Adaptation from one medium to another can be tricky. What are some examples that failed and why? Participants: Randee Dawn (mod), Kendrick Edmund Cronin, T. Aaron Cisco
Content creation seems to be for the young, but in reality, creators are likely to be older than you think! Many do the Twitch thing, hold down a day job, raise families, and try to have a life. Let's discuss being older and online creating content. Participants: Tanya DePass, Chris Kluwe, Brian Forrest (mod)
Discuss how technology is transforming the tabletop gaming experience. From digital tools that enhance gameplay to the rise of virtual platforms, this panel will explore the benefits and challenges of integrating technology into traditional gaming. Participants: Jaymie Delia Wagner, Grace Holdinghaus, Eric Zawadzki, Philip F Henry (mod)
The family dynamics of the Addams Family are often lauded as goal-worthy, especially Gomez/Morticia. Come discuss what you find appealing across the various incarnations of the characters. Participants: Tony Artym, Jaymie Delia Wagner, Nathan Michael Anderson, Sarah Moretsky, Kendrick Edmund Cronin (mod)
Romance/fantasy books are all over bestseller lists and social media. What makes a good romantasy? What about other related subgenres like paranormal romance, gothic romance, and sci-fi romance? Let's pick some tropes and name names. Participants: Randee Dawn, Samuel T. Weston, Kate Dane (mod), Paige Elisabeth Erickson, Atlas
A remake of a 1922 German silent film shouldn’t have been the smash hit of 2024-2025. Yet somehow a wheezing, mustachioed, combover vampire was exactly what people needed. Let’s talk about how to interpret the film and the varied reactions to it. Participants: skazka 9000, Nathan Michael Anderson, Kirsten Hazel Roepke-Larsen (mod), Brian Forrest, Bricklyn Holtgrave
Come vote for your favorite nerdy answers in the audience as you watch the panel play a variety of JackBox fill-in-the-blank games. Participants: Nikki Armstrong (mod), Duck Washington, Arthur Ray Armstrong, James Fairbairn, Caitlyn McGrath, Amanda Nerud, Kelvin Hatle
We've seen panels where a hot dog's pedigree as a sandwich is up for debate, but what other topics in SFF/H are worth batting around? Panelists bring their controversial takes and present them for debate, with a moderator declaring resolutions at the end. Participants: Randee Dawn, Elizabeth Ess (mod), Shaun L Larsen, Nikki Armstrong
Thursday July 3, 2025 11:30pm - Friday July 4, 2025 12:30am CDT Hyatt 2 Greenway FGH
What does it mean to be an artist with the rise of AI? How do you protect your work? How do you market your skills against a machine? Participants: Geoffrey D Williams, Charles Urbach, Amber Raden (mod)
What's the appeal of TV and films that never end? How much is our need to ease into a familiar place without a season of worldbuilding and how much of it is about a shared social experience? What are other reasons we like long-lived shows and franchises? Participants: Nathan Michael Anderson, Wes Huntington, Randee Dawn, Assad Khaishgi (mod), Janelle Kloth
What makes readers love a character? Let's discuss some of our favorite stories and why the characters live on in our minds. Are series characters more likely to stand out? Participants: Jaymie Delia Wagner, Barbara Gregorich, Randee Dawn (mod), C.S.E. Cooney, Prof Brown
Are you an Avatar fan? No, not the blue people one--Avatar: the last Airbender. Cartoons, comics, books, and the live action...but not *that live action! Get together will other fans and discuss what you like about the series and hope to see! Participants: Samuel T. Weston, Lisa Marie Deguiseppi, Cetius d'Raven (mod), Michael S Shappe, Chantalle Uzan
From the original manga to the new Cosmos movies, it's the series that keeps on giving! Which generation of fan are you? Let's take a quick trip through the legendary series that introduced so many of us to anime. Participants: Heather Bufkin
Bienvenue! Do you think you know the most about our grump and not so grump? Then come on down to the 2nd Annual Game Grumps Jeopardy! This lighthearted game will feature questions for old and new fans alike! Participation is not required! Participants: Tabitha Moore, Link Christianson
Can you dip like Dio? Are your knees as strong as Jonathan's...fists? Does your spine bend like Old Man Joseph when he sees a pretty lady? Come and try your best to pose like Jojo characters! Prizes will be awarded! Participants: Ian Cross, Laine Schierman, Ellie Lockman, Thomas Lockman, Amaya Park-Goldsmith
Ryan Coogler and company gave us a vampire movie that incorporates lore and ties it in with American experiences of "the other", assimilation, and resistance. Let's talk about this ish! Participants: Gregory Parks (mod), T. Aaron Cisco, Lathan Murrell, Damarra Atkins
Friday July 4, 2025 11:30pm - Saturday July 5, 2025 12:30am CDT Hyatt 2 Greenway FGH
Join Talking Cardboard as they dive into the world of board game design and publishing. Get insights from industry experts as we explore their journeys, challenges, and the creative process behind bringing your favorite games to life. Participants: Nick Dotzenrod (mod), Cory Peickert, Jeremy Geenen, Adam Rehberg, Justin Kemppainen, Liz Davidson
Join two-time World Fantasy and Rhysling Award-winning author C.S.E. Cooney in a bazaar of tips, tool, and methods to build the world and myths of your very own story in any medium. Participants: C.S.E. Cooney, Kyle B Dekker (mod)
Geeks and nerds are far more common in the memberships of sports industries than you've heard. Hear some first hand reports from the trenches. Participants: Chris Kluwe, Peter Maxwell Avirom, Ryan Kaiser
The world of self-publishing can be misleading. This will be a discussion about the realities versus the expectations of that process, all the pitfalls to avoid, and all the benefits to be gained. Participants: Stephanie Olson, Barbara Gregorich, Madeleine Vasaly, Prof Brown (mod), Becca Justiniano
Creators (esp. film) have a checkered past in portraying marginalized groups accurately, never mind respectfully. But is it better than no representation at all? How can we improve this situation? Participants: Dirk Thomas Ykema, Assad Khaishgi, Laura Okagaki, Shannan Paul (mod), Jules Porter
Stories are written across many mediums: novels, poems, plays, lyrics, and so much more. In what ways are these processes the same and what are the key ways they are different? Participants: C.S.E. Cooney, Kyle B Dekker (mod)
The panel where we talk about anything and everything *except* the CONvergence Masquerade. If you are interested in everything *except* the masquerade, this is the panel for you! Participants: Nick Glover, Melissa Kaercher, Molly Glover, Jeremy Stomberg
Ebony and Ivory, Black and Asian, etc.--why are we so afraid of this? What can we do to combat that fear and embrace the statement "love is love". Join us as we discuss this topic and more. Participants: Kiki Joy Latham (mod), Cyn Sanchez, Justin Edward Grays, Lathan Murrell
Many have observed striking parallels between recent U.S. history and that of Germany in the late 20s/early 30s. What can we do to ensure history doesn't repeat itself? Participants: Jaymie Delia Wagner, Abigail Sloane Silver, Boris Leonidovich Smelov, Kendrick Edmund Cronin (mod), Jules Porter
Saturday July 5, 2025 11:30pm - Sunday July 6, 2025 12:30am CDT Hyatt 2 Greenway FGH
Let’s discuss the value in engaging in creative projects without the end goal of turning them into a money-making enterprise, whether it be a full-time career or a side-hustle. Participants: Prof Brown, Tanya Brody, Jerry Belich, Kendrick Edmund Cronin (mod), Amber Raden
Struggle with going back to regular life after a convention? You're not alone. Our panelists will discuss their coping mechanisms and why it might be good that conventions are usually just vacations. Participants: Heather L Heim, Kelly Murphy, Renate Fiora, Kendrick Edmund Cronin, T. Aaron Cisco (mod)
When we started, we were headed somewhere else, but we got here. Come hear stories of unexpected triumphs and cautionary tales! Participants: Chris Kluwe, Tanya DePass
Is a sausage on a bun a sandwich? What about a stroopwafel? Come debate the merits of the sandwich alignment chart. Participants: Randee Dawn, Tony Harmelink, Nikki Armstrong (mod)
