Chicago, IL
Chicago fandom has remained as disorganized and nearly as quiet as it was when the Fancy 2 entry, below, was written. There are three major fanclubs in Chicago: ISFiC, Phandemonium, and SuperConDuckTivity, but they mostly exist to run cons. Each of the seven Worldcons held in Chicago has been run by a different "special con-promoting organization."
Besides Capricon, Phandemonium runs a monthly book club, dining group, and euchre club. ISFiC runs Picnicon, an annual relaxacon as well as Windycon. Other smaller groups arrange for fans to get together for pizza or games, but it is all decentralized. Most Chicago conventions and 'tween-convention gatherings are held in the Chicago suburbs.
From the 1960s through '80s, George Price hosted regular fan meetings at his home.
In the 1970s and '80s, a weekly meeting called Thursday, was held at various fans' homes, mostly around the North Side. It started in Chip Bestler and Phil Foglio's college dorm room. There was also an apa, Windyapa.
Uncle Dick's in the 1980s and the subsequent Hugo Award-nominated STET were among the few fanzines to come out of Chicagoland since Earl Kemp stopped publishing in 1965. Argentus, also a Hugo nominee, was published annually from 2001 to 2014. Hugo- and FAAn Award-winning fanartist delphyne joan woods also gave the city its limited fanzine credits, as did Hugo-winning faneditor Helen Montgomery.
Chicago also serves as the headquarters for the Science Fiction Outreach Program.
See also: List of Chicago Conventions.
Rosemont is a suburb of Chicago whose most notable features are a large convention center and a proximity to O'Hare. The former has made it the home of Wizard World. The latter, and a plethora of hotels, have caused it to host, among others, SMOFCon 21 & 34, Midwest Construction, Capricon 18, DucKon VII & VIII, WindyCon 31-34, 2BeContinued 3, G-Fest, Chicago TARDIS, Anime Central, Midwest Furfest, and other conventions, including planning meetings for Renovation, Chicon 7, and MidAmeriCon II.
| From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959 |
| Despite its two conventions the Windy City has always been fairly quiet as far as fan activity goes. Of old the Windy City Wampires existed there, but this was an informal group; the ChiCon I was put on by a special con-promoting organization. Later a Chicago SFS came into existence; Earl Kemp was its most famous member. It produced the gigantic ChiCon II. |
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