JCCC Archives presents the Sleuthing Series, where every Tuesday, we bring you an image from our past and ask you to help us find out more!
What We Know
- In his history of JCCC, The Community’s College, Charles Bishop states, “Between 1978 and 1983, the [Sword and Shield] club and Student Activities co-sponsored Fool-Con, a national convention of sci-fi enthusiasts that drew over 1,325 people to JCCC in 1982.” He also noted that Sword and Shield Club was “a science fiction and fantasy society sponsored by then Student Activities Director Jonathan Bacon.”
- A 1979 announcement reads: “Join us on April Fool’s weekend just outside Kansas City in a Galaxy Far, Far Away …. Comics, science fiction, fantasy related items, films, nostalgia and fun!”
- Fool-Con III (1980) and later were billed as “Home of the Balrog Award.” Official rules for the award and revisions are accessible in the College Archives. The April 11, 1980 issue of the Campus Ledger notes that the 381 Balrog ballots recieved for that year represented 40 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Italy, Canada, Japan, Korea, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
- Fool-Con VI in 1983 was the last held.
What We Don’t Know
- The first Fool Con was supposed to have taken place in the spring of 1978, but we are still looking for proof. Do you remember the exact dates? The College Ledger did not begin publishing on campus until the fall of that year.
- Did you save a poster?
- Do you have any pictures?
If You Know More…
Contact librarians: Anita Gordon Gilmore (agordong@jccc.edu, ext. 4369) or John Russell (jrussell@jccc.edu, ext. 3284). You may also comment below!
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