Tag Archives: Taral Wayne

A Get-Well Card for Stu

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Taral Wayne has produced a one-shot, The Slan of Baker Street [PDF file], that he hopes friend and fellow fanartist Stu Shiffman soon will be reading:

I don’t remember my first thoughts when I learned of Stu’s stroke. I doubt it was until the second day, or even the third, that I decided Something Ought to be Done. Since I was unable to perform miracles, I decided that perhaps a one-shot, get-well zine would help cheer Stu up, and aid his convalescence.

The Slan of Baker Street contains memoirs from Taral, Andrew P. Hooper and Rob Hansen, and artistic tributes by Taral, Sheryl Birkhead, Kurt Erichsen, Alan White, Steve Stiles, Brad Foster. Its grand finale is a gallery of Stu’s work from the Seventies and Eighties

I’m a big fan of the writing of Andrew Hooper: his contribution to The Slan of Baker Street shows why you should be, too:

The flights are as safe as one can make a ride in an antique airplane, but I feel just a little uneasy as I peer between the trees and clouds to see the tall tailfin float by again. Another flying B-17, Liberty Belle, made a forced landing in Illinois last year, and was totally destroyed by the fire that followed. Aluminum Overcast drifts overhead so slowly that it gives an impression of searching for something, like an aircraft lost in an old Twilight Zone episode, confronted with the 21st Century landscape below. These anxious fantasies come easily to mind this week, because I’m waiting for someone to get well, someone whose condition seems analogous to an aircraft trying to make its way home through a persistent fog. Stu Shiffman is one of my oldest friends in fandom, a longtime collaborator, correspondent and colleague.

Rooms With A View

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The Haggard Room.

Chicon 7 will recreate as an exhibit the Haggard-themed room from the home of GoH Jane Frank and her husband, Howard.

The Franks’ admiration for H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, She and his other lost world stories inspired them to design a room in their house to showcase specifically commissioned art based on Haggard’s work. Decorated in Victorian-era furnishings, the Haggard Room displays thematic art by Michael Whelan, Don Maitz, and Bob Eggleton, Gary Ruddell, Donato Giancola, Ian Miller, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Richard Bober, and Steve Hickman.

Chicon’s exhibit will be the most opulent room recreation ever presented by a Worldcon, a real peek into how “the other half lives” when you consider what has gone before.

Anticipation, the 2009 Worldcon in Montreal, used large graphic photos to reproduce the apartment of its Fan GoH Taral Wayne, the visuals as intricately detailed as a Taral fanzine cover because of all the collections on display.

Entry to Taral's apartment at Anticipation.

Collections on display in Taral's apartment at 2009 Worldcon.

Previously, Chicon 2000 decorated its Fan Lounge to resemble the living room of a typical Chicago fan in the ‘80s, furnished with an ill-assorted bunch of old couches, lamps and end tables. One couch was occupied by two crash-test dummies dressed as Neil Rest and Phyllis Eisenstein – bearded “Neil” wearing sandals, jeans and a Windycon 7 t-shirt, and “Phyllis,” attired in black, a goth ahead of her time. Poor-fan’s bookcases made of boards and cinder blocks lined the perimeter of the room.

Roger Sims and Dave Kyle with “Neil” and “Phyllis” in the Chicon 2000 Fan Lounge.

These room recreations make innovative use of the exhibit space and have all been fun. I wonder if there been any others than the ones I remember?

Update 07/27/2012: Corrected identification of Chicon 2000 Fan Lounge crash-test dummy to Neil, per comment.

Now, a Word To Our Sponsors

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Taral Wayne posted about the unwonted notoriety he’s gained thanks to the internet scavengers at Betascript. Since then he’s corresponded with them:

In response to my email they claim they have used no copyrighted art of mine in the publication.  I can’t tell if this is true or not… I can only say one online service described it as “b/w, 68 pages, illustrations.”  But it might have been generic stuff, similar to the “cover.”  In any case, the only way I could find out is spend $45 to buy the book.

Taral wondered how this outfit gets away with cluttering up booksellers’ databases:

Who’s going to buy a book about me, the guy who invented the pretzel, or the second monkey on the right in a Planet of the Apes sequel? Makes it harder for customers to find what they’re really looking for.  I’m expecting the dealers will eventually refuse to list crap by outfits like Betascript.

Robert Lichtman hopes to accelerate that outcome with KTF reviews of Betascript’s Taral book on Amazon Canada, UK and Germany, plus Blackwells, Alibris and the DEA Store (Italy):

Don’t buy this book. Betascript Publishing is a pirate organization, and stole writing and artwork *copyrighted* by Taral Wayne for their sleazy little overpriced efforts. Yes, per the production description he is a well-known and honored artist, but please don’t support his hard work being ripped off by this disreputable publish-on-demand gang of thieves! Thank you.

Back to the Drawing Board

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Taral’s blog, launched in May, has bitten the dust. Not enough of you were clapping your hands and saying you do believe in it:

I deleted my Blog at Blogger — total freaking waste of time.  Seven followers and mabye five or six views per week.  I think the problem was that it was Blogger — which likes viewers to join to get full access to blogs.  People complained to me that they couldn’t leave comments, and one or two said they couldn’t even access what I’d posted.  One may have said, also, that an internet search didn’t turn up the Blogger page.

An undeserved fate for one of fandom’s most productive writers.

SFContario 2 Photos

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Taral Wayne sent along a few snapshots from SFContario 2. Click on the thumbnails for full-sized pictures. Here are his captions:

(1) “In Memorium – remembering Mike Glicksohn”. (L to R), Diane Lacey in back, Colin Hinz, Catharine Crockett, Hope Leibowitz, John Mansfield, Murray Moore, stranger to me, Ken Smookler.

(1)

(2) The other members of the panel. Andy Porter (R) showing 1960s photo of Mike at some east coast con. I was sitting left of Andy.

(2)

(3) Other members of panel — photo taken by Colin Hinz for me. (L to R), Yvonne Penney, Lloyd Penney, David Warren, Andy Porter. Colin took another shot that cut Yvonne out but included me. Unfortunately, Colin moved and the photo was badly blurred.

(3)

(4) Registration area just after Glicksohn panel. Facing the camera, (L to R), is Eugene Heller and Rene Walling. The “crowd” you see quickly broke up. Registration is long closed, but an unknown staff member is taking a seat There is an enclosed walkway between buildings in the immediate rear. It connects registration as well as a L/R oriented hallway to the part of the hotel where the ball room, and dealers area were.

(4)

(5) Hallway in front of registration area. A set of spiral stairs to the left leads down to the lobby. An elevator off camera also to the left takes people to the 3rd. floor con suite. At the back of this arm of the hall are two panel rooms. The Glicksohn panel was in the left hand one. That’s the Penneys… um… possibly counting their pennies.
 

(5)

(6) The spiral stairs in front of the registration area. Neil Jamieson Williams L, Diane Lacey (staff) center, CUFF winner Kent Pollard R. Although this is staged, Kent actually did take Neil’s photo in just this situation only seconds before.

(6)

(7) Diane got out of the view of the camera so I could take a second shot.

(7)

Graeme: CFF Award Certificates in the Mail

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By R. Graeme Cameron: Taral Wayne has completed the Certificates for the winners of the 2011 Canadian Fanzine Fanac Awards. Copies have already been emailed to the winners, to be followed up by hard copies printed on acid-free 25% cotton paper. I attach a copy of the Life-Time Achievement certificate as an example.

I requested the certificate show a 1950s style astronaut (with a mimeo for his back pack) gazing over an alien terrain, with any bits of SF business Taral might care to add in homage to SF TV, Film, Comics, Movies, etc. He put in ten that I can see. I list them at the end of this article.

Taral has produced a wonderful piece of art that captures the wimsey, fun, and joy of fanzine publishing. I’m blown away by it. More than I expected. I am confident that future winners of the ‘Faneds’ will be pleased to receive these certificates in the years to come.

Note that the actual ‘Faned’ Award figure is still being sculpted by Lawrence Prime and is coming along quite nicely as depicted on the cover of my Fanactical Fanactivist #5.

Cheers!   Graeme (CFFA Administrator)

1)      Upper left corner – Avro Arrow.
2)      On planetary rings – Red Dwarf space bug.
3)      In helmet – shock of hair  = Tin Tin.
4)      Beneath backpack – Kirk vs. Gorn.
5)      To right of knees – City from The Jetsons.
6)      Next right – Apes & 2001 Monolith.
7)      Next right – Galileo 7 Shuttle from Star Trek.
8)      Next right – Tardis from Dr. Who.
9)      Next right – Robot from Roger Ramjet.
10)   Below – Barlennan from ‘Mission of Gravity’.

First Canadian “Faned Awards” Given

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R. Graeme Cameron announced his selections for the first Canadian Fanzine Fanac Awards on October 2 at VCON 36:

  • Best Fan Artist: Taral Wayne.
  • Best Fan Writer: Garth Spencer.
  • Best Loc Hack: Lloyd Penney.
  • Best Fanzine: WARP, Cathy Palmer-Lister, Editor.
  • Life-Time Achievement: “The Unknown Faned” who published Canada’s first SF fanzine in early 1936 under the title The Canadian Science Fiction Fan. (Unknown because in his 1936 review of the zine Donald Wollheim neglected to mention the editor’s name!)

All winners will receive “The Faned” figure sculpted by Lawrence Prime, and a certificate designed by Taral Wayne.

Cameron knows his new award needs lots of publicity if it’s going to have a bright future:

These first awards are entirely by fiat, being my personal decision based on what I consider to be the most obvious choices, the CFF Awards being entirely a one-man show at this point.

I’m hoping this is so outrageously abnormal compared to the usual peer-determined, incestuous, in-fought, excessively emotionally violent fan activity (of any sort) we are all used to that vast amounts of publicity will be generated by fan reaction to the awards (and this sentence).

Got to seep into widespread fannish consciousness somehow!

Next year I will be taking peer input into account. After that? Maybe an actual vote (rigged or otherwise).

Since I currently publish five fanzines (and am about to launch a sixth) I withdrew my name from my own consideration to create an illusion of impartiality. My first impulse, to award myself all five Faneds, took at least an hour to argue myself out of… for this year anyway. I make no promises.

(And if the above paragraph doesn’t generate yet more publicity I’ll be greatly surprised. I’m discovering that ‘doing’ publicity can be fun!)

Last and First Meetings

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The first meeting in the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society’s new clubhouse is tonight, September 1, at 8 p.m. I plan to be there.

The new place is at 6012 Tyrone Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91401, one block north of Oxnard and one block east of Van Nuys Blvd. That’s not very far from where I formerly lived on Woodman Ave., a return address familiar to some of you long-time File 770 subscribers.

The LASFS ended a 34-year run at the old clubhouse last Thursday night. Taral Wayne happened to be in town and Marc Schirmeister took him to the meeting. Taral documented the evening with a few photos.

Before the club bought the property in 1977 it was owned by a leatherworking business. There also was a radio mast beside the back building serving a nurses’ beeper alert service. It was an attractive nuisance — Frank Gasperik once climbed it – so the club eventually took it down.

The front building was used for socializing and to house the library.

The back building was the meeting room, shown in the photos below. Looking at them brings back memories. You can see the paneling Jerry Pournelle helped install, and the free carpet that Gary Louie salvaged from his employer. The column supporting the roof beam used to be covered with plaques honoring two members who qualified as Pillars of the LASFS, Bruce Pelz and Michael Mason.

When LASFS bought its first clubhouse in 1973, over 100 people came to the first meeting. The club grew so quickly that members were able to buy a larger place in 1977. For many years weekly attendance averaged around 150, though it has since dwindled.

Meeting room at old LASFS clubhouse on Burbank Blvd. Photo by Taral.

Marc Schirmeister (center) sits in front row at LASFS' last meeting in its old clubhouse, August 25, 2011. Photo by Taral.

I, Canada

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R. Graeme Cameron, the Dean (or at least Boys Vice-Principal) of Canadian fanzine fandom has unilaterally created “The Canadian Fanzine Fanac Awards” (nicknamed the “Faneds”).

There will be awards in five categories: (1) Best Fanzine, (2) Best Fan Artist, (3) Best Fan Writer (editorials, columns, articles, etc.), (4) Best LocHack (letters of comment writer), and (5) Hall of Fame (lifetime achievement).

He plans to present them annually at VCON beginning this year.

The Graeme explains in Auroran Lights #5:

Let’s get something straight here. This is not a big deal. As far as general fandom is concerned, it is of marginal interest. It’s basically a promotional stunt, a publicity ploy, a gimmick to stimulate interest in the fanzine niche fandom.

But also, I admit, an effort to awaken awareness of the “Best Fan Publication” category of the Aurora Awards.

Cameron would know how badly that is needed, for he is a director of the association that runs the Prix Aurora Awards. The award, though, is his own personal project.

There’s precedent for this sort of thing. In the Seventies, Sheryl Birkhead made her own set of awards – dog biscuits in Lucite – and sent them to faneds whose zines she appreciated. I was lucky enough to get one.

However, Cameron has something more traditional in mind for his “Faneds.” He’s already enlisted Taral to design a certificate and hopes to find someone to design a figure that can be cast from a mold for a physical award.

The first time around – for this year’s VCON — Cameron will select the winners himself from “a few obvious choices.” In 2012 they’ll be picked with the help of “peer consultation and suggestion” and by 2013 he hopes to institute a formal vote by Canadian fans.

Taral’s Blog

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Taral Wayne has taken Brad Foster’s dare and launched a blog of his own.

And would you guess his first post is: (A) a passionate exposition about his love of fanzines, (B) an excoriation of faneditors who take forever to publish his material, (C) a debate about paper vs. digital fanac,  or (D) pungent comments on Canada’s Harper government?

Oops, forgot to mention: This quiz contains spoilers.