This October, deep in the heart of Randall Flagg country (beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada), a new convention celebrating the work, influence, and ongoing excellence of Stephen King will throw open its doors. The very first KingCon, which is being held at The Linq hotel, will bring together a ton of artists, authors, collectors, special guests, and even FANGORIA’s own THE KINGCAST for a weekend filled with awesome panels and more.
Here is the current (but note, not yet finalized!) schedule thus far:
- Thursday (10/24): Vendor check-in and early registration (5-8pm)
- Friday & Saturday (10/25 & 10/26): We are still finalizing the convention lineup and schedule but our planned panels include:
- Publisher’s Panel: A behind-the-scenes discussion with and about small press publishers
- Artist’s Panel: A dialogue between artists who have illustrated King’s fiction
- Live Podcast with a popular King podcast series
- Stephen King Limited Editions: A chronological deep-dive into our favorite King limited editions from Firestarter on
- Film/Television Panel: A keynote address and/or audience-engaged conversation with highly-respected members of the King film/television industry
- Author Panel: A conversation between best-selling horror authors on how King has influenced their writing and publishing
- Sunday (10/27): Travel / Free day
As noted in above, plans are still being finalized for KingCon, but thus far the guest list includes filmmaker Mick Garris (the director behind a number of King adaptations, including the 1994 miniseries version of The Stand, Riding the Bullet, and Bag of Bones, as well as the King-scripted Sleepwalkers), a number of filmmakers behind some of King’s “Dollar Baby” adaptations, former King cover artists like Glenn Chadbourne and Rob Wood, as well as a live recording of the KINGCAST podcast, which will also feature its own special guest.
Having taken THE KINGCAST to a number of film festivals, conventions, and live events over the past few years, I would like to add the following bit of commentary here: I’ve been to any number of conventions and festivals over the years, and the fans I have encountered at King-centric events are among the best fans one might ever encounter. They are, in my experience, a very friendly lot, and will happily drop whatever they’re doing to discuss, say, insanely limited edition version of King’s novels the moment you prompt them to do so. Attending this particular convention, in this particular city, is likely gonna be a helluva good time.
If any of this sounds interesting to you (and if you’re a King nerd, it should), head on over to the KingCon homepage to snag a badge, read through their full lineup, and stay informed on any further guests or events that might get added to the lineup between now and October 24th. See you in Vegas this spooky season, King fans!
