IDICon

:"Remember IDICon and twenty-six women in a hot tub?" ~ Robin Hood, remembering how IDICon was used as a battle cry to encourage other fans to host K/S conventions, quoted in the 2007 project, Legacy vol 1.
IDICon was the first convention created specifically and purposefully as a slash con. 
It was founded by members of W.H.I.P.S., and located in Houston, TX, where it grew out of local house parties. 
This con was begun, in part, due to the restrictions imposed at Tulsa Star Trek, Shore Leave, and other cons on adult/explicit art and zines. See: Banned from Tulsa.
There were four IDICons each held a year apart EXCEPT for a gap in 1987. This gap was filled by 4-Play & Beyond.
The first year's con had about 70-80 attendees, with attendance growing to 130-140 in subsequent years. Con programming included panels, vid viewing and duping, convention skits, and filking. The IDICon Song Book was published to assist filking at IDICon. The con was also very important to attendees as a place to obtain zines, which were the main medium of fic exchange.See Fanlore Live/J notes for notes on Marnie's memories of IDICon, dated 3/7/09 At least 4 conventions were organized under the name.
In the past there was some confusion over whether the con sponsored merit awards, which were called the K/Star Awards. No record of such sponsorship has been found and in 2018, one of the convention organizers confirmed that they had not sponsored the awards. Morgan dawn's notes of discussions with Lezlie Shell, Feb 2018.
This is the con where the orphan zine table was invented.
IDICon 4 was the first slash convention to attract the attention of academic scholars Constance Penley and Henry Jenkins. Cultural Studies by Lawrence Grossberg, Cary Nelson, Paula A. Treichler, accessed April 14, 2011 and 'Escapade 1993: A Blast From the Past (Part One)' by Henry Jenkins, dated Feb 17, 2010.
This con was succeeded by Koon-ut-Cali-Con. "The executive committee of Koon-ut-CALI-CON (Alayne Gelfand, Wendy Rathbone and yours truly) decided that we couldn't let IDICon die. And since the WHIPs told us at this year's IDICon in Houston that they would not be doing the convention next year due to a lot of the gals moving out of the area, we decided (in our inebriated state) that it was our turn to step forward and stick our proverbial heads on the chopping block just as the gals from Phoenix did a couple years back. So... when one of the WHIPs announced our intentions at the Saturday night entertainment in Houston this year... we were committed..." from On the Double #9 
See :Fanlore Live/J notes.
==On the Origins==
Shortly thereafter Shore Leave that year, Pam Rose and Lezlie attended Tulsa Star Trek, a convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They brought some of their K/S zines and had to hide them under the table whenever security walked through the Dealer’s Room. See Banned from Tulsa. 
It was then that they decided they needed a convention of their own. ~ Legacy, #2, The Legacy of K/S in Conventions: Convention Memories 
In the 2007 project, Legacy, some fans recorded a series of memories about the convention: 
Kathy Resch remembers: 
Also from Kathy Resch: 
 
Marnie S. described this con in a 2012 interview: 
==You Mean There Will Be Women? Doing What? (The Gender Gap)==
One of the issues the convention organizers faced was explaining to the hotel that, as a women run convention catering exclusively to women, there needed to be additional security, more restaurant staff and non-smoking rooms. Marnie S explains: "They were used to things like oil company conventions and electronic shows. And they figured the men go to their conventions during the day and they take their rental cars and go out on the town at night. They’re not there. And we kept on saying, no, the women will stay in the hotel."
The disconnect between hotel staff and the convention continued after the convention began: "... the hotel staff just did not know what to make of us. At all. We’re trying to put on the entertainment and we look at the back of the room and there’s half the staff watching. There had been raids on the Chippendales type of clubs, so there was a very strong worry that we could be raided. The Houston police were notorious at the time. They were very straitlaced." ~ Legacy, vol 2. "The Legacy of K/S in Conventions".
==Jade Pagodas, Piñatas, and Dancing Penises==
The convention was also a place to celebrate and embrace all aspects of the Kirk/Spock relationship which led to multiple forms of artistic expression.
For example, at the first IDICon, Marnie S. created napkin rings that showcased the various shapes and sizes of Spock's penis: "... the Kraith, the tendrils, the spike, the pagodas, the whole nine yards." Later, she designed penis shaped piñatas that were auctioned off. 
Finally, Kandy Fong and her friends staged a dance skit to show their appreciation for the IDICon organizers: the Dancing Penises. As Kandy Fong explains: "None of us were very good singers, and heaven forbid, we couldn’t dance, so we sat around drinking this bottle of really bad wine, and I said, why don’t we reduce it to the basic elements, just two penises, right?" from Legacy, vol 2. "The Legacy of K/S in Conventions".
==Delicate Vocabulary==
Kandy Fong and Marnie S talked about the delicate translations they had to make regarding interested fans and content/vocabulary: 
==A Fan Who Was There "By Accident"==
In 1987, a fan wrote about ending up at IDICon without full consent of it's focus: 
==Two Fans Remember These Cons==
Kandy Fong and Marnie S talked about this con in a 2012 interview: 
==A Review of The Convention Tape 5 Years Later==
In 1994, Sandy Herrold posted a review of the 1988 IDICon convention tape to the Virgule-L mailing list. Convention tapes, unlike songvid tapes contained more than just the vid show - fans also recorded the convention skit and plays and other fannish entertainment. The skit described here is based on "Paint Your Wagon" -- and was titled, "Paint Your Fandom" or "Print Your Fanzine." 
The review is reposted here with permission: 
==IDICon 1 (1984)==
IDICon 1 was held April 6-8, 1984 in Houston, Texas.
The 16-page program book has cartoons by Ioba.
From the program book: 
This convention year was filmed by one of the attendees or a member of the concom. The videotape shows fans socializing, the dealer's room, the art show, the meet and greet buffet, parlor games in which fans were divided into "The Kirks" and "The Sluts", a pinata in the shape of Spock's "Green Pagoda", a male stripper, a presentation by Lezlie reading an article about Kirk/Spock that appeared in an article in a Baltimore newspaper. "Under The Counter Magazines Presents Alternative Treks" Wiley Hall III. Other fans also talked about upcoming fan events, their collections they were selling, the singing of a filk song, Banned from Tulsa with the refrain "Roger Elwood Go To Hell" and an announcement about upcoming Kamp Khan.
The skit portrayed Roger Elwood (Disney publicity person who'd made all the trouble at Tulsa Star Trek and was the subject of Banned from Tulsa) and David Gerrold (out-spoken anti-slash agitator) for more on Gerrold's anti-slash combat, see Not Tonight Spock! #4, #5, #6, and #7. In the play, the Gerrold and Elwood fell in love and became a slash pair.
===IDICon 1 (1984): Programming===
* Games: "Fandom Feud" & Charades 
* Slide Show: Rocky Horror, Trek, and others 
* Panel Discussion: "K/S and other "/" Fandoms How are they different?" 
*Panel Discussion: "Zine Eds - The Villains of Fandom!"
* "Let Us Entertain You! The W.H.I.P.s make fools of themselves - don't miss it!"
* Filkalong
* Art Auction
* many Star Trek episodes and other television shows and movies starring Nimoy and Shatner
 
From the program book: 
From the program book: 
From the program book: 
 
Image:idiconprogrambook1-2.jpg|from the 1984 program book
Image:idiconprogrambook1-3.jpg|from the 1984 program book
Image:idiconprogrambook1-4.jpg|from the 1984 program book
Image:idiconprogrambook1-5.jpg|from the 1984 program book
Image:idiconprogrambook1-6.jpg|from the 1984 program book
Image:idiconprogrambook1-7.jpg|from the 1984 program book
Image:idiconprogrambook1-8.jpg|from the 1984 program book
==IDICon 2 (1985)==
IDICon 2 was held on April 19-21, 1985 in Houston, Texas. It was subtitled "Sloppy Seconds." 
The staff -- The Whips: Barb Lewis (con coordinator), Kris Brown (security), Elaine Hauptman (t-shirts, awards), Cynthia Lockwood (hotel liaison), Terry Martin (programming), Kathy New (security), Candy Pulleine (art room and auction), Paula Seals (assistant orphan zines), Lezlie Shell (entertainment), Marnie Strom (registration, assistant orphan zine table). 
The assistants - The Chains: Beth Arganbright, Diana Barbour, Jan Beckworth, Polly Bevil, K.T. FitzSimmons, Pam Poole, Astra Thibodeaux, Jackie Williams and Katherine Scarrett.
From an ad in Datazine #32: "We're gonna do it again... Once again, it will be a ADULTS ONLY convention because / fandoms will be out of the closet (zines too!)."
The con skit was Journey to Georgia by Pamela Rose.
Portions of the convention were videotaped by an attendee or a member of the concom. It shows the dealer's room, the art show, the convention skit, the Dancing Penises, filk singing, male strippers, and fans playing Star Trek Jeopardy.
This was the first IDICon where music vids were shown.: 
===IDICon 2 (1985): Programming===
One of the panels was titled: "Sex in K/S Fandom: Are Plots Necessary?".
==IDICon 3 (1986)==
IDICon 3 was held on April 11-13, 1986, in Houston, Texas. It was subtitled "Conage A Trois, or "Who Came First?"
From an ad in Not Tonight Spock! #11 "A personal fan convention, it stresses Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. ST & media fans welcome. Membership by preregistration, adults only, limited to 250."
Lezlie Shell created the program book.
 
About the con skit: "There's no escaping it! Yes, they've taken the beloved musical (Ok, the almost well known musical) 1776 and turned it into a lurid, fan-infested, smutty travesty of the original. See the musical that opened on Broadway (so, it was the corner of Broadway and 4th St. here it Houston). It was a blockbuster."
Portions of the convention were videotaped by an attendee or a member of the concom. It shows the fan skit "1776", the Dancing Penises (or as it was sometimes called "The Dueling Pensises"), crowd scenes, the art show, and filking by the "VVV".
 
The con committee was Cynthia Lockwood, Beth Arganbright, Kathy New, Marnie Strom, Astra Thibodeaux, Terry Martin, Candace Pulleine, Paula Seals, Barb Lewis, Lezlie Shell, and Polly Bevil.
One notice from the convention program book: 
===IDICon 3 (1986): Programming===
* Gay Lifestyles Panel: "The Gay Lifestyles Panel has been expanded. Dan will be joined by two other gentlemen. Both are living a different type of life than Dan. It is now "Gay Lifestyles — Other Points of view". If you have questions, don't be shy."
* To Zine or Not to Zine Panel: "For the Professionals fans, there will be a panel called, "To Zine or Not to zine. Are zines crushing the free wheeling spirit of B/D writing, dooming it to the mediocrity that has ruined other fandoms? Or are zines opening up the fandom to all who are interested and providing much needed editorial attention? Come and join the fight...umm... discussion. LONG LIVE THE CIRCUIT. (Just a little opening salvo.)"
*S & H Ten Years Later Panel: "So, are the guys getting older or getting better? Where has S&H (and S/H) fandom come from and where is it going? Panelists will discuss this question and pose many more. Come join the discussion. Emily Post says that tin or aluminum is the proper gift for 10th anniversaries. So bring Starsky and Hutch a prezzie when you come to the panel." 
* "And now for something completely different! How about a brisk early morning Fencing Panel? There will be demonstrations and explanations." 
* Obligatory Editors' Panel: "Come and see why these zine editors believe that not only is a zine editor's panel obligatory, but that editing zines should be, too."
* "The con committee was asked to provide panel time to address a specific topic haying to do with "Courts of Honor", we don't want to be mysterious about this, but anyone who has ordered this novel and has not yet received it should attend this panel." 
* John's Panel: "Bio Forcefields...Bodywork and Beyond." Want to know just how John does that great body massage? Want to learn how to do it to someone else? Here's your chance to learn about energy flow, good vibes and some technique. Who knows, maybe John will let you practice on him? " 
* Carolyn Cooper's Drawing Class: "We are running poor John ragged. Guess who will be the guest model for the life drawing class? You guessed it. Join Carolyn Cooper as she explains that art can be learned by anyone. Personally, I'm grabbing the stationary from the hotel and a number 2 pencil and heading for this panel. Drawing might be beyond me, but looking sure isn't." 
* Filking: "In February we were wondering who we could get to lead the filking. You see, Marnie's family on|y let her come to the con if she promised to come home with a voice. Thankfully Colette Mak succumbed to some really pathetic pleading and decided to make the trip and help us out. The main filk will be Saturday night after the Entertainment (Which you will attend!). For you really anxious filkers there will be a Filk For Those who Can't Wait on Friday." 
* Making Songtapes: "So, you love watching songtapes and you want to make your own, but you can't figure out just how to get the action in time with the music? Learn how from some of the best songtape specialists in fandom."
* Roddenberry Star Ceremony: "Kandy Fong was there, and she's brought us the tape, complete with dialogue and inserts. Come see the Great Bird finally get his!"
* "Art...Sigh. The art show will open on Friday. Check your Program schedule for hours, etc. The auction will be Sunday morning. By the way, there will be no Bodie and Doo-Doo comments this year. Barb has passed the gavel on to someone who is busily trying to think of something nice to say about Husky and Starch, or was it Stupid and Hatch?"
* The Cala Lingerie Fashion Show: "Are you skinny and short? Are you not so skinny and not so short? Cala is the answer! Sizes available range from petite, extra short to Queen 3X, extra, extra tall, and every combination in between. All garments are made to order to your size. Come see if Barb, Kathy and Marnie can model without tripping."
* Reception: "The WHIPS cordially invite you to attend our opening night reception, this time with no wind and a gorgeous view. We'll have the usual cash bar (soft drinks available, too), and goodies to snack on. So, put on something wild & wonderful and come meet everybody. See ya'll there (that Texan, folks!)."
* Explorers' Theatre: This is a 16mm presentation courtesy of the Houston Public Library. Starring Martin Shaw as yet another unsuccessful explorer, Burke, of "Burke It Wills Ten Who Dared." Bring water, you'll get thirsty watching the little baby angel killer faun waste away."
* The Dead, Dead Dog Party: "The party's over, call it a day at the WHIP's Dead, Dead Dog Party. We may start in the Con Suite, but we'll probably wind up with John in the Hot Tub. Care to join us?"
* Art Auction: "Lezlie Shell, this year's auctioneer, invites you to come, bid and spend outrageous amounts of money on this year's crop of delectable art. Sunday,10:00 am. 'til it's all gone."
* WHIPS Entertainment and Other Surprises: "Come see the WHIPS make fools of themselves with another play. See a reprise of the Phoenix group's award winning skit from last year. See other surprises worth seeing. Bring $$$ bills!"
* Kandy Fong's Slideshows: "All new, specially for this year's IDICon. Star Trek, Starsky & Hutch, Simon & Simon. Something for everyone. Come and see."
* Song Tape Premier: "The premier showing of all songtapes entered in the IDICon Songtape Contest. These are all brand new, never before seen at a convention offerings. See if you agree with the WHIP's choices for winners."
* Tarot: "See Mari with that one question you just have to have the answer for, it may be in the cards." 
* Make-Up by Dianne: "Dianne is a state-licensed cosmetologist who will be doing make up and make-overs. Come and let her make you beautiful!"
Image:idicschedule1.jpg|programming schedule for Friday
Image:idicschedule2.jpg|programming schedule for Saturday
Image:idicschedule3.jpg|programming schedule for Sunday
Image:idicprogramming1.jpg|some programming
Image:idicprogramming2.jpg|some programming
Image:idicprogramming3.jpg|some programming
Image:idicprogramming4.jpg|some programming
===IDICon 3 (1986): Con Reports ===
==IDICon 4 (1988)==
IDICon 4 was held on October 28-30, 1988 in Houston, Texas at the Sheraton Crown Hotel. It was subtitled: "The Forbidden Fruits." 
The con committee was Cynthia Lockwood (chair), Astra Thibadeaux (concierge), Kathy New (registration and operations), Lezlie Shell (wrote the script), Barb Lewis (misc), Paul Cooper (dealer's room), Kris Brown (song tape presentation and contest), and Polly Bevil (registration). Other helpers were Carolyn Cooper, Katherine Scarritt, Mary Lowe, Candy Pulleine, Laurie Keeper, and Jennifer Payne.
 
Portions of the convention were videotaped by an attendee or a member of the concom. It shows the fan skit "Print Your Fanzine" which was based on the musical "Paint Your Wagon" and was written by Lezlie Shell. Another skit featured an exotic dance routine with whips while psychedelic colors were projected against a screen set to the tune of "Let It All Hang Out." The video also shows the masquerade and the dealer's room.
===IDICon 4 (1988): Programming===
===IDICon 4 (1988): Con Reports===
==References==
Category:Slash Conventions
Category:Star Trek Conventions
Category:1984 Conventions 
Category:1985 Conventions 
Category:1986 Conventions 
Category:1988 Conventions
Category:Conventions in United States