Loscon 41

November 25, 2014

Message from the Chairman:

As we rush headlong into the last 3 months of preparation for the con, I wanted to address you and let you know that things are going well. We still have a few “at con” and “pre con” volunteers needed. Please see me at the LASFS, and we can discuss your interests and how you can fit into our convention staff. As always, we are trying to present a compelling program, we have our writer track and our science tracks planned, as well as many other informative and entertaining panels. We have the Masquerade and the Ice Cream Social, and with our guests there will be many opportunities for interaction and autographs.

We welcome this year J. Michael Straczynski as our Writer Guest of Honor. Since creating Babylon 5, Straczynski has gone on to big-budget features, writing Changeling (Eastwood/Jolie) for which he received a British Academy Award nomination, as well as working on Thor, Underworld Awakening and World War Z.  In total, in addition to a number of short stories and novels, he has written over 300 produced TV episodes, five movies, nearly four hundred comics, and five hundred articles. He won SFWA’s Ray Bradbury Award, the Hugo (twice), the Eisner, the Inkpot, two Emmys that went to B5, the Saturn Award, and the SDCC Icon Award, which has only been given out eight times in its history.

Our Artist, Richard Hescox, is quite a star as well. Richard has won awards in the field of science fiction and fantasy art, including The Jack Gaughan Memorial Award and the Chesley Award. Many of us already know our Fan Guests of Honor, Shawn and Colleen Crosby. Both Shawn and Colleen have been artists as long as I’ve known them and that goes back some twenty five years. They have also been prop makers, costumers and actors as well. Their contribution to fandom in both professional and amateur roles is undeniable.

Yours,
Scott Beckstead, Chairman