Flame Con, billed as “the world’s largest queer comic con,” marks its fourth year with a move to Times Square. For the past three years, Flame Con has lived in two locations in Brooklyn. Year one took over the infamous Grand Prospect Hall in Park Slope, a venue known to New Yorkers mainly for its commercial, a staple of 80’s and 90’s Tri-State area television. Flame Con even reenacted part of this promo with their Flame mascot.

Flame Con quickly outgrew that venue’s capacity, with over 2000 visitors in that first year. For years two and three, it moved to the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott and expanded from one to two days of programming.

For 2018, Flame Con will take place on Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19th. The new location moves the con to Manhattan, at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. It’s a move which Geeks OUT, who oversee Flame Con each year, says will “accommodate a larger exhibitor floor [and] panel rooms,” and put fans “in the heart of NYC, with a bigger space to geek out, special hotel rates and more.”

They’ve also announced that the con will host a kickoff party titled IGNITE for Friday, August 17th. It’s safe to say that with such a central location near most train lines, Flame Con 2018 is poised to see it’s biggest attendance numbers yet.

Steve Gianaca, Vice President of Geeks OUT and Flame Con Chair, had this to say about the move:

Geek culture through a queer lens has always been our premise and, with the continuous support from the LGBTQ community, we are constantly growing. I cannot wait for our attendees to experience the same ethos of fun and inclusion in our new venue.

In their statement announcing the venue change and 2018 dates, the con has also announced that they plan to draw on a fund to upgrade their ADA accommodations. Geeks OUT said that the “SparQ Fund is also returning this year helping make this year’s con more accessible by funding ADA compliant ramps.”

It’s welcome news for less able-bodied comic fans, as proper ramps and elevator access are things this reporter has noticed are often lacking at too many conventions.

The love for Flame Con seems to increase every year. Sina Grace, who returns this year, said of his experience: “Flame Con was hands-down one of the best convention experiences of my life…I begged the gracious and wonderful crew at Geeks OUT to have me back, and I’m beyond thrilled to celebrate comics with the most inclusive and loving bunch of people I’ve ever met.”

More information, including ticket packages, can be found at the Flame Con 2018 announcement page.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Last year’s show was a breath of fresh air compared to my usual con circuit. Really looking forward to this Flame Con growing bigger and bigger.

    PS. Sina is a “he” not a “she,” but I’m sure he would be honored by the mistake.

  2. @Ryan what a killer typo to make here! Thanks for the correction. Also fixed my “2019” mistake. Batting 1000 yesterday, clearly

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