SMOF News, volume 2, issue 44
A Florida cancellation, online blockages, hotel strike at Anime Expo, and news in brief.
Florida Con Cancelled
Con of Thrones, a Game of Thrones convention planned for Orlando, August 26-27, has been cancelled. The announcement puts the blame on the political situation in Florida:
Due to the increasingly anti-humanitarian legislation and atmosphere in Florida and based on additional feedback from partners, attendees, and guests, it has become clear that if we were to proceed, Con of Thrones 2023 would not be the level of event that the community expects and deserves.
Florida’s anti-LGBTQ laws have previously forced modifications to the furry convention Megaplex and spurred the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts to start exploring alternate venues. Con of Thrones is the first convention to cancel outright.
Con of Thrones says that all ticket purchasers will receive refunds, and reservations in the official hotel block will be cancelled.
Information Superhighway Develops Roadblocks
Science Fiction and Fantasy Creators Need to Check Their Spam Folders
Chengdu Worldcon (Chengdu, China, October 18-22) is presently attempting to contact prospective Hugo Award finalists. A post on June 30 politely implores everyone:
We appreciate your support and attention. We kindly request you to check your email without delay, as there might be pleasant surprises for you.
Finalists must be contacted if possible before the list is released, as specified in the Worldcon rules (PDF):
3.10.1 Worldcon Committees shall use reasonable efforts to notify the finalists, or in the case of deceased or incapacitated persons, their heirs, assigns, or legal guardians, in each category prior to the release of such information. Each person notified shall be asked at that time to either accept or decline the nomination. If the person notified declines nomination, that finalist(s) shall not appear on the final ballot.
Email from China could easily wind up stuck in spam filters. The Hugos have categories encompassing professional and amateur works across all media, so if you did anything in 2022 involving science fiction or fantasy in prose, audio, video, art, or code, check your spam folder.
Twitter Cut Off From Outside World
While Twitter has never had more than a fraction of the number of registered users of other major social media networks, one of its advantages was that it was quick and easy for unregistered users to read. The potential reading audience of a Twitter post was far larger than the number of actual subscribers to its account.
In addition to limits on how many posts registered users could read, Twitter has now completely cut off unregistered users, erasing that advantage. There still remains no clear winner among the Twitter alternatives, which may keep more users than you expect biding their time to see if this change is truly permanent. But as movement away from Twitter accelerates, expect to see more conventions moving as well.
Sunk Costs Beat Strike at Anime Expo
Hotel workers in Southern California went on strike July 2, right in the middle of one of the biggest anime conventions in existence, Anime Expo. Hotels affected by the strike include the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, which hosted some Anime Expo programming.
At least two unofficial requests were made to congoers to not cross the picket lines. Anime News Network reported before the strike began:
One strike worker told ANN they did not know when the workers will go on strike, but stated they expect to do so during Anime Expo. That person added the union is asking congoers not to attend any panels at JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE during the event, as that hotel is the strikers' "biggest focus."
And the Los Angeles Times, looking at reactions from congoers, included a summary of an online discussion with a similar request:
On Reddit, a union organizer with hotel workers’ Unite Here Local 11 kicked off the Ask-Me-Anything discussion by asking, “Did you know hotel workers at many of the properties you might be staying at for AX, such as the JW Marriott Downtown LA, Westin Bonaventure, Downtown Los Angeles Courtyard, Residence Inn Downtown LA, the Ritz Carlton and more, might be on strike?
…
AnimeJustice11 wrapped up with a plea: “I hope most/all of you will stand in solidarity with the potential striking workers and don’t cross picket lines!” The poster also asked those planning to attend Anime Expo to “contact the management and ask if they would negotiate a new contract that meets what workers are asking for.”
…
Reddit users had many thoughts, including anger at the union for disrupting an expensive and cherished tradition, anger at hotel owners for not giving raises, and anger at one another for attacking the union organizer. Others debated what it meant to cross the picket line.
The Times was unable to find anyone expecting to alter their plans. The common theme was that congoers had already devoted too much time and money to getting ready for Anime Expo to give up now.
In Brief
The team which ran MetropolCon in May has announced an intention to bid to bring the 2026 Eurocon to Berlin. Current plans are sketched out in the back half of this MetropolCon wrap-up post.
Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa, Florida, July 28-30) has added Jill Harris, Dallas Reed, and Jeff Maxwell as guests.
Retro World Expo (Hartford, Connecticut, August 26-27) has added Ian James Corlett, Jeremy Parish, and Nadia Oxford as guests.
FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, September 21-23) has added James and Oliver Phelps, Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston, Ken Page, Bob Eubanks, and David Matranga as guests.
Event Calendar
Weekend of July 7-9
Finncon 2023 (Finnish national sf convention), Tampere, Finland
InConJunction 42: Space is Big, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
XXXVI Semana Negra, Gijón, Spain
Festival Fantazie, Chotěboř, Czech Republic
Play On Con, Columbiana, Alabama, USA
Edge-Lit, Derby, UK
CONvergence 2023: All Dressed Up..., Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Tremendicon 2023, Springfield, Missouri, USA
Blerdcon Fae'd to Black (Black geekdom), Arlington, Virginia, USA
Fur-Eh! 2023: Broadway Tails (anthropomorphic), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
East Coast Gaming Expo, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA
Dice Tower East (gaming), Orlando, Florida, USA
Video Game Summit, McCook, Illinois, USA
Gem State Gaming Convention, Boise, Idaho, USA
Okashicon (anime), Pflugerville, Texas, USA
OokiiSoraCon (anime), Helena, Montana, USA
Anime Blues Con, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Anime Midwest, Rosemont, Illinois, USA
Anime Texas, Houston, Texas, USA
Atsusacon 2023: Into Another World - Isekai Edition (anime), Ghent, Belgium
KuroNekoCon 2023 (anime), Spokane, Washington, USA
ExpOtaku Torremolinos 2023 (anime), Torremolinos, Mexico
Shore Leave 43 (media), Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA
Fanboy Expo Knoxville (media), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
London Film & Comic Con, London, UK
Eternal Con (media), Hampstead, New York, USA
TrotCon 2023 (My Little Pony), Dayton, Ohio, USA
CybFest NW (Transformers), Kent, Washington, USA
30th Anniversary X-Files Fan Fest, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
Weekend of July 14-16
Estcon 2023 (Estonian national sf convention), Udu, Estonia
Diversicon 30: The Con on the Edge of Forever, Plymouth, Minnesota, USA
ConGregate 9, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
Imaginarium Convention, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Readercon 32 (books only), Quincy, MA
Once and Future Fantasies (symposium), Glasgow, UK
Anthro Weekend Utah: Double Awu Seven, Layton, Utah, USA
Brazil FurFest 2023: Universidade Furry (anthropomorphic), Santos, Brazil
Furway 2023 (anthropomorphic), Brandbu, Norway
QuinCon 36 (gaming), Quincy, Illinois, USA
Mega XP (gaming), Mexico City, Mexico
KantCon: Just Game (gaming), Overland Park, Kansas, USA
LevelUp Retreat (gaming), Stamford, Connecticut, USA
Festival Ludique International de Parthenay (gaming), Parthenay, France
ConQuest Fresno (gaming), Clovis, California, USA
Phoenix Con (gaming), Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
Final Boss Con (gaming), Rio Grande, Ohio, USA
CharCon 2023 (gaming), Charleston, West Virginia, USA
Ettin Con 2023 (gaming), online
Berlin Brettspiel Con 2023 (gaming), Berlin, Germany
Open Gaming Convention 2023, Westford, Massachusetts, USA
Houston Gaming Expo (video games), Houston, Texas, USA
MAGWest 2023 (video games), San Jose, California, USA
MGSCon (Metal Gear video games), Los Angeles, California, USA
Anime Friends, São Paulo, Brazil
Tokyo, OK (anime), Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Akaicon (anime), Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
MondoCon (anime), Budapest, Hungary
Animethon 2023, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Ai-Kon 2023 (anime), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Japan Expo 2023 (anime), Villepinte, France
Pretty Heroes (female-centered anime), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8-Bit Block Party (media), New Braunfels, Texas, USA
Metrocon (media), Tampa, Florida, USA
Comiccon de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Polarity (Doctor Who), Coventry, UK
Above, Below, & Beyond (Beauty and the Beast TV show), San Diego, California, USA
TFcon Toronto (Transformers), Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Weekend of July 21-23
Pemmi-Con (2023 NASFiC), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Celsius 232, Avilés, Spain
Confluence 2023, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, USA
Fur Out West: Candyland 2023 (anthropomorphic), Scarborough, Western Australia, AustraliaBoard Game Days, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Venger Con II: Electric Boogaloo (gaming), Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Festival Ludique International de Parthenay (gaming), Parthenay, France
Fling.con (gaming), New Braunfels, Texas, USA
Twisted Lords Con 2023 (gaming), Midwest City, Oklahoma, USA
24 Hour Board Game Marathon 2023, Ilminster, UK
World Boardgaming Championships, Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, USA
Historicon 2023: America: Expansion and Civil War (miniatures gaming), Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
Classic Game Fest (retro video games), Austin, Texas, USA
Tosho-con (anime), Cranford, New Jersey, USA
Anime Messe Babelsberg, Berlin, Germany
Kitsune Kon (anime), Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
ExpOtaku Tarragona (anime), Tarragona, Spain
Tekko 2023 (anime), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
AkaiCon 2023 (anime), Lebanon, Tennsesse, USA
Kogan Con 2023 (anime), Grand Haven, Michigan, USA
AFA Creators Super Fest Singapore 2023 (anime), Singapore
Comic-Con International, San Diego, California, USA
ConnectiCon XX (media), Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Saggeek 2023 (media), Saguenay, Québec, Canada
MAPLD Fan Fest (media), Matteson, Illinois, USA
The Urban Nerd Con (Black media), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Weekend of July 28-30
NärCon 2023, Linköping, Sweden
Mythcon 52: The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien (symposium), Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
OzCon International (Oz series), Pomona, California, USA
Costume College 2023: Cosplay: Fairytales, Fiction, and Fantasy, Los Angeles, California, USA
Ropecon: Menneisyys ja Tulevaisuus (gaming), Helsinki, Finland
World Boardgaming Championships, Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, USA
Continuum (gaming), Oadby, UK
PretzCon 2023 (gaming), Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Southern-Fried Gaming Expo (video games), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Epic.LAN (LAN gaming), Wolverhampton, UK
Maple Gel Con (Tales video game series), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dream Convention (anime), Austin, Texas, USA
Otakon (anime), Washington, DC, USA
AnimeFest, Dallas, Texas, USA
Tokyo in Tulsa: Worlds Collide (anime), Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Anime Com Fest, Kingston, Jamaica
Wasabicon PDX (anime), Portland, Oregon, USA
Dream Con (anime), Arlington, Texas, USA
Dokidokon (anime), Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
AnimeIowa, Coralville, Iowa, USA
Anime Impulse Bay Area, San Mateo, California, USA
New World Comic Con 8, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Alias Entertainment Expo: Rise of the Dragon (media), Tunapuna, Trinidad & Tobago
Corpus Christi Comic Con, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
GalaxyCon Raleigh (media), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
TERRIFICON (media), Uncasville, Connecticut, USA
Tampa Bay Comic Convention, Tampa, Florida, USA
UK Comic Con, Manchester, UK
MegaCon Live Manchester (media), Manchester, UK
GalaCon 2023 (My Little Pony), Waiblingen, Germany
Weekend of August 4-6
Sci-con2023 (60th Japanese national sf convention), Urawa, Japan
AMA-CON, Amarillo, Texas, USA
ArmadilloCon 2023, Austin, Texas, USA
PulpFest 2023, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
LeakyCon (Harry Potter), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Surrey Steampunk Convivial, Epsom, UK
Reffurence (anthropomorphic), Antwerp, Belgium
Furry Siesta 2023 (anthropomorphic), Dallas, Texas, USA
CanFURence 2023 (anthropomorphic), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Gen Con 2023 (gaming), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
StarCon 2023 (gaming), Star Island, New Hampshire, USA
Fragapalooza 2023 (LAN gaming), Leduc, Alberta
Advík (anime), Prague, Czechia
AnimagiC (anime), Mannheim, Germany
Kentokyocon (anime), Lexington, Kentucky, USA
JoMoCon (anime), Joplin, Missouri, USA
KO+Con 2023 Isekai (anime), Grand Prairie, Texas, USA
Mid City Micro-Con (comics), Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Really Cool Comic Con, Flint, Michigan, USA
Bell County Comic Con, Belton, Texas, USA
Fan Expo Boston (media), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Comic Con Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
MonkeyCon (media), Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
Enid Comic Con, Enid, Oklahoma, USA
Monster-Mania 55 (horror media), Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA
STLV: 57-Year Mission (Star Trek), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Coda
The Password Game (hat tip: Schneier on Security)
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