Cartoon / Fantasy Organization
September 1997 Meeting
The 245th meeting, on 20 September at Gustav Baron's home/comics shop in Sun Valley, drew 28 attendees: 21 members, 2 guests, and 5 public. A photocopy of the USA Today article about the box-office success of Miyazaki's Mononoke Hime (translated as The Savage Princess) was displayed in the front room. Fred Patten sold YARF! and gave out convention flyers for Loscon 24 in Burbank in November, BAKA!-con in Seattle in February, Fanime Con '98 in Los Altos Hills in February, and Conucopia in Anaheim in August 1999. Steve Schultheis took orders for manga imports. David Bliss set out flyers for Inland Empire Anime's September meeting, and advertisements for his Furry Art. Steve Paschke supplied free doughnuts, and set up the barbeque grill on the front lawn to broil hamburgers to order for the cost of meat & condiments (50¢ each).
Programmer Richard Reichman was delayed by a plumbing problem at home, so the video program was begun with some anime laser discs that Jerry Shaw had brought, and a video of all the episodes broadcast so far of South Park (both Don Fields and Jeff Roady had taped them). Many attendees watched the front room monitor, where Jerry Shaw's Those Who Hunt Elves laser discs were being copied onto tape for the club's Video Library. This was followed by more episodes of South Park than most fans could take.
Jeff Roady opened the Business Meeting with the announcement that Channel 5's Batman program was now showing episodes of both the animated Batman and Superman cartoons in the afternoons. New episodes of both were appearing on Saturday mornings. Calamity Jane looked very good, with intense visuals; but its sound track spoiled some of the drama. Video Games had just released a home video version of Soul Blade with computer graphics opening credits which were not on the arcade version. Roady would appear in Knott's Berry Farm's Halloween Haunt, again this year. The Haunt, celebrating its 25th anniversary, was still hiring extras, and he would provide advice on how to apply if anyone were interested.
Secretary Fred Patten reported on his trip to the 1997 World Science Fiction Convention in San Antonio over the Labor Day weekend. Anime was ignored except for a Video Room in a poorly marked location, and a large A.D. Vision booth in the Dealers' Room. Jeff Siegel, who was now in the Air Force, sent his greetings to us and to anyone who remembered him from our earliest meetings. Patten had also met Laurine White of the Anime Sacramento club and Mari Wakefield of Project A-Kon. The Worldcon coincided with the August meeting of the San Antonio Animation Society, which was also that club's second anniversary party. Elin Winkler, the S.A.A.S.' president, invited any anime fans at the Worldcon to come to their party. Patten had, and had congratulated them in the C/FO's name. Patten had been interviewed a couple of days ago for an article about anime in Bridge U.S.A., the giveaway magazine for the Japanese community. It would probably be in the October 15th issue. He had also done the proofreading for a forthcoming book about The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass, and had the opportunity to inform Arthur Rankin about The Spirit of Christmas and South Park.
Programmer Richard Reichman thanked Jerry Shaw for starting the program since he had been late. He announced that the latest Babylon 5 news was that Channel 13 would broadcast all of the new episodes early in October, before we would be able to show them. We had taped Those Who Hunt Elves this afternoon, and would start adding it to our program next month. We were running low on features, and we might have to schedule some blocks of three or four episodes of half-hour series as features. Fred Patten volunteered a video of the Armitage III feature. Reichman asked for requests, and got votes for Maze and Tokyo Police Blues.
Treasurer "Red" Baron reported that we had $404 in the Treasury, $250 of which was set aside for Don Yee for our 20th anniversary T-shirt expenses, leaving about $150. As Video Librarian, Baron announced that we now had the first 12 episodes of Those Who Hunt Elves, and we would start recording Nadesico next, thanks to Jerry Shaw.
Bulletin Editor Stephen Paschke asked if members would take our monthly Bulletin via e.mail instead of on paper, to save the club printing and postage money? The idea was not well received. Some C/FOers did not have e.mail access; others preferred the convenience of a paper copy which they could carry around with them. It was agreed that those who would accept it on e.mail should let him know, and that he should begin including his e.mail address in the Bulletin.
General announcements. Jerry Shaw asked what had happened regarding the question of whether the C/FO By-Laws were worded in such a way as to require the paying of dues and attendance fees, and whether this constituted an illegal admission charge to our anime programs? This had not yet been looked into, and our resident lawyer, John Hall, was not present this month. Fred Patten was asked when the Armitage III video would be released; in early October. Steve Paschke asked "Red" Baron for an update on how long we could expect to keep meeting here. "Red" said until the building was sold, and there was no imminent likelihood of this. Eric Bitton had visited the Activision computer game company, and reported that it was developing a game called Heavy Gear whose mecha looked extremely like Votoms cloncs.
Our "late President" Don Yee arrived just before the Business Meeting was adjourned. He had gotten his computer back on line, and had found the Gainax Web site. It announced Gainax's news up to Sept. 5th. It did not say anything about permission for fannish public showings of Evangelion. Kenichi Sonoda had concluded Gunsmith Cats; the final volume of the manga was published. This reminded Fred Patten that a new book on Speed Racer had just been published in America -- by Hyperion Books, the Disney publishing company. Yee had a video copy of the new Special Edition of Hardware Wars. KTEH, a cable channel in San Jose, was showing dubbed and subtitled anime including Tenchi Muyo! and Robotech. Time magazine had an article a couple of weeks ago about how Miyazaki's Mononoke Hime was setting box office records in Japan and was about to overtake E.T. The Paradise Trading Company in Maryland was making a very good reproduction of the Valkyrie fighters from Macross. "Red" Baron commented that this was the 15th anniversary of Macross in Japan, and a lot of new highquality figures and mecha models were coming out. The Anime Crisis club in Las Vegas did not have any updates on plans for the big anime convention for 10 - 12 October. The Japanese organizers were still saying that it would be held, even though they did not have a hotel or any guests committed yet. Our reaction was a polite "ha, ha". Yee asked Patten to tell the club what new anime projects Streamline Pictures was working on. Patten said that it was not; Streamline's efforts had shifted to new American/European co-productions including a second Heavy Metal animated feature, which were still in development.
Yee held a brief auction which totaled $4.05 for the Treasury, from Robert John Williams, Stephen Paschke, "Red" Baron, and Greg Villagrana.
The September program shown was:
Jewel BEM Hunter Lime, #I, 'The Demoness Arrives! Recover the Magic Jewels!!'
South Park, #1
Jewel BEM Hunter Lime, #2, 'The Pixie's Purse. Investigate the Evil Deed!'
Spicy City, #3
Flash Gordon, #5, 'The Beast Men's Prey'
Spawn, #6
Hyper Police, file #2, 'Sakura, the Vixen With Nine Tails'
Tattoon Master, The First Gate
feature: City Hunter Special: Good Bye My Sweetheart (Sunrise, 1997)
Those Who Hunt Elves
South Park
Hardware Wars
Fred Patten, Secretary
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