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Conventions/Performances

[March 27, 1961] What a Wonder! (WonderCon)

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(from The LA Science Fiction Society (1939))

Comic book lovers, science fiction aficionados, and history buffs all share some characteristics, no matter how disparate their interests may seem on the surface: they are passionate about their pidgin, they plumb deeply into the lore of their fields, and they are all just a bit off-center from the rest of "normal" society.

Let's face it–it's 1961, and conformity is still the rule of the day.  We're expected to wear suits and hats (though our new President seems to be a trendsetter in the "no hats" arena).  We're supposed to abandon the frivoloties of youth and settle down to hard work and raising a family.  Heaven forbid our interests should stray outside the socially acceptable pasttimes of sports, religion, politics, and cocktail parties.

But for those of us who refuse to "grow up", we still want to belong somewhere.  We don't want to go it alone; we seek out others of our ilk.  The weird ones.  The creative ones.

The Fans.

So we form clubs, some associated with centers of learning, others with geographic districts.  We create fan circles that put out fanzines.  We form readers' groups to share our self-penned works.

And…we hold conventions.

These are generally smallish affairs compared to their business-oriented cousins, with attendance running into the hundreds.  But for the fan who normally has a local community of just a half-dozen fellows (and perhaps many more as pen pals), going to a convention is like a pilgrimage to Mecca.  One meets people with completely different experiences, different perspectives.  There is the opportunity to get news from far and wide on exciting new projects, both fan and professional.  And the carousing is second to none, both in the heights of enthusiasm and creativity.

Take a look at my newly developed roll of shots from "WonderCon", a sizeable affair held last weekend in Los Angeles.  These are some dedicated fans, some fabulous costumes, and some terrific times!

First off, a few attendees who came in street clothes:

A few inspired by the pulps of yesteryear:

Some fresh from the pages of the comics (the new character, Supergirl, appears to have an unusually red skirt…)

A pair of Snow Whites, one traditional, and one in 40s chic:

Speaking of the 40s, check out these spot-on duds–go Airborne!

And their most hated foe (this one made me double-take, but I understand it's a minor character from an Atlas comics ish):

The Crown Princess, Anasatasia, last of the Romanovs:

Some great costumes I can't quite identify (the Germans may just have been lost and wandered in):

The Sweep, from the Mary Poppins childrens' book series:

Some cartoons come to life–Betty Boop and Fred Flinstsone (the latter is quite new, the 1st season not having yet ended!)

The inimitable Amy Spaulding–her art is amazing:

And, of course, The Traveler:

With Professor Elliot:

And making Archie cry:

That's it for this time.  I loved seeing all of my friends and fans again, and I hope you'll stay tuned for the review of this month's (the April 1961) Fantasy and Science Fiction!  There are some excellent stories in there, three of them by woman authors–a new record!

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Magazine

[January 29, 1961] Take a little off the bottom (February 1961 Fantasy and Science Fiction)

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Greetings from sunny Kaua'i!  It seems like only yesterday I was reporting from this island's idyllic shores.  Much has changed, of course–Hawai'i is now a state!  50 is a nice round number, so perhaps we won't see any new entries into the Union for a while.

Accompanying me on this trip is the last science fiction digest of the month, the Fantasy and Science Fiction.  On a lark, I decided to read from the end, first.  In retrospect, I'm glad I did, but it certainly made the magazine a challenge.  You see, the stories at the end are just wretched.  But if you skip them (or survive them, as I did), the rest of the magazine is quite excellent.

Let's get the drek over with straight-away, shall we?

Some unknown named C. Brian Kelly offers up the disgusting and sadistic The Tunnel, three pages about a vengeful cockroach that you need never read. 1 star.

Meanwhile, the normally excellent Robert F. Young offers the strangely prudish Storm over Sodom, which somehow rubbed me the wrong way all the way through.  2 stars.

Whew.  Now let's go to the beginning and pretend the last 20 pages never happened. 

Brian Aldiss, who wrote the variable fix-up Galaxies like grains of sand is back with what I hope is the first in a series of tales about life on Earth in the very distant future.  Hothouse portrays a hot, steamy world dominated by vegetable life.  Indeed, a single banyan tree has become a global forest, and within it reside a myriad of mobile plant creatures that comprise almost all of the planet's species.  Humanity is a savage race, clearly on the decline.  Their only hope, perhaps, will come from the outer space they once called their own domain. 

It's a beautifully crafted world, the characters are vivid, and if the science stretches credulity, it does not entirely break it.  Five stars

Time was is a pleasant piece by Ron Goulart involving a homesick young woman, the trap that tries to lure her back to the 1939 of her childhood, and the dilettante detective of occult matters who tries to save her.  Four stars.

I've said before that Rosel George Brown is a rising star, and Of all possible worlds is my favorite story of hers yet.  A beautiful tale of an interstellar explorer and the almost-humans he meets on a placid, emerald-sand beach.  They seem to be primitives, but sometimes the end result of scientific progress is a pleasant, contemplative rest.  Anthropology, biology, love, and loss.  Five stars.

Marcel Ayme is back with his The Ubiquitous Wife, about a young woman who can multiply herself infinitely and thus live a thousand lives at once.  Like his other stories, it is droll and engaging.  The translator did a good job of conveying Ayme's clever turns of phrase.  Three stars.

Theodore L. Thomas provides The Intruder, a subtle time travel story featuring a backpacker fishing trilobites at the dawn of the Devonian era.  In a nice touch, it turns out he is not the intruder; rather it is the little blot of algae that threatens to inevitably populate the fisher's pristine, lifeless world.  Four stars.

Finally, we have Isaac Asimov's non-fiction article, Order, Order!, on the subject of entropy (the amount of energy unavailable for work; or the amount of disorder in the universe). It's a topic that everyone knows something about, but few have a real handle on.  The Good Doctor does an excellent job of explaining this esoteric matter.  Four stars.

What a pity–if not for the two lodestones at the end of the issue, this would be a rate 4-star magazine.  Still, even with them, the score is a comfortable 3.5 stars, which makes F&SF the best digest of the month.  It also has the best story of the month: Hothouse.  Finally, it features fully 50% of the month's woman authors; sadly, there are just two. 

See you on February Oneth–if NASA's hopes are fulfilled, I will have an exciting Mercury Redstone mission to talk about!

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Fashion, music, politics, sports

[July 29, 1960] Changing Landscapes (Japan, the Republican Convention, and the Journey Forecast)

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The results of the Republican National Convention, held in Chicago this year, are in.  They should hardly come as a surprise to anyone: Vice President Richard M. Nixon is the Republican candidate for President of the United States.

I say that this news is unsurprising with good reason–namely, that Nixon essentially ran unopposed.  Oh, sure, Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater was putatively in the race, and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller has been front and center in the headlines over the past two months, but the former never had a chance, and the latter never formally threw his hat into the ring.  In fact, it appears that "Rocky's" blistering rhetoric, put forth in print as a set of polemics, was intended to influence the Republican platform rather than propel him into the candidacy.  Well, Rockefeller can certainly boast this season–he got Nixon to come to his parlor on bended knee, and much of what Rockefeller espoused made its way into the platform and Nixon's agenda.

In fact, given the rather moderate tone of the GOP platform, voters may have trouble choosing between the two parties' men come November.  One thing I noted, comparing Nixon's acceptance speech to Kennedy's, I would give the inspirational and demagogic nod to the latter.  While Kennedy poetically described the New Frontier of the 1960s, challenging us all to become its pioneers to make the nation and the world a better place, the main thrust of Nixon's message seems to be, "We're better than the Communists."  Well, no one doubts that, but as a wise person once said (this quote is attributed to Ernest Hemmingway, but it predates him), "There is no nobility in being superior to someone else; true nobility comes in being superior to one's former self." 

The only real mystery of the convention was Nixon's choice for his running mate.  Interestingly, the Republican Vice Presidential candidate is Henry Cabot Lodge, the Massachusetts Senator whom Kennedy defeated in 1952 to begin his career in the upper division of Congress.  Now ambassador to the United Nations, and a strong advocate for that body's peacekeeping capabilities, I believe he is a good selection for the No. 2 spot.  He will, however, not help Nixon sway the South from the Democratic grasp anymore than Nixon's rather progressive stance on racial issues.  I expect this election to be a tight one, fought largely in the relatively liberal areas of the North East, the Great Lakes, and the West Coast.

For those who follow my travels, I am currently on the train to the industrial city of Nagoya, a few hours west of Tokyo.  Here are some pictures of the Shinjuku area of Japan's capital, which is currently experiencing something of a revitalization in anticipation of the Olympics, time after next.  For anyone who was worried for our welfare, there were no signs of unrest, and we have been treated with courtesy, even warmth.  We had a great time in Kabukicho and Nihonbashi–in the latter, we supped at an excellent little jazz club where someone had set up a mobile projector and was showing old Felix the Cat cartoons.  The best part of travel is the serendipitous pleasures.

In other, Journey-related news, the month of July is over, and it's time to see how the Big Three digests fared, quality-wise.  It's a tough choice between Galaxy and F&SF this month. Both clock in at a little over three stars.  I think I'll give the nod to the former, for being longer if nothing else.  My favorite story this month was probably Stecher's An Elephant for the Prinkip, though none stood out prominently.  Only one female writer made an appearance this month: Rosel George Brown.

As for next month, I didn't see any new books of interest, but I will be watching the films Dinosaurus and The Time Machine.  Also, expect coverage of a number of exciting, recently announced satellite launches, both military and civilian.  I've also just finished the final installment of Anderson's The High Crusade, and it was excellent.  I'll have a review for you next time around.

Stay tuned!

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Conventions/Performances

[July 12, 1960] Pages Come to Life! (Comic-Con '60)

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Two conventions in as many weeks!  What as I thinking?  And yet, despite the undoubted difficulty of the undertaking, it was well worth it.  San Diego's intimate little science fiction and comic book convention, aptly titled "Comic Con," was the most fun I've had at a convention in 1960. 

There was plenty to see and do, including a well-stocked exhibit hall, fascinating panels with opportunities to meet creators–like the new Marvel (formerly Atlas) Comics hotshot, Stan Lee, and, of course, people in costume.  There was a refreshing number of female and juvenile attendees–and not just Millie the Model fans, either! 

One could say that D.C. (Detective Comics) ruled the roost, with big exhibits devoted to perennial favorites like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, though there are rumbles that Marvel Comics may return to superhero comics next year.  I remember the brief revivals of Sub-Mariner, The Human Torch, and Captain America with fondness, so here's hoping they can pull it off.

Now, they say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so let's take a look at these lovely (color!) photos I took at the convention, speedily developed for my eagerly awaiting fans.

Note: On a lark, the convention organizers printed all of the badges to say "2015" on them.  I suppose that's appropriate for a science fiction convention!

There was the contingent that came dressed in their everyday clothes:

These included a few of comic book creators:

Eric Shanover, creator of a comic retelling of the Trojan War.

Todd Nauck, an exciting new artist.

Joe Phillips, an artist of the "blue" variety.  Not for children…

Then you had the attendees who came in elaborate outfits.  Some were inspired by the pulps of the '30s and '40s:

Others came from a variety of venues–see if you can recognize them all!

And possibly the specialist of guests, Latin American revolutionary Che Guevarra!

Finally, we have The Traveler, himself:

It was lovely meeting so many like-minded fans, and I hope to run into all of you again in the years to come!

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Conventions/Performances

[July 4, 1960] Coming Home (Westercon SD convention)

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What is it that makes a con?  Is it the chance to meet published authors and prominent fans?  Is it the spirited discussion of high-minded concepts deep into the night?  Is it the opportunity to engage in salacious activities? 

Ultimately, what a convention all comes down to is building a community.  We all live in disparate locations around the country, and even with the gleaming new interstate system that allows us to travel in minutes what used to take hours, the density of fans in any given location is not particularly high.  So we all congregate in one place so that, for a brief shining instant, we can imagine a world where the fan is the norm.

It's a beautiful (and sometimes frightening) idea.

The convention I just came back from was Westercon SD (not to be confused with the "true" Westercon, currently still going on in Boise, Idaho and known this year as "Boycon").  All of the traditional con activities were present: the filk sings, the masquerade, the dance (a sock-hop, of course). 

I was present at none of these, however.  Instead, I simply ambled back and forth between the Dealers' Hall and the Hospitality Suite, occasionally dropping in on a panel.  I really go to cons just to meet people, and it's great to strike up conversations on esoteric topics with total strangers.  And you can, at a con, because you know that any given attendee will share several of your interests.  Mine, as my readers know, include increasing the inclusiveness of our clique, thus increasing the diversity of our membership; being something of a legal maven, the issues involved in copyrights are also near and dear to my heart. 

There were also many conversations on these three perennial topics:

1) "It's not as good as it used to be."

2) "Where did you buy that?"

3) "How do we get more people to be fans?"

As I stated above, a convention is all about its attendees, so let's have a look at some of the folks who comprised Westercon SD's short-lived but happy community:

This lovely gentleman is Doug Richards, that rare breed of writer who has made the big-time.  We met in line for registration, and we quickly became fast friends.  A really great fellow.

Ben has been attending Westercon virtually since its inception.  No fan like an old fan!

Here's Stuart, sampling the wares at the Dealers' Hall.

The brand new character, Supergirl!

Gotta love Tone's style!

Not to mention Her Majesty (perhaps inspired by this story?)

Another dapper gentleman tending booth.

Jennifer makes an amazing Morgan le Fay…

Cindy, selling first edition Oz books.

This is Chris, an historian and aeroplane enthusiast.

Gabrielle, again, as well as Kit (the merchant), and the lovely Janice.

Here is Janice again.  I was so taken with her, that I invited her to come home with me.  Of course, it was something of a sure thing–we've been married nearly twenty years!

And the Traveler, himself. 

See you soon with a load of print fiction reviews.  And then… off to the movies!

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Uncategorized

[April 30, 1960] Interlude, with Ocean (A Trip to Carlsbad)

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Greetings from sunny springtime California!

Yesterday was a vacation of sorts.  Having dashed off (I mean to say "meticulously crafted") my review of the June 1960 Galaxy, I thought it high time to hit the beach with some nice non-fiction.  My favorite shoreline happens to be in Carlsbad, a sleepy community in northern San Diego County.  For the fans who enjoy phototourism, take a gander at these newly developed pics (in color, no less!)

—

I parked near the commercial and scenic center of Carlsbad is the intersection of Highway 101 and Elm Street.  Dominating the northeast corner is the Twin Inns, a 75-year old house converted into a restaurant.  It's a lovely, rambling sort of affair, with a dance hall in the back.

Just next door is the Hanse House, of the same vintange and owned by the Christiansen family.  There used to be a mineral water well here, but it's been closed since the Depression.

Then I was off to my favorite local coffee shop, Cafe Elysa. 

The beach was lovely, though a bit bright for reading.  It was surprisingly uncrowded.  I caught no sight of Gidget…

On the other hand, I did see this friendly little fellow:

To round things off, I leave you with this sage advice, inscribed outside another coffee house:

See you soon!

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Conventions/Performances

[April 5, 1960] 8th Wonder of the World (Wondercon, 1960)

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No man is an island; but without conventions, the moat can be pretty broad.

Humans are social creatures.  Most of us have a natural desire to share our passions with others.  When we read (or watch) science fiction and fantasy, we are receiving a broadcast from an author, but the communication stops there.  If we want to discuss the experience, we need to find fellow fans.

There are many ways to do this.  You can take out an ad in the newspaper's personal columns.  You can join a local fan group, either public or privately sponsored.  These venues let you find nearby fans, and many clubs have become formidable associations. 

But if you want to meet fans from all over, or change your relationship with your favorite authors from a one-way experience into a face-to-face dialogue, there is no substitute for the convention.

The father of all science fiction conventions is the annual World Science Fiction Convention, at which the Hugo awards are announced.  This year, it will take place in Pittsburgh from September 3-5. 

There are lots of smaller conventions, however.  For instance, there recently was a small affair in Anaheim called "Wondercon" whose focus was comic books, science fiction, and animated films.  Anaheim is very close to my home town of San Diego, so we decided to make a family weekend it.

It was a jolly time.  Being a small convention, the folks were very energetic and creativity abounded.  My daughter hawked mimeographed copies of her home-grown comic book, which the professional writers at DC purchased with gusto.  My wife dressed as the Bat-Woman (of recent prominence in the Batman comics); she pulled it off quite well!  I perused fanzines, expanded awareness of this column, vigorously discussed the ramifications of copyright and trademark laws, and gawked at the well-crafted costumes.

Genre great Robert Heinlein was not in attendance, but a fan circle devoted to him was there leading a blood drive.  I also met up with the family of the late great Edgar Rice Burroughs, who fretted about the upcoming ACE paperback reprintings of the master's works.  Apparently, ACE will not be paying royalties (the original works having fallen out of copright).

Without further ado, here is my slew of photographs from the convention.  My apologies for the blurriness—it is my first time working with color film.

Attendees:

Rose Tyler

Peggy Carter

Amy Saunders (who is an excellent artist; contact her for some excellent comics-inspired and science fiction prints!)

As Anaheim is the home of Walt Disney's theme park, Disneyland, Disney costumes were popular:


Historical dress was also common:



Who doesn't like Captain America?


And, of course, Superman!

The Author, himself

By the way, the Wisconsin Democratic Primary is today.  My bet is on Hubert Humphrey.  After all, he is for all intents and purposes, the state's third Senator.  I can't imagine an East Coast upstart like Jack Kennedy winning more than four of the ten delegates, no matter what the over-enthusiastic polls are predicting.

—




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TV

[Nov. 14, 1959] Disappointments and Weirdness (Glenn L. Martin and The Twilight Zone)

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Have no fear, for The Traveler has returned from Orlando safe and sound.  My apologies for not submitting this article earlier, but I did not have easy access to a typewriter or my editor while on my vacation. 

I have come home to my brand new typewriter, however, and it is time to tell you all about the local Glenn L. Martin Company plant… and to wrap up the last four weeks' worth of that television sensation, The Twilight Zone!

First off, the plant.  Martin has become one of this nation's leading developer of rocket systems including the Titan and the Atlas, both of which have been tapped for service with the manned space program.  Their Orlando plant opened in December 1957, and I was looking forward to seeing some boosters in the process of manufacture.

Nothing doing.  The Orlando plant is specifically for the production of smaller weapons systems including the Lacrosse and Pershing artillery missiles (for the Army), the Bullpup air-to-surface missile (for the Navy), and the Missile Master, an electronic air defense control system.  Worse yet, all of the work is secret, for obvious reasons, and I was turned away at the gate.  So much for the inside view!  At least I had a lovely time in the Orlando sun, which looks much like San Diego's sun, with my cousin and her family.

Also, I got home in time to watch The Twilight Zone last night, so I now have four episodes to talk about.  Ready for a preview?

The fourth episode of The Twilight Zone was The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine, in which Ida Lupino, playing an aging star of the screen, shuts herself off from he world to watch endless replays of her old movies.  Unable to face an aging reality and the reality of aging, she ultimately disappears into one of her films.  The end is telegraphed from the beginning, and this was one of the show's poorer entries.

Walking Distance, episode five, fares a bit better.  A 36-year old ad-man (played by a 46-year old Gig Young) flees from the city, desperate to recapture the simplicity of his small town pre-teen days.  He returns to his stomping grounds to find them unchanged—in fact, he has gone back in time.  He even meets himself and his family, whereupon his father urges him to return to the present and let his younger self enjoy an unshared youth.  It's not bad, but it is mawkish and somewhat drawn out.

I'm a sucker for “deal with the Devil” stories, so I enjoyed Escape Clause: A thoroughly unlikable hypochondriac played by David Wayne bargains his soul for invulernability and immortality.  The fellow had only been concerned with himself before the exchange, and such remains the case afterward.  Rather than focusing on a myriad of fantasized ailments, he instead throws himself into a series of would-be fatal accidents in an attempt to chase thrills.  He quickly tires of the game and becomes just as miserable as he had been. 

Things look up when his wife ends up in a fatal accidental fall.  Our “hero” calls the police and confesses to the crime, hoping to get the Chair, which he would endure with ease and a smirk on his face.  Instead, he receives life imprisonment.  Oh the irony.  In his final act, the prisoner beseeches Old Nick to take his life prematurely, and off he goes—to Hell, presumably.

That ending frustrated me.  Were I immortal and stuck in prison, I'm sure I'd find little difficulty (and excitement) in breaking free.  But, as my daughter noted, the fellow hadn't much soul to begin with; selling it to Satan couldn't improve matters.  It's no wonder Wayne's character was doomed to disappointment.

Finally, we've got the brand-new The Lonely.  A convict is incarcerated on an asteroid; a supply ship comes every three months, but besides that, he has only a few books and a diary to keep him company.  Though the prisoner is innocent of the murder for which he was convicted, a pardon seems unlikely.  The supply ship captain takes pity on the convict some four years into his sentence and gives him an unusual gift—a robot in the shape of a woman.

I actually don't want to spoil this one in the event it gets rerun mid-season.  Jack Warden does an excellent job with his role as the convict.  The episode kept us guessing throughout.  It has the setup of Eric Russell's Panic Button and much of the plot of John Rackham's If You Wish.  These stories were so recently published that I have to wonder if they did not directly inspire the show.

Back shortly with a wrap-up of the new Galaxy.  Stay tuned!

—
Note: I love comments (you can do so anonymously), and I always try to reply.
P.S. Galactic Journey is now a proud member of a constellation of interesting columns.  While you're waiting for me to publish my next article, why not give one of them a read!



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Science / Space Race

[Nov. 10, 1959] Orlando Oranges and Space Slips

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Greetings from sunny Orlando, Florida!

I know what you're thinking: why travel across the country to central Florida, which at first glance has little to offer to the tourist?

Firstly, my only first cousin on my father's side lives here with her family.  Secondly, Orlando is home to the Martin Marrietta manufacturing plant—and guess who has a free pass to see the Titan and Atlas rocket assembly lines?

Also, I wanted to see the place before it is destroyed in next month's atomic holocaust.  Or at least before Fidel's revolution travels to the mainland.  I imagine it will hit Florida before other states.

As you can see, Orlando has gotten its Christmas decorations up early.  Someday Christmas will precede Halloween, I predict.

I haven't had a chance to tour much, so I'll save the meat of my sightseeing report for next time.  In the meantime, here's a Space News round-up:

(Note that neither of these stories happened in Florida, which just figures since it is one of the rare times I'm actually in the state)

As you know from reading this column, there are two competing manned space programs in this country.  Sadly, one of them has suffered a setback: On its third mission, the rocket plane X-15 experienced an explosion in mid-flight.  Luckily, pilot Scott Crossfield managed to dump his fuel in a jiffy and get the plane on the ground in one piece.  He's fine, and the plane will fly again, but it won't go up until it's known precisely what happened.

The Air Force has also had a mishap: Discoverer 7, their capsule-return spacecraft designed for biological sample return (which hasn't carried an actual biological sample in several flights) got up into orbit just fine; but then it started to tumble, and the boys in blue couldn't get the capsule to separate from the rest of the craft.

While I may be cynical about the stated purpose of the Discoverer program, it does underline how technically complicated even an unmanned mission can be.  Getting the rockets to work is only one of many problems to be tackled before we can think of sending a person into space.

I will try to have an update in two days' time, but it may have to wait until I get back home.  I've a brand-new typewriter waiting for me there!

—
Note: I love comments (you can do so anonymously), and I always try to reply.
P.S. Galactic Journey is now a proud member of a constellation of interesting columns.  While you're waiting for me to publish my next article, why not give one of them a read!



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Conventions/Performances, Science Fiction/Fantasy

[Oct. 12, 1959] Seattle's finest (GGC, a fairer science fiction convention)

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Seattle really knows how to throw a science fiction convention.

I had been saddened that I hadn't gotten to join Bjo Trimble in her caravan across the country to Detention last month.  After once again experiencing the joy that is GGC (the acronym was never explained to me), all of my regrets disappeared.

I mentioned in my last article that GGC is quite remarkable.  Much of the attendance is female, and the emphasis is on female creators and protagonists in our niches of the literary and cinematic worlds.  There were lectures on our woman science fiction luminaries, with Judith Merril and Katherine MacLean particularly prominent.  There was an update on the state of women in the sciences.  Someone from Space Technology Laboratories talked about scientist Frankie van der Wal and engineer Jenny Sanders: the former directed the Mouse In Able project that launched rodents atop several Thor-Able test rockets; the latter is the first woman to work at Cape Canaveral.  There was also a spotlight on women in comic books, Wonder Woman being the obvious example, but with much also made of newcomers Supergirl and Lady Blackhawk.

For those who couldn't attend the convention (and for those who did and want to see themselves), here is a selection of photographs, on which I rushed development to get quickly to press.  I did not get pictures of the science-fiction play or the costume masquerade–the light level was too low, but I did get a nice selection of attendees.  Take a look!

A superheroine, by the name of Bluebird (a new character, apparently).

This is Nick, a gentleman with whom I had a pleasant conversation, and behind him are a number of attendees playing various card games.

Michael is an interesting chap.  He is part of a growing group of people who finds solace in the past, reveling in past literature, culture, and clothing (he appears to be from the 1920s).  It's a seductive idea, though I'm certainly not about to go in for that sort of thing.

Miss Molly (good Golly!) is a vendor for a small publishing group called Northwest Press.  They print, among many things, comic books of a rather progressive and subversive nature.  Avante garde indeed!

I'm sure you've all seen Walt Disney's newest masterpiece, Sleeping Beauty.  These costumes are exquisite.

(These are the best I could find amongst my rolls of film, but perhaps other attendees have contributions they'd like to make.  There were certainly plenty of snapshots to take!)

In many ways, the convention was a glimpse into the future of society and fandom.  Someday soon, women and men will work in all arenas of life as equal partners, heading shoulder to shoulder to the stars.  I can't wait for this golden time to arrive.

Until then, at least we have GGC.  See you next year…

—
Note: I love comments (you can do so anonymously), and I always try to reply.

P.S. Galactic Journey is now a proud member of a constellation of interesting columns.  While you're waiting for me to publish my next article, why not give one of them a read!


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