Archon (convention)

File:Archon 30 Thursday 011.jpgThe [http://www.archonstl.org/index.html#ATA01 first Archon] in 1977 drew a crowd of 253 and was held at Stouffer's Riverfront Towers (now the Millennium) in downtown St. Louis. In 1982 [http://www.archonstl.org/index.html#ATA06 Archon 6] brought author Stephen King and attracted 1,750 participants to the Chase Park Plaza Hotel. The convention had a ten-year run at the now-defunct Henry VIII Hotel near Lambert Airport. In 1993, it settled in its current home at the Gateway Center in Collinsville. [http://www.archonstl.org/index.html#ATA20 Archon 20's] guest of honor, author Ray Bradbury, attracted record attendance of more than 2,500 convention-goers in 1996. In 2003 Archon 27 expanded from three days to four. [http://www.archonstl.org/index.html#ATA30 Archon 30] attracted nearly 2,800 convention-goers in 2006, a record for the convention.

In 2007 in place of Archon, convention organizers hosted Tuckercon, the 9th North American Science Fiction Convention. The convention was held two months earlier than the normal Archon, on August 2–5, 2007.{{cite news |first=Roger |last=Schlueter |work=Belleville News-Democrat |title=Archon 31 promises a science fiction bonanza |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32526692_ITM |date=August 2, 2007 |accessdate=August 14, 2009 |quote=This year's Archon simply has to be bigger and better, say the organizers, St. Louis Science Fiction Ltd. Not only is it serving as St. Louis' annual sci-fi-fantasy confab, but it is doubling as the 2007 North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC), because the world convention was awarded to a non-North American site (Yokohama, Japan).}} Guests of honor included Barbara Hambly, Darrell K. Sweet, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 personalities Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett (replacing Mira Furlan, who had to cancel).

Archon hosts one of the best known masquerade competitions in the country. In 2005, over 50 entries were presented in four separate classes, Junior, Novice, Journeyman and Master. These costumers represent a wide range of fandom, presenting recreations of favorite cinema and literary characters along with original creations. Until his death author Vic Milan was the emcee of the Archon Masquerade for many years. Kevin Dulle was chosen by Vic Milan as his successor after having worked as the Archon Stage Manager for 20 years. The masquerade is unique for its team of professional light and sound engineers who volunteer their time working with the presenters for the show. The Archon Masquerade rules are compatible with the International Costumers' Guild{{Cite web| url= http://www.costume.org/| website= International Costumers' Guild, Inc.| title= home page| accessdate= 2016-05-24| quote=Mission Statement: The International Costumers' Guild, Inc., is an affiliation of amateur, hobbyist, and professional costumers dedicated to the promotion and education of costuming as an art form in all its aspects.}} guidelines for competition, which means that any major awards won at Archon are included in standings at other ICG convention competitions.

Archon features extensive gaming. Among some of the many attractions at Archon gaming are LARPing, Battletech games, Science Fiction RPGs ran yearly, D&D games and CCG tournaments.

In 1985, St. Louis Science Fiction Ltd. was subject to an adverse court tax court ruling that denied it non-profit 501(c)(3) status, on the basis that it was not "operated exclusively for exempt purposes", but instead "in part, for the private benefit of artists and dealers", and "in furtherance of substantial nonexempt commercial, and social and entertainment purposes".{{cite journal|title=St. Louis Science Fiction Ltd. v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo. 1985-162)|publisher=United States Tax Court|url=http://smofinfo.com/wsfs/Legal/StLouis.rtf|date=1985-04-02|accessdate=2008-07-10}}

• Henry VIII Hotel
• Science fiction fandom
• List of multigenre conventions

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.archonstl.org/index.html Archon's official website]
• [http://www.archonmasq.org/ Archon's Masquerade web site]
• [http://nasfic.org/ The North American Science Fiction Convention]
• [https://archive.today/20140602021414/http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/399518/78/Archon-37 Human interest news segment on Archon]

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{{succession box

| before=8th North American Science Fiction Convention
Cascadia Con in Seattle, United States (2005)

| title=List of NASFiCs

| years=9th North American Science Fiction Convention
Archon 31 in St. Louis, United States (2007)

| after=10th North American Science Fiction Convention
ReConStruction in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (2010)

}}

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{{Multigenre conventions in North America}}

Category:Science fiction conventions in the United States

Category:Multigenre conventions

Category:Recurring events established in 1977

Category:Conventions in Illinois

Category:Conventions in Missouri