Mark Time Awards

Presented by
The American Society For Science Fiction Audio
(ASFSFA)

The Mark Time Award is given each year to honor the Best Science Fiction Audio Production on the Planet. And the Ogle Award for Best Fantasy Audio Production of the Year.

Charles Ogle played the first Frankenstein's creation in Edison's silent 1910 film of the famous science fiction horror novel. Fantasy includes magical "high" fantasy, sword and sorcery, horror, modern urban fantasy, and other things that don't fall under the criteria of Science Fiction. But, we'll be the judges of that.

A Gold and a Silver Mark Time Award, and a Gold and a Silver Ogle Award, will be awarded at CONvergence,, July 2-5 of 2009.

How To Enter

1. Print and fill out the Entry Form.
   
2. Send Five (5) copies of the Audio Production you are entering (CDs or Cassettes),
   the Entry Form and a check for the $25.00 USD Entry Fee (checks payable to "Jerry Stearns") to:
   
   • Mark Time Award
     3421 44th Ave. S.,
     Minneapolis, MN 55406 USA
     
3. DEADLINE for Entry: March 1, 2009. (Postmark)
   

• Winners will be announced before an audience at CONvergence, July 2, 2009.
• Winners receive a wood and brass plaque with the image of Mark Time or Charles Ogle, the producer's name, and the title of the production and year engraved on it.

Criteria for Judging:

1. The degree to which the Production fits the subjective description "science fiction," as distinguished from "horror" or "fantasy." Originality of story and script make a difference.
2. Use of Medium - sound design, location recording, "audio art."
3. Writing - storyline, characterizations, dialogue, originality.
4. Performances. (Full cast, not a "reading".)
5. Direction.
6. Technical production.

• We really are looking for Audio Theatre, not audiobooks with some actors in them. Remakes of Old Time Radio programs, and adaptations that have been done before, will be judged against the original versions as well as current criteria above.

Judges for the 2009 Awards were:

• Dani Cutler - Society of Audio Addicts
• Kris Markman - University of Memphis, TN
• Brian Price - Great Northern Audio Theatre
• Philip Proctor - Firesign Theatre
• Jerry Stearns - Great Northern Audio Theatre

The Mark Time Awards are sponsored by MISFITS, the Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy.

THE MARK TIME Awards

by David Ossman

ASFSFA

The American Society For Science Fiction Audio was founded in 1996 by David Ossman, Jerry Stearns and Richard Fish. The trio met in April that year in Minneapolis for Minicon 31 and appeared together in “Coming Soon to a Galaxy Near You,” a live radio-style performance of five short plays by Stearns, Ossman and Brian Price. (The cast also included the noted SF and Fantasy author, Jane Yolen.)

Ossman, a member of The Firesign Theatre and independent audio producer, actor and teacher, suggested to the others that the image of his radio character, “Mark Time,” (drawn by Bill Stout) could be used to salute the work of a new generation of writer/producers. Stearns, a long-time KFAI radio host, for many years a writer/producer of programs for the Minicon science-fiction conventions and an authority on SF audio, contributed his access to the Minicon stage and Twin Cities’ fandom in addtion to writing and producing the event itself. Fish, audio producer, actor and entrepeneur, offered the promise of distribution of the winners’ productions via his now-defunct Lodestone Catalog.