Checkpoint 66, edited and produced by Ian Maule, 8 Hillcroft Crescent, Ealing, London W5 2SG, United Kingdom. Available for letter, Trade or subscription (5/40p or 10/70p). News this issue from Andy Porter, Terry Hughes, ½r Cruttenden and Rob Jackson.
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy that overcame the Sheraton Towers, site of the '77 Worldcon, meant that the hotel contract the Worldcon committee had with them had to be renegotiated. The hotel not only wanted to take away several days of the convention time available, but negotiated for higher rates all around for everything. Consequently, the committee looked elsewhere for a hotel and has pretty much decided on the Fountainebleu in Miami Beach. (I'm not on the committee and this is not official) The Fountainbleau is an enormous hotel with a couple of thousand rooms and a ballroom that holds about 4,500 people, lots of other meeting and exhibition room, several pools, ice-skating, ocean beach, etc., etc. I think the convention will be there, as Labour Day is definitely not a big holiday there: the kids have to go back to school the next day generally, so the hotels empty out the last week in August. (Andy Porter)
In my announcement last issue of Silicon, the Minicon to be held in Newcastle on Tyne next August I failed to mention that the hotel sports an indoor pool, something very rare indeed in a British hotel. During a moment of madness I vowed I would skinny-dip if drunk enough – that should keep the attendance down to a bare minimum if nothing else. (groan)
Midamericon's efforts to keep the size of this years Worldcon down to a managable size appears to have fallen down. Latest news is that the hotel Muehlebach, sight for the con is already fully-booked along with the first of the overflow hotels. Attendance looks like being in excess of 6,000!
Mancon – Shock! Horror! Scandal!? A number of people have complained to me about the way the Mancon committee are going about their jobs. It appears that individual committee members are working on their own with almost no idea as to what other members are doing. This has led to delayed progress reports and much confusion over the hotel booking arrangements. Additionally, as no-one is sure what's going on the progress reports contain information they surmise is true.
The cheap charter flight that was to bring Bowers and Tackett over to Mancon has fallen through and thus only Tackett will be coming. Bill Bowers can't afford the extra expense of the regular plane fare. There had been a thought in the States of a special Bowers fund but this seems doomed through lack of time.
Those fans who read the British editions of Marvel Comics may be seeing artwork by a well known fanartist and not even realise it. Steve Stiles, American fanartist and former TAFF winner, is currently working for Marvel's British comics. He is doing pencils for covers, splash pages, center-spreads, and other pages for the comics with a number of other Marvel artists inking his work. Because his work is supplemental to the American comics – a story in a US book would be divided to fit into two issues of the more frequent British editions – he does not get any credits. Also, Steve does various issues of various titles so that it is impossible to say all copies of one title will have art by him: some issues may, others may not.
(Terry Hughes)
½r Cruttenden writes of the new St. Albans S.F. Fan Group, STAFFEN for short. Meeting place is the Peacock public house at present although they may be moving to the Jolly Sailor, where the beer is better. Meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month. Subscriptions 50p p.a. and 10p each time you attend. Since fan-groups talk a lot of rubbish, it was decided that 10-15 minutes be set aside each meeting for members to get it off their chests. Person to contact is P. Wareham, 8 Hazelmere Rd., St. Albans, Herts. The Peacock is in Hatfield Rd., and the Jolly Sailor is in Sandridge Rd.
Due to the current difficulties with the Pound the price for Algol has had to be raised to 6/£4. The next issue will have an interview with Samuel R. Delany, Tom Monteleone on Zelazny, Susan Wood on fanzines and articles by Red White, Dick Lupoff and Vincent DiFate.
Maya 10 is due out shortly according to Rob Jackson. Greg Pickersgill's new fanzine I mentioned last week is indeed nearly complete and should be appearing in the not too distant future. Contents include articles by Peter Roberts, Graham Charnock and Simone Walsh.
CHECKPOINT 66
Ian Maule,
8 Hillcroft Crescent,
Ealing,
London W5 2SG,
United Kingdom.
PRINTED PAPERS