ICON | |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Genre | Science fiction |
Location(s) | Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
Country | United States |
Inaugurated | 1975 |
Attendance | 400-500 |
Organized by | The Mindbridge Foundation |
Website | Iowa ICON home page |
ICON is an annual science fiction convention held in the Cedar Rapids/ Iowa City area of Iowa since 1975, usually in late October or early November, under the auspices of the Mindbridge Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation also responsible for AnimeIowa and Gamicon. The organization was a branching off of the Science Fiction League of Iowa Students, which was founded by author Joe Haldeman. It is the oldest and largest science fiction convention in Iowa.
History
1 - 1975 October 31-November 2 -SkinnyCon - Iowa City, Iowa
- Roger Zelazny - author guest of honor
- Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre - guest of honor
2 - 1976 November 5–7 -Destructocon - Coralville, Iowa
- Frank Herbert - author guest of honor
- Mike Glicksohn - guest of honor
3 - 1977 October 28–30 - - Coralville, Iowa
- Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor and ICON founder
- Gay Haldeman - guest of honor
4 - 1979 November 9–11 -DisasterCon - Coralville, Iowa
- Gene Wolfe - author guest of honor
- Rusty Hevelin - guest of honor
- Moebius Theatre - guest of honor
5 - 1980 November 7–9 - - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Gordon R. Dickson - author guest of honor
- Bob and Anne Passavoy - guest of honor
6 - 1981 October 30-November 1 -first appearance of Trans Iowa Canal Company - Coralville, Iowa
- Phyllis Eisenstein - author guest of honor
- Dave Martin - guest of honor
7 - 1982 November 5–7 - - Coralville, Iowa
- Poul Anderson - author guest of honor
- Gregory Frost - author guest of honor
- Rusty Hevelin - guest of honor
- Mark Moore - guest of honor
8 - 1983 October 21–23 -L-Con - Coralville, Iowa
- C. J. Cherryh - author guest of honor
- Rob Chilson - author guest of honor
9 - 1984 October 26–28 - - Coralville, Iowa
- Dean Ing - author guest of honor
- Robin Bailey - author guest of honor
- Bob Tucker - guest of honor
10 - 1985 October 25–27 -SFLIS Family Reunion - Coralville, Iowa
- George R. R. Martin - author guest of honor
- Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor
11 - 1986 October 24–26 -Habittrail Con - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Robert Asprin - author guest of honor
- Phil Foglio - artist guest of honor
12 - 1987 October 16–18 -Money-Grubbing Capitalist Con - Coralville, Iowa
- Glen Cook - author guest of honor
- Dick Spelman - guest of honor
13 - 1989 January 20–22 -Beauty and the Beast Con-within-a-Con - Coralville, Iowa
- Joel Rosenberg - author guest of honor
- Algis Budrys - author guest of honor
- Mickey Zucker Reichert - author guest of honor
- Darlene Coltrain - guest of honor
- Roy Dotrice - media guest of honor
14 - 1989 October 13–15 - - Coralville, Iowa
- Frederik Pohl - author guest of honor
- P. D. Breeding-Black - artist guest of honor
- Lucy Synk - artist guest of honor
- Elizabeth Anne Hull - guest of honor
15 - 1990 September 28–30 - - Coralville, Iowa
- Philip José Farmer - author guest of honor
- Erin McKee - artist guest of honor
16 - 1991 October 12–14 -GinCon aka BlondeCon - Coralville, Iowa
- Steven Brust - author guest of honor
- Bob and Nonie Quinlan - fan guests of honor
17 - 1992 October 7–9 -Escape the Mundane CruiseCon, StressCon - Coralville, Iowa
- Mercedes Lackey - author guest of honor
- Larry Dixon - artist guest of honor
- Rex Bryant - fan guest of honor
18 - 1993 October 8–10 -Pirats of Phenzance, BarneyCon - Coralville, Iowa
- Suzette Haden Elgin - author guest of honor
- Jody Lee - artist guest of honor
- Nancy and Martin McClure - fan guest of honor
19 - 1994 October 14–16 -One Last Teen Fling - Coralville, Iowa
- Gregory Frost - author guest of honor
- Robert Daniels Jr. - artist guest of honor
- Joe Haldeman - guest of honor
20 - 1995 October 6–8 -ICON Goes Platinum - Coralville, Iowa
- Steven Barnes - author guest of honor
- Phil Hester - author/artist guest of honor
- Myrna Logan - fan guest of honor
21 - 1996 October 11–13 -ICON Comes of Age - Coralville, Iowa
- Emma Bull - author guest of honor
- Will Shetterly - author guest of honor
- Tadao Tomomatsu - fan guest of honor
22 - 1997 October 10–12 -Catch 22 - Coralville, Iowa
- John M. Ford - author guest of honor
- Kaja Foglio - artist guest of honor
- William "Bear" Reed - fan guest of honor
23 - 1998 October 16–18 -"Working Today For A Better Tomorrow, Fnord" - Coralville, Iowa
- Charles de Lint - author guest of honor
- Forrest Ackerman - author guest of honor
- Ed Heil - artist guest of honor
24 - 1999 October 29–31 -efiL fO gninaeM ehT, The Return of HabitrailCon, Seat of Our Pants Con - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Peter Beagle - author guest of honor
- Bill Johnson - guest of honor
- Charles Piehl - guest of honor
- Tyler Walpole - artist guest of honor
25 - 2000 October 13–15 -Prodigal Son - Coralville, Iowa
- Harry Turtledove - author guest of honor
- "Orange Mike" Lowrey - fan guest of honor
26 - 2001 October 12–14 -Hey, nice hotel! - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - author guest of honor
- Denise Garner - artist guest of honor
- Dennis Lynch - fan guest of honor
27 - 2002 October 18–20 -Carrot Juice - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Jennifer Roberson - author guest of honor
- John Garner - artist guest of honor
- Les & Jeannette Roth - fan guests of honor
28 - 2003 October 10–12 -Cheesy Poofs - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- David Drake - author guest of honor
- Lee Seed - artist guest of honor
- Gregg Parmentier - fan guest of honor
29 - 2004 October 8–10 - - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor
- Beth Hansen - artist guest of honor
- Gay Haldeman - guest of honor
- Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
30 - 2005 October 28–30 - - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Sarah Zettel - author guest of honor
- Jael - artist guest of honor
- Arlene Martel - media guest of honor
31 - 2006 October 13–15 -Gallium: The Other Soft Metal - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- C. S. Friedman - author guest of honor
- Larry Price - artist guest of honor
32 - 2007 November 2–4 -Rise of the Phoenix - Coralville, Iowa
- Jack McDevitt - author guest of honor
- Ralph J. Ryan - artist guest of honor
- Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
33 - 2008 October 31-November 2 -Horror/Halloween - Coralville, Iowa
- Tanya Huff - author guest of honor
- Alan M. Clark - artist guest of honor
- Richard Klemensen - guest of honor
- Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
34 - 2009 October 23–25 -Adventures in the Secret Kingdom of Fandom - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Jim C. Hines - author guest of honor
- Heather Bruton - artist guest of honor
- Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
35 - 2010 November 5–7 -A Steam-Powered Convention of the Future - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Cory Doctorow - author guest of honor
- Daniel Dociu - artist guest of honor
- Susan Leabhart - guest of honor
- Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
36 - 2011 October 28–30 -Genre Fusion: When Worlds Collide - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Jane Yolen - author guest of honor
- Steve Thomas - artist guest of honor
- Rusty Hevelin (in absentia), Denny Lynch - toastmaster
37 - 2012 November 2–4 -The Convention at the End of the Universe - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Steven Erikson - author guest of honor
- Mike Cole - artist guest of honor
- Jim C. Hines - co-toastmaster and author
- Dennis Lynch - co-toastmaster
38 - 2013 November 15–17 -Recalling 1013 - The Year When Nothing Happened - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Nancy Kress - author guest of honor
- Ellen Datlow - editor guest of honor
- Jack Skillingstead - writer guest of honor
- Joe Haldeman - author/artist guest of honor and ICON founder
- Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON guest of honor
- Gregory Frost - author and Co-Founder of ICON
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
- Steven Keith Tait - fan guest of honor
39 - 2014 October 31 - November 2 -League of Extraordinary Gentlefen - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Elizabeth Bear - author guest of honor
- Scott Lynch - editor guest of honor
- Lar deSouza - artist guest of honor
- Megan Lara - artist guest of honor
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
40 - 2015 October 16–18 -Con of Futures Past - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- David Gerrold - author guest of honor
- Sarah Clemens - artist guest of honor
- Ann Leckie - author guest of honor
- Kalli McCandless - fan guest of honor
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
- Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder
- Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON
41 - 2016 October 28–30 -Back to the ICON - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Seanan McGuire - author guest of honor
- Arden Ellen Nixon - artist guest of honor
- Laura J. Mixon - special guest of honor
- Steven Gould - special guest of honor
- Inger Myers - fan guest of honor
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
42 - 2017 September 29 - October 1, 2017 - Hitchhikers Guide to ICON42 - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Wesley Chu - author guest of honor
- H. Russ Brown - artist guest of honor
- Sheril Harper - fan guest of honor
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
- Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder
- Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON
43 - 2018 October 5–7, 2018 - Eruption! - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Mike Mullin - author guest of honor
- Daniel Mohr - artist guest of honor
- Mike Miller - fan guest of honor
- Wolfie B. Bad - actor guest of honor
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
- Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder
- Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON
44 - 2019 November 1–3, 2019 - Unpacking Non-Binary Reality - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Pat Murphy - author guest of honor
- Shawn Palek - Artist guest of honor
- Misty Palek - Artist guest of honor
- Kat Pepmiller - costumer/cosplay artist guest of honor
- Mystie Hollaman - fan guest of honor
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
45 - 2020 October 9–10, 2020 - V-ICON: The Year ICON Went Virtual - Online only
- Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON
- Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON
- Catrina Taylor - author
- Alex Penland - author
- Erin Casey - author
- Tambo Jones - author
- Beth Hudson - author
46 - 2021 October 15–17, 2021 - Seeking Further Horizons - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Eric Flint - Author Guest of Honor
- Jeff Lee Johnson - Artist Guest of Honor
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
- Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON
- Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON
- Beth Hudson - fan guest of honor
- Cheshire Moon - Music guest of honor
47 - 2022 October 14–16, 2022 - The Prime Universe - Celebrating How Alternate Universes Intersect With Ours - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Nicholas Meyer, author
- Mitch Bentley, artist
- Steve & Jenny Todd, fans
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
48 - 2023 October 13-15 - We only work in outer space! - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Lynne M. Thomas
- Michael Damian Thomas
- Chelsea Eldeen
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
- Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON
- Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON
49 - 2024 October 18-20 - New Horizons - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Megan Mackie - author
- Clara Meath - artist
- Zach Howard - artist
- Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
50 - Fall 2025
References
- "Projects – Mindbridge Foundation". Mindbridge Foundation. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- "Michael Swanwick Online: Profile of Gregory Frost". Archived from the original on 2014-07-06. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
- "Science fiction fans plan convention: Novelists, fans to mingle in Coralville" Cedar Rapids Gazette October 6, 1996; p. 30
- "ICON, one of the nation's oldest, longest-running science fiction conferences is Friday to Sunday at the Clarion Hotel, 525 33rd Ave. S.W. in Cedar Rapids." Iowa City Press-Citizen October 7, 2004; p. D12
- Scattarelli, Justine (November 5, 2010). "Cedar Rapids hosts Iowa's largest science fiction and fantasy convention". Eastern Iowa Life. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2011.