The Avengers Forever: IMHO

	IMHO: 17 August 2002 Page 5 of 28

Avengercon.

A term that has been bantered around for years. An idea that sends a thrill up the spine of many a fan. Has the time come for Avengercon?

When pondering it, part of me experiences the same zing that sends fans of other series who enjoy regular conventions into tailspins of excitement. That part thinks it is long overdue.

Another (larger) part of me sniffs at such a notion. That part is convinced that Avengercon has never happened simply because conventions are (or should be) beneath fans of The Avengers; indeed, just the term fan causes some to bristle.

Then, the realist in me is convinced there are not enough fans to make such an undertaking worthwhile.

Oddly enough, it has been suggested to me on more than one occasion that I organize an Avengers convention. ("Why me?" I ask—and don't tell me it's just because I run a big website; that is hardly a qualification.) At any rate, it may come as a surprise that I had actually considered it—briefly.

Frankly, there are simply too many obstacles. For one thing, I haven't the faintest idea how to organize a convention. Nor do I have the time, since I must earn a living, a process that leaves precious little spare time. Not to mention that there are all sorts of arguments either way to have it in the U.S. or the U.K. (the latter would be an extra burden for me, since I live in the former). I have also learned from the experiences of those who have written on the subject that the quickest way to shave about a dozen years off of one's life expectancy is to try organizing conventions.

Regardless of who does the job, there is one prerequisite that can make or break the best-laid plans: capital. It might be a no-brainer if some fan had six digits of cash sitting around that they were willing to write off. Otherwise, just keep dreaming, because nothing can happen without a significant number of dollars (or pounds).

Besides, Avengercon is already a reality, in a manner of speaking. There's the annual Dead Man's Treasure Hunt in Britain—perhaps not exactly a convention by most standards, but it is a regular Avengers event nonetheless that has proven to be a roaring success. Plus, fans have been gathering informally all over the world. I had the pleasure of attending two such nano-conventions in New York City, and another in Argentina.

But Avengercon could still happen, if enough people really, really wanted it. Amongst our network of fans there might just be someone who knows someone who knows someone with the capital, and perhaps someone else with the expertise. If this came to pass, I would certainly be interested in participating, as I have no end of ideas.

Meanwhile, let us be content with what we have. I've done what I can within my means and ability by creating (together with Alan and Alys Hayes, Mike Noon and Carlos Pagés) TheAvengers.TV International Forum. Think of it as a virtual, continuous Avengercon—it just might help tide you over until a miracle happens.

And that's my humble opinion.

David K. Smith, 17 August 2002