On this page, you’ll find the schedule for Escapade 35, as well as useful downloads! Please note that all times are in PST.
THURSDAY
7:00 PM
Early Registration
Join us the evening before the con from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM for early registration and orientation. Pick up your badge and other con materials, meet some people, and enjoy this year’s Night Market (details below).
Room: Con Suite Host: Misti Time: 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 30th
Night Market
Join us the evening before the con, where fans like you will be selling their exotic wares from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Don’t miss out!
Room: Con Suite Host: nevertheless Time: 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 30th
FRIDAY
8:30 AM
Fan Faire
Join us from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM on Friday morning for the Fan Faire, where fans like you will be selling their crafty creations! Don’t miss it—you might find something amazing!
Room: Del Mar Host: Mildly Wicked Time: 8:30 AM on Friday, January 31st
11:00 AM
Welcome to Escapade
Opening ceremonies! Join us in welcoming back old friends and new attendees, as well as helping choose the Wildcard and Wayback panels!
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mods: glymr and nevertheless Time: 11:00 AM on Friday, January 31st
12:00 PM
Time-Travel Fix-It
Canon ended all wrong, so fanfic provides a solution! Some are strong on restarts from the beginning; others return to a key spot in the middle. Some focus on fixing the same couple of events; some are all over in what or how much they fix. What kinds of time-travel fix-its do you like? What’s boring? How is it different across different fandoms?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mods: Elf Herself and killabeez Time: noon on Friday, January 31st
Star Trek: Trekking On with Strange New Worlds, Discovery, Lower Decks
We’re here, we’re queer, we’re talking TOS through Lower Decks through Discovery and Prodigy. And while we’re at it, let’s discuss the Kirk/Spock relationship in Strange New Worlds. How is it the same or different from TOS? What is the next season going to bring us?
Room: Catalina Mods: sprocket and Janna (scrivenette) Time: noon on Friday, January 31st
Language Learning for Fandom: How Do You Say That?
Let’s discuss resources and tips for learning various languages for fandom purposes, as well as a basic introduction to pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and possibly other languages.
Room: Marina del Rey Mods: Franzeska and yaaurens Time: noon on Friday, January 31st
1:00 PM
Wildcard Panel
Voted on during opening ceremonies, what is the newest thing that everyone’s talking about?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod(s): TBD Time: 1:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
Eastern Media Novels: Beyond Seven Seas
What translations are coming out?
Room: Catalina Mod: Sam (lunarriviera) Time: 1:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
There’s Too Much Fic To Filter (Or Is There?)
Can’t find what you’re looking for on AO3? Learn the secret search operators to find That One Fic.
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: Elf Herself Time: 1:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
2:00 PM
Comfort Media
When things are looking dark, what media do you turn to? Old favorites? New escapes and distractions? And how and why does that media help you—does it give you hope, a break, nostalgia, or does it model new possibilities? Let’s talk meta but also share/rec our favorite comfort shows, films, or even fanworks that help us get through.
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: Lola Time: 2:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
MCU: Maybe It Won’t Hurt Me This Time
Will shows like Agatha All Along improve Phase 4 enough to save the MCU from itself?
Room: Catalina Mods: Airawyn and yaaurens Time: 2:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
It’s All in the Research
A lot goes into writing, and your research should reflect the work you put into your writing.
Room: Marina del Rey Mods: bella (libraralien) and DarkDanc3r Time: 2:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
3:00 PM
Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow
Or maybe, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! Feeling left behind as fandom stampedes to some media type or property that’s just not for you? Let’s discuss where people are going and how to get into those fandoms…or find something else active instead.
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: Doctor Beth Time: 3:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
Star Wars: A Light Side, A Dark Side, Binding the Universe Not Included
What is Star Wars canon these days? Which parts of Legends do you still miss? What unexpected good Star Wars has Disney rolled out lately?
Room: Catalina Mod: sprocket Time: 3:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
Fanbinding: The Old, The New, and The Pricey
We’ve come full circle: Paper fanfic is now the exotic novelty version. And people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts for their favorite fics as paperbacks—sometimes without the consent of the author. We’ll look into Manacled and All the Young Dudes, and how those relate to the ethical practices of fanbinding with permission, or at least, not for profit.
Room: Marina del Rey Mods: Elf Herself and Janna (scrivenette) Time: 3:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
4:00 PM
Are You an OTP Fan or Do You See Multiple Possibilities?
I started out in fandom as a OTP girl, but as I matured, and the shows tried to destroy the relationships that seemed to have any slash context. I couldn’t see my favorite character with his OTP anymore and I fully embraced branching out to fertile ground and exploring combinations. Tony/Gibbs was no longer a healthy relationship so it became open season on finding a new OTP. Stiles/Derek forever but Peter is so wickedly fun. Which characters have you moved away from the OTP in order to explore new connections, and which characters can you only see as part of an OTP (Kirk/Spock, Rodney/John, Jim/Blair)? Come and present your arguments for OTPs or for exploring brave new worlds.
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mods: Teresa and Tayrin Time: 4:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
Agatha All Along and Along and Along
Agatha All Along presented a group of middle-aged women and one teen on a quest for power. Oh, and Agatha’s ex-girlfriend is Death. How awesome? And how will this fit in the larger MCU?
Room: Catalina Mods: Airawyn and Nora Bombay Time: 4:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
What’s Up with BlueSky (and Decentralized Social Network)
What is BlueSky and how is it different from (or similar to) platforms like Tumblr, Twitter, or LiveJournal/Dreamwidth? And how is it different from other efforts to create decentralized social platforms like Mastodon? But most importantly, can fandom use it, and should it?
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: Ms. Boba Time: 4:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
5:00 PM
Where My Ladies At?
Where are the good femslash ships these days?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: glymr Time: 5:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
Professionals: First Times
When? How? Why? Where? Yeah, I want all the details!
Room: Catalina Mods: krisser and kat-byrd Time: 5:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
Calibre – FanFicFare
Learn how to download fanfiction directly into Calibre, create custom columns for warnings, genres, challenges, pairings and more! If there is time, we can also go over how to generate your own custom covers per fandom.
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: Amalthia Time: 5:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
8:00 PM
Friday Night Dance Party
Come dance Friday night away from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM with a curated list of fan-made music videos and a special menu of mock- and cocktails. This year’s theme: Winter Ball! Brrr!!! Are you turning blue yet? Bring your wildest outfits, your coolest costumes, your dancing shoes, and your pearls to clutch while you enjoy Escapade’s annual dance/costume/vid party!
Room: Laguna/Malibu Host: Franzeska Time: 8:00 PM on Friday, January 31st
8:30 PM
Game Night – Party Alternative Activity
If you need a bit of a break from the dancing Friday night, join us for some gaming fun in the game room. We are friendly and casual. Feel free to bring games of your own.
Room: Marina del Rey Hosts: Grace M (DaughterOfElros) and Nelle (lovelokest) Time: 8:30 PM on Friday, January 31st
SATURDAY
9:00 AM
Monster Non-f*cking
A tumblr post asked: what’s with all the monsterfucking? what if I want monster RELATIONSHIPs? Monster HAND-HOLDING with INTENSE LOOKS? (and then someone added a pic of Guillermo del Toro pointing up at the words). What’s it like to date outside your species? How does it change a relationship when the biology is very different? What kind of social problems will the couple face?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: glymr Time: 9:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
Supernatural: Thursday Nights Will Always Be Spooky
Two brothers on a road trip, saving people, hunting things. We make friends along the way, they all die. What’s your favorite monster? What’s the dumbest lore? All pairings welcome, even that one.
Room: Catalina Mod: fashes Time: 9:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
The Fujoshi Guide to Web Development – Building a Fandom from Scratch
Come hear about our adventures attempting to build a “slash fandom” from first principles (for a good cause), and let’s talk about what makes fandoms and ships stick! Project website: www.fujoweb.dev
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: Ms. Boba Time: 9:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
10:00 AM
Frankencanon
Comics/manga, anime/donghua/cartoon, live-action, 80s cartoon vs recent cartoon, audio drama, video game, pre-Crisis vs post-Crisis vs post-Crisis II…what does it do to fandom when canon has a broad range of clashing source material? What elements are considered “always true” even if they didn’t happen in all versions, and what’s considered drop-able? Do you like frankencanon fics or prefer ones that stick to a single source?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mods: Elf Herself and Kadymae Devilc Time: 10:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
The Expanse: Like A Fucking Valkyrie
We read the last three books of The Expanse series and we are going to have feelings about it.
Room: Catalina Mod: sprocket Time: 10:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
Arts, Crafts, and Conspiracies
Come make stylish tin hats and talk about your conspiracy theories.
Room: Redondo Mod: Umber Time: 10:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
11:00 AM
Rec All the C-dramas
Gone are the days when it was all about Guardian and The Untamed. Sadly, gone also are the days when we had full-on danmei adaptations. But there are many wonderful c-dramas out there, with high drama, angsty bromance, multidimensional characters, political intrigue, epic (or cursed) weddings, and beautiful actors (not to mention the artful spitting of blood). What do you look for in a c-drama? Pimp your favorites, old and new! And bonus points for sharing fan works.
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: Sam (lunarriviera) Time: 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
Interview with the Vampire: Gay Divorced Vampire Drama
Let’s talk about the queer divorceé vampires being insane, horny, and violent at each other on AMC’s Interview with the Vampire!
Room: Catalina Mod: killabeez Time: 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
Fandom Hipsters
You’ve probably never heard of my fandom, and now I’m going to pimp it to you.
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: sprocket Time: 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 1st
12:00 PM
Things That Shock Fannish People and Why We Love Them
Bully to love interest? May/December relationships? Schrödinger’s incest? What suggests the kids aren’t all right to us lawn-protecting over-21s?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: Kadymae Devilc Time: noon on Saturday, February 1st
The Untamed/MDZS: We Need More Porn of Wen Ning
What is there left to talk about in this fandom? Let’s find out!
Room: Catalina Mods: Airawyn and nevertheless Time: noon on Saturday, February 1st
Fan Video is Dead, Long Live Fan Video!
Does the traditional form of vidding persist, or is it becoming a lost art form? Short form fan edits are everywhere—do they share qualities with more traditional old-school full-length vids? Do you watch short form edits and have you come to appreciate them? Have you even tried to make them/would you like to try? If so, how would approaching short form edits differ from conceptualizing a full fan vid? And/or do you think it’s a matter of time before full length fanvids re-emerge as a predominant form?
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: Lola Time: noon on Saturday, February 1st
1:00 PM
Big Dumb Hot Cops and Effete Possibly Sociopathic Genius Consultants
This classic pairing continues to appear in media, drawing fannish attention and appreciation across decades, genres, and cultures. Come talk about your favorite instances, from recalling beloved standards (Sherlock Holmes, due South, Merlin, SGA) to sharing newer incarnations (Bones, Psych, Under the Skin, Guardian, SCI Mystery, The First Shot). How does this crime procedural paradigm expand to fit different kinds of narratives?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: Sam (lunarriviera) Time: 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Arcane
Arcane season 2 is out. What do we think about the relationships between Vi, Caitlyn, and Jinx? How do we feel about the ending? And what, if anything, comes next?
Room: Catalina Mods: Drea and Greenygal Time: 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Where Did the Comments Go? Discord, apparently.
Apparently, people are gushing about fics on Discord and not leaving any feedback where the story is posted. This sucks for writers. Come talk about solutions to encourage readers to leave comments for writers before the writers fuck off to other fandoms with better commenters.
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: Amalthia Time: 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Tea Party
Take an elegant break for tea and snacks. Join Franzeska in Room 528 for the classic Escapade tea party experience. For those who prefer their tea in more open spaces, Amphisbaena will be hosting in the atrium corner by Laguna/Malibu/Newport.
Room: Other Hosts: Franzeska and Amphisbaena Time: 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
2:00 PM
Do Old Flames Burn Brighter?
What shows or pairings do you keep the flames burning for even though the show disappeared in the rearview mirror a long time past? What keeps pulling you back? Did you even leave in the first place? How do you keep the fires hot and find others to help fan the flames? Come discuss the fandoms you never wanted to let go of.
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mods: Teresa and Tayrin Time: 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Guardian: Going Down to Dixing Again
What are you writing, drawing, recommending, and loving about Guardian in 2025?
Room: Catalina Mods: Greenygal and glymr Time: 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Vidding 101
Basics for vidding newbies and those who want to get into vidding but don’t know where to begin.
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: Lola Time: 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
3:00 PM
Principles of Crystallization
What makes a fandom form? Is it some property of canon? Is it random chance?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: Lola Time: 3:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
M/M: What’s Up in English Language BL?
M/M romance novels, original English language BL webnovels, the Original Works section on AO3: wherever you look, there’s more and more original m/m content in English. What have you been enjoying lately? Where do we find the good stuff?
Room: Catalina Mods: Lisa Weston and Kristina Busse Time: 3:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Classic Fanvid Analysis
We’ll review 3 or 4 popular fanvids—watch each one, and then discuss how it was made, what makes it work, why these scenes out of canon—and then compare all of them as a group. (Panelists to choose vids in advance.)
Room: Marina del Rey Mods: killabeez and Airawyn Time: 3:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
4:00 PM
How to Keep Hope
What can we do to support and nurture each other in a political landscape full of hate, bigotry, and willful ignorance? What have you found that gives you strength and hope? What activities have you decided to avoid for a while? What fanworks have you turned to for inspiration and comfort? We’re in this together—let’s find ways to encourage and help each other.
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mods: yaaurens and Janna (scrivenette) Time: 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
due South: For reasons that do not need exploring at this juncture.
Discuss Hot and Hotter, and which Ray is which.
Room: Catalina Mods: Greenygal and sprocket Time: 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Pegging and Butt Stuff! A Delightfully In-Depth Intro
Have you ever wanted to bend over your boyfriend and have your way with his sweet ass? Come learn how! Are you new to butt stuff and want to learn some basics? Do you want butt sex info for your fic? Come join us! Panel will feature in-depth info on anatomy and techniques, plus how to entice nervous first timers.
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: fashes Time: 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
5:00 PM
Personal Fannish Websites
What types of personal fandom websites have existed throughout the online ages? Characters and ship shrines, art galleries, quizzes…and what else? What new types of websites would be fun to see? Any websites you miss?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mods: Ms. Boba and Elf Herself Time: 5:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Wicked: Pink Goes Good with Green
We’re all shipping it, right?
Room: Catalina Mods: nevertheless and Grace M (DaughterOfElros) Time: 5:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
They Said What!?!
Doctor Beth and Kandy name the fandom and the episode, then show a slashy/out of context picture. The player picks which of four quotes matches that scene. This will be followed by a presentation of rare 35mm film clips of your favorite shows.
Room: Marina del Rey Mods: Kandy Fong and Doctor Beth Time: 5:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
8:00 PM
Saturday Night Vid Show: Loud Room
Saturday night wouldn’t be complete without the annual Escapade songvid show! Join us in the vid show’s Loud Room (conversation cool; sing-alongs known to occur) to see what awesome new vids everyone’s been making.
Room: Laguna/Malibu Time: 8:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
Saturday Night Vid Show: Quiet Room
Saturday night wouldn’t be complete without the annual Escapade songvid show! Join us in the vid show’s Quiet Room (attentive atmosphere; more focused) to see what awesome new vids everyone’s been making.
Room: Catalina Time: 8:00 PM on Saturday, February 1st
10:45 PM
Theory of Cocktails
After the vid show, Franzeska will run through the general basics and advanced underpinnings of mixing cocktail drinks. Please bring something to write with if you want to take notes!
Room: Con Suite Host: Franzeska Time: 10:45 PM on Saturday, February 1st
SUNDAY
9:30 AM
Escapade Art and Charity Auction
Don’t miss the fun and excitement as arts, crafts, and even food are auctioned off! We’ll also be choosing the winners of the raffle at this time, so make sure you’re there!
Room: Laguna/Malibu Auctioneer: Gideon Marcus Time: 9:30 AM on Sunday, February 2nd
11:00 AM
Wayback Panel
Voted on during opening ceremonies, which panel will we revisit from 10 years ago?
Room: Catalina Mod(s): TBD Time: 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 2nd
Vid Review
If watching the Escapade Songvid Show isn’t enough, come dig into why a vid did or didn’t work, analyze technique, and basically geek out over vids with us!
Room: Marina del Rey Mods: Franzeska and Lola Time: 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 2nd
12:00 PM
Internet as a Double-Edged Sword: Is Disappointment Inevitable in an Open Fandom?
Thanks in large part to the internet, the speed and immediacy of fandom has skyrocketed in recent years. Streaming platforms allow us to watch and rewatch episodes endlessly, and fan communities and fanworks proliferate overnight. But in the hiatus between seasons, discussion and discourse can lead to headcanons and divisions, and when the next season arrives, it may bear little relationship to what fans wanted or expected to see. We’ll talk about some examples of this phenomenon, as well as whether there is anything to be done about it.
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: Jen (snycock) Time: noon on Sunday, February 2nd
DC Comics: Should Be Making This Movie
DC comics, failing to make the movie of your dreams! Tell us what they should be doing.
Room: Catalina Mod: Greenygal Time: noon on Sunday, February 2nd
1:00 PM
Past Its Best By Date: When Should Shows Stop?
We’re all familiar with the first-season show that ends on a cliffhanger that doesn’t get renewed, as well as the one that goes on far too long. Is there a best by date for television shows, an optimum number of seasons or episodes for peak creativity and storytelling?
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod: Jen (snycock) Time: 1:00 PM on Sunday, February 2nd
Deadpool and Wolverine: Healing Factor Your Way to New Kinks
This movie had all the chemistry, made all the money, and starred all the characters nobody was expecting. How do we feel about this finale to the Fox-verse? Does it portend anything for the MCU? And how much are we shipping the leads?
Room: Catalina Mod: Greenygal Time: 1:00 PM on Sunday, February 2nd
Foods of Fandom
Come share your favorite fannish recipe, whether it’s a food from your canon or a meta joke on fandom in general.
Room: Marina del Rey Mod: Franzeska Time: 1:00 PM on Sunday, February 2nd
2:00 PM
Closing Panel and Escapade Review
Closing ceremonies, and your chance to discuss what we did well and what we could do better next time. Come and say goodbye!
Room: Laguna/Malibu Mod(s): TBD Time: 2:00 PM on Sunday, February 2nd
4:00 PM
Dead Dog Party
It’s the last space open, and the last con space people gather to finish off the food and beverages, continue the conversations, register for next year, and say goodbye. Once all the panel rooms are packed up, take a load off and relax!
Location: Con Suite Time: 4:00 PM on Sunday, February 2nd