Filk music is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has existed since the early 1950s and been played primarily since the mid-1970s. The genre has a niche but faithful popularity in the underground.
A science fiction convention is a gathering of fans of science fiction. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as films, television, comics, animation, and games. The format can vary but will tend to have a few similar features such as a guest of honour, discussion panels, readings and large special events such as opening/closing ceremonies and some form of party or entertainment. Science fiction conventions started off primarily in the UK and US but have now spread further and several countries have their own individual conventions as well as playing host to rotating international conventions.
George Edward Barr is an American science fiction and fantasy artist.
Howard V. Tayler is the creator of the webcomic Schlock Mercenary. He worked as a volunteer missionary for the LDS Church, then graduated from Brigham Young University. Using his degree in music composition, he started an independent record label.
Lunacon was an annual science fiction and fantasy convention organized by the New York Science Fiction Society - The Lunarians, Inc. Held from 1957 to 2017, it was the oldest science fiction convention in (usually) New York State, and was generally held on the third weekend of March.
Darrell K. Sweet was a professional illustrator best known for providing cover art for science fiction and fantasy novels, in which capacity he was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1983.
ConCarolinas is a three-day-long science fiction convention held once each year in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted by ConCarolinas, Inc., a non-profit corporation.
Marcon is a full-spectrum fantasy and science fiction convention based in Columbus, Ohio, and was on Easter weekend in 2013 but moved to Mother's Day weekend starting in 2014. It is now operated by the Columbus-based Science Oriented Literature, Art, and Education Foundation, a non-profit educational corporation. The name was originally short for "March Convention," with the convention mascot the "March Hare," affectionately named "Marconi". After the date of the convention moved away from March, the name was re-designated as "Multiple Alternative Realities Convention".
FenCon is a literary science fiction and fantasy convention with filk held each year on or around the fourth full weekend of September in or around Dallas, Texas. The name is derived from "fen", the fannish plural of "fan", and "con", an abbreviation for "convention".
ApolloCon was a science fiction convention held annually in Houston, Texas by the Houston Science Fiction Association (HSFA), a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation.
Kevin Wasden is a science fiction and fantasy artist, illustrator, and comics artist from Utah. He has illustrated book covers, magazines, and gaming manuals. He attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah where he studied psychology before switching to art and illustration. His first major illustration job was for a professor at USU, after which he moved to New York City, where he illustrated several books and studied oil painting.
Conestoga was a literary science fiction and fantasy convention held annually in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 1997 through 2010, after which it was suspended for financial and logistical reasons. The convention at first was designated by the year in which it was held. With its sixth incarnation, Conestoga converted to a whole number count, rolling the first five into the number tally, and running through #14 before stopping. Celebrating science fiction and fantasy literature and art were staples of the convention, but many who were also interested in horror, anime, and comics attended. Popular activities at the convention included filking and gaming. Featured programming included a writers track, an art show, a dealer room, a masquerade, and a play put on by the Penguin Playhouse Troupe.
ConQuesT is the annual science fiction and fantasy convention held in the Kansas City, Missouri area over the U. S. Memorial Day weekend. It is sponsored by the long-running Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society. ConQuesT is the oldest such fan convention of its type in Missouri and in the U. S. central states region, first established using the name Mid-America Con in June 1972. After that, the next nine KaCSFFS-sponsored conventions were named BYOB-Cons In 1980 KaCSFFS adopted the permanent name ConQuesT for the convention.
Tuckercon, also known as Archon31, was the ninth North American Science Fiction Convention, held in Collinsville, Illinois, on August 2–5, 2007, at the Gateway Center and Collinsville Holiday Inn. Collinsville is just across the Mississippi River from St Louis, Missouri. This NASFiC was held because Yokohama, Japan, was selected as the location for the 2007 Worldcon.
RavenCon is an annual American science fiction convention founded in 2006 and held in Richmond, Virginia. The name "RavenCon" was chosen as a tribute to author Edgar Allan Poe, who lived in Richmond for a time. The convention runs over 300 hours of programming and activities featuring authors and panelists across genres, including horror, sci-fi, fantasy, military fiction, and other areas of fan cultures.
SFContario is a general-interest science fiction convention held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Society of Upper Canada.
Paul Genesse is a writer of young adult fantasy novels and a cardiac unit nurse at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah. His first book, The Golden Cord, was a best seller for Five Star Publishing.
ConCoction is a full-spectrum multi-genre fantasy and science fiction convention based in Cleveland, Ohio, and is held annually in March. It is a not-for-profit endeavor run by the local and regional community of fans to promote Community Service, Education, and the Arts in Northeastern, Ohio.
DucKon was an annual science fiction convention held every May or June in the Chicago area between 1992 and 2014. The name is a shortening of DUpage CountyKONvention.
Brian Lee Durfee is an American wildlife, landscape, and fantasy painter, and a fantasy and horror writer. His paintings have appeared in various genre and other magazines, games, and books. One of his wildlife paintings is in the permanent collection at the Grand Canyon National Park visitors center.
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