Fen!
We’ve got trouble.
Right near Iowa CIty
We’ve got Terrible Terrible Trouble.
And it starts with N and it ends with N and it spells NO ICON
For over 30 years we have made for ourselves a home, a gathering a place to share stories and art and fun and friendship. A chance to meet other like-minded folk, who appreciate the joys that we have found in all the forms of fandom.
But we are having trouble keeping this society alive. Sociologists report that all forms of communities are failing in America. The blame is put onto all the distractions that have made it possible to stay at home and be isolated. My stamp club and my comic book reading friends all report the same trend. Nobody wants to do anything that requires effort or participation or time!
I’ve always felt that the rewards of fandom are directly proportional to the effort you put into it. I’ve also felt that a convention should be inclusive enough to accept the wide range of genres and all their forms.
The challenge we all face is this: Icon has lost about $6,000 for each of the last 4 or 5 years. Our three options are
- Cancel the con.
- Cut expenses
- Increase attendance.
These are all hard problems to solve. But we can solve them by working together.
A meeting will be held at ICON this year, like the meeting that was held at last year’s ICON. We need YOU to come forward with ideas, with energy and with a commitment to do something to keep us going. If you enjoy this activity as much as I do, then join us.
Dennis Lynch
Survivor: ICON 1-30