Convergence Report: July 2^nd-4^th, 1999

Convergence began this year to replace Minicon as the big science-fiction-fandom convention in the Twin Cities. Last year Minicon decided to downsize and to focus more on science-fiction and fantasy literature, so a bunch of the fans decided to start a con that would be what Minicon had been. Its programming encompassed TV, comics, costuming, and other areas of fan activity as well as books. I really enjoy sf conventions, and this year, I’d planned to do some shopping for jewelry and artwork. A couple of friends I’d not been able to see this summer, Albert Choy and Rachel Biese, had told me they were going to Convergence.

I ended up going early Friday afternoon. I’d sliced my thumb open that morning in the lab and realized that getting my work finished with my thumb bandaged up and hurting was going to be more trouble than it was worth. So I packed up my band-aids and some hydrogen peroxide and headed to the Radisson South Hotel (where Minicon had been held in the past). I walked past the movie room, "Cinema Rex" named for the toy dinosaur who had been the costumers’ mascot at Minicon. They had their schedule up, and I decided I’d have to go see "The Hobbit" and "The Dark Crystal" at some point.

Registration was in a room off to the side that had been part of the Minicon Dealers’ Room and there was not much of a line. I upgraded my supporting membership to a full membership and wen off to look over the program book. I was disappointed to see that very few of the local sf authors were involved with the programming, but Steven Brust walked by with his pet parrot, so at least some were present. Sadly, there was no sign of Lois McMaster Bujold, who has a book coming out this fall that I was hoping to hear about. The fan parties that had been some of the big events at Minicon were at Convergence and were actually listed in the program book. Appropriately enough, the guest of honor was Forrest Ackerman, a famous sf and media fan.

I checked out the dealers’ room, which was small (since half of the former dealers’ room had been used for registration, and only half full, but there was a diverse array of stuff for sale. I stopped by the Consuite, which was well stocked with soda and snacks (especially chocolate). I walked back along the pool, where the suites were being set up for fan parties and ran into a couple of friends I hadn’t expected to see: Kevin McColl and John Schwartzbauer, a couple of gamer friends. Kevin was chortling over some purchases from the dealer’s room: Japanese model spaceships, including the Yamato. He was in charge of gaming-oriented programming and still looking for panelists. I volunteered to do a couple for Saturday: gaming organizations, since I’d been involved with a few in the Twin Cities, and world creation, since I’d done quite a bit of that.

I wandered by the art show and found a couple of small pieces that I liked, so I put the first bids on them. One was a Smaug-like dragon in reds and yellows with a minimum bid of $10. The other was of a house burrowed under tree roots with three moons overhead done in blues and greens with a minimum bid of $15. Both were prints done by "Robert." Next door was a silent auction on various sorts of things. I placed a $20 bid on a really neat sterling-silver necklace of a dragon twisted into a Celtic knot.

I ran into Albert Choy, also a gaming friend. We grabbed dinner at Burger King across the parking lot from the hotel and ate it in the Conbsuite because of the free soda and a chance to accost Kevin and John if we saw them walking by. Albert got a pair of promotional sunglasses, but they didn’t fit, so he gave them to me. Albert couldn’t get a room at the Radisson, but did have one at a nearby hotel, so he went to check in and I decided to visit the various parties and see what was going on. The Xenaversity of Minnesota was showing Xena episodes, so I watched a few of those. I’d only seen one before and it had been pretty entertaining. Tony Kaiser, who had been one of my ecology students last quarter was hanging out there, so I got a chance to talk to him.

At 10:30, I went to the panel on network gaming, since the panel consisted of Kevin, John, Albert, and someone else. The only internet gaming I do anymore is Starcraft, but they talked about a variety of games I may try if I ever get time. I went back to the Xenaversity room to watch another episode, then headed home at 1:30 AM.

Saturday, I arrived slightly before 10 AM and picked up a bagel and some yogurt at the Consuite. I headed to Cinema Rex for the 10 AM showing of "The Hobbit." Cinema Rex was a work of genius. They were using a wide-screen DVD player to show the movies onto a screen and the room was full of old couches and stuffed chairs. The volunteers running the room dispensed free candy and popcorn.

After the movie, I met up with John and Albert and we had a look at the Gadgeteers’ Petting Zoo, an amateur science museum that was dominated by space-program exhibits. We split apart again and I ran into Rachel, a friend from one of Nate Nolan’s gaming group, and much to my surprise, Steve Addlesee. Rachel was scampering about meeting and greeting her various fannish acquaintances and Steve seemed a little depressed. I collected Albert once more and we crossed the parking lot to Subway for lunch. We met up with Steve and Rachel again, and then I headed off for the gaming-associations panel to tell people that Con of the North, the University gaming club (RPSIG), and various other gaming opportunities existed in the Twin Cities.

After that, I wandered around, shopped and socialized. I got a penguin bead for my friend Joel in the dealers’ room, and talked to the Realms-of-Imagination crew, who were selling role-playing supplements. I gave them contact information for the dealers’ room and tournament scheduling at Con of the North and they invited me to their party that evening. I talked to Society in Shadow folks who were running a LARP at Convergence about coming back to Con of the North (apparently they’d had a good game at CotN this year). I checked my art show bids; no one had chosen to outbid me. Likewise at the Silent Auction, there were no other bids in the milk jug next to the dragon-knot necklace. I had a quick look through my finances and decided to bid on one more lot, a grouping of really neat minerals: a Miocene shark’s tooth about 7 cm long, a fragment of a 30,000-year-old iron meteorite, and a pretty piece of colored crystal that I wanted for a friend. I placed a $15 bid for that. I sat through part of a panel on alternate history, but couldn’t pay attention and wandered away. One of the panelists (Brust) recommended Patrick O’Brien; I’ll have to have a look at one of his books.

I ran into Albert again. He was on his way home to do laundry because he was being sent out-of-state on assignment again on Sunday. He had bid on a couple of art show pieces, and I offered to place further bids on them if someone had bid after him. He gave me his price limits and I headed back to the art show. Unfortunately, both of Albert’s choices had acquired five bids apiece and were to be auctioned off at the voice auction that evening. I kept an eye on the pieces I wanted, but no one else bid on them before 5:55, when bidding ended and the art show closed.

So I grabbed a place in line for the Masquerade and waited for various friends who didn’t make it back before seating began. The Masquerade was another tradition transplanted from Minicon: a fashion and talent show for the costumers. The costumes in question are pretty fabulous: nicer than the stuff used for movie/TV props and most representing weeks of work. I’m pretty sure that it’s not an open competition! I got up and looked around after the Masquerade and found Albert and John in the back of the hall. We stayed and watched a bunch of comedians (professionals in the real world) make fun of the new Star Wars movie, Trek fandom, and the Legion of Superheroes.

I told Albert about his art show bids and he decided to go to the voice auction and fight for at least one of them. I ran into Rachel on the way out and caught up with Albert and John at the art auction. There was fierce bidding for every piece (one went for over $100). Unfortunately, the picture Albert really wanted had been sold first while he was still looking for the location of the auction.

I went to the Realm of Imagination party. They had the Booley band, which was playing Irish music (the only Celtic music band advertised at Convergence) and then one of the group did some rune readings. I went upstairs and watched another Xena episode with the Xenaversity folks. Finally, I went off to be on the World Creation panel at 10:30 PM. It had been scheduled to last until 1:30 AM, which turned out to be a very bad idea. None of the audience could stay and we were all so tired we kept wandering off track. I stopped by the Xenaversity to say goodbye, then headed home.

Sunday, I came in for the 11 AM showing of "The Dark Crystal" at Cinema Rex. I also went to collect auction purchases. I did get the dragon-knot necklace, but someone had bid $1 more than I had on the geological stuff. At the art auction, I had no problem picking up the red dragon. However, someone had lagged behind as the rest of us had filed out of the art show and put in another bid on the other print of the house under the tree after bidding had officially closed. I warned the volunteer that this had happened. I wasn’t too upset as I’d gotten my favorite piece, but the artist had been done out of a few bucks he could have had if I’d been able to bid the piece up. I went to the dealer’s room and bought a different Miocene shark’s tooth from the dealer who had donated the mineral lot to the Silent Auction. Unfortunately, meteorite fragments were well beyond my budget. I also picked up a sterling silver Green Man that was marked down for clearance using the money that had been budgeted for the house-under-the-tree print. I talked to the guy who had made my dragon-knot pendant (Bronze-Age Enterprises) and he offered to put little gem eyes in it later on for a good price.

I got some snacks from the Consuite and headed out of the hotel when I ran into Steve again. He was in better spirits, having met a fellow furry fan to hang out with (Doug) and having made arrangements to do inking work with Arrow Comics. He was off to the Mall of America to shop for a Jesse Ventura action figure. So on that note, I called it a Con and went home.

© 1999 Rebecca Teed