Post CONduit Thoughts

I have been attending CONduit for 20 years. My first one was CONduit 2. It was the only one where I didn't volunteer, run an event or serve on the committee. I have discovered that I am one of those people who can't work a con that I am attending in some way, otherwise I get bored. My official roles at CONduit have included; dealer, game master, panelist, performer, Fan Club Liaison, Print Shop Coordinator, and Gaming Chair. My unofficial roles have included; club member, gamer, costumer, filker, fan and friend. I deeply enjoy both my official and unofficial roles.

Unfortunately, I have watched my fannish home slowly wither over the years. Gradually the fan clubs, bigger dealers and out of town fans stopped coming. Some of this was due to the usual politics that happen when you get enough strong willed and demanding personalities in the same place. In other cases it was due to stagnation; seeing the same panels, costumes, product and hearing the same jokes or stories year after year. As fandom has changed the convention has not. This was even visible this year. Other than a few select panels and events, there were an awful lot of empty seats. Most of the dealers I spoke with didn't do very well this year, either.

This isn't just an issue with CONduit as an individual convention. With a few exceptions, the general sf conventions are all facing these problems. We are in the information age. Other than conventions like DragonCon, Fandemonium and a few others; the general sf con is aging itself out of existence. Fans can get a lot of what is provided at most general sf cons through the internet.

What CONduit needs to do is provide what can't be provided on the internet; guests that they really want to meet, commercial interests who will provide event specific items and a vibrant social atmosphere. The ice cream social and chocoholics are cute, but not exactly vibrant. The golden oldies of filk are fun, but the moon landing doesn't hold the same grip on the younger folks as it does the older. The young people love cosplay games, interactive entertainment like dances, and songs about World of Warcraft.

I saw some steps in that direction this year with the inclusion of several podcasts, performance art and two nerd rock bands. Unfortunately, the convention attendees weren't prepared for one of the rock bands. I was. Tri-Destiny is no longer the folksy, filkish singing trio that the old timers remember. They have evolved into a full-fledged Celtic rock band. Unlike many folks, I actually went to their website and listened to their newer stuff. The mass walk out of the old timers at the concert will not encourage such diversity of performance in the future.

On the guest front, the convention needs to be willing to pay speaking fees. Writers, actors, musicians and filmmakers who elicit enough interest in their fannish demographic will pay for themselves in additional memberships and other sales. The increased attendance can also pay off in increased participation in other events. You just have to be very selective about who you choose and what their demographic is. Someone who made a couple appearances in Star Trek won't cost much and will elicit interest from a fan demographic that we have always included in the convention base. Stephanie Meyers would cost too much and merely ruin the convention for everyone else. Her largely mundane fans will swarm her and ignore or damage the rest of the con. San Diego ComiCon learned that lesson.

The convention leadership has lost contact with the every-fan. Where does the every-fan get his fannish needs met when not at the convention or on the internet? That would be with their fan clubs. The Trek clubs have an absolutely thriving social scene. The gaming clubs regularly run events and games. The anime clubs even started their own "little" event, called Anime Bonzai. There are also a plethora of other clubs hosting events; Alpine Garrison of the 501st, the Rebel Legion, the Utah Browncoats, the Ghostbusters of Utah, the Utah Filk Organization, etc. (If I didn't list your club it's not intentional.) CONduit used to have a department head level position called Fan Club Liaison. This position hasn't been filled for years. It needs to be resurrected and filled with someone who is willing to spend a lot of their personal time attending fan events of all sorts. The convention needs to reach out to the fan base in the clubs.

I think we are reaching a point where decisions need to be made as to whether the convention will thrive and grow or wither and die. I want it to thrive. We don't need to eliminate the literary base of the convention to do this. We just need to be inclusive of the other aspects of fandom; truly inclusive. Telling people to participate than poo-pooing their ideas or interests is not inclusive.

Now, here's the other side of the coin. If you want something to happen at the convention you need to fight for it. DO NOT walk away at the first sign of confrontation. Show up to committee meetings in numbers (everything is a vote and numbers count) and make your demands heard. The old adage is true. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. If every fan I've heard express dislike of the way things are going and of individuals in leadership positions showed up to the meetings, the bums would be out and the convention direction would shift. So you unhappy people have yourselves to blame as much as the "old guard" that you hate. Don't let "tradition" hold you back. The fans are more important than any stuffy old tradition.

In closing. Change or die.

I Am a Childe of Caine

Parody Lyrics: Erin Ruston
Original Lyrics: Naomi Ward Randal and Darwin Wolford (I Am a Child of G-d)
Original Tune: Mildred Tanner Pettit (I Am a Child of G-d)

I am a Childe of Caine
And he has made me here,
Has given me an eternal quest
With powers strong and queer.
Keep me, drive me, chase behind me,
Teach me all the rites.
Drill me in all I must do
To be as strong some night.

I am a Childe of Caine
And so my Beast is great;
Help me to comprehend this news
Before it grows to late.
Keep me, drive me, chase behind me,
Teach me all the rites.
Drill me in all I must do
To be as strong some night.

I am a Childe of Caine.
Rich vitae is in store;
If I but learn to hunt my prey,
I’ll live for all time more.
Keep me, drive me, chase behind me,
Teach me all the rites.
Drill me in all I must do
To be as strong some night.

I am a Childe of Caine.
I commit for sure;
Eternal glory shall be ours
If my pack can endure.
Keep me, drive me, chase behind me,
Teach me all the rites.
Drill me in all I must do
To be as strong some night

NOTE: This is from the perspective of the Sabbat in Vampire: the Masquerade. It's the first filk I have ever entered into a writing contest and it won the first prize in the parody category. This was at CONduit 21.

Another Scion RPG Filk

Called to Action
Parody Lyrics: Erin Ruston
Original Lyrics: Grace Gordon (Called to Serve)
Original Music: Adam Geibel (Called to Serve)

Called to action, break the bonds of chattle
Chosen e’er to struggle against retreat,
Far and wide we fight the holy battle,
Far and wide our foes defeat.

Forward, pressing forward, as we battle for our homes;
Forward, pressing forward, as we battle for our homes;
Beyond, ever beyond, as clam’ring battle rings
Worship our power; thrust beyond ever,
Called to fight our war.

Called to guide the people of this the world-
Sons and daughters, children of the gods-
Strong of soul, fury and vigor hurled,
Triumph against all the odds.

NOTES: Filk song inspired by the Scion RPG.

Scion RPG Filk

I’ll Be a Weapon
Parody Lyrics: Erin Ruston
Original Lyrics: Nellie Talbot (I’ll Be a Sunbeam)
Original Music: Edwin O. Excell (I’ll Be a Sunbeam)

Amun wants me for a weapon,
To kill for him each foe;
In ev-ry way try to kill them,
In shine, in rain, in snow.

A weapon a weapon,
Amun wants me for a weapon.
A weapon a weapon,
I’ll be a weapon for him.

Amun wants me to be cunning
And kill all foes I see,
Showing how rapid and ready
His righteous wrath can be.

A weapon a weapon,
Amun wants me for a weapon.
A weapon a weapon,
I’ll be a weapon for him.


NOTE: This was inspired by my Scion RPG sniper, child of Amun-Ra, player character.

This Week's Convention

Despite what my previous rant may have made you think, I truly do participate and help improve our local convention. I have been a part of the CONduit family for a very long time. We're just going through a dysfunctional period and I'm trying to decided whether to move out of the house into my own place or help the family work on the existing house.

I plan on dressing in costume for at least all day Saturday. Friday is a maybe on the costume front and Sunday is a definite no on costuming. Sunday is my sloppy shorts and nerd t-shirt day due to lack of sleep. I'll be bringing my laptop and dice, that way I can drop in on any game that may appeal to me.

The Camarilla and UFO will have hall tables. The Camarilla will be selling the usual awesome buttons and NEW this year are hand crocheted, stuffed Chtulhus of various sizes and colors. UFO will be selling the group's CD, UFO: First Contact. Please buy from both groups. The money helps pay for the clubs' activities. Come say hi to me, I will be sitting off and on at both tables throughout the weekend.

Here is my official panel/events list for CONduit. These are just the ones where I am officially listed. It looks like the bulk of my stuff is on Friday. I will do my best to not fall asleep during the Sunday one, as I doubt I will be sleeping much Saturday night due to the all night filk on Saturday.

Friday
Noon: Convention Etiquette 101
4pm: Why to join a fan club. You start your new job. What happens when your co-workers find out that you are a Lt. Commander on the USS Tsunami or that you are an Honorable Lady in the SCA? What you could say could frighten them off or introduce them as possible new members to your organization.
5pm: Archaeology in SF media
9pm: Filk Showcase as part of the UFO Chorus
10pm: Late Night Filking/Hymnal Filk Never been to a Filksing? Come try it out! We’ll be here late! (2:00am) We will start the evening off with a sing along and then move to a poker chip-bardic circle. Hymnals included!

Saturday
6pm: Bad fairy! You're NOT a Vampire! How recent books and media have warped Vampires into fairies and love interests.
8pmish: Halftime Masquerade Show as part of the UFO Chorus

Sunday
11am: A day in the life of an ancient Egyptian

The only way to make things the way you want them to be is to make an effort at doing so. Show up to CONduit. Enter suggestions on the comments cards. Go to the praise and gripe panel on Sunday. Tell them where they went wrong or right. Let them know what fandom really thinks, not just what they think it should think.

CONduit and My Future

Other than our local general SF con, CONduit, I really only went to gaming specific conventions (Camarilla or GENcon) and the San Diego Comicon. Having dropped the Camarilla as an option, I've been using that money and time for filk and general SF cons. I never knew what I was missing, until I started doing that. Other conventions are so vibrant and active!

CONduit is slowly killing itself. They are aiming more solidly at being an writers' con and less at being a fan's con. This is fine, but they need to stop billing themselves as a general SF con. Perhaps a weekend long SF oriented writers' workshop might be better.

As a reader, I love literature. It isn't automatically a superior art form. Excellent, thought provoking stories are exhibited on the written page, in film and in music. They are all equally valid art forms. The people who create such things are not equally valid. Self-published does not automatically make one an author. Ask most fan fiction writes about that one. Self-published lands you in the same category as self-made films. Some of these things take off, most do not. The self-published, local author should not automatically be treated any better than the self-produced local filmmaker or the self-produced local musician.

When I first started attending CONduit there was a vibrant fan club scene, hall costumes were the norm, gaming was active and all over the con space, the dealer's room was full of interesting offerings, and filk was a cherished part of the convention. Over the years the fan clubs have been driven or dropped out. Gaming and filk are usually treated like the convention's red headed step children. Hall costumes are the exception, not the rule... and they are frequently the same ones you saw the year before.

The general age of attendees is getting older. The only young people regularly seen are the children or grandchildren of older attendees. Also, the majority of the organizing committee comes from a very specific cultural group. The majority of the Salt Lake Valley and Salt Lake Valley Fandom are no longer a part of that cultural group. This shift in population has yet to be truly dealt with by the convention.

The younger people are leaving town for other conventions or saving their money for conventions at other times of the year. The conventions they attend are ones where they can actually party (Yes, this sometimes means booze.), cosplay in the halls (Yikes, racier clothing than is accepted in a G rated film!), and see the things that they are truly interested in. The young people are much more interested in media than they are into literature. Think movies, anime, video games, tv shows, etc.

How this year's CONduit goes will determine if I join the younger people. Do I really have fun, or am I just going through the motions. If I find that I'm just going through the motions, I will spend my money elsewhere. Voting with my voice has rarely worked, so I will vote with my feet and my dollars.

Scion RPG Microfilk

I am a Child of Ra
Parody Lyrics: Erin Ruston
Original Lyrics: Naomi Ward Randal and Darwin Wolford (I Am a Child of God)
Original Tune: Mildred Tanner Pettit (I Am a Child of God)

I am a child of Ra,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me this magic gun
With bullets strong with fear.
Lead me, sight me, missile guide me,
Help me find the foe.
Show me who that I must kill
To be with him aglow.

This was inspired by a post game conversation about Scion RPG character concepts. When I expressed interest in playing a scion of Ra who was a Mossad sniper, one of my friends piped up with "I am a Child of Ra." This popped into my head just about whole cloth as I was crawling into bed after.