This version of the MarsCon 2011 Program Schedule is current as of the afternoon of Monday, Feb 28; visit again for updates.
2nd floor (Cortland/Fireside Room) - Buy something fun!
Come see the trailers to science fiction's past! Digging deep into the vault, Ben and Earl dug out some gold (And the sludge, slime and dirt with it…) to bring you classic sci-fi trailers. Or, as we like to say, 3 minute versions of the movie. A perfect way to begin your adventure at MarsCon!
2nd floor (The Empire Room) - Bid on a masterpiece! Three bids will insure that items make it into the auction on Saturday.
Prop-a-Torium V: The Props Strike Back!
The Prop-a-Torium is back in room #306, the same room as our last four years. Hours are 3:00pm–7:00pm Friday, 10:00am–7:00pm Saturday, and 10:00am–3:00pm on Sunday. Be there or be square. See YOU there!
See the program book for details!
2nd floor, Grove Room (Regent/Duchess/Waldorf) - View hard science exhibits from groups like MN Space Frontier Society, Mars Society, MN Planetarium Society, MN Astronomical Society, Rocket Man and more! NASA public videos featuring Mars Rover animations and chronicling the ongoing Cassini mission to Saturn will be screened in FF0000 Mars, our latest addition to the Science Room.
How do you start your own Prop Collection (beside having/spending lots and lots of money)? What is the different between Fan Made, Official License, Screen Used, and Reproduction? What do I look for in props I what in my collection? Come find out the answers to this and more
With: Tony Artym, Mike Helde, Bob Poate
Stargate's ancient technology, Star Trek's Heisenberg compensator and Doctor Who's TARDIS. What are some of the ways in which sci-fi uses magic as a surrogate for science, passing it off as either too advanced or too commonplace in-universe to spend time explaining? Why not simply write the story around accepted understandings of physics instead? Does the use of magical Doctor Who science help or hurt the story? Share your questions, ideas and preferences with a panel of creatives who work in this area.
With: Lois McMaster Bujold, Rob Callahan, mod.; Naomi Kritzer, Kathryn Sullivan
Let The Sorceress of Simply Cooking Take You on a Magical and Educational Tour Of one of the Elixirs of the GODS, Chocolate! You will experience the subtle & sublime difference of chocolate from around the World Bazaars. Come along on the Chocolate Journey at MarsCon 2011.
Electro-herbalism is the new term for using light, sound, vibrational and EM (neuro stimulator) frequencies for healing and using spectrum analyzers for diagnostics (medical tricorder). Maybe this is something from the original The Day the Earth Stood Still (light)? The Consolidated Annotated Frequency List, zappers and Rife devices among others will be discussed.
With: Joe Swenson
The Green Hornet didn't work. Batman worked, at least some of them. Superman worked, at least some of them. Spider-man worked, at least some of them. And so on and so forth. Comics were heavily influences by movies, and movies have reciprocated. What makes a good adaptation? How can we encourage the good ones.
With: Baron DavE Romm, mod., Jamie Turnbull
Is there a role for words-on-dead-trees in an age of ebooks and audiobooks? Will book stores survive? And will people 100 years from now be able to read SF written in 2011?
With: Rich Brown, mod., Rob Callahan, Kathryn Sullivan
Bring your favorite secret websites and find some new gems to start up.
With: Joe Rheault, Frankie, Rob Balder
With: Michael Merriam
Sara Cura applying Henna Tattoos; Cost $5 and up, based on how intricate the tattoo is, paid to Sara.
With: Sara Cura
Come talk about what‘s happening on this nerdy, physicist-friendly show.
With: Tony Artym, mod.
…and so it begins…
With: Alexis Cruz, Lois McMaster Bujold, Joe Rheault, Megan Rheault, Tim Crist, Luke Ski, Earl Luckes
Cruz achieved international fame after starring in Roland Emmerich’s 1994 box-office hit, Stargate with Kurt Russell and James Spader, in which he played the young Egyptian rebel leader, Skaara. Along with Erick Avari, he is one of only two actors to appear in both Stargate and its spin-off series Stargate SG-1, which began its 10-season run in 1997. He played Skaara, the brother-in-law of Daniel Jackson, in both productions as well as the Goa’uld Klorel in the latter.
With: Alexis Cruz
Check out trailers to the movies coming out this year! Be on your top game when conversing with other fellow folks here at MarsCon! Be ready for that panel! Plan what you are going to see next weekend? Don't miss THE TRAILER PARK!
Learn about the history, psychology & theater of magic while witnessing some amazing illusions. ffi: http://tylererickson.net & http://tylerteach.com/
With: Tyler Erickson
SF writers and fans are invited to ask scientists (us) about whether certain concepts used in SF have a basis in science.
With: Dr. Tom Gardner, American Chemical Society, Minnesota Section
Due to the recent popularity of steampunk/Victorian themed events, ballroom dancing/waltzes have seen a resurgence. Been too long since dance lessons in gym class? Let experienced instructors teach you to be graceful on the dance floor. Who knows? Someone may ask you to a Yule Ball.
Building a believable magical system - what works and what doesn't. Fantasy authors often create new worlds (or slightly bend this one) to include magic. What counts as magic? Why are readers drawn to it? How can it serve a story? What are the things that can go wrong when including magic in your work? How much do you have to explain how the magic works? How do you keep it consistent and satisfying without letting it become a flaw? When is magic needed (or more importantly when do you leave it out)?
With: Lois McMaster Bujold, Catherine Lundoff, mod.; S.N. Arly, Rebecca Marjesdatter, Jamie Turnbull
Wanted: Intrepid explorers to delve into the mysteries of the 13th floor on behalf of Steam Century. Search for clues and complete your tasks to win a special award! Pickup ballots at Steam Century room (310) at 8pm.
Turn ballots at the Steam Century Tea on Saturday 1pm in Room 310.
Come and make friends with the first 30 issues of this Twin Cities speculative fiction magazine-anthology, meet staff and contributors, and hear about our 25th anniversary issue, #31, due out later this year.
9pm until 3am - Karaoke Joe’s Café - 13th floor (Room 1318)
See the program book for details!
Join us for the 7th year of this great tradition! All artists and fans of the Art Show are invited to join us for a lovely, relaxed evening with Joe & Megan Rheault and all the resident local artists who contribute to our Art Show. There will be no formal tour, just a chance to preview the art, drink, and eat crackers with cheese. Find out what inspires and drives our artists while surrounded by their own art in our gallery-like setting.
With: Joe Rheault, Megan Rheault, Michael Byrne, Art Show Director
We’ve all heard about UFO sightings, but what’s happening in our own neighborhood? This talk is a look at some interesting UFO and close encounter cases in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and some of the prevailing themes observed in the investigation of local UFO abduction cases.
With: Craig R. Lang
After taking a year off, the four man comedy rock band onslaught of Jared, John, Nathan, and Jeff will kick off the Dementia Track in glorious fashion. This past year, they released their 2nd album Individual Results May Vary, featuring such fan favorites as “That Calls For A Wilhelm Scream”, “All Out Of Beer”, and their cover of Tom Smith’s “Dead Again”. So come to the Possible Oscar show and get your geek on! http://www.possibleoscar.com/
With: Jared Ringold, John Mapes, Nathan Gerber, Jeff Pearson
From folk and fairy tales through Alice, Oz, Narnia, the Meg Murray adventures, Patrica C. Wrede, and beyond.
With: Rick Gellman, mod.; S.N. Arly, Naomi Kritzer, Kathryn Sullivan
starts at 9pm
With: Alexis Cruz
Black light whip cracking with a steampunk twist. Robert Dante, the “World’s Fastest Whip”, will be returning to MarsCon for an out of this world performance. This Guinness Book of World Records holder has electrified MarsCon in the past with his theatrical blend of dark fantasy and circus. You will be mesmerized. More info at http://bullwhip.net
With: Robert Dante, Mary Anderson
Luke Ski continues to desperately cling to the title of Dr. Demento’s Most Requested Act of the 21st Century after getting a song on his Funny 25 countdown for the 9th year in a row. Besides chairing the MarsCon Dementia Track and making comedy songs about things geeks love, he also draws caricatures, does 2 podcasts, and gets married. In his spare time he promotes himself and his friends from “The FuMP dot com”. http://www.thegreatlukeski.com/
With: Luke Ski
12th & 13th floor parties.
With: Nicole Penwarden, Parties Liaison
Is Steampunk a purely British thing or is there room for non-anglophiles? Come and discuss how race, religion, gender and species can fit with airships, automatas and goggles.
With: Steam Century Kaposia
One of the most beloved recurring acts of MarsCon, comprised of one man who goes by the name of ShoEboX. His high-tempo synth-punk tunes about ex-girlfriends, limbless drummers, and what your parents think all your music sounds like (SEX! DRUGS! SATAN!) have earned him a legion of devoted fans who would gladly watch him do a show where he reads the Rochester phone book. He has a wife named Kim who is awesome. http://www.wormquartet.com/
With: Tim Crist
Masquerade contest orientation and registration.Tips and tricks on entering a costume contest.
Filking is a fannish tradition, active since the 1950s, when the earliest fans gathered in hotel rooms for late-night singing sessions at the occasional science fiction convention. While filk music commonly has a science, SF or fantasy theme, filkers have been known to write filk songs about a variety of tangentially-related topics. Bring your voice. Bring your instrument if you have one. Bring your own lyrics, or grab a songbook and join in the singing.
With: Rich Brown
Turf wars between the supernatural.
With: White Star Phoenix
An “open mike” discussion, inviting each person who’s ever run a costume contest–or been in one–to give ONE tip to improve the flow, and result. Tips from contest directors, judges and contestants. Wanted: opinions on how to organize, things to emphasis, thing to avoid, problems that come up.
With: Rae Lundquist
“Hand of Doom” is an anti-heroin song by Black Sabbath from their breakthrough album, Paranoid, in 1970. If you love heavy metal, you won’t want to miss this tribute to Black Sabbath and others.
With: Kelli Aslesen, John Cunningham, Brad Meyer, Kevin Quigley
After a time of going, “Yay! Another Kingdom Hearts game!! ^_^” to going “Freaking great, another Kingdom Hearts game…” Why Kingdom Hearts just doesn’t captivate the players anymore. Why they change the playing style so much for the newer games. Most importantly, WHY ARE 99% OF THEIR COSPLAYERS FEMALE!!! Probably because it makes me look like a better Axel cosplayer, being a skinny tall guy and all.
With: Luxord Timegambler
With: Rae Lundquist
Bring a drum and thrum, thrum, thrum…
It’s Saturday morning, and it’s CARTOON TIME! Grab some cereal and enjoy the cartoon chaos! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!
The gang’s all back again to give you another dose of movie madness and bad jokes for a bad movie! See the program book for details!
The who, when and where of what’s up with G.P.S.! A short info panel on how we can grow our community, what GPS is all about, and how you can get involved.
With: George Richard, Ted Berquam, GPS
10 years into the 21st Century, we have some modern conveniences we never expected (such as cellular phones more capable than Star Trek’s “communicators”), while others (such as flying cars) seem still beyond reach. What fantasy devices are we likely to have in 2021? And will we have our flying cars by then? Discuss.
With: Tim Crist, Brett Glass, mod., David E Romm, Dr. Tom Gardner
Come and show off your steampunk finery or learn from others. Besides an informal fashion show, we’ll be discussing tips and tricks for costuming, our favorite resources and everything else related to fancy finery.
With: Steam Century Kaposia
With: Mary Mac
Please sign up in advance for a ten-minute slot to read your poetry.
With: PMF Johnson, host
Traverse the Universe with the Minnesota Planetarium Society! Using the same technology as in our TARDIS--a.k.a. the ExploraDome, we will take you on a spacewalk through the cosmos, from Earth to Eris to the edge of the observable universe. There will be 20-30 minute star shows offered throughout the day--starting at 10:30am and ending at 5pm. For further info or to make a financial contribution toward building the Minnesota Planetarium and Space Discovery Center, please visit: http://www.mplanetarium.org/
With: MN Planetarium Society
Since 2006, the USS Nokomis has been hosting successful blood drives on the Saturday of MarsCon. This year is our fifth drive, and we hope to hit our goal of 30 units with your help. The drive will run between 11am and 4pm on March 5th, and you can sign up for a donation time of your choice at www.givebloodgivelife.org. Just search for our drive in Bloomington, Minnesota and pick your time. Any questions?? Email the Captain at www.ussnokomis.org.
Learn more about the fandoms when Eric Larson (Lord Hastings Bobbins) of TeslaCon introduces and explains the differences and similarities of these genred fandoms. From costumes to customs… a fun event panel for all ages.
With: Eric Larson
A discussion panel on Vampires as a genre. Why anything that gets kids to read is good, while simultaneously not always well written.
With: DJ Vlad, mod., Lyda Morehouse, Jamie Turnbull
Come hear Wes and Wendell live onstage as they interview author Kathryn Sullivan and many other special guests.
With: Wes Duellman, Wendell Duellman
With: Julie Bowman
Come hear our Author Guest of Honor read from her work.
With: Lois McMaster Bujold
See the program book for details!
Most disaster scenarios will fit into five categories: Zombies, Aliens, Raptors, Graboids, and Skynet. Learn about these potential threats and how to prepare for them.
With: Erik D. Pakieser
Posthumous GOH Tolkien is widely viewed as the mid-to-late 20th century’s central fantasist; the one that fantasy writers need to deal with, either writing in or in reaction to his tradition. Over time the influence of The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1955-1956) may have blurred a bit, but the Peter Jackson film trilogy (2001-2003) surely helped spark a resurgence. We’ll talk about Tolkien’s own works, their appeal, and their influence on others; including Tolkien backlash, fantasy that attempts to avoid evidence of influence or even attempts to be as different as possible from Tolkien.
With: Lois McMaster Bujold, Eric M. Heideman, mod.; S.N. Arly, PMF Johnson
Alexis found world-wide acclaim for his pioneering role as the angel, Raphael, on CBS’ flagship prime-time drama, Touched By An Angel. While recurring on the Emmy award-winning series, Alexis simultaneously reprised his popular role as, Skaara, on one of prime-time cable’s most successful sci-fi programs, Stargate SG-1 with Richard Dean Anderson. He recently recurred as Sgt. Joaquin Garcia in Gregory Nava’s critically acclaimed series American Family on PBS and is starring in the upcoming independent feature film, Tortilla Heaven.
With: Alexis Cruz
Useful for those who really want to do their costumes up right. Especially helpful for those who are into Victorian steampunk, and want to learn more about corset, hoops, bum rolls, etc.
With: Rae Lundquist (DreamStitcher Costume)
An annual event for the last several cons. Members of Broad Universe read their current work.
With: Catherine Lundoff, host; Lyda Morehouse, Kathryn Sullivan, Anna Waltz
Join us for a delicious pre-mystery tea with cookies and conversation.
With: Steam Century Kaposia
in Karaoke Joe’s Café (Room 1318)
With: Alexis Cruz
Explore the magnificent power of air in Up, Up & Away. Learn all about Bernoulli’s principle while you watch balls float in mid air. Find out what makes a hot air balloon fly and watch vortexes of air float across the room. Discover the power of the air around us as it crushes a steel can. Learn the secrets of dry ice and watch as we use it to make our own clouds. Observe the ultimate demonstration of air power with the Mad Science hovercraft. The Mad Science Up, Up & Away show will send your imagination into the stratosphere. FFI: http://www. madsciencemn.org
With: Scott Clark, Mad Science Minnesota
So you want to co-opt more folks to the genre of fantasy, thus getting your toaster oven (or increasing your own reader base if you’re a writer). What books might make a good introduction to those unfamiliar with fantasy as a written genre? How can we catch and keep new fans (youth and/or adult)?
With: S.N. Arly, mod.; PMF Johnson
Dazzling middle eastern dance performance.
With: Luna, Anjela, Stephanie, Sana
Make-up/costume demo
With: Bill Hedrick, Rae Lundquist, Richard Schrieber
On the series, 11 volumes and counting, about the relationship between two complex cultures—human and Atevi—who don’t understand each other.
With: Rick Gellman, mod., Kathryn Sullivan
See the program book for details!
Learn about the history, psychology & theater of magic and learn how to perform some illusions of your own. ffi: http://tylererickson.net & http://tylerteach.com/
With: Tyler Erickson
Brian Michael Bendis and his minions have torn apart and pieced back together much of the Marvelverse, particularly The Avengers. Good, bad, ugly? Discuss!
With: Lyda Morehouse, mod.; Roy C. Booth, Eric M. Heideman
At most conventions you'll find “filk”, which is fan-created music, mostly done acoustically. Well Eric Coleman and his co-horts Jason, Mike, Gundo, and Raven took some of the most loved “filk” songs and cranked them up to 11 as the world’s first and only hard rock filk cover band, ToyBoat! So get ready to whip out your lighters and raise them high as their rendition of “Banned From Argo” blares at full volume from the main stage speakers.
With: Eric Coleman, Daniel Gunderson, Jason Neerenberg, Michael Nixon, David Stowell
Panel. Magic users in fantasy - what makes them memorable? Who hasn’t ever wanted to be Gandalf or Granny Weatherwax or their equivalents? Panelists discuss their favorites.
With: Catherine Lundoff, mod; Eleanor Arnason, Rebecca Marjesdatter, Jamie Turnbull
Explore our interactive set and chat with characters to determine the fate of an accused man in our second mystery at MarsCon.
The Steam Century Mystery is a multifaceted game that combines elements of live action role-playing and crime dramas. Players follow a trail of clues by investigating rooms and interacting with costumed characters. Our mystery events are role playing games in the sense that we, the cast, stay in character. Players are invited to play in character with us at their comfort level. You are also welcome to just play the game to solve the mystery and don’t worry about pretending to be any kind of character. Participants are free to come & go anytime during the time period, and enjoy the con as they play detective. We are asking a modest $5 per person to cover our own costs.
Home base will be located on 3rd floor in Room 310.
With: Steam Century Kaposia
By day, Kyle Carrozza works as a storyboard artist for Nickelodeon’s CG cartoon Fanboy & Chum Chum. But by late-afternoon/early-evening he becomes TV’s Kyle, churning out quirky, catchy, original comedy tunes for all to enjoy! Not only is this his first performance at MarsCon, but also his first performance at a convention and in the MidWest! He plays the accordion, does occasional songs about Nintendo characters, and did the art for this year’s Dementia t-shirt! http://www.tvskyleband.com
With: Kyle Carrozza
in Con Suite 3-6pm
With: U.S.S. Behr’ak
Human flight was once Science Fiction, now it’s here. Computers were once Science Fiction, now they’re here. Atomic Power was once Science Fiction, now it’s here. Landing on the Moon was once Science Fiction, now we’ve done it. The solutions for today’s problems are not yet here, therefore by definition, they are “science (and engineering) fiction”. How many solutions can already be found in the Science Fiction literature and media we all love?
A lot of them! We’ll look at just a few, but as Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon said: “Standing on the Moon, looking up at the Earth
you see the promise and potential of our world is as obvious as it is magnificent. For the people who live on that green and blue ball, there is no difficulty they cannot overcome, no solution they cannot grasp, no distance they cannot travel. Me, standing in the valley of Taurus-Litrow is proof of that.”
With: David Buth, Minnesota Space Frontier Society
Come and learn lots of neat stuff about our Author Guest of Honor and the way she works.
With: Lois McMaster Bujold, Rob Callahan
Intelligent animals in science fiction and fantasy.
With: Kathryn Sullivan, mod.; PMF Johnson
2010 is the year Steve Goodie became an unstoppable force to be reckoned with on the FuMP and on the Dr. Demento show. He had 5 songs on the Funny 25, on the topics of guys who want to burn Korans, Ice Cream Men, the pilots who missed Minneapolis because they were tweeting, BP’s big oil spill, and Tiger Woods. He also has a billion songs about Harry Potter, and yet had never heard of “wizard rock” until I mentioned it to him recently.
With: Steve Goodie
See the program book for details!
How to be the Master of your Dungeon if you’ve never run a game before. What do you need to know? Where do you start?
With: Susan Cox, mod., Beth Kinderman, Eric Zawadzki, Jamie Turnbull
With: Lois McMaster Bujold
With: Patrick Fisher
The Internet, the bookstore, and everything in between: let’s discuss different ways to get your writing out there into the world.
With: Anna Waltz, mod.; Rob Balder, Rob Callahan, Lyda Morehouse
Another group which had a great year is Jace, Brenden, Eric, and Kyle of Nuclear Bubble Wrap, who put out their up-leveling album, Exploding Head Syndrome. They had Dr. Demento’s #1 song of 2010 with their Pokemon pun-fest, “Raichu A Song”, and their animated Harry Potter music video “Avada Kedavra” (done with Steve Goodie) has over 200,000 views on YouTube and is the highest rated flash animated film ever on Newgrounds. http://www.nuclearbubblewrap.com/
With: Jace McLain, Brendan Sheairs, Kyle Thorne, Eric Zhu
Ky Michaelson’s inventions are legendary. Ky has contributed to over 200 films, television programs and commercials. He also built the rockets for the movie, October Sky. In 2004, Michaelson’s Civilian Space eXploration Team became the first amateur group to design, build and launch a rocket into space. Ky’s creations are the subject of a book currently in the publication process Motorbooks International. He is also developing a screenplay focused on his life and accomplishments. http://www.the-rocketman.com
With: Ky Michaelson
A forum to discuss what happens after the Battle of Endor. And should Darth Vader be redeemed and considered a hero, for overthrowing the Emperor?
With: Stern Bel-Norden, Eric Larson
The sketch comedy super-group comprised of Chris Mezzolesta of Power Salad, ShoEboX of Worm Quartet, the great Luke Ski, and Devo Spice dropped their debut CD at last year’s MarsCon, and took the scene by storm with their sketches about pop-culture, naughty language, religion, and most of all, TILE! They’re back again with new material that will leave your brains broken.
With: Tim Crist, Chris Mezzolesta, Luke Ski, Tom Rockwell
Guns are cool, and for many costumes, an essential accessory. Learn how to build or acquire replica weapons for your costume and how to carry them safely during cons and other events.
With: Erik D. Pakieser
The wonderful 1939 film The Wizard of Oz remains one of the triumphs of cinema; but it’s important to also look at the books of Posthumous GOH Baum (14 of them set in Oz, several elsewhere). In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and its sequels he did more than any other writer to establish fantasy in a distinctively American form.
With: Eric M. Heideman, mod.
A mainstay of the annual Nerdapalooza hip-hop festival, Devo Spice continues to create the best in comedy hip-hop. A true lover of the genre, he’ll attack when mainstream rappers put out half-assed songs, but he’ll still keep it real to his dorky roots by proclaiming it's “Nothin’ But A Geek Thang”. So if you hate Mondays as much as he does, don’t miss his show full of songs that will be on an album eventually someday we hope. http://devospice.com
With: Tom Rockwell
Take a trip back in time and see some classic toys commercials. A line up so good, you’ll want to hit eBay afterward!
See the program book for deatils!
MarsCon Art Show entries need three bids during the convention to make it into the auction. Please do your part to support the Art Show and help out our artists by bidding on your favorites. You may walk home with a masterpiece!
With: Joe Rheault, Megan Rheault, Michael Byrne, Art Show Director
How do we create modern fairytales and myths? How do we tap into the primal emotions of fairytales in a modern era?
With: Michael Merriam, mod.; Eleanor Arnason, PMF Johnson, Naomi Kritzer
A preview of the forthcoming film from some of its creators. Proceeds for the film will go to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Emergency Relief Fund. In addition to talking about the film we request SFWA members to join us for a reading from the infamous computer-generated chapter (worse than The Eye of Argon) of the source novel.
With: Roy C. Booth, mod.; Cynthia Booth, Rachael Saltzman
The hotel next to Bandana Square, St. Paul (Best Western, formerly Holiday Inn Express, formerly Sunwood Inn) has a long history with the fan community. This year Con-Sarnit, the Western convention, will meet there for the fourth time on Saturday, June 4; Diversicon, the multicultural speculative fiction convention, will meet there for the seventh time July 29-31; and Arcana, the horror convention, will be held there for the 20th consecutive time October 21-23. Let’s talk about the history of the hotel and neighboring Bandana Square, as they relate to fans.
With: Eri M. Heideman, mod.; David Christenson, Scott Lohman, Sybil Smith
9pm-3am in Karaoke Joe’s Café (Room 1318)
A grand costume contest with half-time entertainment and prizes!
With: Rae Lundquist, Masquerade Director
Erfworld impresario Rob Balder has rented a 30+ Passenger Party Bus from Profile Limousine which will be taking 4 trips around the Twin Cities on Saturday night. The bus has a 5000 Watt Surround Sound System and a stage, on which we’ll be featuring live performances by many of MarsCon’s regular Dementia Track acts! FFI: http://marscondementia.com/party-robs-party-bus/
With: Luke Ski, Carrie Dahlby, Power Salad
Hosted by three cons to be held at Best Western--Bandana Square, St Paul this year: Con-Sarnit, a Western convention, Saturday, June 4; Diversicon, a multicultural, multimedia speculative fiction convention, July 29-31, with Guest of Honor David G. Hartwell, Special Guests Lyda Morehouse and John Calvin Rezmerski, and Guest Scientist Joan Slonczewski; and Arcana, a convention of the dark fantastic, October 21-23, Guest TBA.
Wonder where the brilliant, crazy artists who do “Dementia” get their backing tracks? Want to perform filk, but don’t play an instrument? Got a great idea for a song, but don’t want to put together a band to play it? Brett Glass shows how to use inexpensive, off-the-shelf software to create musical arrangements in minutes. Several such tools are available, but because we’ll have limited time this session will focus on one in particular - Band in a Box - which is becoming increasingly popular among amateur and professional musicians.
With: Brett Glass
From Randall Garrett’s fantasy investigations in the 1960s to Laurel Hamilton’s Vampire Hunter, to the works of Lyda Morehouse/Tate Hallaway, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Robert McBride Allen, Sharyn McCrumb, and more.
With: Rick Gellman, mod.; Lyda Morehouse
Party Rob’s Party Bus continues on the second leg of its fun-filled journey. FFI: http://marscondementia.com/party-robs-party-bus/
With: Gifted Gear, DJ Particle, Beth Kinderman
A workshop for the creative imagination: A moment of progressive relaxation takes you into your deepest and most creative inner mind. Take some time to enjoy some imaginal scenery. Ask a question. Invent an idea… or simply travel into the amazing universe of the imagination.
With: Craig R. Lang
Parties on 12th & 13th floor
With: Nicole Penwarden, Parties Liaison
Not everyone’s trained in the military, is athletic, or even has guns. Learn how to use your wit to survive the harsh world of the undead in realistic ways.
With: Kevin Berg, Brian LaBounty, Jr.
The Feng Shui Ninjas are Dave Stagner, John Kentner, Justin Hartley, and Tami Murck. But the band is way more than the sum of its parts. The four singer/multi-instrumentalists draw from every music we have ever heard (whether we like it or not!), and synthesize it into sounds that feel both new and ancient, like the music you didn’t realize you have been hearing all your life. http://www.fengshuininjas.com
With: Dave Stagner, John Kentner, Justin Hartley, Tami Murck
With: Heather Luca
Party Rob’s Party Bus continues on the third leg of its fun-filled journey. FFI: http://marscondementia.com/party-robs-party-bus/
With: Odd Austin, Nuclear Bubble Wrap, Steve Goodie
Come and discuss this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special.
With: Ben Ellis, Rob Callahan, Charlie Paulsen, Kathryn Sullivan, Jason Tucker
With: Elizabeth Sloan, Jo O’Hanley
Party Rob’s Party Bus continues on the last leg of its fun-filled journey. FFI: http://marscondementia.com/party-robs-party-bus/
With: Worm Quartet, Rob Balder
The triumphant return of the astonishing Fist Missile, with a cosmic blend of hip hop and industrial to keep the party going!!
With: Kevin Hoffman
From the Wizarding World to the final two films. Take a look at what is going on in the Harry Potter world today.
With: Tony Artym, Matt Ledder, Delora Wade, Elspeth Ginney Lee
Minneapolis band Climbing Trees makes its official debut at MarsCon with a mix of classic and alternative rock. As a band that made their name playing extended sets at bars and clubs all over the Twin Cities, they are sure to please!
With: Kevin Hoffman, Vince Butler, Steve Schaeppi, Pete Steensgard
For the fans of wrestling and funny music, don’t miss this one! All your favorite dementia performers have been recreated in video game form and are let loose in this CGI simulation 20-man battle royal! It’s random, but only one will survive the onslaught! Who will it be? FIND OUT! Featuring live commentary by Commissioner J.P. Tuesday and Duke “Flyboy” DuJour.
Revel in the rhythm.
9am–1pm
Silent bids will be accepted prior to live auction.
First there was the 2009 Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey, Jr., and Jude Law in a steampunky Victorian London. Then came the 2010 BBC miniseries, Sherlock, in which co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss re-imagined Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the 21st century. What was great about these alternate Sherlock productions and what could have been better?
With: Eric M. Heideman, mod.; Cynthia Booth, Ben Ellis, Lyda Morehouse
MarsCon 2011 charity auction proceeds will benefit the Gordy Dickson Memorial Scholarship Fund and Kids Need to Read. Come, bid on donated items, and raise money for two worthwhile causes!
What techniques and/or programs have you used for various effects? What are the differences between Photoshop, Corel Painter, Illustrator, and the freeware available for image and booklet creation? Please bring examples to show.
With: Joe Rheault, Susan Cox
in Karaoke Joe’s (Room 1318)
This class is for adults who wish to teach astronomy to children. We will make and learn to use the amazing star wheel (or planisphere), including how to view where the Sun was in the Zodiac on your birth date. Exclusive to this class, your real sun sign. I will give instructions on how to create an analemma on the ground in a sunny yard or on a ceiling in a sunny room; how to build a safe sun viewer; a light pollution intro; telescope buying guide; and where to go for a free astronomy experience. I will also give my take on how to get into amateur astronomy: go to a free star party, join a club, before spending money!
With: Michael Kauper
What’s up with all the science fiction YA books set in dystopias? From Scott Westerfield’s Uglies to Suzanne Collins´ Hunger Games (even the final Harry Potter book, to some extent), there are a surprising amount of very dark futures that are topping the bestseller lists.
With: Lyda Morehouse, mod.; S.N. Arly, Naomi Kritzer
Alexis Cruz has a veteran film and television career, having captured audience attention for over a decade. He is a graduate of New York’s prestigious High School of Performing Arts, and has since gone on to become one of the most respected young actors of his generation.
With: Alexis Cruz
With: Holly Hamel
Always wanted to know how a novel is born? How does a writer structure their day? Is it all glittering parties and intelligent company? Come ask a panel of working writers anything!
With: Michael Merriam, mod.; Roy C. Booth, Catherine Lundoff, Anna Waltz
Was 2010 a Kick-Ass year at the movies, or did it feel like your visit to the theater was expendable?
With: Ben Ellis, Jason Tucker
The trick of turning views, listens, and downloads of your online content into real dollars is the biggest challenge to most creators who reach their audience through new media. Discuss how you can actually use advertising, subscriptions, revenue sharing, mobile apps, merchandise and more to turn your hobby into an avocation or a career.
With: Rob Balder
Come ask questions and share your options about both the fantasy and the science fiction works of our Author Guest of Honor.
With: Lois McMaster Bujold, David Lenander, Eric M. Heideman, co-mods; Co-sponsored by The Rivendell Group, a Twin Cities fantasy book-discussion group that has met regularly since late 1973 or early 1974, and Second Foundation, a speculative fiction book-discussion group that has met regularly since 1983
Using supplied materials, all participants will learn the basics to create their own little dragon. Modifications are also shown, and things can get crazy from there! ALL AGES
With: Julie Bowman - Mythical Creations
Let’s look at fantasy stories that feature pirates, including J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, Robert E. Howard’s Queen of the Black Coast, Tim Powers´ On Stranger Tides, and the Pirates of the Caribbean theme-park and film series.
With: Rick Gellman, mod.
The group Soggy Potato Chips started out with just Alchav. Influenced heavily by the Gothsicles and other industrial acts, he made 3 albums of demented tunes over pumping beats, including the fan favorite “Caturday”. Over the past year, his brothers Brendan and Shawn have joined him, reforming Soggy Potato Chips into a 3-piece live band. They’ve performed at PenguiCon and Con on the Cob, and now they’re hitting the main stage at MarsCon!
With: Alexander Avery, Shawn Avery, Brandon Avery
Myths about the Old West began before the West was old, making it one of the first shared fantasy worlds in American culture. We’ll discuss the rise and fall of the Old West mythology, and how it has influenced and lent its energy to current genres including fantasy and science fiction.
With: David Christenson, mod.; Eric M. Heideman, Michael Merriam Sponsored by Con-Sarnit, a Western convention
Lighting Techniques for Costumes
With: Ben Huset
Have an idea for a movie, stage play, or some other scripted piece of work and have no idea where to start? Get an overview on the basics of scriptwriting from scriptwriting professionals.
With: Roy C. Booth, mod.; Cynthia Booth, Rachael Saltzman
Join Steam Century members creating steam punk related crafts.
With: Steam Century Kaposia
The FuMP quite simply is The Funny Music Project, a collaborative effort made up of a diverse group of comedy musicians, posting new free comedy songs for download at least twice a week at http://www.thefump.com. This show will feature some one-shot cameo performances by some of the FuMP’s Main Mage and Sideshow acts who didn’t get their own main stage concerts this year, including Carrie Dahlby, Odd Austin, DJ Particle, Beth Kinderman, and Gifted Gear.
Is it true that fans can make better movies than Hollywood? Come find out as we begin what we hope to be a long tradition! Either cry or cheer, but you be amazed at what angry fans can do!
Between the songs from Ian’s astounding new CD, The Last Arcade, and his tracks posted at the main page of the FuMP dot com, when the Mad Music Dementia Top 50 of 2010 was announced, Ian was responsible for 15 songs of the Top 50, including the #1 spot, his Ke$ha parody, “DiG DuG”. Doing both originals and parodies of modern pop hits, his geek cred points accumulate with every new tune. Achievement unlocked! http://www.insaneian.com/
With: Ian Bonds
For all who love Middle Eastern Dance…from beginners to advanced.
With: Sana
What would E.T. contact be like, and what would it mean to you? This talk will cover speculation about E.T. contact, and ask whether such contact might have occurred in our past—or might even be occurring today. What is the evidence for contact today? Why might such contact be occurring? How does contact affect the individual, and the world overall?
With: Craig R. Lang
Writers who have done multiple novels or stories about continuing characters and/or a linked world share their experiences, positive and negative, and their advice to aspiring series writers.
With: Lois McMaster Bujold, Michael Merriam, mod.; Naomi Kritzer
Costume ‘Show and Tell’ - open to all costumers to bring in their work and talk about it
Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Conan, Harry Potter, The Princess Bride and Discworld have all crossed from the page to the screen. How well do fantasy stories hold up through the transition? Some parts of a novel may be left out of its film counterpart, perhaps to conform to time constraints or because the director just couldn’t express them. In other cases, executive meddling might introduce new characters and plot twists that the original author never intended. When have fantasy films really worked well? When haven’t they? What's in the future for live action fantasy film?
With: Rob Callahan, mod.; Roy C. Booth, Rachael Saltzman
Our traditional weekend finale concert continues, in which all of the Dementia Track acts will take turns hitting the stage one more time to perform their cover versions of comedy music hits of the past, or songs by their fellow MarsCon performers, or God knows what! You never know what’s going to happen next, so don’t miss our last big hilarious huzzah before Closing Ceremonies!
With: Tim Crist, Luke Ski
Come learn about plans (and maybe volunteer?) for Diversicon 19, July 29-31, 2011, Best Western--Bandana Square, St. Paul.
With: Scott Lohman, Diversicon 19 Chair, mod.
Hear about our plans for MarsCon 2012 which will be happening at the Crowne Plaza (formerly Holiday Inn & Suites), 3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, Minnesota on the weekend of March 9-11, 2012. Discuss the planned Guests of Honor, the theme! Brain storm with us and add your ideas to our list of “must do” events. Register and then give in to your uncontrollable urge to sign up to volunteer!
An aspiring ghost hunter may carry an old cassette recording or analog photo album full of unexplained artifacts. These might be ethereal voices or ghostly flashes in the background. Some might seem like obvious fakes while others are so seemingly real and scary as to stand your hairs on end. Learn about some famous examples of mediums, EVP and other paranormal events recorded through history. Then learn of the science behind photographing and recording ghosts, or the science behind exposing these things as frauds. You know, whichever way the panel goes.
With: Rob Callahan, mod.
Say “farewell” to the guests & “thanks” to volunteers. Hear news about next year’s convention plans, pre-register for next year, and wonder why the weekend went so quickly.
Sponsored by Second Foundation, a Twin Cities speculative fiction book-discussion group that has met regularly since 1983, whose members are also film buffs. Krushenko’s Annex: space for conversation and viewers’ choice film viewing; Krushenko’s Lounge (if available): space for conversation and gaming.
After Con, Party ’til the cows come home in Con Suite (Elysium Sanctum/13th Floor)
MarsCon 2011
March 4-6, 2011
Crowne Plaza Minneapolis Int’l Airport Hotel & Suites
(formerly: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites)
3 Appletree Square
Bloomington, MN
If you’re looking for the Marscon in Williamsburg, VA click here.
Questions about MarsCon: info
This page updated 01:55 pm April 10, 2015, © 2011 Fans Educational Network for Science Fiction.