As a writer and aspiring author, one of my favorite parts of GGC19 was hearing from some of the biggest new voices in publishing during the “Rising Stars” panel.
Each author had so many great things to say about their personal and professional experiences that I had a hard time cutting down my notes from the panel, so please enjoy this overly lengthy recap before checking out the authors’ books for yourself!
Is it hard for anyone else to believe that GeekGirlCon was a full two weeks ago? Maybe it’s because the daily routine of work, sleep, and Con-less days has set in; maybe it’s because this fall has felt like it’s lasted about two second, but I for one am already feeling nostalgic for the whirlwind of panels, workshops, cosplay contests, DIY Science Zone-ing, Exhibitor Hall-perusing, merch-purchasing days of the Con.
The perfect solution to the post-Con blues? Looking through all of the awesome photos from the #GGC19 photobooth! Taken by veteran GeekGirlCon photographer Sayed Alamy, the full photobooth album is up on Flickr now.
While I highly recommend looking through them all to fully relive the Con magic (and get excited for next year!), here are just a few of my favorites:
Image Description: Three people cosplaying as Hogwarts students.Image Description: Two people cosplaying as ghostbusters.Image Description: Two people cosplaying as Belle and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.Image Description: Four people cosplaying as the Heathers, from Heathers.Image Description: Two people cosplaying as Princess Bubblegum and Marceline.Image Description: A person wearing a beanie, denim jacket, glasses, and a t-shirt that reads “Black Girl Magic.” They are holding their hands on their hips.Image Description: Three people cosplaying as King Trident, Ursula, and Ariel from The Little Mermaid.Image Description: A person cosplaying as General Leia Organa.
Another amazing GeekGirlCon is in the books. This year’s convention was definitely my favorite so far (though to be fair, I’ve been saying every year for nine years—and will continue to say it in the years to come). We had amazing panels, spectacular featured contributors, delightful musical performances, and most importantly an awesome, engaged community of attendees (that’s you!)
Whether you attended those panels, lifted your voice at a sing-along or concert, showed off your cosplay creations, played a game, met your favorite author, or found new treasures in our exhibitor’s hall, you contributed to GeekGirlCon. You continue to surprise and delight us each year. We do it for you, but we couldn’t do it without you.
Thank you for sharing your world (and your weekend) with GeekGirlCon. We’ll see you soon.
With love, Sharon Magliano Feliciano President, GeekGirlCon Board of Directors
Can you believe it’s Day 2 of GeekGirlCon 2019? Since GGC is one weekend long, that means it’s the last day as well. This is the first year I’m working at the con, and I have to say it’s so satisfying seeing everyone sharing their passions and favorite fandoms through panels, cosplay, performances, and art work.
While this is the official last day of #GGC19, keep the spirit going after the convention ends by using the hashtag #ShareYourWorld. Each one of you, whether you’re a volunteering or attending, makes GeekGirlCon so great!
GeekGirlCon ’19 is in full swing, and we’ve packed so much into one weekend that it can be hard to see and do it all. BUT, if you’re a person who likes things of any kind, and you haven’t had the chance to pop up to the Exhibitor Hall on the fourth floor yet, you should absolutely check it out.
Not convinced? Here’s just a tiny look at everything you can see, do, & buy:
Description: A young GGC attendee shows off their stuff dressed up as Pikachu!
The theme for our Con this year is ‘Share Your World,’ and I wanted to take this opportunity to share a bit of mine. I am a huge Pokémon fan, and I have been an avid Pokémon GO player from the very beginning. Coincidentally, Novembers Community Day happens to coincide with day one of GGC! It is a true melding of my worlds.
For any who don’t know what Pokémon GO Community Day is, for a few hours on one day a month, a specific Pokémon is featured and spawns more frequently in the wild. The game also offers other bonuses during this time, such as increased instances of shiny Pokémon, experience boosts, and special moves for evolving the featured Pokémon.
Todays featured Pokémon was Chimchar!
Description: A shiny Chimchar jumps in an attempt to avoid capture.
Living in a suburb north of Seattle, I generally have my preferred Pokémon hunting grounds near to my home. Today, however, I had the chance to hunt in the city around the Washington State Convention Center. Just walking around the Con, I could tell that the love for Pokémon was strong, which is great because the area surrounding the convention center is chalk full of gyms and pokestops.
Description: A Pokemon GO map displaying a plethora of pokestops, gyms, and Pokemon to be caught.
Hunting for Chimchar in downtown Seattle was a new experience for me this time because I set out on my own. Usually, I go out in my neighborhood haunts with my boyfriend to celebrate Community Day. The environments are familiar, the best spawn places are well known, and I have the company of my partner. Today, he was out of town visiting a friend, and I hit the crowded and less known streets of Seattle to catch as many Chimchar as I could.
At first, I was scared. I’m very shy by nature and I also deal with bouts of extreme social anxiety from time to time. The area wasn’t what I was used to, and I didn’t have my partner to lean on if I felt uncomfortable. The people around me were not those I had come to know by sight in my own neighborhood through many Community Days together, but strangers.
Despite these facts, the spirit of the day began to wash away my fears. I saw three people meet on a corner (holding two phones each) and begin to discuss their goals for the event. As I continued to walk, I would make eye contact and exchange a friendly nod with my fellow players. Con goers in full cosplay were out and about playing. At one point, and older woman stopped me to ask for some advice. She was a newer player and wanted to know how to tell a shiny Pokémon from a regular one, and I was more than happy to share my knowledge with her.
Description: GGC attendees in full cosplay out on the streets of Seattle to participate in Pokemon Go Community Day.
This is why I love this game. It encourages people to get out, see their community, and make friends. I have seen all types of people out playing at any given time—kids and their parents, couples, friends, and even the elderly. In my experience, there is not any one “type” of person who plays Pokémon Go. People of all genders and ages are able to find enjoyment in the game, and it gives us all a common bond.
In my everyday life, I won’t really go out of my way to talk to people. But on Community Day, that all changes. I almost become a different person. I will go up to groups of people and ask if they want to become in-game friends. There are people gathered around gyms to take down whatever featured legendary Pokémon raid is happening, excited at the prospect of having more people in their raid groups to give them the best chance to catch a rare Pokémon. After raids, people will congratulate or console complete strangers on their luck (or lack of) in catching the raid Pokémon. Children will come up to me to show off their best catches. Pokémon GO creates a safe place to enjoy something fun.
By the end of the three-hour event, I had caught right around 100 Chimchar, which really isn’t a bad haul. Within the first hour I had already obtained a three-star shiny Chimchar, which made the entire day a victory in my book. All in all, I walked away with three three-star Infernapes, including my shiny, with candies to spare to train them up. I ventured outside of my comfort zone to play a game I love, and I feel that my efforts were rewarded.
Description: An in-game stat sheet for a shiny Infernape.
I’m looking forward to the announcement of next months Community Day! Check in game for details and play safely!
Can you believe it? GGC19 weekend is almost here! Start your weekend early and join us tomorrow night at the Pacific Science Center for the most epic GeekGirlCon Kick Off Party yet.
Image source: Giphy [Image Description: A blond woman exclaims to her friends “I’m ready to PAAAAAAAAAAAAAARTY.”]
Where: Pacific Science Center. You can enter through the Denny entrance, on the South side of the PSC building.
When: Friday, November 15th from 7:00 – 10:00pm
What: food, a cash bar, crafts, games, music, geeky madlibs, and so much more!
Need some more convincing? Here are the top 5 reasons why you should attend:
1. You’ve already paid for it. The Kick Off Party is included with your GGC pass, so why not go?
2. Skip the Saturday morning line. Speaking of your GGC pass, you can pick it up at the party itself. That means you don’t have to wait in line on Saturday. Treat yourself to an extra half hour of sleep and pick up your pass Friday night!
3. Earn prizes by meeting new people. The Kick Off party is a great way to meet fellow GGC attendees. If you play a round of geeky madlibs with a person you met at the Kick Off Party, you can enter to win prizes.
4. Lots of different activities. On top of geeky madlibs, you’ll have a chance to…
craft a dragon egg,
merge crafting and coding with Turtlestitch,
play board games,
dance to the music, and
fill up with tasty food and drinks
5. Party favors. That’s right, there will be multiple party favors from sponsors.
Get ready to party and join us tomorrow night for the GeekGirlCon Kick Off Party!
Can you believe that #GGC19 is barely two days away? In celebration of our launch, we’re rolling out our final Q&As. From the Women of NASA, to a sneak preview of our 2019 merch, we’ve still got some really exciting content to share with all of you.
Molly Brooks is one of our Featured Contributors and an absolute brilliant illustrator. Her comics are heartfelt and diverse—advocating more representation on the page and behind the pen. Her debut graphic novel, Sanity & Tallulah (October 2018) is a funny and smart story about best friends who must find their furry, adorable, and totally illegal science experiment. Chock-full of imaginative biology, tech, and engineering references, Sanity & Tallulah encourages experimentation and problem-solving. In the sequel, Sanity & Tallulah: Field Trip (October 2019), the dynamic duo are going on a field trip—to another planet! They get sucked into an adventure of intergalactic proportions when they’re pursued by a pirate and seek the aid of an accountant, a math hermit, and a group of mysterious beekeepers.
In preparation for her appearance at #GGC19, Molly did a Q&A with me about her influences, the importance of diversity, and of course, her furry office attendants!
GGC19 is less than a week away, and we have a bunch of meetups planned throughout the weekend, so you can geek out with people who get it. Curious about what’s in store? Here’s the complete list:
Glimmer, Adora & Bow from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power hugging on a transparent background. They are wearing their usual outfits. Source: Giphy
Curious about what’s in store? Here’s the complete list:
I know, I KNOW—October
was about a week long, and it feels like we’ve only been in November for maybe
12 minutes, but it’s true: GGC’19 kicks off in SEVEN DAYS.
A gif of person cosplaying as a yellow inflatable dancing tube man. They are waving their arms wildly while standing in front of a row of vendor booths at a con. Source: Giphy.
If you’ve been
putting off buying your tickets, don’t panic—you can grab them right now. If you have
your passes and want to start planning your con experience, check out this year’s
Guidebook. If you, like
me and plenty of other con goers, are excited but also a bit anxious about the
whole con experience, you can find some great tips in Hanna & Teal’s post
from earlier this week, #GeekGirlTalk:
Self-Care During GeekGirlCon ’19.
So, pull out your
comfiest shoes, put the finishing touches on your cosplay, and get ready for
our biggest con yet. We’ll see you there!
A gif of Hasan Minhaj on Patriot Act. He is wearing a denim jacket and a dark t-shirt and saying, “Buckle up,” while raising his pointer fingers and looking at the camera. Source: Giphy
