TAFFlon Tudor #3

Ulrika O'Brien has won the 1997/1998 TAFF race to Europe and will represent North American fandom at the 1998 National British Science Fiction Convention in Manchester, England, 10-13 April 1998.

                  Total   NA      Euro    Other   First   Second  Third
                  First   First   First   First   Round   Round   Round
                  Place   Place   Place   Place
                  Votes   Votes   Votes   Votes

Victor Gonzalez:   55      39      14       2      60      60       77
Ulrika O'Brien:    69      46      23      --      82      82      105
Vicki Rosenzweig:  46      32      14      --      57      57       --
Tom Sadler:        42      31      11      --      --      --       --
Hold Over Funds:    3       1       2      --       3      --       --
No Preference:      9      --      --      --      --      --       --
                  ___     ___      __      __     ___     ___      ___
Totals:           224     149      64       2     202     199      182

As can be seen from the above, Tom Sadler was eliminated since candidates are required to obtain at least 20% of the total first-place votes in both North America and Europe. Hold Over Funds stays in because it's specifically excluded from the "20%-rule elimination". The first elimination round, which redistributed the first place ballots for Tom Sadler, disposed of Hold Over Funds and Vicki Rosenzweig was eliminated in the second elimination round. The third round, with Vicki Rosenzweig's ballots redistributed, saw Ulrika O'Brien (who had led all the way through the process) as a clear winner. Congratulations to Ulrika and many thanks to the other candidates for a fine race.

(Please note that North American ballots received over here, and European ballots received by Dan Steffan, were re-allocated to the correct areas before calculating the "20% Rule" above, and that ballots from fans not resident in either Europe or North America were not counted towards either 20% minimum, but were included in the other elimination rounds.)

Ulrika, Ka, Ka in the UK

I'm sure that you will all wish to, at the very least, say "Hi" if not splash out and buy the 1998 TAFF winner a drink during her visit. To help you do this here is Ulrika's TAFF Trip Itinerary:

The 1998 Europe to North America TAFF Race

The 1998 Europe to North America TAFF Race was launched on 1St November 1997, so for the brief period 1st November to 13th December 1997 two TAFF Races were running concurrently.

Despite this ballots have been coming in fast and furious as Chris Bell, Bridget "Bug" Hardcastle and Maureen Kincaid Speller continue their race for the right to represent Europe at the 1998 World SF Convention, Bucconeer, in Baltimore in August 1998. Voting closes on this westward bound race at midnight on the 25th April 1997. (Ballots are available from any of the THREE, count 'em, three, TAFF administrators - see below for details, or from http://taff.org.uk/ courtesy of Dave Langford -- to whom many thanks!)

Money, Money, Money

Despite the fact that my predecessor, Abigail Frost, has not repaid any more of the money that she misappropriated during her administration, European TAFF is looking fairly healthy. (Unfortunately, not as healthy as I'd hoped last year, when I prematurely announced in TAFFlon Tudor 2.5 that all the debts had been cleared -- I'd overlooked one for £300, oh well it is paid now.) The fund currently stands at just over £1,300.

However, despite its comparatively healthy state the European fund is eager for more money. I still have a couple of the glorious, bright red, TAFF t-shirts, illustrated by Dan Steffan. (US size 'L', just £12 per shirt by post). The fifth instalment of HAVE BAG, WILL TRAVEL, my 1996 TAFF Trip Report, has been written and will appear in the Intuition Programme Book in April 1998. The first four instalments, which were written and published during the trip, are still available for £2 per set. (This is also available on the World Wide Web, courtesy of Dave Langford, on http://taff.org.uk/.)

The complete 1996 report (with an introduction, lots of splendid illustrations and conclusion) will hopefully be available at my table in the Dealers Room at Intuition in April 1998 or from me at the address below for a mere (minimum) £5.00 donation to TAFF (or the equivalent of £8.00 outside the UK), inclusive of postage and packing. Sterling cheques/money orders payable to "Martin Tudor", US dollar cheques/money orders payable to "Ulrika O'Brien" or "Dan Steffan".

Still on the subject of trip reports (and money) Dave Langford has produced "Ken Bulmer's 1955 report, published 1998 and poshly bound (A4 softcover)" copies available Dave Langford for £5.00 post free. Cheques payable to "David Langford" to 94 London Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5AU.

Plus, of course, there will be TAFF auctions at both Corflu UK and Intuition -- please come along and spend lots of money.

In 1996 Chuch Harris donated the cream of his fanzine collection to US fan Gary Farber (who was returning to New York after attending Novacon 26) to auction for TAFF. As Farber failed to do this Vicki Rosenzweig, one of the losing candidates in the recent TAFF race, volunteered to auction them instead. Over to Vicki:

TAFF Mail Auction

As some of you already know, Chuch Harris has generously donated the cream of his fanzine collection for auction to benefit the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (TAFF). The auction was originally to have been run by Gary Farber. Gary has been unable to do so for a variety of personal reasons, so I have stepped in Much of this announcement, including the descriptions of the fanzines, is taken from Gary's draft

This announcement is going to the current TAFF mailing lists, to such other people as I can think of who might be interested, and to rec.arts.sf.fandom and rec.arts.sf.announce Please feel free to forward it, but please keep it intact, and let me know of any large-scale forwarding

A list of fanzines being auctioned is attached below, with descriptions as written by Gary Farber and Chuch Harris I'm going to keep the mechanics as simple as possible, within the goals of getting these zines to good fannish homes and raising money for TAFF.

Bids should be sent to me paper mail or email (or in person if convenient), not as Usenet posts (my newsfeed is spotty)

The next announcement of current high bids is scheduled for late March. There will definitely be an announcement on April 15. and there may be additional announcements between now and then. If in doubt, feel free to send me email (at vr@interport.net). Announcements will be made on rec.arts.sf. fandom. by email to bidders or others who give me an email address and ask to be notified, and via the postal service to people who supply me with self-addressed stamped envelopes. (If you're outside the US, send the self-addressed envelopes and some international reply coupons, or a dollar or two if you have US currency lying around.) The Web page (see below) is mostly an advertisement of the auction; I will try to post high bids there, but information on rec.arts.sf.fandom may be more current. The auctioneer may bid, she will not declare herself the winner in any bidding without notifying other people who have bid for that item and giving them the chance to outbid her. (It's possible that they'll then get email saying "OK, you bid 80, I bid 85, what do you say?")

The minimum bids stated below are in US dollars. Bids will also be accepted in pounds; I'll compare the two at current published exchange rates. (Bidders resident in neither the US nor the UK may bid in either currency, but will need to arrange to send their payments in that currency.)

I have been informed by several people I trust that the minimum bids on some items were too high; this page reflects revised values Anything that doesn't sell at or above the current minimum bid will be auctioned off at a convention, where you'll probably pay a good deal more than the numbers on the Web page fandom has auctioneers who are a lot more persuasive than letters on a screen.

Nobody will be sending me money; the winning bidders will be notified and asked to send their payments to the appropriate TAFF administrator. When the administrator tells me they got the money, I'll arrange to send the fanzine to the winning bidder (at the bidder's expense, by any reasonable shipping method).

Quote from Gary Farber begins here: Chuch Harris, longtime famous Big Name Fan, former co-editor of HYPHEN, has been overwhelmingly generous in donating his personal file of his most treasured fanzines to be auctioned for TAFF. These are those fanzines, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fanzine collectors which is sweetened by the knowledge that the money will go to the traditional sf fan charity, the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, which sends fans on an exchange trip across the Atlantic.

A description of the items follows, with minimum bids. The run of HYPHEN will be auctioned as individual issues, minimum bids $20 per issue.

Bidding will be continuous; the state of the bidding will be announced on a regular schedule, as stated above

1 Q #23. November, 1989. By Chuch Harris. Perfect condition, high quality paper stock. 42 pages. Trip report of Chuch's trip to America, including the Minneapolis CORFLU, and Seattle. Illustrated by ATom. Offset. Q was a fanzine/quasi-apa by Chuch for a handful of friends in the Eighties. Minimum Bid: $7

2 Proof copy of BEYOND THE ENCHANTED DUPLICATOR by Walter A Willis and James White 1990. Produced by Geri Sullivan. Only four or five of these proofs for correction were produced. Spiral bound, fine quality. Laser printing. Minimum Bid: $15.

3. THE ENCHANTED DUPLICATOR by Walt Willis and Bob Shaw. First Edition. February, 1954 Copy #1, of 200 copies; numbered, limited edition. Map and lettering by Bob Shaw Unique item Binding flaking somewhat, but in generally good condition. Minimum Bid: $1 50. Current high bid $250

4 THIS GOON FOR HIRE by John Berry. Illustrated by Arthur Thomson, duplicated and published by Chuch Harris. 18 pages; mimeographed. Good condition; staples rusted. Originally appeared in FAPA and OMPA; date uncertain. Tale of Goon Berry, of the Goon Defective Agency. No, not Goon Bleary, but "Goon Berry" in this case. Minimum Bid: $20. Current high bid: $50.

5. VARGO STATTEN SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE, Vol. I, No 3. Professional magazine, pulp. 1953-4? Contains Chuch Harris's only professional sf/fantasy story: "Omega." Also contains other sf/fantasy, and material on fanzines by "Vargo Statten," J.J. Hansby. E.C. Tubb, "Volsted Gridban," Stuart Mackenzie, and Alfred Hind. "Who's Who in Fandom" entry on Walt Willis with photo. Column on "Fandom and The Future" by Stuart Mackenzie. Ads for the SuperManCon, and debate about the con in the lettercolumn. Yellowing, but in basically good condition, shading a bit towards fair. 64 pages. Minimum Bid: $30.

6. PAMPHREY #7. Walter Willis FAPAzine. October, 1958. Final issue. Single sheet, two sides Farewell to FAPA. Thanks fans, discusses attacks on Willis by G. M. Carr. Slight folds, but good condition. Minimum Bid: $10.

7. PAMPHREY #3. Walter Willis FAPAzine. October, 1956. 16 pages; single staple. Traditional green "Hyphen" paper; good condition. Two page article entitled "Love All" by Madeline Willis on ghoodminton session with Bob and Sadie Shaw; very funny. Two pages of "THEN": fannish autobiography/history by Walter. "Read Letter Day," three page article by John Berry. "I Remember Me" by Walt Willis, six pages, reminiscence of 1947 fannish days. "Wabherjocky": quarter-page faanish poem by Terry Carr:

Last page on TAFF, nitter-natter, and plea "Come back. Redd Boggs." Minimum Bid $15. Current high bid: $15.

8. GOONTACT "13." "April 1st", early 196?. Hoax newszine, published "once in a lifetime by the GOONTACT group: Vincent Clarke, Joy Clarke, 'Sandy' Sanderson, Chuck Harris "Editor: V. Clarke; publisher C.R. Harris. Four pages. Subscription rates in kopecks and roubles. Includes "announcements" such as that allegedly from H L. Gold on his new fanzine: "Scheduled for the first issue is a definitive checklist of Mrs Frederick Pohls, an appreciation of Vargo Statten by Damon Knight " Minimum Bid $10

9 Apazines and little one-shots: "I Wish I Knew What 'Nuces Tibi' Meant" FAPA/OMPA zine on TAFF feuds, arguing with Bob Madle. 1959? 5 pages Argues about TAFF "rule" "that candidates must he fairly well-known on both sides of the Atlantic." "Off The Cuff for Gertrude" 3 pages. open letter to GM Carr on same TAFF feud. "A True Bill" by Eric Bentcliffe and John Berry, with contributions by Walter Willis, Chuch Harris, Sadie Shaw, Diane Berry, George Charters, Bob Shaw 4 pages, second sheet torn in half first page partially torn. Minimum Bid $10. Current high bid $10

10 3 issues of "Peace on Sol III -- Goodwill To Mellow Fen." 1962, 1964, 1965 Christmas fanzine/cards from Walt Madeleine Willis Palm-sized 8-pagers with dialogues and ATom illos. Minimum Bid: $15

11 Complete run of HYPHEN #1-37 Some loose pages, good to fair condition. Rusting staples. These ill be sold as single issues, and a brief description of the contents of each will be forthcoming in future Bulletins [if I can get someone knowledgeable to write it--VR]. Minimum Bid $20 per issue.

12 Fen Critturs Comical Books. Summer, 1952 16 page half-sized mimeo'd comic book. Written and Drawn by Bob Shaw. assisted by Vincent Clarke. Original Story by Bob Shaw and James White. Additional material by Chuck Harris, Vince Clarke, and Walter A. Willis. Faanish parody of Pogo comics, using Pogo characters "Friend! Fandom is not just a mad merry-go-round! Each of us must work for the bettermint of human beans!" Later: "But the convention!" "Us big time headeetors ain't got no time fer joovenile conventions! Ahs got mah circoolation to think on! The footure of s-fl" Minimum Bid: $20. Current high bid: $20

13 The Bob Shaw Appreciation Magazine, "Vol. 1, No 1." July, 1952. 8 pages; magazine done for BoSh when he moved from Ireland to England. "Official organ of The Bob Shaw Fan Club." Cover by BoSh. Articles by BoSh, Vincent Clarke, James White. Walter Willis on "Shaw, Ireland's gift to English Fandom" Minimum Bid: $20.

14 THE HARP STATESIDE. 72 pages. Walter Willis's trip report of his 1952 Willis Fund trip to America and the Chicon II. Published in February, 1957. Illustrated by Arthur Thomson. Dense, hilarious, thoughtful, and wonderful Minimum Bid: $35.

15 LONCONFIDENTIAL. Chuch Harris's trip report on the 1957 London Worldcon. 15 pages. Illustrated by ATom (Arthur Thomson). Another wonderful, hilarious, observant document, now historic; deserves to be remembered with the more famous Willis reports. Minimum Bid: $20.

16. WILLIS DISCOVERS AMERICA, 1952. 24 pages. May, 1955. Collected version of fictionalized version of a trip report Walter Willis originally, wrote in summer of 1952 for Lee Hoffman's QUANDRY and Shelby Vick's CONFUSION while fund raising for the 1952 Willis trip was ongoing. Illustrations by LeeH (Lee Hoffman), Vincent Clarke, BoSh (Bob Shaw). Minimum Bid: $25.

17 More apazines: MEANDER, by Chuch Harris, illustrated by ATom, for OMPA #2. 8 pages, half-sized 195? SURD No. 2, by Chuch Harris, for FAPA; 6 pages of mailing comments. Rotsler illo on cover. Undated: somewhere between 1952-62. CHUX OWN: OMPA zine. 8 pages. 2 pages on TAFF feud; 4 pages of general funny fannish writing on Chuch's holiday planning, the Vincent Clarke flat, HYPHEN, other fannish bits. 2 pages of cartoons and a bit of text on the "Harris School of Motoring." Last page is loose Minimum Bid: $15.

18. MOONVENTION Program. 6 pages of alleged program for hoax moon convention ("also known as the Looniecon"). done for the London Convention, 1953, and FAPA by Chuch Harris and Ken Slater. "Your favorite authors, artists, editors, and James White, Elron Hubbard, and John Russell Fearn will all be in attendance." Bite-sized piece missing from upper right corner, but no text missing. Yellowing, rusty staples, mimeoed. "We go pogo." Minimum Bid: $10.

19 THE STORY SO FAR A Brief History of British Fandom -- 1931-1987 by Rob Hansen. Offset booklet produced for Worldcon 1987, CONSPIRACY. Offset, perfect condition, 50 pages of very small type. Minimum Bid $7. Current high bid $7

20. BEYOND THE ENCHANTED DUPLICATOR by Walt Willis and James White, illustrated by Stu Shiffman. Copy number 1 of 200 copy limited edition, autographed by Willis and White and Shiffman to Chuch Mimeoed, offset covers. "Collector's First Edition." 1991. Minimum Bid: $15. Current high bid $15.

21. "Wild Heir." Classic faanish piece by Walter Willis satirizing the style of Charles Burbee Very bad condition, torn in half, flaking, with photocopy. ([Gary Farber] reprinted this in "Drift" in 1977, and others reprinted it in other zines both earlier and later; [he] think[s] it was in a Katz "Wilde Heirs" recently.) Minimum Bid: $5.

A complete run of SLANT. Detailed descriptions to follow. Minimum bid per issue: $30. All SLANTs, save for #7, which is hybrid, were produced by letterpress with handset type. They are NOT mimeographed. These are incredibly rare and valuable. Chuch Harris's personal set is, of course, unique. Brief descriptions from the keyboard of Chuch Harris:

22. Slant No.1 Nov 1948. This is a replica copy produced to make up the set. The illos, by James White, are produced from blocks of plywood cut with a razor blade. It featured "Contact with Earth".. fiction by Walter Himself. He wrote the rest of the contents too. There are 12 half size (half of A4 sheets) and they are all pretty good. The "Sale & Want" list inside bacover shows the eternal Willis hunger for US ASF from April 1934 onwards. It is witty and erudite and one hell of a project when you realise every single letter was hand set and the result printed on a junk store printing press.

23. Slant 2 Summer 49. Original edition. Cover and illos are James White linocuts again. It features "The Still Small Voice" by Clive Jackson, "Outcast" by Walt and "All Dogs are Equal" by Cedric Walker and the usual brilliant "departments."

24. Slant 3 Spring 1950. Cover and interior illos by James White; linocuts. Contents all typeset. "Strictly Logical" by Cedric Walker. "Atomic Error" Forrest J Ackerman. "The Swordsmen of Varnis" Geoffrey Cobbe "Revenge" by E E Evans (!!!) and "Last Wish" by H K Bulmer and the usual departments (that was always the best thing in every issue).

25. Slant 4 Autumn 1950. Superb multicoloured linocut cover by James White. Fiction Manly Banister, Ted Tubb, Geoffrey Cobbe, Cedric Walker, Ken Bulmer, Clive Jackson and all the usual departments.

26. Slant 5 Spring 1951 Another fine linocut colourcover by James White. Fiction by Peter Philips DR Smith Peter Ridley HT McAdams Willis/Bulmer, F G Rayer Clive Jackson. Ermengarde Fiske ---who is bloody marvellous in a New Yorkery sort of way contributes a column in this issue.

27. Slant 6 Winter 51/2 Another full colour linocut cover by Jas with interiors by Banister Shaw and White. Fiction by Brunner, Banister, A Bertram Chandler, Evelyn Smythe (that's Ermengarde!) Clive Jackson ER James BoSh and Ken Bulmer and all the usual departments. (4E, EFR A fanmanship lecture from Bosh etc etc All this for 25 cents or 1 US promag.

28. Slant 7. Winter 52/3. The printing press has finally collapsed. This issue is mainly duplicated from stencils Contributors Chandler Bloch Banister Majorie Houston, Wrai Ballard Arthur C Clarke William Temple Bosh CHUCK HARRIS Walt Vincent Clarke Ermengarde Fiske and Bill Venable. This was the best issue ever (he said modestly). It was also the last. It finishes with Nan Gerding's "Sound the roar of the rockets." Corny maybe but I loved every word of it then----and still do.

Once again I must stress that all of the set are in poor shape. They are fragile and eye-tracked. but so is the Mona Lisa. I very doubt if there are another dozen sets in existence. -- C.R Harris

This is the only auction I am running. If you want to donate fanzines or other material for auction, contact the TAFF administrator. Contents of auction information page copyright 1997, 1998 by Chuch Harris, Gary Farber, and Vicki Rosenzweig. Please send all bids, questions, and comments to Vicki Rosenzweig on vr@interport.net, or at 33 Indian Road, 6-R, New York, NY 10034, USA. Her Web page is at http //www.interport.net/ -- vr. (Last modified 7 March 1998.)

Next TAFF Race Announcement

The incoming North American TAFF administrator, Ulrika O'Brien, has made the following statement in her first newsletter: "What, another one, so soon? Well, optimally there is supposed to be one TAFF race per year, for all that we seem to have gotten a bit temporarily bunched up around the midriff and ankles catching up with ourselves. Rather than get afterhand again, barring cavils from the incoming UK administrator, I would like to open nominations for the 1999 North America-to-Europe TAFF race, for a delegate to attend the 1999 Eastercon, as of May 1, 1998. Once I get back from the UK, and the current Europe to North America race is concluded, I'll confirm dates with the incoming UK administrator, and issue the next Demi-TAFF Americain detailing the balloting results, and officially announcing the opening of nominations for the 1999 race. I suggest a July 25 deadline for nominations, and a December 5 deadline for ballots for the 1999 race, pending approval of my opposite number in the UK. Check the April newsletter for confirmation."

TAFFlon Tudor #3 will be mailed to all those who sent their ballots in the 1997/98 race to Martin Tudor, and is also being distributed as widely as possible from 13th March 1998. (Having seen Mr Ferguson's problems with Tommyworld I won't even try to put this on e-mail!) Feel free to copy and distribute as you wish -- but please copy verbatim. Copies are available for donations of material and/or cash to TAFF, stamped self-addressed envelopes and editorial whim.

The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund was created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and popular fans familiar to those on both sides of the ocean across the Atlantic. Since that time TAFF has regularly brought North American fans to European conventions and European fans to North American conventions. TAFF exists solely through the support of fandom. The candidates are voted on by interested fans all over the world, and each vote is accompanied by a donation of not less than $2 or £1. These votes, and the continued generosity of fandom, are what make TAFF possible.

TAFF gratefully accepts your freely-given money and material for auction; such generosity has sustained the Fund for over 40 years. TAFF is fandom's oldest travel fund, and one of its worthiest causes -- give early and often! Please contact your nearest administrator for details. Sterling cheques/money orders payable to Martin Tudor. US dollar checks/money orders payable to Dan Steffan or Ulrika O'Brien.

The North American Administrators are Dan Steffan, 800 S Ivy Street, Arlington, VA 22204, USA, and Ulrika O'Brien, 123 Melody Lane, #C, Costa Mesa, CA 92627, USA (Ulrika can also be contacted at uaobrien@uci.edu or ulrika@aol.com). The European Administrator is: Martin Tudor, 24 Ravensbourne Grove, (off Clarkes Lane), Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 1HX (e-mail taffman@empties.demon.co.uk).

TAFFlon Tudor #3

March 1998

1997/98 TAFF Results: North America to Europe

Ulrika, Ka, Ka in the UK

The 1998 Europe to North America TAFF Race

Money, Money, Money

TAFF Mail Auction

Next TAFF Race Announcement