SMOF News, volume 1, issue 43

One convention is saved, another is in peril, and news in brief.

Westercon Will Continue

As previously reported, the West Coast Science Fantasy Conference or Westercon, one of the oldest fan conventions in existence, was facing the possibility that no further cons would be held after Westercon 74 this year (Tonopah, Nevada, USA, July 1-4). But at the last minute, someone stepped forward to run Westercon 75:

Westercon 75 will be held in Anaheim, California at the Clarion Hotel Anaheim Resort over the weekend of June 30-July 3, 2023. The convention’s Fantasy Writer Guest of Honor will be Gail Carriger, with additional guests to be announced later. The convention will be co-chaired by Arlene Busby and Michelle Weisblat-Dane, and the Treasurer will be Timothy Cassidy Curtis.

Westercon 76 in 2024 is an open question. The deadline for official bids was April 15, but a write-in bid could be announced any time up until Westercon 74. If none appears, the decision about how to proceed goes to the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society, which ultimately owns Westercon.

Tekko Might Not Continue

Tekko is a long-running anime convention in Pittsburgh, and is in immediate danger:

Over the last few weeks we have worked tirelessly to come to an agreement with the organizations and convention center that worked on Tekko 2021. Negotiations recently ended early this June, and now we turn to the community for help in raising $100,000.

While these organizations and the convention center have graciously agreed to reduce the cost we must now pay upfront, we still need $60,000 before the show starts in July 2022. This is more than we have needed to pre-pay in the past. Without this, there will be no Tekko in July.

The additional $40,000 is needed to cover outstanding bills from Tekko’s 2021 event.

Tekko’s fundraising announcement lays out the same reasons that other conventions have needed to raise extra funds lately: fixed yearly costs regardless of a 2020 cancellation, lower attendance in 2021, the challenges of holding the 2021 event at a different time of year than usual. And now there’s inflation:

Prices have gone up everywhere, from food to gas to hotel rooms. Labor, supplies, swag, everything that we purchase to make Tekko happen has gone up in price.

Tekko’s GoFundMe currently stands at $56,618 raised. A “Tekkothon” live event to make a final push for donations is scheduled for July 9th at noon (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-5). More details about it are to be announced soon.

In Brief

• Chicon 8, the 80th Worldcon (Chicago, Illinois, USA, September 1-5), has added Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due as Guests of Honor. Chicon’s previous Author GoH, Charles de Lint, had to step down in April.

Event Calendar

Weekend of June 24-26

• SoonerCon 30, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

• PortConMaine, Portland, Maine, USA

• Cosplay America, Cary, North Carolina, USA

• RAGECON 7 (gaming), Sparks, Nevada, USA

• Magic City Con (gaming), Birmingham, Alabama, USA

• Neo Anime Oasis:01, Boise, Idaho, USA

• ExpOtaku Zaragoza (anime), Zaragoza, Spain

• SunnyCon Anime Expo, St. James Park, UK

• Anime Festival Wichita, Wichita, Kansas, USA

• Kyokai Con (anime), Harlingen, Texas, USA

• OMG!con 2022 (anime), Owensboro, Kentucky, USA

• Anime Festival Orlando 2022, Orlando, Florida, USA

• JAFAX 2022: Let the Games Begin (anime), Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

• Heroes Convention (comics), Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

• Forest City Comicon, London, Ontario, Canada

• Sci-Fi on the Rock (media), St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

• Mississippi Comic Convention, Jackson, Mississippi, USA

• Comic Con Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

• Rail City Fan Fest (media), Saint Albans, Vermont, USA

• TrekFest 37 (Star Trek), Riverside, Iowa, USA

• My Little Pony Fair, Tampa, Florida, USA

• LeakyCon (Harry Potter), Orlando, Florida, USA

Mid-week event: SFRA 2022: Futures From the Margins (symposium), Oslo, Norway

Weekend of July 1-3

• Westercon 74, Tonopah, Nevada, USA

• InConJunction 41: The Next Chapter, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

• XXXIV Semana Negra, Gijón, Spain

• Festival Fantazie, Chotěboř, Czech Republic

• BayCon 2022, San Mateo, California, USA

• Tolkien Society Seminar: Tolkien and the Gothic, Leeds, UK

• Anthrocon 2022: Aesop's Fables (anthropomorphic), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

• Paris est Ludique 2022 (gaming), Paris, France

• Gem State Gaming Convention, Boise, Idaho, USA

• Anime Midwest, Rosemont, Illinois, USA

• BA-CON (anime), Alvin, Texas, USA

• Anime Expo 2022, Los Angeles, California, USA

• AnimeSHOW 2022, Bratislava, Slovakia

• Fan Expo Denver (media), Denver, Colorado, USA

• Eternal Con (media), Hampstead, New York, USA

• Lewisburg Comic-Con, Lewisburg, Ohio, USA

Weekend of July 8-10

• Finncon 2022 (Finnish national sf convention), Espoo, Finland

• Festival Fantazie, Chotěboř, Czech Republic

• Play On Con, Columbiana, Alabama, USA

• Blerdcon (Black geekdom), Arlington, Virginia, USA

• South Afrifur: Cyberpunk (anthropomorphic), Lanseria, South Africa

• East Coast Gaming Expo, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA

• Dice Tower East (gaming), Orlando, Florida, USA

• Bold Matsuri (anime), Jacksonville, Florida, USA

• Rocket City Anime Convention, Huntsville, Alabama, USA

• Anime Friends 2022, São Paulo, Brazil

• Comiccon de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

• London Film & Comic Con, London, UK

• Fan Expo Chicago (media), Rosemont, Illinois, USA

• Greater Austin Comic Convention, Cedar Hills, Texas, USA

• Mahoning Valley Comicon, Warren, Ohio, USA

• TFcon Toronto (Transformers), Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Weekend of July 15-17

• Estcon 2022 (Estonian national sf convention), Udu, Estonia

• OzCon International (Oz series), Pomona, California, USA

• Once and Future Fantasies (symposium), Glasgow, UK

• Fur-Eh!: Mardi Paws (anthropomorphic), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

• Anthro Weekend Utah: The Curse of Awubis, Layton, Utah, USA

• Brazil FurFest 2022: A Fantástica Fábrica de Doces (anthropomorphic), Santos, Brazil

• Furway 2022 (anthropomorphic), Brandbu, Norway

• Furry Siesta 2022: The Truth Is Out There! (anthropomorphic), Dallas, Texas, USA

• Festival Ludique International de Parthenay (gaming), Parthenay, France

• ConQuest Fresno (gaming), Clovis, California, USA

• FlaMinGoCon (gaming), Delray Beach, Florida, USA

• Phoenix Con (gaming), Appleton, Wisconsin, USA

• Final Boss Con (gaming), Rio Grande, Ohio, USA

• Breakout 2022 (gaming), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• CharCon 2022 (gaming), Charleston, West Virginia, USA

• Lavecon 2022 (gaming), Milton Keynes, UK

• Ettin Con 2022 (gaming), online

• Berlin Con 2022 (gaming), Berlin, Germany

• GeeklyCon 2022 (gaming), Rochester, New York, USA

• Southern-Fried Gaming Expo (video games), Atlanta, Georgia, USA

• Anime North, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Dokidokon (anime), Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

• Dream Con (anime), Arlington, Texas, USA

• Atsusacon: Ninja vs Samurai (anime), Ghent, Belgium

• Sydney Manga & Anime Show, Sydney, Australia

• Shore Leave 42 (media), Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA

• ConnectiCon XIX (media), Hartford, CT

• Hershey Comic Con, Grantville, Pennsylvania, USA

• Metrocon (media), Tampa, Florida, USA

• Saggeek (media), Saguenay, Québec, Canada

• Utopia 2022 (Doctor Who), Wyboston, UK

• TrotCon (My Little Pony), Columbus, Ohio, USA

Weekend of July 22-24

• ConGregate 8, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

• Celsius 232, Avilés, Spain

• Aurawra (anthropomorphic), Sydney, Australia

• Festival Ludique International de Parthenay (gaming), Parthenay, France

• Open Gaming Convention 2022, Westford, Massachusetts, USA

• Twisted Lords Con 2022 (gaming), Midwest City, Oklahoma, USA

• World Boardgaming Championships, Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, USA

• Historicon 2022: World in Conflict: Italy (miniatures gaming), Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA

• Zolocon Game On (video games), Warminster, Pennsylvania, USA

• Classic Game Fest (retro video games), Austin, Texas, USA

• AkaiCon: Aces and 8’s (anime), Lebanon, Tennsesse, USA

• Metrocon (anime), Tampa, Florida, USA

• AnimeIowa: The Spectrum of Heroes!, Coralville, Iowa, USA

• Kitsune Kon (anime), Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

• ExpOtaku Tarragona (anime), Tarragona, Spain

• Tekko 2022 (anime), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

• Ai-Kon 2022 (anime), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

• Chibi-Con 2022 (anime), Winterthur, Switzerland

• Kogan Con 2022: The Summer Festival Episode (anime), Grand Haven, Michigan, USA

• Comic-Con International, San Diego, California, USA

Coda

• Try to build a solar system without losing any planets (Astronomy Picture of the Day)

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