by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Bernard Reischl

Age: 46

Occupation: President of the Montreal Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (MonSSFA)

Bio: A graphic artist by day, this hearty Lasalle hunk first developed an interest in sci-fi as a wee toddler, when, inspired by the fiction of classic writers like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, he would draw his own illustrations “of, say, what a Martian war machine might look like.” Continuing to sketch designs of “my own little spaceships and the like” throughout his adult life, in the mid-’80s Bernard joined the Montreal Star Trek Association, and eventually, as the group “began to realize there was more to sci-fi than just Star Trek and Star Wars” and morphed into MonSSFA, he became its president, largely because “no else wanted the job.”

Something he’s been known to do over the years: Go to sci-fi gatherings disguised as an actual Klingon. “Oh yeah, I had the latex makeup, the 60-pound leather vest and cloak, the bumps on the head. I’d snarl at people.”

Were the bumps on the head courtesy of local toughs who’d beat him up for being a Klingon and all that said distinction entails? No.

The current number of MonSFFA members: Fifty. “We’ve quite a few writers in the club, costumers, model builders, amateur filmmakers. Our motto is, ‘You get what you put into it,’ and we have some very enthusiastic members. Everyone has a chance to contribute writings to our quarterly newspaper Warp, which consists of reviews, original fiction, artwork and alternate histories: for example, like, what would happen if Doctor Who fell into the universe of Smallville?”

Is there one woman among them? Even more, apparently.

Is he a Trekkie or Trekker? “Oh no way, I won’t get into that argument with you. No way!”

What MonSFFA does: “Well, we meet every third Sunday of the month at the Days Inn on Guy, and we’ll have panels and some members might put together an audio-visual presentation. For example, we recently had someone from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada give a presentation on Mars, using 3D technology, and that was some pretty cool stuff. People often spend months putting together their presentations just for these two or three hours of glory. Oh yeah, we have a good time, open discussions, arguments—which can get pretty loud, but cooler heads do prevail. We’re really like a social club—I’ve made friends there I’ve had for 20 years now. We’re doing a meet-and-greet BBQ in Angrignon Park on July 30.” Go to www.monsffa.com for more details.

Is he ever ridiculed for his interests? Rarely. “And when it happens, like sometimes when we’re in parades, drunks yell things at us like, ‘Get a life’ or ‘Beam me up.’ I just go, ‘Hey, look, here’s what I’ve done, take a look at my Web site or the stuff I’ve written or my artwork. What’ve you done with your life?’ That usually shuts them up for a few seconds.”

Last book read: Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross

Musical preferences: Sarah McLachlan, Icehouse, the Rankins.

Words of wisdom: “Never give up, never surrender.”

Comments? dimwit@hdot.net