ICON-History

Looking for the upcoming Iowa's ICON SF Convention usually in October - go to https://iowa-icon.com/  

ICON 1 timeline aka ICON creation

Jan 1975 - Linguistics prof Larry Martin and MFA student Joe Haldeman team-teach a class on science fiction literature. The Deadwood bar - at that time in one of the Clinton Street trailers - was the place for our weekly after-class time.

Mar 1975, Easter weekend - a ‘field trip’ to a regional science fiction convention in Minneapolis. Right after that we thought maybe we could put on a small convention ourselves. 

During that spring semester students in the class and our friends form a student club - the Science Fiction League of Iowa Students. Plans are made for a small science fiction convention at a hotel in Coralville at the end of October. 

Summer 1975 - Two of the class students (Greg Frost and Bill Johnson) along with Larry Martin (as a student) and Joe Haldeman (as a teacher) attend a six-week science fiction writing workshop in East Lansing, Michigan known as Clarion. SF author Roger Zelazny, another teacher at Clarion, was invited to be the ICON 1 guest of honor. 

Fall 1975 - final plans and preparations for the ICON 1 convention go into high gear. 

Halloween weekend, 1975 - ICON #1. Run by students with advice and guidance from Joe and Gay Haldeman and their longtime friend Rusty Hevelin, the convention is successful enough to have a second convention the next year. 

Rusty Hevelin, by the way, had attended the very first World Science Fiction Convention in New York City in 1939, 33 years before ICON 1. On his passing, Rusty donated his collection of SF magazines and fan writings to the U of Iowa libraries, an amazing resource for those studying the history of science fiction writing in the US. 

In later years, one of Joe’s students from that class at the U of Iowa, Bill Johnson, and Joe Haldeman won Hugo awards at the World Science Fiction convention in 1998. By that time, Joe Haldeman had won several Hugo awards, but it was Bill Johnson’s first and only. Sadly, Bill passed away in March 2022. 

Joe and Gay Haldeman plan to attend this year’s ICON in Cedar Rapids October 14-16, 2022.

If you go to downtown Iowa City, Joe Haldeman has a marker on the Iowa City “Lit Walk,” along with ICON’s current guest of honor Nicholas Meyer. 

History by year

1 - 1975 October 31-November 2 -SkinnyCon - Iowa City, Iowa

• Roger Zelazny - author guest of honor

• Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre - guest of honor

• ConCom: Greg Frost, Mark Moore, Theresa Matz, Joe & Gay Haldeman, Sue Pearson, Stephanie Oberembt, Tarl

2 - 1976 November 5–7 -Destructocon - Coralville, Iowa

• Frank Herbert - author guest of honor

• Mike Glicksohn - guest of honor

• ConCom: Mark Moore

3 - 1977 October 28–30 - - Coralville, Iowa

• Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor and ICON founder

• Gay Haldeman - guest of honor

• ConCom: Bill Johnson, Jolund Luther, Mike Miller

4 - 1979 November 9–11 -DisasterCon - Coralville, Iowa

• Gene Wolfe - author guest of honor

• Rusty Hevelin - guest of honor

• Moebius Theatre - guest of honor

• ConCom: Charles Ulysses Farley, Esquire

5 - 1980 November 7–9 - - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Gordon R. Dickson - author guest of honor

• Bob and Anne Passavoy - guest of honor

• ConCom: Emily Epstein,Brandon Ray, Sue Weinberg

6 - 1981 October 30-November 1 -first appearance of Trans Iowa Canal Company - Coralville, Iowa

• Phyllis Eisenstein - author guest of honor

• Dave Martin - guest of honor

• ConCom: Lynette Lehman, Jim Hess, Brandon Ray

7 - 1982 November 5–7 - - Coralville, Iowa

• Poul Anderson - author guest of honor

• Gregory Frost - author guest of honor

• Rusty Hevelin - guest of honor

• Mark Moore - guest of honor

• ConCom: Linnea Caldeen, Brandon Ray, Les Roth

8 - 1983 October 21–23 -L-Con - Coralville, Iowa

• C. J. Cherryh - author guest of honor

• Rob Chilson - author guest of honor

• ConCom: Lynette Lehman, Lydia Nickerson, Less Roth

9 - 1984 October 26–28 - - Coralville, Iowa

• Dean Ing - author guest of honor

• Robin Bailey - author guest of honor

• Bob Tucker - guest of honor

• ConCom: Jim Hess, Bill Rutledge, Jeannette Merrill

10 - 1985 October 25–27 -SFLIS Family Reunion - Coralville, Iowa

• George R. R. Martin - author guest of honor

• Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor

• ConCom: Lydia Nickerson

11 - 1986 October 24–26 -Habittrail Con - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Robert Asprin - author guest of honor

• Phil Foglio - artist guest of honor

• ConCom: Mike Miller, Dennis Lynch, Steve Tait

12 - 1987 October 16–18 -Money-Grubbing Capitalist Con - Coralville, Iowa

• Glen Cook - author guest of honor

• Dick Spelman - guest of honor

• ConCom: Mark Moore, Leslie Roth, Mitch Thompson

13 - 1989 January 20–22 -Beauty and the Beast Con-within-a-Con - Coralville, Iowa

• Joel Rosenberg - author guest of honor

• Algis Budrys - author guest of honor

• Mickey Zucker Reichert - author guest of honor

• Darlene Coltrain - guest of honor

• Roy Dotrice - media guest of honor

• ConCom: John Diedrichs, Brandon Ray, Steve Tait, Diane Blythe, Eleanor Ray

14 - 1989 October 13–15 - - Coralville, Iowa

• Frederik Pohl - author guest of honor

• P. D. Breeding-Black - artist guest of honor

• Lucy Synk - artist guest of honor

• Elizabeth Anne Hull - guest of honor

• ConCom: Ted Meyer, Mike Miller, Eleanor Ray, Laura Runkle

15 - 1990 September 28–30 - - Coralville, Iowa

• Philip José Farmer - author guest of honor. The Official Philip José Farmer Web Page page mentions Iowa's ICON

• Erin McKee - artist guest of honor

• ConCom: Brandon Ray, Eleanor Ray, Nigel Ray, John Stitely

16 - 1991 October 12–14 -GinCon aka BlondeCon - Coralville, Iowa

• Steven Brust - author guest of honor

• Bob and Nonie Quinlan - fan guests of honor

• ConCom: Linnea Caldeen, Laura Runkle, Mary Schneider, Susan West

17 - 1992 October 7–9 -Escape the Mundane CruiseCon, StressCon - Coralville, Iowa

• Mercedes Lackey - author guest of honor

• Larry Dixon - artist guest of honor

• Rex Bryant - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Michelle Clark, John Stitely

18 - 1993 October 8–10 -Pirats of Phenzance, BarneyCon - Coralville, Iowa

• Suzette Haden Elgin - author guest of honor

• Jody Lee - artist guest of honor

• Nancy and Martin McClure - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Michelle Clark, Brian Hurt, Kris Spiesz

19 - 1994 October 14–16 -One Last Teen Fling - Coralville, Iowa

• Gregory Frost - author guest of honor

• Robert Daniels Jr. - artist guest of honor

• Joe Haldeman - guest of honor

• ConCom: John Johnson, Steven Tait, Alex Tschampl

20 - 1995 October 6–8 -ICON Goes Platinum - Coralville, Iowa

• Steven Barnes - author guest of honor

• Phil Hester - author/artist guest of honor

• Myrna Logan - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Christina Fiscus, Mary Schneider

21 - 1996 October 11–13 -ICON Comes of Age - Coralville, Iowa

• Emma Bull - author guest of honor

• Will Shetterly - author guest of honor

• Tadao Tomomatsu - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Alex Cochran, Mick Hitch, Gregg Parmentier, Andy Wheeler

22 - 1997 October 10–12 -Catch 22 - Coralville, Iowa

• John M. Ford - author guest of honor

• Kaja Foglio - artist guest of honor

• William "Bear" Reed - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Mick Hitch, Gregg Parmentier, Lynda Sherman

23 - 1998 October 16–18 -"Working Today For A Better Tomorrow, Fnord" - Coralville, Iowa

• Charles de Lint - author guest of honor

• Forrest Ackerman - author guest of honor

• Ed Heil - artist guest of honor

• ConCom: Dave Benhart, Susan West, Andy Wheeler

24 - 1999 October 29–31 -efiL fO gninaeM ehT, The Return of HabitrailCon, Seat of Our Pants Con - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Peter Beagle - author guest of honor

• Bill Johnson - guest of honor

• Charles Piehl - guest of honor

• Tyler Walpole - artist guest of honor

• ConCom: Alex Cochran, Tracie Michlin, Jennifer Myers, Andy Wheeler

25 - 2000 October 13–15 -Prodigal Son - Coralville, Iowa

• Harry Turtledove - author guest of honor

• "Orange Mike" Lowrey - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Dennis Kitzman, Tracie Michlin, Andy Wheeler

26 - 2001 October 12–14 -Hey, nice hotel! - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - author guest of honor

• Denise Garner - artist guest of honor

• Dennis Lynch - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Dennis Kitzman, Tracie Michlin, Andy Wheeler

27 - 2002 October 18–20 -Carrot Juice - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Jennifer Roberson - author guest of honor

• John Garner - artist guest of honor

• Les & Jeannette Roth - fan guests of honor

• ConCom: Dan Chapman, Tracie Michlin, Jennifer Moody, Aaron Oehring

28 - 2003 October 10–12 -Cheesy Poofs - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• David Drake - author guest of honor

• Lee Seed - artist guest of honor

• Gregg Parmentier - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Aaron Oehring, Nigel Ray, Andy Wheeler

29 - 2004 October 8–10 - - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor

• Beth Hansen - artist guest of honor

• Gay Haldeman - guest of honor

• Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster

• ConCom: Christina Fiscus, Michael Kottman, Susan Ray

30 - 2005 October 28–30 [6] -' - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Sarah Zettel - author guest of honor

• Jael - artist guest of honor

• Arlene Martel - media guest of honor

• ConCom: Troy Essmann, Aaron Oshring, Dan Wojcik

31 - 2006 October 13–15 -Gallium: The Other Soft Metal - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• C. S. Friedman - author guest of honor

• Larry Price - artist guest of honor

• ConCom: Sheril Harper, Anthony Hendon, Josh Elliott, John Frick, Lindsay Jones, Galen Silversmith

32 - 2007 November 2–4 -Rise of the Phoenix - Coralville, Iowa

• Jack McDevitt - author guest of honor

• Ralph J. Ryan - artist guest of honor

• Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster

• ConCom: Gregg Parmentier, Anthony Hendon

33 - 2008 October 31-November 2 -Horror/Halloween - Coralville, Iowa

• Tanya Huff - author guest of honor

• Alan M. Clark - artist guest of honor

• Richard Klemensen - guest of honor

• Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster

• ConCom: Gregg Parmentier

34 - 2009 October 23–25 -Adventures in the Secret Kingdom of Fandom - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Jim C. Hines - author guest of honor

• Heather Bruton - artist guest of honor

• Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster

• ConCom: Josh Elliott, Lindsay Elliott, John Frick, Athena Foster, Galen Silversmith

35 - 2010 November 5–7 -A Steam-Powered Convention of the Future - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Cory Doctorow - author guest of honor. CORY DOCTOROW on Iowa's ICON from TUE NOV 2, 2010

• Daniel Dociu - artist guest of honor

• Susan Leabhart - guest of honor

• Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster

• ConCom: Josh Elliott, Lindsay Elliott, Athena Foster, Galen Brownsmith

36 - 2011 October 28–30 -Genre Fusion: When Worlds Collide - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Jane Yolen - author guest of honor

• Steve Thomas - artist guest of honor

• Rusty Hevelin (in absentia), Denny Lynch - toastmaster

• ConCom: Galen Brownsmith, Josh Elliott, Lindsay Elliott, Athena Foster

37 - 2012 November 2–4 -The Convention at the End of the Universe - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Steven Erikson - author guest of honor

• Mike Cole - artist guest of honor

• Jim C. Hines - co-toastmaster

• Dennis Lynch - co-toastmaster

• ConCom: Josh Elliott, Lindsay Elliott, Athena Foster

38 - 2013 November 15–17 -Recalling 1013 - The Year When Nothing Happened - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Nancy Kress - author guest of honor

• Ellen Datlow - editor guest of honor

• Jack Skillingstead - writer guest of honor

• Joe Haldeman - author/artist guest of honor and ICON founder

• Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON guest of honor

• Gregory Frost - author and Co-Founder of ICON

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster

• Steven Keith Tait - fan guest of honor

• ConCom: Dana Beatty, Dennis Lynch, Mitch Thompson

39 - 2014 October 31 - November 2 -League of Extraordinary Gentlefen - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Elizabeth Bear - author guest of honor

• Scott Lynch - editor guest of honor

• Lar deSouza - artist guest of honor

• Megan Lara - artist guest of honor

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster

• ConCom: Jori Hendon, John Johnson, Dylan Wheeler

40 - 2015 October 16-18 -Con of Futures Past - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• David Gerrold - author guest of honor

• Sarah Clemens - artist guest of honor ( Sarah Clemens web site )

• Ann Leckie - author guest of honor

• Kalli McCandless - fan guest of honor

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster

• Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder

• Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON

• ConCom: Megan Dean, Dennis Lynch, Adam Whitlatch

41 - 2016 October 28-30 -Back to the ICON - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Seanan McGuire - author guest of honor

• Arden Ellen Nixon - artist guest of honor

• Laura J. Mixon - special guest of honor

• Steven Gould - special guest of honor

• Inger Myers - fan guest of honor

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster

• ConCom: Jenny Carhoff, Megan Dean, Susan Leabhart

42 - 2017 September 29 - October 1 -Hitchhikers Guide to ICON42 - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Wesley Chu - author guest of honor

• H. Russ Brown - artist guest of honor

• Sheril Harper - fan guest of honor

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster

• Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder

• Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON

• ConCom: Jenny Carhoff, John Johnson, Christopher Harmon

43 - 2018 October 5-7 -Eruption - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Mike Mullin - author guest of honor

• Daniel Mohr - artist guest of honor

• Mike Miller - fan guest of honor

• Wolfie B. Bad - actor guest of honor

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster

• Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder

• Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON

• ConCom: Jenny Carhoff, Christopher Harmon, Shawn Johnson

44 - 2019 November 1-3 -Unpacking Non-Binary Reality - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Pat Murphy - author guest of honor

• Mystie Hollaman - fan guest of honor

• Shawn Palek - artist guest of honor

• Misty Palek - artist guest of honor

• Kat Pepmiller - Costumer/Cosplay artist guest of honor

• Susan Leabhart - Toastmaster

• ConCom: Gregg Parmentier, John Frick, Shawn Johnson

45 - 2020 October 9 to 10 - V-ICON: The Year ICON Went Virtual - Online only

• Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON

• Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON

• Catrina Taylor - author

• Alex Penland - author

• Erin Casey - author

• Tambo Jones - author

• Beth Hudson - author

• ConCom: Betsy Casey, Pamela Webster, John Frick, Anthony Penticoff, Adam Brower, Brian Anderson, Sara Pitcher

46 - 2021 October 15 to 17 - Seeking Further Horizons - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Eric Flint - Author

• Jeff Lee Johnson - Artist

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author

• Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON

• Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON

• Beth Hudson - fan guest

• Cheshire Moon - Music guest of honor

• ConCom: Betsy Casey, John Frick, Pamela Webster, Brian Anderson, Adam Brower

47 - 2022 October 14 to 16 - The Prime Universe - Celebrating How Alternate Universes Intersect With Ours - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Nicholas Meyer, author

• Mitch Bentley, artist

• Steve & Jenny Todd, fans

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author

• ConCom: Betsy Casey, Pamela Webster, Brian Anderson, Adam Brower, Sara Pitcher

48 - 2023 Oct 13 to 15 - We only work in outer space!

• Lynne M. Thomas, podcaster and editor

• Michael Damian Thomas, podcaster and editor

• Chelsea Eldeen, Artist

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author

• Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON

• Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON

• ConCom: Adam Brower, Brian Anderson, Bill Pitcher, Rei, Patrick Casey

49 - 2024 Oct 18-20 - New Horizons

• Megan Mackie author guest

• Clara Meath artist guest

• Zach Howard artist guest

• Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author

• Wylde Nept - concert

• ConCom: Brian Anderson, Patch Casey, Adam Brower, Tricia Andersen, Rei Waters  

50 - Fall 2026 Celebrate 50 years of ICON