The first Trpaslicon, subtitled „The First Universal,“ took place from February 14 to 16, 2003, and started a tradition that has become legendary over the years. Originally a modest gathering of fans of British humor, science fiction, and fantasy, it attracted just over 120 visitors to the Květnového vítězství Elementary School and laid the foundations for the festival we love today.
Here’s a look back at how it all began and what shaped the face of the festival:
The Birth of a Legend: From Raukon to Trpaslík
The impetus for the creation of Trpaslicon was a visit by the organizers (Kohy, Clouseau, and Rimmer) to the Raukon event in 2001. They were so enthusiastic about the atmosphere there that they decided to organize a similar, albeit more modest, gathering focused on their favorite topic – Red Dwarf.
Organizing team: The core team came together via the Lopuch discussion server.
Location: The first three years were held at the Květnového vítězství elementary school in Opatov (a different building than the current one, although it has the same name).
Price: Admission for the entire weekend was an incredible CZK 200.
Star guests and the first „VIP evening“
The first year set a high bar in terms of guest quality. Visitors could chat with personalities who became pillars of the Czech sci-fi and fantasy scene:
Kamil Halbich: The voice actor for Arnold Judas Rimmer was a „surprise treat“ and the main guest on Friday evening.
Jan Kantůrek: The legendary translator of Discworld read excerpts from Terry Pratchett’s books.
Writers: The inaugural year saw the participation of Jiří Kulhánek, Ondřej Neff, Františka Vrbenská, and Ivana Kuglerová.
Kamil Halbich – Czech voice of Arnold J. Rimmer
Games and gastronomy: The beginnings of madness
In 2003, competitions were created that are still part of the program more than twenty years later:
Cult games: For the first time, we did stretch a pair of tights across the room and played Durex volleyball, we also played a Pin The Pointy Stick On The Weather Girl, and competitions were held in eating spicy toast with a single pea.
Pirate Luigi’s Bar: Even then, the legendary Gazpacho, goulash, and themed delicacies such as „Space Weevil“ or „Rat-Au-Van“ were served.
An atmosphere that has endured
The first Trpaslicon was rated as a successful „small con,“ where there were almost no hiccups and the atmosphere was extremely relaxed. As the main organizer Kohy concluded at the time: „The event went smoothly, no deaths or injuries, no losses reported. See you next year!“.
Today, as we prepare for the 23rd edition (2026) on the theme of „Lemons,“ we can only thank those 130 brave souls who, in 2003, did not hesitate to put on their slippers and make history.
