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Miscellanea
The Celtic Tunnel party will again be held at MW*C this year on Saturday night at 7:30 pm till ? Room number to be posted at the con. Featuring Canadian chocolate and Canadian Coca-Cola amongst other goodies. Multi-fandom discussions which this year will probably include a good dose of BBC's Sherlock!
The Eastern Michigan Tunnel Council will again be accepting donations of toiletries for our "personal care bundles" project. Recently these have been going primarily to a group helping homeless veterans. We gladly accept "travel size" containers--like those in your hotel rooms (hint,hint)--of soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, deodorant as well as new items like wash cloths, disposable razors, toothbrushes and combs. Please do not bring large "family" size or glass containers or toys and clothing as we will regretfully have to refuse these items. We do not have the space or ability to deal with them. We encourage you to donate such items to your local charities. Many, many thanks to all the people who have donated over the years.
There will drop off boxes in the 'Zine Room and in the "Celtic Rose Perfumery" room -- number to be posted at the con.
The Eastern Michigan Tunnel Council will again be accepting donations of toiletries for our "personal care bundles" project. Recently these have been going primarily to a group helping homeless veterans. We gladly accept "travel size" containers--like those in your hotel rooms (hint,hint)--of soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, deodorant as well as new items like wash cloths, disposable razors, toothbrushes and combs. Please do not bring large "family" size or glass containers or toys and clothing as we will regretfully have to refuse these items. We do not have the space or ability to deal with them. We encourage you to donate such items to your local charities. Many, many thanks to all the people who have donated over the years.
There will drop off boxes in the 'Zine Room and in the "Celtic Rose Perfumery" room -- number to be posted at the con.
'Zine Reading Room and Fan Fund Auction
THE FANZINE READING ROOM MARKS IT'S 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A NEW ACTIVITY -- GAMING!
In 1982 the 'Zine Room began as simply the place to peruse fanzines in comfort and quiet -- well mostly quiet. Over the years, the Room found itself first becoming the caretaker of what became the MW*C Permanent Loan Collection which is the con's collection of fanzines (covering vintage and more current 'zines from almost 30 fandoms), then a display area for 'zines, new and otherwise that were being sold at the con was added. Next came the site for the Fan Q ballot box (with many of the nominated 'zines on display) and, finally, for about the last 12 years, the 'Zine Room has been the the site of the SF/Media Fan Fund charity auction which has expanded greatly from it's beginnings.
Now, this year and after a try-out last year, the 'Zine Room expands it's array of activities for con members by adding 2 tables (or possibly more ) for Role-Playing Gaming under the direction of Chris Kaschafsky, long time gamer and gaming con organizer. A sign-up sheet and schedule with 4 hour time blocks will be posted in the 'Zine Room, to decide what games will be pursued and at what time. There will be up to 14 games available including "Settlers of Catan" -- up to 6 players; "Blokus "-- up to 4 players; "Hero I.K." -- 1-2 players, and the classic "Dungeons and Dragons" -- many players. We hope that many con members will be able to enjoy this opportunity for another fannish activity at MW*C. Come visit our space in the hotel's pub -- next to the elevators.
'Zine Room hours are expected to be (Gofers permitting): Friday noon to midnight; Saturday and Sunday 10am to midnight. Monday 10am to at least 2 pm.
FAN FUND CHARITY AUCTION: the "silent bid" auction to benefit the Fan Fund will be held as usual at MW*C in the Fanzine Reading Room (which is in the hotel pub next to the elevators) from noon Friday May 25th until 10pm Sunday May 27th. Pick-up will be available beginning 15 minutes after the Auction ends. Also, unlike the Art Show, the Fan Fund Auction still does Quick Sale Price with the item/s going to it's new owner immediately. The items donated can cover a wide array of fandoms and categories: 'zines, books, T-shirts, magazines and many collectibles. Check out the Auction frequently (because new items can be added up till 6pm on Saturday) and do your fannish Christmas/Hanukkah/Birthday etc. shopping real early!
FAN FUND AUCTION DONATIONS: we still need donations for this year's FF Auction. If you're planning to bring/donate fannish items to the con for the Auction, please, if at all possible, send me a brief description of the item/s before the con so that bid sheets can be done before the rush/chaos of 'Zine Room/Auction set-up.
Deadline for sending me an e-mail is midnight EDT on Tuesday, May 26th. Please use Fan Fund in the subject line. E-mail address is Jan <eileen@ciaccess.com> Donated items that arrive in the 'Zine Room before 6pm on the Saturday of the con will go into this year's Auction. Items arriving after that time will go into next year's Auction. Hopefully, the 'Zine Room space will be available to us on Thursday evening for set-up. If it is, FF donations will be accepted on Thursday evening in the 'Zine Room. Otherwise, drop-offs will be accepted from 9 am Friday morning onwards during 'Zine Room operating hours.
Many thanks to all our donors. Their names will be posted at the con.
In 1982 the 'Zine Room began as simply the place to peruse fanzines in comfort and quiet -- well mostly quiet. Over the years, the Room found itself first becoming the caretaker of what became the MW*C Permanent Loan Collection which is the con's collection of fanzines (covering vintage and more current 'zines from almost 30 fandoms), then a display area for 'zines, new and otherwise that were being sold at the con was added. Next came the site for the Fan Q ballot box (with many of the nominated 'zines on display) and, finally, for about the last 12 years, the 'Zine Room has been the the site of the SF/Media Fan Fund charity auction which has expanded greatly from it's beginnings.
Now, this year and after a try-out last year, the 'Zine Room expands it's array of activities for con members by adding 2 tables (or possibly more ) for Role-Playing Gaming under the direction of Chris Kaschafsky, long time gamer and gaming con organizer. A sign-up sheet and schedule with 4 hour time blocks will be posted in the 'Zine Room, to decide what games will be pursued and at what time. There will be up to 14 games available including "Settlers of Catan" -- up to 6 players; "Blokus "-- up to 4 players; "Hero I.K." -- 1-2 players, and the classic "Dungeons and Dragons" -- many players. We hope that many con members will be able to enjoy this opportunity for another fannish activity at MW*C. Come visit our space in the hotel's pub -- next to the elevators.
'Zine Room hours are expected to be (Gofers permitting): Friday noon to midnight; Saturday and Sunday 10am to midnight. Monday 10am to at least 2 pm.
FAN FUND CHARITY AUCTION: the "silent bid" auction to benefit the Fan Fund will be held as usual at MW*C in the Fanzine Reading Room (which is in the hotel pub next to the elevators) from noon Friday May 25th until 10pm Sunday May 27th. Pick-up will be available beginning 15 minutes after the Auction ends. Also, unlike the Art Show, the Fan Fund Auction still does Quick Sale Price with the item/s going to it's new owner immediately. The items donated can cover a wide array of fandoms and categories: 'zines, books, T-shirts, magazines and many collectibles. Check out the Auction frequently (because new items can be added up till 6pm on Saturday) and do your fannish Christmas/Hanukkah/Birthday etc. shopping real early!
FAN FUND AUCTION DONATIONS: we still need donations for this year's FF Auction. If you're planning to bring/donate fannish items to the con for the Auction, please, if at all possible, send me a brief description of the item/s before the con so that bid sheets can be done before the rush/chaos of 'Zine Room/Auction set-up.
Deadline for sending me an e-mail is midnight EDT on Tuesday, May 26th. Please use Fan Fund in the subject line. E-mail address is Jan <eileen@ciaccess.com> Donated items that arrive in the 'Zine Room before 6pm on the Saturday of the con will go into this year's Auction. Items arriving after that time will go into next year's Auction. Hopefully, the 'Zine Room space will be available to us on Thursday evening for set-up. If it is, FF donations will be accepted on Thursday evening in the 'Zine Room. Otherwise, drop-offs will be accepted from 9 am Friday morning onwards during 'Zine Room operating hours.
Many thanks to all our donors. Their names will be posted at the con.
Preserve Fan Culture
Preserve Fan Culture: Do you remember the days when 'zines were the way a fandom shared its thoughts and works on its favorite shows? Have you got printed memorabilia from conventions gone by and boxes of old flyers and con programs hanging around in your garage somewhere? Then you might be interested in the Fan Culture Preservation Project.
In a collaboration between the Organization for Transformative Works (the folks who bring you Ao3 and Fanlore) and the Special Collections department at the University of Iowa Libraries, the Fan Culture Preservation Project seeks to collect and preserve fannish materials so that the rich and diverse history isn't lost to the passing of time or the clearing out of attics. Many fans, with the help of the OTW, have established their own named collections, and many more have donated old 'zines, flyers, and other printed material anonymously to the OTW collection.
If you've got memorabilia that's just taking up space, but you can't throw away knowing it'll be lost to future generations of your fandom, then we'd love you to get in contact with us so we can work on preserving our collective fannish history together.
For more details and a list of the collections put together so far, check out the Fan Culture Preservation Project article on the OTW website or get in contact with the Open Doors committee – we'd love to discuss the project with you!
Needs Roommate
Needs Roommate: I have a room at the con hotel and I'm looking for someone to share the room. I'm a non-smoking woman who likes animals (cats, dogs, ferrets, etc.). You can call me at (937)492-0606 after 8pm ET. Ask for Carol.I have the room for 4 nights (Thurs-Sun) and will be arriving Thursday afternoon. My e-mail address is muehlbauer@safe-mail.net but I use a library computer and I don't always receive my e-mail so phoning me is the best way to reach me.
Fan Q Online Ballot
The online Fan Q Ballot is now available on the MW*C website (see link on Fan Q page)! You must be a MW*C 32 member or have paid the voting fee to use the online ballot.
Fan Q Ballot in PDF
2012 Fan Quality Awards Ballot now available in PDF!
Party Suite Schedule
Party Suite Schedule (PDF) is now available on the MW*C website!
Membership Deadline Extended
The membership deadline for MW*C 32 has been extended to May 18. Memberships are still available.
Program Grid Update
Updated MW*C 32 Program Grid in PDF.
Donate Items for Service Members and Humane Society
In the past, we've collected old cell phones for passing on via the Red Cross for our service members. We're still doing that, but this year, our group is also collecting dog toys, cat toys, dog food (dry as well as wet), cat food (dry as well as wet), harnesses (no collars please!), leashes, and blankets (no comforters, please) for The Humane Society of Huron Valley. Used toys and blankets should be clean and in good shape.
You can drop them off at our table in the dealer's room (Requiem Publications & The New Shineys).
We will gladly send you more information about The Humane Society of Huron Valley if you'd like to contact: aemisc at yahoo.com
Thank you for considering supporting our service members as well as dogs and cats!
-- Bast
You can drop them off at our table in the dealer's room (Requiem Publications & The New Shineys).
We will gladly send you more information about The Humane Society of Huron Valley if you'd like to contact: aemisc at yahoo.com
Thank you for considering supporting our service members as well as dogs and cats!
-- Bast
MediaWest*Con 32 -- May 25-28, 2012 -- APOCALYPTICON!
MediaWest*Con is the definitive gathering of SF/Media fandom, held each Memorial Day Weekend in Lansing Michigan. MediaWest*Con is sponsored by T’Kuhtian Press as a celebration of the diversity of SF/Media fandom, run by fans, for fans, and is staffed entirely by volunteers. MediaWest*Con traditionally features the Art Show and Auction, Fanzine Reading Room, Fannish Videos, Masquerade, Dealers’ Room, SF/Media Fan Fund, Fan Quality Awards, a Con Suite (AKA Hospitality Suite) and a Party Suite, and many, many panels on a wide variety of topics representing many areas of interest. Programming is determined by member input and participation. Programming is intended for an adult audience; we do not censor adult themes in panel topics or in the Art Show. We have no official guests. The name MediaWest*Con is a service mark of MediaWest*Con. The Mayan calendar ends in 2012, the rise of "reality" television, dogs and cats living together -- all signs of a coming apocalypse? Well, it all has to end sometime, so you might as well celebrate with fannish friends! Will we go with a bang or a whimper, nuclear meltdown, new ice age, or zombie infestation? Prepare for the day after and share the rapture of cinematic disaster, doomsday, and post-apocalyptic visions, from A Boy and His Dog to Zardoz.