[Introduction: Towards the end of the 2019 Worldcon, I set about modifying a set of the Dublin 2019 ribbons I had been given, and handed some out, writing an article about it in 2020. That piece went to Banana Wings, but long story short it has not yet appeared in print, and Claire and Mark are happy for me to send it to File 770, so here it is with a recent postscript.]

By Alan Stewart: In the Fan Fund auction at Dublin 2019 Julian Warner bought a set of Dublin ribbons and gave them to me. Though purportedly a “complete set”, comparison with a framed set of the ribbons on display in the Exhibits Hall showed that my gifted set was missing Chair, Chair’s Staff and Worldcon Widow, but I had two versions of Volunteer (also VOLUNTEER). It also included Featured Artist which was not amongst the framed set.

After looking through the set I decided it would be a nice idea to suitably modify them and hand some out to people at the convention. Checking that it was okay with James Bacon, who reiterated the message that they were not to be worn at the convention, which he had anecdotally included while auctioning the set, he also agreed that it would be a very fannish thing to do. So I set out on my rebadging project with the help of some stickers provided via the art show staff.

I distributed ribbons on the last afternoon of the con, with the expectation that they would be added to badges later that day, and also at Titancon in Belfast the next weekend.

The modifications were made based on my knowledge of the recipient, maybe something that had happen at Worldcon, or whim. I believe they were received with good grace. A couple were at the suggestion of Karen Babcock.

The following table details the recipients and the modified text of the ribbon presented to them.

Recipient	Modified ribbon text
Alan Stewart	Past Worldcon Bid Chair
Andrew Trembley	Brainstorming Champion
Ben Yalow	Facilities Free in 2021
Brian Nesmitt	Help I’m At Point Square
Carolina Gomez Lagerlöf	Eurocon Organiser
Cheryl Morgan	WSFS Business Meeting Widow
Claire Brialey	Past & Present Fan Fund Hero
Craig Macbride	Hugo Losers’ Ceremony Guest
Espana Sheriff	Ribbon Facilitation
Geri Sullivan	Alan Crashed My Literary Beer
Geaeme Batho	Spocking Hall Costumer
Ian McDonald	Great Publications
James Bacon	Dublin’s Finest Worldcon Chair
James J Styles	I’d Like Access All Areas
Lawrence Hogg	Fan Tables Staff Hero
Lucy Sussex	Fantastical Ireland Explorer
John Coxon	Ribbon Dealer
Joseph Meltzer	I Could Be A Rocket Scientist
Julian Warner	Mr Warner
Karen Babcock	Editing McEditface
Kevin Roche	Once More With Houselights Please!
Lori Meltzer	Svelte Stage Ninja
Lynelle Howell	I Found the Dragon! In NZ
Maree Pavletich	I Made CoNZealand Happen
Mark Plummer	Fan Funds’ Superfriend
Matthew Pavletich	Project Tahiti Via CoNZealand
PRK	People Superstar!
Robin Johnson	Past Worldcon Guest of Honour
Rose Mitchell	Kaffeeklatsches Are Me
Simon Litten	I Was A Retro Hugo Acceptor
Spike	Quiet Please, I Am Analyzing Stuff
Teddy Harvia	I Found A Site Selection Ballot
Tom Becker	O’Bleak!
Tori	Creators Alley Next Year
Chris Garcia	[Chair] ‘s Friend *

*             Sticker only, given to James Bacon to add to a spare Chair ribbon and then to be forwarded to Chris.

At the time, expecting to see people at CoNZealand, I made this offer:

If you would like to be added to the project please contact me at [email protected]. Feel free to nominate the original Dublin ribbon (if known, and still available) and the final modified text you would like. Otherwise the choice of ribbon and modification will be up to me. As long as ribbons (67) are still available, I’m happy to post them out or prepare them for delivery at CoNZealand at which time I will declare the project closed (last-minute modification and issue at the con may be possible). An extra distribution table could be published later next year.

Speeding ahead to August 2023, of course that 2020 and CoNZealand interaction never happened. So I’d like to conclude the project by the finish of Glasgow 2024 next year. In the meantime if you contact me about receiving a modified ribbon, maybe you recall a Dublin 2019 one in particular you’d like modified, and supply the details, if it is one of the 67 still available I can do that using the white stickers, nail scissors and a pen which did the work the first time around. (Please see the photo above for one example, and others appended to the end of this article.) Snail mail should be able to deliver a modified ribbon in packaging as a standard airmail letter. Best contact is probably via email [email protected].

Next year I’ll take the last ribbons to Glasgow, and the essential scissors and stickers, and set about finalising the project, by request if people catch up with me, and again at my whim. I’ll record details to prepare a sequel to the table above which might also appear in File 770 next year.

Here’s some more photos from 2019, modified ribbons prepared in my hotel room, ready for distribution. [Click for larger image.]