"Interview done with Ken Macklin in February 2008 by phone.
Ken Macklin seemed to have dropped out of the convention circuit by late in 1990’s and no one in Canadian Fandom had heard from him in years. So, with a little encouragement from Lorna Toolis, (she owns a Macklin and was curious where Ken had gone) I took upon myself to find him…and I did! Do I get gold star now?
Ken Macklin was a freelance artist in California during the late 1970’s. During a trip to visit family in Edmonton, Ken attended his first NonCon: well, he kept coming back. He has attended at least 12 Non Cons if his memory serves him correctly. The only other Canadian convention he has attended was KeyCon. He was invited by Con Chair Cooki Lumsdem, who also became involved in conventions after attending a NonCon.
Ken’s trip itself here was not without some excitement. Flying from Minneapolis airport, the air cut out, suddenly the cabin pressure dropped, the little bags fell from the ceiling and the plane went into a steep dive. They ended up flying across Manitoba only about 1000 feet up. Great views - bad flight.
In general Ken had a great time at KeyCon, enjoying his time with the fans and other guests - though he did learn a valuable lesson – keep your paperwork handy. There apparently was bit of a kafuffle about who (Ken or KeyCon) received what percentage of the proceeds from the original cover art sold in the auction. Nether side had the contract in front of them and both were adamant with their stances. Cooki eventually found the paperwork which showed neither side was right! KeyCon did forward all the money – not just his portion - which Ken says left him embarrassed over his behaviour and thankful for Cooki’s help and kind nature. "
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Message from the Editor
Here the "Message from the editor" section from the Through the keyhole - 25 years of Keycon Memories
"This history was not written by professionals but by individuals, using their memories and past writings. It is not intended to be a definitive history of KeyCon. May it recall fond memories for each of you.
I truly wish this book could contain even more memories, stories, pictures and artwork created by this volunteer group, but alas with the time constraints and the laws of quantum physics (there are no time machines . . . yet) we were only able to do so much. The 25th anniversary book committee was given a specific mandate to gather the memories and remembrances of the con-chairs and guests from the past twenty-five years of KeyCon, and we hope we have done KeyCon proud.
Since my original involvement in KeyCon was limited it made the task of editing and compiling in some respects easier but harder in other respects very hard. Easier because I was not caught up in the politics of the situation, not aligned to any one group or person. So I was not afraid to cut or add peoples’ comments. On the other hand it was more work to check dates, confirm places and locations (which Holiday Inn? it used be called the Delta what?, who is Evil Dave...?) more fun - yes that’s what I‘ll call it. Also I would like to thank those Senators who answered my mundane (ha ha) questions about facts and dates. Your help to me was always timely and greatly appreciated.
I would also like to personally thank my Copy Editor Victor Schwartzman for all his hard work, reading my babble is a task unto itself. I thank you for your patience, ideas and guidance. You have made this process fun and enjoyable. I’d do it again with you . . . in another 25 years."
"This history was not written by professionals but by individuals, using their memories and past writings. It is not intended to be a definitive history of KeyCon. May it recall fond memories for each of you.
I truly wish this book could contain even more memories, stories, pictures and artwork created by this volunteer group, but alas with the time constraints and the laws of quantum physics (there are no time machines . . . yet) we were only able to do so much. The 25th anniversary book committee was given a specific mandate to gather the memories and remembrances of the con-chairs and guests from the past twenty-five years of KeyCon, and we hope we have done KeyCon proud.
Since my original involvement in KeyCon was limited it made the task of editing and compiling in some respects easier but harder in other respects very hard. Easier because I was not caught up in the politics of the situation, not aligned to any one group or person. So I was not afraid to cut or add peoples’ comments. On the other hand it was more work to check dates, confirm places and locations (which Holiday Inn? it used be called the Delta what?, who is Evil Dave...?) more fun - yes that’s what I‘ll call it. Also I would like to thank those Senators who answered my mundane (ha ha) questions about facts and dates. Your help to me was always timely and greatly appreciated.
I would also like to personally thank my Copy Editor Victor Schwartzman for all his hard work, reading my babble is a task unto itself. I thank you for your patience, ideas and guidance. You have made this process fun and enjoyable. I’d do it again with you . . . in another 25 years."
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