michaeldthomas (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
michaeldthomas) wrote2008-03-11 08:18 am
michaeldthomas) wrote2008-03-11 08:18 am
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A Whole Lot of Doctor Who Cons
I am a classic Doctor Who fan. I know that I’ve hidden it well, but it’s true. :)
For over a decade, I’ve been a regular at Doctor Who conventions in Chicago and Massachusetts. Towards the end of the Wilderness Years, I was fairly convinced that Doctor Who events would eventually come to an end; the fans were getting older, and interest was waning. I remember many conversations that I had with fans, pros, and con-runners where we all agreed that the end was near. Of course, most of us didn’t think that the show would ever return either.
The big three (Chicago TARDIS, Gallifrey One, and United Fan Con under a new name) still chug on after all of these years. Added to them is a new convention called Timegate. It’s a modest event in Atlanta that’s a Stargate/Doctor Who con. Gally had a similar modest beginning, so hopefully this is a con that will continue to grow.
There's also a new media convention venture called Jumpcon. It’s a “traveling” convention that is attempting to have a show every weekend in different parts of the country. The guests are booked in blocks of cities. So far, the prices are reasonable. Most of their guests are of the second-Klingon-on-the-right variety, but they also have some significant guests from Hercules, Babylon 5, Highlander and classic Doctor Who.
I’m not sure if this will work. Media cons have had a lot of trouble in the last decade staying out of bankruptcy. What makes it cool in the short term, however, is that the next twelve months will see the greatest number of Doctor Who related conventions in North America since the late 1980s. The real surprise is that none of these events have any new Doctor Who or Torchwood actor guests. I expect that to change.
In case you’re interested, here is the list. Please pass this around to your Doctor Who loving f-lists. The only way that these events will continue is if the fans show up. I’m just listing the Doctor Who related guests for each convention. If I missed one, plese let me know.
I-Con
http://www.iconsf.org/index.php
Stony Brook University, NY
April 4-6
John Peel
Keith DeCandido
Timegate
http://www.timegatecon.org/
Atlanta, GA
May 23-26
John Levene
Lars Pearson
Christa Dickson
Jumpcon
http://www.jumpcon.com/
Kalamazoo, MI
July 4-6
Colin Baker
Jacqueline Pearce
Jumpcon
Stamford, CT
July 11-13
Colin Baker
Jumpcon
Boston, MA
July 18-20
Colin Baker
Frazer Hines
Mary Tamm
Deborah Watling
Jumpcon
Pittsburgh, PA
July 25-27
Colin Baker
Denvention/Worldcon
http://www.denvention3.org/
Denver, CO
August 6-10
Paul Cornell
Jumpcon
Washington, DC
August 8-10
Mary Tamm
Jumpcon
Cleveland, OH
August 15-17
Terry Molloy
Jumpcon
Detroit, MI
August 22-24
Terry Molloy
DragonCon
http://www.dragoncon.org/
Atlanta. GA
August 29- September 1
Jeremy Bulloch
Keith DeCandido
Lars Pearson
Christa Dickson
World Fantasy Convention
http://www.worldfantasy2008.org/
Calgary, Canada
October 30- November 2
Mark Morris
The New England Fan Experience (United Fan Con)
http://www.nefe.us/
November 21-23
Cambridge, MA
TBA
Chicago TARDIS
http://www.chicagotardis.com/
Chicago, IL
November 28-30
Colin Baker
Paul Cornell
Gallifrey One
http://www.gallifreyone.com/
Los Angeles, CA
February 12-15, 2009
TBA
For over a decade, I’ve been a regular at Doctor Who conventions in Chicago and Massachusetts. Towards the end of the Wilderness Years, I was fairly convinced that Doctor Who events would eventually come to an end; the fans were getting older, and interest was waning. I remember many conversations that I had with fans, pros, and con-runners where we all agreed that the end was near. Of course, most of us didn’t think that the show would ever return either.
The big three (Chicago TARDIS, Gallifrey One, and United Fan Con under a new name) still chug on after all of these years. Added to them is a new convention called Timegate. It’s a modest event in Atlanta that’s a Stargate/Doctor Who con. Gally had a similar modest beginning, so hopefully this is a con that will continue to grow.
There's also a new media convention venture called Jumpcon. It’s a “traveling” convention that is attempting to have a show every weekend in different parts of the country. The guests are booked in blocks of cities. So far, the prices are reasonable. Most of their guests are of the second-Klingon-on-the-right variety, but they also have some significant guests from Hercules, Babylon 5, Highlander and classic Doctor Who.
I’m not sure if this will work. Media cons have had a lot of trouble in the last decade staying out of bankruptcy. What makes it cool in the short term, however, is that the next twelve months will see the greatest number of Doctor Who related conventions in North America since the late 1980s. The real surprise is that none of these events have any new Doctor Who or Torchwood actor guests. I expect that to change.
In case you’re interested, here is the list. Please pass this around to your Doctor Who loving f-lists. The only way that these events will continue is if the fans show up. I’m just listing the Doctor Who related guests for each convention. If I missed one, plese let me know.
I-Con
http://www.iconsf.org/index.php
Stony Brook University, NY
April 4-6
John Peel
Keith DeCandido
Timegate
http://www.timegatecon.org/
Atlanta, GA
May 23-26
John Levene
Lars Pearson
Christa Dickson
Jumpcon
http://www.jumpcon.com/
Kalamazoo, MI
July 4-6
Colin Baker
Jacqueline Pearce
Jumpcon
Stamford, CT
July 11-13
Colin Baker
Jumpcon
Boston, MA
July 18-20
Colin Baker
Frazer Hines
Mary Tamm
Deborah Watling
Jumpcon
Pittsburgh, PA
July 25-27
Colin Baker
Denvention/Worldcon
http://www.denvention3.org/
Denver, CO
August 6-10
Paul Cornell
Jumpcon
Washington, DC
August 8-10
Mary Tamm
Jumpcon
Cleveland, OH
August 15-17
Terry Molloy
Jumpcon
Detroit, MI
August 22-24
Terry Molloy
DragonCon
http://www.dragoncon.org/
Atlanta. GA
August 29- September 1
Jeremy Bulloch
Keith DeCandido
Lars Pearson
Christa Dickson
World Fantasy Convention
http://www.worldfantasy2008.org/
Calgary, Canada
October 30- November 2
Mark Morris
The New England Fan Experience (United Fan Con)
http://www.nefe.us/
November 21-23
Cambridge, MA
TBA
Chicago TARDIS
http://www.chicagotardis.com/
Chicago, IL
November 28-30
Colin Baker
Paul Cornell
Gallifrey One
http://www.gallifreyone.com/
Los Angeles, CA
February 12-15, 2009
TBA