What better day than today — the 108th anniversary of Lester Dent‘s birth — to remind you that next weekend, Oct. 19-21, is the 15th Arizona Doc Con.
It’s the premier gathering for fans of Doc Savage. If you haven’t attended before, Doc Con is all about fellowship: meeting, talking to and getting to know others who share in the enjoyment of reading the adventures of the Man of Bronze (and other pulps).
I’ve been fortunate enough to have participated in the past eight Doc Cons, as well as numerous “Doc Days” (get-togethers that the Phoenix-area members of the Arizona Fans of Bronze hold every few months for planning and just a chance to visit). They have all been great fun.
This year’s Doc Con XV is spreading out. Rather than imposing on one of the Phoenix-area fans by taking over their house for the weekend, Doc Con moves to the Comfort Suites University of Phoenix Stadium Area, just off W-101 at Camelback Road in Glendale, Ariz. There’s a room discount available if you will be staying at the hotel and mention “Doc Savage Convention” when registering.
Jay Ryan, this year’s coordinator, has booked a Doc Savage Suite for Friday and Saturday nights’ activities, including a cocktail/gathering time on Friday, the fun, annual radio show re-enactment, and “an assortment of Doc Savage Blasts from the Past.”
The actual con begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, with registration in one of the hotel’s conference rooms. Attendance is $25, which includes the day’s activities, giveaways and lunch. This year look for the Hidalgo Trading Company Raffle and a silent auction (which a lot of terrific items).
Also, composer/saxophonist Scott Robinson will be debuting his new CD, Bronze Nemesis, at the con. The CD is “12 fantastic musical adventures inspired by the amazing worlds of Doc Savage, pulp novel hero of the ’30s and ’40s.” Scott will also talk about meeting Bantam cover artist James Bama, as well as composing the album.
The con moves from the conference room to the Doc Savage Suite at 5 p.m. for dinner and “Doc After Dark,” including libations, stories and fellowship.
Sunday morning is a relaxed time for breakfast and hanging out. The con concludes with the traditional goodbye lunch at a nearby restaurant.
For complete information on the con, you can download the Doc Savage Convention Newsletter or visit the Arizona Doc Con page on Facebook or the Doc Con group at Yahoo. Or contact Jay directly via email.
