Month: October 2018 Page 1 of 2

Glimpses of Archon 42

On October 31, 2018

In Art, Creative Life, Cultural Diversity, Education, Fantasy Art, Paper Sculpture, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Conventions, Writers, Writing

Halloween? No, just an active costuming contingent!

I enjoyed my return to Archon, a St. Louis-area convention I’d often attended when it was scheduled in the summer (I know: back in ancient days!). In more recent decades, this convention has become a major event for restaurants and hotels near the Gateway Center in Collinsville, IL. The one I’m writing about here was held October 12-14, 2018.

I enjoyed the costumes–but what I managed to catch in photos are a far cry from their full extent. For a better glimpse of what tends to wander the halls of Archon, there’s a great photo lineup from #41, by Thomas Crone in St. Louis Magazine online, and the Masquerade has a Facebook page you also may enjoy. Here’s another rather comprehensive look at the convention you also may enjoy.

One thing about Archon at the Gateway Center: you walk a lot. Even the main convention hotel, the Doubletree, isn’t attached to the Gateway Center, so you’re walking wherever you stay (we stayed at the just-as-nearby Fairfield Inn, which was sung and well-kept). The other thing about the Doubletree is that it books up each year in a flash. It wasn’t the best of weather for trekking though the landscape, this year. I was glad I’d brought my trench coat.

Of course, I always want to display my artwork at conventions I attend. Here’s my Archon 42 Art Show display.

I also love to be on, and also attend, panels. I have photos from several enjoyable ones, below. This year, I also have put a particular emphasis on my readings, as a way to both learn what other authors are writing, and to give people an advance glimpse of my to-be-released-this-winter science fiction novel What’s Bred in the Bone.

The programming staff mostly put me on Art Track panels, rather than the writing ones I’ve become used to lately, so I had a chance to do things such as dust off my art teacher skills for Basic Drawing and geek out with Rachael Mayo about art supplies, quality, and when/how you can afford to go with a cheaper option.

Rachael Mayo (seated at left) brought samples of different kinds of both paper and colored pencils (some cheap, some top-grade professional, some in between), for the audience to test at the end of the Saturday panel titled “Crayola is Fine, Right?: Art on a Budget.”

One of the first programming items I attended on Friday of the convention was one of their three-person Author Readings, this one featuring, L-R: Donna J.W. Munro, Marella Sands, and Christine Nobbe, who read a science fiction story she often shares with her gifted classes.

The “Diversity in Speculative Fiction” panel on Friday night of the con explored long-overdue changes developing as sf becomes more inclusive. L-R Participants: Jennifer Stolzer, Kathleen Kayembe, Camille Faye, and Debbie Manber Kupfer, who moderated.

The Sunday afternoon “Alternate Paths to Publishing” panel had such an engaged audience that we overshot our scheduled stop-time, and missed Closing Ceremonies. L-R, George Sirois (“SEAR-oy”) moderated; Brad R. Cook, Camille Faye, and Debbie Manber Kupfer added a variety of thoughts and reflections on their experiences.

Archon 43 will be held in Collinsville again next year, Oct. 4-6, 2019. But don’t expect to book a room in the Doubletree. It’s already full up.

IMAGES: All of the photos in this post were taken by me, Jan S. Gephardt, at Archon 42, between October 12-14, 2018. You may freely re-post or reblog them, but in all fairness please include an attribution to me, and a link back to this post. The cover art for What’s Bred in the Bone is a color comp by Jody A. Lee; she promises the finished art is coming soon.

Mirror moment: What are we doing?

By jansgephardt

On October 29, 2018

In Artdog Quote of the Week, Creative Life, Environment, Sustainability, and Global Climate Change, Response to Disasters

The Artdog Quote of the Week

What we sow, we reap. What goes around comes around. It’s an ageless lesson too many of us never truly seem to learn or take to heart.

How do you answer the question: What are you doing for yourself and others . . . and the world?

IMAGE: Many thanks to the Amazon Aid Foundation’s “9 Inspiring Quotes about Forests” for this quote-image, featuring a quote from Mahatma Gandhi.

1957’s Monsanto House of the Future at Disneyland

By jansgephardt

On October 26, 2018

In Architecture, Architecture, Artdog Image of Interest, Creative Life, First responders, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Conventions, Technology and Future Trends, Visions of the Future

The Artdog Image of Interest

Today’s opening video offers a short (approximately 1-minute) glimpse of what was once a famous part of Disney’s “Tomorrowland” at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, CA.

The video clip offers a sampling from a much longer video, for viewers in a hurry. Below I’ve embedded what seems like a much more complete version, which is not quite 13 minutes long, for those who have time to view it.

Created by Monsanto, largely as a way of showcasing innovations made possible by synthetic materials used in home construction, the longer video goes into considerable detail about using man-made materials all over the house.

Although the “House of the Future” has since been demolished and the original Tomorrowland looks like a campy, mid-century “retro” future today, many of its predictions have indeed become true. We do cook with microwaves now, and our homes are filled with synthetics. Of course, in 1957 no one was thinking or talking about potential risks, especially to firefighters.

My Images of Interest in October have all been videos drawn from a panel discussion, “Yesterday’s Tomorrow,” moderated by Kathryn Sullivan, in which I participated at FenCon XV. I shared these videos with the audience, and they generated enough interest that I thought my blog-readers might like them too!

VIDEOS: many thanks to YouTube and The Associated Press for the shorter video, as well as YouTube again and David Oneal‘s Extinct Attractions for the longer one.

Perfectly set up for Na-No-Wri-Mo

By jansgephardt

On October 24, 2018

In Creative Life, Holidays, Science Fiction, Writers, Writing

It occurred to me the other day that I’ve got not one, but two projects ideally set up for a Na-No-Wri-Mo style writing blitz

On the eve of the event itself, no less! If ever there were a year when I was perfectly set to participate, this is it.

What is “Na-No-Wri-Mo“? you may ask. That is short for “National Novel-Writing Month.” It’s an annual event, held November 1-30 of each year. Participants attempt to write 50,000 words or more in a month (50,000 words is the minimum length for a novel, according to some definitions and in some genres).

Many participants look upon it as a competition (for well or ill) and for many it provides motivation. I think whatever helps a writer make progress on his or her work of passion is a positive thing.

It’s true that a rare few people actually can write a real novel in a month. For most of us, 50,000 even-semi-coherent words in a month is a stretch, and that’s the point. Na-No-Wri-Mo is designed to push writers beyond their comfort zones and help them achieve more than they thought they could. It’s a creative challenge that is a high bar, but not unreachable.

That’s extremely beneficial for a writer, whether you end up with a novel at the end of the month, or (more likely) with a steaming pile of first draft.

I know I’ve posted this quote from Shannon Hale before, but I thought it was appropriate here.

I have never personally participated in Na-No-Wri-Mo, although I’ve been “Na-No adjacent” for years because I hang out with other writers. Why don’t I participate?

Mostly it’s because I’m a competition-averse person, and I write slowly. I’m persistent, but not fast. Also, I know myself. Trying to write 50,000 words straight through with no stopping or second thoughts . . . not gonna happen. It would make me nuts.

Also, it’s in November. That might be a time of miserable weather in San Francisco (the original reason for timing it then), but November is the month before Christmas, contains no fewer than three family birthdays for my clan, and it has Thanksgiving in it. NO WAY am I going through November with the minimum of distractions needed to produce 50,000 words!

In November, San Francisco looks like this a lot. No wonder the Na-No-Wri-Mo founders wanted to stay inside!

So, no. I’ll flirt with the idea, but I won’t sign up for Na-No-Wri-Mo this year, either. But I’ll think of the participants often, as I regularly take chunks of time to work on my projects throughout the month, and I’ll be wishing them well!

IMAGES: Many thanks to Wikipedia for the Na-No-Wri-Mo logo file, to Ali Stegert’s “Spilling Ink” blog, for the quote from Shannon Hale, and to Free Tours by Foot, for the photo of San Francisco in November.

Profit and loss in the biosphere

By jansgephardt

On October 22, 2018

In Animals, Artdog Quote of the Week, Creative Life, Cultural Diversity, Environment, Sustainability, and Global Climate Change

The Artdog Quote of the Week

In the great balancing act of life, greater biodiversity is our friend. Any monoculture–no matter how well protected from the dangers and variables of life–is vulnerable. Each species fills its niche to the benefit of the entire biome, when all are in balance.

Yet some seem to think we can ignore natural laws and discard “useless” species at will, or as necessary. How can we find a way to counter and diminish the prevalence of such thinking? We must find a way, or our whole planet (the only one we’ve got!) remains in peril.

IMAGE: Many thanks to Golfian for this image and quote from E. O. Wilson.

What GM predicted in 1956 for futuristic cars of 1976

By jansgephardt

On October 19, 2018

In Artdog Image of Interest, Creative Life, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Conventions, Technology and Future Trends, Visions of the Future

The Artdog Image of Interest

In my research of videos about past views of the future, I wasn’t surprised to find that futuristic cars formed a favorite category. The one I’ll share today doesn’t feature any flying cars, but I still think you may enjoy seeing what General Motors did (and did not) predict. It also represents a category of “musical production long-form commercial videos” from the period, of a sort we don’t see much, today.

As ever, the assumptions about gender roles, and the extreme “whiteness” of all people in the video, speak volumes about the culture of the time.

My Images of Interest in October are videos, all of them drawn from a panel discussion, “Yesterday’s Tomorrow,” moderated by Kathryn Sullivan, in which I participated at FenCon XV. I shared these videos with the audience, and they generated enough interest that I thought my blog-readers might like them too!

VIDEO: many thanks to YouTube and CBS Sunday Morning for this video.

A screen-grab from Lara's video on how to support small artists.

Seven great ways to support small artists

By jansgephardt

On October 17, 2018

In Creative Life, Music and Performance Art, Technology and Future Trends, Workplace issues

I’ve been looking forward to sharing this post for a longer time than I expected (because of my crazy life–it’s not Lara’s fault!). I went to her presentation at MALCon/Westercon in Denver last July and immediately knew I wanted to share it on this blog.

She’s created an 11-minute video that covers most of this information, so if you prefer to get your information that way, check it out at the link above.

In her presentation, as in the video, she outlined seven excellent ways to help small artists thrive. Her advice goes for all sorts of creative types. She herself is a musician, but her advice applies for artists in many fields. That includes musicians, actors, dancers, crafters, visual artists, comics-creators, and writers.

How to Support Small Artists!

by Losing Lara

In this day and age with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and so much more, it is incredibly easy to create art and put it up online. Whether you are a musician, writer, or traditional artist the world is your oyster as long as you have a stable internet connection. What seems to be increasingly difficult is being a consumer of said art.

Day after day we are inundated with some new piece of entertainment and it can be hard to know what’s the best way to really support the people and art that we love. As a YouTuber, writer, and musician, I have found that my friends and family are surprised when I tell them even the simplest (and free) ways that they can support me.

Because of this I have made a YouTube video, a convention panel that I have presented multiple times, and now a blog post. With the help of artists in several different mediums, we have seven tips that you can help support the small artist in your life.

1 – Participation

This is the easiest step of them all. Even better, it’s free! If you see a post online that is some sort of interest to you, whether you know the artist or like the subject, then click on it!

Whether it’s a YouTube video, a Soundcloud link, or takes you to a personal website, click on it. That is one more number added to an artist’s closely-studied metrics. The higher the numbers are, the more successful an artist. It starts with you!

You might think that your one view doesn’t matter. But in the grand scheme, every little bit counts!

2 – Go to Shows!

This feeds into participation. Because without an audience, it wouldn’t be much of a show. A lot of times, this can be free too!

If your writer friend has a book reading at a local bookstore? Your friend is performing in an open mic? Free art gallery exhibit? Check them all out!

Even if you can’t buy anything from the artist/bookstore/gallery, just be there. Seeing your face in the crowd is a show of support that means the world to artists! Also, if your friend is in theater, ask when the show’s industry night will be. You can usually get discounted tickets!

This is one of the most important ways to support! Small artists don’t have a huge marketing team working behind the scenes to get their art in front of as many people as possible. We have you and your pointer finger.

When you see them post about their new book, their new album, video, show, artwork whatever it might be, hit that share button! Memes are great. If you are like me, you share about 200 in one day. Sharing work from a small artist is just as easy, not to mention, more important.

4 – Reviews

Now it’s time to add your voice into the mix! The comment section is a magical (though sometimes scary) place. It can be almost more important than views alone.

All these social media sites run on algorithms. If a post has a lot of views but no interaction its respective website won’t promote it. Especially if your friend is selling a book on Amazon, the more reviews, the more Amazon will showcase the book. Even bad reviews, but of course, good ones are always better. This is also very important on Etsy.

5 – Buy the Thing!

The majority of these tips are things you can do for free. But we live in a capitalist society. Unfortunately, being alive is expensive. An artist creates for the love of creation, but at some point we need to eat. That’s where buying our art goes a long way!

Spotify is great. But it takes 1,000 streams of just one album for the artist to make the equivalent of ONE sale.

Most importantly, exposure does not buy food! Exposure is great for an artist. But art takes a lot of time and work. It should be valued in the same way as spending time working inside of an office building.

6 – Tipping and Reward Sites

If you can’t afford to buy a item, then a lot of artists have a tipping and reward site! On sites like Patreon and Ko-Fi, you don’t necessarily buy a thing, but pay for a monthly subscription or one-time donation. YouTubers who don’t necessarily create a tangible product go this route.

There are also sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo where someone can propose a project and you can invest in it. On these sites and Patreon you can either donate or you can get something from the artist in return, while Ko-Fi is only donations.

7 – Don’t copy/illegally download

Whatever your feelings about large corporations, that does not apply to small artists. As I mentioned before, there is no giant team behind these people, they are usually doing everything themselves.

Yes, we are happy when people like our art, but not enough to completely give up credit. Please don’t repost art without an artist’s name. That is literally taking money away from them. If you see art without credit you can report it and do a Google Image Search (Jan’s addition: or use TinEye) to find the original post.

As you can see, supporting small artists can be easy! I know every time one of my videos or songs gets a like or a share it feels so wonderful and encouraging.

We make art to share with people and even just a like lets us know that there is someone out there. There is someone who sees us and sees our work and takes even just a second to say, “Hey, I see you and I like it.” And really, isn’t that what everyone wants in life?

**One of Losing Lara’s songs** could be an anthem for the **#MeToo movement**.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Losing Lara makes videos for the internet, performs nerdy music, and occasionally writes a bit. You can find her on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Bandcamp.

IMAGES: The video and all the illustrated headers, as well as the text for today’s post, are all courtesy of Losing Lara. I found the cover image for her song I Said No on her Bandcamp site. Please share this post, and give her full credit!

Biodiversity and companion animals’ love

By jansgephardt

On October 15, 2018

In Animals, Artdog Quote of the Week, Creative Life, Cultural Diversity, Environment, Sustainability, and Global Climate Change

The Artdog Quote of the Week

Of what value is biodiversity? Here’s an apt approach, for those whose households, like mine, are multi-species establishments. There does exist a parallel between the richness brought to us by our relationships with companion animals, and the value of biodiversity in the wider world.

IMAGE: Many thanks to Top Famous Quotes, via Quotemaster and Pinterest, for this excellent thought from April Gornik.

A 1940s-50s vision of a future kitchen

By jansgephardt

On October 13, 2018

In Artdog Image of Interest, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Conventions, Technology and Future Trends, Visions of the Future

The Artdog Image of Interest

When I was researching videos of ways the past viewed the possibilities of the future, I found that most seemed to fall into repeated categories. Futuristic kitchens (especially as envisioned by contemporary makers of kitchen appliances, imagine that!) formed a major subcategory.

Oddly enough, the makers of these videos rarely envisioned men as the ones who’d be cooking. Here’s a classic “future kitchen” from sometime in the 1940s-50s:

VIDEO: many thanks to YouTube and Susan Pine for this video!

Aiming for Archon 42

By jansgephardt

On October 11, 2018

In Art, Paper Sculpture, XK9 Novels

Ty and I are about to go on the road again. This time we’re headed across Missouri to our final sf convention of 2018, Archon 42 in Collinsville, IL. After this the holidays start, and so does the “iffy” weather.

It’s been a long time since we’ve been to Archon. For many years there were scheduling conflicts, but those problems are behind us now. I’m looking forward to heading back.

I’ll be busy, that’s for sure. I’m on four panels (moderating three), plus I have a reading, and that’s not counting the artwork I’ll have on display. Here’s my schedule:

Friday October 12

4:00-5:00 p.m. (Gateway-Cahokian) – Paying your Bills with Exposure

Everyone knows you can’t pay for groceries or gas with exposure – but why do so many people think it’s acceptable to ask artists to work for free? What’s the best way to respond to such requests?

7:30-approx. 9:30 p.m. (Art Show) – Art Reception

I have a full panel of paper sculpture to display.

The display has changed a little since Westercon 71/MALCon 6 in July, but most of the work shown here will be on display at Archon 42.

Saturday October 13

1:00-2:00 p.m. (Gateway-Cahokian) – Crayola is Fine, Right?: Art on a Budget

How can you create your art without breaking the bank? What’s okay to skimp on? What’s worth paying more?

3:00-4:00 p.m. (Gateway-Cahokian) – Sharpen Your Skills: Basic Drawing

Designed for new artists looking to improve their drawing skills. Pick up my annotated list of resources, or email me for a copy!

Sunday October 14

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Gateway-Illini A) – What is Your Preferred Type of Con?

Cons come in all types and sizes: huge & media-driven? Small and intimate? Focused on one subject or many?

12:00-1:00 p.m. (Gateway-Illini A) – Author Reading with Meg Elison, Jan Gephardt, and Lettie Prell.

Enjoy a sampler of short readings by three contemporary sf writers. I bet you can guess what book I’m reading from!

Here’s my postcard for Archon 42, promoting the reading on Sunday and urging people to.sign up for my newsletter, for updates on the publication schedule.

IMAGES: Many thanks to the Collinsville, IL Chamber of Commerce, for the “white” Archon 42 logo. The other two images are by me, and may be used for reblogging or reposting, as long as you include an attribution for the work and a link back to this post. Thanks!

Month: October 2018 Page 1 of 2

1 – Participation

2 – Go to Shows!

3 – Share the Thing!

4 – Reviews

5 – Buy the Thing!

6 – Tipping and Reward Sites

7 – Don’t copy/illegally download