Category Archives: Fandom

Rare Star Wars Jawa figure found in loft sells for £19,500

That’s a little over 33 000$ Canadian. Start looking through your basements and attics!

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68118326

Excalibur Auctions Jawa figure
Excalibur Auctions The Jawa character, wearing a vinyl cape on Palitoy packaging, is considered one of the rarest 70s Star Wars figures

An “exceptionally rare” Star Wars figure found in a loft has outstripped its estimate after attracting worldwide interest at auction.

The Jawa character, complete with vinyl cape, is considered the “holy grail” of 1970s Star Wars figures, according to auctioneer Jonathan Torode.

It was snapped up by a UK collector for £19,500 during the Hertfordshire sale.

“I feel honoured to have handled another rare part of Star Wars toy history,” Mr Torode said.

“The Jawa figure is still the absolute ultimate for Star Wars collectors.”

It was the second time in six months that Excalibur Auctions, of Kings Langley, was able to show off such a sought-after collectible.

In July, it sold an identical Jawa figure for £26,670, including commission charges, after it was found by the same owner among memorabilia packed away in boxes.

Each figure was estimated to attain £10,000 to £15,000.

The figure owner, who worked for Marvel UK between 1974 and 1979, received a range of gifts from the UK toy company Palitoy during the promotion of the Star Wars line in Marvel comics.

Only 10 to 15 examples of this type of figure were documented, Excalibur Auctions said, with the vinyl cape substituted for a cloth cape not long into production.

The 2024 Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund

The 2024 Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund race has been announced today!

It will bring a North American fan to next year’s Worldcon in Glasgow.

TAFF, whose roots date back to 1952, is one of fandom’s oldest and arguably greatest creations — it’s crowdfunding, from long before crowdfunding was a word.
Full details of the nomination and voting procedure, and all relevant dates, may be found in the news bulletin, Taffluorescence! which is online at TAFF’s website: taff.org.uk

Stranger than science fiction: Inside China’s newest landmark

The Chendu SF museum was commissioned in 2022 to host this year’s 81st annual World Science Fiction Convention, nicknamed Worldcon. A building of this size and complexity would typically take four to five years to build, says Flores. But the 59,000 square-meter building — which is three times the size of the Sydney Opera House — went from concept to completion in just 12 months.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/30/style/chengdu-science-fiction-museum-hnk-spc-intl/index.html

 

CNN  — 

The seven-point metallic star floats on the glassy surface of the lake, reminiscent of a far-flung future civilization, or a spaceship touching down on an alien planet. It looks like something straight out of science fiction. Which it is, in a way: it’s the brand new Chengdu Science Fiction Museum in the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China.

From one side, the dynamic roof mimics the sloping mountains in the distance; from another, the canopy takes on the appearance of a cloud, its cantilever arches suspended above seamless panes of glass.

“From every angle, it will always look different; it will always look unusual or unexpected,” said Paulo Flores, one of the project directors at Zaha Hadid Architects, which designed the museum.

Perhaps more unexpected than the design itself is the time it took to build.

The museum was commissioned in 2022 to host this year’s 81st annual World Science Fiction Convention, nicknamed Worldcon. A building of this size and complexity would typically take four to five years to build, says Flores. But the 59,000 square-meter building — which is three times the size of the Sydney Opera House — went from concept to completion in just 12 months.

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Zines to share+ new Discord group for CUFF

From Garth Spencer:

Hello!

Attached is the September 2023 edition of /Shooting My CUFFs/, the newsletter of the Canadian Unity Fan Fund 2023-2024 campaign. Enjoy! Shooting My CUFFs #6

This is my first attempt to set up a public Discord group. I invite you to join the CUFF Discord group at

https://discord.gg/EnvnKJnd

Let’s see how this works!

Yours, Garth Spencer, 2023 CUFF delegate

From the N3F, N’APA:

With this mailing. N’APA 266. The issue is large enough that there is no room in the mailing for anything else.

NAPA266

le shawicon: Un hommage à la culture populaire !

This weekend, February 25-26, in Shawinigan, Québec https://shawicon.ca/

Le Shawicon est un événement se voulant un hommage à la culture populaire québécoise mais également internationale. Durant 2 jours, les visiteurs auront l’opportunité de rencontrer des personnalités célèbres, de prendre des photos avec eux, d’obtenir des autographes ainsi que d’assister à des conférences.

Également sur place, plus d’une quarantaine de commerçants de divers horizons présenteront de la marchandise originale et exclusive. Le ShawiCon est l’occasion unique pour les gens de tous les âges de rencontrer les artisans de leur film, série et livre préféré.

De plus : réalité virtuelle, tournoi de jeux vidéo, retro gaming, tournoi de cartes et plus encore.

Concert avec la musique du film Superman – Samedi 25 mars 2023

Concert avec la musique du film Superman – Samedi 25 mars 2023

2023-03-25 @ 19 h 30 min22 h 00 min

22,00$ à 41,00$

De la planète Krypton à Smallville, de l’Air Force One à San Andreas, toutes et tous connaissent son nom… Superman ! La bande sonore haute en couleurs et nuances de cet opus original de 1978 composée par John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter) est une des plus réputées de l’univers musical cinématique.

Joignez-vous à l’OVMF et sa formation musclée de plus de 60 musiciens le samedi 25 mars 2023 pour un concert d’une force surnaturelle.

https://ovmf.qc.ca/event/concert-avec-la-musique-du-film-superman-1/

CSFFA will be at Pemmi-Con

Dino fans: Science GoH is Philip John Currie AOE FRSC, Canadian palaeontologist and museum curator  –CPL

CSFFA will be at Pemmi-Con

Pemmi-Con* is happening in Winnipeg 20-23 July, 2023.

Eight of the nine Pemmi-Con Guests of Honour and the Toastmaster are Canadian. They are Julie E. Czerneda; Waubgeshig Rice; Nisi Shawl; John Mansfield; Philip John Currie AOE FRSC, Canadian palaeontologist and museum curator; Lorna Toolis, Ghost Guest of Honour; katherena vermette; George Freeman; Tanya Huff.

The Pemmi-Con website: https://main.pemmi-con.ca/

*Pemmi-Con is the 2023 NASFiC (North American Science Fiction Convention). NASFiCs occur in a North American city in a year when Worldcon is happening elsewhere than in North America.

Wonderful anthology from Africa

Gail Jamieson from South Africa has sent me a link to a wonderful anthology from Africa. The art is magnificent!I posted the table of contents below the message from Gail., but be sure to read the editorial which is delightful.  https://omenana.com/2022/12/23/omenana-issue-24-special-south-african-focussed-edition/

At 08:52 2023-01-07, Gail wrote:
Hi Cathy

I thought you might be interested to see what is happening in SF&F in Africa

https://omenana.com/2022/12/23/omenana-issue-24-special-south-african-focussed-edition/

Happy New Year BTW….

Best

Gail

Essays
1: A History of The Science Fiction & Fantasy South Africa (SFFSA) Club – Gail Jamieson
2: Men, Women & Other Beings From the South: An Overview of South African Science Fiction & Fantasy – Deirdre C. Byrne and Gerhard Hope
Stories
3: Amadi on the Concrete – Jarred. J. Thompson
4: Into the Hyacinth – Mandisi Nkomo
5: Naruoma, the Cow Detective of the Millennium – Rešoketšwe Manenzhe
6: What Pushes Against This Moment – VH Ncube
7: The White Necked Ravens of Camissa – Nick Wood
8: TAAL – Abigail Godsell
9: Slipping – Lauren Beukes

Omenana Speculative Fiction Magazine is published quarterly by Seven Hills Media. All rights reserved. For feedback or information, please email sevenhills.media@yahoo.com

 

Montreal Science Fiction and Fantasy Association