Pros-y history continued - a new thread!
There is much, much fabulous information and many gorgeous stories here at the original thread but as we're concertina-ing like mad, I thought I'd make a new post, with lots of the information added into the post itself. I'm still adding it - though I'm about to escape for the day and head south to Windsor, to see MS on stage tonight - wheeeee - so it will probably be tomorrow before I can add more, though I'll be peering in to see, cos lappie comes with me!
I'm loving the whole story to this though - if you have any information or memories from earlier days in Pros fandom (and really, I mean anything pre-today - the year 2000 is history, now! *g*) please, please comment below so that I can add it to the tale of our history! Did you go to a con sometime? Remember anything particularly wonderful about it? I believe M.Fae Glasgow used to do readings, Sebastian and HG wrote fic in bunk beds, and what did you get up to? Anything that's Pros fandom as a community, or that we've enjoyed as a community - as one of the many little communities that make up Pros fandom - I'd love to hear about it, and I'm sure everyone else would too. Let's not lose the history of what we've loved, of what's made us us! If Fanlore Wiki wants a page on Pros fandom history, then let's make it accurate, and not just good but bloody brilliant... *g*
Pros Fandom History So Far Known
1977
30th December 1977 - 17th March 1978 - Series One first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1978
7th October - 9th December 1978 - Series Two first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1979
27th October - 15th December 1979 - Series Three first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1980
7th September - 27th December 1980 - Series Four first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1981
"Enigma" fanzine, published by Blue Jay Press in the UK contains Pros fic Christmas Spirit - later reprinted by Blue Jay Press in Best of the Professionals (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
First Pros slash story written in the UK (1980 or 1981?) - Consequences by Tarot and A.N. Other (nb, these are their current pseudonyms for use on internet) (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
First Pros slash zine published for sale in the UK, a long story: Remember Angola (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
1982
"Enigma" fanzine, published by Blue Jay Press in the UK contains Pros fic Bad Apple and Booby Trap - later reprinted by Blue Jay Press in Best of the Professionals (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
Blue Jay Press published two long Pros stories in a single zine Dead Beat in the UK (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
Privately printed and circulated Changing the Rules/Security Risk fanzine in the UK (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009)
Mini-con Weekend in the Country was held in York, England - "basically get-togethers for a small number of fans to watch episodes and discuss stories and characterisations. Ken Bulmer attended the first one" (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
7th December 1982 - 6th February 1983 - Series Five first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1983
Blue Jay Press published Pros stories in Impact 1 in the UK (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
Second mini-con Weekend in the Country was held in York, England - "basically get-togethers for a small number of fans to watch episodes and discuss stories and characterisations." (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
1984
Blue Jay Press published Pros stories in Impact 2 in the UK (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
Third mini-con Weekend in the Country was held in York, England - "basically get-togethers for a small number of fans to watch episodes and discuss stories and characterisations." (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
1987
10-12 August 1987, Weekend in the Country convention in Baltimore, USA, run by Laura Peck and Tacs (source: programme booklet owned by towerbridge2006)
1988
Oblique Publishing founded (1988-2003) (source: Oblique Publishing - About page)
1991
From Debbie Ramsey, of ProsLib, on the origins of ProsLib in the USA: "Tracy (can't remember her last name, sorry) was the first one to start typing in circuit stories and sharing with a circle of her friends. This was about 1991-92. Late 1992, her circle was up to about 20, myself included. She was wanting to concentrate more on her writing, so asked me if I'd like to takeover effort of taking the hardcopy circuit stories and typing/scanning them and sharing them. So I did! Tracy and I talked and decided to start calling it The Professionals Library or Proslib, as it was no longer just a circle of friends, but fans from all over". (source: hagsrus in this comment below)
1992
From Debbie Ramsey, of ProsLib, on the origins of ProsLib in the USA: "As more and more fans got email, more heard about it and wanted to join. By 1993, the circle had grown to about 80. I emailed out a story every other day or so (it was growing that fast) and I would mail out diskettes (remember those 8-) to new members who joined." (source: hagsrus in this comment below)
1993
From Debbie Ramsey, of ProsLib, on the origins of ProsLib in the USA: "During 1993, I enlisted [Meri] to help me get people to help type, to talk to authors who were shy of having their stories in e-format. Seems funny now, but back then, this was all new. Lots of people were suspicious of the new medium. It opened up all kinds of questions about who controlled stories.
Meri thought it would be a good idea to store proslib on this new thing called The World Wide Web and created a web site called the Pros Online Circuit Archive to reach even more fans. Meanwhile, I bought up boxes of the hardcopy circuit from Karen Brandl and sent them to fans in the US, England, Germany and Australia to type up for Proslib. It was a fun, active time. Everything was so new and there was so much energy.
By the time I was up to 32 diskettes, thankfully burnable cds were in vogue and so was yahoo. I chose yahoo as the easiest way to send out weekly stories to the over 200 who were in Proslib. Up to that time, I just had an addressee list I maintained in my email." (source: hagsrus in this comment below)
"Fans started to make electronic copies of Pros fanfic for email, floppy-disk and ultimately the ProsLib CD distribution" (source: Circuit Archive - About page and msmoat, in comment below)
1995
Original CI5 listserv founded on the internet by Lorelei (source: msmoat, in comment below)
1996
Online Circuit Archive founded by Meri (archivist) (source: Circuit Archive - About page)
Dave Matthew's Official Professionals Website founded on 24th June 1996 (source: Dave Matthew's Official Professionals Website homepage)
The Hatstand online archive founded sometime around now? (source: my own "knowledge", that Hatstand begun in hiatus of Circuit Archive, before it was taken over in 2004?
2000
ProsLib Yahoo Group founded 1st March 2000 (source: ProsLib Yahoo Group front page)
2001
Pros-Lit Yahoo Group founded 19th August 2001 (source: Pros-Lit Yahoo Group front page.
From hagsrus (Frances), of ProsLib, on the origins of ProsLib in the USA: "I started actively helping with Proslib a year or so later [c2001] when I acquired a scanner and essentially took over as other demands on Debbie's time and energy became prohibitive. She was one of the very first people to whom I was introduced in the fandom by my original "pimp" and wonderfully generous in lending me stacks of zines as well as offering encouragement to write". (source: hagsrus in this comment below)
2002
Lewis Collins Yahoo Group founded on 3rd March 2002 (source: Lewis Collins Yahoo Group front page)
Martin's Place Yahoo Group founded on 18th August 2002 (source: Martin's Place Yahoo Group front page)
2003
AngelFishFanFic Yahoo Group founded 25th August 2003 (source: AngelFishFanFic Yahoo Group front page)
2004
the_safehouse founded 7th March 2004 (source the_safehouse user info page) by phantomas (source: my own knowledge from lj and other conversations)
Online Circuit Archive taken over by justacat (archivist) (source: Circuit Archive - About page)
Alijot's Professionals Recs website begun sometime around now? Need accurate info! (source: because it's been there longer than I've been around! *g*)
Pros Language Yahoo Group founded on 23rd November 2004 (source: Pros Language Yahoo Group front page)
2005
ProsSlash Yahoo Group founded 24th June 2005 (source: ProsSlash Yahoo Group front page)
santa_pros founded 13th August 2005 by queenbamfie (user name since changed several times) for one-off Christmas fic exchange (source: santa_pros and own knowledge)
summer_of_78 founded on 11th December 2005 by queenbamfie (user name since changed several times) for one-off Christmas fic exchange (source: summer_of_78 and own knowledge)
2006
ci5hq founded 23rd April by empty_mirrors and przed (source: ci5hq user info page)
Nattercon 2006 - UK-based Pros convention, May 2006, Milton Keynes, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance!)
discoveredinalj founded 13th July 2006 by empty_mirrors and byslantedlight (source: discoveredinalj user info page)
TV Lounge Forum founded some time around July 2006? Does anyone know more precisely? (source: TV Lounge Forum first introductions post)
2007
pros_newsletter founded on 3rd May 2007 by paris7am (source: pros_newsletter user info page, and first pros_newsletter entry)
Nattercon 2007 - UK-based Pros convention, May 2007, Milton Keynes, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance!)
prosfinder founded 18th June 2007 by probodie (source: prosfinder user info page)
First Close Quarters 2007 - USA-based Pros convention, July (?) 2007, Washington DC, USA. (source: own knowledge)
2007 CI5mas/Scarsdale Bash at The Scarsdale pub (used in Fall Girl), London, December 2007 (source: own attendance!)
2008
Nattercon 2008 - UK-based Pros convention, May 2008, Milton Keynes, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance!)
The Automatic Hatstand archive founded August 2008 for Pros writers to submit and control their own story archives.
pros_icontest founded 28th September 2008 by rochvelleth (source: pros_icontest user info)
CI5mas/Scarsdale Bash at The Scarsdale pub (used in Fall Girl), London, December 2008 (source: own attendance!)
2009
loiteringpalely 18th March 2009 founded by byslantedlight as a place to source Pros zines and Pros zine information (source: loiteringpalely user info, archive and own knowledge!)
Nattercon 2009 - 20th Anniversary of UK-based Pros convention, May 2009, Milton Keynes, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance!)
Close Quarters 2009 - USA-based Pros convention, July 2009, Washington DC, USA. (source: own knowledge)
Pros Writing Holiday 2009: Week/end in the Country - Derbyshire, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance)
I'm loving the whole story to this though - if you have any information or memories from earlier days in Pros fandom (and really, I mean anything pre-today - the year 2000 is history, now! *g*) please, please comment below so that I can add it to the tale of our history! Did you go to a con sometime? Remember anything particularly wonderful about it? I believe M.Fae Glasgow used to do readings, Sebastian and HG wrote fic in bunk beds, and what did you get up to? Anything that's Pros fandom as a community, or that we've enjoyed as a community - as one of the many little communities that make up Pros fandom - I'd love to hear about it, and I'm sure everyone else would too. Let's not lose the history of what we've loved, of what's made us us! If Fanlore Wiki wants a page on Pros fandom history, then let's make it accurate, and not just good but bloody brilliant... *g*
Pros Fandom History So Far Known
1977
30th December 1977 - 17th March 1978 - Series One first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1978
7th October - 9th December 1978 - Series Two first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1979
27th October - 15th December 1979 - Series Three first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1980
7th September - 27th December 1980 - Series Four first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1981
"Enigma" fanzine, published by Blue Jay Press in the UK contains Pros fic Christmas Spirit - later reprinted by Blue Jay Press in Best of the Professionals (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
First Pros slash story written in the UK (1980 or 1981?) - Consequences by Tarot and A.N. Other (nb, these are their current pseudonyms for use on internet) (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
First Pros slash zine published for sale in the UK, a long story: Remember Angola (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
1982
"Enigma" fanzine, published by Blue Jay Press in the UK contains Pros fic Bad Apple and Booby Trap - later reprinted by Blue Jay Press in Best of the Professionals (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
Blue Jay Press published two long Pros stories in a single zine Dead Beat in the UK (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
Privately printed and circulated Changing the Rules/Security Risk fanzine in the UK (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009)
Mini-con Weekend in the Country was held in York, England - "basically get-togethers for a small number of fans to watch episodes and discuss stories and characterisations. Ken Bulmer attended the first one" (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
7th December 1982 - 6th February 1983 - Series Five first aired in UK (source: Dave Matthew's Official Pros Website)
1983
Blue Jay Press published Pros stories in Impact 1 in the UK (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
Second mini-con Weekend in the Country was held in York, England - "basically get-togethers for a small number of fans to watch episodes and discuss stories and characterisations." (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
1984
Blue Jay Press published Pros stories in Impact 2 in the UK (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
Third mini-con Weekend in the Country was held in York, England - "basically get-togethers for a small number of fans to watch episodes and discuss stories and characterisations." (source: article written by Felicity Parkinson, and distributed to attendees at the twentieth anniversary of the Nattercon convention, 2009; comment here by inamac from information from lil_shepherd)
1987
10-12 August 1987, Weekend in the Country convention in Baltimore, USA, run by Laura Peck and Tacs (source: programme booklet owned by towerbridge2006)
1988
Oblique Publishing founded (1988-2003) (source: Oblique Publishing - About page)
1991
From Debbie Ramsey, of ProsLib, on the origins of ProsLib in the USA: "Tracy (can't remember her last name, sorry) was the first one to start typing in circuit stories and sharing with a circle of her friends. This was about 1991-92. Late 1992, her circle was up to about 20, myself included. She was wanting to concentrate more on her writing, so asked me if I'd like to takeover effort of taking the hardcopy circuit stories and typing/scanning them and sharing them. So I did! Tracy and I talked and decided to start calling it The Professionals Library or Proslib, as it was no longer just a circle of friends, but fans from all over". (source: hagsrus in this comment below)
1992
From Debbie Ramsey, of ProsLib, on the origins of ProsLib in the USA: "As more and more fans got email, more heard about it and wanted to join. By 1993, the circle had grown to about 80. I emailed out a story every other day or so (it was growing that fast) and I would mail out diskettes (remember those 8-) to new members who joined." (source: hagsrus in this comment below)
1993
From Debbie Ramsey, of ProsLib, on the origins of ProsLib in the USA: "During 1993, I enlisted [Meri] to help me get people to help type, to talk to authors who were shy of having their stories in e-format. Seems funny now, but back then, this was all new. Lots of people were suspicious of the new medium. It opened up all kinds of questions about who controlled stories.
Meri thought it would be a good idea to store proslib on this new thing called The World Wide Web and created a web site called the Pros Online Circuit Archive to reach even more fans. Meanwhile, I bought up boxes of the hardcopy circuit from Karen Brandl and sent them to fans in the US, England, Germany and Australia to type up for Proslib. It was a fun, active time. Everything was so new and there was so much energy.
By the time I was up to 32 diskettes, thankfully burnable cds were in vogue and so was yahoo. I chose yahoo as the easiest way to send out weekly stories to the over 200 who were in Proslib. Up to that time, I just had an addressee list I maintained in my email." (source: hagsrus in this comment below)
"Fans started to make electronic copies of Pros fanfic for email, floppy-disk and ultimately the ProsLib CD distribution" (source: Circuit Archive - About page and msmoat, in comment below)
1995
Original CI5 listserv founded on the internet by Lorelei (source: msmoat, in comment below)
1996
Online Circuit Archive founded by Meri (archivist) (source: Circuit Archive - About page)
Dave Matthew's Official Professionals Website founded on 24th June 1996 (source: Dave Matthew's Official Professionals Website homepage)
The Hatstand online archive founded sometime around now? (source: my own "knowledge", that Hatstand begun in hiatus of Circuit Archive, before it was taken over in 2004?
2000
ProsLib Yahoo Group founded 1st March 2000 (source: ProsLib Yahoo Group front page)
2001
Pros-Lit Yahoo Group founded 19th August 2001 (source: Pros-Lit Yahoo Group front page.
From hagsrus (Frances), of ProsLib, on the origins of ProsLib in the USA: "I started actively helping with Proslib a year or so later [c2001] when I acquired a scanner and essentially took over as other demands on Debbie's time and energy became prohibitive. She was one of the very first people to whom I was introduced in the fandom by my original "pimp" and wonderfully generous in lending me stacks of zines as well as offering encouragement to write". (source: hagsrus in this comment below)
2002
Lewis Collins Yahoo Group founded on 3rd March 2002 (source: Lewis Collins Yahoo Group front page)
Martin's Place Yahoo Group founded on 18th August 2002 (source: Martin's Place Yahoo Group front page)
2003
AngelFishFanFic Yahoo Group founded 25th August 2003 (source: AngelFishFanFic Yahoo Group front page)
2004
the_safehouse founded 7th March 2004 (source the_safehouse user info page) by phantomas (source: my own knowledge from lj and other conversations)
Online Circuit Archive taken over by justacat (archivist) (source: Circuit Archive - About page)
Alijot's Professionals Recs website begun sometime around now? Need accurate info! (source: because it's been there longer than I've been around! *g*)
Pros Language Yahoo Group founded on 23rd November 2004 (source: Pros Language Yahoo Group front page)
2005
ProsSlash Yahoo Group founded 24th June 2005 (source: ProsSlash Yahoo Group front page)
santa_pros founded 13th August 2005 by queenbamfie (user name since changed several times) for one-off Christmas fic exchange (source: santa_pros and own knowledge)
summer_of_78 founded on 11th December 2005 by queenbamfie (user name since changed several times) for one-off Christmas fic exchange (source: summer_of_78 and own knowledge)
2006
ci5hq founded 23rd April by empty_mirrors and przed (source: ci5hq user info page)
Nattercon 2006 - UK-based Pros convention, May 2006, Milton Keynes, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance!)
discoveredinalj founded 13th July 2006 by empty_mirrors and byslantedlight (source: discoveredinalj user info page)
TV Lounge Forum founded some time around July 2006? Does anyone know more precisely? (source: TV Lounge Forum first introductions post)
2007
pros_newsletter founded on 3rd May 2007 by paris7am (source: pros_newsletter user info page, and first pros_newsletter entry)
Nattercon 2007 - UK-based Pros convention, May 2007, Milton Keynes, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance!)
prosfinder founded 18th June 2007 by probodie (source: prosfinder user info page)
First Close Quarters 2007 - USA-based Pros convention, July (?) 2007, Washington DC, USA. (source: own knowledge)
2007 CI5mas/Scarsdale Bash at The Scarsdale pub (used in Fall Girl), London, December 2007 (source: own attendance!)
2008
Nattercon 2008 - UK-based Pros convention, May 2008, Milton Keynes, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance!)
The Automatic Hatstand archive founded August 2008 for Pros writers to submit and control their own story archives.
pros_icontest founded 28th September 2008 by rochvelleth (source: pros_icontest user info)
CI5mas/Scarsdale Bash at The Scarsdale pub (used in Fall Girl), London, December 2008 (source: own attendance!)
2009
loiteringpalely 18th March 2009 founded by byslantedlight as a place to source Pros zines and Pros zine information (source: loiteringpalely user info, archive and own knowledge!)
Nattercon 2009 - 20th Anniversary of UK-based Pros convention, May 2009, Milton Keynes, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance!)
Close Quarters 2009 - USA-based Pros convention, July 2009, Washington DC, USA. (source: own knowledge)
Pros Writing Holiday 2009: Week/end in the Country - Derbyshire, UK. (source: own knowledge/attendance)