Five things to see at SoonerCon 31
Word Balloons #1169: Pop culture convention to be held this weekend in Norman, OK
SoonerCon is back this weekend in Norman, Oklahoma.
The multigenre convention SoonerCon celebrates its 31st iteration in 2023.
The convention, which began in 1986, went on hiatus in 1997 before being revived in 2006. While the pandemic canceled the 2020 edition and pushed the 2021 edition online, the show returned to form in 2022 and now returns for #31 in 2023.
Overall, SoonerCon features more than 100 guests, including writers, artists, scientists, actors, comic-book creators and more in a host of workshops, panels and other sessions over three days. It draws thousands of guests to the metro area annually.
I wrote what I’ll be up to at the con in a previous post. Below, here are five things you may want to check out – though there are far more than five things worth your time!
See Literary Guest of Honor John Scalzi
According to the convention bio: John Scalzi debuted in 2005 with “Old Man’s War,” which was nominated for the Hugo Award and won him the Campbell/Astounding Award for Best New Writer. In the time since, Scalzi has published 16 other novels, including his most recent, the New York Times best-seller “The Kaiju Preservation Society.” Scalzi won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2013 for “Redshirts.”
The Art Show
At over 3,800 square feet, the Soonercon Art Show is one of the largest fantasy- and sci-fi-themed art exhibits in the Southwest, according to the SoonerCon website
Trek it up
“Star Trek” expert Larry Nemecek is again set for the convention; the Norman-born author, archivist and producer will host multiple “Trek”-related panels over the weekend.
Get Barbaric
See “Barbaric: The Harvest Blades” illustrator Robert Wilson IV. He’s a co-creator of the comic-book series “Heartthrob” from Oni Press. He also co-created “Knuckleheads” at IDW / Monkeybrain with Brian Winkeler and “Like A Virus” with Ken Lowery.
Get an autograph!
Voice actors including Billy West, John Swasey, Olivia Swasey, and Erika Harlacher will meet fans and offer autographs for a fee throughout the weekend.
SoonerCon is produced by the Future Society of Central Oklahoma, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting the arts, literature, and sciences through the lens of pop culture.
For more information, go to
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewLprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.