Your passes are ready, the hotel is booked, and your costumes are coordinated. With the convention just under two weeks away, you might be wondering what else you can do to prepare for #GGC18.
Well, last night we launched our third annual fundraiser tee! Represent like a geek, and support your favorite convention!
Available in both straight cut and fitted sizing, all tees are 25$! Our goal is to sell 50, and the fundraiser will be running over the next 14 days (until October 28th). The tees will be sent directly to you after the fundraiser concludes.
Get ready to represent, and we’ll see you at GeekGirlCon 2018!
Image description: A series of board games stacked on a table. Image source: GeekGirlCon Flickr
Over the weekend of GeekGirlCon, there are of course a whole slew of activities for you to enjoy. From the various geek-themed panels, to the family-friendly DIY Science Zone, from Artist Alley to the bustle of the Exhibitor Hall, there’s always something to see and do.
Image description: an attendee with a Pikachu hat plays King of Tokyo at GeekGirlCon. Image source: GeekGirlCon Flickr
Speaking of seeing and doing, the gaming spaces at GeekGirlCon let you do just that. Whether it’s getting yourself immersed in a board game or creating your own at our Game Design Challenge, our gaming floor is going to be packed with games that you can borrow and play. As a bonus, we’ll be bringing back our Let’s Play stage for a second year, and with that comes a whole series of new and fun games to watch and talk about.
One of the things that GeekGirlCon is known for is our introduction to role playing games, and this year is no different. Our game master laureate Andy Munich returns lead some RPG sessions for new and old dungeoneers alike, and join the D20 Dames on Saturday night on our Let’s Play stage as they behead (or befriend) monsters and punch creeps in order to collect loot!
Image description: Two children and an adult sit at a table to playtest a game. Image source: GeekGirlCon Flickr
If card games are more your speed, you’re also in luck! Dungeon Mayhem is an action-packed, easy-to-learn, family-friendly, and (importantly) not-yet-released new D&D card game, and it’s available to try at GeekGirlCon! Check it out before it hits the shelves in your friendly neighborhood game stores! You can also meet the designers who will be be demoing the game over the weekend.
Image description: a family plays a video game together. Image source: GeekGirlCon Flickr
On the video game front, In particular, we’re especially proud to be presenting some of our very own GeekGirlCon staffers and their friends as they play Overwatch and talk about their regular gaming sessions! We’ll also have accessibliity advocate Cherry Rae on stage during our Witching Hour event to play the spooky game Oxenfree!
Of course, there are many, many other things happening on the gaming floor and around the Let’s Play stage for you to discover! For more information, check out our gaming basics guide. See you at the con!
Come one! Come all! Even before the convention officially begins, we’re starting #GGC18 off right by hosting our annual kickoff party. It’s the perfect chance to eat, drink, mix, mingle, and be merry with other awesome geeks just like you!
Image Description: Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland dancing next to each other in unison. Source: Giphy.
When: Friday, October 26th (aka the day before Con! Woo!)
I’m always enamored with the GeekGirlCon content lineup, but when it was announced at a GGC staff meeting earlier in the year that Cyan would be celebrating MYST’s 25th anniversary with us at GeekGirlCon 2018…I was floored.
I grew up with MYST. We’re around the same age, actually—and while toddler Indigo had no clue how to navigate the intricate puzzles, I spent hours peaking over my dad’s shoulder while he explored the mysterious little island. I eventually aged enough to play it myself and it became a sort of tradition to go back to it every few years. MYST followed me into my teens and through my young adult life. When I was still in undergrad, I volunteered for the Art of Video Games Exhibition at the Smithsonian, where a portion MYST was featured as playable content. I spent that summer watching fans and beginners alike tackle a particularly challenging portion of the game, and now I get to relive those memories along with the team while we celebrate the anniversary of MYST and learn more about the studio behind it.
Join Eleri Hamilton, Rand Miller, and Melinda Rose of Cyan on Saturday at 11:30am in Sammus to celebrate the game’s growing legacy:
Since its release in 1993, MYST has had a dedicated following, built a complex world and lore, and Cyan has continued to push expectations of what is possible in video games. Join us as we reminisce on the joys, sorrows, and mayhem of the D’niverse, and ponder the future of Cyan and their fans.
From pop-culture titans to social justice superheroes, our featured contributors for GeekGirlCon’18 are movers and shakers in their communities, industries, and the world at large! Check them out:
Lysa Chen
Source: Lysa Chen. Description: headshot of Lysa rocking green hair.
Lysa Chen has designed Dungeons & Dragons adventures for Wizards of the Coast and the Adventurers League. She is distinguished as one of the Dungeon Masters Guild’s premier Guild Adepts.
This month is the month, people! GeekGirlCon has arrived (basically)!
Throughout October, look to our blog for everything you need to know about the weekend, from Panel Highlights to Cosplay Contest announcements, we’ve got you covered.
Though our epic panels are what attract a lot of folks to GeekGirlCon (me included), they don’t comprise the whole of the weekend’s festivities. Today, I’m going to walk you through some of the other kinds of activities we have in store.
First up, meetups, the perfect event for meeting like-minded attendees to share the weekend with. To name a few of our offerings this year, we have meetups for first timers, Black Panther fans, Star Wars/Star Trek enthusiasts, and more! Meetups will take place throughout the duration and venue of the con, so check out the schedule for specifics.
[Image Description: Data from Star Trek saying to Worf, “You have friends here.”] Source: MRWGIFS
One especially exciting meetup we have slated for this con is Meet & Geek: A Networking Event for Mavens-in-the-Making. This is the event for folks who are looking for mentors and advice to assist with anything geeky-career related. Bring your questions and look forward to discussions of everything from writing to digital media to game design. In addition to the meetup, GeekGirlCon will be hosting a Mentor Booth in the Connections area of the Exhibitor Hall where you can sign up for one-on-one sessions with a mentor who can look at your resume and give you tips for breaking into the geeky career of your dreams!
[Image Description: Winston from New Girl at a job interview saying, “I know Word. I can open a document, Save, Save As, Print, Print Preview.] Source: Rockwood Search
Also in the Exhibitor Hall will be VAIN’s booth for impromptu hairstyle sessions. Need a touch up on your cosplay look? Need a general spruce? VAIN, a longtime supporter of GeekGirlCon, will be there to save the day.
[Image Description: River Song fluffing her hair and mouthing, “The hair!”] Source: Giphy
And last but far from least is the QUEST, our con-wide scavenger hunt. We set up this event each year to help folks touch base with everything GeekGirlCon has to offer, and this year is no different. To play, you’ll need just your program and sense of enthusiasm. There are six checkpoints: attend a panel, play a game on the gaming floor, attend a workshop/meetup, post on social media using #GGC18, do an experiment in the DIY Science Zone, and complete the con survey. You’ll receive one stamp per activity you complete, and each stamp gains you an entry into a raffle for a bag of the sweetest goodies from our vendors. It’s up to you whether you collect one stamp or six! If you do complete every step, you’re rewarded with a pin of the GeekGirlCon avatar of your choice. And if you fill out the con survey at the GGC QUEST table, you can receive a second avatar pin of your choice!
More details about the checkpoints and how to get your stamps will be included in the program, but until then, get your game face on!
[Image Description: Sherlock walking out of a door saying, “The game, Mrs. Hudson, is on.”] Source: SteemKR
GeekGirlCon Costume Contest at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA, on Saturday, September 30, 2017.
This year I started dabbling in cosplay, and very quickly came to learn that making a costume is not only an expression of love for a fandom, but it’s also a great opportunity to show off your creative side and your design skills! A LOT of hard work goes into creating outfits, weapons, gear, and props, and it’s only right that if you’ve put in the time for that, that you be recognized for it.
That’s why we’re bringing back the Costume Contest to GeekGirlCon this year! Register in one of the two age categories: adults (13+, holding an adult GeekGirlCon pass), and kids (12 and under, with child passes). Adults can also register as a group of no more than five, if you have a squad effort happening.
Show us what you’ve sewn, hot glued, welded, knitted, or otherwise put together to celebrate your favorite geeky characters.
Image description: a cosplayer holds a R2-D2 parasol while in a ballet-themed R2-D2 costume. Photo by Danny Ngan.
After you register for the category that best suits you, you’ll also be given the option to meet our amazing panel of judges backstage. They’ll be to ask questions about your costume and look up close at it. (This is optional and you can chose not to participate in pre-event judging.) Then, all you need to do is show up on the day for the contest and strut your stuff.
Plus, there are fabulous prizes to be won for your efforts!
A participant in the kids’ costume celebration is asked about their Child of Light cosplay. Photo by Danny Ngan.
Registration is NOW OPEN and will close when all of the spots are filled, or at the time of the convention, whichever comes first. Spots are limited, so make sure you get in quick to snag yours.
We’ve been enamored reading all of your ideas for the Name Our Avatar contest and your creativity continues to amaze us with each entry.
If you haven’t had the chance to submit your idea yet, never fear! You still have a few more days to submit your name and a brief backstory online now. Submissions for the Name Our Avatar Contest close on Monday, October 1st at 11:59 PM PST. For more information on the rules, prizes, and the origin of the GeekGirlCon avatars, take a look at our prior blog post about the contest.
We look forward to announcing the winner in the coming weeks, and we’ll see you at GeekGirlCon 2018 in 28 days!
One of the many aspects of GeekGirlCon that sets it apart from other conventions is its commitment to welcoming geeks of all ages. We don’t just tolerate our kid attendees, we design the weekend with their interests in mind. Whether that means keeping our 18+ programming scheduled in the evenings or setting up a kids-only cosplay contest, we’re serious about keeping our evolution reactive to the needs of even the littlest con-goers.
In terms of kids programming, the now-classic GeekGirlCon event we’re proudest of is our DIY Science Zone. This year will mark the Zone’s eighth iteration, with each con bringing bigger and better additions. Part of the reason we’re able to keeping growing and changing when it comes to this special-ist of events is because we’ve got a community that shares our values and knows that accessible science education needs funding.
At long last, October has (almost!) arrived!!! That’s right, the best month of the year is upon us? Not only is it the time for ooky, spooky, cozy, warm, chilly, knitwear-centric, hot-beverage-filled, swirling-leaves, stay-inside-under-the-covers wonderfulness, but it’s also the month of our convention!!!! Though GeekGirlCon ‘18 certainly takes the cake in terms of exciting events this month, check out all of the other greatness coming your way this month and revel in the majesty of October!
The Seattle Public Library Central Library, 1000 4th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98104
Haunted Healing: Confronting Intergenerational Trauma through Film and Poetry Traces of America’s dark history still haunt us today. Join us as we confront this haunting through art and conversation. The program will feature a screening of Daryn Wakasa’s short horror film, SEPPUKU (2017), which treats the lingering effects of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans as a form of intergenerational haunting. Poet Melissa Bennett will share writing that explores the painful resonances of the boarding school and mental health systems that separate Native people from their culture, home land, language, faith, family, and community. Wakasa and Bennett will then discuss their work in conversation, exploring overlaps in Japanese American and Indigenous history, and creative possibilities for healing in community. The coming together of these two communities is an important alliance for the historical moment we find ourselves in now. The event will be followed by a short convivial gathering in order to create additional space for conversation and connection.
