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[adamstrange]

EPIC stuff. This thread got great fast.

 

Terrific stuff! Thanks!

[adamstrange]

I vote against Barks as the nose looks different and your picture has the person with even less hair than the Barks/Hogarth pic above.

 

Thanks for the history David.

 

You're probably right, but was Bosley around back then?

 

I'm voting against Barks and even think I should retract my vote on the original pic.

[Cat-Man_America]

I vote against Barks as the nose looks different and your picture has the person with even less hair than the Barks/Hogarth pic above.

 

Thanks for the history David.

 

You're probably right, but was Bosley around back then?

 

I'm voting against Barks and even think I should retract my vote on the original pic.

 

I dug through my old con programs and think I've solved the mystery!

 

The confusion was that I thought these photos with Spanky McFarland were from Multicon in '74 or earlier because I'm pretty sure that he'd been a featured guest at an earlier Multicon. In fact, those photos (the ones with noticeable emulsion damage) are from Wintercon '76. Spanky was back, and the other featured guest was (drum roll please) ...George Evans!

 

So, without further a'doo-doo, here is another photo from Wintercon '76 of George Evans visiting with Robert A. Brown.

 

Edited June 9, 2011 by DavidMerryweather

[ciorac]

I vote against Barks as the nose looks different and your picture has the person with even less hair than the Barks/Hogarth pic above.

 

Thanks for the history David.

 

You're probably right, but was Bosley around back then?

 

I'm voting against Barks and even think I should retract my vote on the original pic.

 

I dug through my old con programs and think I've solved the mystery!

 

The confusion was that I thought these photos with Spanky McFarland were from Multicon in '74 or earlier because I'm pretty sure that he'd been a featured guest at an earlier Multicon. In fact, those photos (the ones with noticeable emulsion damage) are from Wintercon '76. Spanky was back, and the other featured guest was (drum roll please) ...George Evens!

 

So, without further doo-doo, here is another photo from Wintercon '76 of George Evens visiting with Robert A. Brown.

 

 

Even better, because I don't recall ever seeing a picture of George Evans.

[Cat-Man_America]

Several more photos before I wrap for the evening; my plans are to scan in some fanzine and con program memorabilia tomorrow along with more images, as time allows.

 

Lovely lady, Cathy Fisher (working admissions at Houstoncon '75)...

 

 

Jim Behnke (dug a little deeper and got the spelling of his name right) and Spanky McFarland (caught by surprise) and an unknown redshirt (Wintercon '76)...

 

 

George Takei (probably Houstoncon '75)...

 

[G.A.tor]

great stuff!

[Cat-Man_America]

great stuff!

 

Thanks Gator!

 

My hope is that folks will contribute their own anecdotes and fan collected memorabilia here, not limited to photos and my flawed recollections.

 

I'd like to see this thread grow to include the information from convention programs (cover art, schedules and guests), all those stinkin' badges, and even branch out to include rare early fanzines and clubzines (like my near run of the OAFzine), ...a real potpourri. Fandom has always been messy; never just one thing.

 

At least that was my original concept when I started this thread.

 

With all respect to Alan, I hope that this doesn't expand into too many narrowly focused threads as the history will end up scrolling off and get lost in the archives. My suggestion would be to post in more than one thread (like we do our scans of books) to insure that the information is easily accessible and remains on page one.

 

What do you think, Gator?

Edited June 9, 2011 by DavidMerryweather

[Cat-Man_America]

B-western guest (Smith Ballew?) from D-Con '74 ...

 

[Cat-Man_America]

Bruce Schultz (dealer; Popeye collector/historian) and son (probably Wintercon '76) ...

 

 

Bruce now resides in the D/FW Metroplex and has a site devoted to Popeye collectables.

[telerites]

 

 

 

I have that ST print. It is by Ken Barr. Also,Not sure when you left Oklahoma but were you still around in 1980 or 1981. I think it was a SoonerCon when LB Cole was the featured guest. It was around when he did the cover to Overstreet's price guide (#11). I wish I could find the program - I know I have it somewhere but I had Cole sign it. He was such a nice gentleman. Great memories and thanks for starting the thread.

 

 

 

[Cat-Man_America]

 

 

 

I have that ST print. It is by Ken Barr. Also,Not sure when you left Oklahoma but were you still around in 1980 or 1981. I think it was a SoonerCon when LB Cole was the featured guest. It was around when he did the cover to Overstreet's price guide (#11). I wish I could find the program - I know I have it somewhere but I had Cole sign it. He was such a nice gentleman. Great memories and thanks for starting the thread.

 

 

 

Like Okon in Tulsa, SoonerCon was (and still is) an SF oriented convention (unless we're talking about entirely different cons, in which case I don't recall any comic cons that went by that name). I'll see if I can't pull up some research on LB Cole's appearance at an Okla. con though.

 

I didn't leave Oklahoma until the early 90's, but I gravitated to SF cons in the early 80's, thanks to a suggestion from a wonderful lady, author CJ Cherryh, who recommended showing my paintings at SF cons to expose my art to a more receptive market.

 

This involved transitioning into a somewhat more flamboyant lifestyle (...not a problem ).

 

At one point I was throwing the first adult Relaxicons out of my home in Chickasha, Okla (called ChickCons, complete with convention flyers) which were little more than adult BYOB parties that attracted folks from the SF fan community from as far away as Tulsa, OKC and Dallas.

 

Although I don't want this thread to be about my history, "personal journey" or whatever, I will post a photo that I posed for about the time of my transition into SF cons (attribution is to amateur photographer and long time friend Anna Akers)...

 

 

 

This was from one of the last OAF mini-cons (comics) that I attended in OKC. Soon afterwards I discovered Okon in Tulsa, NOSFA (The Norman Okla. Science Fiction Association, affiliated with OU) and my portfolio of SF related work started getting traction.

 

If I do decide to post scans of photos from my purely SF period, I'll start another thread for it and call it something like Shameless Self-Aggrandizement, Part I (if my buddy Adam Strange doesn't think it's a cool idea and beat me to the punch).

Edited June 9, 2011 by DavidMerryweather

[telerites]

It easily could have been something other than SoonerCon. I need to find that program - I'm sure I have it somewhere. We most likely ran into each at some of the Oklahoma cons. I actually set up a few with a buddy of mine. I remember the program was nothing fancy, smaller than 8.5x11, plain yellow paper and had Cole's OS guide cover on it. If you find something, please post.

 

Thanks!

[telerites]

Ok after 30 years my memory is hazy but with a little web searching I found the con. It was MutliCon 1981. It wasn't the OSPG cover but it was yellow and smallish in size and the timing was right.

 

I found it along with with other cool history on the Oklahoma Alliance of Fandom BlogSite.

 

Here's a pic of the program - still need to find mine.

 

 

 

 

[Cat-Man_America]

Ok after 30 years my memory is hazy but with a little web searching I found the con. It was MutliCon 1981. It wasn't the OSPG cover but it was yellow and smallish in size and the timing was right.

 

I found it along with with other cool history on the Oklahoma Alliance of Fandom BlogSite.

 

Here's a pic of the program - still need to find mine.

 

 

 

 

Oh, I was there; that was one of the last Multicons I attended and may have been where Anna took those posed photographs of me to promote my SF work.

 

BTW, I'm actually on that OAF reunion blog-site from the members only con several years ago. In fact, I'm in several photos there. I'm auctioneering with Eric Groves (my back is to the camera); my hair is quite long in those shots and I'm disguised by an Aussie hat that I used to wear a lot at shows. I've been an frequent auctioneer at a number of the bigger SF shows, including World Cons.

 

Oh, and not that I'm trying to SHILL for the club, but Bart Bush and Robert A. Brown are putting on a full open to the public convention this year in OKC (unfortunately, at the fleabag Biltmore again); lots of GA paper will be on display & sale for collectors to drool over. I already have my tables reserved.

 

http://oafcon2011.blogspot.com/2011/03/oafcon-2011-comic-book-comic-creator.html

Edited June 9, 2011 by DavidMerryweather

[Cat-Man_America]

Guest, D-Con '74 (can anyone help me put a name to this photo?)

 

[Timely]

I remember learning when I was in grade school (early 80's) that James Doohan's son entered our school. I remember seeing him drive up in a real junky, piece of car to pick up his son in some 60's VW car. I was really surprised to see how bad off he seemed. That must have been before all the Star Trek movie dollars kicked in.

[Cat-Man_America]

I remember learning when I was in grade school (early 80's) that James Doohan's son entered our school. I remember seeing him drive up in a real junky, piece of car to pick up his son in some 60's VW car. I was really surprised to see how bad off he seemed. That must have been before all the Star Trek movie dollars kicked in.

 

 

http://starokc.blogspot.com/2010/09/lets-throw-bigger-con-babelcon-81.html

 

He was a guest at BabelCon in OKC in 1981; I was there. It was one of the first purely SF oriented conventions that I participated in. As I recall, I did a special video and lecture presentation on Jim Morrison and the Doors to a surprisingly packed room; I still don't know how I talked the convention into letting me put that on or what it had to do with SF, but I think it was a big hit (I don't know, I was really drunk at the time; it was method acting and I was totally in character).

[cshepard81]

Thanks for sharing all these cool, old photos and recollections. It's fun taking a look back at the hobby in its earlier years (it makes for even better reading when the firsthand stories aren't loaded with narcissism, so I appreciate the restraint in this thread ).

[Cat-Man_America]

Another shot from a late 70's or early '80's Wintercon (not sure of the date, '79 perhaps) put on by OAF; several fans working registration (names unknown; any help identifying dates and who's who is greatly appreciated)...

 

[telerites]

Guest, D-Con '74 (can anyone help me put a name to this photo?)

 

 

Is that Carl Barks?