by Gideon Marcus
1961 has definitely been a fine year for fan gatherings, thus far. It doesn't seem like a month goes by without one fan circle or another throwing a science fiction convention. Some are tiny affairs, little more than an expanded club meeting. Others, like WorldCon (coming up in a little over a month, in Seattle), clock in attendances of several hundreds. It's a great way to pass the time, learn inside dope on the doings of fans and writers, alike, and it sure beats the Summer reruns!
I've just come back from "Comic Con," a San Diego convention of considerable size. A good many notables from both the comics and science fiction genres were there including Marvel Comics' Stan Lee and Allen Bellman (he drew Captain America during the Golden Years), D.C.'s Ramona Fradon (Aquaman), superfans Trina Robbins, Bjo Trimble and John Trimble, and Twilight Zone actor William Shatner (who you may recall from the excellent episode, "Nick of Time").
There were at least a hundred fans there, many of them in costume. Guarding us all was the U.S.S. Midway, a modern aircraft carrier:
For your viewing pleasure, here are all the shots I managed to snap before my Kodak ran out of film:
Conventions, for me, are a place to meet folks and share my love of things scientifictional. I'm hoping the friendships I made there will last a good long time. See you next year…1962! (Drop me a line if you'd like an original photograph…)
Thank you for sharing those great photos of such pleasant looking people. It looks pleasantly overwhelming. (I love Aquaman.)
Did you get asked about time travel? You didn't find out you needed a license, I hope?
My particular shtick was having a portal that allows me to jump 55 years into the future. I made all sorts of grandiose prognostications like we would all be Libertarians walking around in the nude and own dozens of cats.
Oh wait. That was Robert Heinlein…
Oh my goodness, is that a Hobbit? Is that Bilbo? I adored that book! I read it over and over again in the library and eventually bought my own copy. And Gandalf, later! Standing next to a character I don't know.
Tho'… I don't know what's going on with that hat. The one in The Hobbit book is quite pointy and wide-brimmed. Still, a nice, interpretative effort, and very well constructed! Perhaps it's wizard formal wear. Or perhaps it's in the new novels – oh, of course, that must be it!
I'm actually quite excited about The Hobbit all over again, you see. I've only recent found out that while I was overseas, the author, J. R. R. Tolkien, published three more books at once! A trilogy, set in the same world as The Hobbit, collectively called The Lord of the Rings. I've just received the copies I ordered through the University Bookstore.
It's quite the tome, collectively – apparently, it's all one extraordinarily large story, much in the vein of War and Peace, but published in three volumes. I think this time around, he's aiming for an older audience.
I'm going to start The Fellowship of the Ring right after I post this off. In fact, I'm going to post this now, so I can get started reading. Thanks for the many pictures, and perhaps I'll see you here next year – at the Worldcon!
We won't be attending Seacon, but we will be attending it's smaller follow-up in October. In fact, we will be presenting a panel! I do hope you can attend. It's at 4pm on Sunday.