Picking Up 1986 After SoonerCon 1 in June

STAR member Larry Nemecek slyly uses his position as a reporter for the Norman Transcript to plug STAR and SoonerCon in a lengthy article in the September 14, 1986 issue. There’s a sidebar covering “Science Fiction Lingo,” but the main article features a photo of SCon 1 Chair Mike Hodge; it’s titled, “Science Fiction Fans Shed Stereotypes.”  The article in­cludes comments from STARs Mike and Tamara Hodge, Claire Stephens, and Syd Hen­derson.

SoonerCon 2 is a 2-day con, Sat-Sun, October 25-26. This “abridged” version has several advantages. Doing without Friday saves hotel costs, programming frenzy, and so on. To help convince attendees that a 2-day con can be fun, one version of the flyer reads “SoonerCon-Two — Pure Con Extract.”

Charity            Okla. Pediatric Cancer

Chair   David Means
Vice-Chair       Casey Means (née Hamilton)
Dealers            Mike Hodge
Art Show        J.R. Daniels
Charity            Mike &
Auction           Mary Powell
Gofers             Jon Powell
ConSuite         Brian Lemons
                        Carl Garland
                        Mark Shepherd

 

ŸProgramming Syd Henderson
ŸClaire Stephens
ŸPublicity Larry Nemecek
ŸGames Roger Allen
ŸGraphics Gayle O’Daniel
ŸProgram Book Mike Hodge, Tamara Hodge
ŸRegistration Tamara Hodge
ŸSecurity Mike Powell
ŸVideo Mark Alfred, Bob Higgs
ŸAuthor Guest Glen Cook
ŸToastmaster Steve Gould
ŸArtist Guest Keith Berdak
ŸComics Guest R.A. Jones
ŸFan Guests Tom & Lynette Meserole
ŸFilk Guest C.J. Cherryh

3-day rates are $10 Pre-Reg and $12 at the door. According to the August 1987 GG, SCon 2 produces $180 for its charity.

There is a lot of grumbling at this SoonerCon, mainly because of its location, downtown at the Skirvin Plaza. Since down­town OKC is (in 1986, anyway, pre-Bricktown and way pre-MAPS) D-E-D dead after dark, there’s nothing for attendees to do off-site without driving to the next galaxy.  Plus the complications of downtown traffic and parking (sigh).  Also, the ConCom receives a hotel bill for $1479.30 beyond the $2,000 already paid the Skirvin.

Keep this in mind as you peruse the back of the SoonerCon 2 Program Book, which announces that for SCon 3 “we’ll be at the Skirvin Plaza Hotel.”  This announcement is quickly pretended never to have been made, and the Club even more quickly seeks accom­modations elsewhere for ’87.

STAR has its Christmas Party on De­cember 10, and hands out awards of merit or labor. Regretfully, the only award available for mention here is the voted-on honor “Best Contributor to the Galactic Gazette,” to Mark Alfred.