BayCon

Chris Castro

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Toastmaster JC Arkham

Toastmaster JC Arkham

BayCon toastmaster JC Arkham has a varied, extensive, and eye-catching experience in nerdy pursuits.

“I’ve always been a fan of science fiction and fantasy, as far back as I can remember,” he said, citing Logan’s Run and Planet of the Apes among the first. “Then Star Wars came out when I was 8, and that led to a another level of fandom.”

Star Wars

Star Wars inspired Arkham to design costumes. “Every year while growing up, I made highly-detailed Star Wars costumes for Halloween.” In a few years, he discovered conventions (along with BayCon art design, Arkham has served on the Con-Volution board, and developed brand design for WorldCon).

“In the mid-80s, I attended BayCon at the Doubletree in San Jose. It was the Red Lion Inn back then. I did costuming there for a number of years, and a lot of creating and building props,” Arkham said.

“My passion for building turned into collecting: Props from science fiction and fantasy, props from movies and TV.”
[Read more…] about Toastmaster JC Arkham

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Fan Guest of Honor Wanda Kurtcu

BayCon, as a convention run by fans, has a yearly tradition in which we honor someone who has made significant contributions to fandom. This year, we welcome Wanda Kurtcu, a Bay Area convention veteran, as our Fan Guest of Honor. We sat down with Wanda for a short interview to help our members get to know her before BayCon 2019.

BayCon Fan Guest of Honor Dr. Wanda Kurtcu has been a regular panelist on issues of equality and inclusiveness in fandom for more than 10 years, but her honored guest status was unexpected. “I’m honored to be the Fan Guest of Honor, but I was surprised to be asked”, she said. “In my experience, this is usually not a person of color. This broke a barrier.”

[Read more…] about Fan Guest of Honor Wanda Kurtcu

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BayCon 2019 Charity: Computer History Museum

Computer History Museum at BayCon 2019

BayCon 2019 is proud to announce our charity for this year: the Computer History Museum! Located right here in the Bay Area, the Computer History Museum is a non-profit dedicated to preserving and collecting computing technology since the inception of the earliest hardware.

From their website:

The mission of the Computer History Museum is to preserve and present for posterity the artifacts and stories of the Information Age.

The Computer History Museum is a nonprofit organization with a four-decade history as the world’s leading institution exploring the history of computing and its ongoing impact on society. The Museum is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computer history and is home to the largest international collection of computing artifacts in the world, encompassing computer hardware, software, documentation, ephemera, photographs, oral histories, and moving images.
[Read more…] about BayCon 2019 Charity: Computer History Museum

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James S.A. Corey’s “The Expanse” Book Cover Prints On Sale

Cover art prints from James S.A. Corey’s Hugo-nominated “The Expanse” series, signed by 2017 Artist Guest of Honor Daniel Dociu, are now available online in our new print shop! These prints were previously made available for purchase only twice, and have not been sold anywhere else.

BayCon is now offering these exclusive art prints in our online shop with a limited invetory. These prints are LIMITED EDITION, and there is no plan by the artist to make additional prints available once they sell out.

All art prints are either 12”x18” (regular edition), or 10”x22.7” (special edition dustjackets). All prints are giclée fine art printed on archival matte paper.

Art from all eight current book covers can be purchased as individual prints. Six special Collector’s Edition prints (Books 1 to 6) are also available for purchase as part of an eight picture folio along with regular edition prints of Persepolis Rising and Tiamat’s Wrath.

Note: At this time we are only shipping prints to addresses in the continental U.S. and Canada. Please send mail to pubs@baycon.org for any questions about international orders.

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BayCon 2019 Staff Meeting this Saturday, February 23


The next BayCon 2019 staff meeting is upon us! Come join us at the San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport, at 1 PM on Saturday, February 23. We’ll have a lot of stuff to announce and discuss. You can be one of the BayCon insiders and contribute your unique skills and enthusiasm to what is sure to be an amazing 2019 convention.

BayCon, as a fan-run organization, relies almost entirely on volunteer effort. Every single one of us contributes to BayCon in our spare time, and we have a lot of fun doing it. When you volunteer for BayCon, you receive a discounted membership for the full weekend at $30. You also have access to the staff lounge for the entirety of the convention, among other perks. It’s also a great thing to put on your résumé or college application (real world experience)!

BayCon 2019 is currently looking for staff in the following areas:

  • Tech
  • Events
  • Art Show
  • Logistics
  • Registration
  • Convention Operations
  • …and more!

Find out more about how you can get involved.