CONFusion - Science Fiction & Pop Culture Conference January 21-24 2016

Happy to announce that I will be attending CONFusion, a science fiction and pop culture conference in Novi, Michigan from January 21-24 2016. I will be attending as a panelist and as a guest artist in the Artist Alley. If you will be in Novi, come by and check it out. It will be fun AND full of great discussion. See the schedule below to find out which panels I will be on, and what topics they will cover. 

PANEL SCHEDULE: 

Saturday: 

10am - Acceptable Bodies in Comics: Body shape and type are always contentious topics. In comics, discussions about them are primarily related to gender and sexualized presentations vs. power fantasy, but comics are also known for a reliance on using disabled, fat, queer, trans bodies as a shorthand negative character traits. How does this impact the oft-stated need to increase readership? And what are some positive representations of diverse body types in comics?

12pm - Novel Gazing: The Male Gaze is often discussed in relation to how women are objectified in fiction. Less common is the Female Gaze, which is often confused as a direct opposite to its Male counterpart. What are the Male and Female Gaze? How are they different? And how is the Female Gaze changing fiction for the better?

5pm - Standards of Beauty in Made-Up Worlds: Western concepts of attractiveness do not reflect the gamut of human experience, both in history and today. And yet, the vast majority of genre fiction only imagines worlds with one, very Western, notion of beauty. Why is this? Can we think of examples where the opposite is true? And how can we all do better in the future?

Sunday: 

1pm - Are Steven Universe and Korra the Future? Steven Universe is blazing a number of trails in animated SF&F, from its diverse characters and voice cast, to redefining issues of masculinity, and its emphasis on love, kindness and acceptance. Legends of Korra has made similar waves with its clear nod to a same-sex relationship in the finale and the outright confirmation of it by the creators. Are Korra and Steven Universe opening a new chapter in what we can do with family-friendly SF&F media?

ARTIST ALLEY

My booth will be open during the convention hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Come by and check it out! For examples of my illustration, comic, and fan art work, check out my site Kimchi Zerbe.