Showing posts with label convention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label convention. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Cascadia News Bytes: July 30th, 2008

Anime Evolution announced a new venue for their convention next month.

The Seattle World Bid sent out a press release about parties they're involved with at the upcoming Devention.

According to the Seattle Times, the Twilight series of teen vampire books is set in the town of Forks, Washington. Tours are now popping up with fans traveling to the town to see locations written about in the book.

A blogger has posted their report about their experience at PDX Lan in Portland.

The Space Elevator Conference this year was held on the campus of Microsoft. Here's some news from what took place.

Cosmic Log
KIRO TV
Redmond Reporter
Seattle PI
Space Elevator Blog


The Casual Connect Conference held in Seattle devoted towards casual video gaming has a variety of stories online about the current state of gaming.

Casual Gaming Biz
Gamasutra
Game Critics
Game Daily
Game Zebo
Seattle PI
Seattle Times
WordPress
Xconomy





Saturday, July 26, 2008

Convention Listing for August - October, 2008

*****
Summer Village Festival: July 19- Aug 24, 2008 - Duvall, Washington
Website: http://www.camlann.org/summer_festivals.htm


*****

Fandemonium: August 1-3, 2008 - Nampa, Idaho
Website: http://www.fandemonium.org/

*****
SpoCon: August 1-3, 2008 - Spokane, Washington
Website: http://www.spocon.us/

*****
Retro Gaming Expo: August 2-3, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.retrogamingexpo.com

*****
Subversion Anime Fest: August 2, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.dreamlandjapan.com/events/?p=14

*****
Fragapalooza: August 7-10, 2008 - Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.fragapalooza.com/

*****
Animethon 15: August 8-10, 2008 - Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.animethon.org/

*****
Dragonflight: August 8-10, 2008 - Bellevue, Washington
Website: http://www.dragonflight.org/

*****
Con-Version: August 15-17, 2008 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.con-version.org/

*****
GateCon: August 12-24, 2008 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://gatecon.com/vancouver/

*****
CybCon: August 23, 2008 - Tacoma, Washington
Website: http://www.ggaub.com/tf/cybcon2k8.html

*****
Portland Zine Symposium: August 23-24, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.pdxzines.com/

*****
Anime Evolution: August 22-24, 2008 - Richmond, BC Canada
Website: http://www.animeevolution.com/

*****
BC Renaissance Festival: August 29-31, 2008 - Ft. Langley, BC Canada
Website: http://www.bcrenfest.com/

*****
HârnCon VI: August 29-31, 2008 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://www.vancouvergamingguild.com/Harncon/

*****
Penny Arcade Expo(PAX): August 29-31, 2008 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.pennyarcadeexpo.com/

*****
Kumoricon: August 30 - September 1, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.kumoricon.org/

*****
Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire: September 13-14, 2008 - Kings Valley, Oregon
Website: http://www.shrewfaire.com/

*****
FallCon: September 19-21, 2008 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.fallcon.com

*****
Evergreen Air & Space Museum Model Show: September 20, 2008 - McMinnville, Oregon
Website: http://www.geocities.com/oregonshow/

*****
Portland Pirate Festival: September 20-21, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.portlandpiratefestival.com/

*****
Northwest Event Show: September - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.nweventshow.com/

*****
Foolscap X: September 26-28, 2008 - Redmond, Washington
Website: http://www.foolscapcon.org/

*****
RainFurrest: September 26-28, 2008 - Sea-Tac, Washington
Website: http://www.rainfurrest.org/

*****
Aurora-Con: September 27-28, 2008 - Anchorage, Alaska
Website: http://www.auroracon.org/

*****
Bell-Con: September 27, 2008 - Bellingham, Washington
Website: http://www.myspace.com/bellcon2007

*****
BrickCon: October 2-5th, 2008 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.nwbrickcon.org/

*****
H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival: October 3-5th, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.hplfilmfestival.com/

*****
VCON: October 3-5th, 2008 - Surrey, BC Canada
Website: http://www.vcon.ca

*****
IPMS Vancouver Fall Model Show: October 6th, 2008 - Burnaby, BC Canada
Website: http://members.tripod.com/%7Eipms/fallshow.htm

*****
Revenant Film Festival: October 11, 2008 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.revenantmagazine.com/RevenantFilmFestival.htm

*****
Tri-City Comic Con: October 11, 2008 - Pasco, Washington
Website: http://www.thetc3.org/

*****
Tactical Solutions: October 17-19, 2008 - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Website: http://tactical-solutions-gaming.tripod.com/index.html

*****
Keep Portland Weird: October 20th, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.multcolib.org/events/kpw.html

*****
Far Out Film Festival: October 30th - November 2nd, 2008 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://www.faroutfilmfestival.com


Portland Classic Video Game Expo Announced

PORTLAND CLASSIC VIDEO GAME EXPO ANNOUNCED
August 2–3, 2008 in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon – The NorthWest Classic Games Enthusiasts (NWCGE), a Pacific NorthWest-based group dedicated to the preservation and promotion of classic video games, announces the 2008 Portland Retro Games Expo.

The Expo, now in its third year, brings together classic video game fans from across the NorthWest. Open to the public, it is an opportunity for nostalgic gamers to revisit their favorite video game systems of yore.

The Retro Gaming Expo isn't just for collectors. Anyone with an interest in home video gaming will find something to enjoy. The Expo will feature vendors and exhibitions of classic game consoles as well as contests and tournaments.

What is a classic video game?
The classic gaming hobby is most closely associated with home consoles like the Atari 2600/5200/7800, Nintendo NES and SNES systems, Sega Master System/Genesis and other systems released in the 1980s and early 1990s. Visitors can expect to see these systems as well as many lesser-known systems at the Expo.

Portland has a long history of support for the classic video game hobby, making it a great home for the Expo. In addition to a 1980’s-style game arcade, there are many local stores where the nostalgic can still purchase classics like Atari’s Yar’s Revenge, Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. and the Final Fantasy series for Sony’s Playstation.

“There has been a lot of interest lately in older video games,” said Rick Weis, one of the organizers of the Expo. “I think a lot of people who grew up playing Atari in the 1980’s now have kids who play games. The introduction of family-friendly systems like the Nintendo Wii have renewed interest in the older games by parents whtheir kids the games they used to play.”

The Portland Retro Gaming Expo will be held on August 2-3 in a 7000 square foot exhibition hall at the Portland Airport Holiday Inn and Conference Center. Doors open at 10 AM on both Saturday and Sunday.

The exhibitor and vendor hall is open until 5:00 p.m. and the classic game tournaments begin after the exhibitor hall closes at 5 PM each day.

Tickets are available at the door. Single entry is $10 for one day or $15 for both. The family rate (up to 5 people in one family) is $25.00 for one day or $40 for both days.

Rick Weis and John Hancock are available to answer any questions at rick@retrogamingexpo.com and
john@retrogamingexpo.com.

For more information: http://www.retrogamingexpo.com

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Anime Evolution 2008 Postponed

With our sincere apologies, we regret to inform you that the Anime Evolution Convention scheduled for Aug 22 – 24 has been postponed.

The Convention has been postponed due to a conflict with an SFU event as such we are unable to proceed with our event, at our current venue on our scheduled dates.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. We intend to reschedule the Anime Evolution Convention to a later date; at which time we will update you with full details, when they become available.

We appreciate your patience during this time.

For further questions and concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Katina Stachura, Convention Secretary, at secretary@animeevolution.com.

Please understand that most of you will have questions and we will due our best to answer them as quickly as we can.

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:

http://animeevolution.net/index.php?topic=8263.0

Regards,
The Anime Evolution 2008 Team.

Emerald City ComiCon 2009 - Update 1

Summer has just started making itself known here in Seattle, we've had a nice streak of good weather and plenty of sun, and I hope no matter where you are, you're enjoying the kick-off of summer too!

It's not all fun and games (and delicious barbecue), we've also been hard at work on putting together another stellar line-up for the 2009 Emerald City ComiCon!

Aside from the great list of guests we've already announced(including first-timers Humberto Ramos, Barry Kitson, Darwyn Cooke, Mark Brooks, Joe Casey, Chirstos N. Gage, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, plus returning favorites such as Frank Cho, Stuart Immonen, Adam Hughes, Steve Niles and Joe Linsner), we've just added another
half dozen new guests to the show including:

ADI GRANOV, who designed the Iron Man suits (and Iron Monger) for the movie, will be making his first NorthWest appearance. He is currently illustrating a four-issue miniseries written by Jon Favreau and also a Spider-Man story written by Mark Waid.

Speaking of MARK WAID, the current Editor-In-Chief of Boom! Studios and writer of the Brave and the Bold, Spider-Man and many classic comics will be returning to the show in 2009.

MATT FRACTION, writer of The Punisher, Casanova (are your reading this book? It's freakin' good!!) and Immortal Iron Fist will be making his first ever appearance next year.

Indy legend STAN SAKAI is making his triumphant return to the Emerald City ComiCon. Stan celebrated the 20th anniversary of his creation, Usagi Yojimbo, with us in 2004 and is coming back in 2009 to celebrate his 25th!

Eisner Award winning artist TONY HARRIS is another gentleman who hasn't graced us with his presence for quite a few years. Since he was last at the ECCC, he's continued his work on Ex Machina, along with illustrating Spider-Man: With Great Power and the upcoming War Heroes with Mark Millar.

Lastly, though he had to cancel early on for the 2008 show, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (you know, he's the guy who is writing that Secret Invasion thingamajig over at Marvel, along with two Avengers books, Ultimate Spider-Man, Powers and some other stuff too) has signed on for 2009.

As the show has grown (having had our biggest attendance yet in 2008), so has the need for more space. To that end, we are officially announcing that we are expanding our show floor and adding an extra 15,000 square feet of exhibit space for 2009!

What this means is that although we will once again hold the show at our new home, the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, we're moving to the larger hall across the skybridge (to clarify, we're on the same floor of the convention center, just on the other side).

This move will allow us to bring you even more of what you've come to expet from the Emerald City ComiCon - great artists, exhibitors, dealers and much, much more!

So mark your calendars, dates again are April 4-5, 2009 and we'll have many more announcements coming your way in the next few months!


Jim Demonakos
Emerald City ComiCon
http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Cascadia News Bytes: July 10th, 2008

British Columbia's filk convention Pondfilk took place late last month. Here's some notes from the show.
The Eclectic Fan
The Eclectic Fan Photos

The word "fanboy" has now become an "official word" according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Video coverage from the Saturn Awards last month have been posted here.

Anime Expo
took place this past weekend in Los Angeles. Over 43,000 people attended. The website Animecons.com has a large list of galleries & news reports from the show.

Harry Potter events keep popping up across North America.

A starship modeler is profiled in a Colorado newspaper.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

SFSFC Launches Westercon Bid for San Jose

Press Release 2008-1

SFSFC LAUNCHES WESTERCON BID FOR SAN JOSE

SAN FRANCISCO SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTIONS, INC.
A California Non-Profit Corporation
PO Box 61363, Sunnyvale CA 94088-1363 USA
info@sfsfc.org; http://www.sfsfc.org/

For release: June 29, 2008

SFSFC Launches Westercon Bid for San Jose

San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. announced today that they are launching a bid to host the 2011 West Coast Science Fantasy Conference (Westercon 64) in San Jose, California.

The bid committee is currently evaluating proposals from several properties in the San Jose area, including the San Jose Doubletree Hotel and the San Jose Fairmont Hotel. The Doubletree has hosted many SF genre conventions including Westercon 36, Costume-Con 26, BayCon, and SiliCon. The Fairmont was the headquarters hotel for the 2002 Worldcon and will be site of the 2009 World Fantasy Convention. The committee will announce a specific site later in 2008.

Glenn Glazer will chair the San Jose in 2011 Westercon bid committee. He and other members of the bid committee will be present at the bid's kick-off party, which will be at this year's Westercon in Las Vegas, Nevada.
San Jose in 2011 is offering "pre-supporting" memberships for $15 and a variety of other types of memberships to help fund the bid. Membership forms and additional information about the bid are available on the bid's web site, http://www.sfsfc.org/westercon64/. The bid accepts PayPal for online membership purchases and accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Westercon is one of the oldest general science fiction conventions in the world, with a history stretching back to 1948. Different groups host Westercon each year in a different city in western North America or Hawaii. Members of the 2009 Westercon in Tempe, Arizona will vote on where to hold the 2011 Westercon.

SFSFC was the parent non-profit corporation of ConJosé, the 2002 World Science Fiction Convention, ConFrancisco, the 1993 Worldcon, as well as Westercon 53 in 2000. SFSFC is also organizing the 2009 World Fantasy Convention.

Contact:
San Jose in 2011 Westercon Bid:
Glenn Glazer westercon-sj2011-info@sfsfc.org
Web Site: http://www.sfsfc.org/westercon64/
RSS Feed: feed://http//sfsfc.org/westercon64/?feed=rss2

SFSFC Inc.: Kevin Standlee info@sfsfc.org

General information about Westercon: http://www.westercon.org/

San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. is a California non-profit corporation recognized as tax-exempt under US Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).

"ConJosé" and "ConFrancisco" are service marks of San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc., a California non-profit corporation.

"Westercon" is a registered service mark of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society, Inc. "Worldcon" and "World Science Fiction Convention" are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.

Convention Listing for July - September, 2008

*****
Summer Village Festival: July 19 - Aug 24, 2008 - Duvall, Washington
Website: http://www.camlann.org/summer_festivals.htm

*****
PDX Lan: July 18-21, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.pdxlan.net/portland/

*****
MerpCon: July 25-27, 2008 - Spokane, Washington
Website: http://www.merpcon.com

*****
Fandemonium: August 1-3, 2008 - Nampa, Idaho
Website: http://www.fandemonium.org/

*****
SpoCon: August 1-3, 2008 - Spokane, Washington
Website: http://www.spocon.us/

*****
Washington Renaissance Fantasy Faire: Aug 02 - 03, & 16 - 17, 2008 - Belfair, Washington
Website: http://www.washingtonrenfaire.com/

*****
Subversion Anime Fest: August 2, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.dreamlandjapan.com/events/?p=14

*****
Fragapalooza: August 7-10, 2008 - Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.fragapalooza.com/

*****
Animethon 15: August 8-10, 2008 - Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.animethon.org/

*****
Dragonflight: August 8-10, 2008 - Bellevue, Washington
Website: http://www.dragonflight.org/

*****
Con-Version: August 15-17, 2008 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.con-version.org/

*****
GateCon: August 12-24, 2008 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://gatecon.com/vancouver/

*****
CybCon: August 23, 2008 - Tacoma, Washington
Website: http://www.ggaub.com/tf/cybcon2k8.html

*****
Portland Zine Symposium: August 23-24, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.pdxzines.com/

*****
Anime Evolution: August 22-24, 2008 - Burnaby, BC Canada
Website: http://www.animeevolution.com/

*****
BC Renaissance Festival: August 29-31, 2008 - Ft. Langley, BC Canada
Website: http://www.bcrenfest.com/

*****
HârnCon VI: August 29-31, 2008 - Vancouver, BC Canada
Website: http://www.vancouvergamingguild.com/Harncon/

*****
Penny Arcade Expo(PAX): August 29-31, 2008 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.pennyarcadeexpo.com/

*****
Kumoricon: August 30 - September 1, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.kumoricon.org/

*****
Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire: September 13-14, 2008 - Kings Valley, Oregon
Website: http://www.shrewfaire.com/

*****
FallCon: September 19-21, 2008 - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Website: http://www.fallcon.com

*****
Evergreen Air & Space Museum Model Show: September 20, 2008 - McMinnville, Oregon
Website: http://www.geocities.com/oregonshow/

*****
Portland Pirate Festival: September 20-21, 2008 - Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.portlandpiratefestival.com/

*****
Northwest Event Show: September 23 2008 - Seattle, Washington
Website: http://www.nweventshow.com/

*****
Foolscap X: September 26-28, 2008 - Redmond, Washington
Website: http://www.foolscapcon.org/

*****
RainFurrest: September 26-28, 2008 - Sea-Tac, Washington
Website: http://www.rainfurrest.org/

*****
Aurora-Con: September 27-28, 2008 - Anchorage, Alaska
Website: http://www.auroracon.org/

*****
Bell-Con: September 27, 2008 - Bellingham, Washington
Website: http://www.myspace.com/bellcon2007

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

News and Blog Updates: June 10, 2008

News Nibbles for this posting:

  • This Weeks Special Feature: Michael G. Munz - "Playing with Hubris," appears in the June-July issue of NexGen Pulp Magazine
  • SF News Headlines: BSF: "BFS Awards 2008 - Time to vote", io9: "William Gibson Talks to io9 About Canada, Draft Dodging, and Godzilla", Locus Online: "Death: Algis Budrys", Science Fiction Awards Watch: "Klima on WFAs", & "Clive Staples Award", SF Novelists: "Book launch: Midnight Never Come", SFScope: "William Gibson radio interview; call-in questions welcomed", & "Editor/Author Algis "A.J." Budrys Dies: full obituary
  • Blog Updates including: Horror! Fullmoondirect.com ROAD SHOW Seattle, WA, Kevin J Anderson, Kung Fu Grindhouse, Rosemary Jones, Tor Books, & Yasmine Galenorn

Special Feature

Michael G. Munz: "Playing with Hubris," appears in the June-July issue of NexGen Pulp Magazine
The latest short story by Seattle based speculative fiction author Michael G. Munz is now published in the June-July issue of NexGen Pulp. Munz's story, "Playing with Hubris," is a humorous tale of a man who meets the god Apollo in a modern cafe. The story was referenced in a recent interview by Crystal's Book Reviews. Below is a little teaser/excerpt from the story:

"You're saying you're Apollo. The god."
He smiled disarmingly. "Well, not 'god' in the sense that people use the word these days, but…yes."
I gave him a couple more blinks of cynical disbelief. He certainly seemed a well-dressed psychotic. "God of music…of medicine…drives the sun across the sky and all that?"
"None other than," he agreed. "Though I don't actually drive the sun anymore. They've got that whole thing all automated now. Upkeep on the chariot got to be too much of an expense. Progress, you know."
"Right…"
"You don't believe me," he said, unsurprised.
"Does that bother you?" I asked.
He laughed once and waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh, certainly not. I've had temples built in my honor. I don't need your approval."
"Oh? I thought you guys were supposed to be all ego. And shouldn't you be appearing in the form of a bull or something?"
"Hey, don't be confusing me with my dad. That whole 'carry off the maiden in bull form' was his favorite pastime." He rolled his eyes. "Every Wednesday night."
(special feature and below)


News Headlines:
*****
Are We Alone - "Building Better Brains"
Forgot your own birthday? Misplaced your Shih Tzu? Did you put the milk in your backpack and the iPod in the fridge? Age may bring wisdom but - alas - not a boost in RAM. But there's hope - scientists are discovering that the brain is more malleable than thought. We'll hear about the science of neuroplasticity and what you can do to slow that cerebellum slide. Ever been to a brain gym? Plus, why the brains of London cabbies are bigger than those of your average commuter. Guests:


You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/

*****
Are We A Blog? - Sam Wang writes about appearing on the show, & Bad Alien Evidence -- The Denver Video


Headlines From SF News Sites:
*****
British Fantasy Society News: BFS Awards 2008 - Time to vote, Cult show Survivors to be remade, & Marvel To Adapt Stand

*****
io9: William Gibson Talks to io9 About Canada, Draft Dodging, and Godzilla [William Gibson Interview], Charles Stross Explains Why Science is Integral to Fiction [Charles Stross], You Owe Doctor Who To Blackberry [Doctor Who], In 1986, Futuristic Cold Pills -- Without Poison! [Retro Futurism], "Comic Books Unbound" Leaps Over History In Single Bound [Comic Books Unbound], Ray Bradbury Shills for Prunes in 1969 [Retro Futurism], Writer Confirms Pixar's 'John Carter' [John Carter Of Mars], & A Surprise Twist From Joss Whedon's New Show Dollhouse [Morning Spoilers]

*****
Locus Online: Death: Algis Budrys

*****
MurkyDepths.com NEWS: Murky Depths' publishing arm signs Sam Stome

*****
Pantechnicon.net: The Incredible Hulk

*****
Science Fiction Awards Watch: Klima on WFAs, Clive Staples Award, & BFS Long List Posted

*****
SciFi Scanner: Site of the Week - Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings, Why Green Lantern Could Be the Next Iron Man, Daily Scan: 06.10.08 - Serbia's First Zombie Movie; He-Man Script Reviewed, SciFi Power Ranking - June 9, 2008, & Daily Scan: 06.09.08 - Pixar to Take on Princess of Mars; Captain America to Appear in Hulk?

*****
SF Novelists: Book launch: Midnight Never Come

*****
SF Signal: MEME: What Book Are You Reading Right Now?, REVIEW: Jim Baen's Universe #12, REVIEW: Escapement by Jay Lake, Will The Sci Fi Channel's TV Show/MMO Program Be Successful?, SF Tidbits for 6/10/08, RIP: Algis Budrys, At The Trailer Park: X-Files, Hellboy II, Wall-E, Incredible Hulk, Allen Steele's Coyote Website Goes Live, SF Tidbits for 6/9/08, & Tube Bits for 06/09/2008

*****
SFScope: Tom Piccirilli sells Shadow Season to Bantam Dell, Jeannie K. Holmes sells two vampire novels to Bantam Dell, Cory Doctorow seeking input for British Little Brother, Allen Steele launches Coyote web site, Rachel Caine sells Glass Houses in Germany, Aeon #14 now available, Orbit Books / Midnight Never Come $500 giveaway, William Gibson radio interview; call-in questions welcomed, N.K. Jemisin sells first three books to Orbit, Editor/Author Algis "A.J." Budrys Dies: full obituary, NASA announces art, essay contest winners, Aeon temporarily closed to submissions, &
Phyllis Gottlieb receives SF Canada's first Lifetime Achievement Award,

*****
The Website at the End of the Universe: Hollywood is looking for more barrels to scrape for movie ideas, & Ridley Scott mum on which science fiction book he's filming


Selected Blog Updates:
*****
Alethea Kontis - "Of Mice & Angels"

*****
Cynthia Leitich Smith -"Author Interview: Franny Billingsley on Big, Bad Bunny", & "Author Interview: Neal A. Lester on Once Upon a Time in a Different World"

*****
David Louis Edelman - "Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist “MultiReal” Giveaway"

*****
David Thorpe - "Drug (poem)"

*****
Di Francis - "dear potentially dead character"

*****
Erica Spindler - "Memories.."

*****
Grendels Den Design Studio - "Midwest Haunters Convention"

*****
HARPER PERENNIAL - "Tony O’Neill - Video, Links, etc. "

*****
Horror Library Blog-O-Rama - "WORLDS OF HORROR - by Michael A. Arnzen, Guest Blogger", & "A Voice in Their Heads - by Dan Naden"

*****
Horror! Fullmoondirect.com ROAD SHOW Seattle, WA - "50% Off Father’s Day Sale this Weekend!!! Free shipping!!!", & "DUDES!!! KILLER FATHERS DAY DEAL THIS WEEKEND!"

*****
Kevin J Anderson - "MAJOR UK DEALS FOR HELLHOLE AND NEW DUNE"

*****
Kung Fu Grindhouse - "Above the Law"

*****
Marianne De Pierres - "Resident Evil v Mad Max"

*****
Planet Pride - "Do Pluto and its moons feature cosmic graffiti?", "Broken Ice", "Where Is the New Horizons Spacecraft?", "Dynamics of Planetary Systems in Star Clusters", "How to Find Faraway Moons", "Scientists to Launch Missle Attack on the Moon -Will Jupiter’s Europa Follow?", & "Clouds of Venus"

*****
Rosemary Jones - "Those Weeping Ghosts Cost Me!"

*****
Sherrilyn Kenyon - "June News"

*****
Tor Books - "6/10 Releases from Tor Books"

*****
w1n5t0n - "Podcast wtih Cory Doctorow", & "Little Brother: Features, Interviews, Reviews, Extras"

*****
Willie Meikle - "Discount for my readers"

*****
Writer's Digest - "Short Short Story Competition Winner"

*****
Yasmine Galenorn - "A Typical Workday", "Blogging at the Witchy Chicks today...", & "Six Questions With Iris Kuusi (and update on Luna)"

Panel list for this weekend's C-Cubed

Here is a list panel ideas for this years C-Cuded (Times and panelists TBD)

1. How To Handle Hotel Problems: Norwescon had a major problem this year with their hotel and the parties. Come hear their Hotel Liaison speak about working with both sides and how the issue was resolved.

2. Outreach: Attendees: Many attendees return year after year; but some do not. How do you reach out and attract a new audience while maintaining traditions your core audience loves?

3. Outreach: Volunteers: No convention can ever have enough of them. How do you contact them both before and during a convention? Entice them to help out? – and return to help again next year?

4. How to Plan Your First Convention: How not to reinvent the wheel. Timelines, budgets, planning committees. What planning tools are out there and how do they work? And how does planning for a large convention differ than that for a small one.

4. The Generation Gap: Fandom has evolved since its origins. There are tools unavailable 30 years ago that are now key to convention planning. But is new technology always the answer? What can the “old guard” bring to the table? And what can the young mavericks bring to the table? And how can we get them to talk with one another? (Emphasis on internet, blogs, communication, and other technology.)

6. Communications – the Spoken Word: What do you really mean? And did the recipient take it the way you meant it? Tips and tools for speaking well in front of large groups.

7. Communications – the Written Word: Email flame wars. Program Book snafu’s. The importance of being able to write effectively to represent your convention well. (Possible topics include both public writing such as press releases as well as private like departmental emails.)

8. How to Take Effective Meeting Notes: Part of the duties of an incorporated entity is to have notes from all their business meetings. Often this is presented to the bank as proof of the incorporated entity’s existence. How do you take effective notes? What tools are available other than a megaphone?

9. How to Identify “Burnout” – Is It Necessary?: Why do some fen gaffiate and others remain fen for life? How to help your committee and your friends maintain their sanity.

10 Hotel Contracts They are A-Changin’: Parties, kids, food, decorating, signage – all of these innocuous topics have lost conventions their insurance. Why is this happening?

11 Insurance – a Necessary Evil: Where to get it, how much you need and why you need it.

12 How Hospitalities are Changing: Insurance problems. Food handling laws and permits. Increasing food sensitivities and allergies. Rising food costs. How can you welcome your fen and not lose your sanity when dealing with these issues?

13 The Next Convention: Your convention is over for this year. How do you avoid the “summer slump,” and stay psyched to start planning the next one?

14 Open Forum Discussion: The audience can ask a panel of con runners any questions they want to ask about convention running. This will be filmed by Jim Granger.

Anime New Years Event in Vancouver Washington

M.E.W. LLC is proud to present the first annual M.E.W. Convention in Vancouver, Washington. M.E.W. will take place at the Red Lion at the Quay from December 30th, 2008 through January 1st, 2009. M.E.W. is a New Year's cross genre celebration offering a diverse programming lineup of anime, costuming, fantasy, gaming, manga, science fiction, and much, much, more.

M.E.W. is pleased to welcome The Slants and A-Key-Kyo as our honored guests.

Two years after forming their unique and highly acclaimed band “The Slants” are bringing Chinatown Dance Rock convention scene, nation, world, and now to M.E.W. convention. This six member synth-pop band has received rave reviews from local papers and international magazines alike. With a beat to “melt your face off”, “The Slants” will ring in the New Year in style.

A-Key-Kyo specializes in J-Pop and great attitude as they bring you covers of anime theme songs with flare. They’ve kicked off conventions and performed for large audiences at festivals and conventions throughout the Northwest. A-Key-Kyo will bring you in for the music you know and leave you happy to know them and their sweet brand of live music.

Events at this years M.E.W. include a New Year’s Eve dance with A-Key-Kyo and The Slants, costume and cosplay choreography competitions, black light karaoke, an AMV contest, interactive panels, artist and writers workshops, RPGs (role playing games), board games, CCGs (collectible card games), console gaming and LAN (local area network) gaming. In addition to event programming, there will also be an art show, exhibitors’ hall and artists’ alley, craft area, viewing room and a cross genre library filled with manga, sci-fi and fantasy novels and books.

If you can't make it M.E.W. in person this year, you can also visit M.E.W.'s online celebration on the official website. Many of the panels and main events will be posted or streaming live. Online participants may submit mp3s readings of their written work and panels in text or power point format. Artist and writers are encouraged to submit their work for online viewing and competitions.
About Manga and Exotic Worlds LLC:
M.E.W. is an independent business based in Beaverton, Oregon whose mission is to promote creativity and imagination through all forms and mediums of art and literacy. Fans, writers and artists alike are encouraged to have fun, connect and exchange ideas through events, forums, web content and meetings. For more information, visit www.mewcon.com.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Cascadia News Bytes: June 7th, 2008

The programming schedule for next weekends Convention Committee Convention(C^3)
has been posted.


Olympia Comics Festival is profiled by The Olympian.

Spokane ComiCon's backstory is covered for this weekends big event.

Some reviews from last month's Go Play NW!
Mighty Atom

JHKIMRPG

Miscon in Montana last month had some interesting events transpire.
Jessica De Milo
Shawn Pack

The rise of fan fiction & comic book culture

Smofcast podcast begins.


Tuesday, June 3, 2008

News and Blog Updates: June 03, 2008

Special Feature (Repost) - The Nuts & Bolts of Writing by Yasmine Galenorn
This is the first of what I hope to be a continuing series of Special Features presenting the the opinions, thoughts, and guidance on the craft of writing by local authors.
Yasmine Galenorn was kind enough to volunteer a series of articles she wrote a few months back on "The Nuts & Bolts" of writing. Below are the URLs to those articles.

If you are a local author and would like to contribute to this section, please send me a message and we can discuss the details.


News Headlines:
*****
Johnny Depp has the film rights to Dark Shadows: Here is the link to the story on Fear: http://fearzone.com/blog/dark-tim

*****
Local author Phoebe Matthews - is looking for reviewers for her new book "Tarbaby Trouble". There will be more information posted as it becomes available - http://phoebematthews.com


News Worth Reposting:
*****
Are We Alone - Next show available June 2, 2008 "Aging: Stop Right There!" (Encore Presentation)
Imagine if aging were a disease like measles, one that could be cured. Some scientists think it's possible and that we'll eventually halt - or at least slow - the march of time and extend lifespans into the triple digits and beyond. 100 could become the new 40, and 1000 the new 500! But that's a lot of years of filling out tax forms and showing up for dental hygiene appointments. Do we really want to live that long? If so, we should tap into the secret of longevity from Ming, a 400-year-old clam.
Also, the surprising story of how aviator Charles Lindbergh helped develop a medical device that prolonged lives - all in support of the Nazi cause.
Guests:
You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/

*****

Are We A Blog? - The long arm of the laws of robotics

*****
Jeffrey Marks’s book "Anthony Boucher: A Biobibliography" was published in May by McFarland and Co. Boucher was the founding editor of The Magazine of F&SF. The reviews say "a delightful tribute to a multi-talented man" and "No one with an interest in Boucher or the history of his genres will want to miss this book." Marks' website is www.jeffreymarks.com or you can read about the book at: http://www.amazon.com/Anthony-Boucher-Biobibliography-Jeffrey-Marks/dp/0786433205?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194284555&sr=8-1

*****
Michael G. Munz - My Interview by Crystal--Did I mention there's a contest?
"Can't get enough interviews of your favorite author? How about enough interviews of me, instead? On the off-chance your answer is yes, Crystal's Book Reviews & Author Interviews has recently interviewed me and my self-depreciating attitude! Check it out here." ~ Michael G. Munz / www.michaelgmunz.com

*****
Pantechnicon Publishing - What's in Issue Seven ? Launching today ... Go here to find out: http://www.pantechnicon.net/

*****
NWSFS Blogs on MySpace & Blogspot - Wanted: Assistant Editor(s)
I don't know if the title editor really appies or not, but I am looking for an assistant editor, blogmaster, or whatever you want to call yourself. Primary requirements are:
  • Those interested must live in the Seattle area, so we can meet face-to-face.
  • It would be preferred that anyone interested have a MySpace account, and it would be nice if you had a GMail account so as to be able to assign author privilages to the Blogspot Blog.
  • You must have some blogging and/or web design experience, plus ready access to a computer.
  • Ideally you should be a NWSFS Member, but non-members are welcome too.
  • This position can at times require up to 10 hours a week, so that is one thing to consider.
Right now I am trying to line up someone to help out, so that when I eventually take a vacation, they can fill in for a week or so. Duties may expand over time. Contact me here, or at Nemo Black if you are interested.


Headlines From SF News Sites:
** Look for a X-Files Trailer, a Star Trek spoiler, a Dr Who recaps, and much much more on ** io9Locus Online has this week's bestsellers, and new books ** You'll find reviews, tidbits, and more tidbits at SF Signal ** SFScope has lots of news from the publishing industry and even the MTV Movie Awards ** And that Website at the End of the Universe has three great articles worth taking a look at **

*****
io9: Build Your Own Eco-Helper Bots from "Silent Running" [DIY Bots], AT&T Predicts Future Technologies in 1993, Doesn't Deliver Them [Retro Futurism], Vernor Vinge's Latest Ideas About the Singularity in IEEE Spectrum [Lunchtime Reading], Frozen Bodies and Bad Guys in Russian X-Files Trailer [X-Files: I Want To Believe], Why the Publishing Industry Cares About You [Books], Space Tourism To Enter Final Orbit [Final Orbit], Find Out Which Aliens Turn Up In J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Movie [Morning Spoilers], Doctor Who Gives A Glimpse Of Its Own Future [Doctor Who Recap], Cool Creative Writing Program for Teens Who Want to Build Imaginary Worlds [Mad Pedagogy], In the Far Future of 1980, the Government Tells You Who to Marry [Retro Futurism], & Grimy Viking-Monster Battle Movie Still Has No U.S. Release Date [Outlander]

*****
Locus Online: Monitor: This Week's Bestsellers, Locus Magazine/Future History: Forthcoming Books, & Monitor: New Books: last week May

*****
Science Fiction Awards Watch: Forthcoming Deadlines, & ESFS Clarification

*****
SF Signal: REVIEW: Little Vampire by Joann Sfar, MOVIE REVIEW: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Tube Bits For 06/03/2008, SF Tidbits for 6/3/08, Indiana Jones and the Migration Towards Science Fiction, The SF/F Genre Will Eat Itself, SF Tidbits for 6/2/08, & Tube Bits for 06/02/2008

*****
SFScope: Second issue of Oddlands Magazine now available, Serendipity number 9 now available, Farrago's Wainscot closed to submissions, Author Michael de Larrabeiti Dies, MTV Movie Awards Recognize Several Genre Films, Jim Baen's Universe June 2008 Issue, & Lone Star Stories #27 now available (Note: At the time of posting SFScope was off-line, but hopefully they will be back up by the time you read this.)

*****
The Website at the End of the Universe: Prominent engineering magazine ponders The Singularity, Obscure, underground or full of sex, scifi readers love them all, & Publishers wonder whether ebooks have reached critical mass


Selected Blog Updates:
** Fantagraphics Books has some freebies for you! ** Kevin J Anderson writes of "THE '20 MOST ADDICTIVE SERIES" ** Minnette Meador has an "Interview with Joyfully Reviewed", & lists her "Book Signings for June 2008" ** Nicola Griffith put up several videos of her recent reading at Seattle's Richard Hugo House ** Powells Books has "Signed First Editions" ** Spokane Comicon is this Saturday! ** There's also the latest releases from Tor Books ** And Yasmine Galenorn asks a question for her readers **

*****
Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest - "More web work", & "Apex Online open to submissions"

*****
Cynthia Leitich Smith - "Author Interview: Sarah Prineas on The Magic Thief", & "Sydney Taylor Book Award Celebrates 40th Anniversary"

*****
Daniel Braum - "Houdini’s Grave"

*****
Echelon Press, LLC - "eBook Piracy Alert"

*****
Erica Spindler - "Confession"

*****
Fantagraphics Books - "Now in stock: Pocket Full of Rain by Jason & Complete Crumb Comics Vol. 11 reprint!", & "Now: get FREE signed bookplates with selected books!"

*****
HARPER PERENNIAL - "Eating Cactus: Audio Interview, Excerpts, and more..."

*****
JAMES AND DADDY - "Update 2nd June 2008"

*****
Jeff Carlson - "Short Story Sale"

*****
Jodi Lee - "Mushy Phone Conversation"

*****
Kevin J Anderson - "THE '20 MOST ADDICTIVE SERIES'"

*****
Maelstrom - 1st Meeting for New Seattle Genre Film Festival

*****
Minnette Meador - "Interview with Joyfully Reviewed", & "Book Signings for June 2008"

*****
Murky Depths - "RSS NEWS FEED"

*****
NexGen Pulp Magazine - "BIG NEWS!!!"

*****
Nicola Griffith - "video of me reading"

*****
Pantechnicon Publishing - "Pantechnicon 7 now available for download - special feature on DF Lewis"

*****
Planet Pride - "Fortunate View", "Comet Boattini amongst the clusters", "Earth As An Exoplanet", "Smallest Known Exoplanet Found", "Shadows of Janus", & "Rare stellar occultation by Neptune’s Triton observed!"

*****
Powells Books - "Signed First Editions"

*****
Robert J Sawyer's Blog - "Robert H. Justman passes on", & "IT Security Panel"

*****
Scott Nicholson - "Pen to Press writing retreat"

*****
Spokane Comicon - "Spokane Comicon is this Saturday!"

*****
The Book Of Zombie - "Revenant Magazine Interview"

*****
Tor Books - "6/3 Releases from Tor Books"

*****
TREI Literary Magazine - TREI Literary Magazine...SUBMISSION GUIDELINES...

*****
Willie Meikle - "Win a copy of The Midnight Eye Files: The Sirens", & "Newsflash - Pro short story sale"

*****
Writer's Market UK - "Talking Point: Surviving the Edit"

*****
Yasmine Galenorn - "Question For My Readers & Update on Luna", & "If you do not receive your verification email"