Convention Memories by Robin Hood

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Title:	Convention Memories by Robin Hood, title on the article itself: The Legacy of K/S in Conventions: Convention Memories Title in the table of contents: Conventions: Convention Memories
Creator:	Robin Hood
Date(s):	July 2007
Medium:	print, CD
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Topic:	K/S conventions
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Convention Memories by Robin Hood is an article by Robin Hood that was published in Legacy #1.

Part of a Series Called "The Legacy of K/S in Conventions"

• Convention Memories by Robin Hood
• IDICon and 4-Play Con: An Interview with Kandy F. and Marnie S.
• Convention Memories: Nancy Kippax: K/S Con
• Convention Memories: Cons I Have Known and Loved by Shelley Butler
• Convention Memories: Shore Leave by Linda B.
• Are You Out of Your Mind? Putting on a K/S Convention by Dovya Blacque, Liz W., Rosemary W., and Jenna Sinclair

About

She suggests the "first" conventions were of women calling each other on the phone, writing letters, and then getting together in small groups in each other's homes to watch and discuss scenes from the show:

Always smarter than the average “bear,” science fiction fans segued into Star Trek fans into Kirk and Spock fans. Awful home-taped videos appeared and groups sat around pointing out scenes where a touch would occur that wasn’t warranted by the story line, a glance, a word whose interpretation conveyed more than the network had intended. With a teeny bit of tweaking and excitement and talk and networking with others of the same mind, there would be another convert to talk with...and spread the word.

Thus, in my less-than-humble opinion, the first Kirk and Spock (a.k.a.) K/S convention was born.

Conventions began small: remember that long, long phone call? Two people talking, giggling, suggestions of “what if’s?” That was the first mini convention. They grew in size and scope until, on the east coast of the United States, where populations were much more condensed, women began to gather in each other’s homes.

The author describes two such early gatherings:

In 1980 Carol F. and Susan J. decided to hold a house party on the east coast. They called it K/S Con. Hours were spent on twisting parlor games into K/S: side-splitting and manic would be good descriptions for such shenanigans. There were group discussions, filking and more discussion, films to watch and more discussion with ideas tossed around about the meaning of “it all.” There was even a baby art show that included a number of people who brought their K/S artwork that was placed on an aristocratic fireplace mantle and drooled over. Everything was explored: gay porn, porn movies (quickly banned as not K/S), and even the ubiquitous male stripper.

Picture grown women, crammed into a house, limited bathrooms, piles of sleeping bags (were we ever able to get up from sleeping on a hard floor?) and there might have even been some Romulan Ale involved in the whole shebang.

Meanwhile, in the late 1970's on the western side of the United States, (San Francisco area, to be precise), there was a group of rabid Star Trek fans milling around in various get- togethers and house parties, which settled mostly into Noel S.’s capable hands and eventually expanded from there into FrisCons.

Some History Highlights

Robin traces the trajectory of K/S at cons from these very private get-togethers to more public venues. Some highlights:

• the first formal K/S panel at a con, SeKWester*Con (1977): see The Sound and the Fury: The First Panel Discussion About K/S
• IDICon (1984) ("... two six-foot-tall dancing penises (pink and green respectively) made the audience run for Depends. IDICon being one of the first totally K/S conventions, it remains a favorite memory to this day.")
• Koon-ut-Cali-Con/CaliCon (1988, 1989) ("The dealers room was HUGE, with more room than I’ve seen before or since at any convention. The art show alone covered an entire convention room wall, a good seventy-five feet of K/S art, and all closed to the public.")
• 4-Play (1985, 1987) ("4-Play was held in a nice hotel where they booked us next to a church convention. Yes, in those days, that was taking a chance, but then we were much more sedate hiding out from Paramount.")
• the rise of the internet ("K/S community lists, journals, online stories, and chat rooms took the place of phone calls and letter writing. The K/S fandom grew closer via the Internet, so it wasn’t a surprise when all those who remembered the “good old days” and fondly chatted about them started hearing mumbles and requests to re-live the days of old. “Remember IDICon and twenty-six women in a hot tub?” began to be a battle cry.")
• KiScon ("Despite the hotel, KiScon was perfectly produced. There were scheduled panels, scheduled time for the dealers to be unleashed from their tables, and food; food in the conventions suite, formal food, fun food, costume or dressy dress programing, screamingly funny plays, videos and movies, filking, and I’m sure even more than I remember. Jenna proved that you didn’t need outside interests to completely entertain a K/Ser. Complete and enclosed, these three cons were memorable.")

Fan Comments

... such a trip down memory lane for me, remembering those first few conventions and the wonderful feeling of finding out that other people feel like me. An incredible feeling. Robin gave us a very nice report of K/S cons which I enjoyed.