Norwescon 1 Program Book Cover Art
Norwescon 1
<p>This is a scan of the original art for the Norwescon 1 program book cover. The cover is by Bill Warren (William R. Warren, Jr.), 1978; India ink on vellum.</p>
<p>The little gnome with the glowing guts sitting under the bridge with his quill is, of course, Norwescon's guest of honor, Theodore Sturgeon. The fellow to the left with the staff is toastmaster Ray Bradbury.</p>
<p>Bill had the artwork done before he learned who the toastmaster was. Upon hearing the news, he replaced the face of the original wizardy guy with a sketch of Bradbury. The patch is still there on the original art.</p>
<p>Once upon a time, Theodore Sturgeon wrote a passage about a little gnome sitting under a bridge, this guts a-glow as he penned some tome. Bill based this scene on that passage. And now, dang it, I cannot find the original quote.</p>
<p>All the other characters in the scene are from Sturgeon stories.</p>
<p>The "Q" with an arrow through it is Sturgeon's personal symbol. It means, "Ask the next question."</p>
<p>He advocated that we keep asking questions about the why and the how of it, expanding our knowledge throughout our lives.</p>
<p>You might also be familiar with Sturgeon's Law: "90% of everything is crud." It came from a time a fan complained to him that 90% of science fiction was crud. Sturgeon replied, "Of course it is! But then, 90% of everything is crud!"<br /><br />He was quite adamant in saying that the word was "crud," not "crap." However, whether it's 90% or 95% is of no significance. The important thing is to seek out the good stuff.</p>
<p>(Text by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6984083488318502&set=gm.10160911927384520&idorvanity=2381049519">Gregory Bennett</a>)</p>
William R. Warren, Jr.
Norwescon
1978
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6984083488318502&set=gm.10160911927384520&idorvanity=2381049519">Gregory Bennett</a>
Copyright William R. Warren, Jr. 1978
Norwescon 1 ConCom Cartoon
Norwescon 1
<p>Bill Warren drew this cartoon depicting some members of the Norwescon 1 convention committee to fill a space in the program book. It was amusing enough, but there was depth to it.</p>
<p>Many of the people in the cartoon are identifiable from Bill's caricatures, and I asked him about the few who weren't. So, to document this before it entirely disappears from living memory, I have included a version with labels in addition to the original scan from the program book.</p>
<p>Counter-clockwise from the left:</p>
<p>Becky Bennett (now Becky Veal) - My wife at the time. Becky was our concom secretary. She went on in fandom to co-chair the 1992 Worldcon in Orlando, and now is married to Tom Veal, who was chairman of Chicon IV... or V; wunna dem anywho.</p>
<p>Bill Warren - William R. Warren, Jr. Artist extraordinaire who created about 75% of all the ad hoc artwork that appeared in NWSFS and Norwescon publications.</p>
<p>Elizabeth Warren - married to Bill at the time. She went on to chair a Norwescon or two. Bob Doyle - I think he was in charge of the dealer room at Norwescon 1; or maybe he was helping Dave Bray do that.</p>
<p>Richard Wright - (in the ceiling) Richard was our business manager. He later chaired the NWSFS and then several Norwescons. Richard was also responsible for bringing the Philip K. Dick awards to Norwescon, and for bringing in back after Norwescon faltered.</p>
<p>Steve Bard - program director for Norwescon 1. More than anyone else, Steve is responsible for defining Norwescon's style and propelling it to the forefront of fannish SF conventions. He had the brass to invite practically everyone in the SFWA; and they came! Steve picked up the reins when Melva and I moved to Houston the next year, and chaired Norwescon 3 through 5.</p>
<p>Greg Bennett - "I must be important because I'm the guy with the big chair." --David Bradley, about his role as Walder Frey in "Game of Thrones"</p>
<p>Jane Hawkins - (on the couch with Becky) Jane breathed life into the Norwescon art show. She defined it, invited the artists, and set it on its path to greatness.</p>
<p>Of course there were many others who helped before and during the convention, but these are the folks who Bill thought of when he needed a cartoon to fill the space.</p>
<p>(Text by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2381049519?multi_permalinks=10160908857494520">Gregory Bennett</a>)</p>
Bill Warren
Page 38 of the <a href="https://history.norwescon.org/items/show/1">Norwescon 1 Program Book</a>
Northwest Science Fiction Society (NWSFS)
March 25-26, 1978
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2381049519?multi_permalinks=10160908857494520">Gregory Bennett</a>
Copyright by Bill Warren
English
Norwescon 1 Photo Gallery
Norwescon 1
Photos from Norwescon 1
Norwescon
March 25-26, 1978
Norwescon 1 Newspaper Announcement
Norwescon 1
A short newspaper blurb announcing the first Norwescon.
Provenance is currently unsure, but most likely the Seattle P-I.
Sometime between March 18 and 24, 1978.
Cliff Wind and Marilyn Holt, via Don Glover
English
Newspapper clipping
Norwescon 1 Flyer
Norwescon 1
Advertising flyer for Norwescon 1
Norwescon
1978
Don Glover
8.5x11 paper
English
Advertising flyer
Looking Back at Norwescon 1
Norwescon 1
maydela
Norwescon 1 Badge
Badge #368.
March 25-26, 1978
Don Glover
Norwescon 1 Program Book
Norwescon 1
<p>The full program book for Norwescon 1.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nwsfs/posts/10160911927384520/?comment_id=10160912064094520">Notes from Gregory Bennett</a>, Norwescon 1 chair:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>And yet another fun note about the Norwescon 1 program book and how it got to be that size.</p>
<p>I had mentioned the pocket program at Midamericon in Kansas City in 1976, and how convenient that turned out to be. However, I neglected to explain that it was sized to fit into the back pocket of a pair of blue jeans.</p>
<p>I also failed to note that my vision was for a large, fancy souvenir book accompanied by a pocket program that would be printed at the last minute the latest version of the schedule.</p>
<p>So, come the next concom meeting, we were talking about thus and such when a couple of guys–had to be Bill Warren and another of the Usual Suspects–came over and started fussing with the pocket of the shirt I was wearing.</p>
<p>“Just ignore us,” they said. So I did. We just kept on keeping on while they did what they wanted to do. It turned out they were measuring the pocket of the shirt that I was wearing that day, and so the Norwescon 1 program book was sized to fit that pocket!</p>
<p>And that, dear fans, is the source of “Chairman Greggie’s Little Green Book.”</p>
<p>Fortunately, we got it right in future Norwescons. :)</p>
</blockquote>
Northwest Science Fiction Society
Northwest Science Fiction Society
March 25-26, 1978
Don Glover
Copyright (c) 1978 by the Northwest Science Fiction Society, for the Contributors.