Barb Fisher, Chris Impink, Dan Delby and Garth Graham talk about going solo in the publishing world at last year's Technicon.

By H. Brad Haga

BLACKSBURG – Twenty-nine years is a long time to be doing anything, especially the demanding volunteer work involved in running a small science fiction and fantasy convention. But even though the fans keep changing, the world keeps turning and  Technicon lives on.

Technicon is a modestly-sized science fiction and fantasy event put on every year since 1983 by a group of dedicated (some might say obsessive)  fans under the auspices of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club at Virginia Tech. (That’s  VTSFFC, vits-fic to its friends).

This year’s Technicon is being held March 16-17 at McBryde Hall on the Tech campus.

Over a span of time like that the face of fandom has changed, it has grown and evolved right alongside the genres it so adores, and every year the focus of a place like Technicon is just a little bit different.  The theme this year may be “How the World Ends,”  but something very different looks to be at the convention’s heart this year.

For those unfamiliar with what goes on at a sci-fi convention, let me take a moment to explain.

A convention such a Technicon is a place for fans of various sorts to gather and share their enthusiasms. At a convention like Technicon, one can enjoy movies, any of a number of popular games (electronic or role-playing), meet an interesting convention guest, or take part in a discussion panel for some favored topic.  In these terms, Technicon is bringing the fun for its 29^th year.

This year Technicon looks to have all of the usual fare: rooms of role-playing gaming, two rooms and six screens of video gaming, a small costume contest, and plenty of discussion panels.  As the convention’s chair, James Dunson, said, “The guests you have dictate the panels.”

This year’s batch of panel discussions highlight something that was a pipe dream for many when Technicon first opened its doors: creating and marketing your own comics independent of a large publisher, printer or distributor.  Back in 1983, a person who wanted to write and see his or her work published had to contend with the monolithic publishing houses of New York City who, in turn, dealt with large printing firms and handled distribution.

Thanks to the modern internet, something that was very much in its infancy 29 years ago, anyone can create his or her own content, whether that is line art, paintings or short stories and have those works printed and published on demand through services like Ka-Blam (ka-blam.com) or Café Press (www.cafepress.com).  Four of the primary guests at Technicon this year were doing just that.

Dan Delby is just getting into comics and self-publishing.  Delby has set up a small enterprise for himself, Dan Delby Comics (www.dandelbycomics.blogspot.com) and has his first comics offering: “Project Interplanetary Unity: The Struggle for Peace”.  The project started out as an attempt at a novel and turned into a comic.  Delby, originally from New Hampshire, presently resides in Wytheville and, holding Associate degrees in business and accounting, seems to have a firm grasp of what an entrepreneur has to do, from marketing to product price points.  Comics are not paying any bills, yet, but Delby says, “When you do what you love, it’s more than a job.”

A step up from Delby is the writer/artist team of Barb Fisher and Chris Impink, both Virginia Tech alumni.  As Studio Unseen, Fisher and Impink are on their second web-based comic entitled “Sledgebunny” (http://unseenllc.com/sledgebunny/).  Their first comic was simple romp called Fragile Gravity, which enjoyed a seven-year run from 2002 through 2009, but never seemed to have financial success.  “Sledgebunny” is something new for the duo, a more complicated story and a more realistic setting, and it is beginning to turn a profit.

Based on the style of Japanese manga, Sledgebunny is a sports comic about a high-school girl’s roller derby dreams in a southwestern desert town.  “People will buy the strangest things,” says Fisher.  “We were at Otacon (http://www.otakon.com/) and Chris was doodling this little sleeping armadillo that we had in, like, one panel in Sledgebunny.  People started coming up and saying how cute it was and asking if he could do one for them.  So I said, sure, $.25 a card … and poor Chris didn’t stop drawing all that night, people were snapping them up!”

Finally there is Garth Graham, another Virginia Tech graduate and periodic attendee of Technicon some years previous.  An enthusiastic, tabi-wearing fellow, Graham is self-publishing under his own company, GCG Studios (http://www.gcgstudios.com/?p=info), and he is making a living self-publishing his comics and art online and at conventions.  Graham is not bringing in lavish paychecks yet, though, “I would say that I’m living paycheck to paycheck, except that there are no paychecks.  The money is basically as it comes.”

Most of Graham’s marketing is word of mouth, from either his web site or from his convention appearances.  Graham has just released a compilation of his most recent comic “Finders Keepers”, an urban fantasy work that he describes as “Scott Campbell meets Neil Gaiman’s novel, ‘Neverwhere’.”

Graham echoed an idea that Fisher had mentioned earlier in the convention, that people buy the strangest things: Graham’s table is always filled with original art, but what sells the best of all of it? Graham’s ‘twisted fairy tales’ line of prints, ranging from a heavy metal Wizard of Oz scene to a somewhat more sinister Red Riding Hood, have turned out to be big sellers.  “There’s something fun about taking something old and making something new out of it.”

The panels last year culminated with a gathering of Delby, Fisher, Impink and Graham to discuss how to make a living as a self-publisher and the group had some good information for anyone interested in going their route.

“Be prepared for the size of the venue and their peculiar space requirements.  Absorb what others do with their displays, see what works and what doesn’t,” said Graham who makes his living going from one convention to another, as either guest or art dealer, and having to contend with infinitely variable standards.

“It is a business,” he says, “and numbers are you friend.  Keep track of what sells and what doesn’t.”

Very practical, sometimes even serious panel discussions like these are the heart of a fan-run convention.

Topics like “Kirk v. Picard: You Decide” or “Cat-girl Fans: Threat or Menace” are good fun, but they are just fluff.  Panels that help you to create for yourself are one of the things that make you a fan.

Technicon 29 — That’s XXIX to its friends.

The City of Radford was enjoying February’s abnormally warm weather.  People wore T-shirts while walking their dogs in Wildwood park and schools had yet to cancel classes for a snow day; then Old Man Winter decided to pay Southwest Virginia a visit.

Sunday morning was a leap away from the spring-like weather everyone was enjoying.  Temperatures plummeted from mid-fifties all the way down to 30 degrees in most places of the NRV, according to The Weather Channel.

Snow filled the towns and cities of the NRV, causing power outages all across the state.  Over 4,164 customers in the NRV were—and many still are—without power and more than more than 34,000 customers in Virginia are out of power, according to Appalachian Power’s website this morning.  Appalachian Power’s website also stated, “Restoration is expected to take several days with some areas not seeing power restored until late Thursday.”

Even after severe weather warnings, some people still tried to drive in the harsh snowy weather. Natalie Aponte, 22, says she and her friends tried to drive on Jefferson Street across from Radford University with not much luck.

“We were driving in a jeep and we thought we could make it down the hill but we started sliding,” she recalls.  They decided to take her car instead. “I have a 4-wheel drive. It’s awesome driving in the snow.”

Snow accumulated up to six inches in Radford, 6.7 inches in Christiansburg, seven inches in Blacksburg and Pulaski and some places in Pilot saw up to 9.6 inches of snow.

Cook Hall on Radford University's snow-filled campus

However, some people rely on driving to keep their businesses running whether it’s snowing or raining outside.  “It’s always very busy with snow,” says cheery Radford Domino’s Pizza driver, Catherine Millot, who has new tires and front-wheel drive.  “People can’t go anywhere, so they order out.”

Being a delivery driver may seem like an easy job, but when there’s snow on the ground, any driving is hard. “We had a couple of drivers that had to quit because of the snow, but we had another driver that has 4-wheel drive,” Millot said.

Highlander’s Pizza was also just as busy on Sunday night. “One of the drivers made over $200 in tips,” said 22-year-old Highlander’s delivery driver, Andrew Tunnell, “I wish I worked last night.”

Even if driving is your job, snow always makes it just a little bit harder, sometimes impossible. “Unfortunately, people get that false security that if we have a wrecker, we can get them out,” said Greg Brown, manager of University BP on Main Street in Radford. “We had 20 calls yesterday and we only took two of them.” According to Brown, Radford City Police called University BP to tow an abandoned car on the side of the road at 8:51 p.m. on Sunday.

Brown recalled one time getting stuck in the 2-wheel drive wrecker in Pulaski County, “I had to wait four or five hours until the salt truck came to get me out.” Brown says after years of towing in the snow, he’s learned his lesson that it’s “better to stay put.”

“Once you’re stuck—you’re stuck,” University BP towing and recovery specialist Richard Sumler said, “When it’s bad weather, stay at home.”

Snow accumulated up to six inches in Radford

“Roads were treacherous last night,” said Sumler, who passed many hopeless cars on the side of the road on his way to Christiansburg. “If there was anyone out there, they shouldn’t have been out. I shouldn’t have been out myself, but I guess it’s just the call of duty.”

Benefit for Kendall Bayne

Where: Radford University in Preston Hall

When: February 9th  7-10 p.m.

Admission: 1$ – plus donations

Tonight, in Preston Hall, Radford University students will be rocking out to raise money for 15-year-old Roanoke girl, Kendall Bayne. RU Parks, Recreation and Tourism students are putting on “Battle of the Bands” to raise money for Bayne, who was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer, Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma, last February.

“She lives up the street from me in Roanoke. And I’m up here in Radford. I wanted to get involved some way,” said Senior Ben Perfater, who coordinated this event with the help of his classmates.

“It was the first thing that popped in my mind. Maybe we can do something for this girl,” Perfater said.

The entry fee is only one dollar, but bands will have their own donation buckets. The buckets will be used as the voting process and donations will be accepted throughout the entire concert. At the end of the show, the band with the most donations wins.

A variety of music will fill Preston Hall tonight in honor of Bayne, who will not be present due to another surgery. Eight bands are scheduled to play music from rock to “easy-listening country” and from blue-grass to jam bands. All band members are students at RU.

“All money that we make goes to Kendall,” Senior Sarah Davis said. “Everything.”

If you can’t make it out tonight, there is always a way to help Kendall Bayne and her family at kendallbayne.com

This family-owned winery has grown into one of the commonwealth's leading wineries.

Click here for the video.

By Corey Mann and Taylor Kelly | New River Voice correspondents

The constant hum of a grape press isn’t just a soothing noise in the background for customers to enjoy; it’s a constant reminder of the hard work David Morrisette has put in to create the biggest winery in the New River Valley.

The family-owned winery started in the mid ’70s in a blasted underground cave. By 1981 it had evolved into a full-scale winery, restaurant and gift shop known as Chateau Morrisette. The Floyd County tourist destination, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, is now one of the most profitable wineries in all of Virginia.

Morrisette met Bob Burgin, now vice president of the winery, when they were two of three enology majors at Mississippi State. They graduated just before the program closed down. “We went our separate ways, and when I realized I shouldn’t be the wine maker because I was terrible at it, he came in and took over,” Morrisette said. “I should have been doing other things, like marketing.”

Chateau Morrisette produces and ships 15 different wines that are sold throughout the commonwealth and along the East Coast, including North Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee and West Virginia. With 70,000 cases and more than 100,000 customers each year, the winery is flourishing. October is by far the best month for sales, as the fall season brings in much more business than the winter.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing. “We put it up for sale three times during the ’80s, and even now it’s a tough market. It’s hard for all the wineries right now.” The family has learned from experience. “In 1987 the temperature was 35 degrees below, and we had all our grapes grown here in Floyd. Needless to say we lost 100 percent of our grapes. That’s when we decided we needed to grow them in different areas around the state.”

Through trial and error, Morrisette has found better locations. “Different grapes grow better in different microclimates. The grapes are brought in 24 hours a day by refrigerated tractor-trailers.” They have grapes growing in Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, the Shenandoah Valley, Patrick County and anywhere from 10 minutes away to five hours away. No matter where the grapes are grown, every last one is shipped through the mountains to the beautiful winery in Floyd to be pressed and used.

With their Sweet Mountain Laurel and Red Mountain Laurel dessert-style wines flying off the shelves, most profits come from grocery chains. “Walmart, Sam’s, Kroger, whatever grocery chain. But Kroger was the main chain that helped us get our foothold,” he said. “It’s nice because now Walmart is pushing to have regional products in their stores, from wine to apples, pears, local beef — anything local you can put in there.”

Gov. Bob McDonnell has made a big push to promote Virginia wineries, in contrast with some past governors who never served Virginia wines at the Governor’s Mansion. In this economy, the governor isn’t the only one pulling for the wine industry. According to the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, sales of Virginia wine reached an all-time high in 2011, with more than 462,000 cases sold. The office reported that it was an 11 percent increase over 2010, making the commonwealth the nation’s fifth largest wine producer.

Suzette Miller, one of 85 current employees in Floyd, had nothing but great things to say about the winery. Her job consists of greeting customers, taking them through the wine-tasting process, giving tours of the production facilities, and sharing interesting facts. She was the ultimate guide. Miller was an intern who just couldn’t leave. “I can’t express how much I enjoy working here and being apart of this winery, giving to the Service Dogs has really won me over.”

Miller is referring to Chateau Morrisette’s community involvement. It is known for its support of “Dogs 4 A Cause,” one of many service dog organizations Chateau Morrisette supports. Profits from Liberty and Independence wines benefit St. Francis Service Dogs. “The money pays for the dog as well as the training to serve as a service dog,” Miller explained. They also give to “For the Love of Dogs,” which benefits the research for EPI, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, a disease in which a dog has the inability to digest food due to a lack of pancreatic digestive enzymes.

The black labrador, or “Black Dog,” featured on a number of the wines at Chateau Morrisette, has been a symbol of the winery for more than 25 years. Winery? Black lab? Where’s the connection? While Morrisette was growing up, he was the proud owner of a black lab named Hans. When Morrisette took over the winery, Hans could always be found snooping around, as he had a fine taste for a special vintage.

Trilogy was Hans’ favorite wine, an off-dry wine with a blend of cabernet, chambourcin and merlot. Though Hans could always be found slurping up a freshly poured bowl of what is now known as “The Black Dog,” he lived a long and loving life until he passed at the age of 15. Morrisette was so affected by Hans’ death that he decided to start the Black Dog marketing strategy, showing his respect for the dog he loved. Little did he know, the strategy turned into what is now one of only two wineries in Virginia that sells more than 50,000 cases of wine a year.

Chateau Morrisette has found its place in wine making and is doing extremely well on the East Coast. Though Morrisette is grateful for all that the winery has accomplished, he’s considering expansion. As of right now, they are working on exporting to China. Morrisette plans to visit Hong Kong to start selling his wine there as well.

It’s important to David, his seven children and four dogs to keep the winery in the family. Even though his children are young, Morrisette can tell some are destined to join the family business. “I know a couple of them are really interested in the winery. They’ll definitely want to get involved when they’re older.”

By Shaina Stockton | New River Voice correspondent

To Ali Tobia, former executive director at the Pulaski County Humane Society, no shelter animal that enters or leaves is just a dog or a cat. Tobia knows them all by name and personality. She establishes a connection that impacts each animal and stays with them even when they have found a new home.

“We have a rescue transport that runs from Roanoke to Northern Virginia,” Tobia says. She recalls her time with the humane society using the present tense — as though she never left. “I saw one of our adult dogs that was on transport. He saw me and lit up. The foster mom said to me, ‘Oh wow, he knows you!’”

This type of bond is important to Tobia in her line of work. Her experiences at the shelter, along with a lifelong love for animals, inspired her to pursue a career as a shelter veterinarian. “What draws me to the shelter environment is giving the animals a sense of family,” Tobia said.

Today, at 24, Tobia lives in Starkville, Miss., where she is enrolled in the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She plans to graduate in 2015.

“I have no spare time,” Tobia laughed when asked about her hobbies and extracurricular activities. “All I do is go to class study, sleep, and take care of my dog. That’s it! But it’s so worth it and I am having a lot of fun.”

Candice Simmons took over as executive director after Tobia left for school. “Everything I hear about Ali is very positive,” Simmons said. “It speaks highly of her that she was promoted to interim director so quickly.”

Still close with the society that helped her along her career path, Tobia keeps touch through email. “This is a great relief to those of us who are new at this,” Simmons said.

Tobia learned from living in several places that home is defined by family, not location. She was born in New York, N.Y. She spent many years living with her family in Fairfax Station, Va., and spent four years living in Asia. After graduating high school in 2005, she went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2009.

“I first became involved in [the Pulaski County Humane Society] because I adopted my dog Nicci from them,” Tobia said. “I was looking for hands-on experience to add to my vet school resume.”

After graduating from college, Tobia wanted to establish a sense of independence, while still remaining close enough to keep in touch with her family. “My sister goes to Virginia Tech, so the Blacksburg/Christiansburg area was a good choice,” Tobia said.

Tobia gained more experience than she expected from working at the shelter. She became the rescue coordinator in August 2009 and volunteered for spay/neuter clinics and several other events. The board of directors praised her hard work and granted her a paid position. “I was so grateful for that, because it meant they noticed how hard I was working to make a difference,” Tobia said.

Tobia went on to add spay clinic coordinator and executive director to her résumé. “It’s not at all where I expected to end up when I started volunteering but I was beyond thrilled with the experience,” Tobia said.

Tobia’s other goals include opening her own animal rescue organization. “I would love to have a farm and have a ton of rescued animals: horses, dogs, cats, pigs, chickens,” Tobia said. “In particular, I’d like it to be a sanctuary or a kind of long-term rehab facility, where rescues or shelters could leave their animals in long-term foster with me if they needed to recover from a trauma.”

Through working with animals, Tobia has learned the main thing they need is someone who gives them attention, care, support and love.

“They know we are their family. I feel like it’s the ultimate in advocating for an animal,” Tobia said. “Just by saying, ‘I’m going to take care of you, and it’s going to be OK.’”

By Taylor Faw | New River Voice correspondent

This year's Harvest Festival was a celebration of music and farm life. (Photo by Taylor Faw)

The wool went flying as Derrick Spangler snipped away at an unsuspecting, four-legged fluff ball. The sheep-shearing demonstration was just one of the many agriculture-oriented events at the 6th annual Floyd County Harvest Festival and County Fair on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011.

Farm-minded people from around the New River Valley flocked to the “4-H & Extension Office” lot of Fox Street to get their fix of antique tractors, line-dancing, and of course, Floyd heritage. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the property was transformed from an ordinary parking lot to a local fairground featuring activities for the whole family.
This animal farm was no dystopia; the Livestock Show was extensive and daylong, because what’s a fair without a truckload of goats? Some checked out the early morning Dairy Heifer exhibit while the lactose-intolerant hit the Lamb Show.

Heritage demonstrations took place throughout the day, offering insight to unique crafts of the region’s past, like Spikenard Farm bee-keeping, Blacksmith Forge and Home Food Preservation. The Master Gardener Volunteers shared their secrets through plant and gardening clinics throughout the day. Competition for the blue ribbon was high; whether it was the Farm Bureau Ag Olympics, pie-baking, or photography contests.

The Floyd County Harvest Festival and County Fair was fortified with an army of local vendors selling anything from fresh squeezed lemonade to puppets to insurance.

Bootleg Barbeque appeased the carnivores with its Hickory Smoked Southern Style Chicken, pulled pork and ribs. Barbara Von Claparede, practitioner of the dark arts of pastry-craft, cooked up a plethora of delicious homemade cakes, sweet breads, cookies, and jams. Harvesters from all over brought fruits, vegetables, and baked goods to sell.
The makeshift amphitheater, consisting of a vast ocean of haystacks and some P.A. equipment, gave barnyard refugees a place to lay low and enjoy some live music. Performances ranged from the acoustic Americana music of Andrea Marshall to the hybrid sound of Friends of Bernie, incorporating bluegrass flatpicking with Django-style gypsy jazz.

The Floyd County Harvest Festival and County Fair, coordinated by Dawn Barnes, was created in order to highlight Floyd County’s agricultural climate, both past and present. It was also intended to give people an opportunity to recognize the county’s history.

“Our goal is to keep the youth interested in agriculture throughout the community and to promote leadership skills,” said Barnes.

The festival was free to the public this year, however, donations were accepted to help front the costs for next year’s celebration. The event was sponsored by over 20 entities from the nearby community. Sponsors were broken down by their level of contribution; bronze, ($26 – $50) silver, ($51 -$125) and gold. ($126 and above) Some of the highest bidders included Floyd County Farm Bureau, James W. Shortt and Associates, P.C. and Quilters of Floyd.
The Floyd County Harvest Festival and County Fair is expected to continue the tradition next September.