Permission is given to reproduce any part of ConTRACT for further
non-commercial distribution, providing credit is given. We appreciate all
mail as the information we provide is only as accurate as that received.
All con reports, progress reports, and LOC's should be sent to 516 Portage
Ave, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3C 0G2. FAX (204)772-5458 E-mail: pgh@Pangea.ca
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Atlanticon 2000 -July 7,8, and 9, 2000 Charlottetown, P.E.I Atlantic
Canada's largest annual Science Fiction Comic and Popular Culture Convention
(Press Release)
================================================================
Toronto native Nicole DeBeor, better known as 'Dax' in Star Trek's
Deep Space Nine and Kenny Baker, alias R2D2, the droid from the movie Star Wars,
are two of the several invited celebrity guests coming to Charlottetown next
summer for Atlanticon 2000 - Atlantic Canada's largest annual Science
Fiction Comic and Popular Culture Convention.
The convention is the brainstorm of local illustrator Sandy
Carruthers, whose widespread credits include illustration work for the comic book-turned
movie Men in Black. Carruthers has confirmed Atlanticon 2000 is booked for
July 7,8, and 9, 2000 at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown.
"The convention will showcase something for everyone", says
Carruthers. The guest line up, including 'big-name' personalities from the movie, television
and comic book industries, is sure to be the major drawing card. At least
ten 'big-name' artists from the comic book industry have been confirmed,
including Bob Burden, creator of Mystery Men - a movie hot off the screens
this summer. Also the list includes Canadians Dave Ross (Spiderman and Alpha
Flight); Quebec's Denis Rodier (Batman and Superman); Star Trek Voyager
Comic Book Illustrator Terry Pallot; Angloman; Captain Canuck comic book
writer Mark Shainblum; Pitt Comics Illustrator Richard Pace; Superman and
WonderWoman Illustrator Yanick Paquette; Angloman Illustrator Gabriele
Morrisette; Bob Smith, Illustrator for the animated series Batman Beyond;
and D.C. Comic Illustrators Ty Templeton and Ron Boyd.
Lots of activities are planned for what is expected to be a hugely
popular convention. Organizers are hopeful Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette, who
traveled on the space shuttle Discovery will be added to the celebrity
lineup of planned Autograph and Q&A sessions. A costume contest, where fans
will be able to dress up as their favourite Sci/Fi or Comic character, is
expected to draw a lot of interest. Convention-goers will be able to stroll
'Artist Alley' observing artists-in-action, and later bid on the art at an
auction where proceeds will go to a Children's Charity. A banquet and live
music are also in the works. The Delta ballroom, site of the convention,
will also house a retail section,'anime and manga' area, and a comic book
section. Todd McFarlane, of McFarlane Toys and creator of the comic book
character 'Spawn' has also expressed their interest in participating in the
Convention. McFarlane Toys manufacture Austin Power toys and gained
international attention when Mr. McFarlane purchased Mark McGuire's 70th
home-run baseball for $3 million US.
Carruthers is just back from Toronto's Sci-Fi-Comic Convention where
approximately 11,000 people attended the 3-day event at the Toronto
Convention Centre. Atlanticon 2000's Planning Committee hopes to create a
mini version of the annual conventions in Toronto and San Diego, the later
which attracted up to 30,000 people this year.
Atlanticon 2000 should soon be the talk of the town. In just a
matter of weeks, Atlanticon has gone from vision to reality. A web site is in
development and sponsorship packages are already in place.
"The Prince Edward Island Convention Bureau enthusiastically lends
its support in the coordination and promotion of Atlanticon 2000", says Barbara
MacKinnon, Sales and Marketing. "Creative meeting planners like Sandy
Carruthers bring an exciting new dimension to conventions in PEI. His Modest
enthusiasm for this conference rang loud and clear when he called one
morning after an all night drive from Toronto to update the guest list.
Sandy's industry contacts have undoubtedly been the key factor in
the organizing committee's ability to secure their celebrity 'wish list'. This
type of event will not only draw regional attention, but will put PEI in the
spotlight nationally and internationally as well."
"It's in it's infancy", says Mr. Carruthers, "but it's going to be
big. We want to create a Mecca for Sci-Fi and Comic fans alike to come for a great
weekend and enjoy both PEI and the Convention." Sandy's dream to create an
annual Science Fiction - Comic Book and Popular Culture Convention on PEI is
quickly becoming a reality.
RECRUITMENT
Recently, at Cabin Fever in Winnipeg, on the session about clubs, it was
suggested that we should be approaching the Universities to gain new members
to our clubs and societies. Something that my husband and I do, that I
neglected to mention at that session (probably because we do it personally -
rather than the Undiscovered Province) was that we contribute tapes to the
campus pub Louis' who airs these tapes on their big screen TV on Saturday
mornings 11 AM to 1 PM. The event has been dubbed "Trek Brek". A breakfast
menu used to be available, but now isn't - however, the name stuck. There is
usually one classic episode followed by episodes from any of the other
series, unless its a movie of course. There is the odd occasion where it
gets pre-empted for other events (sports events usually) being aired. Trek
Brek has been running for about 7 years now.
It is a fairly popular event and has gained a regular following.
This might be something that you could work out with your Universities pub which might
see some results.
Have we gained any new members because of this? One or two, but not
many... it is an event where some of the "closet" Trek people can come on out and
enjoy themselves without being part of any club. Little do they know that
meeting the same people, for the same event, once a week - is as close to a
club as you're going to get! (SN-Regina)
FILMS vs VIDEO
Do you ever want to show something that has left the theatres but
has not yet reached Video. 16 mm still exists and is available. Branch offices are
still around and can be found in the Yellow Pages. Also, with 16 mm movies
the rental fee includes the license to show them. You can contact the
various rental companies to see what they have available and how much they
charge. The fee generally runs from around $300 to over $1000, depending
upon the film. The fees might also be a flat rate versus percentage
depending upon how much revenue you generate.
It should be noted that you can sometimes negotiate a better deal
with them then the price listed in their cataloque. (CS)
MASQUERADE HANDBOOK
This is edited by Janet Wilson Anderson and is contributed to by a
large number of people who have been involved in running masquerades for many
years. It is geared to the mid-size masquerade, but can be adapted to
either small or large ones. You would want to contact AlterYears to see if
a copy is still available. The contact info is: AlterYears, 3749 E.
Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107, 818-585-2994 (T-F, 10 AM to 5:30 PM),
FAX 818-432-4530 (24 hours)
TRIVA CONTESTS
The Boskone approach to trivia the last few years seems to have been
pretty successful, and was used at both the San Antonio Worldcon and LA NASFiC. The
entire room is competing at once, and first to answer gets a small, wrapped,
piece of chocolate thrown to them. Excessively smartass responses, in the
opinions of the judges, have to throw a piece back. In case of ties, in only
a few, multiple pieces are tossed out. If it's too many, no one gets any.
Winner is the person with the most chocolate at the end...with the other
"prize" being that s/he has to help write the questions for the next year
and thus be ineligible to repeat. (Tom Galloway)
PANDERMONIUM
This years Toronto Wargaming convention was the smallest ever. Only
about some 100 players showed up and only one dealer-Silver Snail. Gaming was
mostly miniatures and the auction, that used to take hours was over in 20
minutes. Noteable by its absence was card tournaments and their dealer
Skyfox. Next year?? (Tracy)
SUMMIT 2000
Canada's first home grown con running convention had some last
minute cancellations but was a hit by all who attended. The stream of thought
programing over 10 hours and two days and long talks into the night gave the
attendees just a glimpse of their shared interest and the promise of what
could be accomplished by just coming together. Mind you, the dim sum Sunday
morning wasn't bad either.
The distance between conventions and the local conditions led to
such interesting comments as:
-What's a PR?
-In return for 200 room nights over four days, we get all our
convention space free.
-To make sure you have the maximum support from the fanish
community, you must be on very friendly terms with the largest groups. Hence, I will spend
most of the Con with that group.
-The convention lost money but we still give _all_ the proceeds from
both the charity & art Auctions to charity. Last year we gave more than $4,000.
away and lost....
Interest was so high that plans are being laid to repeat the
experiment next year under the name CON-FLAB. We hope more will join us.
CABIN FEVER
The weekend was successful and all the guests had a great time,
especially Gillian Horvath, who had never experienced snow, was making sure she did
events that allowed her to experience it. For future years, we are going to
take her curling. The experience of a two day convention was a little bit
ruff and it looked as if we had bit off more than we could chew, but despite
everything we remained in the black and are going to be more prepared for
future events. (CH)
AD ASTRA
Ad Astra was a success ... we had an article in the National Post as
well (front section too). Our attendance (paid) was over 350 and it looks like
we made some money again .... in no small part due to the millennium grant.
I am off to recover for about three days, and then we are going back at it
for 2001. We have Connie Willis booked and we are setting our sights high
.... very high .. :o) (chair) ..
I trundled in, expecting to catch the back end of the opening
ceremonies and found the panel I had intended to watch and kibitz at had started
-something about an MBA from Toronto avoiding having any overt drivelling at
the opening - and they were talking about the Summit: Michael and Ann
between them say: "He was there, and should be up here - get up here, Day"
and as I take my seat Ann says "We told them you would run everything" which
leaves me still wondering what that meant ... Consensus from my point of
view was similar to what we heard in Wpg: greying; the Internet and popular
media providing both a fix and some sense of community, at least enough to
weaken the urge in some to attend; the fragmentation of fandom by the
plethora of market choice; as I was still going through the "So this is what
doing a panel is like"
(it being the first time) phase I did not catch a lot more. There were some
interesting interjections from, inter alia, Christopher Stasheff, who said
that he may have seen some resurgence of interest already, maybe a few
early spring shoots that still need nurturing, some hope that we will see
again phenomena like those engineers who showed up at one con chanting "the
Ringworld is unstable!" because they had done the math and could prove it.
I was quite impressed by the panels; I felt that the Military SF
panel could have been longer, and I may volunteer to do one with lead-off material
for people to chaw on if no-one kidnaps and deprograms me (boy! there is an
appropriate verb!) first. I tripped into an alternate (Canadian) history
panel: these are fun to do because since our history is so tied up with
Americans' it involves changing theirs too. I would suggest though, that if
a story-focussed panel is planned, that someone with at least a BA(Hons) in
the field be recruited, because there should be someone with a basic
appreciation of the time line and major events available.
I arrived late for a panel on imaging (or very early for Darts and
Laurels) and caught enough to be able to appreciate that a very good cross-section of
skills and avocations was represented, covering the field quite well. A
panel on the future of publishing was also very revealing as to the various
effects technology is having on the market, and how it affects writers'
options.
I was somewhat concerned at the attendance, being somewhat less than
CanGames in a city far larger. However, bearing in mind that the Con had
moved six months from its habitual dateslot, was 18 months after the last,
and faced the forecast of an apocalyptic snowstorm for Friday, carping is
unfair. I thought the programming worthy of a con at least twice the size.
I skipped the gaming because the panels were too good. While this
may be heresy for me, I get lots of other gaming opportunities. I am very much
looking forward to next year's at the Holiday Inn on the Park; I hope they
still have the pool I enjoyed there fifteen years ago at an AIESEC
(international biz students' assn) con. Cheers and congrats to Toronto
fandom. (DC)
Ad Astra was a pretty good con. The major drawback was the fact that
the main con floors were the 2nd and 23rd floors, with the 20th and basement
filling out the balance. This problem will be solved next year with the
switch to another hotel. Good sized art show and dealers room. (DM)
IT DOES HAPPEN TO US ALL
Heh. I've got a good one, though it happened a couple of years ago.
I was publications person for the SF in 02 bid and was preparing the pr to be
distributed at the Worldcon in San Antonio. I took the doggone thing to a
concom meeting and about 20+ people proofed it and edited it. None of us
noticed that San Francisco was misspelled on the cover. Of course, the
first person we handed it to over the table did. San Francisco in 02! (MK)
.. 9/6/2000: SF Tage: Dortmund, Germany: SF-Tage is history, and
will not run. Ex SF-Tage-committee members, are at the moment to busy suing
each other about the 70,000DM loss they made after the last SF-Tage.(RG)
THOUGHTS
I am sorry, that due to time and costs, those receiving my zine via
snail mail, will receive the Jan/Mar together. .. Peter Jarvis will be chair of
the Toronto in 2003 Wcon, should they win. .. The Dalhousie Project Group
Society (http://is2.dal.ca/~dpg) in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia is running
three shows this year: DPG Expo II on April 8th-9th, DPG Summer Expo, in
June, 2000 and DPGCon 2000 in November, 2000.(This is new). ..
2000
MAR 25-26 HOTLEAD
STRATFORD, ON
Victorian Inn, Wargame Con, Info: www.quadro.net/~hotlead
MAR 31 - APR 2 fiIKONtario 10
MISSISSAUGA, ON
Quality Hotel, Toronto West/Mississauga, 6090 Dixie Rd, Mississauga,
ON, L5T 1A6 Membs: $50 at door. GoH:Larry Warner. Info:98-145 Rice Ave,
Hamilton, ON, L9C 6R3.
APR 15 RITE OF ASCENION
TORONTO, ON
Primrose Bestwestern, 111 Carlton St. Klingon Con. GoH:Jule
Czerneda. Info: riteofascension@freeservers.com.
APR 28-30 ORION CON 3
TORONTO, ON
Day's Inn, 30 Carlton Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Wargame
convention. Info:www.rigelgroup.org
MAY 19-21 KEYCON 17
WINNIPEG, MB
RADISSON Downtown. GoH:Jennifer Roberson, ArtGoH:Igor Kordey,
FanGoH:Tim
Hogue, Sp Guest:Michael Sheard. Memb:$40. Till APR 30th. Info:PO Box 3128,
Winnipeg, MB, R3C 4E6
MAY 26-28: VCON 25
SURREY, BC
Days Hotel Surrey City Centre. Confirmed GoH: Robert Sawyer.
Confirmed Fan
GoHs: Lloyd & Yvonne Penney. Confirmed TM:"Mr. Science." Fanartist GoH:
Shane Desjardins (in memoriam). Artist GoH: TBA. Memberships US$27/C$40
through March/April, US$30/C$45 through May. Cheques payable to VCon 25.
Write: VCon 25, Box #274, 1857 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1M4;
telephone (604) 731-7553; email rgraeme@home.com.
JUNE 2-4 CON-MONALITY 2
MISSISSAUGA, ON
Toronto Airport Days Inn, Earth Final Conflict con. GoH: Eugene W.
Roddenberry, Maribeth Solomon, and the main cast from Earth Final
Conflict.Memb: $70 (includes Saturday brunch) P.O. Box 21145, RPO
Meadowvale, Mississauga, ON, L5N 6A2 or http://www.klio.net/EFC or
primedia@iname.com
JUNE 9-10 BLOODY WORDS
TORONTO, ON
2nd Canadian Mystery Convention. GoH:L.R.Wright Details TBA
Info:www.bloodywords.com 416-497-5293 (Caro Soles)
JUNE 16-18 ANIME NORTH
TORONTO,ON
Ramada Airport East. ($105. Quad) Memb:$30.00 till May 1. GoH:
Stephen
Bennett of Studio Ironcat. Info:www.animenorth.com
JULY 7-9 ATLANTICON 2000
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I
Delta Prince Edward Hotel. GoH:Nicole DeBeor (Dax), Kenny Baker,
(R2D2).
Details:granieri@is.dal.ca
JULY 14-16 TT2000
TORONTO,ON
Regal Constellation Hotel, 900 Dixon Rd, s/d $89. GoH:John de
Lancie- Q
from Star Trek Alexandra Tydings - Aphrodite from Xena, Eric A. Stillwell.
Memb: $40. Till 1 JUN. Info:Suite 0116, Box 187, 65 Front St W, Toronto, ON,
M5J 1E6 or www.icomm.ca/tcon/
AUG 11-13 CONVERSIONS 2000
CALGARY, AB
Metropolitan Centre, 333 4th Ave SW. Recommended Hotel: Western
Hotel, 4th
Ave & 3rd St SW (Across Street). GoH:Mike Resnick, Media GoH:Mike Dale.
Memb: $40 till 1 May, $50. At door. Info:PO Box 430006, DVPO, Calgary, AB,
T2J 7A7.
AUGUST 19 COSTUME CONFERENCE NORTH
TORONTO, ON
Ryerson International Conference Centre, Memb: $20 to July 31, $25
at the
door. Box 784, Adelaide St P.O., Toronto, ON, M5C 2K1, 416-699-0479,
schofield.miller@sympatico.ca
AUG 25-27 SF EXPO 2000
TORONTO, ON
Metro Toronto Convention Center, Guests TBA.
AUG 31-SEP 4 CHICON 2000
CHICAGO,IL
Hyatt Regency Chicago, Il. GoH:Ben Bova, ArtGoH:Bob Eggleton, TM:
Harry
Turtledove. Memb: (All prices in USD) Attending Is $150. Supporting
$40.starting 1 OCT 99. INFO: PO Box 642057, Chicago, IL, 60664
http://www.chicon.org/
SEP 1-3 WINCON
WINNIPEG MB
Windsor Park Inn, $67 s/$77 d. Memb:$15.00 till Aug 18, $20.00 at
door.
Wargame Con. Info: PO Box 28073, 1453 Henderson Hwy, Winnipeg, MB, R2G 4E9
or wincon@greywolf.mb.ca
SEP 15-17 FALL CON
CALGARY, AB
Marborough Hotel, 13th Annual Wargame con-$40 + free games. Or $15.
At door. Info:#71-5103 35 Ave SW, Calgary, AB, T3E 6L9
OCT 13-15 99 CONCEPT 2000
MONTREAL, PQ
Days Inn Centre-Ville,1005 Guy, Montreal,PQ,GOH is Charles De Lint,
Memb:
pre-reg before March 15, 2000, $20, Info:P.O. Box 415, Station H, Mtl H3G
2L1
2001
FEBRUARY 23-25 AD ASTRA 2001
TORONTO, ON
Don Valley Holiday Inn, GoH: Connie Willis, Membership: $30 to July
31,
then higher Info:www.ad-astra.org / ad-astra@home.com/ 905-305-0827
MAY 25-28 COSTUME CON 19
CALGARY, CA
Westin Hotel, Calgary, Memb: $85 till May 31, Supporting Membership
$35.
(Publications only). Info:Box 20001, Bow Valley Postal Outlet, 205-5th Ave
SW, Calgary, Ab, T2P 4H3 or capsam@nucleus.com. 403-242-1807
AUG 30- 3 SEP MILLENNIUM PHILCON
PHILADELPHIA, PA
World SF Con. Marriot Hotel, GoH:Greg Bear, ArtGoH:Stephen Youll,
FanGoH:George Scithers. Attending: $125. USD Supporting $40. USD. INFO:
Suite 2001, 402 Huntington Pike, Rockledge, PA, 19046. Or
Phil2001@netaxs.com.
2002
AUG 29 - SEP 2
SAN JOSE,CA
60th World SF Con, San Jose Convention Center, GoH:Vernor Vinge, Art
GoH:David Cherry, FanGoH: Bjo & John Trimble. Attending:$150.00 CDN,
Supporting: $50.00 CDN. Info: PO Box 2003, Winnipeg, MB,R3C 3R3
2003
TORONTO IN 2003 Worldcon bid. Pre-Support $20.03 to PO Box 3,
Station A,
Toronto, ON, M5W 1A2
Falcon Links
Falcon Home Page
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Email: lesmills@chebucto.ns.ca
