Roger Sims
(June 8, 1930 – January 23, 2022)
When Roger “Teddy Bear” Sims was 19, in 1949, he called a phone number in the lettercolumn of a prozine, discovered Detroit fandom and as a result entered fandom that same year. He was a member of a club continuously since. His first club was the Detroit Science Fiction League (the Misfits); his second was the Lunarians of New York, his third, the Cincinnati Fantasy Group. Lastly, he was a member of the Orlando Science Fiction Society.
He was co-chair with Fred Prophet of the Detention, the 17th Worldcon, held in Detroit in 1959, and was "ConChair Emeritus" at Detcon 1, the NASFiC in Detroit in 2014.
His first Worldcon was the 1950 NorWesCon in Portland, OR, and he has attended at least 56 Worldcons. At Nolacon in 1951, he was one of the people staying in the famous Room 770 (he was actually registered in the room).
He got his “Teddy Bear” nickname at SFCon, the 1954 Worldcon: He was making time with Irene Baron when her boyfriend came over and asked whether he was bothering her. “Roger?” Irene said. “Of course not. He’s just a teddy bear.”
He was subsequently appointed head of the Teddy Bear Army in 1954.
He told the story of the drive to San Francisco for SFCon with Harlan Ellison and George Young. Harlan was driving and made an error in judgment and they were chased by a police car. Harlan said "Let's change seats — I don't have a license!" so — while still being chased — they switched drivers. Roger was able to talk his way out of the ticket.
He also had a story about hectography.
He was a member of the Fannish Underground. He and his wife Pat were part of two failed Worldcon bids: the Detroit in '82 and Louisville in '94. He chaired the later group of Michicons. He was a member of the Detroit in '85 NASFiC bid. With Bill Bowers he hosted Corflu 4, and he and Pat hosted Ditto 10, Ditto 17 and FanHistoriCon 9. He was one of the administrators of the Don Ford Fund and a member of Second Fandom.
Roger starred in the 1983 fannish video Faans. He was the fan GoH at six regionals. He and Pat won DUFF in 1995.
He was on the advisory council of the dreaded WSFS, Inc.
His fanzines include DUFF Talk-About, Fantasy-Scope and Teddy Bear. He was a member of SAPS, for which he produced Hay is for Horses, FLAP, and ANZAPA.
He married fellow fan Pat Sims on August 16, 1964, having met her at Midwestcon the year before. Previously, he was married to Mabel "Mae" Young, George Young’s sister. Bennett Sims was his cousin.
Roger died after a long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.
More Reading
- Introduction by Lynn Hickman, Nolacon II Program Book, p. 37.
- “But, Again, That’s Another Story” (Detention memoir).
- Remembrance of Chicon II
- Roger Sims' Aussiecon One Reminiscence.
- “The Further Adventures of Midwest Fandom” by Howard DeVore, Lynn Hickman and Roger Sims.
- “The Awful Truth About Roger Sims.”
- Photo at Tricon, 1966.
- Photo, with Pat Sims, at Noreascon 1, 1971.
- Obituary in File 770.
- DUFF Talk-About
- Fantasy-Scope
- Harpies
- Hay is for Horses (for SAPS)
- The MISFITS Bulletin [1969]
- Teddy Bear
- The Teddy Bear's Sapszine [1972] (for SAPS)
Awards, Honors and GoHships:
- 1984 -- InConJunction IV
- 1988 -- Nolacon II
- 1991 -- Kubla 1991 Albuk
- 1993 -- Transcendental ConFusion
- 1995 -- 1995 DUFF Race winner
- 1999 -- Rivercon XXIV
- 2012 -- OASIS 25
- 2020 -- First Fandom Hall of Fame
| Person | 1930—2022 |
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