I-CON (short for "Island CONvention") began as a (roughly) annual fan convention, held on various college campuses in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. First held in 1982 on the campus of Stony Brook University, I-CON became a very eclectic convention. The programming included things normally found at different types of convention, like speeches by and talks with science fiction authors, extensive gaming, anime fandom, comics fandom, furry fandom, multiple movie showings, and medieval programming, as well as live performances. There was also a science track discussing recent developments in various branches of science and exploring the real science behind science fiction technologies. I-CON was jointly held by ICON Science Fiction, Inc., a tax-exempt educational foundation, and the I-CON Campus Chapter of Stony Brook.

I-CON
StatusReorganizing
GenreFan convention, multi-genre
VenueSuffolk County Community College, Grant Campus
Location(s)Brentwood, New York
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1982
Most recent2017
Organized byICON Science Fiction, Inc.
Filing status501(c)(3)
Websitewww.iconsf.org

In 2023, the organization began to re-vision itself. The logo changed from the original dragon logo, now associated with the legacy conventions, to one incorporating a Phoenix, as a symbol of the con's rebirth. Instead of one large convention,the organization began experimenting with a series of smaller events in various locations across the island.

History edit

I-CON was preceded by SUNYcon (April 14, 1973), Mudcon (May 8, 1977), and Brookcon (October 28–30, 1977), held on the Stony Brook campus.

I-CON was held annually from 1983 through 2012 at Stony Brook University, except for 2009, when it relocated temporarily to the Brentwood campus of Suffolk County Community College, due to planned construction at Stony Brook University.

In the spring of 2012, I-CON was informed that the Stony Brook Sports Complex would be unavailable due to construction in 2013. ICON Science Fiction, Inc. scouted several possible locations on Long Island as an alternative venue, eventually entering into an agreement with Hofstra University. Due to many compounding issues including finances and delays caused by Hurricane Sandy, the board decided to postpone I-CON 32, with plans to raise funds via smaller events and return in 2014, but made no announcements about future dates.[1]

I-CON ran smaller conventions, LI-CON, in 2014 and 2015, at other venues on Long Island.

I-CON 32 occurred on March 17–19, 2017, at Suffolk County Community College, Grant Campus, Brentwood, New York.

The website was updated February 14, 2019 to announce a trip to a library exhibit, having previously been last updated on August 11, 2016.

Event history edit

Dates Location Atten. Guests
March 12–14, 1982 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Gene Roddenberry,[2] Alan Asherman, Jack Dann, Gardner Dozois, Raymond Z. Gallun, Michael Kandel, Michael Swanwick, Roy Torgeson, Joan D. Vinge, Howard Weinstein, Nicholas Yermikov
May 6–8, 1983 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Isaac Asimov, J O Jeppson, George Takei[2]
March 30 - April 1, 1984 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Hal Clement, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Harlan Ellison[2]
March 29–31, 1985 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Larry Niven, Mark Lenard,[2] John Buscema, Don Heck, Marv Wolfman, Dennis O'Neil
April 4–6, 1986 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Jack Williamson, James Doohan, Jon Pertwee,[2] Julius Schwartz, Forrest J. Ackerman, Norman Spinrad, Bob Rozakis. Mindy Newell
March 27–29, 1987 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
David Brin, Mark Lenard, David Gerrold, Colin Baker[2]
April 15–17, 1988 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Poul Anderson, Adam West, Richard Arnold, Doug Murray (comics), Anthony Ainley, Harlan Ellison[2]
March 31 - April 2, 1989 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Frederik Pohl, Michael Dorn, Guy Vardaman, Tasha Martel, Terry Nation, E. Gary Gygax,[2] Peter David
March 30 - April 1, 1990 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
C. J. Cherryh, Marina Sirtis, John de Lancie, Richard Arnold, Sylvester McCoy, Scott Carpenter, Alan Dean Foster, E. Gary Gygax, Timothy Zahn,[2] Curt Swan, Elliot S. Maggin
April 19–21, 1991 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Dan Simmons, Majel Roddenberry, Robin Curtis, Dean Stockwell, Sylvester McCoy, John Levene, Wings Hauser, Deke Slayton, Stan Lee, Sarah Douglas, E. Gary Gygax, Harlan Ellison, Julius Schwartz, Steve Saffell, Charles Pelligrino, George Zebrowski, Pamela Sargent[2]
April 3–5, 1992 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Roger Zelazny, Nichelle Nichols, Laura Banks, Sarah Douglas, Tom Kidd, A.C. Farley[2]
April 16–18, 1993 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Lucius Shepard, Armin Shimerman, Jon Pertwee, Sylvester McCoy, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan, Michael O'Hare, Laura Banks, Bruce Purchase, Jordan Raskin[2]
April 15–17, 1994 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Harlan Ellison, George Takei, Lolita Fatjo, Michael O'Hare, J. Michael Straczynski, Michael Cuneo, Tom Palmer[2]
March 31–April 2, 1995 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Nancy Kress, Siddig El Fadil, Andrew Robinson, Sophie Aldred, Jerry Doyle, Rachel Pollack [2]
April 12–14, 1996 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
George Alec Effinger, Ethan Phillips, Bill Mumy, Steve Sansweet,[2] Tom Smith, Peter David, Susan Alston, Mike Stackpole
April 4–6, 1997 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Joe Haldeman, René Auberjonois, J. Michael Straczynski, Michael O'Hare, Marvin Kitman[2]
March 27–29, 1998 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Norman Spinrad, Nana Visitor, Claudia Christian[2]
April 9–11, 1999 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Lois McMaster Bujold, Robert Picardo, Kenny Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Caroline Blakiston, Harlan Ellison[2]
March 31–April 2, 2000 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Joe R. Lansdale, Nicholas Brendon, Mark Allen Shepherd, Jason Carter, Julie Caitlin Brown, Jack Stauffer, Richard Hatch, Richard Chevolleau, Robert Leeshock, Peter Woodward, Dr. Demento[2]
March 30–April 1, 2001 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Timothy Zahn, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, Bruce Campbell, Harlan Ellison, Brad Douriff, Erin Gray, Virginia Hey, Richard Herd, Ray Harryhausen, Marjorie Monahan
April 19–21, 2002 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
F. Paul Wilson, Billy Boyd, Richard Biggs, Andreas Katsulas, Julie Caitlin Brown, Jason Carter, Herbert Jefferson Jr., Brian Downey, Myriam Sirois
March 28–30, 2003 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Barry N. Malzberg, Don Davis, Carrie Dobro, Carel Struycken, Robert Leeshock, Robin Curtis, Keith Hamilton Cobb, Keith R.A. DeCandido[3][4]
March 26–28, 2004 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Connie Willis, Katee Sackhoff, Peter Jurasik, Vaughn Armstrong, Chase Masterson, Richard Hatch, Bill Blair, Keith R.A. DeCandido, John Kenneth Muir[5]
April 8–10, 2005 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Ben Bova, Jewel Staite, Peter Mayhew, Jason Carter, Rockne S. O'Bannon[6]
March 24–26, 2006 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Terry Brooks, George Takei, Terry Brooks, Kevin Sorbo, Ron Glass, Michael A. Pondsmith, Michael Uslan, Doctor Who: Podshock[7]
March 23–25, 2007 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Liz Williams, Claudia Christian, Denise Crosby, Dean Haglund, Jamie Bamber, Roger Corman, Doctor Who: Podshock[8]
April 4–6, 2008 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Charlaine Harris, Tracy Scoggins, Ray Park, Harlan Ellison, Ernie Hudson, Daniel Logan, Billy West, Jeffrey Combs, Doctor Who: Podshock, David Wade[9]
April 3–5, 2009 Suffolk County Community College, Grant Campus
Brentwood, New York
Sean Astin, Sala Baker, Nicki Clyne, Tory Belleci, Gary Graham[10]
March 26–28, 2010 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Robert J. Sawyer, Charisma Carpenter, Sarah Douglas, Tiffany Grant, Ronald D. Moore, Robert J. Sawyer, Tony Todd, Doctor Who: Podshock[11]
April 15–17, 2011 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
Joe Lansdale, Julie Benz, Thomas Jane, Denise Crosby, Nicki Clyne, Joe R. Lansdale, Frank Mentzer, Daniel Logan, Gil Gerard[12]
March 30 - April 1, 2012 Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
David Weber, Paul McGann, Daphne Ashbrook, Sarah Douglas, Frazer Hines, Jeremy Bulloch, Nana Visitor, Rekha Sharma, Paul Blake, Colin Spaull, Casey Biggs, JG Hertzler, Robert Leeshock, Joshua Lou Friedman, Jason Haigh-Ellery[13]
March 17–19, 2017 Suffolk County Community College, Grant Campus
Brentwood, New York
Cory Doctorow, Cecil Baldwin, Daniel Knauf, David Gerrold, Tiffany Grant...[14]

LI-CON edit

Dates Location Atten. Guests
March 29-30, 2014 Best Western Mill River Manor
Rockville Centre, NY
August 14-16, 2015 Clarion Hotel and Conference Center
Ronkonkoma, NY
[15]

References edit

  1. ^ "I-CON". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "I-CON Media Guests archive". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on April 5, 2001.
  3. ^ "I-CON 22". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on February 12, 2003.
  4. ^ "I-CON 22". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
  5. ^ "I-CON 23". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  6. ^ "I-CON 24". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  7. ^ "I-CON 25". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  8. ^ "I-CON 26". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  9. ^ "I-CON 27". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  10. ^ "I-CON 28". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
  11. ^ "I-CON 29". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  12. ^ "I-CON 30". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  13. ^ "I-CON 31". iconsf.org. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  14. ^ "I-CON 32". iconsf.org. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
  15. ^ "LI-CON 2". Retrieved April 11, 2018.

External links edit