We’re just a day away from converging for Geek Girl Con. I am looking forward to meeting up with my fellow staffers – Alice Marie, Rick, Lois, and Jen – in Seattle. We send much love and kisses to Elyse, Moxie, Mace and Kiri who are unable to join us there but have been so instrumental in helping us get ready. While we’re at the Con, the best way to catch up with us is to follow us on Twitter. To keep an eye on all tweets about the event, follow the #ggc12 tag.
To kick off our weekend in Seattle we’ll be headed to Spectator Bar & Grill on Friday at 9:30pm for karaoke. The song book is very promising, so if you’re not otherwise occupied, come on down.
Looking at the Geek Girl Con schedule, there is no shortage of panels and presentations focusing on diversity, social justice, and various forms of activism. There are also really exciting panels and workshops to help with career and hobby development, and the people participating are all just marvelous. Below is just a short selection of panels that strike our fancy. We’ll see how much ground we can cover!
SATURDAY:
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM, RM 204
Moffat’s Women: Companions, Travelers, Gender Roles and TARDISES in Doctor Who
This panel discusses the female characters created in the Doctor Who universe.
Teresa Jusino, Natalie Reed, Miley Yamamoto, Alan Kistler
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM, RM301/302
Capes and Canes: Abilities and Disability in Superhero Comics
This open-ended discussion explores the juxtaposition and intersection of superpowers and disabilities.
Greg Rucka, Jen Van Meter, Jill Pantozzi, Katelyn Bruhn
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM, RM303
Gail Simone and Kyrax2, the Batgirl of San Diego: Batgirls, One Year Later
12:30 PM – 1:10 PM, RM202
Expressing Your Creativity Through Audio
Hear about the nuts and bolts of starting your own podcast, what’s out there in podcasting today, and how to set yourself apart to create your own niche.
Julie Hoverson, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, Rhys Torres-Miller
12:30 PM – 1:20 PM, RM301/302
Chicks Dig Comics
Award-winning female writers, artists, and fans come together to celebrate the comic culture and creators, and to examine the characters and series that they love.
Rachel Edidin, Jen Van Meter, Jill Pantozzi, Sheena McNeil, Erica McGillivray, Sarah Kuhn
1:30 PM – 2:20 PM, RM301/302
“Go Make Me A Sandwich”: Barriers to Women’s Participation in Online and Fan Spaces
Panelists discuss obstacles to women’s participation in online spaces, illustrate places of resistance, and provide tips to combat and improve gender dynamics online.
Anita Sarkeesian, Maile Martinez, Lila Kitaeff, Regina Buenaobra, Grace (gtz), Colette Vogele
3:30 PM – 4:20 PM, RM204
Geekquality Presents: Navigating Geekdom as an Outsider – RM204
YES we are very excited about our own panel! If you aren’t a straight, cis, able-bodied, aged 18-35 white male, it is often very difficult to access geekdom and media. How do marginalized geeks cope in an atmosphere that so many find unwelcoming, threatening, and exhausting? Panelists seek to help you keep fighting the good fight while maintaining your mental and emotional health through community building and setting boundaries.
5:00 PM – 6:50 PM, RM303
Masquerade!
Some Geekquality staff and close friends have entered the costume contest and well be there supporting them and everyone else. We’ll also be sneaking out to pop into the Once More with Feeling sing-a-long down the hall.
SUNDAY: There are some really key panels on Sunday, but we’re also going to try and leave time for shopping, dropping by the GeekGirlConnections room, and checking out the gaming room.
10:30AM – 11:20AM, RM303
Why Men Write Women Poorly, andd How to Get a Clue
Author Greg Rucka shares his thoughts on why so many writers fail when it comes to portraying strong female characters in popular media.
Greg Rucka, introduced by Susana Polo (The Mary Sue)
11:30AM – 12:20AM, RM303
A Fate Worse than Death: The Last “Outsider” in Popular Culture – Disability
Panelists will examine the reluctance to include characters with disabilities, common myths and seterotymes, and some common controversies from pop culture.
Day Al-Mohamed, Liz Henry, Teal Sherer, Lawrence Carter-Long, Gail Simone
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM, RM303
The Myth of “The Female Gamer Perspective”
BioWare staffers want to talk with you about why there’s probably no such thing and how games should be designed accordingly.
Sheryl Chee, Kris Schoneberg, Melanie Fleming, Sarah Hayward, Jessica Merizan, Karin Weekes
1:30 PM – 2:20 PM, RM205
Spotlight on Gail Simone
Gail Simone is amazing. ALL THE LOVE.
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM, RM301/302
Geek Girls in Popular Culture
There’s no denying that geeky ladies have become a major pop cultural force to be reckoned with. This panel of creators will take an in-depth look at how the landscape has changed: what makes geek girl portrayals problematic or powerful? And what’s next?
Amy Berg, Cecil Castellucci, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Stephanie Thorpe, Sarah Kuhn, Sarah Watson
4:30 PM – 5:50 PM, RM301/302
Nerdlesque: A New Wave of Neo-Burlesque
Ages 18+ (Show ID at the door)
A fun and informative look at a new trend in the neo-burlesque scene—Nerdlesque! It’s slightly academic, slightly tongue-in-cheek look at nerdy burlesque.
Jo Jo Stiletto
