by Leslie Roth
Mark Moore is a life-long Iowa fan. Growing up in Iowa City, he attended the University of Iowa, taking part in the infamous Joe Haldeman/Larry Martin Adventures in Science Fiction class. From this inauspicious beginning, he became a Founding Father of SFLIS ("Science Fiction League of Iowa Students" — but pronounced like the disease.) Like many fathers, Mark may not always want to claim credit for his offspring. If DMSFS is a descendent of SFLIS, then I guess that means that Mark could be considered a Founding Grandfather.
His early years in fandom included taking over the ConSuite at ICON when the person in charge disappeared under mysterious circumstances. On a trip to MiniCon, he assisted in the ceremonial passing of the brownies. This was, of course, done in the proper fashion: between two moving vehicles while driving through city traffic. He defied local police while defending dealers tables at WorldCon. He dove into the shallow end of the pool… (oops, sorry — wrong Mark.)
Mark's activities had mellowed by the time I met him five years later. However, he hadn't lost his enthusiasm for working at a convention. His assistance at ICON and DemiCon over the years has been invaluable. While his usual preference is to play the loyal (and sometimes not so loyal) opposition, I was able to con(vince) him into sharing the ConCommittee responsibilities at ICON XII.
Mark has been involved with the SCA, and is an aspiring blacksmith. Having a desire for an acreage, he found a lovely lady with vast tracks of land (our Writer Guest of Honor, Mickey Zucker Reichert). They were married last year, and have recently adopted a son, Jackie. Together, they find time to raise horses, dogs, and chickens.
An avid gamer, Mark has a wicked sense of humor. He is currently teaching sons Ben and Jon the fine art of hitting-something-from-behind-just-as-hard-as-you-can. Woe be to those break character during a session; "double secret infinity" is waiting for you.
If you want more details on any of the tales of early fandom in Iowa and the Midwest look up Mark. He can problably correct a few things in this bio, as well as weave some more tales for your enjoyment.
[this page also contained an illustration by Amy Monthei]
This page created by: Kevin G. Austin