Westercon (occasionally WesterCon; long version West Coast Science Fantasy Conference) is a regional science fiction and fantasy convention founded in September 1948 by Walter J. Daugherty of the
Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society
The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS, is a science fiction and fantasy fan society that meets in the Los Angeles area. The current meeting place can be found on thLASFS website
LASFS is the oldest continuously operating scienc ...
. The original full name was West Coast Scienti-Fantasy Conference.
Organization
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
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.
The 104th meridian west forms a great ...
, or in the state of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...
. (Sites in Australia would be eligible as well if either Australia or the United States 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
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
DUFF was creat ...
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
Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the United States Declaration of Independence, Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on Ju ...
holiday.
The name "Westercon" is a
service mark
A service mark or servicemark is a trademark used in the United States and several other countries to identify a service rather than a product.
When a service mark is federally registered, the standard registration symbol ® or "Reg U.S. ...
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.
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 may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
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
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 (the future George IV ruling on ...
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, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...
s. Others are publicizing groups or clubs and many are just for fun.
Legacy
A group of attendees who ran a portable bookstore at the convention went on to found
The Other Change of Hobbit
The Other Change of Hobbit (sometimes abbreviated TOCOH) is a science fiction and fantasy bookstore, formerly located in Berkeley, California and then El Cerrito; it no longer has a physical location. It was founded in 1977, the same weekend that ...
in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
SeaTac, Washington
SeaTac is a city in southern King County, Washington, United States. The city is an inner-ring suburb of Seattle and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The name "SeaTac" is derived from the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, itself ...
, July 3–6, 2003
* Westercon 60: "Gnomeward Bound" -
San Mateo, California
San Mateo ( ; ) is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula. About 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco, the city borders Burlingame, California, Burlingame to the north, Hillsborough, California, Hillsboro ...
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
It ...
San Jose, CA
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
Seattle, WA
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of ...
Sacramento, CA
)
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Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, the ...
San Diego, CA
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
Portland, OR
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous c ...
Layton, UT
Layton is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden-Clearfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 81,773, with 2022 estimates showing a slight increase to 84,665. Layt ...
- July 4-7, 2019 (also the
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
North American Science Fiction Convention
NASFiC, a.k.a. the North American Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention scheduled only during years where the Worldcon is being held outside the North American continent. NASFiC bids are voted on by the membership of the Wo ...
)
* Westercon 73:
Seattle, WA
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of ...
CANCELLED -- Originally planned for July 1-4, 2020, was postponed to 2021, disbanded April 2021
* Westercon 74: Westercon 74 -
Tonopah, NV
Tonopah ( , Shoshoni language: Tonampaa) is an unincorporated town in, and the county seat of, Nye County, Nevada, United States. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95, approximately midway between Las Vegas and Reno. In the ...
July 1-4, 2022 (postponed from 2021)
References
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Westercon history /ref>
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Westercon I Program Book /ref>
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The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
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Tribune Company
Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
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The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
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Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
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The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
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Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
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Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
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Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
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