Transcribe
Translate
Comet, v. 1, issue 2, March-April 1941
Page 22
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
Page 22 THE COMET ANYBODY GOT A ROPE -- QUICK? by Bob Tucker Not a real, genuine strand of Manila hemp of course; altho one [[underline]]would[[end underline]] come in very handy to stretch the neck of a few prize characters I know of...No, the rope I want is a figurative one that will tie together these convention names and titles. The title: "1940 Chicago World Science Fiction Convention" was chosen to be worded that way for two reasons: (1) 1940 was put in to show at first glance the definite date of the affair, and (2) Chicago to show the city where it took place. For these reasons: I am looking just a few years into the future when some more of these conventions and conferences are going to have passed under the bridge of time and memory. Many, actually many! fans today cannot tell you the date of any of the previous conventions held, where they were, or very little about them without consulting some fan magazine that carried a fairly full account of the happening! Those first conventions were small compared to the Nycon, and the coming Chicon. Therefore they will not be remembered as well by fandom as a whole, as were the larger ones. And too, every time some one holds a convention, it seems that the said someone sits around for weeks just thinking up a fancy name for the thing, that when it comes down to brass tacks, reveals very little actual information about it. [[underline]]And the last is what is needed[[end underline]]! I believe we should take a tip from the large national organizations that hold annual conventions, and instead of giving each convention a formal name such as: The First Eastern Convention; The First Newark Convention, or the 39th Kalamzoo World Convention, or such, we should be content with only the name of the year and possibly the city. Even the "world" business should be dropped. By no stretch of the imagination has there ever been ---or will be for some years--- a "world" convention. I should like to see this eliminated from the 1940 Chicago title. It has boiled down to a fairly stable point, this convention business, and it is safe to asy we will see only [[underline]]one[[end underline]] real convention per year, or perhaps not so often. Conferences are another thing....I am not dealing with them now. It appears to me, that after a more-or-less precedent set in New York this summer, and the immediate plans for Chicago next summer, that in the future each summer will see a convention of some magnitude happen in some city of the country. There is not apt to be two conventions in one year, fans can't afford it. Therefore it would be safe and absolutely descriptive, to entitle each convention,simply "The (date) (city) Science Fiction Convention". That will eliminate all confusion as to what convention was held when and where. With only one convention per year, it is almost assured of national attendence. And it will be up to the various conferences and inter-city gatherings to not give themselves a title that will conflict with any national convention name. Eh what? Subscribe [[underline]]to[[end underline]] LE ZOMBIE Box 260 BLOOMINGTON ILLINOIS
Saving...
prev
next
Page 22 THE COMET ANYBODY GOT A ROPE -- QUICK? by Bob Tucker Not a real, genuine strand of Manila hemp of course; altho one [[underline]]would[[end underline]] come in very handy to stretch the neck of a few prize characters I know of...No, the rope I want is a figurative one that will tie together these convention names and titles. The title: "1940 Chicago World Science Fiction Convention" was chosen to be worded that way for two reasons: (1) 1940 was put in to show at first glance the definite date of the affair, and (2) Chicago to show the city where it took place. For these reasons: I am looking just a few years into the future when some more of these conventions and conferences are going to have passed under the bridge of time and memory. Many, actually many! fans today cannot tell you the date of any of the previous conventions held, where they were, or very little about them without consulting some fan magazine that carried a fairly full account of the happening! Those first conventions were small compared to the Nycon, and the coming Chicon. Therefore they will not be remembered as well by fandom as a whole, as were the larger ones. And too, every time some one holds a convention, it seems that the said someone sits around for weeks just thinking up a fancy name for the thing, that when it comes down to brass tacks, reveals very little actual information about it. [[underline]]And the last is what is needed[[end underline]]! I believe we should take a tip from the large national organizations that hold annual conventions, and instead of giving each convention a formal name such as: The First Eastern Convention; The First Newark Convention, or the 39th Kalamzoo World Convention, or such, we should be content with only the name of the year and possibly the city. Even the "world" business should be dropped. By no stretch of the imagination has there ever been ---or will be for some years--- a "world" convention. I should like to see this eliminated from the 1940 Chicago title. It has boiled down to a fairly stable point, this convention business, and it is safe to asy we will see only [[underline]]one[[end underline]] real convention per year, or perhaps not so often. Conferences are another thing....I am not dealing with them now. It appears to me, that after a more-or-less precedent set in New York this summer, and the immediate plans for Chicago next summer, that in the future each summer will see a convention of some magnitude happen in some city of the country. There is not apt to be two conventions in one year, fans can't afford it. Therefore it would be safe and absolutely descriptive, to entitle each convention,simply "The (date) (city) Science Fiction Convention". That will eliminate all confusion as to what convention was held when and where. With only one convention per year, it is almost assured of national attendence. And it will be up to the various conferences and inter-city gatherings to not give themselves a title that will conflict with any national convention name. Eh what? Subscribe [[underline]]to[[end underline]] LE ZOMBIE Box 260 BLOOMINGTON ILLINOIS
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar