MidAmeriCon

(Did you mean Big Mac the fanzine?)

Carol Resnick as “Haunte” at MidAmeriCon.

MidAmeriCon, the 1976 Worldcon (often called Big Mac) was held September 2-6 in the Radisson Muehlebach Hotel and Phillips House in Kansas City, MO. GoH: Robert A. Heinlein, FGoH: George Barr. Wilson Tucker was Toastmaster. Chaired by Ken Keller.

Joni Stopa ran the highly lauded masquerade, the judges included Sally Rand, and Patia von Sternberg did a strip tease while they deliberated.

1976 Hugos, 1978 Worldcon Site Selection.

Competition: KC in '76, Columbus in 1976, Highmore in '76. See 1976 Worldcon Site Selection.

WSFS business meeting wrangling affecting MAC inspired concom member Bill "The Galactic" Fesselmeyer to pen “How the GRINCH Stole Worldcon,” a classic piece of smoffish faan fiction for PR 2.

MidAmeriCon was very worried about the increase in convention sizes in the ’70s and took drastic steps to control membership by significantly raising the price of an attending membership which started at less than $6 and ramped up to an unheard of $50 at the door — an innovation that became Worldcon tradition — as well as using hospital bracelets to back up name badges as proof of membership, to control ghosting, and limiting programming about fringe fandoms — which did not.

The newsletter was called the Bullsheet. A significant portion of the convention was video recorded by KMAC, organized by Scott Imes.

More Info

• Publications and photos at FANAC.
• Fred Pohl's MidAmeriCon Reminiscence.
• Karass #24 for September, 1976 has an interesting and extensive con report which was continued in #25/26 in November.
• Tom Perry's con report in Mota 21
• Video of Masquerade winners.
• Recording of James Gunn talk.
• Video of Robert Heinlein GoH speech.
• Video of Weird & Horror Genre Luncheon panel.
• Interview about MAC with Ken Keller (2016).
• MidAmeriCon videos.

MidAmeriCon members toss Chairman Ken Keller into the hotel pool at the con's end. (Photo by Bob Webber.)

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Aussiecon I	Worldcon - Bidding - Hugos	SunCon
first	MidAmeriCon	MidAmeriCon II
	1976

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