The Haunting of the Writers Place Happens Saturday!

Who: All KAXFEN and friends are invited!
What: Monthly KaCSFFS meeting and Annual Halloween Party
When: Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012--Party setup begins 5:15, Board meeting 5:30, KaCSFFS Boo!-ness meeting begins 6:30 (Diana: "KaCSFFS Halloween party will start after the boo!-ness . . . so let's see how short we can make it!")
Where: Our usual: The Writers Place (see map link at end of post)
Why: Because it's fun!
How: In costume, of course! How else?

Sherri Dean, Ken Keller, and other
KAXFEN enjoy the food at our 2011
Halloween event.  

This from our Zombie Queen:
"Yes, indeedy, Boils and Ghouls! The rumors are true! The KaCSFFS Halloween Party is going to rise again! Bring yummies for your mummies, bats for your brats and brains for ... well... someone who needs 'em! We have the best cooks around, just don't ask what's in the food! [Editor's note: more on food, below!]

"Our special guest, the Mysterious Mystie will be hosting a terrifying game show Trick or Trivia in which one lucky winner gets to live! Yay! For those nice, quiet serial killer-who-lurks types we'll be having a special trivia contest and of course our costume contest.

"There'll also be treat bags for our younger (12 and under) fans- ya gotta plump 'em up before ya eat 'em, right? Did I say that out loud? Quick- to the buffet table!

One of the 2011 food tables.

"And in honour of our food contest I present to you RETURN OF THE MEATHEAD! So plan to meat, eat and greet as we scare up a night full of fun!

"Sin-cerely yrs, Scary Sherri"
Madame Prez notes: "Sherri is our Zombie Queen ... I mean, fearless leader for this year's activities. She has planned "stuff," and you don't want to piss off the Zombie Queen ... I mean fearless leader by not showing up! So be there, or be coffinated! (Does anybody do de-cof?)"

Regarding the Food:
Again from Madam Prez (Diana Bailey): "Bring your best spooky dish! We LOVE 'finger food,' 'eyes cream,' 'brain pudding,' 'Man-wiches,' and such. Be creative! But please, no 'knuckle sandwiches.'

James Holloman and Sherri Dean
both made fashion statements
in orange at the 2011 event.

"The Food Idea is 'People as Food.' Think, To Serve Man, or the 'Human Buffet' from Galaxina. The gory cats ... I mean categories ... will be voted on. Like, you know, well, most 'scary creative', best 'scary taste,' and as always, the winners will be determined by the voters. Voters are the attendees. That's right! You get to vote!

"Gypsy" Susan Ives
in 2011.

"I am planing on bring 'bones' and 'bloody scabs' for the buffet table. What are you bringing? Be sure to bring your own drink and ice, too.

"The Dead Will Dine! . . . But only if you contribute!"

We also can hope certain persons have exhausted their supply of puns, at least till spring!

Regarding the Costumes:
Granted, KAXFEN rarely need much of an excuse to dress in costume or put on bizarre makeup. You say there's a Zombie Walk? We're there! Hall costumes at sf cons? Well, duh. 

So during the Halloween season, the very season itself is sufficient excuse!

Tanya Holthouse and Jeff Orth portrayed the
Skellingtons in 2011.

No, if you're not into the costume thing we won't bar you at the door, and we promise not to point and laugh, either! But if you're even slightly so-inclined, this is a great place to indulge your inner child with a game of dress-up.

To help get you inspired, we've included some photos of costumes worn to last year's event. We apologize to the many KAXFEN who had superlative outfits last year, and were not portrayed here! Choices were dictated by the practical questions of which costumes this editor had managed to capture, and of those which pictures turned out the best!

But wait! 
What happened to Joel Sanderson?
We had announced some time ago that Joel Sanderson would be our special guest at this meeting.

Joel Sanderson as Gunther Dedmond on "The Basement
Sublet of Horror" on the Monster Channel.

As you may know, Joel hosts a Tuesday night horror/comedy program each week, "The Basement Sublet of Horror," on the Monster Channel. If you have not watched the Monster Channel, it might be a great idea to tune in! His show is a quirky mixture of B-movies, horror, comedy, educational videos, gladiator movies, and cooking shows.

If you are a fan who wanted to see him, we are sorry to have some bad news for you.

Unfortunately, Joel has been dealing with a number of health issues, and will be unable to present a program as scheduled. Perhaps he'll be able to join us another time. Meanwhile, we wish him the very best, and especially a swift and complete recovery! A get-well card for Joel will be available at the meeting.

One-Act Pod Plays also are due!
As announced in June and again in September, our 2012 Pod-Play contest ends Oct. 20. Turn in entries at the meeting, or email as .DOC files (there was a mail-in option as well, but the window of opportunity for that will already have closed by the time this is posted).

Once the pod-play entries have been received, they will be posted to the KAXFEN Yahoo Group within a week. We will announce on KAXFEN and in this space when and where the scripts are available to be read and voted upon by KaCSFFS members. The winner will be announced at the November meeting, November 17, 2012.

Where is The Writers Place, again?
Here's the map, in case you need it:


View Larger Map

PHOTO CREDITS: All but one of the photos in this post are by Jan S. Gephardt, taken at the Oct. 29, 2011 KaCSFFS meeting. They are available for repost with no alteration and with credit given. The lone exception is the image of Joel Sanderson in character. It is from the LJ World website, courtesy of the Lawrence Journal World.

Pod-Play Scripts

Pod-Play 1 Acts DUE SOON!!!! 

This is a reminder that the Pod-Play scripts will soon be due in a couple of weeks! Get them finalized and wrapped up. We're in the final mile here and it's time to give it all you've got. We're all looking forward to your final product! 

Below is a reminder of what were looking for. Thank you very much for participating. Good luck with your scripts.

Please see guidelines here:

Submit entries now!

Pod-Play 1 Acts

Guidelines

• Must be Family Friendly
• Fall within a genre we cover as a club
• Include more than two people
• Can be comedic, dramatic, or any tone you’d like
• Not more than an hour long
• Is ready by October 20, 2012 (meeting date). 

 

This is an open topic project with endless possibilities. Some prompts are provided below to get you thinking. Have fun and enjoy this. We are also looking for voice talents. Please contact us if you are interested.

 

Format Guidelines

Please refer back to our July post. <Insert Link>

Thank you for your interest and participation. We look forward to seeing what you bring and the performances that result. Good luck and start writing!

Prompts

• A group of people discovers a strange object
• An out of this world party
• A UFO lands
• Guidelines for Alien encounters with dramatic enactments
• Science fiction serial series take off
• Family of psycho killers recounting “just another day.”
• Epic Fantasy quest in 1 act
• Time Safari
• Colonist’s first day on a new world
• Broken down on the galactic highway
• Adapt a 1-act play into a science fiction, horror, or fantasy genre. 
• Our Neighbors are Aliens
• Our Neighbors are LARPers
• Fantasy quest that is really just a well-played D&D game
• Lost Time Traveler

Photo Credits:

Comedy/Drama Faces by Clipart Guide: http://www.clipartguide.com/_pages/1386-0904-3008-0919.html

Parchment by KSU:

http://ocw.ksu.edu.tw/file.php/40/openclipart/index_56.html

-->

Radio Presenter US CA NY Radio Clip art:

http://modise.ns02.biz/2805/home/radio-clipart

LAST CALL for Logos and Call to Pod-Play - 1 Act Plays due by October!

Logo Contest Closes Aug. 1! 

Submit entries now! 

Please refer back to our July post for details. <Insert Link>

Pod-Play 1 Acts

Guidelines

• Must be Family Friendly
• Fall within a genre we cover as a club
• Include more than two people
• Can be comedic, dramatic, or any tone you’d like
• Not more than an hour long
• Is ready by October 20, 2012 (meeting date). 

 

This is an open topic project with endless possibilities. Some prompts are provided below to get you thinking. Have fun and enjoy this. We are also looking for voice talents. Please contact us if you are interested.

 

Format Guidelines

Please refer back to our July post. <Insert Link>

Thank you for your interest and participation. We look forward to seeing what you bring and the performances that result. Good luck and start writing!

Prompts

• A group of people discovers a strange object
• An out of this world party
• A UFO lands
• Guidelines for Alien encounters with dramatic enactments
• Science fiction serial series take off
• Family of psycho killers recounting “just another day.”
• Epic Fantasy quest in 1 act
• Time Safari
• Colonist’s first day on a new world
• Broken down on the galactic highway
• Adapt a 1-act play into a science fiction, horror, or fantasy genre. 
• Our Neighbors are Aliens
• Our Neighbors are LARPers
• Fantasy quest that is really just a well-played D&D game
• Lost Time Traveler

Photo Credits:

Comedy/Drama Faces by Clipart Guide: http://www.clipartguide.com/_pages/1386-0904-3008-0919.html

Parchment by KSU:

http://ocw.ksu.edu.tw/file.php/40/openclipart/index_56.html

Radio Presenter US CA NY Radio Clip art:

http://modise.ns02.biz/2805/home/radio-clipart

KaCSFFS Sponsors Two Contests!

Call for Entries!--Attention, Artists and Writers!
KaCSFFS is sponsoring two competitions in 2012--a Logo Contest, and a Pod-Play Contest! Win fame, adulation, and actual prizes! (scroll down for the Pod-Play Contest).
The Logo Contest:

Our venerable "Infinity Circle" logo
needs to be retired!

We've already given information about this contest in an earlier post, but it bears repeating. Our goal is a pair of compatible logos that could be used for several years: one for KaCSFFS, and the other for ConQuesT, the organization’s annual sf convention.

Winners will receive a free, one-year voting membership in KaCSFFS (for the KaCSFFS logo), and/or a free attending membership to ConQuesT 44, Memorial Day weekend, in Kansas City. Both winners (or the person who wins both) also will receive a Certificate of Appreciation and a box of Annedore's Artisanal Chocolate Truffles (4 truffles per logo) or a suitable alternative, depending on dietary restrictions.

Submission deadline is August 1, 2012.  

Contest Rules:
This logo contest is open to anyone, of any age, who has an idea and wants to submit it. Entries are now open, and must be received by midnight CDT on August 1, 2012.  

Design two logos that are similar but distinct from each other: one for KaCSFFS, the other for ConQuesT.

1. They do not have to depict Kassie and Casey (there is some debate within the club over retaining these mascots at all). 
2. They should look good in black-and-white. 
3. They should be easily identifiable at any size. That is, whether they are half an inch wide or three feet wide, they should look equally "legible" and clear.
4. They should have a "futuristic" feel.

How to submit your entry:

1. Once you have your two designs, they should be made into JPEG, TIFF, or PDF digital files. If you need help digitizing your entry, please contact Jan Gephardt at this updated email.
2. Image size should be 5 inches (360 pixels) wide, for each logo design.  Resolution should be 200 ppi (pixels per inch).
3. If the logos do not already incorporate the letters "KaCSFFS" for the KaCSFFS logo, and "ConQuesT" for the ConQuesT logo, you should submit a view of each that shows how lettering should accompany them (as the word "KaCSFFS" accompanies the 1970s logo example above).
4. Submit your designs digitally to the "Logo Contest Entries" file on the KAXFEN email group or directly to Jan at this updated email.
5. If you prefer to deliver the digital files via CD or thumb drive, you may hand these to Jan at any KaCSFFS meeting before the deadline or at ConQuesT, or mail them to: KaCSFFS, P.O. Box 34413, North Kansas City, MO 64116.

The Pod-Play Contest:

We propose to produce a pod-play on an sf/f/horror theme.

KaCSFFS wants to produce a one-act pod-play (like a radio play) on a science fiction, fantasy, or horror theme, to be chosen in the fall, performed at the January meeting, and published via our X-Ray Delta One Podcast. The winner will receive a publication credit to put on his/her resume and possibly mention in future cover letters.

Submission deadline is October 20, 2012.  

Contest Rules:
This pod-play contest is open to anyone, of any age, who has an idea and wants to submit it. Entries are now open, and must be received by October 20, 2012.  

1. We will only accept original scripts, based on the author's original story.
2. Each pod-play remains the intellectual property of its author. Entry in the contest grants KaCSFFS the right to produce and podcast it, and keep the production podcast in its active archive, should it be chosen.
3. The play must be complete in one act, and at most about an hour long.
4. It should be based on a fantasy, science fiction, or horror theme.
5. The play may be either comedy or drama.
6. The author should include production instructions, such as needed sound effects. Sound effects must be within KaCSFFS' practical capability to produce (suggestions for techniques are welcome).
7. The author should supply: 
1. A a script-style manuscript.
2. A list of characters with short descriptions. 
3. An interest-provoking, descriptive blurb no more than 50 words long.
8. Entered Pod-play scripts will be posted on the KAXFEN Yahoo Group for members to read between October 20 and November 17, 2012. Authors' names will be withheld until the voting has been completed.
9. Members will vote for their choice in person at the November 17 meeting, or via Absentee Ballot beforehand.
11. The winning author will be contacted personally before the results are announced.
12. The title and author of the winning entry will be identified on the KaCSFFS Blog, on the KaCSFFS Facebook Page, and on the KAXFEN Yahoo Group, along with a call for cast members, the play's character list, and its 50-word descriptive blurb. 
13. The chosen pod-play will be cast, produced, and turned into a podcast episode for the club's X-Ray Delta One Podcast.
14. Entrants whose work is not chosen will be notified via email. Printed manuscripts, CDs, or thumb drives will not be returned without a SASE. 
15. All rights to manuscripts not chosen for production revert to their authors, and KaCSFFS may make no further claim on them.

One pod-play will be chosen for production.

How to submit your entry:

1. Entries may be submitted any time through midnight Central Time, on October 20, 2012.
2. They may be submitted to Communications Officer Jan S. Gephardt, in several ways: 
1. In person at KaCSFFS meetings or other KaCSFFS events where Jan is present; 
2. Via email at this email address; 
3. By postal mail to KaCSFFS, P.O. Box 34413, North Kansas City, MO 64116. Mailed-in entries must be received no later than October 19, 2012, so they can be brought to the meeting.
3. Each entry MUST include:
1. A cover letter or cover email, giving the author's valid mailing address and email address.
2. A 50-word descriptive blurb. The purpose of this blurb is to make people interested in reading or seeing your pod-play, so write it like advertising copy!
3. A complete list of characters, with a short description of each.
4. A manuscript in standard script format; each page should have 1-inch margins, and be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font. 
5. If submitted digitally, use a standard MS Word-style .doc format. If submitted in person or via postal mail, the .doc should be on a Macintosh-compatible, virus-free CD or thumb drive. Inclusion of a printed paper copy is optional. 

PHOTO CREDITS: The "Infinity Circle" logo was originally designed for KaCSFFS by Ken Keller in the 1970s, and is still being used on membership cards and other items. There is currently no ConQuesT logo in consistent use. The two images of radio-play production casts in action are from the "LAist" website and the World News website, respectively.