SiliCon

SiliCon with Adam Savage
StatusActive
GenreMulti-genre
VenueSan Jose Convention Center
Location(s)San Jose, California
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2016 (as Silicon Valley Comic Con)
Most recent2022[1]
LeaderAdam Savage
Websitewww.siliconsj.com

SiliCon with Adam Savage (formally Silicon Valley Comic Con) was an annual pop culture and technology convention, at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California. The convention was founded by Steve Wozniak, Stan Lee and Rick White. The inaugural event was held March 18–20, 2016 at San Jose's McEnery Convention Center.[2] The convention was rebranded as SiliCon in early 2020 and Adam Savage appointed as the creative director. It was canceled after the 2022 event.[1]

History

Silicon Valley Comic Con was first announced April 17, 2015 through an online video featuring Steve Wozniak and Stan Lee.[3] The aim was to bring together popular culture touchstones such as comics, movies, genre TV and technology together as one convention. Including panels featuring creative artists, writers, actors, directors, producers, and science communicators.[4]

Silicon Valley Comic Con will be the San Francisco Bay Area's first large multi-genre convention since the departure of WonderCon after that convention's 2011 show.[5] Since WonderCon's departure the largest convention left in the Bay Area had been Big Wow! Comicfest, which is being added to Silicon Valley Comic Con's schedule.[6]

On July 13, 2016, the second annual event was confirmed to be occurring April 21–23, 2017 at the San Jose Convention Center as well as expanding into several additional venues nearby.[7]

On February 20, 2020, the convention was renamed SiliCon, and Adam Savage was named the new creative director.[8] The 2020 event was to have taken place October 16–18 at the San Jose Convention Center, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced officials to move to a virtual show.

The SiliCon 2023 was cancelled and the convention was discontinued, with the organizers alluding to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and funding issues.[9] In 2024, a different comic con, GalaxyCon, debuted at the San Jose Convention Center.[1]

Features and events

The convention aimed to include both popular culture and technology in what Wozniak hopes will be a uniquely Silicon Valley flavor.[10] In that spirit, the convention had typical comic convention staples such as an "artists alley", but it also had an "app alley" featuring new and emerging technology items. Several movie and television studios were represented at the inaugural event including Warner Bros. Pictures, Lionsgate and AMC.[11] Additionally several technology-focused guests were involved as well including astrophysicists and technologists.

Convention locations

Dates Location Attendance Guests
March 18–20, 2016 San Jose Convention Center
San Jose, California		60,000[12]Steve Wozniak, Stan Lee, William Shatner, Jeremy Renner, Ray Park, Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Christopher Lloyd, Astro Teller, Jon Heder, Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, Tim Miller, Vic Mignogna, Nichelle Nichols[11][13][14][15]
April 21–23, 2017[7] San Jose Convention Center, City National Civic, The California Theater
San Jose, California		65,000[16]Steve Wozniak, William Shatner, Grant Gustin, Tom Felton, Billy Boyd, Steven Yeun, John Cusack, Gina Torres, Adam West, Burt Ward, Gary Fisher, Buzz Aldrin, Anjali Bhimani, Kari Byron, Ming Chen, Chad Michael Collins, Denise Crosby, Gigi Edgley, Robert Englund, Jackie Dallas, Jonathan Frakes, Matt Frewer, Pam Grier, Sam J. Jones, Chase Masterson, Gates McFadden, David Newell, Nichelle Nichols,
April 6–8, 2018[17] San Jose Convention Center
San Jose, California		70,000[18]David Tennant, Krysten Ritter, Christina Ricci, Mads Mikkelsen, Ian McDiarmid, Freema Agyeman, Temuera Morrison, Daniel Logan, Chris Kattan, Martha Higareda, Katee Sackhoff, Ray Park, Nichelle Nichols, Adam Savage, Stan Lee, Sean Astin, Andy Weir, Jewel Staite, Dean Devlin, Judy Greer, Matthew Lewis, Kevin Eubanks, Mae Jemison, Michio Kaku, Roger Penrose[19]
August 16–18, 2019 San Jose Convention Center
San Jose, California		Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Momoa, Chris Hadfield, Will Wright, Jim Cummings, Adam Savage, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong, Ben McKenzie, Julie Benz, Lou Ferrigno, Andy Weir [20]
August 28–29, 2021 San Jose Convention Center
San Jose, California		Adam Savage, Lou Ferrigno, Andy Weir, Jake Roberts, Mark Sheppard, Catherine Coleman, William Shatner
2022 San Jose Convention Center
San Jose, California

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Pizarro, Sal (August 13, 2024). "GalaxyCon bringing fandom stars to San Jose this weekend". The Mercury News. San Jose, California. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "Silicon Valley Comic Con WOZ Welcome Address, published on YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  3. ^ "Silicon Valley Comic Con 2016, published on YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  4. ^ "SVCC ABOUT/FAQ".
  5. ^ "Steve Wozniak and Stan Lee are bringing Silicon Valley its own comic con – GamesBeat – Games – by Mike Minotti". VentureBeat. April 17, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  6. ^ "Silicon Valley Comic Con Announced in Dorky Video With Stan Lee And Woz". SFist. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Ross, Martha (July 28, 2016). "Woz's 2017 Silicon Valley Comic Con: Got $250? VIP tickets on sale today – The Mercury News". Mercurynews.com. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  8. ^ "Adam Savage is the new Creative Director of Silicon Valley Comic Con". 8Bit/Digi. February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  9. ^ Pizarro, Sal (May 8, 2023). "SiliCon, Silicon Valley's pop culture and maker fest, canceled for 2023". The Mercury News.
  10. ^ "Steve Wozniak Teams With Stan Lee for New Silicon Valley Comic Con". NBC Bay Area. April 17, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Karen Gillan, Jeremy Renner, Stan Lee, William Shatner Coming To Silicon Valley Comic-Con". Cosmic Book News. January 15, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  12. ^ Wangberg, David (March 27, 2016). "Recapping the inaugural Silicon Valley Comic Con". AXS. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  13. ^ "Boldly Going Where No One Has Gone Before: William Shatner to Host 'Star Trek' 50th Anniversary Celebration at Inaugural Silicon Valley Comic Con". Benzinga. September 21, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  14. ^ "Silicon Valley Comic Con Reveals Celebrity Guest List". Comicbookresources.com. November 5, 2015. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  15. ^ Franich, Darren (February 3, 2016). "Back to the Future stars will reunite at the Silicon Valley Comic Con – exclusive". Ew.com. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  16. ^ "Silicon Valley Comic Con 2017 was a Success and will Return in 2018". 8bitdigi.com. April 28, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  17. ^ "Silicon Valley Comic Con: What worked and what didn't". April 23, 2017.
  18. ^ http://www.svcomiccon.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SVCC-2018-Recap-Announcement-FINAL-2.pdf Archived April 14, 2018, at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
  19. ^ "First Batch of Silicon Valley Comic Con 2018 Guest Revealed". 8Bit/Digi. November 24, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  20. ^ "Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Momoa and more booked for Silicon Valley Comic Con 2019".

37°19′43″N 121°53′20″W / 37.32861°N 121.88889°W / 37.32861; -121.88889