MarsCon 2005
"Galactic Pirates & Mercenaries"
Airport Marriott Hotel
Bloomington, MN

March 4-6, 2005

Post-PR2 Programming Participation Plea

More than a treasure chest of rubies, more than a barrel of cheap rum, the force which binds a convention together is called "programming." MarsCon Programming is geared toward embracing and celebrating all facets of science fiction, fantasy, gaming and fandom. That includes costuming, hard sciences, the music of fandom, television, movies, radio, comic books, fan fic, poetry, novels, sf/fantasy art, and the usual fannish zaniness. Programming will feature our Guests of Honor as well as many individual fans, local fan clubs and distinguished science fiction & fantasy authors who have volunteered to help out. Anyone attending the convention may facilitate programming events, and we encourage you to get involved in this rewarding aspect of convention volunteering. We now ask for your suggestions for programming events.

Read the list below, then add your ideas.

Talisman, 2nd Edition Tournament
I know I am doing an event already on Friday, but I had another idea I could do on my own. I have this fantasy boardgame called Talisman I would be willing to run on the weekend. All I would need is a table with enough space to seat six. I don't want to sound too greedy to do events, but I am just excited to be able to help and contribute! Just let me know! (Again, I would be self-sufficient for this event as well.)

Suggested by Matt "Cyber Urza" McMillan on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 at 10:31:05

World Premiere of PLANETFALL
FILM SYNOPSIS -- PLANETFALL is set against a backdrop that combines the apocalyptic worldview of the MAD MAX trilogy with the lawless anti-hero psychology of the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns. The film packs a Hollywood-sized punch with its state of the art visual effects and skull-rattling Surround Sound mix. Starring Leitha Matz and Heidi Fellner, the film features appearances from cult movie auteur Ted V. Mikels (ASTRO ZOMBIES, DOLL SQUAD) as Zitan President Arch Stanton, Jesse Ventura's son Tyrel Ventura as shady dealer Syrus Theed, and the voice of John Levene (DOCTOR WHO's Sergeant Benton) as a pissed-off alien!

When a military transport crash-lands on a war-torn planet, competing factions seek the last stockpile of the illicit psychic-power enhancing drug Psylenol. Mercenary Lux Antigone (Fellner) rekindles a shaky relationship with former partner Shark Sterling (Snype Myers), and forges an alliance with a mysterious female bounty hunter (Matz) in her quest to find the lost shipment. Aligned against them are a misfit army garrison, a shady presidential attaché, and psychotic members of the elite military unit that originally developed the drug for war.

Suggested by Michael Heagle on Thursday, January 20, 2005 at 17:43:39

Making of PLANETFALL
In 2001, Minneapolis based filmmakers Carschool Film-O-Rama put out a call for sci-fi fans to join them in their no-budget project, a sci-fi spaghetti western called PLANETFALL. Now, that film has arrived, and it's jam-packed with outrageous visual effects. How did a handful of guys with no money produce a picture that's on par with the big boys? Listen in as writer-producer Michael Heagle and co-producer and actor Troy A LaFaye spill the beans about making a sci fi spectacular on the cheap. Also in attendance will be one of the film's actors (TBA) and visual effects artists (TBA).

Suggested by Michael Heagle, Tory A LaFaye & others TBA on Thursday, January 20, 2005 at 17:35:46

We Can Do Better Than That: Star Wars Ep. I
How many times have you paid good money for a movie, only to think when it's over, "I could've done better"? Come along with us as we chart out a sensible alternative to George Lucas's recent string of stinkers--er, films, sorry.

Suggested by USS Nokomis on Monday, January 17, 2005 at 23:43:16

Mercenaries in Fact and Fiction
Discussion of real-life mercenaries--everything from the Greek mercenaries and their invincible fighting formation known as the phalanx, to Hessians hired by England to fight during the American Revolution, to modern day mercenaries working for private security firms. Has the use of mercenaries evolved over time? Is it depicted accurately in popular fiction? Is it glamorized? Romanticized? Who are our favorite mercenary characters, and why?

Suggested by Wintergreen on Sunday, January 09, 2005 at 10:10:28

The Klingon Dating Game
We know you have always wanted to date a Klingon. Now's your chance, Terra'ngan. Prove that you have what it takes to capture a Klingon mate.

Suggested by IKV RakeHell on Sunday, January 09, 2005 at 03:49:14

Intergalactic Feud
A game show that outa this world!

Suggested by USS Behr'AK on Sunday, January 09, 2005 at 02:55:09

Cleavage Contest
The name says it all...

Suggested by Mr. Underhill on Sunday, January 09, 2005 at 02:06:00

Masquerade 101
The nuts and bolts of Masquerade. What is it? How does it work? What procedures are in place? How can I enter? What kind of talent is required? Receive advice on presentation, documentation, etc... Meet the Masquerade Director and Judges. Hear about judging criteria, including an explanation of the categories used.

Suggested by DreamStitcher on Sunday, January 09, 2005 at 00:48:44

The Looney Bin Live
A radio play featuring appearances by funny music guests.

Suggested by The Great Luke Ski! on Sunday, January 09, 2005 at 00:31:41

Hollywood versus Truth of Piracy, among other things
What does Hollywood get right when it comes to pirates, etc...?

Suggested by Lucus "Maddie" Crown of the Dread ship Defiance on Saturday, January 08, 2005 at 23:22:47

MarsCon Dementia Smackdown
Experience the sights and sounds of the most illustrious/notorious musicians in the land of dee-mentia!

Suggested by The Great Luke Ski! on Saturday, January 08, 2005 at 23:18:24

"That book was OK, but ..."
What do you like in novels? What do you dislike? What makes you throw a book across the room? You wish novels had more _______, and you wish they had less ______. What would your perfect novel be like?

Suggested by Anna Waltz on Saturday, January 08, 2005 at 09:40:37

Anime characters - who do you love?
Are you obsessed with particular anime characters? Have concerned family members suggested you seek help? We wanna know who you love. Come to the panel where "fangirl" is a verb and release your inner geek! (Warning: the room might get loud.)

Suggested by Anna Waltz on Thursday, January 06, 2005 at 18:41:53

It's a revolution! (?)
Will fan works change the face of media? Let's talk about the latest developments in fanfic, 'zines, fan comics, fanvids and fanimation.

Suggested by Anna Waltz on Thursday, January 06, 2005 at 18:40:37

Supermarionation
Talk about latest developments in Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, etc...

Suggested by Joan Marie Verba on Friday, December 31, 2004 at 07:37:13

Alien Contact
First contact themes in history, both in science and science fiction. Looking at how contact lore has evolved.

Suggested by Craig R. Lang on Friday, December 31, 2004 at 07:34:57

UFO/Close Encounter Workshop
A discussion about what we MUFON Investigators do, how we do it, our records, methods, manual, and some of the more interesting things we have found.

Suggested by Craig R. Lang on Friday, December 31, 2004 at 07:33:30

Creative Trance Workshop
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 in the amazing universe of the imagination.

Suggested by Craig R. Lang on Friday, December 31, 2004 at 07:28:18

Basic Acting Techniques
Richard Herd, distinguished award-winning actor will be giving a 2 to 3 hour acting class/seminar at MarsCon. Richard will use Viola Spolin Theatre Games to explain basic acting techniques. Participants will be provided with his pamphlet ANATOMY OF AN AUDITION, and their scenes will be videotaped. The class will be held Sunday morning, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. There is an extra charge of $30.00 for the class to cover all materials and supplies. Class size is limited to 25 participants. See Richard at the autograph tables to sign up.

Suggested by Richard Herd on Friday, December 31, 2004 at 07:23:44

Learn some Irish dancing
Children's Workshop - Active Participation - children 7 - 10, but the young at heart are welcome to participate.

Suggested by Mary Mac on Tuesday, December 07, 2004 at 18:02:28

Children's Costuming
This hands-on workshop has ideas, suggestions and some donated materials that you can use to create a costume. Active Participation - children 7 - 10 accompanied by parent or guardian. Need more materials and volunteers - Please contact us at: [an error occurred while processing this directive] and mention that you'd like to help with the Children's Costuming workshop. Someone will contact you.

Suggested by Mary Mac on Tuesday, December 07, 2004 at 18:00:28

Do you know how to find out if there is water on the planet Quark?
Water Science with Project WET - Children's Workshop - Active Participation - children 7 - 12 but the young at heart are welcome to participate. Presented by April Rust with the DNR.

Suggested by Mary Mac on Tuesday, December 07, 2004 at 17:50:55

Footsteps in the Mist
Are there "Footsteps in the Mist" in chilly Minnesota? Come and find out about this Paranormal Study being conducted by David Crawford.

Suggested by Mary Mac on Tuesday, December 07, 2004 at 17:49:15

The City of Lore
Minnesota artist/author Jim Fletcher built a tiny city for the citizens of Lore. The tiny city is hidden in somewhere in Minnesota. Come and learn more about this ancient civilization the artist/author created and wrote a novel about: Lore, the City of Jim Fletcher. Presented by David Crawford.

Suggested by Mary Mac on Tuesday, December 07, 2004 at 17:47:55

Geek Love the continued discussion
A panel at convergence with potential for further dialogue. How about a panel of married couples that met through fandom, gaming, etc. How'd you meet, where , Places to meet fans etc. What do you do now as a couple in fandom?

Suggested by Nathan Lalum and Katie Nelson on Monday, October 25, 2004 at 14:29:47

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Spirituality/Religion/Ethics
What are the connections? Are there any? Should there be any? There are a lot of books being written on just this. There is a huge interest in using our favorite stories from Harry Potter to Star wars as vehicles to tell the gospel or other religious story,talk about ethics, examples of interracial and intergenerational relationships etc...

Suggested by Katie Nelson on Monday, October 25, 2004 at 14:26:13

Writing across Genre Boundaries
Writing your GothWesternSkiffyHorror story and doing something with it when you're done.

Suggested by Catherine Lundoff on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:17:34

The Jolly Roger in the Space Time Continuum: Pirates in SF and F
Would Henry Morgan and Anne Bonny recognize themselves?

Suggested by Catherine Lundoff on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:15:55

Does the Subtext Really Exist?
If you're a writer, do you subtext? Anyone whose taken a good English course knows how easy it is to write a paper about the subtext of a piece. Many also know how easy it is to chose a subtext out of thin air and find supporting evidence in any piece of work. So, does the subtext exist in the work or in the mind of the reader? A discussion.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:13:01

Writing life: Rejects and Acceptances
Kicks in the teeth and pats on the back. Does the one justify the other? Bring stories of your favorite acceptances and worst rejections.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:10:58

Writing Life: Happy Writers and Fast Writers, an Optimists Panel
There are any number of writers who talk about the agony of writing, both in terms of how long it takes them and how miserable it makes them. But that's not the only side of the story. A lot of writers love what they do -- that's why they do it. There are also a lot of fast writers out there who turn out good books.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:09:05

Writing Business/Craft/Life
Every pro writer has answered a million questions from interested amateurs. What are the most common questions you've fielded? The most uncommon? Share the questions and the answers with those who are interested.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:07:33

Writing Business: Cover Letters, Manuscripts, and Rejections
Back to basics. There are books that handle this topic fairly well, but nothing substitutes for experience. Active pros and semi-pros in writing, editing and publishing talk about the dos and don'ts.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:06:24

Writing Craft: Writers Groups
Many writers who have tried writers groups swear by them. Others swear at them. Writers who are or have been in groups discuss what makes a successful writing group or workshop.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:04:28

Writing Craft: Writing Combat II, Meet the Weapons
So you want to write a sword fight, but you never actually picked up a sword. Here's your chance to handle a variety of weapons under close supervision by people who have used them and who can answer questions on the subject.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:03:21

Writing Craft: Writing Combat
Often in F&SF the story calls for a fight scene. Yet the number of writers who have been involved in a sword fight is pretty limited, and the number who have shot it out with plasma weapons is zero. How do you write convincing combat if you've never been there? Writers who are also familiar with various types of weapon craft talk about writing combat and answer questions.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:01:33

Writing Craft: Dialogue. Back to Basics.
Writing craft panels are always packed to the rafters. Let's talk about dialogue. How do you make it sound like real people talking and not get off the track? A real conversation involves a lot of irrelevancies. In writing, particularly for short stories you can't afford to get too far from the point.

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 18:00:15

Writing Craft: Scene. Back to Basics.
Writing craft panels are always packed to the rafters. Let's talk about scene. Descriptions of people and places are a vital tool for putting a reader into the story and setting the mood. All five senses should be engaged as often as possible. But description can also become tedious and disengage the reader. How do you do that? What constitutes enough description? What is too much?

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 17:58:56

Writing Craft: World. Back to Basics.
Writing craft panels are always packed to the rafters. Let's talk about world. F&SF as a genre is defined by worlds that differ from our own present world How do you create a world with depth and reality? What makes a magic system or technology structure work?

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 17:57:48

Writing Craft: Character. Back to Basics
Writing craft panels are always packed to the rafters. Let's talk about character. How are convincing characters constructed? Is convincing the same thing as realistic? What makes people love or hate a character?

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 17:56:30

Writing Craft: Plot. Back to Basics.
Writing craft panels are always packed to the rafters. Let's talk about plot. What is plot? How important is it? How is it built? Is there a magic formula?

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 17:55:06

Lord of the Rings: The Books and the Movies
There are those who would like to pretend the movies don't exist. Well, they aren't going away anytime soon. Love them or hate them, they're worth talking about. How do the movies relate to the books? What did they get right? What did they get wrong? The final Extended Edition is out on DVD. How does the complete EE stack up as an interpretation of the books

Suggested by Kelly McCullough on Monday, October 04, 2004 at 17:53:47

Black Light Whip Cracking
You must see it to believe it. The Guinness World Record for "World's Fastest Whip" was set by bullwhip teacher and performer Robert Dante. Dante set the record by cracking a whip cracked a 6-foot bullwhip made by Australian whip maker Mike Murphy 214 times in 60 seconds at the Spirit of the West Festival in Sioux Falls, SD, beating his old record by 11 cracks. It's time to crack a whip again.

Suggested by Robert Dante on Tuesday, September 28, 2004 at 07:39:13

Historical Lady Pirates
True Stories.

Suggested by Brinn on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:18:55

Painting the Sky
Artwork in the Heavens

Suggested by Stephanie Gannaway-Osborn on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:17:59

Q&A Session
What Does it Take to Get into the Space Program?

Suggested by Stephanie Gannaway-Osborn on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:16:24

Life on Console: My Career in the Space Program
A brief discussion of the missions Iâ ve worked and such.

Suggested by Stephanie Gannaway-Osborn on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:14:50

Pirates across Space and Time
Movies and stories of pirates from the past, present, and future.

Suggested by Brinn on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:13:29

Model Contest
Not a human model, but a science fiction model contest. Bring your space stations, spacecrafts, rockets and other science fiction models to compare and compete with others.

Suggested by Cindy on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:11:22

The Allure of Dressing up
Why we love costumes, masquerades, Halloween and trying on new faces.

Suggested by Brinn on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:10:06

American Nerd Association-- Trying to Take Over the World
The American Nerd Association is fighting for the right of every human being to be completely unique. Don't be a nerd, be a Nerd! Nerd Power!

Suggested by Dan on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:08:05

The Matrix: Agent Smith and All Things Agent-y
We worship Hugo Weaving.

Suggested by Stephanie Gannaway-Osborn on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 at 18:05:10

As always, MarsCon is immensely grateful for the incredible programming contributions we receive each year from artists, authors, guests, musicians, singers, actors, fan groups, clubs and individuals. Thank you for your support!

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© 2004 FenSF, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This page last revised November 10, 2009 at 06:50 AM