Bubonicon was first held in 1969 as a literary science fiction gathering in Albuquerque called NewMexiCon. Authors Roy Tackett and Robert E. Vardeman were two of the key figures in establishing and promoting Bubonicon in its early days.[1][2] It grew from a gathering of 20 in 1969, to 50 people attending in 1971, to over 100 people attending Bubonicon 5 in 1973.[3] 1973 also introduced Bubonicon's mascot, Perry Rhodent. The name Bubonicon, not officially adopted until 1971, is a nod to Albuquerque's long history of bubonic plague outbreaks, with Perry Rhodent a continuation of this theme.[4][1][5] In 1976, one of Bubonicon's longest running traditions, the Green Slime Awards, was started in order to honor the worst in Science Fiction from the previous year.
In 2012, Bubonicon attendance was 700, at the new larger venue, Marriott Hotel, at Louisiana Blvd and I40. The theme was based on the Mayan Apocalypse idea of the "End of the World as We Know It." In 2013, attendance reached its peak at 980 with the theme of "Wonder Women".[11]
Bubonicon was canceled in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic and was "virtual" in 2021, with the ability to stream events ranging from book discussions to scientific presentations offered by members of the University of New Mexico. 2022 witnessed the return to in-person gatherings, although with the smallest attendance the convention had experienced since 2008.
↑ "Or So You Say". Amazing Stories. June 1972. p.118. Retrieved April 6, 2011. The Bubonicon was in most ways a direct antithesis to the LACon. Small (perhaps fifty members), friendly, unstructured (except for a luncheon banquet), and relaxed[...]
