DeepCon explained

DeepCon (also Deepcon) is an Italian science fiction, fantasy and horror fan convention, covering multiple (ideally all) entertainment forms and media (e.g.: film, television, literature, comics, music, computer), mixed with a dose of actual, real-world science.

History

The last two decades of the twentieth century were a relatively difficult time for science fiction in Italy, regardless of medium. Thus DeepCon was conceived to promote its visibility and viability as a genre, as well as a general SF fan convention.

Collaborations were sought with television stations, distributors and authoring firms, both for promotion and for panels explaining the behind-the-scenes work needed in order to air or sell a TV show or a movie. By the same token, TV and film actors and crew were present at all of the past DeepCons: actors, make-up artists, pre-production and post-production crew, scriptwriters, and so on.

Literature was not neglected, either. For several years, the convention's organizing committee was entrusted by WorldSF Italia with running (a convention for professionals) within DeepCon. Since then, publishers, translators, international artists and writers participate and roam the venue.

As a highlight, parent Italian fan club Deep Space One was awarded for 2009 by European Science Fiction Society the privilege of organizing Eurocon (a Europe-level convention), with guests from all over the continent.

By that time, the SF focus of the convention had already broadened to include fantasy and horror as well.

Since most attendees and even some guests had a strong interest in actual science, efforts were made to officially include scientific and quasi-scientific topics in the program: aeronautics, astronautics, astronomy, astrophysics, computer science, archaeology, the paranormal (both for and against). Members of ASI, NASA, Northrop, CICAP were guests multiple times.

Deepcon 21, originally planned for March 2020, had to be delayed, then canceled in compliance with nation-wide countermeasures against COVID-19. It was then rescheduled as DeepCon 21 + Eurocon 2021 + Italcon 47 for July 2021.

Typical features

• Entertainment-related panels
• Real world-related panels
• Art exhibitions
• Dealers' room
• Mingling all convention long, often with the guests, too
• Charity auction
• EatCon (food- and drink-related attendee-driven sub-event)
• Gala dinner
• Costume contest
• Autograph signing sessions
• Sunbathing (rare, due to the unfavorable season)
• Spa (charged separately)
• Unplanned, impromptu extras

Typical topics

• Anime
• Babylon 5
• Battlestar Galactica
• Birth of a character
• Birth of an actor
• Black holes and Einstein-Rosen bridges
• CGI
• Cartoons
• Comics writing
• Definition of "horror"
• Different lifestyles in different parts of our planet (and other planets)
• The Dragonriders of Pern
• Farscape
• The History of computing
• How to make yourselves up like you just lost a fight with the Hulk
• The ISS
• James Bolivar "Slippery Jim" DiGriz, the Stainless Steel Rat
• Literary translation
• Manga
• Nathan Never
• Space probe design
• Star Trek
• Star Wars
• Stargate
• UFO
• Nicolas Eymerich
• Video translation, language localisation, lip-synching and dubbing
• Wikipedia

Editions

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Edition	Starting date	Announced guests
DeepCon 1
DeepCon 2
DeepCon 3 + Italcon 28
DeepCon 4
DeepCon 5 + Italcon 30 + Xenacon 1
DeepCon 6 + Italcon 31
DeepCon 7 + Italcon 32
DeepCon 8 + Italcon 33
DeepCon 9 + Italcon 34
DeepCon 10 + Eurocon 2009 + Italcon 35
DeepCon 11 + Italcon 36
DeepCon 12
DeepCon 13
DeepCon 14
DeepCon 15
DeepCon 16
DeepCon 17
DeepCon 18
DeepCon 19
DeepCon 20
DeepCon 21 + Eurocon 2021 + Italcon 47
DeepCon 22
DeepCon 23
DeepCon 24