Next weekend, fiction nerds will be taking their noses out of their books and into the convention arena as the Phoenix Marriott Mesa hosts LepreCon 40: 50 Shades of Green.
The annual sci-fi and fantasy convention brings together special genres of art and literature and is going all out this year for its 40th anniversary, with a weekend's worth of discussion panels, films, a steampunk gallery, and art from a variety of vendors, including special guest Steam Crow.
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LepreCon will kick things off from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, with its second annual film festival. This screening is free, open to the public, and features submissions by local and indie film producers.
Additionally, from Thursday, May 8, to Sunday, May 11, there will be a gaming room, a gallery of work by fans and artists, and the chance to mingle with such special guests as local art industry guest Krysta Crawford, New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger, and artist guest of honor Steam Crow.
"We'll be doing a ton of panels, too, including 'Making Monsters with Steam Crow,' where I draw a monster live in Adobe Illustrator," says Steam Crow co-founder Daniel Davis. "It's a hidden little gem of Arizona geekitude."
LepreCon membership is $40 for adults, $15 for children, and $20 for a weekend gaming pass. Prices are subject to increase after Thursday, May 1. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.leprecon.org or check out the event on www.brownpapertickets.com.