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shanmuirbroden(note: due to being cheap and not being willing to pay for internet access until after noon Thursday at the Marriott, this portion was delayed. Apologies.)
As you read through all this, bear in mind this is my very first WorldCon. So there may be things not obvious to me that readers who have been to other WorldCons might understand better.
Opening Ceremonies began with an animated piece that morphed from the Con logo to various things, most of went by in a blur for me (save a little Roswell like alien stereotype being squashed by a truck that got tons of applause!). After that we watched what appeared to be first episode of TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET in its entirety including the silly Corn Flakes ads (as that was the sponsor); for those who don't know Frankie Thomas, who played the title role, was to have been Special Guest this year but he passed away between being chosen and WorldCon. This is also true of Fan Guest of Honor Howard DeVore. In WorldCon's way of doing things, people do retain such titles posthumously, so there are only two Special Guests in attendance -- author Connie Willis and artist James Gurney. That said, only Connie was at Opening Ceremonies.
After the episode ended, the two gentlemen that headed last year's WorldCon in Glasgow, Scotland (a.k.a. Interaction) took the stage -- one complete in kilt! The head of this WorldCon (a.k.a. LA Con IV) took the stage and the duties were passed in a humorous way. One of the highlights included the current head giving ribbons to all the Interaction staff reading "So long and thanks for all the haggis" to thank them for the two committees working side by side for the past several years.
Then they called out Connie Willis and she spoke to the audience. What an incredible witty and personable woman. I know her by reputation, but I must confess I never read a Connie Willis to that moment (which has now changed, more on that in a later piece). The committee surprised her with a gift they found on eBay, which was a movie poster for "Confidentially Connie" with Van Johnson and Janet Leigh. This was also apparently quite the in joke as she had the "worst crush" on Van Johnson as a kid, she revealed. I wonder if her husband of 39 years -- she also revealed it was their anniverssary that day and had him stand in the audience -- was in on it at all.
After that, a gavel was brought out and tapped on a music stand on stage, thereby signaling WorldCon officially underway!
As you read through all this, bear in mind this is my very first WorldCon. So there may be things not obvious to me that readers who have been to other WorldCons might understand better.
Opening Ceremonies began with an animated piece that morphed from the Con logo to various things, most of went by in a blur for me (save a little Roswell like alien stereotype being squashed by a truck that got tons of applause!). After that we watched what appeared to be first episode of TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET in its entirety including the silly Corn Flakes ads (as that was the sponsor); for those who don't know Frankie Thomas, who played the title role, was to have been Special Guest this year but he passed away between being chosen and WorldCon. This is also true of Fan Guest of Honor Howard DeVore. In WorldCon's way of doing things, people do retain such titles posthumously, so there are only two Special Guests in attendance -- author Connie Willis and artist James Gurney. That said, only Connie was at Opening Ceremonies.
After the episode ended, the two gentlemen that headed last year's WorldCon in Glasgow, Scotland (a.k.a. Interaction) took the stage -- one complete in kilt! The head of this WorldCon (a.k.a. LA Con IV) took the stage and the duties were passed in a humorous way. One of the highlights included the current head giving ribbons to all the Interaction staff reading "So long and thanks for all the haggis" to thank them for the two committees working side by side for the past several years.
Then they called out Connie Willis and she spoke to the audience. What an incredible witty and personable woman. I know her by reputation, but I must confess I never read a Connie Willis to that moment (which has now changed, more on that in a later piece). The committee surprised her with a gift they found on eBay, which was a movie poster for "Confidentially Connie" with Van Johnson and Janet Leigh. This was also apparently quite the in joke as she had the "worst crush" on Van Johnson as a kid, she revealed. I wonder if her husband of 39 years -- she also revealed it was their anniverssary that day and had him stand in the audience -- was in on it at all.
After that, a gavel was brought out and tapped on a music stand on stage, thereby signaling WorldCon officially underway!
