FANDOMEDIA comedy-scifi convention review, Nov 2005
Over this last weekend, the 19 and 20 of November 2005, another very successful "mini-convention" was held.
Perth, Western Australia has had the annual "Swancon" for some 30 years, plus a range of smaller mini-conventions has been held over the past few years.
Again it was held at The Emerald Hotel a most excellent establishment, being a smaller hotel with cheaper convention room hire rates (for the organisers) and cheaper residential rooms upstairs (for those fans opting to stay overnight on the premises) than most other city hotels.
Previously the site of 3 "Borderlands" and last year's "Wasteland" conventions, plus last year's "Swancon".
I spoke to Ju Landeesse (known as "the hyperactive bundle of bounce" that organised this latest 'con) briefly on the Sunday morning and already more than 60 humans had been through the door, and the 'con was certain to more than break even (any small surplus remaining is donated back to "WASFF" the duly incorporated not-for-profit umbrella organisation which over-sees conventions in WA)
So, for those that missed the event, let me tell you just some of what went on there.
Chuck McKenzie was the guest of honour, I think he comes from Melbourne way, he was on many panels detailing how he got started in writing amongst other stuff. A good fun guy to listen to, along with....
Simon Haynes was the local guest of honour and he was also full of good stories to tell. I caught his reading some of his Hal Spacejock story and it was very funny indeed. (remember that the theme of the 'con, was about comedy, within the scifi genre)
The large downstairs lounge acted as the fanlounge hangout and gaming area. Yep Rob Masters was there with Alicia and their huge plastic crate of various games (boards/cards/dice etc). I took part in a couple of games myself, being the "monochrome chess" (all the pieces are the same colour) and the Pirate game.
Ju or one of her minions were happily taking membership payments for next year.....yep, Ju wants to go through all this over again !
FANTASTIC PLANET, a new scifi specialty bookshop in Shafto Lane (Central Perth) had a table of assorted books for sale, staffed by SwanCon regular Elaine, and Sally was on the "ASIM" (Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine) sales table ASIM URL LINK, doing her bit for the cause, as she so often is, at almost every 'con.
Another table, and I'm sorry I cannot recall their name, had a demonstration of their interactive CDRom set up. Their interactive creation was available for just $5 per disc, a bargain to be sure.
Although this was intended as a "mini-con" ie smaller than the annual "SwanCon", there were still 2 panel streams most of the time, plus a video-room ran part-time on both days, (an excellent achievement for any small 'Con). The video-room, although only part-time had some real gems among the items shown. Several pilot eps from brand new shows only just released in the USA (eg SUPERNATURAL and THRESHOLD). Plus real rare curiosities like the pilot ep of the un-released/cancelled series GLOBAL FREQUENCY
Some items I missed myself include "The Slash Hour Of Power" and "Muppets and Comedy" so your guess is as good as mine as to what went on there. One of the reasons why I missed some of the panel items, was because I was elsewhere, such as............
Actually the success of the organised video-stream probably played a part in the "incomplete success" of my own extra-cirricular activities.
Side-note. Remember about ten years ago when Queensland state police kicked a house door down, then burst inside shouting and screaming obscenities, then held loaded and cocked guns at the inhabitants heads (in contravention of state firearms saftey laws), only to discover later that they had the wrong address, they'd meant to raid the house next door. When questioned later on television, the Qld Police Minister refused to admit that it was a utter cock-up from arsehole to breakfast-time, and insisted on referring to the botched raid incident as "an incomplete success".
Well I took along my spare vcr and had some videotapes available to play upstairs in my room, for after the official programming items had finished on Saturday night. However the start of the official videoroom screenings was delayed somewhat and ultimately finished just after midnight (I know 'cause I's there watching some great stuff !) however by that time, most folks were ready to catch some sleep at least and there was no call for me to play anything. Oh well, about half of the stuff I'd brought along, had already turned up on the official videoroom program anyway !
I left just prior to the end, as the wrap-up ceremony was starting (I had to run to catch 2 buses, and they're a lont time apart on Sundays) but I understand that the crowd present sang happy birthday to Ju (the main organiser).
Here's a link which will hopefully ptovide some info on next year's planned event. FANDOMEDIA 2006
Perth, Western Australia has had the annual "Swancon" for some 30 years, plus a range of smaller mini-conventions has been held over the past few years.
Again it was held at The Emerald Hotel a most excellent establishment, being a smaller hotel with cheaper convention room hire rates (for the organisers) and cheaper residential rooms upstairs (for those fans opting to stay overnight on the premises) than most other city hotels.
Previously the site of 3 "Borderlands" and last year's "Wasteland" conventions, plus last year's "Swancon".
I spoke to Ju Landeesse (known as "the hyperactive bundle of bounce" that organised this latest 'con) briefly on the Sunday morning and already more than 60 humans had been through the door, and the 'con was certain to more than break even (any small surplus remaining is donated back to "WASFF" the duly incorporated not-for-profit umbrella organisation which over-sees conventions in WA)
So, for those that missed the event, let me tell you just some of what went on there.
Chuck McKenzie was the guest of honour, I think he comes from Melbourne way, he was on many panels detailing how he got started in writing amongst other stuff. A good fun guy to listen to, along with....
Simon Haynes was the local guest of honour and he was also full of good stories to tell. I caught his reading some of his Hal Spacejock story and it was very funny indeed. (remember that the theme of the 'con, was about comedy, within the scifi genre)
The large downstairs lounge acted as the fanlounge hangout and gaming area. Yep Rob Masters was there with Alicia and their huge plastic crate of various games (boards/cards/dice etc). I took part in a couple of games myself, being the "monochrome chess" (all the pieces are the same colour) and the Pirate game.
Ju or one of her minions were happily taking membership payments for next year.....yep, Ju wants to go through all this over again !
FANTASTIC PLANET, a new scifi specialty bookshop in Shafto Lane (Central Perth) had a table of assorted books for sale, staffed by SwanCon regular Elaine, and Sally was on the "ASIM" (Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine) sales table ASIM URL LINK, doing her bit for the cause, as she so often is, at almost every 'con.
Another table, and I'm sorry I cannot recall their name, had a demonstration of their interactive CDRom set up. Their interactive creation was available for just $5 per disc, a bargain to be sure.
Although this was intended as a "mini-con" ie smaller than the annual "SwanCon", there were still 2 panel streams most of the time, plus a video-room ran part-time on both days, (an excellent achievement for any small 'Con). The video-room, although only part-time had some real gems among the items shown. Several pilot eps from brand new shows only just released in the USA (eg SUPERNATURAL and THRESHOLD). Plus real rare curiosities like the pilot ep of the un-released/cancelled series GLOBAL FREQUENCY
Some items I missed myself include "The Slash Hour Of Power" and "Muppets and Comedy" so your guess is as good as mine as to what went on there. One of the reasons why I missed some of the panel items, was because I was elsewhere, such as............
Actually the success of the organised video-stream probably played a part in the "incomplete success" of my own extra-cirricular activities.
Side-note. Remember about ten years ago when Queensland state police kicked a house door down, then burst inside shouting and screaming obscenities, then held loaded and cocked guns at the inhabitants heads (in contravention of state firearms saftey laws), only to discover later that they had the wrong address, they'd meant to raid the house next door. When questioned later on television, the Qld Police Minister refused to admit that it was a utter cock-up from arsehole to breakfast-time, and insisted on referring to the botched raid incident as "an incomplete success".
Well I took along my spare vcr and had some videotapes available to play upstairs in my room, for after the official programming items had finished on Saturday night. However the start of the official videoroom screenings was delayed somewhat and ultimately finished just after midnight (I know 'cause I's there watching some great stuff !) however by that time, most folks were ready to catch some sleep at least and there was no call for me to play anything. Oh well, about half of the stuff I'd brought along, had already turned up on the official videoroom program anyway !
I left just prior to the end, as the wrap-up ceremony was starting (I had to run to catch 2 buses, and they're a lont time apart on Sundays) but I understand that the crowd present sang happy birthday to Ju (the main organiser).
Here's a link which will hopefully ptovide some info on next year's planned event. FANDOMEDIA 2006
posted by Catherine Jemma at 11:35 am
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