The reason why there hasn't been a new Graffiti article in a couple of months is because, well, you all know why.
The Coronavirus Pandemic has decimated life as we know it in this world, let alone SF fandom. As an Educator, I find myself a newbie in distance learning; which means sitting in front of a computer for a few hours each day, and perfecting the art of Zoom meetings. I also started a YouTube channel, where I provide videos on everything from learning Shapes and Colors, to really cool 'magic milk' demos ( I teach in Pre K).
Our lives now include wearing masks every time we go out in public, and getting together with anyone outside your home is frowned upon. Many people have lost their jobs, and getting back to work too soon may mean the risk of getting Covid 19, and dying. This is serious stuff, folks, the nightmare of Doomsday scenarios has become real.
What has this done to the world of Science Fiction fandom? Free Comic Book day will not happen this year, because all the Comic shops have closed. Comic publishers are releasing a limited number of books in the next few weeks, but how fans will get them still needs to be worked out. Here in Rhode Island, TerrorCon will not take place in June, and other Convention organizers are hoping that things are good enough to be able to hold their evens in July & August. But even if they get a green light to hold an event, will fans still be too apprehensive to attend? We all know about hygiene and the 'Convention Funk', geez, what happens if you throw in a deadly virus too?
But alas, all is not lost. The RISFC members have come up with unique ways to gather, including Saturday night 'Covid-19 Movie Nights', where we all queue up a movie on Tubi TV (a free streaming app), and chat during the movie. Check out our Facebook page on how you can join us. We also plan on holding some Facebook Live demos, and continuing our Theme nights. We're still stuck in our homes, and the Potluck dinners are gone for now, but this is a fun alternative.
Life as we know it will never be the same, but Humans are a resilient species, and we will survive and thrive. So until we can meet face to face again, see you at the Zoom/Google Meet/Facebook meeting. Oh, and now's a good time to read all those books you have sitting on the shelf.
Stay Safe & Take Care
Marc Morisseau
The Coronavirus Pandemic has decimated life as we know it in this world, let alone SF fandom. As an Educator, I find myself a newbie in distance learning; which means sitting in front of a computer for a few hours each day, and perfecting the art of Zoom meetings. I also started a YouTube channel, where I provide videos on everything from learning Shapes and Colors, to really cool 'magic milk' demos ( I teach in Pre K).
Our lives now include wearing masks every time we go out in public, and getting together with anyone outside your home is frowned upon. Many people have lost their jobs, and getting back to work too soon may mean the risk of getting Covid 19, and dying. This is serious stuff, folks, the nightmare of Doomsday scenarios has become real.
What has this done to the world of Science Fiction fandom? Free Comic Book day will not happen this year, because all the Comic shops have closed. Comic publishers are releasing a limited number of books in the next few weeks, but how fans will get them still needs to be worked out. Here in Rhode Island, TerrorCon will not take place in June, and other Convention organizers are hoping that things are good enough to be able to hold their evens in July & August. But even if they get a green light to hold an event, will fans still be too apprehensive to attend? We all know about hygiene and the 'Convention Funk', geez, what happens if you throw in a deadly virus too?
But alas, all is not lost. The RISFC members have come up with unique ways to gather, including Saturday night 'Covid-19 Movie Nights', where we all queue up a movie on Tubi TV (a free streaming app), and chat during the movie. Check out our Facebook page on how you can join us. We also plan on holding some Facebook Live demos, and continuing our Theme nights. We're still stuck in our homes, and the Potluck dinners are gone for now, but this is a fun alternative.
Life as we know it will never be the same, but Humans are a resilient species, and we will survive and thrive. So until we can meet face to face again, see you at the Zoom/Google Meet/Facebook meeting. Oh, and now's a good time to read all those books you have sitting on the shelf.
Stay Safe & Take Care
Marc Morisseau
