ConQuesT 45

Join us in Kansas City, May 23-25, 2014
ConQuesT 45 marks another milestone for one of the longest-running sf conventions in the U.S.  Come to Kansas City in May to see why we've remained strong for so long!

We have a great Hotel!
ConQuesT 45 is moving to a new hotel, the Kansas City Marriott Downtown.  We chose this site for its excellent facilities, adequate size, and reasonable price.  We believe our members will enjoy this jewel of the Kansas City downtown.

The special ConQuesT room rate includes bookings from May 22-26, 2014. Get all the details on our website!


We have great Guests coming!

Glen Cook

Our Guest of Honor lineup promises to be a strong group: A beloved veteran writer, a gifted actor/entertainer, an award-winning artist, and a pair of devoted fans who have left an indelible mark on the wardrobes of sf/fantasy fans everywhere.

Read more about them on our Guests page.

Author GoH Glen Cook is best known for for his The Black Company fantasy series, Garrett P.I. series, and Dread Empire series.

Tadao Tomomatsu

Toastmaster Tadao Tomomatsu was such an awesome Fan Guest at ConQuesT 42, we jumped at the opportunity to invite him back as TM! Tadao is a talented actor, comedian, and entertainer. You might remember him as Mr. Shake-Hands Man, or as a detective in the Heroes episode "Don't Look Back."

Artist Guest David Lee Pancake has been delighting art lovers at the ConQuesT Art Show for several years, so we were delighted when he accepted our invitation to be our Artist Guest. Best known for resin sculptures that feature amazing detail and textures, and for unique jewelry designs, we think you'll find the man behind the artwork equally interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

L-ctr: Sculptural artworks Thorn and Splinter by David Lee Pancake (pictured at R)

Ray and Barb VanTilburg

Many of our readers probably own T-shirts produced by our Fan Guests, Raymond and Barbara VanTilburg. They've been creating some of fandom's favorite shirts since 1990, and distributing them through their company OffWorld Designs. 

There's way more to Ray and Barb than T-shirts, however.  Enjoy getting to meet "the rest of them" at ConQuesT 45! 

We have Great Get-Yours-Now Membership Rates!
Regular Adult Memberships are only $30, now through Dec. 31.  Only $25 with a Military I.D., and $15 for children ages 6-12. Order online now!

IMAGE CREDITS: All photos except the two sculptures by David Lee Pancake are from the ConQuesT website.  The images of "Thorn" and "Splinter" are courtesy of David Lee Pancake, and available for sale via his online store. They were originally released for use on the ConQuesT Art Show Facebook page, when Pancake was the featured Artist of the Week.

September 2013 KaCSFFS Meeting

Tonight: George R. R. Martin Program
Who: You, we hope!
What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting
When: BoD 5:30 p.m., General meeting 7:00 p.m. TONIGHT Sept. 21, 2013
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Why: Because it's fun and interesting! 
Food Theme: Cookies and Salad (NO broccoli; it's an exercise in futility)

GRRM in the Land of Enchantment:
Founding member Ken Keller (AKA Sir Kennos of Kayce) traveled to visit his friend George R. R. Martin in August, and we are the richer for it, tonight.  As Ken announced in a message on the KAXFEN list:

Jean Cocteau Cinema: Santa Fe's new/historic gem.

 

"I'll be presenting and narrating a photo show I shot in early August while visiting George and his wife Paris in Santa Fe, NM. I was in Santa Fe for the grand reopening of the Jean Cocteau Cinema, which George had purchased in early 2013 and then had completely refurbished.
 
"The first film shown at the theater was the classic Forbidden Planet, George's favorite science fiction film. One of the film's most famous stars was also in attendance at the theater' s sold-out first screening; many pictures were taken with this celebrity by everyone, including me.
 

George R. R. Martin

"I'll also be giving a photo tour of George's large office house, his personal working office, his astonishing collection of medieval miniatures and original art, and I'll have photos of most of his staff, too.
 

Melinda M. Snodgrass

"Concluding the show will be my and George's visit to SF writer Melinda Snodgrass' beautiful mountain vista custom home in the wilds of Santa Fe. Melinda is one of George's oldest friends and writing collaborators, having been his right-hand in the on-going (for 26 years!) Wild Cards series from Tor Books. Melinda has also worked in Hollywood on many of TV's science fiction and fantasy series, including Star Trek, The Next Generation, among others. Melinda is also a past Writer Guest of Honor here at ConQuesT."

Swap & Shop Tonight:
President Ty Gephardt has scheduled a Swap & Shop event tonight, in addition to Ken's presentation, and a general business meeting; however, we do not have an advance-list of anyone who may be bringing things to sell.  

Next Month: Halloween Costume Party!  

Photo Credits: the image of the Cocteau Cinema is from its website. The profile pic of George is from his "Not a Blog" on LiveJournal. The photo of Melinda M. Snodgrass is from her website.

KC Horror Book Club September 2013 Meeting

Sharp Teeth

By Toby Barlow

Details:
Date and Time: September 15, 2013 (Sunday) from noon to 1:30.
Location: The Green Room Burgers and Beer
Address: 4010 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite D, Kansas City, MO.
Event Notes:Come and talk about Sharp Teeth, "winner of the 2009 Alex Award and is the Horror entry on the 2009 Best Adult Genre Fiction Reading List. We will also be selecting our next books."-Wikipedia

Sharp Teeth is about "an ancient race of lycanthropes has survived to the present day, and its numbers are growing. Bent on dominance, rival factions are initiating the down-and-out of L.A. into their ranks. Caught in the middle are Anthony, a kindhearted, lovesick dogcatcher, and the object of his affection: a female werewolf who has abandoned her pack." -Amazon Blurb


Check the Facebook Event Page for more information.

Please contact Earline Beebe for more information on the Facebook event page. Synopsis from Amazon.com
Image from: amazon.com. Owned by Harper Perennial.

Laser Rangers 2013 September Meeting

"Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?

Special Briefing Specs: Redacted*

Date: September 14, 2013

Time: 4:15pm Hang with us at 3:45pm to chill out. NEW EARLY TIME!!!
Secret Base: Laser Visions Institute - David Sooby’s home theater with 51-inch Samsung HDTV, a 5.1 Surround Sound Dolby Digital sound system, a full set of audiophile-grade speakers, and upgraded seating for about 15 people without crowding.
Fearless Leader: Jaymes Logan Williamson
Check out Jayme's Geekvolution site at WeAreGeeksNotNerds.com.
Superfoods: Barbequed and Fried.
Attire: Superhero Costumes

*Highlight to reveal text.

  Additional mission specs and sign-up can be found at the Facebook Event Page. 

Special Presentation by Ken Keller after the main program.

The Watchmen

MAIN PROGRAMMING!

(2009, 215 minutes, Blu-Ray)

Synopsis

In an alternate 1985 where former superheroes exist, the murder of a colleague sends active vigilante Rorschach into his own sprawling investigation, uncovering something that could completely change the course of history as we know it. -IMDB

Cast

Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson

Behold! The trailer!





Next month: Atom Age Monsters: A Tribute to Bill Ostrander!

Featuring: Godzilla King of the Monsters and Them
(For real this time!)

 
The home of the Laser Rangers is located about four miles north of the Kansas Speedway, NW of the intersection of I-70 and I-435 on the Kansas side of the Greater Kansas City area.

IMAGE CREDITS: The information for all of these shows come from the invaluable IMDB. The movie posters come from Wikipedia or the movie's respected distributors.

The movie screen frame image used for the Laser Rangers contact information is courtesy of Psychology Today Online. Many thanks to these websites!