back from MediaWest, dated June 1, 2006
• neadods The MediaWest catchup post, dated May 29, 2006
• valarltd's MWC 2006,dated May 30, 2006
• Aquarius1977's Media West dated May 31, 2006
• manycomics Media West dated May 31, 2006
• renka54's MediaWest report dated June 1, 2006
• Several Unlimited's May 2006 newsletter contained multiple MediaWest 2006 con reviews *archived versions)

"The annual con held in Lansing, Michigan on Memorial Day weekend was as enjoyable as ever, although the weather was hot as Houston. The abundance of panel tracts, the great art show, the smaller than usual but wonderful vid contest, and the gatherings with fellow fen friends from all over the country are the best parts of this con. I attended a few Sentinel panels and envied the skill of the vidders. I wish I knew how they found all the wonderful songs they used in their songvids. Based on the new zines and artwork, the hot new fandom is Supernatural. This con and Revelcon make spring and summer a fun time of year.

"This year [E] and I slugged out and didn’t sign up for any panels. I’m not into any hot new fandoms, so I went to panels on old faves like LOTR and RGP, plus a few on the perennial unresolved fannish topics:

• Do you have to follow the show’s canon in fanfic? How about historical accuracy?
• Are grammar and spelling necessary in fanfic? Yes….please! Spellcheck is not enough but it’s a start.
• Plus slash issues like “What do gay guys think about slash?” and “I’m not gay he’s just my partner”.

[E] saw a number of younger fans in the hall blaster battles and the anime panels. Some were the children of MWC vets but others were probably newbies. Yay! We also talked to a lot of dealers—[E] hopes to convince more dealers to send new zines to the 2007 Revelcon. I... actually bought two pieces of art this year: a LOTR photomanip of Boromir and Faramir and an art print of a chickadee. It seems to me that there were fewer X-rated pictures in the art show this year—not none, but less. At the auction, Paula Smith, the auctioneer, called for applause for people’s faves and demonstrated that more femmefans are interested in cats than in any given hot guy."

Photo Albums:

• AuntieC's 2006 Amazing Race Contest Flickr album for Mediawest 2006