How did ApolloCon get started?
In 2003 a group of local science fiction & fantasy fans who wanted a con in Houston got together and decided to start one. Historically there were number of sci-fi cons in Houston, but at that time there weren't any general or literary SF cons.

Representatives from several local clubs pitched in and after several months of planning, the first ApolloCon was held in June of 2004. The organization running ApolloCon has evolved somewhat since then, but ApolloCon is still an all-volunteer, fan-run event, sponsored by a Texas non-profit corporation.

What are you looking forward to most at this year's ApolloCon?
That's hard to say because we have so much going on at ApolloCon. I look forward to seeing our honored guests: author Wil McCarthy, space artist Pat Rawlings, fiddler Amy McNally, and Houston fan Al Jackson.

And we're very excited to have Dr. Stanley G. Love, an active duty
NASA astronaut, attending on Saturday. I guess what I really look
forward to is the fans, both local and from away, coming to Houston and ApolloCon and having a good time.

Who attends ApolloCon? (demographics, age group, etc.)
All kinds of people attend ApolloCon. The age range is quite broad, and we have a growing number of younger fans attending. We get people who love to read, people who love movies and TV, people who love games; we get artists and writers and musicians and gamers and costumers and even rocket scientists! What they all have in common is an interest in science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

What advice would you give to a first-timer who's never been to a sci-fi convention?
Don't hold back. Get out the program book and the pocket program and figure out what you want to see and do, and then go! At ApolloCon we offer "ApolloCon 101" which is designed to be sort of a crash course in speculative fiction, complete with a "course card". It is essentially a kind of scavenger hunt, but by following the "course outline", the player can get a pretty good tour of the con.

Let's say someone is LARP-curious. They've never tried it, but think they might be interested. Could they come to ApolloCon and jump right into a scenario, or does it take more preparation than that?
For LARP specifically, we ask the folks running the game to design it to be new-player friendly. This year we have a Firefly LARP on Friday night. The game is part of an ongoing scenario, but is supposed to be suitable to both experienced and novice players.

So, yes, I think someone who never tried a LARP could come to ApolloCon and play the LARP as their first time ever. It's part of what we try to do across the board: have something both for the experienced con-goer and for the newcomer.