Zebra Con/1980

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Zebra-Con, and later as Zcon and Zebra Con, was a mixed gen and slash convention held in Chicago, Illinois in the fall.

1980 flyer, printed in Partners

Zebra-Con 2 (1980)

Zebra-Con 2 was held November 14–16, 1980 in Kalamzoo, MI at the Ramada Inn on Westnedge Avenue.

Membership was capped at 125. Actual membership that year was 92 attending members and 34 supporting members. Attending membership was $15 plus three SASE.

There was a "dealer's room, art show, auction, costume party, panels, videotapes and more!" [1]

The Guest of Honors were Connie Faddis and Teri White.

The convention raised $475 for charity.

Hotel rates: "Single $25 Double $30 (cheap!)."

Progress Reports

There were three progress reports.

Progress Report 1

It was published in July.

As of its publication, there were 25 people registered.

From this first progress report:

Party: Friday night will be a get acquainted/costume party, Music and refreshments will be provided. All costumes - S&H or otherwise - will be judged.

[...]

Panels: We have 4 planned: a 2-hour general panel to discuss the show, the boys, etc.; a fanzine panel; a writering panel; and a "What have they been doing since the series" panel. "Rage” and ”Phobia” should both be out by then. We are also hoping to have a Writer’s Workshop like last year, and possibly a mimeo demonstration. Volunteers needed for all panels!

[...]

Videotapes: All the episodes, for the most part uncut, as well as many of the movies and other series DS and PMG have done. We would appreciated hearing from you if you are planning on bringing your own VTR. We are considering offering a cloning service.

[...]

Pool Party: Not this year, not with the Ramada's outdoor pool! If it snows, we will plan a "Starsky vs. Hutch Snowball and maybe a snow sculpting contest. Suggestions for other group activities appreciated.

  • cover of the first progress report

  • programming from the first progress report

  • programming from the first progress report

Progress Report 2

It was published in August.

At that time, there were 49 attending registrants, and ten supporting members.

The rules for the Art Show these additions from the ones in the first progress report:

  • "adult" art was now referred to as "X-rated"
  • No photographs [2] allowed.
  • "All prints or other reproductions must be clearly marked as such"
  • "Zebra-Con collects a 10% commission on all sales, the rest going to the artist/exhibitor."

The previous progress report promised a banquet menu for the "buffet style food," but unless it was an additional insert, it does not appear in this second report.

  • cover of the second progress report, artist was David Hosky

Progress Report 3

It was published in October.

At this time there were 74 registered attendees. It doesn't list the supporting members.

The Dealers's room is full with 11½ tables sold. The dealers were: Paulie (Otter Limits Press), Barb Gompf, Paula Smith & Melanie Rawn, Judy Maricevic & Teri White, Janet Cruickshank, Desi Bell, Linda Walter & Theresa Wright, Rita Dyan, Donna Lee Douglas, and the Leonharts.

The Rage/Phobia panel had been cancelled.

  • cover of the third progress report

The Program Book

  • front cover of the program book

  • from the program book

  • from the program book

  • from the program book

  • from the program book

Art and Fiction Awards

See Huggy Awards.

from the program book, the winners! Huggy Awards
Connie Faddis, for "Broken Faith" in Casa Cabrillo. Titled: "The Lookout."
Paulie, 'I'm a Pepper," from Partners
from The Pits #2, Connie Faddis, "Shadow-Man"

From the first progress report:

ART SHOW: SASE to Paulie for Rules. Basically, because of limited space, artists are limited to 10 pieces. There is a 25¢ hanging fee per piece, non-refundable. All art should be S&H, Soul & Glaser, or other cops/ detectives. If you are bringing 3-D work or anything with special requirements, please let us know in advance. There will be a special section of the Art Room for "adult" work.

AUCTION: The Art Auction will be Saturday night, after the Banquet. Only pieces with bids will go up.

AWARDS: Ballots for the Art Show Awards will be available in the Program Book. Ballots for the Fanzine

Awards will be sent out with PR #3. ELIGIBILITY: All zines published between August 1979 and November 1980. A list of eligible zines will be included.

The third progress report listed these zines as being eligible, as they had been published since the previous Zebra-Con (held July 27–29, 1979):

Zine:

Art Show:

  • Best Cartoon/Humor: "Turkey Shoot" by Gordon Carleton
  • Best "Partners": "David & Kenneth" by Cheryl Frashure
  • Best 3-D: striped tomato in stained glass by Lori Chapek-Carleton
  • Best Adult Work: "Ritual" by Ruth Kurz (from Hopscotch)
  • Best Portrait Hutch: "Soul in Black" by Signe Landon
  • Best Portrait Starsky: "Starsk" by Paulie Gilmore

Special Categories:

  • Grand Prize Portrait: "Concentration" by Cindy Johnson
  • Best in Show: "The Lookout" by Connie Faddis (from Casa Cabrillo)

Watching Vids

There had been only a handful of vids created in 1980 (see Behind Blue Eyes, All the Time, The Boy Can't Help It, and Beep Beep. By the second Zebra Con, this was changing. From Morgan Dawn's notes:

"They made 20 songs videos by Z-Con 2, in the Fall of 1980. They carefully put the gen on one tape and the 'underground' slash on a different tape. The night before the con, Diana decided that they needed more credits. By now, they had found out that if one picture was paused, then the action scene they edited after it looked okay. Diana and Kendra spent the con inviting people into their room to share their *crack* i.e. vids. They blew everyone away - no one had seen anything like that. They spent the whole con showing their work over and over, and explaining how they did it.[5]

Convention Reports

"I see in the Z-con artshow awards that Lori C-C did a stained glass tomato. Our minds must run in the same gutter - I got as far as a full-scale design for one, but didn' t have time to make it for the con."[6]

Jan's topic from the Z-Con writer's workshop--how come so many people write DMS as a saint and KH as a neurotic mess. Depends what your timing is, mainly, I think, since fourth season Hutch (who?) was getting very screwed-up about a lot of things. I've never personally seen DMS as a saint, though. I always reckoned saints would be blue murder to live with. Why do you think so many of them were martyred? Neither do I subscribe to the Dirtball theory. If you go along with the idea that a man's car is an extension of his personality--who's the Dirtball then? Just a thought."[7]

Karen and Paulie: Bless you! Z-Con was like a big family reunion. I had a fantastic time and you even accomplished a small miracle. I spent three whole days not worrying about the store. I think that's what got me through the winter. November 13–15, huh? Sign me up for next year. I'll be there.[8]

References

  1. ^ an ad in Casa Cabrillo
  2. ^ This probably meant "no photography of the art allowed"
  3. ^ S and H #38
  4. ^ It is unclear why this was included as that zine was published in 1978.
  5. ^ Morgan's note's are from a 2008 panel on vidding history at Vividcon led by Kandy Fong and Sandy Hereld
  6. ^ S&H issue #17.
  7. ^ S&H issue #18.
  8. ^ S&H issue #19.
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