Westercon
Encyclopedia
Westercon is a regional science fiction and fantasy convention
founded in September 1948 by Walter J. "Doc" Dougherty of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society
. The original full name was West Coast Scienti-Fantasy Conference.
The location of Westercon each year is determined by a bid and voting process by the convention's members. Sites are selected two years in advance. Acceptable locations are cites on the continent of North America
, west of the 104th meridian west
, or in the state of Hawaii
. (Sites in Australia
would be eligible as well if either Australia or the USA were to annex the other, as a consequence of a whimsical provision added to the convention's bylaws in 1998 at the suggestion of Down Under Fan Fund
delegate Terry Frost. Although this provision may have little practical effect, an attempt to repeal it at the 2003 Westercon Business Meeting failed.)
Guests of Honor are traditionally chosen to showcase professionals who reside in the Westercon region. Given that there are hundreds of potential honorees, it is preferred that guests are chosen that have not been guests of honor at a previous Westercon.
Westercon is traditionally four days long, and is traditionally held on a weekend adjacent to or including the American Independence Day holiday.
The name "Westercon" is a service mark
of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, and LASFS retains certain responsibilities regarding Westercon site selection and provisions in case of the failure of a Westercon committee. In practice, Westercon is left to organize itself, with each year's committee acting independently and in its own name, with the general organization (primarily rules for site selection and self-governance) managed through the convention's Bylaws and a Business Meeting (open to all members) held at each Westercon.
Westercon traditionally includes those functions that other general science fiction and fantasy conventions have, including programming on a variety of subjects related to science fiction, fantasy, and fandom. Westercon also includes an art show and a dealers room.
The First Night Icebreaker or "Meet the Guests" event is held on the first evening of programming to allow an informal setting for members to meet the professional attendees of the convention. Mike Glyer
introduced the ice cream social
as a convention icebreaker in 1978 — borrowing it from Loscon
— but it has not been a part of every convention.
A costume contest called a Masquerade is typically held on the second night sometimes of the convention (or sometimes on Saturday night, regardless of when the convention started).
A Regency dance
has been a staple for many years, with a rock and roll dance being held as well at least one night of the convention.
Because Westercon members vote on where the Westercon two years hence will be held, site selection voting is generally open on the first and second days of the convention, with the results announced on the third day.
A Business Meeting at which all members of Westercon may propose, debate, and vote upon changes to the convention's bylaws is usually on the second day of the convention, and, if necessary, also on the third day to deal with issues not resolved at the first meeting.
In the evenings, groups host parties for various reasons. Some are promoting other conventions or bids for future Westercons or Worldcon
s. Others are publicizing groups or clubs and many are just for fun.
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
founded in September 1948 by Walter J. "Doc" Dougherty of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society
Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society
The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS is a science fiction society with its headquarters in Van Nuys, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Van Nuys is located in the San Fernado Valley, north of Los Angeles...
. The original full name was West Coast Scienti-Fantasy Conference.
The location of Westercon each year is determined by a bid and voting process by the convention's members. Sites are selected two years in advance. Acceptable locations are cites on the continent of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, west of the 104th meridian west
104th meridian west
The meridian 104° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
, or in the state of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. (Sites in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
would be eligible as well if either Australia or the USA were to annex the other, as a consequence of a whimsical provision added to the convention's bylaws in 1998 at the suggestion of Down Under Fan Fund
Down Under Fan Fund
The Down Under Fan Fund, also known as DUFF, was created in 1970 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and popular members of science fiction fandom familiar to fans on both sides of the Pacific ocean.-History:...
delegate Terry Frost. Although this provision may have little practical effect, an attempt to repeal it at the 2003 Westercon Business Meeting failed.)
Guests of Honor are traditionally chosen to showcase professionals who reside in the Westercon region. Given that there are hundreds of potential honorees, it is preferred that guests are chosen that have not been guests of honor at a previous Westercon.
Westercon is traditionally four days long, and is traditionally held on a weekend adjacent to or including the American Independence Day holiday.
The name "Westercon" is a service mark
Service mark
A service mark or servicemark is a trademark used in some countries, notably the United States, to identify a service rather than a product. When a service mark is federally registered, the standard registration symbol ® or "Reg U.S. Pat & TM Off" may be used...
of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, and LASFS retains certain responsibilities regarding Westercon site selection and provisions in case of the failure of a Westercon committee. In practice, Westercon is left to organize itself, with each year's committee acting independently and in its own name, with the general organization (primarily rules for site selection and self-governance) managed through the convention's Bylaws and a Business Meeting (open to all members) held at each Westercon.
Westercon traditions
Through the years several events and activities are traditionally held at Westercon. These events are common to most science fiction and fantasy conventions. Westercon is traditionally four days long; however, due to it traditionally being held near the American Independence Day holiday, the actual days of the week on which it is held vary from year to year, and this can affect the precise timing of events.Westercon traditionally includes those functions that other general science fiction and fantasy conventions have, including programming on a variety of subjects related to science fiction, fantasy, and fandom. Westercon also includes an art show and a dealers room.
The First Night Icebreaker or "Meet the Guests" event is held on the first evening of programming to allow an informal setting for members to meet the professional attendees of the convention. Mike Glyer
Mike Glyer
Mike Glyer is both the editor and publisher of the long-running science fiction fan newszine File 770. He holds the record for being nominated the most times for the Hugo Award; he has won 9 times in two categories: File 770 won the Best Fanzine Hugo in 1984, 1985, 1989, 2000, 2001 and 2008, and...
introduced the ice cream social
Ice cream social
An ice cream social, also known as an ice cream party, is a planned event, the primary focus of which is ice cream served to the guests. It is often a neighborhood event or welcoming party, normally held during the summer.-History:...
as a convention icebreaker in 1978 — borrowing it from Loscon
Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society
The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS is a science fiction society with its headquarters in Van Nuys, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Van Nuys is located in the San Fernado Valley, north of Los Angeles...
— but it has not been a part of every convention.
A costume contest called a Masquerade is typically held on the second night sometimes of the convention (or sometimes on Saturday night, regardless of when the convention started).
A Regency dance
Regency dance
Regency dance is the term for historical dances of the period ranging roughly from 1790 to 1825. Some feel that the popular use of the term "Regency dance" is not technically correct, as the actual English Regency lasted only from 1811 until 1820...
has been a staple for many years, with a rock and roll dance being held as well at least one night of the convention.
Because Westercon members vote on where the Westercon two years hence will be held, site selection voting is generally open on the first and second days of the convention, with the results announced on the third day.
A Business Meeting at which all members of Westercon may propose, debate, and vote upon changes to the convention's bylaws is usually on the second day of the convention, and, if necessary, also on the third day to deal with issues not resolved at the first meeting.
In the evenings, groups host parties for various reasons. Some are promoting other conventions or bids for future Westercons or Worldcon
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
s. Others are publicizing groups or clubs and many are just for fun.
Recent and upcoming conventions
- Westercon 56: "Westercon 56" - SeaTac, WashingtonSeaTac, WashingtonSeaTac is an American city in southern King County, Washington, and an outlying suburb of Seattle, Washington. Incorporated in February 1990, the City of SeaTac is ten square miles in area and has a population of 26,909 according to the 2010 census...
, July 3-6, 2003 - Westercon 60: "Gnomeward Bound" - San Mateo, CaliforniaSan Mateo, CaliforniaSan Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
, June 30-July 3, 2007 - Westercon 61: "A Gathering of Fen in the Desert" - Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, July 3-6, 2008 - Westercon 62: "FiestaCon" - Tempe, ArizonaTempe, ArizonaTempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, July 2-5, 2009 - Westercon 63: "Confirmation" - Pasadena, CA, July 1-4, 2010
- Westercon 64: "Westercon 64" - San Jose, CA, July 1-4, 2011
- Westercon 65: "ConClusion" - Seattle, WA, July 5-8, 2012
- Westercon 66: "Westercon 66" - Sacramento, CA area, TBA