GeekGirlCon Blog

Introducing the fabulous Featured Contributors of GeekGirlCon 2023!

Ngozi Ukazu (she/her)

Bio: Ngozi Ukazu is a New York Times-bestselling author and the creator of Check, Please!, an online graphic novel whose printing campaign remains one of the most funded webcomics Kickstarter ever. She graduated from Yale University with a degree in Computing and The Arts, and later received a masters in Sequential Arts. Since 2020, her cartoons have appeared in The New Yorker.

Mad Rupert (she/they)

Bio: 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. When not making comics, Mad enjoys spending time with her partner and their very old dog, going to the gym, and playing Minecraft. ‘Mad’ is short for Madeline, she’s not actually angry.

Aiden Thomas (he/him and they/them)

Bio: Aiden Thomas is a trans, Latinx, New York Times bestselling author of young adult novels. They received an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, OR. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color.

Jay Justice (she/her)

Bio: Jay Justice (@ThatJayJustice) is an IDIC award-winning editor, consultant, cosplayer, and game developer from New York City, based in Bangkok, Thailand. Her work has been featured by SyFy, Disney+, BBC America, and Marvel Comics, and she has been the inspiration for new characters in DC Comics and Boom Studios. Since 2009 Jay has crafted over 120 costumes and created inclusive programming at conventions, libraries & schools across the country.

Jay’s most recent work includes editing books for Macmillan Publishers, consulting on the video game ‘Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical’ and working for BioWare as a member of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition Community Council.

As an outspoken POC, LGBTQIA+, and disability advocate, Jay is dedicated to creating lasting change within her community & inspiring others to do the same.

Banana Chan (she/they)

Bio: Banana Chan is a Cantonese Canadian game designer, writer and publisher living in the US. Her latest work has been on Forgery, Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft and Betrayal at House on the Hill: 3rd Edition. They recently won Dicebreaker Awards’ Game Designer of the Year 2022 and 2 Silver ENnie Awards in 2022.

Featured Contributor Panels and Events:

Saturday:

Let’s Tell a Story: Storytelling through Games
11:00 am
In Let’s Tell a Story: Storytelling through Games we’ll be discussing the art of narrative in games. Whether its a role playing adventure, a thematic board game, or something in between, stories told via the table top help us connect with those around the table. Additionally, storytelling in games adds atmosphere, educates, and gives players an opportunity to create something together. Our panel will discuss the whys and hows of storytelling in games, and the importance of storytelling in play. Special Guest: Banana Chan

Seeing Yourself in YA
12:00 pm
Representation matters—but what makes it so important? And especially so in Young Adult literature? Join Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys, The Sunbearer Trials) and Ngozi Ukazu (Check, Please!, Bunt!) as they discuss what makes representation in YA essential for young readers.

Mystery Box Design Challenge
2:00 pm
Teams will work together with table top industry experts to create a game using only a box of mystery items. At the end, games will be judged on a predetermined criteria and a winner selected! Sign up at the Tabletop Info Booth to participate.

Cosplay Contest
2:00 pm
It’s time to wear your fandom on your sleeve and join us for our annual Cosplay Contest at GeekGirlCon 2023! Come support the hard work and talent of your fellow geeks as they showcase their finest wears and craftmanship while bringing their favorite characters to life. There will be LIVE performances by 8-Bit Brass Band – the cosplaying, mobile party band specializing in video game tunes, anime anthems, movie mashups, and fandom favorites – celebrating everyone’s inner nerd!
If you are interested in participating in the Cosplay Contest, applications can be found here: https://bit.ly/44GrX4J

The Art of Publishing a Graphic Novel
5:00 pm
Are you an artist or a writer? Why choose when graphic novels are right there! Graphic novels are flying off shelves, marrying two evocative storytelling forms: illustration and writing. Join Ngozi Ukazu (Check, Please!, Bunt!) and Mad Rupert (Bunt!) as they share tips and tricks to building a great story, and getting it out there.

Not just Science Fiction: Trans Identities in SFF
6:30 pm
Sci-fi and fantasy have a long history of breaking barriers and binaries alike. From Star Trek to Lord of the Rings, trans identities can be found in the genre everywhere. But where does the line between interpretation and canon diverge? When can it be harmful vs. satisfying representation? Join our panel to explore these questions and more, and bring a few of your own!

Sunday:

Write Now: Getting Your Idea out of Your Head and Onto the Page
9:30 am
Writer’s block is no joke, but never fear, Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys, The Sunbearer Trials), Ngozi Ukazu (Check, Please!, Bunt!), Mad Rupert (Bunt!), and more are here to offer their expertise on making a dream a reality.

The Great Board Game Design Show
11:00 am
Join a panel of professional board game designers as they unveil a mystery box of components and scramble to design a board game in 1 hour. As part of the live audience, you’ll be asked to shout out suggestions and participate in the design process. Special Guest: Banana Chan

New Woke Same Old Slumber
12:30 pm
What do you do when you cannot see yourself in the media you love? Why make it yourself of course! Join our panelists as they discuss how hard it was for them to see themselves in media growing up, how hard it still is, and how they started telling their own stories. Featuring Aiden Thomas (@aidenschmaiden)

Tea TRPG The Talk Show: Live!
2:00 pm
Join Nikki Silveira (she/her) and Kristina Sisto-Kindel (any) for the last episode of Tea TRPG the Talk Show! Tea TRPG the Talk Show is an interview show where we interview guests of marginalized gender. We have had guests from all over the world including folks who have been on Dropout’s Adventuring Academy. This time, we will have Banana Chan (she/they/he) and Sarah L. Kinney (she/her) as guests.

Portfolio Reviews:

Mad Rupert, Ngozi Ukazu and Aiden Thomas doing Portfolio Reviews, so be sure to sign up here: https://bit.ly/3P3C1Pc

Working on a comic that will wow the world? Writing the Great American Novel? Submit your personal masterpiece to be considered for a portfolio review by one of our talented featured contributors.

🎨Option 1: Portfolio Review – An opportunity for artists and illustrators to gather feedback on their portfolio from working professionals.
🖊️Option 2: Query Package Review – An opportunity for unagented authors to gather feedback on their querying materials from a published author.

Each author/illustrator has a limited number of spots to fill and will choose their reviewees personally, so submit your work today!

Alyssa Askew
“Rock On!”

GeekGirlCon 2023 Passes On Sale Now!

GeekGirlCon’23 is back for two days Saturday, October 7th through Sunday, October 8th! Join us for our exhibitor hall, geeky panels, nerdy workshops, epic gaming, cosplay, science and SO MUCH MORE! Passes are on sale now!

Applications for GeekGirlCon’23 PANELS, WORKSHOPS, and GAMING are now OPEN! Apply today!

Check out previous GeekGirlCon programming here.

For more information check out our Programming application FAQ or reach out to programming@geekgirlcon.com

Apply Here!

Alyssa Askew
“Rock On!”

The Five(ish) Fangirls Podcast talk GeekGirlCon!

A huge thank you to the Five(ish) Fangirls Podcast for chatting with our very own Jennifer Urrabazo about GeekGirlCon! They discuss the mission of GGC, Doctor Who, spider season in the PNW, and more. Give it a listen!

Constance
“Rock On!”

GeekGirlCon ’22 passes are on sale!

In case you missed it, attendee passes are now on sale! Please don’t miss our COVID-19 policies this year – they’re a crucial part of us being able to safely host a convention at all!

Scholarship passes are now also available for those in financial need.

New this year:

You asked and we listened, we’re pleased to introduce a discounted teen pass to GGC ’22!

We’ve also added new supporter/donor tiers this year for those of you interested in helping GeekGirlCon survive past the pandemic years. As always, we couldn’t do this without you all!

Constance
“Rock On!”

GeekGirlCon ’22 IS COMING! AND IN-PERSON!

GEEKGIRLCON ’22 IS COMING

Like so much of the world, GeekGirlCon has been functioning on a skeleton crew for the past couple of years. In that time, despite all of tragedy surrounding us in so many different ways, we manageing to put on two whole epic digital events: GeekGirlCONLINE ’20 and GeekGirlCONLINE ’21. The backlog of that digital programming can always be found on our Youtube channel for whenever you’re hankering for some geeky content.

Though we’re unbelievably proud of our team and community for coming through and making in happen safely online, we’re beyond excited to announce that GeekGirlCon will be back and in-person on November 5, 2022 as a one-day event. You heard that right: GeekGirlCon ’22 will be a real-life IN-PERSON, ONE-DAY event on November 5, 2022 in Seattle. 

Attendee passes are not yet on sale (please stay tuned!), but you can still apply to exhibit, submit a panel or workshop, or volunteer to be an agent! We need everyone if we’re going to give GeekGirlcon the comeback it so deserves, so please submit your ideas.

COVID-19 PROTECTIONS

We take protecting our community and staff seriously. To help us gather in-person safely, attendees of GeekGirlCon ’22 will be required to submit proof of vaccination and wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth during the event. To help us protect each other, we highly encourage our community members to further:

• Have your badge mailed (instead of picking up in-person the day of)
• Leave 6 feet of space between yourself and those outside of your party
• Take a rapid test the day of the convention if one is available
• Stay home if you feel sick!

We will definitely keep y’all posted as we further work out what meeting in person this year will mean, so please keep an eye here and on our social channels.

GEEKGIRLCON NEEDS YOU!

Lastly, we wanted to point out that we have a bunch of open positions on our year-round staff. The pandemic has been tough on us all, and GeekGirlCon’s staff is much smaller than it has been previous years. We need you to help us make GeekGirlCon ’22 possible! In particular, we’re seeking a Volunteer Manager, Registration Manager, Exhibitor Services Manager, and Cosplay Contest Coordinator. Please email us if you’re interested in those roles or any of the roles listed here.

SEE YOU IN NOVEMBER!

Teal Christensen
“Rock On!”

‘Tis the Season for Audiobooks

I’ve never been a huge fan of audiobooks, always preferring the act of reading to that of listening. In fact, up until the last couple of years, audiobooks were relegated to long road trips and flights. However, more recently I have found that while I may not always have as much time as I would like to sit down and read a book, it is still possible to get my fill of books by opting for the hands-free audio version and multi-tasking while walking the dog, cleaning the house, or sitting on the couch trying to crochet a cactus (a pandemic project). 

To me, there are three factors to consider when choosing an audiobook. First off, we obviously need a good story. However, not all books that make for good reading make for equally good listening. Non-fiction audiobooks can sometimes be a challenge for me, as I find myself getting burned out on the subject matter halfway through. That said, a good memoir seems to be a safe bet. Similarly, the length of an audiobook is important. In general, I feel that many books could benefit from a solid edit, and this is something that often becomes even more noticeable when a book is read aloud (exhibit A, the 48-hour audio version of the Ulysses S. Grant biography, ‘Grant’). Given my shortened attention span, I prefer books that are in the 15 hours or less range to prevent myself from overcommitting.  Lastly, and most importantly, is the narrator. Nothing ruins an audiobook like a narrator who reads too slowly or worse, tries to distinguish characters with terrible and often offensive accents.  However, find yourself a book with an engaging narrator, and it’s hard to take the headphones off. 

Lucy Hodge
“Rock On!”

Virtual Expo Hall will Open on November 13

Starting your holiday shopping early this year? Looking for the perfect gift for someone? Look no further than the GeekGirlCONLINE ‘21 Virtual Expo Hall! 

The Virtual Expo Hall will open next weekend, November 13, and remain open until the end of the year. The Virtual Expo Hall is full of unique, geeky gifts as far as the virtual eye can see. You can find art, fashion, comics, decor, books, games, housewares, and toys, in addition to gifts from LGBTQ+-owned and POC-owned businesses. If you can’t find what you’re looking for browsing through the different categories, there is also an “All” category where you can see all exhibitors and browse gifts that didn’t fit into a specific category. There is truly something for everyone among the offerings of our 120+ exhibitors. 

Kelsey Christensen
“Rock On!”

GeekGirlCONLINE ’21 Schedule is HERE!

GeekGirlCONLINE ‘21 WILL BE HERE IN LESS THAN A MONTH! If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for November 13 and 14! 

All of our programming this year is free to stream on Twitch. Click through here for FAQs about this year’s event.

In case you haven’t seen already, we’ve recently announced our full programming schedule. We’ve got a packed schedule—from the DNA of strawberries to BIPOC artists in animation, there’s truly something for everyone this year. Read on for full details about each event. 

Teal Christensen
“Rock On!”

Meg Murry: Girl Power through Space and Time

The first time I read A Wrinkle in Time, it was part of a 4^th grade reading assignment, where each student had to choose a book that all the other students would then take turns reading. I’ll be honest. A Wrinkle in Time, chosen by the only kid in class who could spell Czechoslovakia (which was both still a country at that time and quite the feat of spelling), fell somewhere between the books Soup on Wheels and Freckle Juice, both of which resonated with my 9-year-old bookish self a bit more than A Wrinkle in Time.

With its more complex character development and themes of love and individuality that seemed beyond my years or at least beyond Soup on Wheels, that initial reading didn’t leave me feeling all that inspired. That said, I fortunately returned to the book just a few short years later and have since read it at least half a dozen times. With each new reading, more of the book’s magic and wisdom is revealed to me, largely through its oh-so-relatable 13-year-old protagonist and my personal geek girl hero, the plucky Meg Murry.

Lucy Hodge
“Rock On!”

GeekGirlCONLINE ’21 is Coming November 13 and 14

GeekGirlCONLINE ‘21 is coming!

On the weekend of November 13 and 14, we’re bringing you this year’s celebration of all things geeky in the form of GeekGirlCONLINE ‘21. This is a free, digital event streamed on GeekGirlCon’s Twitch channel. Follow and turn on notifications now!

Programming content for this year’s event is being curated by our glorious Programming Team. Some of the sessions will be pre-recorded, but most will be live. We’ll be announcing the schedule in early August, so stay tuned.

Below we’ve answered some FAQs about GeekGirlCONLINE ‘21. If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to geekgirlconline@geekgirlcon.com.

Teal Christensen
“Rock On!”