The index claims this is on page 4 of the Programme Book for Swancon XIII. It has been transcribed by Elaine Walker because she did the other Tim Richards one and thus balance. Any typos will be reproduced to the best of her ability.
Who is Tim Richards
Tim Richards is, I suppose, a Well Known Fan. This is not necessarily because he has done a lot (although he has). mostly its because he’s so noticeable. People remember Tim Richards. Its hard not to really – at 6’3″, a big man with a high profile personality and since July ’87, a red beard, he looks quite fearsome. Never fear, however. Like planet earth he is mostly harmless.
Mostly.
Tim was a founding member of the West Lodge, the local Dr Who club, and was its chairman for a year. He is the editor of the Dr Who zine Mentalis, its sister publication the Mentalis Annuals and children of Zeos, and soon to be co-editor of Inconsequential Parallax (a proposed genzine). He has contributed to fanzines Australia-wide and overseas. He was the chairman of the committee for the recent WHOCON 4, the fourth national Dr Who convention in Australia. At Eccentricon he backed the Village’s Number Two in the Galactic Elections 9and came second….). He has organised and appeared in panels at previous Swancons. He is responsible for the weird cult club The Mentalis Folding Society ( the idea? Why fold, envelope-stuff and seal 100 odd copies of Mentalis every few months by yourself when you can get a bunch of friends to come around, do most of it for you, get them to bring munchies and drinks, and call it a party so no-one will realise that they are doing all the work for you, and supplying the food at the same time!). Tim also likes travelling, meeting people, and raging.
A favourite pasttime of the amazing Tim Richards is to casually place devastating and superb issues of various comics under the noses of unsuspecting comics-pooh-poohers, and say “Oh, just try this one issue…” He has subverted at least four people to the appreciation of graphic literature in this manner to date. This is a warning.
For other reading matter, Tim enjoys Sherlock Holmes, most science fiction and the backs of cereal packets. He reads Doonebury in the Australian, won’t dignify the Daily News by calling it a newspaper and admires Joanna Lumley for her works for charity and skill in foreign languages.
Pets-wise, he has a black Labrador named Kelly, who would much rather live on an orchard in Donnybrook than with him in Perth, and Princess the Dead Cat, who really couldn’t care less.
Better Homes and Gardens wouldn’t deign to inspect Mr Richards former home in Nedlands, and their disinterest has continued with his move to South Perth, but his decor remains unchanged. Not a single stitch of furniture matches. The marked individuality of this organised chaos is a trademark of the man. “Never do anything that anyone else expects you to do” he proclaims. “If simply everyone is doing it, then unless I think its a good idea I simply won’t.” Hence, although he will drive on the left side of the road (it’s a good idea to not get run down by cars coming the down the regualar way) he wouldn’t get his licence at the usual 17 years, just because “you’re supposed to.”
Tim Richards had this to say about death. “I don’t believe in an afterlife, but for my last bit of fun, I think I’ll find the best trilogy in my collection, leave the first and third books to someone, and leave the middle book to a name picked randomly from the telephone book. Hey, hey, hey,…”
Narelle M. Harris