Dick Jenssen

Dick Ditmar Jenssen (6 July 1935 - 7 March 2024) was a long-time fan and fanartist within the Australian science fiction community, known primarily for his involvement in co-founding the Melbourne Science Fiction Club (MSFC) and in helping to found the Ditmar Awards that were named after him.
His long and complex involvement with fandom - an 'on again, off again' affair in terms of gafiating and returning - reflected his nuanced personality, as inferred during his preamble and early remarks within autobiographical writing between 2004 and 2010:
==Science and Subversion==
His interest in science and the cosmos was, to him, a powerful and cogent bridge between science and science fiction, and this led to his lifelong interest in the genre:
It is this love of science and science fiction that would influence his professional and personal lives.
His interest in SF also branched into intersections between the scientific and the subversive, especially as it related to his own LGBT+ perspective on life, and he noted that he was particularly impacted by some early SF which explored subversive ideas:
==Early Life==
Dick explains his 'life before science fiction':
He grew up in a family where nobody was called by their assigned birth name, and so he became known as 'Dick' although he never knew why.ibid, pp. 94 & 95.
His love of science fiction was seeded at a young age, inspired by a school friend's book of astronomical and space illustrations, and by a teacher reading aloud a story about a time traveller. Dick later was encouraged to read science fiction by another school friend, Race Mathews, and they later became involved in starting the Melbourne Science Fiction Club.ibid, pp. 95 & 96.
==Career==
Museums Victoria acknowledges his career and early contribution to weather forecasting and computing in Australia:
Dick's involvement in CSIR work extended to creating and naming a computer simulation game (and an instruction leaflet on how to play) with the science-fictional title of "Telepathy".
Bruce Gillespie notes:
==Melbourne Science Fiction Club==
Dick and club co-founder Race Mathews acknowledge each other's presence and involvement in the founding of the club (originally called the Melbourne Science Fiction Group). Race Mathews later recounted: 
Bob McCubbin later recalled one of the outcomes from the early club which ultimately encouraged Dick's artistic creativity:
==Ditmar Awards==
Dick recalled the naming of the Ditmar Awards:
He was later the recipient of two Ditmar Awards, in 2002 and 2010, both for his work as a Fanartist."Dick Jenssen", Fancyclopedia 3. 
Upon receiving his Ditmar Award in 2010, he gave a quirky "thank you" speech which included:
He later expressed his appreciation in a more down-to-earth fashion:
==Other Fan Activities and Achievements==
Bruce Gillespie recalls:
Dick's computer graphic artwork often inspired discussion and speculation as to its symbolism and influences.
Dick was also involved in occasional convention visitations and anniversary events with the Melbourne Science Fiction Club, and he assisted Spaced Out with moral and artistic support. He also participated in reunions and birthday dinners with friends at a local pub, until COVID lockdowns caused these to cease. He then began to suffer from illness that eventually caused him to move into a palliative care home, where he passed away early on the morning of 7 March 2024.
==Personal Gallery==
File:LHDJJFJB.jpg|1964. Lee Harding took this photo of Dick Jenssen, John Foyster and John Bangsund when they were very young and beardless. (Photo supplied by Bruce Gillespie)
File:Ditmar 1960s.jpg|Photo of Dick Jenssen in the 1960s (supplied by Ditmar)
File:1968 Con Auction Dick Jenssen Lee Harding John Foyster pre beard Paul Stevens.jpg|1968 Profile |name= Martin James Ditmar Jenss: |alias(es)= Di leads auction, with tographer, fa, rtist, fan and doms= [[science 
File:OldFarts.jpg|Older members of Melbourne Science Fiction Club at Aussiecon 3 in 1999: Standing: Mervyn Binns, Dick Jenssen. Seated: Bruce Gillespie, Bill Wright, Race Mathews, Merv, Dick and Race were founding members of the club in 1952. Photographer: Helena Binns.
File:Aussiecon3TimebindersPanel 1999.jpg|Special panel at Aussiecon 3, 1999 to commemorate the history of the Melbourne Science Fiction Club:Standing: Bruce Gillespie, Merv Barrett, Bill Wright, Barry Sandler,  standing at the side: John Foyster. Sitting: Race Mathews, Helena Binns, Merv Binns, Dick Jenssen.  (Photographer unknown, perhaps Cath Ortlieb.)
File:Dick Jenssen.jpg|Dick Jenssen at an early Continuum convention, circa 2002 (Photo by Cat Sparks)
File:Dick 'Ditmar' Jenssen and Geoff Allshorn, Convergence 2002.jpg|With Geoff Allshorn at Convergence, Melbourne, June 2002
File:Dick 'Ditmar' Jenssen 19 Oct 2002.jpg|Dick gives Guest Speech at Spaced Out AGM, 19 October 2002
File:FilmNite.jpg|Most of the people who ever attended Race and Iola Mathews’ monthly film group at their place from 1993 to 2013. Main person missing: Peter Nicholls. Standing: Bruce Gillespie, Carey Handfield, Race Mathews, Bruno Kautzner, Merv Binns, Helena Binns, Dick Jenssen, Madelaine Harding (daughter of) Lee Harding. Seated: Bill Wright. (Photographer: probably Iola Mathews.)
File:Dick Jenssen and Rob Gerrand 2005.jpg|Dick and Rob Gerrand in 2005 (Photographer unknown, possibly Cath Ortlieb.)
File:Dscf0002Dick.jpg|Dick Jenssen visits Merv and Helena Binns at home, 4 September 2005 (photo by Helena Binns, used with family permission)
File:Dick&Merv.jpg|Dick Jenssen and Merv Binns, 4 Sep 2005 (photo by Helena Binns, used with family permission)
File:Speech Jenssen Ditmar win 2010.jpg|Dick’s acceptance speech upon receiving his first Ditmar Award, 2010. (photo by Helena Binns, used with family permission) 
==Sample Artwork Gallery==
File:008.jpg|"008" 
File:AdamEveLight.jpg|"Adam Eve Light" 
File:AdamOrSteve.jpg|"Adam or Steve" (supplied by Ditmar to the Spaced Out website)
File:AntGalaxy6.jpg|"Ant Galaxy 6" 
File:AppleWorldFlare.jpg|"Apple World Flare" (supplied by Ditmar to the Spaced Out website)
File:ArabianNights.jpg|"Arabian Nights" 
File:Asteroids6.jpg|"Asteroids #6" 
File:AtTheEdgeOfTheWorldMod.jpg|"At The Edge of the World (Modified)" 
File:BigOrion.jpg|"Big Orion" 
File:BigStarryMistB.jpg|"Big Starry Mist B" 
File:Binary.jpg|"Binary" (supplied by Ditmar to the Spaced Out website)
File:BinaryTakeoff.jpg|"Binary Takeoff" 
File:Dagon14Mod.jpg|"Dagon 14 (modified)" 
File:Drought12.jpg|"Drought 12" 
File:DuneMessiah1.jpg|"Dune Messiah 1 "
File:Flight16.jpg|"Flight 16" 
File:Flight32.jpg|"Flight 32"
File:LadyBug.jpg|"LadyBug" (supplied by Ditmar to the Spaced Out website)
File:LonelyMist.jpg|"Lonely Mist"
File:MoonIoJupiterStars2.jpg|"Moon Io Jupiter Stars 2" (supplied by Ditmar to the Spaced Out website)
File:Perhaps27.jpg|"Perhaps 27"
File:RingedPlanet23.jpg|"Ringed Planet 23"
File:RocketPlay7.jpg|"Rocket Play 7"
File:Xanadu2.jpg|"Xanadu 2"
File:ZwilnickV5.jpg|"Zwilnick V5"
== References ==
Category:2024 Deaths
Category:Science Fiction Fandom
Category:Fanartists
Category:Deceased