Media West

[twinkelbelpeach]

I don't quite know what to say about mediawest this year. I enjoyed it as much as always, and yet somehow it seemed different. Sedate, maybe. One friend suggested we nickname it 'elderly con' as it doesn't seem to be attracting many of the newer, younger fans. I guess this is understandable since MW is primarily based on zines, panels,dealers room, and art show. There's no music and dances to attract the youngsters. No big emphasis on costumes or live action role playing. But the zines are fewer and fewer (despite some people's denial) and so many of them are net reprints. The panels are still the best part, but even they seemed more sedate (wish I could think of another appropriate word) this year. Not nearly as contentious as in previous years. I hate to say it, but that made some of them pretty boring. The dealers room was okay, but nothing I couldn't live without. And a lot of things I had seen the year before, and the year before that. The art show was acceptable. There's always a few really nice pieces, but I don't think prices were as high as they have been. I was told that the highest piece this year was a Jesse McClain portrait of Charlie from the new show 'Numb3rs' which went for $750. Yes, that's a lot of money. But I'm remembering when pieces used to go for over a thousand, so that puts it into perspective. Oh, but I am forgetting what has become one of the best things about MediaWest and that's the songvids. I stayed up till the bitter end and didn't get to bed until 3AM, but I saw some absolutely lovely new Smallville, Pros, and Stargate vids. Also way too many Battlestar Galactica vids for my taste, but to each his own.
Anyway, I registered to go again next year, but then I'm a diehard who's been going for so many years now that it's just habit more than anything else. Do I think Mediwest will still be around ten years from now? Probably not. At least not in its present form. They're going to have to do something to attract more of the younger fans before all of us aging fen fade away and become nothing more than memory.