SMOF News, volume 1, issue 31

Stay healthy out there, and news in brief.

How to Convention: Staying Healthy

We’ve all got the mask and vaccination advice for COVID-19 down by now. But as we edge back to in-person gatherings, it’s time to remember that there are plenty of other things that can make us sick when we’re crowded together with a bunch of strangers, trying to have as much fun as possible in two or three days. Con crud does not have to be an essential part of the convention experience, so keep it at bay with these tips.

• Follow the 5-2-1 rule: For every day that you’re at a con, get at least 5 hours of sleep, 2 square meals, and 1 bath or shower.

• Wash your hands before eating: Noroviruses are a longstanding threat to large gatherings of any kind, and they are highly resistant to alcohol-based hand sanitizer. There’s already one convention out there with a norovirus strain named after it; there doesn’t need to be a second.

• Stay hydrated: Eight glasses of water a day is a myth, but convention facility air tends to be very dry. Bring your reusable bottle and drink as much as you need.

• Eat what gives you energy: Even just walking back and forth around the facility and socializing takes more energy than you think. Give yourself permission to eat what refuels you best.

• Don’t forget your other vaccinations: Flu kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide every year, measles is trying to make a comeback, and there are plenty of other communicable but preventable diseases out there to wreck your convention experience. Keeping your immune system fully updated will help keep your favorite con enjoyable for both you and others.

In Brief

• Two bids have emerged for the 2023 Eastercon, the UK national science fiction convention, Conversation 2023 and Persistence 2023. A winner will be chosen at this year’s convention, Reclamation 2022 (April 15-18, London).

• Applications for Gen Con Participation Grants, providing memberships and stipends to help gaming enthusiasts from historically underrepresented communities attend Gen Con, will be open April 4-May 15.

• Kumoricon (November 15-18, Portland, Oregon, USA) has added Adam McArthur and Momma Sammu as guests.

• Indiana Comic Convention (April 15-17, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) has added Chris Sabat and James “Murr” Murray as guests.

Event Calendar

Weekend of April 1-3

• CyPhaCon 2022, Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

• Roscon-2022, Moscow, Russia

• Costume-Con 40: Rogues, Royals, Renegades, Rockville, Maryland, USA

• Atlanta Game Fest 37, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA

• LeiriaCon (gaming), Leiria, Portugal

• LexiCon 2022 (gaming), Lexington, Kentucky, USA

• LexiCon-IL (RPGs), Lexington, Illinois, USA

• Animarathon (anime), Bowling Green, Ohio, USA

• Cape Anime, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA

• KokoroCon (anime), Nottingham, UK

• Tokyo Alley (anime), Perth, Australia

• AniFest 2022 (anime), Torrance, California, USA

• FACTS (media), Ghent, Belgium

• Angers Geekfest: La Culture Geek Au Féminin (media), Angers, France

• Quad Cities Comic Con, Davenport, Iowa, USA

• Vaca-Con (media), Vacaville, California, USA

• WonderCon 2022 (media), Anaheim, California, USA

Weekend of April 8-10

• LuxCon 2022 (Eurocon), Dudelange, Luxembourg

• ConStellation, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

• Jack Williamson Lectureship, Portales, New Mexico, USA

• Springmoot (J. R. R. Tolkien), Exeter, UK

• 221B Con (Sherlock Holmes), Atlanta, Georgia, USA

• FK-NO 3 (music), online

• CosXpo (costuming), Reading, UK

• Golden State Fur Con (anthropomorphic), Los Angeles, California, USA

• CODCON XXV: Re-Roll! (gaming), Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA

• Adirondacon (gaming), Glens Falls, New York, USA

• DaveCon (gaming), Roseville, Illinois, USA

• MEPACON (gaming), White Haven, Pennsylvania, USA

• Buckeye Game Fest 2022, Columbus, Ohio, USA

• Long Island Tabletop Gaming Expo 2022, Garden City, New York, USA

• Havoc XXXVI (miniatures gaming), Sutton, Massachusetts, USA

• Conpulsion Lite (RPGs), online

• Ambercon 2022 (Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game), online (usually Livonia, Michigan, USA)

• LAN All Night V: LAN of the Rings (LAN gaming), Grapevine, Texas, USA

• CoMo Retro Con (retro video games), Columbia, Missouri, USA

• Aselia Con (Tales game series), Irving, Texas, USA

• Con Ja Nai XXVI (anime), Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

• Jaycon 11 (anime), Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA

• Made in Asia (anime), Brussels, Belgium

• Romics XXVIII (comics), Rome, Italy

• Sci-Fi Scarborough (media), Scarborough, UK

• Rod Con (media), Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA

• Wicked Comic Con, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

• SC Comicon, Greenville, South Carolina, USA

• Central Texas Comic Con, Waco, Texas, USA

• Bedford Who Charity Con 7 (Doctor Who), Bedford, UK

• Star Trek Mission Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Dairycon 2022: The Moo Adventures (Transformers), Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA

Weekend of April 15-17

• Reclamation 2022, the 72nd Eastercon (UK national sf convention), London, UK

• Minicon 55, Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, USA

• Norwescon 44, Seatac, Washington, USA

• Fastaval, Hobro, Denmark

• HAL-CON 2022, Kawasaki, Japan

• Fauntastic 2022: Night of the Yōkai (anthropomorphic), Lyon, France

• Fur Squared 2022 (anthropomorphic), Brookfield, Wisconsin, USA

• GothCon XLV (gaming), Göteborg, Sweden

• Conquest Games Convention (RPGs), Melbourne, Australia

• Nashville Tabletop Day (boardgames), Nashville, Tennessee, USA

• OzBunnyCon 2022 (boardgames), Glen Waverley, Australia

• Kanpai!Con (anime), Omaha, Nebraska, USA

• MTAC Score! (anime), Nashville, Tennessee, USA

• Mang’Azur (anime), Toulon, France

• Polymanga (anime), Montreux, Switzerland

• Karoshi-Con (anime), DeKalb, Illinois, USA

• Saluki Con (anime), Carbondale, Illinois, USA

• SacAnime, Roseville, California, USA

• Colorado Anime Fest, Denver, Colorado, USA

• Sakura-Con 2022 (anime), Seattle, Washington, USA

• Puerto Rico Comic Con, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA

• Indiana Comic Convention, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

• BABSCon 2022 (My Little Pony), Burlingame, California, USA

Weekend of April 22-24

• No Brand Con XIX, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA

• Swancon Not-A-Con, Tuart Hill, Australia

• OmegaCon (relaxacon), Siren, Wisconsin, USA

• JordanCon (fantasy literature), Atlanta, Georgia, USA

• Ice and Fire Convention (Song of Ice and Fire series), Mt. Sterling, Ohio, USA

• Penguicon 2022 (sf/open source), Southfield, Michigan, USA

• Malice Domestic 32-33-34 (mysteries), Bethesda, Maryland, USA

• Farmageddon IX (gaming), Farmer City, Illinois, USA

• Cheyenne Gaming Convention, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA

• Rising Phoenix Game Con, Milford, Massachusetts, USA

• Jeu au Boute (boardgames), Chertsey, Québec, Canada

• Recon (miniatures gaming), Orlando, Florida, USA

• PAX East (video games), Boston, Massachusetts, USA

• Omnicon Revival (anime), Cookeville, Tennessee, USA

• Oz-Con (anime), West Plains, Missouri, USA

• Kawaii Kon (anime), Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

• Anime St. Louis, St. Charles, Missouri, USA

• ExpOtaku Vitoria-Gasteiz (anime), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

• Mobile Bay Anime Festival, Daphne, Alabama, USA

• Beta Quest 2022 (anime), Kingsland, Georgia, USA

• San Diego Comic Fest, San Diego, California, USA

• El Paso Comic Con, El Paso, Texas, USA

• Yellow City Comic Con, Amarillo, Texas, USA

• Fayetteville Comic Con, Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

• Suncoast Comic-Con, Palmetto, Florida, USA

• Comic-Con Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

• Fanboy Expo Las Vegas (media), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Weekend of April 29-May 1

• RavenCon 15, Glen Allen, Virginia, USA

• Tulkon, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

• Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations (symposium), online

• Das Frühlingsfest der Filksmusik (music), Hanstedt, Germany

• Furry Weekend Holland: Castles and Peacocks!, Baarlo, Netherlands

• Chupacabracon VIII (gaming), Round Rock, Texas, USA

• TringCon (gaming), Marsworth, UK

• San Marino Game Convention, San Marino

• Great Plains Game Fest, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

• Congress of Gamers Spring Session, Rockville, Maryland, USA

• 2022 Gaming Hoopla, Mundelein, Illinois, USA

• LoBsterCon XXII (boardgames), Eastbourne, UK

• Jeu au Boute (boardgames), Chertsey, Québec, Canada

• Game Jam South (video games), Huntsville, Alabama, USA

• Midwest Gaming Classic (video games), Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• FnordCon 5 (Steve Jackson Games), Austin, Texas, USA

• aniMUC (anime), Fürstenfeld, Germany

• Castle Point Anime Convention, Seacaucus, New Jersey, USA

• Kameha Con (anime), Allen, Texas, USA

• Anime Athens, Athens, Texas, USA

• Avalon Expo 8 (media), St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

• Fangaea (media), San Diego, California, USA

• Causeacon (media), Beckley, West Virginia, USA

• Fan Expo Cleveland (media), Cleveland, Ohio, USA

• Wirral Comic Con, New Brighton, UK

• Geek Days Rennes (media), Bruz, France

• Visioncon 2022 (media), Springfield, Missouri, USA

• MonstahXpo (horror media), Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA

Coda

• Scientifically describing the world’s most boring person (Business Insider) (hat tip: Money Stuff)

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