Genericon

Infobox Convention
name = Genericon


caption =
status = Active
genre = Multi-genre
venue = Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
location = Troy, New York
country = United States
first = 1985
last =
organizer =
filing =
attendance =
website = http://genericon.union.rpi.edu/

Genericon is a modestly sized anime/science fiction/gaming convention held in Troy, New York on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) campus for over 20 years, making it reportedly the oldest college multigenre convention in the nation [ [http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=1127&part=1 http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=1127&part=1] ] . It hosts theater-style auditoriums and has 24-hour anime viewing rooms, karaoke, cosplay events, 24-hour video game room/competitions, role-playing games, board games, and talks by guest speakers. The events usually begin 5 p.m. on the Friday of the last weekend of January and continue until Sunday at 5 p.m. with a closing ceremony and announcement of new "Con Chair". New to Genericon XXI is a partnership with Jazzman's Cafe [http://rpihospitalityservices.com/menus.htm ] , located in the middle of the convention itself (right outside of DCC 308) to bring food and beverages to the convention. [ [http://genericon.union.rpi.edu/ Genericon XXI ] ]

History

Genericon began in 1985 as a general science fiction convention, organized by the Rensselaer Science Fiction Association, a student group at RPIFact|date=April 2007. Early conventions were held in the lecture halls of RPI's Russell Sage Laboratory, and featured standard SF convention activities such as lectures and panels, film rooms, a dealers' room, an art show, and filking. Guests of Honor at Genericon 1 were writer Hal Clement, artist Phil Foglio, and fan Jan "Wombat" FinderFact|date=April 2007. Other guests included Leik Myrabo, Lynn Abbey, Fred Saberhagen, and Professor Alan Meltzer. Subsequent Genericons have included such notable guests as Samuel Delany (Genericon II), Joan Vinge (Genericon III), Jack Dann (Genericon III), Barry Longyear (Genericon VII), and Christopher Golden (Genericon IX).

Since its founding, Genericon has been held every year except between 1993 and 1995, as the entirety of the staff had graduated in the year of Genericon VIIIFact|date=April 2007. In recent years, since Genericon X in 1997, the con has gravitated away from its sci-fi roots towards a focus on webcomics, video gaming, and anime, though LARPing and other standard gaming has remained somewhat popular. This is most evident in the fact that guests invited to more recent Genericons have been more from the webcomic industry, including Pete Abrams (Sluggy Freelance), Jeffrey T. Darlington (General Protection Fault, Genericon XV), R. K. Milholland (Something Positive, Genericon XVII), Jeph Jacques (Questionable Content, Genericon XIX and XX), Mohammad Haque (Applegeeks, Genericon XX), and Ananth Panagariya (Applegeeks, Genericon XX).

Annual Activities

Every year the following are usually the highlighted events:
* Eye Of Argon: A Story poorly written thus preserved to play at 1 a.m.
* "Clay-O-Rama": A RPG with Play-Doh sculptures
* Artists Alley/Auction: A room showing submitted work that is also available for sale.
* Video games: Everything from Atari to Xbox 360 open 24 hours a day
* Vendors: Various imports and local products sold from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
* 24-hour anime rooms : Anime is run throughout the entirety of the convention in at least 1 of the 3 viewing rooms.
* Board gaming: Held in the Great Hall of the DCC, a wide variety of board gaming is offered.
* Guest panels
* Cosplay competition
* LARPing
* Living Greyhawk
* Karaoke
* Anime music videos Contest (as of Genericon XX)

Problems and Issues

Sleeping on the convention space has become a problem in recent years. This is a problem since RPI does not allow solicitors. People have been woken up and told to move and have even been told to leave the campus until the following day. [ [http://genericon.union.rpi.edu/policies.html Genericon XXI ] ]

R. K. Milholland has expressed a dislike for the con following his attendance as a guest in 2004. [ [http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp04222005.shtml http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp04222005.shtml] ] Other webcomic artists, however, have claimed to have enjoyed the con in their visits, including Jeffrey T. Darlington [ [http://www.gpf-comics.com/shows/genericon2002/ http://www.gpf-comics.com/shows/genericon2002/] ] , Jeph Jacques [ [http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=806 http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=806] (in sidebar blog)] and Ananth Panagariya [ [http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2007/01/28/take-me-home/ http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2007/01/28/take-me-home/] ] .

References

External links

* [http://genericon.union.rpi.edu/ Official Website]