Checkpoint 84

Bill Kunkel cartoon masthead

Checkpoint 84 (August 1977) is produced by Peter Roberts, 38 Oakland Dr, Dawlish, Devon, UK. Available for news, things, & cash – 5/50p (UK & Europe), 5/$1 (America airmail), 7/£1 (Australia & NZ airmail). Cartoons by Bill Kunkel & Stu Shiffman. Restormel Press Pub: 119.


BRITAIN SWEEPS FAAN AWARDS: An ebullient Rob Jackson has phoned through the results of the Fan Activity Achievement Awards:

Best Fan Editor: 1) Rob Jackson; 2) Terry Hughes; 3) Jerry Kaufman & Suzanne Tompkins; 4) Donn Brazier; 5) Victoria Vayne; 6) Don D'Ammassa.

Best Fan Writer: 1) Bob Shaw; 2) Don D'Ammassa; 3) Susan Wood; 4) Roy Kettle; 5) Jodie Offutt; 6) Pete Weston.

Best Fan Artist (Humorous): 1) Harry Bell; 2) Grant Canfield; 3) Derek Carter; 4) Alexis Gilliland; 5) Dan Steffan; 6) Bruce Townley.

Best Fan Artist (Sercon): 1) James Shull;2) Jim McLeod;2) Al Sirois;4) Stu Gilson; 4) James Odbert.

Best LoCWriter: 1) Mike Glicksohn; 2) Harry Warner, Jun; 3) J.A.Salmonson; 4) Jodie Offutt; 5) Don D'Ammassa; 6) Ben Indick.

Best Single Ish: 1=) Maya 11; 1=) Spanish Inquisition 7/8; 3) Rune 48; 4) The Hat Goes Home; 5) Simulacrum 3.

Rob, needless to say, was chortling over the phone and any mistakes in the above are due to my misinterpretation of his high-pitched giggling. He did however mention that at a Gannet party he, Bob Shaw, Harry Bell, and an itinerant Mike Glicksohn had their photos took together in honour of the occasion and the awards. Rob also noted that just nine UK fans voted, so the Americans have only themselves to blame for the results. Well done, kids.

HUGO AWARD NOMINATIONS: (courtesy of Rob Jackson, once again)

Fanzine: Locus, Mythologies, Outworlds, Sf Review, Spanish Inquisition.

Fan Writer: Don D'Ammassa, Dick Geis, Mike Glicksohn, Don Thompson, Susan Wood.

Fan Artist: Grant Canfield, Phil Foglio, Tim Kirk, Bill Rotsler, James Shull.

Novel: Children Of Dune (Herbert), Man Plus (Pohl), Mindbridge (Haldeman), Shadrach In The Furnace (Silverberg), Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang (Wilhelm).

Novella: 'By Any Other Name' (Robinson), 'Houston, Houston, Do You Read' (Tiptree), 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' (Cowper), 'The Samurai & The Willows' (Bishop).

Novelette: 'The Bicentennial Man' (Asimov), 'The Diary Of The Rose' (Le Gum), 'Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance' (Varley), 'The Phantom Of Kansas' (Varley).

Short Story: 'A Crowd Of Shadows' (Grant), 'Custom Fitting' (White), 'I See You' (Knight), 'Tricentennial' (Haldeman).

Drama: Carrie, Futureworld, Logan's Run, The Man Who Fell To Earth.

Editor: James Baen, Ben Bova, Terry Carr, Ed Ferman, Ted White.

Artist: George Barr, Vincent DiFate, Steve Fabian, Rick Sternbach.

WESTERCON XXX: (a brief glimpse from Pauline Palmer) "The con was held in the Totem Park convention centre at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, July 1st-4th. Totem Park wasn't half bad once we found it, but the map sent out with the progress report was vastly oversimplified, so that getting there was like finding a way through a maze. Over 1000 fans registered, but the facilities seemed to handle them fairly well; the only crowded event (room parties excepted) was the "Costume Bacchanal" on Sunday evening. My vote for the most annoying thing about the con goes to the name tags, which were virtually unreadable, even at close range. And I shouldn't have been surprised (but I was) when the 'open' bar not only closed at 10pm, but told us to clear out or the Mounties would come and put us out.

Jack and I went home to Bellingham at nights, but the rooms we saw at Totem were small, neat, clean, and apparently adequate. As one fan who stayed there said "A dorm room is a dorm room". I don't know how the fans who stayed in the 'alternative hotel' fared, though I hear that the hotel they chose, sight-unseen, wasn't in the most reputable part of town.

Anyway, the general consensus among the fans I talked to was that it was a good con and I certainly enjoyed it. It does therefore seem to be possible to hold a con on a college campus and have it turn out well – even when that campus is fairly isolated from the city, like UBC."

(Survivors of Owens Park and the infamous Home Spermalie – the latter designed for blind Flemish nuns – might disagree. Spartan idealism lives on in Europe, so be warned.)

WEIRD TALES: Mary Long and Jim Meadows tell me that the projected Star Trek film seems to be off, but that the pinbrains of Paramount TV are planning to revive the television series with some of the old actors. So much for bright new ideas in the world of science fiction and US tv.

* The Oxford Sf Group's elections were held a few weeks ago, says Dave Langford. Voting was conducted by the "single transferable candidate" system, whereby losing contenders were transferred to the murky waters of the River Cherwell. A small plastic duck was elected President.

* Special news for Greg: Laurine White says that Frank Denton told her there really is a hidden city under Seattle. When I find my bucket & spade I'm going to have a little dig around Dawlish too just in case.

* Laurine also mentions that at the Los Angeles Spacecon 4 "there was a wookie, several jawas, and some Luke Skywalkers with light sabres". This may seem a trifle obscure, but apparently it's the first sign of yet another US cult, this time associated with the highly successful film, Star Wars. Can't wait for the wookies to get here, myself.

* Alexis Gilliland sends a footnote on the Disclave: "The con registered 824 this year. We did run out of cookies at 2am on Monday, but not the other stuff. How come I never get to all the Disclave parties, hah?"

* David Affler (1019 W Roxbury Parkway, Chestnut Hill, MA 02167) has sent along some information on a Concord in 80 worldcon bid. Plans for the con include a complete showing of all episodes of Space 1999, a fannish version of the Paul Revere's ride and the battles of Concord & Lexington, and the use of Walden Pond for a skinny-dipping party. 50¢ if you're brainless enough to join – and please specify which position you'd like on the committee. NB – the bugger's moved: CoA elsewhere.

* Alexis Gilliland notes that the WSFA is bidding for Washington in 1984. A real bid, I trust.

* Harry & Irene Bell have separated; Harry's still at the old address.

* Dave Upton has some 1977 Eastercon t-shirts with Brian Lewis artwork available: large, medium, small, and red, blue, or yellow – £1.75 plus postage (25p) to Dave at 49a Moor St, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 35P.

* Bryn Fortey bemoans the loss of his office photocopier and reckons that its removal has put paid to Relativity for the forseeable future.

* Tom Perry sent along a copy of Amazing with the Real Truth about Hugo Gernsback's bankruptcy and How Dave Kyle Got It Wrong. Both Tom & Dave Kyle have now left Britain (see CoAs); it isn't clear who is pursuing whom.

* Jean Pearson (88 Caludon Rd, Stoke, Coventry, CV2 4LP) is looking for a Coventry sf group. Anyone lost one? If none should exist, Jean is willing to start such a group – she adds that she "has a rather good groovel", a useful if obscure qualification. Write if you're in the area.

* Fred Jackson III (70 Illinois, Pontiac, Mich 48053) is looking for fanzines, particularly UK ones, and guarantees to bc. Fred also threatens to review them for the N3F.

* My vacant gaze managed to miss Maya 11 out of the fan poll last issue, thereby making the entry for Maya pretty damn foolish. Sorry about that.

IMPORTANT: Well, not in a global sense perhaps, but I shall Not Be Here for most of September and October. All being well, I should be at the Suncon and cruising around America. Keep sending the fanzines, though, even if any response will be even more sluggish than usual.

My apologies for the brevity of this issue – something to do with the summer, I reckon, but letters have been few and far between and I've been tending my roots and shoots. Huge issues in the autumn, honest.

Meanwhile, a cross here [....] may well mean we part company. Cash, or a letter, or somesuch token of interest will do wonders.

Many back issues available at 5/20p – extremely useful if you're writing patchy histories of fandom or collecting old address changes.

Stu Shiffman cartoon

CoAs: Tom Perry, PO Box 6, Lake Mohegan, NY 10547, USA (temporary)
Dave Kyle, P0 Box 1587, Hobe Sound, FL 33455, USA
Graham England, 55 Colebrook Aye, Hayes, Middx
David Affler, Box 2420, Brandeis Univ, Waltham, MA 02154, USA

CONS: Dancon (Easter or thereabouts, 1978) is the Danish convention – details from: Klaus Johansen, Vollsmose Alle 104/6, DK-5240 Vollsmose. Novacon 7 and next year's Eastercon, Skycon, can both be contacted at 5 Aston Close, Pangbourne, Reading, Berks. Supporting memberships are £1 and £2 and the dates are Nov 4th-6th and 24th-27th March respectively.


Nail down your letterbox!
Here's:

CHECKPOINT 84

from:
Peter Roberts
38 Oakland Dr
Dawlish
Devon
UK

Printed Matter Reduced