Flame Con

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Convention
Name: Flame Con
Dates: 2015 - current
Frequency: Annual
Location: New York City, USA
Type:
Focus: LGBTQ fans and creators
Organization: Geeks OUT
Founder:
Founding Date:
URL: http://www.flamecon.org
Flame Con logo.png
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Flame Con is an annual two-day multi-genre entertainment convention, focused on fans and creators of pop culture who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). Launched in 2015, it is the first LGBTQ comic convention in New York City,[1] and bills itself the largest LGBTQ comic convention in the world.[2] [3]

Flame Con is organized by Geeks OUT, a non-profit organization aimed at organizing LGBTQ events at comic conventions.[2] The convention is a multi-genre event, showcasing LGBTQ-inclusive pop culture across comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, movies, and television. Flame Con features panel discussions, workshops, and an exhibitors floor.[2] The convention is launched with an annual kick-off party, which features a dance party and drag performances.[4]

In partnership with the Ali Forney Center, the Sunday of each Flame Con is designated as "Youth Day", in which attendees under the age of 20 are granted free admission.[3]

History

Flame Con launched as a Kickstarter campaign in November 2014, with a fundraising goal of $15,000.[5] The campaign would ultimately raise over $19,000,[6] and was inaugurated as a one-day convention in June 2015. The following year, Flame Con moved from Grand Prospect Hall to the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, and expanded to two days of programming. In 2018, Flame Con relocated from Brooklyn to Manhattan to be held at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel.[7]

After the 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub, Flame Con instituted a ban on all prop weapons at the convention, including those used in cosplay.[8][9] In 2020, the con chair Maya Bishop said the ban has been uncontroversial among attendees, additionally stating "The queer community experiences enough real-world threats of violence, especially gun violence. I think it is reassuring to our attendees to know Flame Con is a space they don't have to be reminded of that, even as part of someone else's costume.".[10]

Event history

Dates Venue Location Atten. Special guests
June 13, 2015 Grand Prospect Hall Brooklyn, New York 2,200[11] Cecil Baldwin, Morgan Boecher, Sarah Donner, Lewd Alfred Douglas, C. Edwards, Aimee Fleck, Tommy Heleringer, Phil Jimenez, Daniel Ketchum, David Levithan, Krytika Mallikarjuna, Dylan Marron, Steve Orlando, Jill Pantozzi, Mark Patton, Tony Ray, Cristy Road, Chad Sell, Kate Tracy, James Tynion IV, Kevin Wada, Max Wittert, Jennie Wood[12][13][14]
August 20–21, 2016 New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn, New York 4,000[15] Kris Anka, Cecil Baldwin, Tea Berry-Blue, Terry Blas. Brandon The Shapeshifter, Sophie Campbell, Jennifer Camper, Amy Chu, Chris Claremont, Sarah Donner, Lewd Alfred Douglas, Dax ExclamationPoint, Aimee Fleck, Tana Ford, Heather Hogan, Phil Jimenez, Jay Justice, Daniel Ketchum, Jeff Krell, Kate Leth, Laurent Linn, Alex London, Terra Elan McVoy, Steve Orlando, Greg Pak, Jill Pantozzi, Fyodor Pavlov, K. Perkins, Amy Reeder, Cristy Road, James Romberger, Marcy Schwerin, James Tynion IV, Marguerite Van Cook, Mags Visaggio, Chelsea Von Chastity, Kevin Wada, Matthew Waterhouse, Max Wittert, Jennie Wood[16]
August 19–20, 2017 New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn, New York 6,000[2] Sana Amanat, Marc Andreyko, Kris Anka, Vita Ayala, Cecil Baldwin, Tea Berry-Blue, Soman Chainani, Amy Chu, Valerie Complex, Jay Edidin, Grace Ellis, Dax ExclamationPoint, Katy Farina, Ulises Fariñas, Aimee Fleck, Tana Ford, Tee Franklin, Nicole J. Georges, Sina Grace, Heather Hogan, Phil Jimenez, Robert Jones, Jr., Jay Justice, Daniel Ketchum, Mackenzi Lee, Kate Leth, David Levithan, Laurent Linn, Alex London, Terra Elan McVoy, Steve Orlando, Dan Parent, Mark Patton, Amy Reeder, Vincent Rodriguez III, Kristin Russo, Marcy Schwerin, Adam Silvera, Nicky Soh, Bishakh Som, Rian Sygh, Robin Lord Taylor, James Tynion IV, Mags Visaggio, Kevin Wada, Max Wittert, Jennie Wood, Jenny Owen Youngs[17]
August 18–19, 2018 Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel New York City 7,000[18] Kaitlyn Alexander, Kris Anka, Iasmin Omar Ata, Vita Ayala, Jen Bartel, Terry Blas, Tee Franklin, Joamette Gil, Sina Grace, Atla Hrafney, Phil Jimenez, Julia Kaye, Irene Koh, MariNaomi, Annie Mok, Erin Nations, Steve Orlando, Molly Ostertag, Dan Parent, Shadi Petosky, Amy Reeder, Hamish Steele, ND Stevenson, Lilah Sturges, Mariko Tamaki, Josh Trujillo, James Tynion IV, Magdalene Visaggio, Kevin Wada, Brittney Williams[19]
August 17–18, 2019 Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel New York City Jen Bartel[20]
August 15-16, 2020 Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel New York City Chuck Tingle, Tanya DePass[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ Cracker, Miz (June 2, 2015). "Queers and Comics Meet at Flame Con". Slate. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "World's Largest Queer Comic Con Announces Fourth Annual Flame Con". Flame Con. January 23, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Granshaw, Lisa (June 22, 2017). "Geeks OUT empowers LGBTQ+ geeks at Flame Con and beyond". SyFy Wire. Archived from the original on 2021-06-25. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  4. ^ "Flame Con: Firestarter". Time Out New York. August 17, 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  5. ^ Avery, Dan (November 9, 2014). "Help Queer Geeks Ignite "Flame Con," The First LGBT Comic Con in New York". NewNowNext. Archived from the original on 2018-03-13. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  6. ^ Geeks OUT (November 4, 2014). "Flame Con – NYC's First LGBTQ Comic Con!". Kickstarter. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  7. ^ Nugent, Edie (January 25, 2018). "FLAME CON moves to Times Square for 2018". Comics Beat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  8. ^ McNally, Victoria (August 22, 2016). "New York's biggest LGBT geek convention banned prop guns to honor Orlando". Revelist. Archived from the original on 2020-10-06. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  9. ^ Robertson, Adi (June 22, 2016). "An LGBTQ fan convention is banning toy guns after the Orlando shooting". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Busch, Caitlin (January 24, 2020). "Flame Con reveals dates and special guests for 2020 convention, showcasing commitment to diversity". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  11. ^ Chan, Edwin (June 6, 2015). "Holy Flame Con, Batman!". Out magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-07-08. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  12. ^ Avery, Dan (June 15, 2015). "Thousands of Gay Geeks Unite at Flame Con, New York's First LGBT Comic Con". NewNowNext. Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  13. ^ Sweatman, Kathryn (June 22, 2015). "Out of the Closet and into Comics: Flame Con and Why it Matters". Washington Blade. Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  14. ^ "Flame Con 2015 official website (via archive)". June 11, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-06-11. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  15. ^ Geeks OUT (June 20, 2017). "Geeks OUT Announces Third Annual Flame Con in New York". Geeks OUT. Archived from the original on 2018-05-13. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  16. ^ "Flame Con 2016 official website (via archive)". August 21, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-21. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  17. ^ "Flame Con 2017 official website (via archive)". August 16, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  18. ^ MacDonald, Heidi (August 22, 2018). "Flame Con Was Lit with New Record Attendance and Overflowing Joy". Comics Beat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  19. ^ "Flame Con 2018 Guests". May 12, 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-06-19. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  20. ^ Silliman, Brian (December 13, 2018). "Exclusive: Flame Con 2019 dates and location revealed, plus a look at some new Flamies". Syfy. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved December 13, 2018.


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