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Happy Birthday!
Welcome to the 2nd Birthday
issue of The Sci-Fi Reporter.
To celebrate we have a bumper
issue including a great article on sci-fi birthday gifts for that
special sci-fi fan in your life. We also have an interview with
Kristine Smith, a celebrated author and Star Trek fan, who has
written a book on her life with De Forest Kelley (Dr
McCoy).
We have all the latest information on the SF
convention calendar including our first event report for 2008 on the
recent fan run club convention in Adelaide - Fanzone
2008.
Two years have passed since we launched our premier
issue and we would like to thank all our readers for your ongoing
support. The Sci Fi Reporter is now read on every continent of our
planet and we will continue to bring you a fun and innovative
publication that we hope you will continue to
enjoy.
We would
like to hear from you.
Have a great month
ahead
Stuart and Maryanne
Want to receive Sci Fi Reporter regularly? Add your email
address via the "Join Our Mailing List" section of this
newsletter.
| Convention Listing Oz - valid @ February -
2008 |
 |
|
Note: Only new or updated listings are
given
Promoters: if your event is not listed here or
you have new information advise
us for inclusion.
Swancon 2008
The State of the
Art
Perth - W.A. March 20 to 24
Featured
Guests..
Zara Baxter, Glenda Larke and Ken Macleod
Swancon
information
Stargate Event
Christopher
Judge - Live on stage
Sydney - April 22, 2008
Melbourne
- April 23, 2008
Smallville event coming soon!
Event
Information
Serenity
One day conventions
in Sydney and Melbourne
April 5 and 6
Special
Guests
Ron Glass and Jason Palmer
Presented by The Hub
Productions
Buffy event coming in June
Serenity
information
Supanova
Melbourne - March 28
to 30
Royal Show grounds, Melbourne
Brisbane - April 4
to 6
RNA Show grounds
Australia's largest Pop Culture
Expo
Now taking the show to Sydney and Perth
Activities
for the whole family
Supanova
information
Vegas Trek 2008
Departs
Australia on August 5 - 2008
Tours in Los Angeles and Las
Vegas including your five day pass to the Vegas Star Trek
convention
Organised by Vortex Events
Tour
information
Stop the Press!
All Hell
Breaks Loose!
A campaign to create Australia's Supernatural
Event!
Would you attend?
Let OZ Chicks Unite know by
signing on at their convention website
Contact P.R. Officer
on: 0421 013 213
Event
Information
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| Incoming transmission! |
|
 Have your say!
We would love to hear
your thoughts on science fiction and fantasy, your likes,
dislikes and where you think the genre is heading
Ms
Sarajayne Lada from Tasmania writes..
Science
Fiction. "What does it mean to me, and how has it shaped me
into who I am? And most importantly, where do I
start?"
Well I guess the first place of introduction
was my childhood. 5:30 or 6pm, depending on ABC programming,
Dr Who would appear.
Glued to the television in awe of
Tom Baker and companion Sarajayne Smith, I took great joy in
being a Sarajayne myself, complete with derelict granite
quarry behind our home. Beyond the massive summit of Mt Stuart
that overlooked Hobart, stood the empty remains of a once
worked quarry. Complete with gravel heaps, swamps, and
abandoned machinery, this made a great setting for children
like me who needed to re-enact a little Dr Who
action.
Stone hands and giant spiders , the main
villains, as boys tried to scare the girls into never watching
Dr Who again. It was their show, not something for girls. But
seeing as Leila and Sarajayne were the favourite companions I
was still allowed into the club.
The mystery of space
and time led me to spend many a night watching and even
photographing the stars. One wonderful night I was allowed
into the local observatory to view the moons of Jupiter
kicking around in their orbit, and the rings of Saturn
standing proud.
To continue reading Sarajayne's
article, please click on the link below. We have a gift coming
to you Sarajayne for your wonderful submission, thank you!
Sarajayne's
article is continued here
Supernatural Down Under?
Living so far from
where everything sci-fi happens can be a pain.
Unless you
travel to the US, you can only read about how much fun fans
are having at sci fi conventions.
Episodes are screened
well after US audiences have viewed them and on top of that
there is the delay in getting the associated products from the
shows, to Australian shores.
A group of Australian
Supernatural fans have decided to take matters into their own
hands and have now formed - Ozchicksunite.
Their
mission: to bring Supernatural to our shores in the form of a
convention that they've entitled "All Hell Breaks
Loose."
"We were just jealous really. We love
Supernatural and had been reading about all the fun other fans
had at conventions like Asylum in the UK and Creation
Entertainment Convention in Chicago. We just wanted to be a
part of it," said Clare Miller, campaign organiser. The
original idea for All Hell Breaks Loose came after some idle
talk in chat when they decided that this wasn't going to be a
pipe dream. Together the girls got a website up and running
with a petition to survey interest. Today the petition has
over 800 signatures, a number which grows by the
day.
"There's definitely the interest there, something
which we knew all along, now it's a matter of finding sponsors
who are willing to help fund our little project," Clare said.
For Ozchicksunite this is not about making money. "We're just
about a convention for the fans, by the fans. We want to give
fans in our little corner of the world the same chance those
in America and UK have. To meet the show's creators and give
them the opportunity to ask questions," Clare said.
As
for the All Hell Breaks Loose guest list, the Ozchicksunite
are hopeful yet realistic about that. "Obviously we'd love to
have Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Eric Kripke here for
the convention but realistically the chance of getting all
three of them available for the same weekend is small. Plus
you have to factor in travel time," Clare said.
All
Hell Breaks Loose organisers aren't panicking yet. "We're
trying for a weekend in June 2009 while Supernatural is on
break between seasons. It seems a long way off but we've got a
lot to put together and we want to make All Hell Breaks Loose
worth everyone's time," Clare said.
At the moment
though the girls are content to keep looking for sponsors and
to find out as much information they can to make All Hell
Breaks Loose an event to remember. "It's going to be
fantastic," Clare said. "We're determined to pull this off. In
this day and age the fans can do practically
anything."
You can show your support via the link
in the Stop The Press feature in our conventions
listing..
Good luck to The Oz Chicks!
What did I miss at..
Fanzone
2008
Adelaide - South Australia, Sunday February
10th
By Maryanne Scutella
Fanzone
was a gathering of South Australian sci-fi clubs and
collectible dealers to showcase what they could offer to the
SA sci-fi community. The event received an excellent turnout
with both the young and the young at heart being present at
the event. Sci-fi clubs pulled out all the stops at this
gathering, offering sci-fi fans a chance to see the diverse
range of clubs available in SA. The event featured exhibitions
of science fiction costumes by The Australian Costumers'
Guild.
The South Australian Fan Force (Star Wars club)
also got into the costuming spirit with members even
volunteering to walk around Rundle Street (Adelaide's premier
restaurant strip) dressed as storm troopers, Jedi's and other
wonderful costumes to attract curious onlookers
inside.
There was also merchandise at the event with
Cernat Enterprises, (An Adelaide based collectible dealer)
presenting some interesting pieces not usually seen at
collectible stores. Cernat Enterprises provided an array of
costumes for exhibit that were worn by some of Stargate's main
cast actors, this was to be a real highlight with Fanzone
visitors.
One of the main attractions of the event was
the alien prosthetic workshops presented by the Starship
Mawson and The Australian Costumers' Guild. These popular,
hands on events, helped sci-fi fans improve their costumes and
gain inspiration. It was comforting to see the amount of young
people at these events ensuring sci-fi will continue to be
popular in future generations.
Fanzone 2009 will
include a guest appearance of an actor from a sci-fi TV show
and you can keep up to date with the event progress
at..
Fanzone
information
Our Birthday wish list!
If anyone
knows a great SF bargain it's our own Maryanne Scutella,
here's a few that might get your
attention!
Star Trek United Federation of
Planets blanket
A practical gift as the cold months
approach. A cosy 100% cotton blanket that will look attractive
in any house.
Darth Vader Mug
An impressive
looking mug that would make one the talk of the office. A mug
that looks like the head of Darth Vader. The top piece of the
helmet is removable so that the liquids can be added. The top
can then be re-attached to keep your liquids
hot.
Star Trek Disappearing Mug
Another
science fiction mug but with another twist. This mug has a
picture of officers from the original Star Trek series
standing on the transporter of the Enterprise. When a hot
beverage is added, the crew disappear from the mug and return
as the drink cools.
Star Trek Etched Ipod
An
online store is offering a limited edition ipod with different
Star Trek pictures etched onto its casing. Such pictures
include the Enterprise, various logos from the shows,
characters and symbols. You also have the option of adding a
personalised message to the ipod, making it an extra special
birthday gift.
Jaffa Staff
A replica of the
Jaffa Staff weapon from Stargate SG1. The staff is 9 feet high
and is hand painted and numbered. An impressive looking piece
however, it is a pricey one at over a thousand US
dollars.
The Klingon Hamlet
A special gift
for the Klingon lover. A book that has translated the whole
story of Hamlet into Klingon. Don't worry though if you are
not a fluent speaker of Klingon, there is also the English
version included.
Lost In Space Model Kit - The
Pod!
At long last it's finally here!
Shipping in May
- 2008 from Moebius will be a 1/24th scale replica of the
classic 60s icon and following shortly after a same scale
version of The Chariot!
A must for all LIS and retro sf
fans.
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| Fan Club Focus |
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 Australian Costumers Guild
New members most
welcome.
Costumers Guild are conducting workshops regularly
in 2008 as well as attending costumed events around
Australia.
Costumers
Guild
Les aventures de Tintin
Tintin in
cyberspace is a group for fans of the classic comic and
cartoon Icon by Herge.
The group meets online as a resource
for Tintin memorabilia and upcoming events.
You can contact
the group here.
Tintin
in cyberspace
Terra Australis
Garrison
The 501st TAG boasts over three thousand
members worldwide and now have member bases in all states of
Australia. Star Wars fans can feel right at home with this
group of dedicated Storm Troopers and you can contact them via
their website at.
www.501tag.com
"Out there Social club" Adelaide
You find a
lot of queer things in outer space, so it's only natural to
have a queer Sci Fi group for all the "Homo" sapiens who are
out...there.
The group meets monthly to share a meal and
indulge in a little Fantasy! Members range from 30+, Contact
Rod on 0402027891, they are also located on Yahoo Groups
at
Out
There Sci Fi Group
SA Dr Who fan
club
Club meetings
March 15
Adelaide High School
- 3pm till late
Pub Meeting - March 1
Buckingham Arms
Hotel
Meeting at 5pm
SFSA
info
Star Wars Costume Alliance of
Australia
Actively recruiting new members around Planet
OZ
Star
Wars Costume Information
Austrek Club
Events
Actively recruiting new members.
Club
Meetings
March 1 - AGM, 2pm to 5pm
Club Away
Mission
March 8 - Chapel St Walk
Logon to their website
for regular updates and activities for 2008.
Austrek
Events information
Dr Who Club of
Victoria
Details contact Peter on Mob:0417322326 or
e-mail Dr Who club on..peterrosace@hotmail.com
Star
Walking
The Star Wars Appreciation Society of
Australia. Ph 05005 Jedis
Club Meeting Sydney - March
23
Club Meeting Melbourne - May 10
See national website
for meeting venues.
Starwalking
Information
StarshipMawson.com - Adelaide's Sci Fi fan
Organisation
Latest online newsletter out
now
Pancake Meeting dates for Summer 2008
Feb 22, March
7, and 21
From 730pm
Pancake Kitchen - off Hindley St,
Adelaide
Starship Mawson is a member of The International
Federation of Trekkers - The Official Star Trek fan
association fully endorsed by the Roddenberry family and The
Official fan club of Star Trek New Voyages.
Club Hotline is
Ph: 0431262257
Explore the Starship Mawson website
Starship
Mawson Information
Quest - sci fi fan club,
Queensland
Join the most active club in the
state!
Club meetings held on the second Sunday of each
month
Club Contact - President, Mary
Kemp
Ph:0732904243
E-mail:
jmkemp@bigpond.net.au
Colonial Defense
Forces
Australian Battlestar Galactica Chapter
Free
membership!
Part of the world wide BSG fan
organisation.
CDF
Information
Lost in Space
association
One of the largest fan clubs in the
world
Informative website and active e-mail group
Lost
in Space Information
South Australian Fan
Force
Very active Star Wars club with a great selection
of bloggs!
SAFF
Information
Aus sci fi
Shore leave is on
March 9 at 4pm
Hillcrest Community Centre
27-31
Queensborough St - Hillcrest
Information at Ph: 08
83962517
E-mail: UFPclub2@bigpond.net.au
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| In the next edition of The Sci Fi Reporter |
|
|
-- Our focus on new SF book releases!
-- Another
exclusive interview!
-- Fantastic Manga review!
And a
plethora of news ....
The Staff at the Sci Fi Reporter
wish all our subscribers a fantastic month ahead and
remember....If you like what we are doing, please forward a
copy to your friends!
The Sci Fi Reporter...
Suggestions
for our next issue - tell us!
Website
coming soon - what would you like to see?
Need to unsubscribe?
Simply click on the "safe
unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the newsletter and you will
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The contents of this
newsletter are copyright 2008 The Sci Fi Reporter. All Rights
Reserved. No material contained herein may be duplicated
without express written consent of the owners.
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Putting pen to paper - with Kris
Smith! |
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Star Trek fans and those that have a passion for all
things Dr McCoy, will tell you.. "If there is something you
want to know about DeForest Kelley (the actor that played Dr
McCoy), then there is only one person you need
contact!"
The Sci Fi Reporter's Stuart Blair caught up
with Kristine M Smith recently between her convention
engagements to find out a little about her new books and to
gain an insight to the recent writers strike in the United
States.
SFR: Kris, you have been quite active on the
convention circuit promoting your book, A HARVEST OF
MEMORIES,can you tell us how the fans have reacted to your
talks?
Kris: De's fans are among the most
wonderful and appreciative in the world. They're always so
engaged when I speak, ask wonderful follow-up questions, and
they also share their memories of meeting him. So it's like a
shared love fest about someone who meant the world to us. It's
always very touching -- we generally end up both laughing and
crying.
SFR: What do you think of Star Trek's
longevity, whats been it's secret to it's continuing
popularity?
KS: I think it's secret is TREK's
mythology and focus is well wrapped in hope for a future in
which people will be engaged in scientific achievements and
explorations that make us a blessing (rather than a scourge)
as a species. In the STAR TREK universe, instead of using our
intellect and our incredible technological achievements to
carry us to the edge of Mutually Assured Destruction (which is
where we are now in 2008), we use our brains and our
technology to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life
and new civilizations...Hope is what drives us to dream these
dreams. We're an amazing species when we focus on positive
goals.
SFR: Australians have kept a close watch
on the writers strike in the U.S. and with an agreement
finally being met between both parties, can you give us an
insight to the strike and the affect it could have had on
Hollywood if the strike had continued?
KS:
Writers are the life source of all dramatic and and creative
endeavours in Hollywood. It's literally true that "if it ain't
on the page, it ain't on the stage," and actors, producers,
directors, and all the crews that surround them are equally
aware of this. But the money people seem hesitant to
adequately compensate writers for their key roles in keeping
the industry alive and flourishing. (A little history: Until
Alan Alda's day, not even actors received residuals in
perpetuity, so many of our favourite actors from the 40's,
50's, and 60's died penniless. Amanda Blake of Gunsmoke was a
victim of the system, as were others; countless favourites
died penniless before Alan Alda fought for residuals in
perpetuity for his role as Hawkeye Pearce in MASH -- and won.
If not for the STAR TREK movies, five of the seven original
TREK actors would probably die penniless, because the original
series actors only received residuals cheque for seven
re-broadcasts of the series, even though it has been playing
almost nightly for 35 years. Yet we go to the movies and watch
TV because of the actors that appear in them, or because the
writing is so good that it gets us hooked). As a writer
myself, I feel the Hollywood writers' pain and share their
dilemma to a degree! Very few people realise that words create
our world from the moment we begin to understand them: words
mold our perceptions, our actions, our aspirations and our
futures. I think writers (communicators) are the linchpin of
the entire entertainment industry as it is today -- and of
politics, and of business, and of families, for that matter.
Words are the way we communicate, inspire, and change
things.
An extended writer's strike could crush
Hollywood. Thats the bottom line. No writer wants that to
happen any more than Hollywood does. Hollywood is one of the
best places a writer can make a decent
living.
SFR: Karl Urban is to play Dr McCoy in
the upcoming Star Trek film, is there an aspect of Dr McCoy
you would like to see portrayed?
KS: Karl has
very large shoes to fill. Trying to capture the essence of
McCoy again will be quite a daunting task because he was
subtly and not so subtly, so many things to so many people...
Bones was all over the place as a character... from tender to
tough to humorous to haunting, from confused and nervous to
utterly prepared to die to save someone else. I pray Urban has
the time of his life, because I know De did in the
role.
SFR: Are you currently working on any new
projects Kris?
KS: Yes, I am working on two
books. The first is another DeForest Kelley book titled THE
ENDURING LEGACY OF DeFOREST KELLEY: ACTOR, HEALER, FRIEND. I
am seeking submissions from friends, fans and co-workers who
knew or met De for this volume, because I envision the book as
a "keepsake memento" from the people who knew De (or who just
loved him and/or interacted with him from afar) to De's newest
fans, those that fell for him as a result of the re-mastered
and re-released original series episodes. The new fans never
had a chance to see him on stage, or to meet him or to read an
interview with him in a magazine, so this new book is my
attempt to get those of us who knew or heard or saw him to be
able to confirm that he was genuinely as wonderful human being
as people say he was. I've already received about a dozen
submissions and several of them have had me in tears... It
will be a fantastic book, and I encourage more submissions.
The deadline to submit is March 5, 2009. And don't worry if
you're not a writer, if you do want to submit a remembrance or
anecdote. I will edit and we'll work on it together until you
feel it's exactly the way it should be from your
perspective.
Send your submissions to me at KRISTINEMSMITH
AT MSN DOT COM.
My second new book is tentatively
entitled ENTHUSIASM and has a subtitle I'm not ready to
divulge yet. It's about holding onto the dreams that drive you
and not letting anyone else steal God's plan for your life. If
you have a passion for a career that blesses others -- if
acting or writing or music or art is in your DNA and you're
surrounded by nay-sayers telling you to "get your head out of
the clouds and go after a REAL job," you will want to read
this book. It isn't a how to: it's a why to. You're here to
leave a legacy; be sure it's yours and not someone else's.
With the advent of the internet, every creative person on the
planet should be able to find a way to make enough money to
keep body and soul together. So don't let anyone discourage
you.
SFR: Thanks Kris... do you have a message for
Sci Fi fans in Australia?
KS: Yes. Hugs across
the waters! I hope to be there to meet all of you someday! If
you'd like to keep track of me, please make my blogg site a
favourite and check in every few days. Right now I'm in the
thick Presidential campaign for Barack Obama, but once it's
over, and he's President (here I am prophesying!). I'll get
back into more De talk. My blogg is all over the place,
subject-wise. It's a lot of fun. Check it out and contribute
comments. Thats what makes it the hoot it is!
And on a
sad note, I'm very sorry we've lost both Steve Irwin and Heath
Ledger at such young ages -- two Aussies the whole world know
and loved.
The Sci Fi Reporter wishes Kris continued
success and if you have not read DeFOREST KELLEY - A HARVEST
OF MEMORIES by Kristine M Smith, it is a journey that you will
never forget. Post a message for Kris on her blog
via the link below |
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