Post by Elaine Walker in an interview with Mitch.
Mitch? launch t-shirt
(Continued…)
We continue our interview with Mitch by asking a bit more about his Fanzine/short story anthologies Mitch? (Volumes 1-4)
Elaine: How did you pick the contributors for the Mitch? anthologies?
Mitch: It wasn’t hard really.
I was on an email list with a bunch of pro and amateur writers and I put out the idea to them all and I think all of them came back with something for the book.
Some of the contributors told friends of theirs and they came forward with submissions too.
Some of them wrote something really short for it, others had these obscure short stories that had no viable places for them to be published so gave me that.
It was very quick and simple.
Elaine: Who did all the work for the Mitch? anthologies? And why?
Mitch: The first book I did what I could myself with some editing help from Justin Ackroyd and some layout and design help from Jonathan Strahan.
Volumes 2 thru 3 layout and design was done by Cat Sparks who offered to help after seeing the first Mitch? collection launch at SwanCon. Her help was very much appreciated as she knew a lot more about the whole business than I did.
I went back for volume 4 and tried to do it all again myself for one last hurrah.
Elaine: Tell us the story behind the “SwanCon 2000: more fun than a firm wedgie” bumper stickers. How many did you produce, and why?
Mitch: Did I do that?
I honestly don’t remember, I may have but back then I did silly stuff and forgot. I have a vague recollection of the saying but don’t know why, wow, my memory is going on me.
Elaine: What brought you to WA fandom?
Mitch: The one and only Danny Oz, of course he was Danny Heap back then.
He was the manager of my local comic shop at the time and from my (very) constant visits to the store we became friends, thru our friendship he suggested I come to a convention, this was Constantinople in Melbourne which I really enjoyed. I let Danny know how much I enjoyed it and he said, well if you enjoyed that, you should try SwanCon, it’s even better and I think the next year I did. It was SwanCon 23 I think with Neil Gaiman and Storm Constantine as guests.
Not only were they great guests, it was an awesome con where I met some wonderful people who I still call friends today.
I think I returned for SwanCon for about 6-7 years straight after that.
Elaine: What is your SF fannish history?
Mitch: Attending Swan cons really, thats it. I was never in any fan groups of any kind, just a very regular customer at the Alternate worlds comic shop in Camberwell. I have been on committee for Continuum conventions in various roles over the years including co-chairing C4 with Ian Mond and thats about it.
Elaine: What about fandom in states other than WA?
Mitch: Answered above I think.
Elaine: tell us about the Quiz nights you used to run – did they count as fannish?
Mitch: Not really, I’m sure a lot of my personality came through which would have had much fannishness about it but nothing overt that I can think of.
I have done some fannish trivia night with Danny on the odd occasion including an event at Aussiecon in 1999 and have hosted a few trivia nights for Continuum over the years
I started doing trivia nights as a friend of mine who was a stand up comic used to host one a the Star and garter hotel in South melbourne. he couldn’t keep doing it so I asked if I could take over which he obliged and we ran fortnightly and monthly for nearly 3 years.
End of interview