GeekGirlCon is returning to Seattle for its 15th year on November 8-9, 2025! GGC 2025 will be a weekend full of the incredible, diverse programming you know and love—panels, gaming, cosplay, and SO MUCH MORE.
We’re so excited to introduce and celebrate our 2025 Featured Contributors! Here’s your opportunity to learn a little more about the who’s who of GeekGirlCon 2025, and discover where you can find and admire them at the con!
Dungeons & Drag Queens
Witness high-fantasy, high-heeled, high-rolling, high-larity as three Drag Queens play Dungeons and Dragons Live! Since starting in Seattle, the show has inspired many, and now sells out across the country and globe (Canada)! Dungeon Master Comedian Paul Curry and improvisational violinist Carson Grubb will lead three Drag Queens on a brand-new storytelling adventure, chock full of danger, snark and audience participation. Experience the adventure or fail your quest- atDungeons and Drag Queens!
Sistah Scifi
A lifelong bibliophile, Isis Asare launched Sistah Scifi after a conversation about Afrofuturist literature sparked a deeper mission to amplify Black and Indigenous speculative fiction authors and build a vibrant literary community. Sistah Scifi is the first Black-owned bookstore in the U.S. focused on sci-fi/fantasy and uplifting Black and Indigenous authors through literature, community, and imagination. In 2023, Isis brought these stories to even more readers by opening three Sistah Scifi Book Vending Machines.
Jasmine Bhullar
Jasmine “ThatBronzeGirl” Bhullar is a performer, game developer, writer and a content creator on Twitch and YouTube. She is the DM behind Dimension 20’s Coffin Run and the creator of DesiQuest.
In addition to writing and performing for Critical Role and Acquisitions Incorporated, she is also writing and voicing a character in the unreleased video game “Fading Echo”.
Gigi Murakami
“Queen of Horror Manga” Gigi Murakami is a Harvey and Ignatz-nominated manga artist & illustrator, and content creator at the intersection of horror media, alternative and Japanese nerd culture, and (schlocky) film. Her both traditionally published and self-published works blend Japanese manga art, vintage grindhouse poster art, and pulp comic aesthetics, while thematically focusing on the dark, dramatic, fantastical, and often introspective.
Marin Miller
Voice actor, writer, and vocal coach Marin M. Miller has had a fruitful career in foreign dubbing and ADR. You may know Marin as Nimbus in Destiny 2, Athena in Hades, or the Caretaker in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Their voice brings life to countless beloved characters across anime, gaming, and film, and they also work as a script adapter/writer on projects like Shogun, Kengan Ashura, and Lupin the 3rd: The First.
Chad Quandt
Chad Quandt is a multi-Emmy and Peabody award-winning showrunner, writer, and producer. He is currently a Co-EP and lead writer on the upcoming AVATAR: SEVEN HAVENS.
Born in the misty Midwest Mountains and now residing in Los Angeles, Chad has a true passion for epic tales about underdogs, found families, and comedy that punches upwards with the fury of a robot rocket punch.
So, where can you find these amazing humans at GeekGirlCon 2025?
Saturday:
Scream Queens: Women of Color in Horror 11:00am – 12:00pm | Storm Mia Ginaé (Moderator), Isis Asare, Gigi Murakami, Lily Meade
The horror genre has exploded in popularity over the past years. Join Isis Asare (Sistah Scifi) Gigi Murakami, the Queen of Horror Manga, and author Lily Meade as they discuss why horror matters. They’ll discuss how horror intersects with women’s lived experiences, their approach to crafting terrifying tales, and what the future of the genre looks like.
Compels Me Though: Crafting A Compelling Narrative 1:00 – 2:00pm | Furiosa Evan Peterson, Chad Quandt, Jasmine Bhullar, Lily Meade, Ashlee Lawson-Kilpatrick
Whether you’re writing for gaming, manga, or television you need to make sure your audience is engaged with your topic. Join writers from across genres as they discuss what goes into crafting engaging characters, exciting plots, and keeping readers, viewers, and players hooked!
Hustle & Heart: Making it As a Creative in 2025 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Uhura Terry Redfield, Isis Asare, Jasmine Bhullar, Gigi Murakami, Marin Miller
From Game Master to Horror Mangaka, these creatives are not just surviving but thriving. Join a panel of creatives from a variety of creative fields as they share what they’ve done to ‘make it’. Hear about the trials, tribulations, and triumphs they’ve encountered on each of their unique paths and learn how to apply their experiences to your own creative future.
Carson Grubb, improvisational violinist
Dungeons & Drag Queens Live Show
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM | Storm Witness high-fantasy, high-heeled, high-rolling, high-larity as three Drag Queens play Dungeons and Dragons Live! Since starting in Seattle, the show has inspired many, and now sells out across the country and globe (Canada)! Dungeon Master Comedian Paul Curry and improvisational violinist Carson Grubb will lead three Drag Queens on a brand-new storytelling adventure, with danger, snark and audience participation around every precarious corner. Experience the adventure, or fail your quest- at Dungeons and Drag Queens!
Sunday:
Marin M. Miller Voice Actor Q&A 10:00-11:00am | Furiosa
Marin Miller
Come meet the trans non-binary voice actor raised by two generations of prison guards. They’ve been working for 18 years and have a lot to share. Got burning questions about the voice acting industry? Curious about grassroots organizing? Maybe you wanna throw out some headcanons about Nimbus or Enkidu. Whatever your fancy, let’s do it.
Inside the Writer’s Room: Writing for Television 2:30pm – 3:30pm | Uhura Hadeel Jeanee, Chad Quandt, Marin Miller, Brandon Hoàng
Whether it’s developing new shows for beloved worlds or localizing scripts to bring shows from abroad to eager audiences, writing for television requires special skills, temperament, and a love of the craft! Join television writers Chad Quandt (Avatar: Seven Havens, Star Trek: Prodigy), Marin Miller (Persona 5, Ranma ½), and Brandon Hoang (The Ghost and Molly McGee, Avatar the Last Airbender (Netflix)) as they share their experience in writing for television.
Crafting Comics: Art, Publishing, and Beyond 4:00pm-5:00pm | Storm Michelle Chan (Moderator), Gigi Murakami, Mars Lauderbaugh, Keezy Young
From single issue comics to zines to graphic novels, comics are one of the fastest-growing genres in publishing today! Join a panel of comics creators as they discuss their creative processes, why they love the genre, and the unique challenges that come with visual storytelling.
Signing Schedule:
Saturday 11:00-12:00pm Jasmine Bhullar, Marin Miller
Growing up, I was a Black girl, but I often felt like I didn’t quite fit into society’s expectations associated with that label. My interests in cartoons, books, and video games set me apart from what others expected. However, these forms of media provided me with both comfort and a means to explore and understand my identity, mainly since my parents rarely talked about my cultural background beyond the skin color I inherited. It wasn’t until middle school that I learned about my mother’s Trinidadian heritage, and I discovered my father’s Panamanian heritage only at the end of high school.
Media helped me understand many things my parents wouldn’t discuss. However, I couldn’t blame them; they were two immigrants who came to the United States at a young age and had to figure everything out on their own. While the media played a significant role in my upbringing, it was largely dominated by an overwhelming presence of whiteness. The TV shows and movies I watched primarily featured white characters. The books available in my school library typically focused on white protagonists or animals. The video games for sale often lacked representation of anyone who looked like me.
Representation of Black girls like me was mostly absent in the media.
Media representation extends far beyond race and gender. It also includes ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities, and mental health conditions. The media influences societal self-perception and perceptions of others, prompting discussions about representation across various platforms. There is an increasing demand for authentic and inclusive representation, especially in the video game industry, where discussions have arisen about portraying and integrating diverse characters and narratives into gaming experiences.
For instance, one key example of these discussions in video games is the representation of Black female protagonists. Discussing the representation of Black female protagonists in video games is vital in today’s gaming communities because Black female gamers are an overlooked demographic that deserves recognition and representation in the industry. Their voices and experiences must be acknowledged and celebrated, as they contribute to the gaming landscape that doesn’t adequately represent them.
Representation fosters a sense of belonging by allowing Black female gamers to see themselves authentically reflected in the games they play, which validates their identities and affirms their presence within the gaming world.
This sense of belonging helps counter the longstanding stigma that video games are exclusively for White cisgender males. This stereotype often marginalizes and excludes Black women from feeling accepted in gaming environments. By highlighting Black female protagonists, the gaming industry can better recognize the contributions and experiences of Black female gamers while challenging damaging stereotypes.
To comprehend the importance of Black female protagonists in video games, let’s delve into Black women’s demographics in the American gaming spaces. While there are limited specific statistics available on Black female gamers, the Entertainment Software Association (2024) reports that there are 190.6 million video game players in the United States, with 46% identifying as female. Furthermore, 12% of American gamers are Black or African American. These statistics show approximately 10.5 million Black female gamers, representing about 5.5% of the total gaming population in the United States. In comparison, the general Black female population in the United States is about 23,530,579, making up roughly 6.92% of the total US population (United States Census Bureau, 2024).
Black women are not well represented in gaming compared to their numbers in the general population. This lack of representation raises questions about inclusion in the gaming industry.
Black female gamers face barriers, such as not having relatable characters, targeted marketing that overlooks them, and stories that do not reflect their experiences. This situation indicates that gaming spaces may not be welcoming or inclusive for Black women, which could discourage them from taking part in a medium that should be for everyone.
The experiences of Black female gamers in gaming spaces are greatly shaped by the complexities of their intersecting identities as both Black individuals and women. This intersection of race and gender creates a distinct lived reality, requiring them to navigate environments where they are frequently underrepresented and marginalized. As Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989), an American civil rights advocate and a scholar of critical race theory, explained, intersectionality highlights how overlapping identities can lead to either discrimination or privilege, illustrating the multifaceted experiences of Black female gamers.
In gaming spaces, this intersectionality is evident through hostile interactions, such as racial and gender harassment, and the psychological impact of stereotype threat (Richard & Gray, 2018). TreaAndrea M. Russworm, PhD, professor of interactive media and games division at the University of Southern California, noted that “[a] history of white supremacy runs deep in the gaming industry, both past and present…[and] doesn’t value or even acknowledge Black women players” (Starks, 2023). The continued marginalization of Black female gamers results in their existence and contributions being overlooked.
Black female gamers frequently face negative experiences due to barriers tied to both their race and gender, a phenomenon often described as racialized misogyny. These challenges can create a profound sense of isolation, reminiscent of the exclusion many marginalized gamers feel in the gaming community (Richard & Gray, 2018). Isolation can negatively impact an individual’s mental health by fostering feelings of loneliness, which in turn increases the risk of anxiety and depression (Mann et al., 2022). Loneliness can lead to mental and physical health problems, like increased stress, higher inflammation, and negative thoughts. Over time, these issues can make loneliness feel even worse.
Many Black female gamers reported feeling isolated in gaming spaces due to not only a lack of representation and inclusivity but also the prevalence of racism and online harassment, particularly from men (Starks, 2023). Many female gamers, especially Black female gamers, have faced harassment from males who make racist, vulgar, or sexist comments on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. A 2023 report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on hate and harassment in gaming reveals that the harassment rate for women is 8%, while for Black gamers, it stands at 50%. This report does not include specific research on the experiences of Black female gamers. However, the available data suggests that the unreported harassment rate they face could be even higher, potentially ranging from 55% to 70%.
Princess Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)
When analyzing mainstream AAA games and established franchises, it becomes clear that Black female characters are present in the gaming world, though they are rarely the main protagonists. A look at video game history reveals that female video game characters were often depicted in ways that reinforced traditional gender roles. For example, characters like Pauline in Donkey Kong and Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda were depicted as damsels in distress, needing rescue from male protagonists (Bashir, 2022). In the 1990s, the introduction of strong female video game protagonists, such as Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, marked a significant shift. However, while many people credit Lara Croft as the first female protagonist in video games, the true pioneer was Billie Sue, a farmer girl from the 1982 game Wabbit for the Atari 2600, which a Vietnamese woman created.
Wabbit’s Billie Sue character
Regarding Black characters, most of their earliest portrayals were as athletes in sports title video games, reinforcing the “Black Athlete Trope.” The first playable Black video game character was widely recognized as the athlete in Atari’s Basketball, which was released in 1979 and depicted in color (Edwards, 2009). However, there is ongoing debate about whether the character in Sega’s Heavyweight Champ, released in 1976, could also be considered the first Black playable video game character, due to the game’s ambiguous black-and-white graphics (Norwood, 2021). Historically, Black characters in video games were often reduced to merely being selectable options in fighting games or serving as secondary characters that supported their white counterparts, who were typically the main protagonists. It wasn’t until 1987 that the first Black male video game protagonist appeared in the lesser-known PC game Mandroid (NowThis Nerd, 2018).
Black female protagonist D’Arci Stern in Urban Chaos
The gaming world didn’t see its first Black female protagonist until 1999 with D’Arci Stern in Urban Chaos (DirecTV, 2022). Since then, a report from DiamondLobby shows that only 8.3% of the main characters in video games are women from non-white ethnic backgrounds (Lin, 2023). This statistic highlights the ongoing challenges of achieving diversity and inclusion in gaming. Black female protagonists are rare, even many years after D’Arci’s introduction. Several recent examples of Black female protagonists in gaming include Nilin Cartier-Wells from Remember Me, Clementine from Telltale’s The Walking Dead, and Alfre “Frey” Holland from Forspoken. However, despite these characters, the gaming industry still struggles to create authentic and well-developed Black female protagonists.
Frey Holland, protagonist of Forspoken
From the perspective of a Black woman in gaming, it is essential to address issues such as colorism, harmful stereotypes, and the portrayal of trauma concerning Black female protagonists to improve their representation, especially since there are about 10 million Black female gamers whose experiences are largely overlooked in current gaming representation (Entertainment Software Association, 2024). Improving representation is not about just ticking a diversity checkbox. It calls for an industry to reflect its diverse audience authentically. Elevating these voices not only combats harmful stereotypes but also enriches the gaming landscape with multifaceted characters who can inspire a broader range of players.
There needs to be greater visibility for dark-skinned Black women, rather than focusing solely on lighter-skinned or racially ambiguous Black women in lead roles. Black women should not be reduced to one-dimensional tropes such as the “Strong Black Woman” or “Sassy Black Woman.” Their narratives should not concentrate exclusively on trauma, pain, or oppression. Instead, Black female characters deserve to celebrate the joy, complexity, and positive experiences that come with their identities.
In conclusion, media representation impacts societal perceptions and individual self-identity. Representation matters, especially for the little black girl I once was who rarely saw herself reflected in the media she consumed growing up. She would often feel out of place, especially with the presence of whiteness in her interest in cartoons, books, and video games. She never really got to see herself as the hero of the story. That little black girl even felt alone and invisible.
Now as a Black woman and still a gamer, I recognize how vital authentic and multifaceted gaming representation is for Black female gamers. Representation is a powerful affirmation of their identities.
When Black female gamers see characters who they can resonate with—characters that go beyond harmful stereotypes, colorism, or narratives solely centered on trauma—it combats their feelings of isolation by reinforcing that their presence and perspective matter in the gaming community. It cultivates a sense of belonging in an industry where they have been historically underrepresented or misrepresented. Addressing the representation of Black female protagonists in gaming is not just a matter of diversity. It is about creating inclusive narratives that acknowledge Black female gamers. By doing so, the gaming industry can provide the representation that many Black female gamers, like my younger self, desperately need to see.
Ashlee Lawson-Kilpatrick
References:
Anti-Defamation League. (2023). Hate is No Game: Hate and Harassment in Online Games 2023.
Bashir, D. (2022, May 18). World’s First Female Video Game Protagonist Was Created by a Vietnamese Programmer. Retrieved from IGN Southeast Asia: https://sea.ign.com/wabbit/185503/news/worlds-first-female-video-game-protagonist-was-created-by-a-vietnamese-programmer
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167. Retrieved from https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=uclf
DirecTV. (2022, February 28). The Evolution of Black Female Video Game Characters. Retrieved from DirecTV: https://www.directv.com/insider/black-history-month-the-evolution-of-black-women-in-video-games/#:~:text=It’s%20a%20somewhat%20distressing%20fact,deserved%20time%20in%20the%20spotlight.
Edwards, B. (2009, January 19). The First Black Video Game Character. Retrieved from Vintage Computing and Gaming: https://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/536/the-first-black-video-game-character
Entertainment Software Association. (2024). 2024 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry. Retrieved from Entertainment Software Association: https://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Essential-Facts-2024-FINAL.pdf
Google. (2023, February). Google Global Insights Diversity Equity & Inclusion Report Feb 2023. Retrieved from https://games.withgoogle.com/: https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gamer_research_on_dei.pdf
Lin, B. (2023, February 22). Diversity in Gaming Report: An Analysis of Diversity in Video Game Characters. Retrieved from DiamondLobby: https://diamondlobby.com/geeky-stuff/diversity-in-gaming/#:~:text=Gender%20Diversity%20in%20Video%20Games,females%20of%20non%2Dwhite%20ethnicities.
Mann, F., Wang, J., Pearce, E., Ma, R., Schlief, M., Lloyd-Evans, B., . . . Johnson, S. (2022, May 18). Loneliness and the onset of new mental health problems in the general population. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57(11), pp. 2161-2178. doi:doi: 10.1007/s00127-022-02261-7
Nadal, K. (2021, December 27). Why Representation Matters and Why It’s Still Not Enough. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-the-people/202112/why-representation-matters-and-why-it-s-still-not-enough
Norwood, R. (2021, February 26). Coding Blackness: A History of Black Video Game Characters. Retrieved from WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/black-character-history-video-games/
NowThis Nerd. (2018, February 8). The History of Black Video Game Characters | NowThis Nerd. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-xEABBIk_8&t=185s
Richard, G. T., & Gray, K. L. (2018, January). Gendered Play, Racialized Reality: Black Cyberfeminism, Inclusive Communities of Practice and the Intersections of Learning, Socialization and Resilience in Online Gaming. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 39(1), pp. 112-148. doi:10.5250/fronjwomestud.39.1.0112
Starks, S. L. (2023, August 22). Black Girl Gamers Band Together Against 2023’s Final Boss: Loneliness. Retrieved from allure: https://www.allure.com/story/black-girl-gaming-groups-loneliness?utm_source=chatgpt.com
United States Census Bureau. (2024). QuickFacts: United States. Retrieved from United States Census Bureau: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/RHI225223#RHI225223
🗺️🚩Familiarize yourself with the con layout and plot your most efficient course to maximum geekery by checking out the official floor maps here.
GeekGirlCon Programming Schedule:
There are so many fun and geeky things to do at GeekGirlCon! From bugs to fanfiction and from comics to crafts, you’ll definitely discover something for your brand of geekdom. Here’s just the teeniest of samplers just to get you excited before you rush over to check out the complete programming schedule!
Panels:
So How Often So You Think About the Galactic Empire?
Women’s Brick Initiative: Inspiring Women and Girls to Create With LEGO® Bricks
Pop-up Murder Mystery – The Curious Carnival
PLUS:
Get your game on at GeekGirlCon!
Video Gaming: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM Location: Okoye
Play amazing video games and meet developers from near and far! Video games include: Astrolander, Potions: A Curious Tale, Surradia, Unstable Scientific, Clockwork Ambrosia, So, This Vampire Walks into a Bar, Fisti-Fluffs, Puzzle, Depot, Heart of the Dungeon, Fall For You, Desert Angels, Feltopia, Vago, and more!
Console/VR Free Play also returns to GeekGirlCon with this year’s best co-op titles alongside the single player hits. Come bring a friend or make some new ones!
Tabletop Gaming:
9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Location: Storm
Play amazing tabletop games and meet developers from near and far! Tabletop games include: Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Epilogue, Blood on the Clocktower, Hummingbird Sugar Rush / Fiebre de Azúcar en Colibríes, Flesh and Blood TCG, Executive Producer, For All Mankind, and more!
You can also join developers, creators, and influencers as they play the games they love, chat about the games they’ve made, and have some fun on our Let’s Play Stage in Okoye! We have Tabletop and Video Games content on both Saturday and Sunday. Check the schedule for a list of events!
You can learn more about the diverse and exciting range of both tabletop and video game content coming to GeekGirlCon 2024 HERE.
Learn something new at GeekGirlCon!
DIY Science Zone: Saturday, November 9: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, November 10: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Location: Across from registration
Visit the DIY Science Zone, where our highly-trained team of scientists and science educators will guide you through a selection of fun experiments and answer all your questions about their scientific specialty. Don’t forget to make your own slime to take home and see if you’re brave enough to hold Beyonce the tarantula in your hands!
Treat yourself to some shopping at GeekGirlCon!
Vendor Hall: We’re so excited for you to see all of the goods and goodies that our exhibitors will be bringing to this year’s convention and get your shop on! It’s a great place to get all your holiday shopping done, AND treat yourself to a variety of geek merchandise.
Every exhibitor at GeekGirlCon is hand-selected—from artists to artisans, shop a variety of hand-crafted wares and inspiring creations. From t-shirts and fashionable accessories, to art prints and stickers, there’s bound to be a little something for every geek! You can browse this year’s list of vendors HERE.
This is also where you can find the Official GeekGirlCon Merchandise Booth – new and improved location in booth 709 – for all your geek shopping in one awesome location!
2024 Featured Contributors:
We’re so excited to be featuring some absolutely amazing Featured Contributors at GeekGirlCon 2024. They’ll be talking graphic novels, audiobooks, inclusive board gaming, whether or not you should go to art school, and more!
Check here for the full details of where you can find GeekGirlCon 2024’s amazing lineup of Featured Contributors.
Meetups: Connect with your fellow geeks and bond over your favorite franchises—we’ll be hosting a variety of meetups for every fan throughout the weekend.
GeekGirlCon on Twitch: If you can’t make it to GeekGirlCon this year, of course we are super bummed about that. However, the GeekGirlCon twitch team will once again be streaming awesome mainstage content, feature, interviews, and behind -the-scenes tidbits for your FREE viewing pleasure on the GGC twitch channel.
Give us a follow on twitch.tv/geekgirlcon to experience the awesomeness of GeekGirlCon all year long where we create & host content for all geeks —from science & art to comics & gaming!
Please remember to bring your mask, as GeekGirlCon will once again be a fully-masked event to help us gather in-person safely. You can check our full Covid-19 Policies below:
A few other reminders:
You must wear your valid GeekGirlCon badge at all times to be admitted to the con or events during con weekend.
Please keep in mind that GeekGirlCon is an all-ages event. We strive to maintain a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for children and adults.
If you are taking photographs of attendees, please respect those that do not wish to be photographed or recorded by asking permission to take pictures and avoiding anyone with a “do not photograph” sticker.
Remember to take care of yourself, stay hydrated, and take breaks in the Geek Retreat room when you need them.
Have fun, be safe, be respectful, and we’ll see you at the con!
This year, GeekGirlCon is rolling out the geek carpet for an incredible lineup of featured contributors who are set to inspire, entertain, and ignite your passion for all things geeky! Wondering who these amazing geeks are and where you can learn more about them? You’ve come to the right place! Get excited about the 2024 GeekGirlCon Featured Contributors and the panels and special events where you can find them on November 9 & 10!
🌟Banana Chan, Game Designer and Publisher:
Banana Chan is a Cantonese Canadian game designer, writer and publisher living in Seattle. Her most notable work has been on Forgery, Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall, The Revenant Society, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, Chucky: the board game and Betrayal at House on the Hill: 3rd Edition. They won Dicebreaker Awards’ Game Designer of the Year 2022 and 2 Silver ENnie Awards in 2022.
🌟Eunnie, Author-Illustrator:
Eunnie is an author-illustrator based in Washington. She loves exploring relationships through her art and writing, and finds much joy in the portrayal of queer intimacy. When she’s not cooking up new stories, Eunnie spends her time watching video essays and collecting hoodies in every color. Her debut graphic novel, If You’ll Have Me, was created in the spirit of shoujo romance, and is her love letter to women and sapphics everywhere.
🌟Maia Kobabe, Cartoonist:
Maia Kobabe is a nonbinary queer cartoonist, a kpop fan, a voracious reader, and a daydreamer. You can learn an astonishing number of intimate details about em in GENDER QUEER: A MEMOIR (America’s most challenged book in 2021-2023) and in eir short comics and writing published in The Nib, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, NPR, and Time Magazine. Maia’s second book is BREATHE: JOURNEYS TO HEALTHY BINDING (2024) with Dr Sarah Peitzmeier and e is currently working on SAACHI’S STORIES (2026) with Lucky Srikumar.
🌟Natalie Naudus, Audiobook Narrator:
“A fave among audiobook listeners” (Buzzfeed), Natalie Naudus is one of the most beloved audiobook narrators working today. She has won an Audie award and nine Earphones awards, and maintains a robust social media following. She lives with her family on a mountain in Virginia. Gay the Pray Away is her debut novel.
🌟Mad Rupert, Cartoonist:
Mad Rupert is less than 5 feet tall and lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. She got her start in online comics over ten years ago, and authors two ongoing webcomics: Sakana, a slice-of-life workplace comedy, and Robber-Robert, a sci-fi romance for mature readers. She has also worked extensively on comic adaptations of Cartoon Network properties like Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Steven Universe, and is the artist for Bunt!, an upcoming ogn written by Ngozi Ukazu, published in Feb 2024 through First Second. ‘Mad’ is short for Madeline, she’s not actually angry.
🌟Ngozi Ukazu, Graphic Novelist:
Ngozi Ukazu is a DC Comics artist, New York Times-bestselling graphic novelist, and creator of comics like Check, Please!, BUNT!, and the upcoming graphic novel FLIP. She graduated from Yale University with a degree in Computing in the Arts and has been featured in The New Yorker.
So, where can you find these amazing humans at GeekGirlCon 2024?
SATURDAY, November 9:
Should I go to Art School and Other Questions Time: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Garnet
Speakers: Mad Rupert, Ngozi Ukazu, Eunnie
Want to pursue a career in animation or illustration, but not sure if going to art school is worth it? You’re not alone! Join Eunnie (If You’ll Have Me), Mad Rupert (Bunt!, Sakana), and Ngozi Ukazu(Bunt!, Check, Please!) to discuss the pros, cons, and everything in-between of the great art school conundrum.
Autobio Comics: A Conversation with Maia Kobabe and Ashley R Guillory Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Location: Garnet
Speakers: Maia Kobabe, Ashley R Guillory
Description: Long time friends and autobio comic authors Maia and Ashley talk about turning memories into stories, why one moment might spark a comic and not another, working in short form and pitching full length memoir books, ethical questions about protecting the identities of family and friends and the veracity of memory.
It can be tough to break into art industries and publishing is no different. Join Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer), Natalie Naudus (Gay the Pray Away), Mad Rupert (Bunt!, Sakana), and Ngozi Ukazu (Bunt!, Check, Please!) as they discuss all the hurdles, pitfalls, and forks in the road to publishing.
Moving Past Medieval Europe in TTRPGs Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Furiosa
Speakers: Banana Chan, Hadeel Jeanne
The world of fantasy games can extend beyond Euro-centric castles and Anglo accents to encompass the entire world of myth and legend. Join award-winning tabletop game designer Banana Chan and GeekGirlCon Board President Hadeel Jeanne for an intimate chat about expanding game worlds across the whole globe.
SUNDAY, November 10:
The Great Board Game Design Show Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: America
Speakers: Lysa Penrose, Fertessa Allyse, Banana Chan, Shannon Lyon, Danny Quach
Watch tabletop game inventors scramble to design a board game in one hour! In this interactive panel, seasoned board game designers must combine a mystery box of components and quickfire audience prompts into one delightful, ridiculous, chaotic game concept. Shout out suggestions to design along and learn about the game design process in the most rambunctious way possible.
Finding Your Voice in Fandom: The Magic of Transformative Work Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Location: Garnet
Speakers: Maia Kobabe, Mad Rupert, Ngozi Ukazu, Eunnie
It’s no secret that fandom and fan works can sometimes get a bad rap from those who aren’t a part of it, but we know that’s not the whole story. Explore all the joy and benefits of fan works with Eunnie (If You’ll Have Me), Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer), Mad Rupert (Bunt!, Sakana), and Ngozi Ukazu (Bunt!, Check, Please!).
Let’s Play Forgery with Banana Chan! Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Twitch.tv/GeekGirlCon
Speakers: Banana Chan and the GGC Twitch Team!
Forgery is a story of a down-on-her-luck art forger named Tempest, who receives a new commission to recreate a painting that they discover is cursed over time. It is a solo tabletop roleplaying game where the player (you) will be coloring in a paint-by-numbers image. The colors that you choose determine the outcome to the story. Watch-along as Banana Chan demonstrates this awesome game she created and we play along!
From Script to Page: The Graphic Novel Process Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Rey
Speakers: Tori Sharp (moderator), Mad Rupert, Ngozi Ukazu, Eunnie
Graphic novels are one of the fastest-growing genres in publishing today and with good reason! Graphic novels offer a chance to connect with readers who struggle with traditional novels and provide beautiful art to accompany the story. Join Eunnie (If You’ll Have Me), Mad Rupert (Bunt!, Sakana), and Ngozi Ukazu (Bunt!, Check, Please!) as they speak on the unique process of building a graphic novel from beginning to end.
Reading with your Ears: The Euphonious World of Audiobook Narration Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Rey
Speakers: Natalie Naudus
Whether you read with your eyes or your ears, reading is reading! Audiobooks are an engaging, accessible, and fun way to read, but where would we be without the dulcet tones of our favorite narrators? Join featured contributor Natalie Naudus as she discusses this exciting medium!
+ Meet your 2024 Featured Contributors one-on-one!
GeekGirlCon 2024 will be November 9 & 10 at the Seattle Convention Center.
Saturday, November 9, 2024: 9:00am – 8:00pm Sunday, November 10, 2024: 9:00am – 6:00pm Vendor Floor Hours: 10:00am – 6:00pm Saturday and Sunday Friday Registration: 4:00pm – 7:00 pm
If you don’t have passes yet, it’s not too late! You can get yours HERE!
We hope you are as excited as we are to geek out with the awesome featured contributors of GeekGirlCon 2024 – See you there, geeks!
Gigi Murakami
🌟Banana Chan, Game Designer and Publisher:
🌟Eunnie, Author-Illustrator:
🌟Maia Kobabe, Cartoonist:
🌟Natalie Naudus, Audiobook Narrator:
🌟Mad Rupert, Cartoonist:
