[This is a text-only version of the Minicon 8 program book, created in 2009. It does not attempt to reproduce the formatting of the original (except when doing so is trivial), but rather is meant to be as accessible to people and computer programs as possible. This file does not contain the text of advertisements. Errors may have been made in transcription, others are lovingly reproduced from the original. Check the scans if it matters to you which are which.] Minicon 8 Kelly Freas was born in Hornell, New York and reared in Canada. He attended Catholic University and Georgetown University in Washington D.C., Columbus Art School in Columbia, Ohio, Carnegie Tech and Art Institute of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has exhibited in one-man and group shows in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio and Mexico; and he gives frequent lectures on his work. He has been in Science Fiction for a little over 20 years, and has won the Hugo seven times, of which he is justly proud. He has also been given the title of Dean of Science Fiction Illustrators, and his posters and prints have won national awards. Besides science fiction, he worked for MAD magazine for several years, doing the front, back and inside covers during most of that time. Recently he created the little character on CRAZY and has been doing their covers. He has done portraits, religious art, technical illustrations, medical art, cartoons, etc., and once in a while when it is necessary to meet the budget, he does advertising. But science fiction is probably his first and only true love. he is well known for the thought and research he puts into his illustrations, and the search for data has taken him from the launch pads of Cape Canaveral with the Space Program, to the bottom of the Atlantic in a nuclear submarine. His wife, Polly, works with him in most of his ventures, being the business partner of the family. There is a daughter, Jacqueline, in her first year of college, and a son, Jerry, in his last year of high school, both of whom turn up frequently in illustrations. Ladies and Gentleman, you are being controlled. No it's not the Deros this time, it's Bob Tucker. Tucker has for years held you in his thrall with your knowledge. It all began when he worked for the Roosevelt administration in 1935. He set up the Great Staple War, an effort that in later years evolved into the War on Poverty and the food-stamp program. He retired from government shortly after his first death, which took place in late 1935 and caused the letter column of Astounding to become sercon ever after. (At least until 1938....) This forced retirement permitted Tucker to launch his most famous effort on propaganda, his fanzine Le Zombie. Since the magazine was supposedly published ever time a zombie awoke, Tucker published an issue after he heard of the death of a fan. Most fannish deaths in those days were greatly exaggerated, of course. Tucker suffered several of them, until they no longer affected him at all. At that time he stopped publishing fanzines. Our hero then turned to writing, becoming famous as a mystery author. Earl Stanly Gardener and Robert Blotch were his most famous pseudonyms; when he occasionally wrote science fiction, he was known as Vektis Brack and Volsted Gridban. Arthur Leo Zagat once said of him, "Do you have fireflies in there?" For several years Tucker was also employed in the motion picture industry. Over the years Tucker has built up his power. The greatest demonstration of his fannish sneakiness came when he was designated contractor for a hotel for the World Science Fiction Convention. Fans were to send him a brick through the mail for the hotel's construction. Shortly thereafter, Tucker moved without leaving a forwarding address. This maneuver clearly demonstrates the Machiavellian nature of Tucker's brilliant though devious mind. His great wit has brought him power; and so it is that the Minnesota Science Fiction Society honors the True Secret Master of Fandom, Bob Tucker. MINICON 8 Program All events are in the Regency Room (4th floor) unless otherwise noted. FRIDAY 12 APRIL 1974 Noon: Registration (closes 9:30 PM); Booksellers (on 2nd floor, closes 6:00 PM); Art Show (2nd floor, closes at 6:00 PM) 5:30 PM Semi-official expedition to McDonalds 6:30 PM Opening Ceremonies 7:00 PM FILM PROGRAM: A Trip to the Moon (10 minutes) Mystery of the Leaping Fish (20 minutes) Rod Flash Conquers the Universe (8 minutes) The Sex-Life of a Polyp (10 minutes) 8:10 PM The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse (90 minutes) 9:45 PM Things to Come (90 minutes) 9:30 PM Party suite opens (8th floor) SATURDAY 13 APRIL 1974 11:00 AM Registration opens (closes 5:00 PM); Art Show and Booksellers open (closes at 5:00 PM) Noon: Autograph session in the Chinese Room (2nd floor) 1:00 PM Great Fannish Myths to Known and Love Denny Lien, Bob Tucker, Leigh Couch and Jim Young 2:00 PM Building a "Black-Hole" Space ship Ben Bova, Gordy Dickson, Kelly Freas 3:00 PM Getting Away From It All: Making Space Flight a Reality Gary Hudson, Cliff Simak, Ben Bova, Gordy Dickson and Kelly Freas 4:00 PM Auction (ends about 5:00 PM) 5:00 PM Cocktail hour in the Coronation Room (5th floor) 6:00 PM Banquet in the Coronation Room (5th floor) 7:30 PM After-banquet speechifying in the Regency Room (4th floor) With Ben Bova, Toastmaster; Kelly Freas, Professional Guest of Honor; and Bob Tucker, Fan Guest of Honor 8:30 PM Auction 9:00 PM Feature Films: Forbidden Planet (90 minutes) Party suite opens (8th floor) SUNDAY 14 APRIL 1974 11:00 AM Registration, Art Show and Booksellers open (close at 4:00 PM) 11:00 AM The Social Impact of Bioengineering A free-for-all round-table discussion, with coffee 1:15 PM Auction 2:00 PM The Science Fiction Art Scene Kelly Freas and Rick Sternbach 2:45 PM Artists' Panel -- Proposed topic: Alien Spacecraft with Freas, Sternbach and Dick Tatge 3:00 PM Ron Bounds discourses on Discon II 4:00 PM Auction 6:00 PM Official close of convention 7:00 PM Party suite opens (8th floor) The banquet will take place Saturday evening at 6:00 in the Coronation Room (5th floor). It will be preceeded by a cocktail hour beginning at 5:00, also in the Coronation Room. The banquet costs $5.00 per person, and the menu consists of the following: Tossed Salad Chopped Sirloin Steak with Mushroom Sauce French-Style Green Beans Baked Potato Creme de Menthe Ice Cream Your choice of Beverage Following the banquet, the Guests of Honor will present their speeches in the Regency Room (4th floor). The cover for this program book is by Jim Odbert. Guest of Honor illustrations on pages 2 and 4 are by Kelly Freas, with the illo on page 4 based on photos by Fred Haskell. The editing is by Don Blyly, Ken Fletcher, and Jim Young, with typing assistance by Jerry Stearns. Special thanks to those members of the Minnesota Science Fiction Society who have donated time and space to the collation of this program book and the other Minicon publications. THE MINICON 8 COMMITTEE: Don Blyly -- Co-chairman (hotel and publicity) Jim Young -- Co-chairman (programming) Bev Swanson -- Registration Dick Tatge -- Art Show Denny Lien -- Auction Gerry Wassenaar -- Hucksters' Room Bob Schmelzer -- Party Supplies Chuck Holst -- Films Caryl Bucklin -- Treasurer Blue Petal -- Set-up Margie Lessinger -- Advertising Art Coordinator Fred Haskell -- Official Happy Deadwood --And a cast of thousands!-- Normal check-out time at the Dyckman Hotel is at 3:00 in the afternoon. The Dyckman has agreed to extend check-out time to 6:00 PM, if you ask for the extension at the time you register for your hotel room. There is a standard added charge of $10.00 if you check-out after the designated check-out time.