Chicago, IL

Chicago fandom has remained as disorganized and nearly as quiet as it was when the Fancyclopedia 2 entry, below, was written. Chifen aren’t as feud happy as New York fandom, but they aren’t overly social, either.

There are three major fanclubs in Chicagoland: ISFiC, Phandemonium, and SuperConDuckTivity, but they mostly exist to run cons. Besides Capricon, Phandemonium runs a monthly book club, dining group, and euchre club. ISFiC runs Picnicon, an annual picnic, as well as Windycon. Other smaller groups arrange for fans to get together for pizza or games, but it is all decentralized. Most Chicagoland conventions and 'tween-convention gatherings are held in the Chicago suburbs.

Each of the seven Worldcons held in the 'Windy City has been run by a different "special con-promoting organization." Chicago is slated to run its eighth Chicon in 2022.

History

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.

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 from Dick Smith in the 1980s and the subsequent three-time Hugo Award-nominated STET from Dick and Leah Zeldes Smith were among the few fanzines to come out of Chicagoland since Earl Kemp stopped publishing in 1965. Steven Silver’s 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 Helen Montgomery, part of the team behind Hugo-winning Journey Planet.

Chicago also serves as the headquarters for the Science Fiction Outreach Program.

See also: List of Chicago Conventions, Chicago Worldcons.

Environs

Deerfield

A northern suburb, in Lake County, the usual site of Picnicon.

Oak Brook

A well-to-do western suburb of Chicago located in DuPage County. The former Hyatt Oak Brook (currently known known as the Oak Brook Hilton) hosted Capricon 18 in 1998.

Rosemont

Rosemont is a suburb of Chicago whose most notable features are a large convention center and proximity to O'Hare Airport. The former has made it the Chicago home of the Wizard World gate show. 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.

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Locale

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