Excerpt from book - Ken Macklin

"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. "