ORAC (Blake's 7 convention)
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name: | ORAC |
| Dates: | 1988-1990 |
| Frequency: | annual |
| Location: | San Francisco, CA |
| Type: | fan con, celebrity guests |
| Focus: | Blake's 7 |
| Organization: | |
| Founder: | Joni Gillispie |
| Founding Date: | |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
ORAC was a fan run Blake's 7 convention held in in San Francisco, CA. The convention also had several actors and show writers as guests, along with fan run panels, a dealer's room, a masquerade, an art show, and a charity auction.
ORAC stood for: "Organized Rebellions Ain't Cheap."
1988
ORAC 88 was held April 9-10, 1988 in Millbrae, CA.
Originally, the confirmed and invited guests were: Michael Keating (Vila), Terry Nation (series creator), Paul Darrow (Avon), and Janet Lees Price (Klyn in "Blake").
Darrow, Price, and Keating had commitments and bowed out.
In the end, there were two guests: Terry Nation and Sally Knyvette.
The program book contains 20 pages. The cover is by Greg Espinoza.
The con com was Joni Gillspie (chair), Michele wilson (Secruty/Guest Liaison), Melody and Jim Rondeau (Art Show), Liz Bowling (Dealer's Room), Keven Roche (Masquerade), Christina Hill (Registration), Jamie Nikkel (Publications), and Bob and Margaret Caloroso (Hospitality).
The Master of Ceremonies was George Sampson. From the program book:
George Sampson is "The Voice of Channel 54". As the public station's announcer, George is a familiar sight on pledge nights, encouraging viewers to become members. His favorite pledge nights are Sundays because, as he puts it,"... the science fiction audience is a lot of fun. We always make new friends on Sci-Fi night.” While at Channel 54 George has also taped interviews with several British actors involved with Blake's 7 and Dr. Who including Paul Darrow, Sylvester McCoy and B7 creator Terry Nation. Before coming to Channel 54, George worked as a news anchor and reporter for several bay area radio stations, and was an instructor in the Journalism Department at San Jose State Universisty.
From a flyer:
Join us for an ALPHA GRADE B7 convention... Show your support for Blake's 7, have a great time with other fans and help us help KTEH, our local PBS station on APRIL 9 and 10, 1988 at the CLARION HOTEL, located near the San Francisco airport. in order to provide an uncrowded, high quality convention experience, attendance will be strictly limited. Memberships will not be sold at the door, so register early. Make checks payable to ORAC for $40 until Dec. 15, $45 until Feb. 1 and $50 after Feb. 1.
1988: Programming
From the program book:
Your Alpha Grade Blake’s 7 convention is finally here. Of course there have been some changes since we started this venture. First of all, we must say a big thank you to Terry Nation for his support, ideas and willingness to deal with panic stricken phone calls.Unfortunately, Paul Darrow had to withdraw because of his role as Elvis in a national tour of “Are You Lonesome Tonight." He told us in a phone conversation that he was sorry to miss ORAC but they had changed his rehearsal schedule and he was no longer available to attend.
Janet Lees Price is doing apart in a large television production and will be filming this weekend. She did send us this message. “I can’t tell you how disappointed I am to find that I cannot after all attend ORAC. I was looking forward to being with you all so much.”
Michael Keating will be playing the lead in a play by Dennis Potter called "Sufficient Carbohydrate" through June. He asked us to pass along the following message to all of you. “I take this opportunity to wish you every success for ORAC and my love and regards to you all.”
However, being Alpha Grades, we don’t let little things like three of our four guests having to bow out less than four weeks before the convention stop us. We are convinced that you will find our new guests just as friendly and informative as our original guests would have been. We guarantee that this weekend will be afun and enjoyable time for all.
Programming included:
- individual and group Q&R panels
- art show
- dealer's room
- 24-hour video room
- photo and autograph sessions
- arts' celebrity auctions
- fan writer's panel
- props construction panel
- trivia contests
- masquerade
- video contests
- "weekend long Pictionary contests"
- a Blake Wake (Saturday night dance)
- filking
- fan fiction readings
- Half Baked 7; The Show, How We Made It, and How Long We Were Sentenced For ("The makers of Half Baked 7, a fan produced video, will discuss aspects of its production including but not limited to dull anecdotes by the actors. A display of props from the show will be exhibited. There will be several presentations of HB7 in the con video room.")
- Hostility Hour ("ORAC is pleased to present a paneling first, so with apologies to Chris of the Robin of Sherwood N.A.B. for idea theft, we offer you "Hostility Hour". Three times over this weekend you will have the opportunity to relieve frustration and let loose all that suppressed anger at people who cut in front of you in line, bought the very last photo you wanted just as you saw it or hogged the covers. The con staff has scheduled its collective nervous breakdown for the final session. You are welcome to bring photos of persons if it helps and we'll offer you plenty of things to punch, throw and kick. All we ask is that you refrain from using weapons and the things that you punch, throw and kick must be inanimate. Security will monitor this panel!")
- Pictionary and Trivial Pursuit ("What’s this? Mundane game playing at a science fiction convention? If you read your schedule you’ll find we’ve set times to play both Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary. If you have never played, we will teach you. If you have, you will know why we are doing it. See you there.")
- B7 Fandom: What Is It and Where Do You Go to Find It? ("Join some of the first U.S. B7 fans for a discussion on how this fandom has grown in the last several years.")
- Costume Presentation Workshop ("Strongly recommended for anyone planning to enter the masquerade. This is designed to help you get over the heeby-jeebies about going on stage and making a fool of yourself in front of a couple hundred people. If you have a costume but the thought of competing makes you quiver in your boots, come to the panel and maybe you'll change your mind by the time we're done. If you've already decided to enter, come to the panel and learn about some of the pitfalls to avoid.")
- So You Wanna Be a Costumer? ("A number of long-time fan costumers in attendance at the con will get together to answer questions from the audience. Topics might include: no-sew costuming. fabric sources, reproduction costumes, competition (the division system, etc.), "Rotsler’s rules", the Costumers Guild. We have left time slots available in the alternate programming room to give fan clubs and other groups a time and place to meet and promote their interests. Check with Con Ops to schedule a time.")
1989
Feb. 18 & 19, 1989 at the AMFAC HOTEL near the San Francisco airport.
Guests were to be Terry Nation, Sally Knyvette, and Brian Croucher, but according to a statement in the flyer for 1990, this did not occur. On January 25, 1989, Knyvette bowed out, and on January 27, 1989, Croucher sent his regrets. They were replaced by Jacqueline Pearce in "her first west coast convention appearance."
A flyer for Stardrive, the pro-con being planned by Terry Nation and Paul Darrow mentions that Laurie Cohen would be there and would be soliciting fans for their opinions about this for-profit endeavor.
The Master of Ceremonies was George Sampson.
From a flyer: "In order to provide an uncrowded, high quality convention experience, attendance will be limited. Show your support for BLAKE'S 7, have a great time with other fans and help us help KTEH, our local PBS station."
From the first progress report:
We are pleased to announce that ORAC 89 is recieving assistance in spreading the word about our con from not only PBS station KTEH, in San Jose, CA, but also from KOCE in Huntington Beach, CA. While we are still planning to contribute all proceeds beyond expenses to KTEH, our local channel, we are hoping to offer items for sale from both stations. We appreciate their help. Please pledge generously when you see ORAC items during their upcoming fund raising drives. If you are still among those that have yet to send in their ORAC 89 memberships, what’s keeping you? They’re selling quickly this year and you wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun. Attendance will be limited. Memberships are now
flyer for the 1989 con, printed in a Timecon progress report
page one of a flyer for 1989
page two of a flyer for 1989
another flyer for 1989, lists other guests
1989: Progress Report 1
- Was Tarrant Really Necessary?
- The Best Worst Moments ("A panel that will ask 'What is your favorite groaner? Avon sliding across the floor in 'Animals'? All of 'Animals'? The BBC's really spiffy cardboard spaceships?")
- To Zine or Not to Zine ("The hazards of collecting, editing, and publishing B7 fanfic")
- How-I-Go-Hooked-On-B7-Encounter Group ("My mother/boyfriend/husband just doesn't understand.")
- The Dead Travis Party ("No, we are still not changing the name.")
- Sunday Evening Party ("There'll be food, a no-host bar, and music videos.")
- props, costuming panels, masquerade
- Pictionary "with B7 modifications"
- Video Room ("Due to popular request(aka death threats), this year the Video Room will have a set schedule with posted starting times and everything. We will show lots o fB7 selected from the favorite episodes survey we did in'88 as well as other TV shows and films featuring the B7 actors. There will be music videos and our favorite parody, Half-Baked 7.")
- The first West Coast B7 fanzine awards ("Enclosed in this PR, you will find a sheet on which to make your nominations in our first ever, soon to be annual, ORAC's 7 awards. Choose your favorites in the following categories: Best U.S. B7 Zine, Best Foreign Zine, Best Artist (Caricature), Best Artist (Portraiture/ Illustration),Best Short Story (Comedy), Best Short Story (Drama) and Best Fan Novel. Nominations must be received by December 31st and finalists will be announced in PR #2.")
- Auction ("We will once again be holding our charity auction for the benefit of Starcross Monastery's Morning Glory program. Starcross is an independent lay Catholic community that provides foster care for children born with AIDS.")
- Video Contest ("or Blake's 7 meets MTV). Do you harbor a long repressed desire to do a music video? Do you have some already sitting around just waiting to be appreciated by an audience larger (and more inclined to be appreciative) than your family and pets? Well, what better opportunity could there be than the ORAC Blake's 7 music video contest? Please do the tapes at two hour speed. You may put as many entries as you like on the same tape. We’d prefer TDK tapes but any high grade brand will do. No $1.99 specials, please. No slash, explicit or implied. If possible we’d like to view the submissions in advance. Just send them to the ORAC address and be sure to include your name and personal info. If you can’t, then just bring them along to the convention and turn them in Saturday morning to the yet-to-be-designated location. Sometime on Sunday, a selection of them will be shown in the video room and the winners will be announced. You will be able to retrieve your tapes Sunday afternoon.")
1989: Progress Report 2
Hello.... ORAC 89 is now right around the comer and this is our second and final progress report. We’ve had a couple changes since our last communication with you. As with most fan cons, our guest list is subject to professional commitments. This means that if an actor is offered a job, they are free to take it. On January 25, we received a call from Sally Knyvette during which she told us that she will have to work the weekend of the con. (Her character on the long running series, Emmerdale Farm, is getting married and she will be filming those days.) Two days later, Brian Croucher phoned and, yes, we are getting more than a little wary of early morning calls from England, with the news that he has accepted a repertory theater directing job which will not permit him to attend. However, we do have some very good news. We are extremely happy to announce that Jacqueline Pearce will be with us, making her first west coast convention appearance. Terry Nation and our M.C., George Sampson from KTEH, are both still with us and we are all looking forward to seeing you all at the AMFAC Hotel.
Dead Travis Party. With Monday being a holiday, we hope many of you will decide to hang around Sunday evening for the Infamous Dead Travis Party. See the dead come back to life as staff, gophers, fans and possibly guests, celebrate the close of the convention. We’ll have food, drink and videos and a great time should be had by all. There’ll be perks for persons who worked the convention and who knows what else could happen.
Guest Programming. There will be Q&A panels as well as photo and autograph sessions with Terry Nation and Jacqueline Pearce. We do request that you not ask the guests to sign things or pose for photos at other than the scheduled times. This is so the guests can feel free to wander around the convention and have a good time with the rest of us.
Weapons Policy and Code of Conduct. We basically ask that you use your common sense and observe the usual rules, i.e.. You kill it, you eat it, don’t serve alcohol to minors and don’t run around wildly in public areas of the hotel thus freaking out the mundanes. There will be a more detailed list in the program book in case anyone really has any doubts about it being A Bad Thing to walk about.
Early Comers Reception. Star One - The Bay Area B7/British Media Club will be hosting a gathering Friday night starting at 8 pm by the hotel's indoor pool for all of you who arrive that evening. Come on by and have a drink, say "Hi" to Terry Nation and meet your fellow con goers. A $ 1 -2 donation will be requested to cover the cost of the munchies.
General call for volunteers. Can you say, “At once. Supreme Commander”? Do you look up to Vila Restal as a role model? Then ORAC definitely needs you. We’re in search of door watchers, hall monitors, message bearers, etc. No experience required. This is a great way to get to know other fans and be a part of what is going on. There will be perks at the Dead Travis party for those faithful souls who put in a yet to be determined number of hours. Please tell the folks at registration that you’d like to help and they’ll point you in the right direction.
1989: Masquerade and Costuming
From the second progress report:
Masquerade and Costume Programming:
Last year we had a small but extremely “user- friendly” masquerade, and a good time was had by audience, contestants and judges alike. This year’s Masquerade will be run the same way, with (I hope) more contestants. The watchword for the event is FUN!!!
The ORAC 89 Masquerade will take place Saturday, February 18, beginning at 8:00 pm. Registration deadline is 2:00 pm Saturday. Technical trouble shooting (music, staging, introduction problems - any questions you need help with) will be from 2 to 4 pm in the alternative programing room. The technical rehearsal will be from 5 pm until we finish (right up until curtain time if necessary).
In addition to the masquerade, there will be two costume related panel/workshops, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Saturday Presentation workshop:
Based on my experiences last year, Saturday will be dedicated to getting everyone ready for the masquerade. In the morning, we’ll have a panel on masquerades in general. What we actually talk about will depend on what you want to hear! Come armed with questions, rumors, gossip, phobias — anything that’s kept you from entering a masquerade — and we’ll try to address the issues for you.
We’ll try to help you get over the heeby-jeebies about going on stage and making a fool of yourself in front of several hundred people. If you have a costume but the thought of competing makes you quiver in your boots, come to the panel and maybe you’ll change your mind by the time we’re done. If you’ve already decided to enter, come to the panel and learn about some of the pitfalls to avoid.
Likely topics of discussion include:
- Time limits — How long is 30 seconds, REALLY?
- Movement on stage
- Persona
- Lines (How to avoid the Ambassador from Planet Ghred syndrome)
Saturday afternoon will be our technical trouble shooting session and Saturday evening our technical rehearsal. This is where we put it all together. PLENTY OF COACHING WILL BE PROVIDED !!!
Unlike many other masquerades, the ORAC masquerade is aimed at the novice. My tech crew and I will walk you across the stage, shine bright lights in your eyes, play music at you, and do everything possible to make you feel comfortable and lookyour best when it’s time for the actual show to begin. That’s how I approach it — as a show that gets put together on the spot, and as director it’s my job to make sure it’s a good show. Good means that the contestants have fun, the audience is entertained, the judges aren’t bored and nervous breakdowns are restricted to masquerade staff.
Everyone who will be in the masquerade must show up for the tech rehearsal. If we need to, well hold up the show until we’ve finished. If you’re an experienced costumer, all you’ll likely need to do is show us what you’re doing so we can orchestrate our end of things. If you’re not an experienced costumer or you have any questions, come to the trouble shooting session, problems in hand, and we’ll do our best to solve them.
Sunday — So you wanna be a Costumer? (for anyone who covets those wonderful clothes ...) On Sunday, we’ll have a general costuming panel (assuming we’ve recovered from Saturday night). This will also be a somewhat free form panel, dependent on the wishes of the audience. A number of long-time fan costumers besides myself will be at ORAC*, and we’ll get together with you to answer questions.
Topics might include:
- No-sew costuming Fabric sources Reproduction costumes Competition (the division system, etc.)
- “Rotsler’s rules” and other useful tips The Costumers Guild
Come armed with questions, and we’ll do our best to answer them!
A new topic we’d like to include this year is “Instant Blake’s 7 Costumes”. If you have the perfect McCall’s pattern for a Silver Alpha tunic, or know how to convert a parka into an environment suit, or any of a number of easy-to-execute ways to produce a costume — write it down and bring it with you! We’ll assemble the ideas as best we can and anyone interested can make a run with us to copy the collection.
1990
ORAC 90 was held April 7-8, 1990.
The original date was March 3-4, 1990 and the planned locale was the Amfac Hotel in Burlingame, California as per the first progress report. This was later changed to April 7-8, 1990 at the Dunfey Hotel in San Mateo, California. These changes were due to a recent earthquake.
Confirmed guests were Terry Nation, Sally Knyvette, and Brian Croucher as per an early flyer:
Does this look like last year's original guest list? Well, we're trying again. Terry, Brian and Sally have said they'll be there and we hope to see you as well...
In the end, Knyvette did not attend.
The concom: Bill Hayes (security), Lynete McPherson (guest liaison), Jim Rondeau (dealers' room), Melody Rondeau (art room), Kevin Roche (masquerade), Christina Hill (registration), Jame Nikkel and Jennifer Tifft (publications), Sherri Nix (Video Room), Jean Graham and Pearl Stickler (alternative programming), and Linda Madzel ("gofer mom").
The Master of Ceremonies was George Sampson.
All proceeds from the con were to go to KTEH, the local PBS television station.
There was a "Dead Travis Party." -- "We hope many of you will stay Sunday night for the infamous Dead Travis Party. Observe the dead come back to life as we celebrate the close of the convention. We'll have food, a no-host bar, videos, and a great time will be had by all."
1990: Progress Report 1
Programming from the second "Progress Report #1" (which might be #2):
Round Table Discussions:
- Was Tarrant Really Necessary? (Or should Avon have spaced him right after "Powerplay"? Join a lively exchange of opinions about B7's most disagreeable character.)
- Slash: The Pros and Cons (Both sides of a controversial issue presented in a moderated debate. No tempers, please; this is a friendly disagreement.)
- So You Want to Be a Supreme Commander. (How's, what's, and why's of fan clubs.)
- Fan Liar's Panel (At last a chance to ask those embarrassing questions, but can you trust the answers? Guaranteen hilarious.)
- Zine Editor Roast (Tell them what you like and don't like about fanzines.)
- Hurt Comforts, Bonks and Wallows (Why we hurt the ones we love.)
- B7 Onward and Upward (What happens next according to the fans.)
- Gauda Prime (Audacious resolutions.)
- Mary Sue in B7 Fanfic (Enough said.)
- The B7 Movie (If accountants did the casting.)
- Artificial Intelligence (What were Orac and Zen really up to?)
- Loose Threads (What did happen to Jenna, etc.?)
- Crossovers (Do they work?)
- The Obligatory Star Trek Panel (What caused the Klingon bumbs and others stuff you can't live without.)
- Servalan (Tyrant or PMS?)
- Drawing with Travis) (Bring your sketch pads for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to draw B.C. in the flesh.)
- Panels: (Costuming, Props)
- Games: (Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit and Trivial Pursuit-Ship tourneys)
- Filking
According to the first progress report, these would be included in the programing, but they do not appear in the program book (at least in this form): "Reading Circles (G-RandX): Bring your favorite zine story or a work in progress to read," "How to Start a Good Rumor. For instance, have you heard the one about the well-known San Diego fan writer who is going to England without her husband?," "The Slash panel Pictionary," "The Tarrant panel (yes, that one): What would you do if you were stuck on the same ship with Toothy? Would you do it with a gun. a knife, or an airlock control button?," and "Fan publishing: Do's. Don'ts and How-To's."
flyer for 1990, page one
flyer for 1990, page two
Orac 90 progress report, page 1 click to read
page 2 of the Orac 90 progress report, click to read
from the program book, the master of ceremonies for 1990 (George Sampson)
