Our Saturday Recap: Panels, Cosplay, and Merch! Oh My!
The first day of con has come and gone, and there are plenty of feels to go around.
Each year, my team covers various panels and events to write about for the GeekGirlCon blog—a truly daunting task, of course. This year we each wanted to write a short blurb about our experiences during the weekend of con to share with all of you: what panels we attended, our favorite exhibitors, and a little bit about what’s happening behind-the-scenes (you know, those important anecdotes about naps in the staff room and dad jokes that only we find funny).
#GGC18 may go down as one of our favorites yet, and we hope you’re having just as much fun as we are thus far!
From GeekGirlCon Manager of Editorial, Indigo Boock (me!)
Saturday morning started off with a pot of coffee delivered right to my hotel room door at 6:15 sharp. Oh, I could write ballads to that coffee, but no amount of caffeine would stand a chance to the hectic excitement that awaited me on the convention floor.
Appropriately, I started off my day at a panel that meant a lot to me and my relationship with gaming: 25 Years of Myst Fandom.
Back when I learned that Cyan would be joining us for GeekGirlCon 2018, I was floored. I immediately called my dad and geeked out over the news, and without a doubt I was primed and ready for the panel at 11:30 this morning. A conversation between Myst co-creator Rand Miller and super fans Melinda Rose and Eleri Hamilton, the panelists discussed the game and the truly unique community that has tirelessly slaved over its lore throughout the years. Though I have far less street cred than both Melinda and Eleri, Myst has a sneaky way of integrating itself into pivotal parts of my life, and that now includes my time working with GeekGirlCon.
During a little bit of down time, I finally had a chance to walk around the exhibitor hall—and I am genuinely shocked that my wallet is still in once piece (though it’s definitely not happy with me). I passed some familiar faces, added a few more t-shirts to my ever growing collection, and connected with an artist I hadn’t heard of before but whose work I instantly adored. Susana’s (@S2HEARTBunny) style meshed perfectly with my aesthetic: very pink and a little eerie. She even told me about a smaller, local event that she’s organizing in the coming months, illustrafest!
The exhibitors truly outdid themselves this year. I’m proud that I displayed at least a little self control and didn’t just buy everything for myself.
This year I was also joined by my mom, who periodically reported which panels she was excited about and the new friends that she was making. She really reminded me why I love this community, and also made me question my own genetics and introverted tendencies when she walked by with her newfound con-posse. My mom, who I’ve written about on the blog before, is still a little newer to the geeky side of life and definitely fresh to the convention scene. Initially a display of support for my work with the organization, her own interests have taken off and she’s really learned to open up and savor the experience. A geek in training yet, she’s proud so say that she has learned a lot and excited to keep going.
When your parental unit knows you so well that they buy you the same shirt you bought yourself. #GGC18 pic.twitter.com/W9NH4yNIDX
— Indigo Linde 🌿 (@indigoboock) October 28, 2018
The rest of my day was spent tucked away in various panels and stowed up writing in the staff room—definitely not gorging on donuts whilst whining about how sore my feet were thanks to my ill fated decision to wear high heeled boots. I fawned over the women of Dungeons & Dragons, who have been working on the franchise since I was in grade school, and the lovely team behind Magic: The Gathering Arena. I also stopped by the Women in Horror panel for a few good laughs (and some much needed profanity). All in all, it was an great day.
….and here’s to a second that’s just as amazing as the first!
From GeekGirlCon Copywriter, Caitlin Foskey.
Day one is done! Last year at GGC’17 I spent most of my time in panels, so this year I wanted to explore more of the con itself. In the morning I wandered the floors to see how everything we’ve worked all year on has come together and to check out the cosplays people are rocking. For me, GGC always feels a bit like a homecoming. I love connecting and reconnecting with people who share my interests and enthusiasm for the same geeky, intersectional things and I enjoy discovering new fandoms to check out.
At 11:30, I attended the Women of Funko Creative panel. As a woman who also works in a creative department, I appreciated hearing about their experiences in the industry, as well as how their fandoms have boosted their job performance. If you missed it, we’ll be doing a recap for the blog, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
In the afternoon I walked through the expo hall, which is huge and packed full of incredible artists, authors, and merch. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend you take a peek tomorrow.
From GeekGirlCon Campaign Manager, JC Lau.
I started bright and early this morning with a press/media mixer. Doing interviews and talking to people about GeekGirlCon is a great refresher for why I’ve been on GGC Staff for 4 years–the fact that we’re intentionally inclusive and family-friendly is really what makes GeekGirlCon the Little Convention That Could. Also, when I was talking to the media, I discovered that one of the members of the press was Regina from Spark Science, a physicist who had previously written a blog piece for our website!
I went to the Bungie Let’s Play (in part because I used to work with these people and wanted to show my support for them):
I was cosplaying today so I was dressed as Ana Bray, who is a character from Destiny 2. Ana is a queer Asian woman character, which basically never happens in video games. So, naturally, I had to represent! Speaking of cosplay, the cosplay game is LIT this year. Before 10:00 this morning, I’d already seen Merida, Zoya the Destroyer, Holtzmann, and three genderbent Lokis. I also came across this amazing Toph and Kitara combo:
Also, one of the meeting rooms was named after her!
#AnaBae approves of this @GeekGirlCon room #GGC18 pic.twitter.com/EuYom5iEt3
— JC Lau (@drjclau) October 27, 2018
After that, it was on to Meet and Geek, which is a networking/mentoring event. There, I spent some time talking about game development and how to get into the games industry with some aspiring women in games and tech. I’m so excited for the opportunities that future generations of game devs will have in the industry!
I knew I had a lot of panel/convention work tomorrow, so I wanted to take this time to wander the expo hall! There, I reunited with some friends from other conventions, and it turns out that cosplaying was a great way to meet people as well. I met some of our featured contributors that way today, which was great because I was planning to go to their panels tomorrow.
Also, while I was on the expo floor, I got some delicious shrubs to mix into some well-deserved adult beverages into:
From GeekGirlCon Copywriter, Hanna Hupp.
What a fun, exciting, exhausting, and exhilarating first day of GeekGirlCon 2018! In addition to being a copywriter at GeekGirlCon, I’m also the Interim Volunteer Coordinator this year, which means that for me this weekend is quite a bit of running back and forth between panel rooms and Agent Headquarters, feverishly scribbling notes and trying to balance my phone (always checking for those logistical texts!), my Exhibitor Hall goodies (I have no willpower to resist so much incredible talent all in one place!), my bottle of water (have to stay hydrated!), my notebook (so many hilarious and inspiring gems to document!), and all the various other papers, pens, and snacks I can grasp.
I started off the day with the Sappho on the Silver Screen panel. As someone with an unfortunately severely limited knowledge of classic Hollywood but an intense interest in all things related to queer representation, I couldn’t have been happier with this panel. I’m now convinced that I need to watch the entire filmography of Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and Barbara Stanwyck immediately!
Next up, I made sure to catch the Women of Funko panel. Featuring an array of renderers, sculptors, and designers, the panel covered everything from how to break into the industry; to everything that goes on behind the scenes to design and produce Pop figurines, action figures, and plush toys; to the culture of collaboration and open dialogue that characterizes Funko, to so much more.
My last panel of the day was the live podcast recording of Feminist Frequency Radio. When I originally saw that this was one of the panels this year, I knew that I had to make it work with my schedule no matter what. It certainly did not disappoint! The podcast hosts Anita, Ebony, and Caroline were each hilarious and insightful when discussing pop culture news, the complexities of “gender-swapped” media, and what they’ve been “freaking out” over lately.
All in all, a long but incredible start to this year of GeekGirlCon. Back at it again tomorrow!
From GeekGirlCon Copywriter, Teal Christensen.
This year was my fourth GeekGirlCon, and all I can say is that I love being a part of this family.
I’m a pretty intensive panel attendee; it’s what I look forward to most year to year. Today, my favorite panel was—if I had to choose just one—Feminist Frequency Live. Anita Sarkeesian is one of my favorite feminists working in the geeky/pop culture sphere, and it’s always such a treat and a delight to witness her majesty in person. Ebony and Carolyn were also just pure perfection. I highly, highly recommend checking out their podcast if you haven’t.
Besides all of the panels, something I was really loving today was the visibility of kids and families around the con. GeekGirlCon has always been so great about prioritizing kid- and family-friendly programming, but this year their presence felt especially big and vibrant. Seeing so many kids around always reminds me of just how different ours is from other cons and why our values are so, so necessary.
Tomorrow, I’m really excited to hear from Britta Lundin and Margaret Stohl. People who write stories by and about teens are! My! People!
I’m also going to have to take another turn around the Expo Hall (this time with an eye out for potential winter-holiday gifts).
And of course, I’m ready for all of the coffee I’ll feel perfectly justified in downing before 10:00 a.m. See you there!
