Warning, this is a long post, but totally worth the time to read!
This is the slate of panels that made the cut for Escapade 33.5, schedule to be determined.
To end up on the schedule, panels must have mods, we will not schedule panels without a mod. Panels that need mods are noted in the post below.
If you want to volunteer to mod, email info@escapadecon.net and let us know which panel. If you want to draft a friend, get THEM to email info@escapadecon.net to confirm.
And now, on to the panel cut:
GENERAL/META
AI: Threat or Menace?
AI-generated art & text are all the rage these days! Which means: Marketing departments are pushing them hard, and fandom is enraged. However, coding and gaming communities are finding a lot of value in them. Let’s discuss what’s going on and what it might mean for fandom in the future.
Mod(s): elf
Alternate Universes: Make a Wish
Which shows lend themselves to AUs? What makes an AU work or not work? At what point does a AU move too far away from the show to be recognizable, or take away what makes the original show what drew you to it on the first place? Are fusions an AU or a different trope altogether? Let’s discuss the best of show, the good, the bad and the “what is that doing in my fandom” AUs.
Mod(s): Teresa
Bechdel Variations
The original Bechdel-Wallace test for movies: Must have 2 women who talk to each other about something other than a man. Some people make it “two NAMED women.” There’s race variant: two PoC talk to each other about something other than a white person. What other variants have you seen? How useful are these tests?
Mod(s): Gideon Marcus
But Are They Doing It Right?
We are getting more representation in our media, but are they getting it right? Are the depictions realistic or just old stereotypes doing more harm than good? Were we better off with meaningful looks, sly quips, good actors with great chemistry and filling in the rest ourselves?
Mod(s): Constance
Changing the Canon from Underneath Us
What do we do when canon changes out from underneath us? Do we move on or change things for the betters.
Mod(s): Killa
History of Fandom
Who are we? How did we get here? Where are we going now?
Mod(s): Megan Kent
In the key of C-Novel
So many C-Novels are being officially released! Which ones are great, which ones should we stay away from, and which do you Wish would be licensed?
Mod(s): glymr
Mega Fandoms of The Olden Days
A walk through memory lane of our favorite troupes of classic fandoms that has fallen out of fashion.
Mod(s): Tree Wishes, Diana Williams
The Perennial Panel 👾🍆
Once again, we meet to discuss the ultimate kink. Which is better: Wings, scales, tentacles, lycanthropy, shapeshifting goo? (Anyone have recs that combine all of those?) How do recent trends compare to “traditional” fics, and what’s in store for the future?
Mod(s): Tree Wishes
Pre K/S, Who Should Kiss?
Subtitle: Slash in the ’60s–the digital edition!
You loved it before, now love the love again–we’ll go through all the shippable characters from ’60s tv and beyond, the couples and threesomes that should have been slashed, but it hadn’t been invented yet.
Mod(s): Gideon Marcus
Shallow Fandom
How hot do you need a character to be in order to engage with fandom? Two hot guys? Ten? Is the content more important than the hotness? Where do we fall?
Mod(s): Fashes
Showing up 5 minutes late with coffee
What do you do when you show up to a fandom several months, years, decades after a fandom’s had it’s heyday? Do you revive? pimp? Dig through buried treasure?
Mod(s): Saklani
Superhero Slash
We should have a space to talk about superhero slash. Bat kids. Flash villains. The Boys. There’s so many interesting characters and so many ways to slash them.
Mod(s): Nox
Time-Travel Fics
Some fandoms get tons of time-travel fics. Some barely get any. From fix-its to “Groundhog Day” setups to post-canon “travel back to canon and do things differently” (or the same, with a new perspective) – what tropes have we found? Which kinds of canon inspire which kinds of time-travel stories?
Mod(s): Gideon Marcus
When Writers Screw Up Villains and Heroes
Some authors write villains as unredeemable and heroes and above reproach, does it make it easier or harder for fandom to interact? How do people feel when your favorites get changed?
Mod(s): NONE
The Writers’ Strike and Fandom
Sad at the lack of new content vs. support of the people who make fandom possible. How will the strike goals benefit the shows that make good fandoms?
Mod(s): elf, Constance
FANDOM SPECIFIC
Anime: That Time I Got Transmigrated to an Escapade Panel
Anime fans, come join us! Old school KOR and Ranma or the newest Spy X Family fans are all welcome! Let’s talk about which shows are worth watching or re-watching.
Mod(s): glymr and aaronatium
Barbie (2023): Barbie Movie Hype
Come squee about the Barbie trailers! Share hopes and fears about the upcoming movie and discuss Barbie meta, fashion, professions, and social impact.
Mod(s): Michelle
D&D Honor Among Thieves: Honor Among Thots
Are they Thots? We don’t know but let’s talk about Thots, DILFs and Paladins. And Holga and her one true love: Potatoes.
Mod(s): Saphire Dance
IWTV: Interview with the Vampire
The guys are hot. The guys are gay. What more do you want?
Mod(s): Amalthia, Killa
Kinnporsche: KPTS Talk & Rec
Let’s talk about all the awesome things we’ve found in fandom! Fics! Vids! Art! All the fun!
Mod(s): nevertheless
Love in the Air: Weatherboys Pimping Panel
It’s got everything! Spanking, Non-Con, PTSD, Street Racing, and Daddy Kink? Come get pimped into a new fandom. :)
Mod(s): nevertheless
Marvel Cinematic Universe: MCU 2023
Secret Invasion is out! The Marvels are just around the corner. Spiderman Across the Universe is changing the art landscape as we know it. How are we feeling about it? What do we like? What do we not like? How do these films feels in the greater scheme of the universes.
Mod(s): nevertheless, greenygal
OFMD: Our Flag Means Porn
OFMD fandom is here, it’s queer, and it’s making great fanwork! The fanart in this fandom is mindblowingly gorgeous and beautiful. Let’s screenshare our favorite fanart with each other and give the fanarts the appreciating they deserve.
Mod(s): Killa
The Old Guard: Sequel: Excited or Terrified?
We’ve been waiting for three years! Have you seen the on-set photos? Have you read the comics? Are you looking forward to the second Old Guard movie, or peeking through your fingers?
Mod(s): Charlotte
Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: More Scum, More Villains!
Which version of Shen Qingqiu is the best? Do you like evil Shen-Jiu or poor little meow meow Shen Jiu (or are they the same???) Are you a fan of BingQiu or MoShang or the rarest of pairs? Let’s talk about the wildest and wackiest and Most Meta of MXTX’s novels!
Mod(s): glymr
Spiderverse: The Spiderverse Opens
Across the Spider-Verse is here, and it’s brought whole new dimensions to the original. Let’s talk about these films: the amazing art and animation, characters old and new, and what we might expect in the future.
Mod(s): Greenygal
Star Trek: Unfound Worlds
What do we want out of unexplored spaces in Star Trek? There’s so many shows but still so much potential in the universes to explore. What is our ideal Trek show? What do we dream?
Mod(s): Saklani
Ted Lasso: RomCommunism (write-in)
The show’s ended, so let’s talk about what we loved, hated, and the bits in-between. How do you feel about the show’s portrayal of mental health and therapy? What about how it handled queerness and representation? Or forgiveness? What’s your favorite funny episode? Which one made you cry? And of course, what are your favorite ships, and did they play out like you hoped? Bring fic recs and let’s talk Ted Lasso!
Mod(s): Airawyn
Teen Wolf: Alpha, My Alpha… is he really Alpha material?
Is Scott truly the lead of the show? Is Scott the moral upright leader of the “Light” he identifies as? Is he deserving of being the TRUE ALPHA? Is he a good friend and a dependable person, or is he a stupid bad puppy? Let’s discuss the reality of Scott and why, in my mind, Teen Wolf is all about the Stiles.
Mod(s): Teresa
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Humans, Beasts, Cars, Transformers has something for everyone. With an exiting new movie and a new cartoon and a comic coming up let’s talk about a fandom that’s More Than Meets The Eye.
Mod(s): Saphire Dance
The Untamed: Untamed Recs
What’s new and what’s good in fandom? Finding anything good or is everyone fishbowling?
Mod(s): Amalthia
TECH, WORKSHOP, ALT PROGRAMMING/VIDEO
Accessibility in Fandom
What’s possible? What’s needed? Let’s talk about screen readers, podfic, sites blocking APIs, TV shows with audio description, AO3 formatting and accessibility for the visually impaired.
Mod(s): Lana
Manage Your Ebooks with Calibre
This free, open-source software will keep track of all your ebooks, across any e-reader, backup your ebooks, and keep reading a pleasure.
Mod(s): Amalthia
Discord Recs
What terrific servers are you in? Specific fandom, writing discords, video games, hobbies, other topics? What makes a good Discord server – how many people, what kinds of channels, what kinds of topics?
Mod(s): Saklani, aaronantium
Fanfic Book Binding
How to transform your favorite stories into physical books that you can enjoy forever.
Mod(s): NONE
FAPA: Join Us!
FAPA is the longest-running APA in sci-fi fandom – it started in 1937 and is still going. It’s a quarterly zine collection distributed by mail. Some of us are involved! You could be part of it!
Mod(s): Elf, Dawnwind, Gideon
Formatting Ebooks
How to convert fics into attractive ebooks that will be a joy to read.
Mod(s): Amalthia
Fun with Podfic!
How to get started, how to improve, how to share.
Mod(s): NONE
How to keep your fandom alive & vibrant
How to keep your fandom alive & vibrant (from the Chalk & Cheese folks)
Mod(s): TBD
How to make online conventions feel real
Let’s talk about what makes an online con feel like a gathering of people and not a chatroom with a lot of shared links, or a set of streamed videos.
Mod(s): Saklani, aaronantium
Non Traditional Fanworks
Let’s discuss ideas, styles, and formats for non-traditional fanworks.
Mod(s): NONE
Sharing Fanart
How and where to host fan art, and how to share and promote your work.
Mod(s): NONE
Sharing Fanvids
YouTube vs. Archive.org vs Vimeo vs The Next New Thing. Where to host vids, and the pros, cons, and costs.
Mod(s): aaronantium
Tech and the way it shapes Fandom
TVs have changed shape, so have camera and filming techniques. How have the changes to technology shaped the way people interact with fanworks.
Mod(s): Teresa
Top Five Recs
Bring five vids/fics/arts/etc to share with everyone. This is your moment to pimp out your loves.
Mod(s): Barbara Wright, Jessica Lynn
Unstreamed
How does it affect fandom communities when canon isn’t currently online? Which of your favorites aren’t available? What gets a resurgence when it becomes available, and how does that change the fandom community?
Mod(s): NONE
VIDS VIDS VIDS MORE VIDS
Share your favorite vids! Everyone take a turn sharing their fave vids so we can enjoy it all together. :)
Mod(s): Raine Wynd, Airawyn
