Penguicon 2026 is wrapping up, and we want to hear how it went for you. Tell us what worked, what needs work, and what you want us to keep doing next year. Share your feedback here.

Tanuki Dan has had to cancel due to health issues with his partner. With any luck, he will be able to attend in 2027. A big thank you to him for even considering us.

Joining us again is a GoH from the first Penguicon in 2003. Eric S. Raymond is an observer-participant anthropologist in the Internet hacker culture. His research has helped explain the decentralized open-source model of software development that has proven so effective in the evolution of the Internet. Mr. Raymond is also a science fiction fan, a musician, an activist for the First and Second Amendments, and a martial artist with a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. His home page is at http://www.catb.org/~esr .

Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in the mountains outside Denver, Colorado. Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990’s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist. All the same, he refuses to change his nickname. Please join us in welcoming Jim Butcher as a Guest of Honor for Penguicon 2026. More details will…

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Penguicon : To start us off, could you give us a quick self-introduction? Tracy Barnett : I am the "other" Tracy, no matter what your frame of reference is for Tracys, I'm the other one. I have been a tabletop role-playing game designer since 2012, so about 14 years now. I've also done professional podcast work; I was the project manager for the One Shot Podcast Network, working on a lot of independent tabletop RPG audio actual plays. More recently, I've done Magic: The Gathering videos on stream. Now, I'm a stay-at-home parent to two kids, and I do all this RPG stuff at the same time. I'm currently getting back in the saddle, because parenthood is a wild ride. Penguicon : Have you been to Penguicon before? Tracy Barnett : I was a special guest in 2022. It was a lovely time, but a very strange period in my life. When I got back home, we found out my wife was pregnant with our second child, which was a complete surprise. I actually had to leave the con early that Sunday because she'd had an accident at home involving a gash on her wrist from a can. I had…

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Here's a link to the auction! It's live until March 13. At Penguicon, we don't just attend a convention. We build it To keep our unique mix of open-source tech, sci-fi, and DIY culture thriving, we rely on the support of our community. Our annual auction is the most vital way we raise the funds necessary to secure our space, support our tracks, and keep the coffee (and chocolate) flowing. Whether you have a rare collectible to donate or you're looking for your next favorite treasure, here is how you can get involved. The Auction Roadmap Feb 20 – Feb 27: Call for Donations We are looking for the weird, the wired, and the wonderful. Books, tech gear, art, "white elephant" geekery, or even professional services; if a fellow nerd would love it, we want it! March 1 – March 13: Bidding is OPEN The main event! Browse the catalog, set your max bids, and keep an eye on your inbox for "Outbid" notifications. March 15: The Results We’ll announce the winners and send out specific instructions for material pick-up at the convention or shipping. How to Donate Ready to clear out your "project shelf" for a good cause? Gather…

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Heidi : Thank you so much for joining us, Ryan. To start off, could you give us an introduction to who you are and what you do? Ryan Rose : My name is Ryan Rose; I use he/him pronouns. I grew up in Florida and got out of there as quickly as I could. Growing up as a queer boy was hard at times, but I had a great support network. I was very happy to move to California. It was in California where I found my writing voice and was opened up to an entirely new world of food, which made its influence on the book. I’ve always been a reader of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Those stories have been with me since I was a little kid. I was always telling my own stories and seeing what I could get people to believe. As I was figuring out my path in college, I thought I would write as a hobby. Eventually, story after story, it got a little better. Something about 7 Recipes for Revolution just seemed to really strike true. It felt like "the one" in a way that the previous ones hadn’t. Today, I work…

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Introducing the newest way for you to prepare for con! Four of our Guests of Honor are authors, and the head of our writing track has found us many, many more. From our ConChair: “Each Monday, I will post an author and a link to a paper copy or e-book to purchase so we can all read and discuss over the week. If you know anyone who loves to read and talk with folks, let them know and join us. You never know who among your social media friends likes to read what we have to offer.” You can also check with your local library to see whether they have a physical copy or e-book available to borrow. Libby is a great resource to get started with! Make sure to check out our Discord server to get in on the conversation!

We have several exciting DIY events already confirmed for Penguicon 2026! Making Games with Opensource tools – GODOT is a powerful opensource gaming engine you can use to make your own video games. The panel will demonstrate some of the functionality of GODOT and build a simple game based on participant feedback. If there is sufficient interest, the panelist would be willing to run a second panel, delving deeper into the all the various tools and tricks available. Round and Round the Kumihimo Merry-go-round! Learn how math, geometry, and rhythm spin together to make art. In this interactive session, participants will learn about the origins of this ancient Japanese braiding technique, get a chance to create their own woven patterns, and maybe even see how a LEGO robot can join the fun! Knitting 101 – Learn how to take 2 sticks and some string and make a dish cloth! and Crocheting 101 – Learn to take a hook and some string and make dish cloths! These two perennial favorites return to Penguicon, and Kelly has hinted that they may also run advanced panels to explore advanced techniques, little-known tricks, and (although they deny this) how to use these skills for…

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Con Saturday (03/27) afternoon-ish, we will have the Guests of Honor gathered in the lobby area near Reg to play Sentinels of the Multiverse. Open for all to spectate as our GoHs cooperate to defeat a villain!

On Thursday evening before con (03/26/26), we will be hosting a Guest of Honor dinner that is open to the community. A limited number of slots are available, but we would love to see as many of you as possible! This is one of the best opportunities to meet and greet our 2026 Guests of Honor . Dinner is $50 per plate, and add-on tickets are available now on Sched !

Thanks to a great suggestion from community member Kevin Nickerson, Build-a-Blinkie will be joining us at Penguicon 2026! They will even have a custom Blinkie of the 2026 logo on hand! If you are unfamiliar with their work, please check them out here .

We all know Meph can DJ, but this year you can join him for a 3 hour add-on event, where you will build-and-take a 3D printed Bluetooth speaker! This is a fundraiser. It was going to be its own event, but due to time constraints we have decided to offer it during the con itself. The workshop costs $80 to build a base speaker, or $100 to build a premium speaker. The purchase of a regular con badge is still required to attend the con itself. Tickets are available in Sched now! Look for: Add On: Bluetooth Speaker (Basic) for the basic speaker ($80) Add On: Bluetooth Speaker (Premium) for the premium speaker ($100) You only need one add-on per attendee! Please direct questions to [email protected]

Lets have a very warm welcome for Penguicon 2026 newest Guest of Honor, David Weber! In his own words at davidweber.net : “Author’s Note [and excuse]: I don’t really do “biography” very well. So what I’m going to do here is to give you most of what I think of as the sort of biographical information people seem to be looking for, and also something a bit more rambling. What I’m really after is to provide a little feel of how and why I do what I do, and not just what I do. My family moved to Greenville, South Carolina, when I was about two years old. Before I started grammar school, my parents moved to just outside Simpsonville, South Carolina, where one of my first memories is “helping” my father clear the site of the house they later built. (Looking back, it’s remarkable to me how patient he was.) I attended Simpsonville Elementary School, Hillcrest Junior High School, and Hillcrest High School, graduating in 1970. My first two years of college were with the then brand-new Clemson extension program at Greenville Tech. I completed my undergraduate studies (not without a few adventures) at Warren Wilson College, and attended…

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During November this year, we will have an online auction to continue to raise funds, not just for the 2026 convention, but to carry the organization on for future years. It costs a lot to run a con, including expenses that happen during the year. If you have items you would like to donate, or know someone who does, please shoot Kelly an e-mail at [email protected] . EDITED TO ADD: Here's a link to the auction! It's live until March 13.

Please join us in welcoming our latest Guest of Honor for 2026: Jennifer Blackstream! In her own words: “Jennifer Blackstream is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and fantasy romance. She is amazed and grateful to have made a writing career out of a Master’s degree in Psychology, hours of couch-detecting watching Murder She Wrote, and endless research into mythology and fairy tales. She firmly believes that whether it’s a village witch deciding she wants to be a private investigator, or a single mother having a go at being a full time writer, it’s never too late for a new adventure. A passionate rock hounder, Jennifer can often be found wandering the foothills of Colorado looking for more geologic treasures. When she’s not looking for rocks, Jennifer can be found watching cozy mysteries or shark movies with her husband, fellow author Jim Butcher, or building another Post-it filled, efficiency-improving binder for life or writing. Jennifer loves to talk about shark movies and Post-its, and she can ramble a bit. You’ve been warned.” You can find out more about Jennifer and her work here !

A warm Penguicon welcome to our newest Guest of Honor: Tracy Barnett! In their own words: “No matter your frame of reference for any Tracy, I’m the other one. Always there, always memorable, always me. I’ve been a creative professional for over 10 years. I don’t like the term “creative professional” but there’s not much better to cover everything. I’ve written and published tabletop rolepaying games for that entire time. You can find my work at my itch store, or from publishers like Evil Hat and Paizo. I’ve also edited a number of games, including Descent Into Midnight, Turn, and Velvet Generation. For the last five or so years, I’ve also worked as an audio editor. My archives are currently down, but I’ve done hundreds of hours of TTRPG actual play. Most recently, I’ve worked for The One Shot Podcast Network, the first season of The Secret of St. Kilda and The Cryptonaturalist. Beyond that, I also dabble in fiction, music (acoustic guitar and electronic synthy stuff), and graphic design. I also really love Magic: The Gathering and regularly play Commander and in a sealed league that I enjoy a lot. I’m very lucky to be able to work on…

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The Penguicon Team is excited to announce our latest Guest of Honor for 2026: Ryan Rose! In his own words: Ryan Rose is a speculative fiction author and game designer. His debut fantasy trilogy, WHAT WE EAT consists of SEVEN RECIPES FOR REVOLUTION, EIGHT TASTES OF TREACHERY (forthcoming Summer 2026), and NINE COURSES OF CALAMITY (forthcoming Summer 2027). His games work has been published with Portent Press, Spectre Creations, and broadly online. He currently lives in Oakland, CA with his partner and half-demon dog. Find out more about Ryan here !

Wondering about the room party situation? Well here is the skinny from our lovely Hotel Liaison herself: This is a long explanation but I think this will help everyone understand. TL;DR We want to have room parties and they aren’t axed but it’s going to be easiest if we sell out the hotel, which isn’t the current contract. For room parties it’s much more complicated this year since we are doing a run of the house contract and not a full buy out contract. What this means is we will have less control of who gets what rooms and what kind of rooms (aside from suites). I’m still working on this, but the best way to make this easiest would be to book out the hotel. The reason we didn’t do a buy out is if we don’t fill out the hotel, it will be the end of Penguicon because of the high attrition, so we made an initial block off of last year’s numbers. We don’t have any buffer room for Penguicon to be paying for rooms that aren’t filled. For that reason we had to be very cautious with this contract to ensure the longevity of the con.…

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The Maker Market is back, and this year we are opening the doors to a wider variety of vendors! As such, we’ll be renaming it the Penguicon Marketplace! This year, there will be a secured room, and an unsecured area outside the room available for tables. The link for vendor applications should be up soon, as I work with my ConCom to set costs, determine the number of spaces available, etc. In the meantime, there is an interest form available for vendors to fill out and be notified when applications open up! If you or someone you know is interested, head on over to sign up for updates or keep checking back!

We are happy to announce that the hotel reservation link is… mostly up and running! At the moment, parties of 3 or fewer are able to book a room with our reservation link . Parties of 4 or more, or those needing a double room or suite, will please fill out the form so that we can notify you as soon as booking is available! We are trying hard to book up as many rooms as possible this year. The more rooms we book, the more mayhem the hotel will allow! Note: Hotel rooms can be reserved without prepayment! Book now, pay at check-out.

We have our first Guest of Honor for Penguicon 2026! Please join us in welcoming Tanuki Dan. In their own words: “I am Tanuki Dan! I play videogames, make music parodies, perform silly songs, and stream stuff on Twitch! You will generally find Mario Maker 2 and Nintendo content here, so if you are a fan of the things I listed prior I think you will have a good time here!” You can check out some of their stuff here ! There are more feelers out, and we will announce them as soon as confirmations are made. If you have a favorite idea, let me know at [email protected] .

If anyone is interested in learning the news about the con before the newsletters come out, please join us at a monthly ConCom meeting. They are held in the Westin Southfield Detroit , and on Zoom for those who can’t make it in person. The remaining dates as of this post are: October 11th November 8th December 13th January 17th February 14th March 14th There are all sorts of positions available, as well. Everything from being on the ConCom and helping shape the con, to staffing at the con in specific departments or where ever the most help is needed, or even as a volunteer – pitch in 8-10 hours during the event to make Penguicon the kind of place you want to see for many years to come! Check out our community calendar to keep up to date on dates, times, and the Zoom link.

Hey, Penguipeeps! It is your fearless ConChair here. Big news – the website is up! There are a lot of things still to be added, but, thanks to my devoted web gremlin, it is there! There is a lot of information to get out to the community, but we know what you’re most excited to do is get your tickets locked in! This year, we are using Sched for registration and scheduling our events, and have embedded their widget into the site for ease of use. There are three basic badge prices: Early bird through December 31, 2025 Not-so-early bird until March 1 , 2026 EXTENDED to March 15 Regular price until con opens! Anyone can pay the full price for their badge at any time from now until con if they wish to add that extra support. Thanks!

Want to be a part of the planning, or just interested in seeing how things work behind the scenes? Everyone is welcome to attend or observe our concom meetings! All meetings are available in person at the Westin Southfield-Detroit , and on Zoom. Universal Zoom Link August 16, 2025 @ 12pm September 20, 2025 @ 12pm October 11, 2025 @ 12pm November 8, 2025 @ 12pm December 13, 2025 @ 12pm January 17, 2026 @ 12pm February 14, 2026 @ 12pm March 14, 2026 @ 12pm