MediaWest*Con/MediaWest*Con 1995

<splist
 parent=MediaWest*Con
 showparent=no
 sort=asc
 sortby=title
 liststyle=bar
 showpath=notparent
 kidsonly=no
 debug=0
/>
 
==Some Facts About the 1995 Convention==
* The slogan: "Find the Formula for Fannish Fun! Where E = Eminently Engrossing and Engagingly Educational Event for an Elite Ensemble of Exceptionally Enterprising Entertainment Enthusiasts."
* Contact info: "If you get the answering machine & want a return call placed, clearly state your name, phone number ~with area code!- & best time for you to receive a collect call. For strictly convention-related matters, we can be reached on e-mail through America On Line as MdiaWstCon and through the Internet as mdiawstcon@aol.com. Check with your service for its specific addressing requirements!"
* There were 900 attendees (there was a waiting list). Membership fee was $40.
* There were 78 dealers' tables.
* The third annual "Tea for Tarrant" was held.
* Fans needed a photo I.D. to pick up their con packets and register. This was done so "we may verify that you are entitled to membership materials, and to ensure that your membership materials are not given to someone else by mistake."
* From the second progress report: "The recent film adaptation of The Shadow reminds us that many science fiction and other media characters that we are more familiar with in context of television and film have, at one time or another, led another existence on radio. So, in recognition of the debt we Media fen owe this overlooked broadcast medium, we have declared that MediaWest*Con IS is RADIO-ACTIVE!... We hope to set up a Radio Room as a relaxing area to sit and listen to tapes of radio broadcasts, both classic and modern. We are currently planning to use the Party Suite for this purpose during the periods when no parties are scheduled. We hope to include a Radio Room schedule in the Program Book, so let us know what radio shows you'd like to hear (dueling Wars of the Worlds?), and any you can supply tapes of."
* Regarding camcorders and closed circuit TV: "Anyone wishing to videotape MediaWest*Con panels or activities should register this intent at con registration. This is so that you will be aware of what few restrictions apply, and so that we can refer anyone interested in obtaining copies of taped events to you. We also would appreciate copies of any taping that is done, for the MediaWest*Con archives. As we received little response in favor of continuing the live video hook-up on the Holiday Inn South closed-circuit TV system, we will most likely discontinue it However, we are still looking for volunteers to videotape during plays, Masquerade, awards, etc."
* From the third progress report: "From Bill and Ann Hupe: In PR2 we noted that their friend was presumed to have been killed in the recent earthquake in Japan; happily, Hiroki survived after being trapped under a bookcase for two weeks, in a space created when her fanzines fell off a shelf!"
* from the second progress report: "Lori and Gordon are still actively seeking to sign up anyone with a working, standard telephone line, a Hayes or Hayes-compatible modem, and a compatible computer who would like to try AOL free for 10 hours. If that fits you, let us know what computer system you have (PC or Mac), and give us your name, address, phone number, and baud rate and we'll send you a free sample kit What's in it for us? If you decide to stay with AOL, we get 5 hours credit!"
* from the third progress report, regarding pets: "Although "normal" hotel policy excludes pets, we again have written confirmation that MediaWest*Con 15attendees staying at the hotel will be permitted to have their pets accompany them! All the overflow hotels have also stated that pets will be allowed. We are making special arrangements for designated dog-walking areas (and clean-up equipment) at the Holiday Inn South, and will provide a no-questions-asked clean-up kit upon request for the duration of the convention. For those staying at an overflow hotel, please be certain to pick up after your pets, in order to ensure that pets will be welcome in the future.... The hotels ask cat owners to bring along an old towel to spread out on the floor under/around the litter box. It keeps things a lot neater and easier to clean up, which the maids would probably appreciate. On a related note, even if you think your dog or cat is perfectly well-behaved, please defer to the owner of another dog or cat if s/he would rather your pet didn't get too close. And remember, all animals must be leashed or or otherwise under control at all times."
*1995 MediaWest*Con information was offered for the first time online.
==Fan Q Awards==
For specifics, see 1995 FanQ Awards.
==Skit==
From the 3rd progress report: 
From the pos-convention progress report:
==Fan Fund==
Nominees were:
* Carolyn Golledge: an Australian fan, active in many fandoms, and a previous MediaWest*Con attendee.
* Jeanne McClure: a North Carolina fan, active in many fandoms, and a previous MediaWest*Con attendee.
* Nancy Williams: a Florida new fan who recently attended her first convention.
The winner of the 1995 Fan Fund was Carolyn Golledge; she attended MediaWest*Con 15. It was one of the first two times she won the Fan Fund awards.
==Party Suite and Other Gatherings==
The party suite:
* From the third progress report -- The Radio Room: "We also hope to set up a Radio Room as a relaxing area to sit and listen to tapes of radio broadcasts, both classic and modern. We are currently planning to use the Party Suite for this purpose during the periods when no parties are scheduled. However, if we do not see some greater indication of interest, we will make tapes available for listening in the Con Suite rather than schedule specific programs in the Party Suite. Tapes volunteered so far include BBC Sherlock Holmes mysteries, The Shadow, Adventures of Superman, Dragnet, Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and other radio classics. Audiotape programming is provided to creatively further the interests of society through the study of techniques used in radio. Audio tapes are used productively to further interest and self-expression through the aural arts, and we believe this to be a fair usage not intended as any form of copyright infringement."
* From the third progress report: "ATTENTION ALL PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP STAFF: DR BECKETT HAS LEAPED! REPEAT - DR BECKETT HAS LEAPED!!! EMERGENCY STAFF PARTY to be held Sunday, May28,1995, in the MW*C Party Suite. BYOLT&B (Bring your own laptop and beverage). GAMES!!! PRIZES!!!! SILLINESS!! Come in your lab-coat, come in your pajamas, come dressed as your favorite character - just come! The briefing will conclude with a presentation of Mystery Quantum Theater 3000 - BLOOD MOON. The BRING SAM HOME AND HAVE CHEEZ DOODLES FUND: Donations of $2 at the door for the snacks will not be mandatory, but will be much appreciated."
 
* FRIDAY: General Hospital: Just Can't Cope Without Our Soap! Party, Rat Patrol/WWII Fandoms party, Blake's 7 Party, Media Well Done 'Zine Premiere (Chicago Area Tunnel Society)
* SATURDAY: Sherlock Holmes Festival of Consulting Detection, X-Files Fan Club Party, Figure Skating Fan Forum (Freestyle), California Crew 10th Anniversary Party
* SUNDAY: Michaels Family Reunion (Relativity), Quantum Leap Party
Other gatherings:
* Virgule-L mailing list members hosted another room party, this time publicly adverting it as the "the slashfen list party" to avoid running afoul of its own mailing list rules against public advertising of the list. "The slashlist party is on Saturday night, starting around 8 and going as long as we can stand it. The room number will be announced on the list on Wednesday, as soon as I get a call telling me what it is. There will also be mysterious little notices around the hotel saying WSEWR Party, Saturday, 8, pm in Room xxx. For those mystified by the WSEWR, this is the old list location. No one can identify it with slash." from an announcement on Virgule-L (May 22, 1994) 
 
* From the third progress report: "X-Files Party in Pat Gonzales' room in Holiday Inn South Friday night, hosted by Pat Gonzales and Betsy Vera. Saturday Night at the "Beauty and the Beast" movies: Open door, free get-together for fans of all aspects of the fable: Cocteau, Disney, TV, stage, etc. Videos and popcorn available. Saturday night 8pm in room 350 Holiday Inn South. Terranova Situation Housewarming: Fans of the Wiseguy novel The Terranova Situation are cordially invited to a gathering Saturday night from 7:30-9pm in [Darlene F] & Ann Teitelbaum's room at the Holiday Inn. Room number will be listed at the con."
* From the second progress report: "STAR WARS Cantina Dance Party - Fri. night 8pm until lam in the Imperial Room. Music, live DJ, dance floor. All are welcome! Come dressed in SW costume and join in our Masquerade Contest Prizes awarded for the following costume categories: Best all-round SW, best SW alien, best SW movie replica, & best original SW. We are looking for donations of prizes and donors will be acknowledged. Dealers who donate prizes can post flyers for their table or room in the Cantina and in our May newsletter. Write to the FOE address below. We are asking for a $3 donation per person toward food, munchies, and beverages. Please RSVP in advance by sending your donation & a SASE to: Forces of the Empire, Pat Grant."
* From the second progress report: "The MediaWest*Con'95 Rat Patrol Party is in the planning stages; time & place to be announced. All Rats & Foxes & other desert vermin are cordially invited - refreshments will be served & Rat Patrol episodes will be shown. The party will also celebrate the debut of our new Rat Patrol fiction 'zine Lines in the Sand #2, which will be accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, & art until 1/30/95; write c/o Mary Platt at the address above."
* From the second progress report: "August Party 20th Anniversary: Aug. 4-6, 1995, $17.01 until 5/31/95, $19.95 thereafter (payable to The August Party); Theme: Star Trek; no guests; Gaithersburg Hilton in Gaithersburg MD (near Washington DC). Contact Rich Kolker."
=="Who Knows What E-Mail Lurks In The Hearts Of Fen?"==
The rise of electronic communication also gave rise to other challenges for fans regarding differences of opinion, official and unofficial information, freedom of speech, varied communication platforms, and more.
The 1994 post-con report included a long essay titled: Who Knows What E-Mail Lurks In The Hearts Of Fen?. 
 
The original essay has some continuation in 1995. From the 1995 second progress report: 
From the 1995 third progress report: 
==Masquerade Awards==
We are looking for any photos of the Masquerade contest and winners.
From the post-convention Progress Report
==Door Decoration Awards==
A Male Wedding theme door decoration won Best In Show. Some slash fans felt this was a sign that LGBT fen and slash fans were becoming more accepted.
The Door Decoration Contest was judged and co-sponsored by Denetia Arellanes and Satyr D'Nite Press.
From the post-convention Progress Report
==Art Show==
Only two pieces of explicit slash art were on display at the art show. One was a Wiseguy print by Maureen B..
A large number of artists participated that year:
From the third progress report: 
===Art Show Awards===
Art show winners were selected by popular vote.
From the Post-Con progress report
MediaWest'Con 15 Art Show Awards 
* Best In Show: 'The Truth is Out There -- Paranoids R Us" by Karen River 
* SF: "Ancient Stories" by James Wappel 
* Fantasy: "Ascension" by Barbara Fister-Liltz 
* Detective: 'The Truth is Out There -- Paranoids R Us" by Karen River 
* Secret Agent: AII Dressed Up & No One to Kill" by W. Oddsson 
* Animation: The Once & Future Pancake" by Charles W. Schultz 
* Humor: "The Once & Future Pancake" by Charles W. Schultz
* 3-D: "Moody Blue Dream" by Susan Powell 
* Fabric: "He's Super!" by Peggy Spaulding 
* Western: "Two Parts of a Legend" by Kate Nuemberg
* Horror: "Blood Lust -- Nick Knight" by Jesse McClain 
* Portrait: "Alexander" by Shelly Butler
* Critter: "Lady MacBeth" by Karen River 
* Judge's Choice: 'The Truth is Out There -- Paranoids R Us" by Karen River 
* Judge's Choice: "Spirit Guide" by James Wappel
The progress report also noted: 
==Vid Show==
First, from the Post-Con Progress report, an explanation as to why the awards were not announced at the convention:
Awards listed in the Post-Con report
In 1995, an attendee posted to the Virgule-L mailing list the following general comments about the MediaWest*Con vid show. Excerpts are quoted anonymously:
==Programming==
KEY:
* DG. Discussion Group 
* FIG. Fandom Intro Gen 
* FIS. Fandom Intro Slash 
===Television===
 
Alien Nation: 
* Revivals, FIG 
Babylon 5:
* Armchair Directors, Character Analysis, Babylon 5 vs. ST:DS9, DG
Battlestar Galactica:
* DG 
Beauty & The Beast:
* Comprehensive, FIG 
Black Adder:
* DG 
Blake's 7:
* Character Analysis, Comprehensive, Blake's 7 Fanfic, FIG, FIS 
The Champions:
* FIS 
Chicago Hope:
* DG 
Dark Justice:
* DG 
Dark Shadows:
* Revivals 
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman:
* DG 
Dr. Who:
* DG
Due South:
* Character Analysis 
Eisenhower & Lutz:
* FIG 
Forever Knight:
* Character Analysis 
* FIG 
General Hospital:
* DG, FIG 
Hercules, The Legendary Journeys of:
* DG 
Highlander:
* Character Analysis 
Hogan's Heroes:
* FIG, FIS 
In the Heat of the Night:
* DG, FIG 
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues:
* Character Analysis, FIG 
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman:
* Armchair Directors, Character Analysis 
MacGyver:
* DG 
Man From UNCLE:
* FIG, FIS 
The Marshal:
* DG 
Mystery Science Theatre 3000:
* DG 
Northern Exposure:
* DG 
NYPD Blue:
* Character Analysis 
The Outer Limits:
* DG 
The Professionals:
* Character Analysis, Plots for writers, FIG, F1S 
Quantum Leap:
* Character Analysts, Revivals, Quantum Leap Novels DG 
Rat Patrol:
* DG, FIG 
Real Ghostbusters:
* DG 
Remington Steele:
* DG, FIG 
Robin of Sherwood:
* General panel, FIG 
SeaQuest DSV:
* DG, SeaQuest vs. Seaview DG 
Shadow Chasers:
* DG 
Sherlock Holmes:
* The Granada Years DG 
Simon & Simon:
* DG 
Sliders:
* DG 
Star Trek (all generations):
* Armchair Directors, Character Analysis, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Friends of Vadek Bareil, Babylon 5 vs. ST:DS9 DG 
 
Star Trek: Voyager
* DG 
Starsky & Hutch:
* Character Analysis, FIG, FIS 
Vanishing Son:
* DG 
 
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea:
* DG, SeaQuest vs. Seaview DG 
War of the Worlds:
* DG 
Wild Wild West:
* FIS 
Wiseguy:
* DG, FIG, FIS 
X Files:
* Arnchair Directors , Character Analysis (4 sessions), FIG 
 
Young Riders:
* DG 
Zorro:
* DG
===Feature Films===
Alien trilogy:
* DG
Batman trilogy:
* DG 
Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension:
* Character Analysis 
The Crow:
* DG 
Escape From New York:
* DG 
Indiana Jones trilogy:
* DG 
Interview With The Vampire:
* 	Armchair Directors 
Road Warrior trilogy:
* DG 
The Shadow:
* DG 
Star Trek series:
* Character Analysis 
Star Wars trilogy:
* Character Analysis, Character Analysis, Revivals, The Dark Side of the Force, Writers & artists workshop 
Stargate:
* DG, FIG 
The Terminator, Terminator 2:
* DG
===Theatre===
Phantom of the Opera panel 
===Actors and Actresses===
* Scott Bakula 
* Michael Crawford
* David Duchovny
* Harrison Ford
 
* Mandy Patinkin 
 
===Literature===
* Andre Norton
* Anne Rice
* Spider Robinson
* Elizabeth George mysteries
* Doc Savage
 
* Sherlock Holmes
* Lord of the Rings
* Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
 
* Quantum Leap pro novels
 
===Hobbies & Activities ===
* Dog showing
 
* Ferret owning
* Dolls and action figures (Star Wars and Star Trek)
 
* Eroica, Manga and Anime
 
* Guns n Roses
* Ham radio
 
* Horses
 
* Led Zeppelin
 
* Martial arts (Kung fu demo: Hallway between Imperial Room and Ballrooms , Use of in TV and film DG)
* Moody Blues
 
* Origami
 
* Society for Creative Anachronism
 
* Storytelling
 
* Photography
 
===Mixed Media===
* Books to film.
 
* TV to film, part I.
 
* Novelizations.
* Radio to screen.
* Comics to screen.
* Screen to comics.
===Miscellaneous===
* The annual panel on... Vampires.
 
* "Young stuff" (not exactly jail bait, but...).
* "Bonkers for honkers" (men with big noses).
 
* "Slash sluts and proud of it!"
* Smut.
 
* Science in SF.
* Extraterrestrials.
 
* Racial minorities in fandom.
* Hypnosis.
 
* Fan Clubs-forum for presidents DG: Sunday 
* Fannish Jeopardy.
 
===Debatable Topics===
* Fandom vs. Hollywood: continuity.
* Fandom vs. Hollywood: canceled series.
 
* Fandom vs. Hollywood: actor/creator owe?
* Fandom: "newcomers" & "oldtimers".
 
* Whatever happened to IDIC: politics in fandom.
* The changing face of fandom: filkers & costumers.
 
* The changing face of fandom: "FIAWOL".
 
* Fandom as a support group?
 
* Slash: is it a fandom unto itself? 
* Slash: "loner" series. 
* Multiple vs. single fandom fen. 
 
* Men vs. women in fandom.
 
* Creating a fandom around real people.
 
===Creative Pursuits===
* Art: Getting the inspiration to draw.
 
* Art: Problems unique to drawing explicit artwork.
 
* Computers: Fandom on the Internet
 
* Computers and the changing face of fanzines.
 
* Conventions: Organizing a con.
 
* Costuming on a shoestring budget
 
* Editing vs. rewriting: how much is too much?
* Editing: Working with your contributors.
 
* Filking: Is it a dying art? 
* Filking: Filk 101.
 
* Filking: Parody Filk Workshop.
* Publishing: Using the latest technology.
 
* Publishing Fanzines: what's sex got to do with it?
* Music videos: A beginner's guide. 
* Writing: How much research should you do? 
 
* Writing: Tips on working with a collaborator.
 
* Writing convincing crossovers. 
 
* Writing realistic sex scenes.
 
* Writing 3-dimensional original characters.
 
* Writing: submitting your work.
* Writing: Going "pro".
* Writing: How To Write A Better Story workshop.
* Writing: Advanced writing workshop.
* Writing: The Professionals: plots for writers.
* Writing: Straight smut
* Writing for the heck of it workshop.
* Writing: Star Wars artists and writers workshop.
* Writing: Firearms for fan writers.
==Acknowledgements==
*Co-Chairs: Lori Chapek-Carleton and Gordon Carleton
* Party Suite: Lori Chapek-Carleton and Gordon Carleton
* Blood Drive: Kim Dyer
* Fannish Videos: Sheryl Adsit
* Door Decoration Contest: Denetia Arellanes and Satyr D'Nite Press
* Gofers: Jeanne Sullivan
* Fan Quality Awards: Jeanne Sullivan
* Security: Andre Lieven
* Video Room: Gordon Carleton
* Flyers: Dar F and Ann Teitelbaum
* Programming: Dar F and Ann Teitelbaum
* Fan Fund: Deborah Laymon
* Fanzine Reading Room: Jan Gosnell
* Art Show: Gordon Carleton, Karen Klinck & staff, Jesse McClain was in charge of the Auction 
* The Fanzine Taping Service for Blind & Print-Handicapped Fans: Janice St. Clair and Marcia Nigro
* Dealers Room: Bill Hupe
==Convention Reports and Comments==
==References==
Category:Vidding Awards
Category:1995 Conventions