Penguicon is a convention in southeastern Michigan designed originally to mix the communities of the science fiction fandom and Linux user groups. In addition to educational panels on science fiction in the media, attendees participate in professional and beginner-level panels on Linux and open-source software. Penguicon takes its name both from a Monty Python sketch and from Tux, the penguin mascot of Linux.
Penguicon is held in the spring in the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area. The venue, a hotel, has changed from year to year, but since 2014 the event has been held at the Westin Southfield Hotel in Southfield, Michigan.
Since its founding, Penguicon has expanded its focus to include panels and events for foodies, cosplay, filk music (the folk music of science fiction fandom), gaming, and makerspaces. Penguicon has been described as a place where "hackers, makers, foodies, open source software junkies, anime buffs, and science fiction fans of all ages and backgrounds come together in a hotel for a weekend and totally blow the roof off."
Along with the panels, the convention has hosted Artemis spaceship bridge simulations, biohacking presentations, retrogaming rooms, and a life-size Operation game board.
Working alongside local makerspaces i3Detroit and All Hands Active, Penguicon has offered instruction in learning to solder electronic components, which allowed attendees to create their own LED badges.
Over a thousand participants have attended past conventions, which have featured Guests of Honor from Neil Gaiman and John Scalzi to Jon "maddog" Hall and Eric S. Raymond.
Recent events For the 2014 convention, the Penguicon tech track's focus was on privacy and cryptography. Guests of Honor included Ernie Cline, author of Ready Player One; and Eva Galperin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Philanthropy Penguicon was listed as a Guardian of Wildlife at the Detroit Zoo in 2013 for donating to symbolically adopt a penguin.
In 2013, Penguicon listed the New Beginnings Animal Rescue as their official charity, and Penguicon members donated $700 and 123 pounds of food during the convention weekend.
Penguicon was also a sponsor of MHacks III, a weekend-long hackathon held in Detroit in January 2014.
The organization Enabling the Future, which constructs 3D printed prosthetic hands for those in need, was Penguicon's 2015 Hack of Honor and official sponsored charity. Along with collecting donations, Penguicon worked with Enabling the Future and community members to 3D print limbs leading up to and during the 2015 convention.
Featured guests Every year, Penguicon invites a dozen or more people (authors, hackers, and entertainers) who are not full Guests of Honor, but are celebrities in their own right, and calls them Featured Guests (formerly "Nifty Guests"). They also invite former Guests of Honor as "Guest of Honor Emeritus". In 2010, this included author Jim C. Hines, musician Tom Smith, and open source advocate Eric S. Raymond.
Wil Wheaton's cancellations Penguicon has invited Wil Wheaton as a guest of honor multiple times, but he has had to cancel each time. In 2009, Wheaton had to cancel the morning of the convention and wrote an apology letter which was read aloud at Opening Ceremonies.
Tron Guy Jay Maynard debuted his self-made electroluminescent Tron Guy costume at Penguicon in 2004.Being Tron Guy , Minneapolis City Pages After submitting photos of himself to Slashdot, he appeared in costume on Jimmy Kimmel Live.Memes Pwn The Web: What Lolcats, Tron Guy, and Doge Tell Us About Ourselves and the Future of Humanity, TechRepublic.com He has also been on America's Got Talent and a commercial for Duck Brand duct tape. Maynard says he "hasn't missed a Penguicon, and doesn't intend to."What is Penguicon?, YouTube Video
In the media A Science Channel show, Outrageous Acts of Science, replayed a video from Penguicon 2006Liquid Nitrogen Into A Swimming Pool, YouTube in which Nifty Guest Howard Tayler recorded attendees dumping the remains of a dewar of liquid nitrogen into the hotel swimming pool.Outrageous Acts of Science - Power Junkies, Science Channel (via YouTube) In 2010, Howard Tayler returned to Penguicon as a Guest of Honor and hosted a second video involving liquid nitrogen and the hotel swimming pool.Liquid Nitrogen in the pool at Penguicon 2010, YouTube
Penguicon events Year Chair Location Dates Guests of honor Website 2003 Tracy Worcester Van Dyke Park Suites - Warren, Michigan May 2–4 Eric S. Raymond, Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda, Terry Pratchett, J. D. Frazer, Pete Abrams Penguicon 1 2004 Sheraton Detroit - Novi, Michigan April Jeff "Hemos" Bates, Jon "maddog" Hall, Neil Gaiman, Steve Jackson, Wil Wheaton (cancelled) Penguicon 2 2005 Bill Putt Sheraton Detroit - Novi, Michigan April 22–24 Nat Torkington, Dr. Peter Salus, Cory Doctorow, Joan D. Vinge, Rod Roddenberry, Kevin Siembieda, Wil Wheaton (cancelled) Penguicon 3 2006 Aaron Thul Livonia Holiday Inn - Livonia, Michigan April 21–23 Chris DiBona, Frank Hayes, Steve Miller, Sharon Lee, Andy Looney, Kristin Looney, Alison "Looney" Frane (Looney Labs) Penguicon 4 2007 phecda Troy Hilton - Troy, Michigan April 20–22 Bruce Schneier, Charlie Stross, Elizabeth Bear, Christine Peterson, Steve Jackson, Randy Milholland Penguicon 5 2008 Keri Springer Troy Hilton - Troy, Michigan April 18–20 Benjamin Mako Hill, Jono Bacon, Vernor Vinge, Tamora Pierce, Randall Munroe, Keith Baker, Zeusaphone Penguicon 6 2009 Matt Arnold Crown Plaza Hotel - Romulus, MI May 1–3 Rasmus Lerdorf, Jon "maddog" Hall, Andrew Hackard, Jane McGonigal, Wil Wheaton (cancelled), CandyFab Penguicon 7 2010 Randy Bradakis Troy Marriott - Troy, Michigan April 30 – May 2 Joe Brockmeier, Marcel Gagné, Karl Schroeder, Spider Robinson (cancelled), Jeanne Robinson (cancelled), Howard Tayler, i3Detroit (Hack of Honor) Penguicon 8 2011 Limey Zrnich Troy Marriott - Troy, Michigan April 29 – May 1 MC Frontalot, Brandon Sanderson, Jimmie P. Rogers, Howard Tayler Penguicon 9 2012 Chuck Child Regency Hyatt - Dearborn, Michigan April 27–29John Scalzi, Jim Gettys, Scrub Club Records, Open Soda (Hack of Honor) Penguicon 10 2013 Nuri Gocay Marriott Centerpoint - Auburn Hills, Michigan April 26–28Jason Denzel, Jim C. Hines, Jeff Potter, Maik Schmidt, Michael W. Lucas, Nick Farr Penguicon 11 2014 Nuri Gocay Westin – Southfield, Michigan May 2–4Ernest Cline, YTCracker, Eva Galperin (Electronic Frontier Foundation), Erika Carlson (Girl Develop It Detroit founder), GameFace Labs (Hack of Honor) Penguicon 12 2015 Nuri Gocay Westin – Southfield, Michigan April 24–26Albert Manero, Charlie Jane Anders, Annalee Newitz, Aral Balkan, Enabling the Future (Hack of Honor) Penguicon 13 2016 Scott Kennedy Westin – Southfield, Michigan April 29 – May 1Ann Leckie, Sirius (Profs. Lingjia Tang, Jason Mars), Greg Gage, Catherynne M. Valente, Deb Nicholson, Ann Lemay Penguicon 14 2017 Cylithria Dubois Westin – Southfield, Michigan April 28–30 Ada Palmer, Cory Doctorow, Sumana Harihareswara, Coraline Ada Ehmke (cancelled), Kevin MacLeod, Tommy Edison and Ben Churchill (Blind Film Critic), The Tricorder Project (Hack of Honor) Penguicon 15 2018 Cassy Sinke Westin – Southfield, Michigan May 4–6 Mark Oshiro, Johnny Xmas, Dr. Kristine Larsen, Christine Sunu, Mary Anne Mohanraj (Writing Excuses) Penguicon 16 2019 Jessica Roland Westin – Southfield, Michigan May 3–5 Saladin Ahmed, Zed Shaw, Mikey Mason, Daniel Hansen (Crafty Celts), Sophia Brueckner, Karen Corbeill Penguicon 17 2020 Bagel Garrison Virtual April 24–26 Margret-Ann Miller, Jo Walton, Larry Nemecek, Christopher Webber Penguicon 18 2021 Dave “Ska” Green Westin – Southfield, Michigan April 22–25 David Revoy, Chris Crawford, Casey Fiesler, Leonard Balsera, Jo Walton, Larry Nemecek Penguicon 19 2022 Dave “Ska” Green Westin – Southfield, Michigan April 21–23 Nuri Gocay, Larry Nemecek, Tracy Barnett Penguicon 20 2023 David “Ska” Green Westin – Southfield, Michigan April 21–23 Eric Choi, Charles J. Cohen, Ph.D., PMP, Sylvia Hubbard Penguicon 21 2024 Bagel Garrison Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti April 26–28 Dr. Stefani Goerlich, J. Wolfgang Goerlich, Benny Vasquez Penguicon 22
See also
Science fiction convention
References
External links
Penguicon Facebook community EncycloPenguicon