Comicon is not a new phenomenon, but Fyrecon is likely something fresh and new. From June 8 to June 10, Weber State hosted a Sci-fi & Fantasy convention at the Davis campus called Fyrecon.
This three-day event featured dozens of renowned artists and authors of the selected genres from all parts of the country.
Fyrecon is a relatively new convention, sponsored by Weber State’s College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology.
WSU hosted Fyrecon with hopes to inspire both current and future students to expand their creative horizons, as well as for Fyrecon goers to look deeper into what Weber State University has to offer.
Dana Dellinger, director for the Center for Technology Outreach program, said, “We want Fyrecon to be a great success. We want people to see our beautiful Davis campus and enjoy stretching their brains and feeding their curiosity. We appreciate the importance of encouraging creativity and imagination in our students and potential students.”
Fyrecon was created to bring together professional writers and artists throughout the creative community and allow these professionals to instruct and interact with the attendees on a personal level.
Master classes, taught by bestselling author David Farland and fine artist Heather Theurer among others, provided attendees with special insights throughout the respective fields.
Utah’s own acclaimed artist Sean Ricks presented and instructed at the convention. He was a part of eight panels and taught a handful of classes throughout the three days.
Regarding his own purpose for presenting at Fyrecon, Ricks said, “I have an opportunity to reach out and talk to some new and up-and-coming artists. I want them to stay away from the mistakes I have made. Hey, you wanna succeed? Great. But don’t do this; it’s a mistake. That’s what the panels (here at Fyrecon) are really for.”
Most of the attendees of Fyrecon are aspiring writers and artists. Attendee Raven West said, “I came here to learn more about character development and how characters were written in someone else’s universe, so that I can create my own.”
