<![CDATA[SMOF News]]>https://smofnews.substack.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Fyoh!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb6584e1-9360-4c16-ba0b-e37f88a23756_165x165.pngSMOF Newshttps://smofnews.substack.comSubstackMon, 05 Oct 2026 20:23:15 GMT<![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 6, issue 5]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-5https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-5Thu, 01 Oct 2026 02:10:35 GMTSan Diego Accuses Business Association of Breach of Contract Over Dangerous Comic-Con Ad

The city of San Diego has accused the Gaslamp Quarter Association, a nonprofit business association which manages San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter district, of breach of contract over the unpermitted and unsafe ad installation near Comic-Con International this past June which drew a whopping $160,000 fine.

The installation described at the time as being built by Elevue Outdoor. The city said that Elevue had been repeatedly warned that it was illegal before and during construction. Now the city is accusing the GQA of misrepresenting itself as having the authority to approve the installation, as well as a conflict of interest on the part of one board member, with the involvement of another contractor.

Voice of San Diego has the details, including the full letter sent by the city to the GQA.

Amongst the city’s evidence is a bank statement for a June 30 payment of $10,000 from a company called Big Outdoor. Meeting minutes from earlier in the month show the association’s Board of Directors directed [executive director Michael] Trimble to “finalize contract with Big Outdoor for Comic-Con activation.” If true, the city said this payment would be a violation of conflict of interest laws.

After this article was published, Trimble said: “Big Outdoor has a longstanding relationship with GQA as the advertising agency that sells advertising through the Gaslamp Quarter kiosk program. The $10,000 referenced by the City was a regular payment associated with that separate program.”

BIG Outdoor, as it spells its name on its own website, is now said to have been responsible for the design and installation of the ad, with Elevue participating as a subcontractor.

The city’s letter includes an email from Trimble asserting that the GQA expressly told BIG Outdoor that the GQA could not authorize the installation, and necessary permits would have to be obtained directly from the city.

The city apparently does not believe him, and Trimble has been given until October 9 to respond.

In Brief

  • SMOFcon 43 (Lisbon, Portugal, December 4-6) is offering bursaries for convention runners or aspiring convention runners looking to attend. One is for a Lisbon local, one for someone from Portugal, one for anyone in Europe, and one for anyone outside Europe. The application form is open through October 21.

  • WasabiCon (Jacksonville, Florida, October 9-11) has added Skye Redden.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Don Munsil, Darren Hupke, Brian Riggsbee, Gabe Durham, Mark Crowe, Garry Kitchen, James Moore, George Sanger, David Crane, Dan Kitchen, Sean Parker, Jackie Stargrove, Chris Pope, Paul Quinn, John Hancock, Tyler Drinkard, and Joe Decuir.

  • PonyCon Holland (Zeist, Netherlands, October 23-25) has added M. A. Larson.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Liam O’Brian, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe, Whitney Moore, Luis Carazo, and Alexander Ward.

  • Detroit Retro Gaming Show (Southfield, Michigan, November 7) has added Kenny James, Tim Kitzrow, and T. C. Carson.

  • Torg Gaming Expo (Columbus, Ohio, November 14-15) has added Shawn Layden.

  • Game On Expo (Phoenix, Arizona, January 15-17) has added Nick Apostolides, Angela Sant’Albano, Emma Rose Creamer, Delanie Nicole Gill, Jane Perry, and Eden Riegel.

Event Calendar

Weekend of October 2-4

Weekend of October 9-11

Weekend of October 16-18

Weekend of October 23-25

Weekend of October 30-November 2

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 6, issue 4]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-4https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-4Thu, 24 Sep 2026 01:51:23 GMTAI Art Accusation Leads to Bite Attack

At Oz Comic-Con in Brisbane, Australia this past weekend, a heated argument between vendors escalated to one of them biting the other.

ABC News has the details:

Footage supplied to the ABC shows Zyllion stall-holder Bowie Chong in a heated argument with another vendor, Victoria Manton-Williams at about 2:40pm.

Manton-Williams told the ABC she asked Chong whether his art was AI-generated, prompting him to tell her to “f*** off”.

Manton-Williams alleged Chong snatched the phone away from her artist friend who was filming the scene.

Manton-Williams said her friend pushed Chong, who then allegedly bit her friend’s arm and “latched on”.

Manton-Williams said she ran over and tried to pull Chong off of her friend and that she was pushed to the ground and kicked in the arm.

Oz Comic-Con provided a statement to ABC that “all parties” from both their future events and the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. However, the convention declined to describe its policy on AI art. Its website has no information on such a policy either.

AI art has been a hot topic at conventions, with a growing number banning it, and at least two instances of the police being called to events for reasons related to it last year. Human bite attacks remain rare, but last year also saw one notable instance at a convention.

In Brief

  • 1d4Con has announced that it will not be holding an event in 2027. Whether to hold one in 2028 will be decided next spring or summer.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Peter Jacobsen, Sean Astin, and Temuera Morrison.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Marcus Mera, John Riggs, Ted Tahquechi, Faran Thomason, Ernest de Leon, Jason Mical, Daniel Greenberg, Grayson Wendell, Ken Allen, Brett Weiss, Josh Mandel, Al Lowe, and Pat Contri.

  • Comiccon de Québec (Ville de Québec, Québec, October 9-11) has added Claude Legault and Arianne Roy.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Krysten Ritter.

  • TORG Gaming Expo (Columbus, Ohio, November 14-15) has added Shawn Layden.

  • Anime Milwaukee (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 5-7) has added Monica Rial.

Event Calendar

Weekend of September 25-27

Midweek convention: Icon Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel

Weekend of October 2-4

Weekend of October 9-11

Weekend of October 16-18

Weekend of October 23-25

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 6, issue 3]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-3https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-3Thu, 17 Sep 2026 02:48:45 GMTReview: The Wrath of Con: Story of Fandom’s Con Quest, issue #1

In the beginning, there was Hugo Gernsback, with the idea of connecting fans of thrilling scientific stories of the future. From his magazines sprang the first correspondence clubs, followed by in-person clubs, which in turn spawned fanzines, conventions, and all of modern organized fandom.

The Wrath of Con renders this prehistory in graphic novel format, with nearly everyone rendered as anthropomorphic foxes. It is not technically about conventions yet, with issue #1 running from the 19th-century forerunners of science fiction to the dissolution of the Scienceers, the first in-person club to meet regularly, in late 1930.

At over 50 pages to cover a short timeframe, this issue is able to go into great detail about the formative experiences of the big personalities who dominated early fandom. Clubs and fanzines also get their due, with pages devoted to a roster of notable early zines and the technologies available to fan publishers of the time.

Nothing in this issue will be new to students of early fan history; all information in it is taken from publicly available sources. But having all of it in one place, in a highly accessible format, makes it an excellent starting point for those who would like to learn more about the earliest days of fandom. Footnotes and sources are provided for the reader who wants to explore more.

The Wrath of Con is a publication of the Convention History Project. Most, but not quite all, of issue #1 can be viewed at their website.

A date for issue #2 has not yet been announced.

In Brief

Event Calendar

Weekend of September 18-20

Weekend of September 25-27

Midweek convention: Icon Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel

Weekend of October 2-4

Weekend of October 9-11

Weekend of October 16-18

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 6, issue 2]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-2https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-2Thu, 10 Sep 2026 02:44:02 GMTDragon Con Lines Collide With Record Heat

High heat and severe humidity were forecast for Atlanta this past weekend, with everyone from news stations to the Atlanta police warning attendees at Dragon Con and other events about the potentially dangerous weather. Fox 5 Atlanta ran a story on preparations by local events to handle heat indexes potentially reaching 105°F (40°C), noting that Dragon Con was thinking ahead about its outdoor costume parade:

To combat the sweltering heat, organizers for Dragon Con made several adjustments for attendees and spectators attending Saturday's annual parade. Staff installed new water refilling stations that are being replenished continuously throughout the day. Event organizers also increased the number of emergency medical services personnel stationed across downtown.

No such luck was had for the crowds assembling to pick up their badges on the first day of the convention. Attendees reported waits topping two hours even in the line for the disabled, with the lines stretching through hot hallways and outside into the heat, humidity, and eventually, pouring rain.

At least one complainant reported a post being rejected from Dragon Con’s official Facebook page. AJC Georgia Entertainment Scene had better luck, getting a statement which it then posted to Facebook. The statement blames unspecified technical problems and an unexpected crowd:

We did experience longer wait times at badge pick up than usual caused by couple of interrelated issues. This year, more than any year prior, fans elected to pick up their badges on Thursday, with the peak happening around 3 p.m. About that same time, we had a technology issue that created a slow down in our ability to check in fans and give them their badges. Once we fell behind, it took the rest of the day to catch up. Registration remained open until every fan in line had been able to pick up their badge.

One of the more popular suggestions from irate attendees, even getting a Change.org petition, is that Dragon Con should mail badges to attendees ahead of time. This is not a common practice in the United States the way it is in some parts of the world, but it isn’t unheard of. Gen Con and Atlanta-area anime convention MomoCon are two cons which have significant attendance overlap with Dragon Con and mail badges.

Other suggestions which are perfectly normal for US conventions include opening badge pickup the day before the convention starts, and moving to a convention center for a fully indoor experience. Dragon Con reached the size where most fan events move to a convention center over 30 years ago, but has simply expanded to more and more hotels as it has grown and its attendees have become accustomed to significant time outside moving between venues.

In Brief

  • Tammy Coxen has a correction for last week’s Worldcon bid news: “The party you mention was a joint effort from Texas in 2031, Nantes in 2032, Glasgow in 2034 and the Worldcon in Africa initiative. We all put a lot of work into it, so I just want to make sure everyone gets the credit - it wasn't just Nantes.”

  • GrandeCon (Grande Prairie, Alberta, September 11-13) has added Jason Priestley.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Michaela Jill Murphy, Rachel Pizzolato, Chace Crawford, McKenna Grace, and Mason Thames.

  • Octocon (Cork, Ireland, October 3-4) has added Jean Bürlesk as an online guest.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Yasmina Ketita, Andrea Subissati, Guy Cihi, Gail Tilden, Tom duBois, Steve Wiebe.

  • GDEX (Columbus, Ohio, October 15-18) has added Juniper Dev.

  • DerpyCon (New Brunswick, New Jersey, October 30-November 1) has added BERRY.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Christopher Lloyd, Lamorne Morris, Giancarlo Esposito, Duncan Lacroix, and samUIL Lee.

  • Game On Expo (Phoenix, Arizona, January 15-17) has added Mary Elizabeth McGlynn.

  • Trek Long Island (Melville, New York, June 11-13) has added Doug Jones.

Event Calendar

Weekend of September 11-13

Weekend of September 18-20

Weekend of September 25-27

Just added: Midweek convention: Icon Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel

Weekend of October 2-4

Weekend of October 9-11

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 6, issue 1]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-1https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-6-issue-1Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:13:20 GMTWorldcon News Roundup

LAcon V, the 84th World Science Fiction Convention, took place last weekend.

Hugo scandal penalties revealed

Censures and other penalties for those held responsible for the 2023 Hugo Award irregularities, hinted at two weeks ago but embargoed for non-WSFS members, were revealed on the Business Meetings recaps page during the con.

Four individuals have been censured: Dave McCarty, the 2023 Hugo administrator; Joe Yao/Yao Chi/姚驰, a member of the Hugo administration committee; and Raistlin Chen/Shi Chen and Ben Yalow, co-chairs of the 2023 Worldcon and also members of the Hugo administration committee.

The Business Meeting does not have the power to directly ban individuals from specific Worldcons, but it has requested that upcoming Worldcons ban McCarty indefinitely, Yalow for five years, and Yao and Chen for two years each.

Details of the discussion about the length of these bans were not released.

Worldcon bid news

At the bid Q&A, all bids were asked questions about the hot items of the moment:

  • Whether they would honor the requests of the Business Meeting, probably in reference to the news above, which was still embargoed at the time of the Q&A. All said yes.

  • Whether they planned to continue with the new tradition of online Business Meetings. None were willing to commit one way or the other.

  • Whether they would report all the names associated with each Hugo Award finalist. This has become an issue due to recent finalists that submitted long lists of contributors and resolution F.7 this year trying to put a cap on the number of contributors listed. Answers were variations on “yes, where practical”.

The Brisbane in 2028 bid, running unopposed, won the site selection vote to become Aussiecon 5, now giving its location as Meanjin / Brisbane. Guests of Honour are Claire G. Coleman (Author GoH), David Gaider (Games GoH), Jonathan Strahan (Editor GoH), Kathleen Jennings (Artist GoH), Perry Middlemiss (Fan GoH), and Seanan McGuire (Author GoH).

Dublin in 2029 premiered the first in a series of musical pieces composed especially for the convention.

Edmonton in 2030 remains active but had no significant new news.

Texas in 2031 is pausing until after the US midterm election results are known. (While the US has no presidential election this year, all seats in the House of Representatives and 33 of those in the Senate face elections in November, which may alter the balance of power in the legislative branch and could result in changes in US policies.)

Nantes in 2032 held a party to remind people it exists, but has no website or social media yet.

A group from the Czech Republic (their preferred term rather than Czechia) is exploring a bid for 2031 or 2032.

Glasgow in 2034 collected ideas from the Q&A audience for what they would like to see at another Glasgow Worldcon.

The Brisbane, Dublin, and Edmonton bids, as well as next year’s Worldcon in Montréal, also filled out questionnaires which are available here.

Awards

In Brief

  • Conflux 20 has been cancelled, with “more information to follow”.

  • The final ballot for the Pegasus Awards is open through October 29.

  • San Japan (San Antonio, Texas, September 4-6) has added Spike Spencer and Shiori Tani.

  • Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, September 4-6) has added John Boyd.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Bryce Dallas Howard, Zachary Levi, Janina Gavankar, and Brandon Routh.

  • Cincinnati Comic Expo (Cincinnati, Ohio, September 25-27) has added Sylvester McCoy, Kim Coates, Brande Roderick, Ashley Eckstein, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Cristina Vee, Carlos Pratts, Dan Riba, Franco Aureliani, Renée Witterstaetter, Jeff Edwards, Akakioga Cosplay, Mandy Fay, and PerlerTricks.

  • San Diego Comic Con Málaga (Málaga, Spain, October 1-4) has added Judit Mallol, Jesús Merino, Rodney Ramos, El Torres, Arthur Suydam, and Salva Espín.

  • Octocon (Cork, Ireland, October 3-4) has added S. M. Hallow as an online guest.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Jeff Schine, John Reddick, George Sumpter, William Corkery, Jim Vessella, Scott Dreier, Ryan Drummond, and Mike Pollock.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Bob Odenkirk.

Event Calendar

Weekend of September 4-6

Weekend of September 11-13

Weekend of September 18-20

Weekend of September 25-27

Weekend of October 2-4

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News: Index to volume 5]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-index-to-volume-5https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-index-to-volume-5Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:14:52 GMTThis index covers all issues of volume 5 of SMOF News. Earlier indices: Volume 4 • Volume 3 • Volumes 1 & 2

This index is divided into two sections: Conventions for specific events, and Everything Else for bids, non-convention-running organizations, news about individuals, and miscellaneous articles.

Bolded links are for mentions in the major news section; normal text is for mentions under “In Brief”.

Conventions

Everything Else

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 53]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-53https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-53Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:12:58 GMTFive Years!

SMOF News celebrates its fifth anniversary next week. As every new volume starts, I wonder what on earth I’m going to be able to write about, but every year the page fills up with things I never expected.

Long-running sagas certainly help too. This year saw the conclusion of the Gen Con heist saga which started in August 2023, which has just been edged out by the Chengdu Hugo Award scandal for duration. The last i’s may be dotted and t’s crossed on the Hugo business soon.

The Sekai Guild vs. CESI lawsuit is still on, but I have hope that it might end this year with the actual trial. If there’s an appeal, though, who knows. I would never have guessed that it would take almost two years to conclude the court proceedings over the Gen Con theft.

If you think the 53 at the top looks odd, SMOF News managed to accidentally skip issue 18 last December. This is the second time a numbering error has happened in the dead of winter, and so more vigilance will be exercised going forward.

If that’s the worst error for me to report, I guess it’s doing okay. As always, thank you all for reading.

In Brief

  • Long Beach Comic Con (Long Beach, California, September 4-6) has added Eric Stuart and Dan Green.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Joe Lando and Alec Baldwin.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Katie O’Hagan, Paula Rhodes, and John Riggs.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Ryan Ottley, Scott Snyder, Marc Silvestri, Frank Cho, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Greg Weisman, Marc Guggenheim, Kyle Higgins, and Stephanie Phillips.

  • Gallifrey One (Los Angeles, February 5-7) has added Stephen Cole, Simon Guerrier, Frazer Hines, and Katy Manning.

Event Calendar

Weekend of August 28-30

Weekend of September 4-6

Weekend of September 11-13

Weekend of September 18-20

Weekend of September 25-27

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 52]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-52https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-52Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:09:14 GMTAd at Comic-Con International Draws Huge Fine

Wraps advertising movies and TV shows have been a regular feature around Comic-Con International for many years, as have the token fines handed out afterward by the city of San Diego because all of the wraps are illegal. This year, though, an installation around an existing arch near the convention venue drew a fine of $160,000 for being unsafe as well as breaking the law.

The San Diego Union-Tribune (article readable in full via the San Jose Mercury News) describes the installation:

It completely covered the arch with a green and black sign — similar to the colors of villain Dr. Doom — that lighted up at night. It also covered the narrow, metal pillars that hold up the arch with black, Roman-style columns that slightly reduced walking space on Fifth Avenue.

At least some of the concern from city officials stems from a fear the display could fall off the arch and cause an injury.

Elevue Outdoor, the company which constructed the ad, informed the city of the plan ahead of time and was repeatedly told not to do it, according to a statement provided to CBS8:

"The City wants Comic-Con to be a fun and safe event for all attendees, and has a responsibility to ensure temporary additions in the public right-of-way are installed safely. The City told this contractor weeks before the event that they were not allowed to install anything on the Gaslamp sign. Likewise, when they had just started the install, City staff informed them once again that it was not allowed and directed them to safely remove it. They continued construction despite several additional reminders. The contractor knowingly created a safety risk and refused to address it, and was cited and fined accordingly," Richard Berg, the Senior Public Information Officer for the City of San Diego, said.

A change to the local building code on July 15 had just raised the maximum accumulated fine per day from $1,000 to $10,000. The building wraps around the convention area this year continued to be fined in the $500-$1000/day range, emphasizing that this one huge fine was about the safety aspect.

On the premise that there is no such thing as bad publicity, it is suspected that the extra $160,000 may still be worth it for Disney.

In Brief

Event Calendar

Weekend of August 21-23

Weekend of August 28-30

Weekend of September 4-6

Weekend of September 11-13

Weekend of September 18-20

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 51]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-51https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-51Thu, 13 Aug 2026 02:27:40 GMTWSFS Business Meeting Ends NASFiC, Makes Decisions About Chengdu

For the second year in a row, most of the business meeting of the World Science Fiction Society was held on days outside of the World Science Fiction Convention. This year’s Worldcon, LAcon V (Anaheim, California, August 27-31) has posted recaps of all sessions as well as recordings of three of the four sessions.

Many items of business were voted on, including two high-profile ones.

NASFiC is over

The motion to end the North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC) was ratified. In the days when Worldcon rarely traveled outside the United States, NASFiC was created as alternative, held only in years when Worldcon was on a different continent, for North American fans who couldn’t travel that far. It is believed to have made North American fandom more willing to allow international bids.

But now, with Worldcon having become a true world convention, NASFiC has been left in an awkward place, as no other region was being given special consideration in the WSFS constitution. It was a proposal at the Chengdu Worldcon to create an Asian Science Fiction Convention (ASFiC) to be administered by WSFS like NASFiC that forced the issue. ASFiC was voted down the following year, and last year the proposal to end NASFiC was passed and sent to LAcon V for ratification.

NASFiC has had quite a varied history for a con which has only been held 16 times, with locations ranging from Puerto Rico to Winnipeg, and crowds from a few hundred to over 14,000 the year it was combined with Dragon Con (then styled Dragon*Con).

Things decided about the 2023 Hugo scandal

The most recent session of the WSFS Business Meeting dealt with the report of the Trial Committee formed last year to examine the question of punishments for figures associated with the unnecessary disqualification of Hugo Award candidates in 2023. It was held in “Executive Session”, meaning that the proceedings were not to be disclosed to anyone who is not a member of WSFS. This is the session where the recording has not been made public, and the recap is vague:

The meeting adopted several resolutions censuring individuals and requesting that future Worldcons ban certain individuals from membership or volunteering. The text of the adopted resolutions will be made available after the conclusion of the 2026 Business Meeting (which will happen when the final meeting on August 30 adjourns).

The final meeting will be held at Worldcon to report the results of the site selection vote for 2028. SMOF News will report on the details of the bans when they are available.

In Brief

  • Wiscon (May 27-31, Madison, Wisconsin) has named Annalee Newitz and Nicola Griffith its Guests of Honor.

  • MAGWest (San Jose, California, August 14-16) has added Elisa Meléndez.

  • San Japan (San Antonio, Texas, September 4-6) has added Yoko Takahashi.

  • Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, September 4-6) has added Ken Jeong.

  • Long Beach Comic Con (Long Beach, California, September 5-6) has added Karan Ashley and Walter Jones.

  • Ani-Medford (Medford, Oregon, September 19-20) has added Shara Kirby.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Mr. T and Vivienne Medrano.

  • Cincinnati Comic Expo (Cincinnati, Ohio, September 25-27) has added Richard Armitage, Leven Rambin, Summer Glau, Chris Fehn, Alé Garza, Jeffery Shultz, Andy Bennett, and Scott Beaderstadt.

  • San Diego Comic Con Málaga (Málaga, Spain, October 1-4) has added Kevin Sussman, Dean Devlin, Deborah Ann Woll, and Chris Condon.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Michael Guinn, Robert Belgrade, G to the Next Level, Tama Hero, Michael Cranford, Cassandra Reeder, James Asmus, and Nolan Bushnell.

  • WasabiCon (Jacksonville, Florida, October 9-11) has added Anjali Kunapaneni.

  • Comiccon de Québec (Ville de Québec, Québec, October 9-11) has added Lou Diamond Phillips, Paul Castro Jr., and Maxence Cazorla.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Eman Esfandi, Sean Schemmel, Christopher Sabat, Justin Cook, Sarah Natochenny, Erica Lindbeck, Mallorie Rodak, Jordan Dash Cruz, Dallas Reid, Jill Harris, and Johnny Yong Bosch.

  • Argentina Comic Con (Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 4-6) has added Elijah Wood and Dominic Monaghan.

  • Game On Expo (Phoenix, Arizona, January 15-17) has added Amanda Hufford.

  • Gallifrey One (Los Angeles, February 5-7) has added Waris Hussein, Toby Hadoke, Geoffrey Beevers, and Daisy Ashford.

Event Calendar

Weekend of August 14-16

Weekend of August 21-23

Weekend of August 28-30

Weekend of September 4-6

Weekend of September 11-13

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 50]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-50https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-50Thu, 06 Aug 2026 03:18:02 GMTConventions Admissions Are Getting Expensive

Like everything else, inflation has been hitting convention admission rates. Forbes recently ran an analysis of anime convention registration prices and found some eye-popping increases over the past decade. The champion is Anime NYC:

Founded in 2016 by LeftField Media, the same creators as New York Comic Con, the inaugural three-day anime event initially cost $60 at the Javits Center. Now, the event has added an extra day of programming and increased the total admission price to $175; almost triple the cost in nine years.

Although if you really want some sticker shock, the aforementioned New York Comic Con costs $321 to attend this year according to the same site Forbes has pulled its numbers from. Part of the trouble may be that New York City is simply one of the most expensive cities in the world.

The analysis is complicated by the way that nonprofit conventions usually offer significant discounts for registering early. Anime Central’s registration page for next year reveals that a membership now only costs $75 versus $100 at the door; a person registering for the next Sakura-Con right after this year’s event would only have paid $80 of a possible $130; Katsucon’s prices for next year started at $70 of an eventual $95.

Looking for signs of possible financial strain among anime fans, Forbes notes slowing growth in attendance and slightly slower badge sales for Anime Expo, the biggest anime in the western US, and suggests:

Possible reasons include political tension and macro-level socio-economic factors (i.e. tariffs, unemployment and cost of living). Attendees might also feel tapped out of big anime industry panels, expensive dealer halls and high cost of entry.

Anime conventions in the US also cater to a uniquely limited demographic. Most are primarily oriented toward fans in their teens and 20s. This makes them likely to be the first to be hit by declining birthrates, and it also means that their attendees are more vulnerable to economic factors.

Still, Anime Expo is still growing, even in these times, which suggests that convention attendance is relatively resilient.

In Brief

  • ATG Expo has cancelled its 2026 event, and is searching for a new venue for 2027.

  • Terrificon (Uncasville, Connecticut, August 7-9) has added Scott Lobdell.

  • Matsuricon (Columbus, Ohio, September 4-6) has added Mona Marshall, Casey Mongillo, Cherami Leigh, BERRY, and Megan Von Pelt.

  • San Japan (San Antonio, Texas, September 4-6) has added Lucien Lunaris, Nayuta Umbrage, and Takushi Koide.

  • Dragon Con (Atlanta, Georgia, September 3-7) has added Melanie Scrofano.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Liz Mamorsky and Thessaly Lerner.

  • Gallifrey One (Los Angeles, February 5-7) has added Graeme Harper.

Event Calendar

Weekend of August 7-9

Weekend of August 14-16

Weekend of August 21-23

Weekend of August 28-30

Weekend of September 4-6

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 49]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-49https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-49Thu, 30 Jul 2026 02:28:29 GMTMeta Glasses Banned at UK Media Cons

Monopoly Events, which runs media conventions around the UK, posted a new policy about Meta’s smart glasses last week:

After a consultation period we can no longer permit the wearing of any recording device at our events. The vast majority of the talent and agents at our events felt that these were a violation of their privacy and were damaging and spoiling the interactions at the tables. Several expressed concerns that they might not continue to attend in-person events if they were being recorded in secret.

We had similar feedback from event attendees, many of whom are not comfortable with the knowledge that other convention goers might be filming them without consent.

Anyone seen using one of these devices might be asked to leave the event and forfeit any unfulfilled autographs or photographs they had purchased. Please let’s make these events a safe space for everyone.

Meta’s glasses are sleeker and less obviously enhanced than the clunky Google Glasses of over a decade ago, but the user behavior which inspired the term “glasshole” has not changed, and the fact that the camera is much harder to spot now is not helping.

The Register, in a roundup of recent bans, noted that potential problems go well beyond simply recording:

The Register has heard that such devices can be paired with unsophisticated apps to dox passersby in seconds, and have inspired separate projects to alert Android users to nearby glasses-wearers using Bluetooth signals.

Meta is also facing scrutiny from the UK’s data protection watchdog, including over cross-border data flows. The watchdog’s questions follow reports originating in Sweden that Kenya-based contractors reviewing footage from wearers were exposed to some of their more private moments.

And then of course there are the nudification apps and other AI-inspired ways to use people’s images without consent.

An unfortunate side effect of this ban is to deny people with vision impairments the use of a tool which has great assistive potential. It appears for now that conventions and conferences are judging that the need to stop the creeps is stronger than the downside of disappointing some disabled attendees.

In Brief

  • Terrificon (Uncasville, Connecticut, August 7-9) has added Mike DeCarlo.

  • Matsuricon (Columbus, Ohio, September 4-6) has added Joshua Seth and Daman Mills.

  • Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, September 4-6) has added John Cena.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Molly Ringwald, Gene Simmons, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Hayden Christensen.

  • Con+Alt+Delete (Rosemont, Illinois, December 18-20) has added Blake Shepard, Chris McCullough, Jessica Cavanagh, Mary Morgan, and Saffron Henderson.

Event Calendar

Weekend of July 31-August 2

Weekend of August 7-9

Weekend of August 14-16

Weekend of August 21-23

Weekend of August 28-30

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 48]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-48https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-48Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:39:39 GMTComic-Con International Remains in San Diego Through 2030

Today, on the opening day of Comic-Con International, Todd Gloria, the mayor of San Diego, showed up to make an announcement that CCI will remain in San Diego through 2030.

This had been in doubt ever since CCI extended its previous contract by only one year to 2027, and made it clear that the sticking point had been the unwillingness of area hotels to allocate enough discounted rooms. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that this was a critical factor again:

“If hotel rates are in the $600, $800, $1,000 a night range, that stops the rank-and-file fans from attending,” [spokesman David Glanzer] said. “Without fans, it’s a domino effect: If you don’t have fans, you don’t have a convention, you don’t have programs, and studios don’t come.”

Comic-Con’s current agreement is also for 14,000 rooms, which is what Glanzer said was the bare minimum needed. He said there is always pushback from hotels in between contracts, and organizers were glad to keep the status quo.

Today’s announcement did not address what has become the second-biggest question hanging over CCI: if it stays in San Diego, then what happens in 2028, when the Summer Olympics will be held in and around Los Angeles July 14-30? Last time the Olympics hit Los Angeles, in 1984, San Diego Comic-Con (as it was officially named then) was held at the end of June instead of its usual late July/early August dates.

The Olympic venues are more spread out this time, with one event actually taking place within San Diego County, but CCI is also twenty times the size it was back then. Has that made it powerful enough to force San Diego’s hotels to agree to the usual date and give up some of their chance at Olympic revenue?

The only public statement about this to date was reported from last year’s end-of-con feedback panel:

A big question arose when one guest brought up the coming Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. As the Convention only has contracts to 2027, the guest asked if the Committee was thinking of rescheduling the show or canceling the 2028 show (something the large Glasgow show did). The audience responded with a loud “NO!”

Glanzer stated that the idea of skipping a show is deeply unpopular and smaller shows later in the year don’t work well, the Thanksgiving 2021 show having been a money loser, but good to have in keeping the presence alive. A 2028 decision won’t be made lightly and it is a topic of intense discussion in the Convention offices.

That decision has obviously been made now, but it may not be made public until next year’s convention.

In Brief

  • Dragon Con (Atlanta, Georgia, September 3-6) is working on a replacement guest after David Tennant became unable to attend due to changes in his filming schedule.

  • Guests of Honor for COSine (Colorado Springs, Colorado, January 22-24) will be Mur Lafferty, Ness Brown (Science GoH), Robin Monogue (Artist GoH), Connie Willis (Special Guest), and Courtney Willis (Special Guest).

  • Comic Con Nebraska (Omaha, Nebraska, August 8-9) has added Stephanie Young and Justin Cook.

  • San Japan (San Antonio, Texas, September 4-6) has added Meli Grant.

  • Tucson Comic-Con (Tucson, Arizona, September 4-6) has added E. G. Daily and Katie Sarife.

  • Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, September 4-6) has added Jonny Cruz.

  • GalaCon (Waiblingen, Germany, September 5-6) has added Angelina Geisler.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Jason Patric, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kiefer Sutherland, and David Wenham.

  • Cincinnati Comic Expo (Cincinnati, Ohio, September 25-27) has added Thomas Middleditch, Sala Baker, Jeff Balke, Arthur Baltazar, Scoot McMahon, Dave Scheidt, Alejandro Rosado, Corinne Roberts, Uko Smith, Dave Aikins, and Scott Snyder.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Maggie Robertson.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Sam Heughan, Graham McTavish, Grant O’Rourke, and Stephen Walters.

  • Game On Expo (Phoenix, Arizona, January 15-17) has added Lizzie Freeman, Steve Blum, Nick Apostolides, and Angela Sant’Albano.

  • Gallifrey One (Los Angeles, February 5-7) has added Carole Ann Ford and Anita Dobson.

Event Calendar

Weekend of July 24-26

Weekend of July 31-August 2

Weekend of August 7-9

Weekend of August 14-16

Weekend of August 21-23

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 47]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-47https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-47Thu, 16 Jul 2026 01:30:13 GMTCustoms Raid at Japan Expo Was Business as Usual

Alarmed posts on X from an attendee at Japan Expo (Villepinte, France) this past weekend alerted the world that French customs staff had arrived to confiscate fan art from a vendor booth despite desperate pleas from the artist to stop. The original poster generalized that the customs team was coming for all fan art from any fandom.

In fact this appears to have been a targeted operation looking for replica works deemed to be actual counterfeits. French Customs put out a press release in 2018 about its sweep of Japan Expo that year which says it has been doing this every year since 2012. Attendees at this year’s Japan Expo confirmed to SMOF News that there were plenty of booths selling fan art which remains untouched.

Direct-Actu.fr has more details, along with thoughts on the fuzzy legal area that fan art sits in.

Anthrocon Denies AI Use; Hotel Created AI Art

Anthrocon (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) issued a statement vehemently denying any use or approval of AI tools. Summing it up:

TLDR: AI Slop SUCKS. And we don’t do it. See it? Please tell us.

Two things appear to have triggered this statement. One was accusations posted to social media that some of Anthrocon’s official art “looks AI-generated”. In addition to the official response, two of the artists who create that art posted their own denials.

The other was a doodle pad and stickers spotted in one of the official con hotels which used Anthrocon’s name and suspicious-looking artwork. After it was reported to Anthrocon staff, the doodle pad vanished and an apologogetic note appeared, assuring attendees that it was the hotel staff’s own idea:

These images were used in a misguided attempt to engage with guests of the hotel, and were not approved or associated in anyway [sic] with Anthrocon in any official capacity.

In Brief

  • Andrew Nisbet III, a long-time committee member on OryCon and Portland-area Westercons, died July 4. (Obituary)

  • Pretty Heroes (Toronto, Ontario, July 18-19) has added Pretty Knight Lauri, Kenzumii, Kerokurino, and Howard Wong.

  • Meadowlark Comic Con (Medford, Oregon, July 25-26) has added Mark Oliver.

  • Gen Con (Indianapolis, Indiana, July 30-August 2) has added Mychal Threets.

  • Rebel Scum Con (Frisco, Texas, August 7-9) has added Matt Leonard, Manny Jacinto, Giancarlo Esposito, and Alistair Petrie.

  • Comic Con Nebraska (Omaha, Nebraska, August 8-9) has added Elizabeth Maxwell, Christopher Sabat, Jason Liebrecht, Kevin Maguire, and Christopher Priest.

  • Long Beach Comic Con (Long Beach, California, September 5-6) has added Barbara Kesel, Chris Robinson, Lauren Moran, Ross Richie, and Nicholas Cage.

  • Palermo Comic Convention (Palermo, Italy, September 10-13) has added Lera Abova.

  • Monroe Comic Con (Monroe, Michigan, September 11-12) has added Peter Kelamis.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Trish Stratus, Sandy Fox, Steve Burton, and George Newburn.

  • L.A. Comic Con (Los Angeles, October 30-November 1) has added Aaron Paul and Dean Norris.

  • Farpoint Convention (Towson, Maryland, February 5-7) has added Todd Stashwick.

Event Calendar

Weekend of July 17-19

Weekend of July 24-26

Weekend of July 31-August 2

Weekend of August 7-9

Weekend of August 14-16

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 46]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-46https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-46Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:35:12 GMTWestercon to Bow Out at 80

This past weekend at Westercon 78 (combined with BayCon 42) in Santa Clara, its Business Meeting ratified the motion from last year which dissolves the convention. This means this year’s was the last Westercon to host a Business Meeting, but the convention itself will persist for two more years.

Westercon 79 will be combined with BayCon 43. No bids had been filed for Westercon 80 as of two weeks ago, but two were presented at the meeting: one to combine it with BayCon one more time, and one to combine it with Loscon, the Los Angeles science fiction convention run by LASFS, the organization that created Westercon.

The Loscon bid was accepted, meaning that Westercon 80 will be held Thanksgiving weekend in 2028.

As the official announcment says:

The first three Westercons were held in Los Angeles in 1948-50, with Westercon 4 being held in San Francisco in 1951. These final two Westercons symbolically retrace the convention’s steps from the Bay Area to the Los Angeles area, and are a sort of “Retirement Tour” for the convention. Both BayCon and Loscon are expected to include programming about the history of Westercon.

Westercon has been held every year since except for 2020.

Only a few conventions can claim to be as old as Westercon or older. The UK’s national science fiction convention was also first held in 1948. Boskone in Boston, Philcon in the Philadelphia area, and the World Science Fiction Convention are the only other survivors from that era.

In Brief

  • Robin Johnson, who chaired several conventions in Australia including the 1975 Worldcon, died July 6.
    Worldcon in Memoriam • Fancyclopedia 3

  • Geek Out at Staten Island has gone on indefinite hiatus.

  • Festival Draconis has launched a new crowdfunding campaign for its 2026 edition.

  • Guests of Honor for FilkCONbobulated (location TBA, June 11-13) will be Daniel & Melissa Glassner. (from Filk News)

  • Pretty Heroes (Toronto, Ontario, July 18-19) has added Leslie Doyle.

  • Gen Con (Indianapolis, Indiana, July 30-August 2) has added Jennifer Barnhart.

  • Terrificon (Uncasville, Connecticut, August 7-9) has added Charles Soule and Ryan Browne.

  • Comic Con Nebraska (Omaha, Nebraska, August 8-9) has added Kyle Starks and and Doug Wagner.

  • San Japan (San Antonio, Texas, September 4-6) has added Ironmouse as a virtual guest.

  • Tucson Comic-Con (Tucson, Arizona, September 4-6) has added William Shatner.

  • Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, September 4-6) has added Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress.

  • Ani-Medford (Medford, Oregon, September 19-20) has added Abby Pasion.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Randy Havens, Grey DeLisle, Ann-Margret, and Hayden Christensen.

  • San Diego Comic Con Málaga (Málaga, Spain, October 1-4) has added Michael Golden, Stefano Castelli, Rick Leonardi, Juanjo Guarnido, Pat Mills, Laia López, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson.

  • Tsubasacon (Charleston, West Virginia, October 9-11) has added Jordan Dash Cruz, Ricco Fajardo, Kelsey Cruz, Sean Chiplock, and Chris Guerrero.

  • Game On Expo (Phoenix, Arizona, January 15-17) has added Angela Sant’Albano.

Event Calendar

Weekend of July 10-12

Weekend of July 17-19

Weekend of July 24-26

Weekend of July 31-August 2

Weekend of August 7-9

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 45]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-45https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-45Thu, 02 Jul 2026 02:15:18 GMTWorld Fantasy Convention Unable to Find Host for 2027

The World Fantasy Convention has chosen to remain outside the United States for 2027 and 2028, but no viable bid has emerged for 2027. Instead, a deal has been struck with Fantasycon (first spotted by Locus), the annual convention of the British Fantasy Society and host of the 2025 WFC, for its 2027 event to include “some aspects of World Fantasy Convention including the World Fantasy Awards”.

To clear up some of the confusion that has ensued from this news, Fantasycon 2027 co-chair Karen Fishwick sent a long statement to File 770 clarifying the difference between Fantasycon and the World Fantasy Convention, and explaining the unfortunate circumstances which led to Fantasycon 2027 being scheduled against Eurocon, the Europe-wide science fiction and fantasy convention:

Fantasycon, in recent years, has grown in size, ranging from 500 to 800 attendees. WFC 2025 had around 1100 attendees. Sadly, in the UK, this limits the number of venues that can be used that have sufficient facilities for the event. This then (combined with the organisers availability) gives the dates available to run the event. We also try and avoid clashing with UK events such as Novacon and Bristolcon which also happen at that time of year. Sadly we are not always able to avoid having the same dates as all the European or worldwide events in the genre.

This year’s World Fantasy Convention (seated in 2024) will be held in Oakland, California, October 22-25. This year’s Fantasycon will be held in Glasgow, October 9-11.

The WFC board continues its search for a group willing and able to host a full World Fantasy Convention outside the US in 2028. Interested parties can check out the bid requirements here.

In Brief

  • Inge Heyer, long-time co-chair of Shore Leave, died in late June.
    Remembrances: Shore Leave • Farpoint

  • Spiel Essen has an opening for a full-time project manager.

  • Ret-Con (Durham, North Carolina, March 5-7) has named Jason Roach its Guest of Honor.

  • Pretty Heroes (Toronto, Ontario, July 18-19) has added Jennifer Chi and Keith Grachow.

  • Terrificon (Uncasville, Connecticut, August 7-9) has added Cory Smith, Rich Maurizio, Michael Dooney, Brendon & Brian Fraim, Ken Wheaton, JK Woodward, Ryan Gary Browne, Greg LaRocque, John Giang, Terry Kavanagh, and Ralph Macchio.

  • Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, September 4-6) has added Shameik Moore.

  • GalaCon (Waiblingen, Germany, September 5-6) has added Marÿke Hendrikse and David Godfrey.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Jennifer Grey, Aleks Le, James Remar, and Kevin Nash.

  • Octocon (Cork, Ireland, October 3-4) has added Ruth Ennis (in-person) and Premee Mohamed (online).

Event Calendar

Weekend of July 3-5

Weekend of July 10-12

Weekend of July 17-19

Weekend of July 24-26

Weekend of July 31-August 2

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 44]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-44https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-44Thu, 25 Jun 2026 01:32:10 GMTWestercon Without Bids Again

Westercon, the long-running regional science fiction convention, has received no bids to hold what would be its 80th edition in 2028.

The announcement spells out the process from here:

Bids can still file as qualified write-ins before the end of voting at Westercon 78/BayCon 42 (Marriott Hotel, Santa Clara, California) at 6 p.m. PDT on Saturday, July 4, 2026 by delivering the documents specified in Section 3.3 of the Westercon Bylaws to the Site Selection desk during open hours or sending filing documents to the 2028 Westercon Site Selection Administrators.

…

Should no qualified bid receive sufficient votes, or should “None of the Above” win the election, the Westercon Business Meeting can select a site for Westercon 80, or should they be unable to decide, the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society will decide where Westercon 80 will be held.

There were no bids before the submission deadline for Westercon 77 or Westercon 78, with both eventually being made a combined event with BayCon. BayCon then filed a formal bid to host Westercon 79 as well.

In the meantime, a proposal to end Westercon passed last year, with likely ratification coming this year, which would make Westercon 80 the last one of all, if anyone can be found to host it.

In Brief

Event Calendar

Weekend of June 26-28

Weekend of July 3-5

Weekend of July 10-12

Weekend of July 17-19

Weekend of July 24-26

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 43]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-43https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-43Thu, 18 Jun 2026 02:14:02 GMTHow to Convention: Travelling Internationally For Cons

International travel has always been an occasion for excitement and anxiety, but now it is more so than ever. The tips for making it easier to handle have hardly changed in that time.

Get your paperwork in order

As soon as you decide you want to go, check your destination’s entry authorization requirements for people from your country. Is there a visa requirement? If so, what documentation do you need to submit and how soon? Is there something you need to fill out just before you travel (e.g. ESTA in the US)?

Check your passport expiration date. Many countries require your passport to be good for at least six months after your planned visit.

Start researching travel insurance. In addition to cancellations, find something that covers possible illness, unless your home country and your destination both have universal healthcare and a reciprocal agreement to treat each others’ citizens.

Reduce your unknown unknowns

Travelling to a foreign country means encountering a foreign culture whose norms and assumptions about how things work can trip you up at the most unexpected of times. Maybe the grocery stores are open every day of the week in your hometown, but not where you’re going. Maybe you’re used to paying for everything with a credit card, but cash is king at your destination. Maybe a medication you always bring with you is an innocuous over-the-counter purchase at home, but you’re travelling to a country where it’s considered a dangerous controlled substance.

Two sources of information will help you out. One is to find a travel guide and at least read the rundown of practical information for tourists: local tipping culture, hotel customs, and so forth.

The other is to check travel advisories issued by your own government about your destination. These may include information on scams directed at tourists, locally acceptable prejudices that tourists may find aimed at them, or generally dangerous areas to avoid.

Know where to get help

Look up the location of your home country’s embassy or the nearest consulate. Write down the numbers to call if one of your credit cards or your bank card gets stolen. Make sure someone back home knows where you are so that they can counteract any travel scams from people claiming to be you in trouble.

If you trust your own government to have your best interests in mind, there may be some government agency you can tell about your trip, so that they know which of their citizens are in the destination country in case of a disaster there.

Rehearse your answers for Customs

The customs officers at your point of entry want to hear that you are planning to drop some money into their national economy and then leave. You want to assure them that you are just here for a short time and that you are not planning to do anything that resembles working for money.

Simple, complete answers are best. Just be prepared to say: “I’m here to attend (name of event).” If they haven’t heard of the event, say it’s for fans of (whatever it’s about).

Vague answers like “I’m attending a convention” or “I’m here to have fun” are going to just cause far more probing.

If you are attending a fan-run convention as a volunteer staff member, follow whatever advice you are given by the convention as to how to answer. This may vary from country to country.

Remember you’re doing this for fun

If you get too nervous imagining what could happen at the border, remember why you started planning this trip in the first place. Picture yourself at that event, doing whatever it is you wanted to do there, and remind yourself that fun lies beyond that intimidating border.

In Brief

  • Sally Woehrle, who chaired the 2015 Worldcon and many regional conventions, died June 12.
    Worldcon in Memoriam • Bio at Fancyclopedia 3

  • Fanboy Expo Knoxville (Knoxville, Tennessee, July 10-12) has added Shia Labeouf.

  • Terrificon (Uncasville, Connecticut, August 7-9) has added Dan Parent, Alex Saviuk, Frank Whaley, and Cully Hamner.

  • Everfree NW (Bellevue, Washington, August 21-23) has added Nicole Oliver.

  • StratosFur (Houston, Texas, August 27-30) has added ZrayUH.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Jane Seymour, Maurice LaMarche, Christina Chong, and Ethan Peck.

  • Cincinnati Comic Expo (Cincinnati, Ohio, September 25-27) has added Yuri Lowenthal.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Michael Guinn and Robert Belgrade.

Event Calendar

Weekend of June 19-21

Weekend of June 26-28

Weekend of July 3-5

Weekend of July 10-12

Weekend of July 17-19

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 42]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-42https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-42Thu, 11 Jun 2026 02:02:05 GMTCancelled Convention Finished Issuing Refunds

SMOF News has carried a number of stories over the years of conventions that were abruptly cancelled and left attendees hanging with no way to get a refund, so it feels only fair to highlight one instance where a con has succesfully finished getting refunds out.

The Galactic Diversity and Inclusion Convention, run by the nonprofit Gaaays in Spaaace was scheduled to hold its latest edition in Philadelphia on May 2-5 last year, but sent an email announcing its cancellation on April 20. The cause was reportedly slow sales and the loss of sponsors. The first report from local station WPVI noted that instructions were provided to request refunds, but they didn’t work:

The cancellation also directed fans to apply for refunds: “If you wish to request a refund, go to your confirmation email and follow the instructions by May 31 2025. Refunds will be processed promptly following your request.”

Delaney says she did try to request a refund, but her confirmation email doesn’t provide a way to request that refund, so she emailed Deevy.

“He said he was gonna get more information and give me further direction the next day,” she said.

Delaney says that never happened.

By May 21, some people were able to say they had refunds and WPVI was able to reach Dan Deevy, the head (and apparently only member) of Gaaays in Spaaace to ask a few pointed questions.

Deevy vanished again for some time, but was back last month, and WPVI was able to report that all refunds for the cancelled convention had now been issued.

According to WPVI, the event was cancelled due to “slow ticket sales and withdrawn sponsorships”. There was not enough money to refund everyone until new sponsors were found:

Founder Dan Deevy said new partners helped the organization repay everyone who sought reimbursement.

“It has been a surprisingly great last few months. We, thanks to some new partners that we found that came on board, we have now been able to fully pay back. We finished all the refunds for all of the ticket holders,” he said.

Deevy is moving forward with those new partners to try to bring the Galactic Diversity and Inclusion Convention back in 2027.

In Brief

  • Trek Long Island (Hauppauge, New York, June 12-14) has announced Louise Sorel will be unable to appear.

  • Pretty Heroes (Toronto, Ontario, July 18-19) has added Julie Maddalena.

  • Terrificon (Uncasville, Connecticut, August 7-9) has added Tim Townsend, Olivia Olson, and Wade Von Grawbadger.

  • Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, September 4-6) has added Ric Flair.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Mark Linn-Baker, Ben Starr, Spencer Charnas, and Roger L. Jackson.

  • Wasabicon (New Orleans, Louisiana, March 26-28) has added PokéTalk.

Event Calendar

Weekend of June 12-14

Weekend of June 19-21

Weekend of June 26-28

Weekend of July 3-5

Weekend of July 10-12

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 41]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-41https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-41Thu, 04 Jun 2026 02:01:46 GMTNuremburg Worldcon Bid Withdraws

Two pieces of news regarding the 2028 World Science Fiction Convention site selection have arrived this week. The first was that site selection voting (administered by LAcon V, this year’s Worldcon) opened on June 1. The second is that there is now only one site to select from, as the Nuremburg in 2028 bid has officially shut down.

Unlike the withdrawal of the Kigali in 2028 bid due to world events earlier this year, the Nuremburg committee simply felt it was not up to the task of running one of the most complicated all-volunteer events in existence yet:

But as site selection begins, we have to be honest: we are not at the point where we would need to be in order to ask the community to vote for us and be ready to carry the responsibility of winning.

Our goal was never simply to be a winning bid. Our goal was to present the best German Worldcon we could imagine: a Worldcon in Nuremberg that would be transparent, welcoming, ambitious, and able to learn from other open community traditions. To do that properly, we need more time.

While this bid is not being followed up by a new organized initiative like the Worldcon in Africa one that kicked off as the Rwanda bid ended, the committee does want to devote its efforts to building a stronger fandom across Central Europe. The statement also says:

We also want to document what we have learned: about open volunteer structures, the Chair role, transparency, documentation, and how future Worldcons might become easier for new people to join. We hope some of that work can still be useful beyond this bid.

The remaining bidder is Brisbane in 2028, aiming for July 27-July 31, 2028.

In Brief

  • Indiana Comic Convention (Indianapolis, Indiana, June 5-7) has added Nicolas Cage.

  • Terrificon (Uncasville, Connecticut, August 7-9) has added Mike Norton, Khoi Pham, Vincent Martella, David Errigo, Alyson Stoner, and Paul Pelletier.

  • Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, September 4-6) has added Katee Sackhoff.

  • Rappig Crossing (Indianapolis, Indiana, September 11-13) has added PrinLycoris.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added E. G. Daily, Trina Nishamura, Rob Paulsen, and Richard Speight, Jr.

  • Cincinnati Comic Expo (Cincinnati, Ohio, September 25-27) has added Hayden Christensen.

  • Wasabicon (New Orleans, Louisiana, March 26-28) has added Alejandro Saab.

Event Calendar

Weekend of June 5-7

Weekend of June 12-14

Weekend of June 19-21

Weekend of June 26-28

Weekend of July 3-5

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

]]><![CDATA[SMOF News, volume 5, issue 40]]>https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-40https://smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-volume-5-issue-40Thu, 28 May 2026 02:03:28 GMTHow to Convention: Staying Healthy

Northern Hemisphere summer is once again upon us, the season of big conventions with big crowds in hot places and overcooled convention centers. The venues are huge, the lines are long, the waits can take forever, and the person who wants to do everything can easily wind up overdoing it. Here are some ways to not be that person.

Before the con

  • Pack your special health needs. If you only need a mobility aid sometimes, you’ll need it at the big con. If you have food allergies, there is no guarantee the concession stands will have anything safe for you to eat.

  • Bring your reusable water bottle. Air-conditioned air can get very dry, and most convention centers have bottle refill stations at this point.

  • For expensive long-distance trips, buy travel insurance. This can help you make the painful decision to stay home if you get sick just before you head out.

  • Get up to date with your vaccines. Ideally, consult your primary doctor to find out which ones are appropriate for your age, health conditions, and travel plans.

At the con

  • Follow the 5-2-1 rule. For every 24 hours you spend at a con, get at least 5 hours of sleep, 2 square meals, and 1 bath or shower.
    This one is becoming more widely known but also misquoted. SMOF News has encountered everything from “6-2-1” (even better!) to “3-2-1” (no).

  • Wash your hands with soap and water before eating. Noroviruses have come roaring back in the last few years, and plain old hand sanitizer won’t kill them.

  • Listen to your body. If you feel hungry, eat something. If you feel overwhelmed, find a quiet place to chill out. If things are starting to hurt, rest. Nothing good will come of pushing yourself to experience a predetermined level of “fun”.

After the con

  • Make sure you have time to rest and recover. Even a fun three days can put a lot of stress on your body.

In Brief

  • Gen Con has a reminder that the original Diana Jones Award trophy has been missing since 2021 and the award committee is still interested if anyone happens to find it.

  • Indiana Comic Convention (Indianapolis, Indiana, June 5-7) has added Nathan Kress, Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, and Ric Flair.

  • Nickel City Comic Con (Buffalo, New York, June 26-28) has added Linda Blair.

  • Terrificon (Uncasville, Connecticut, August 7-9) has added Shawn McManus, Kieron Dwyer, Lee Garbett, and Stephanie Phillips.

  • San Japan (San Antonio, Texas, September 4-6) has added Cindy Robinson.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24-26) has added Sasha Pieterse, Alan Lee, Bronson Pinchot, and Roger Clark.

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (Portland, Oregon, October 9-11) has added Grant Kirkhope and Chris Huelsbeck.

  • Farpoint (Towson, Maryland, February 5-7) has added Vivien Lyra Blair and Refashioned Hippie.

Event Calendar

Weekend of May 29-31

Weekend of June 5-7

Weekend of June 12-14

Weekend of June 19-21

Weekend of June 26-28

Coda

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

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