If you’re in Washington DC this weekend, then you should definitely check out AwesomeCon. The event, created by Ben Penrod, is a fan-based convention that was funded via Kickstarter 4 years ago. I attended last year and was also on a panel. (As I am this year.) It’s centrally located at the Washington Convention Center, there’s programming for kids, cosplayers and even has stars stopping by. My favorite part of course, is Artists Alley, which is a lot more fun than the crowded wall-to-wall craziness of NYCC. For more info check out the press release below. And don’t forget to check out the panel I’m on Full Spectrum: Why Color in Comics Matters Friday, 6/16/2017 / 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM / 144 BC

Awesome Con Announces Full Schedule of Events

Three Days Packed with Special Guest Appearances, Industry Expert Panels, Exclusive Screenings, and More Fill the Walter E. Washington Convention Center June 16-18

Washington, DC (June 13, 2017) – Awesome Con, Washington DC’s Comic Con, is proud to announce three days of programming complete with panels, workshops, celebrity appearances, and more, taking over the Walter E. Washington Convention Center from June 16-18. This year, Awesome Con attendees will have access to specialized sections including Future Con, presented in partnership with the Smithsonian, featuring more intellectually stimulating and entertaining content than ever, and robust family-friendly programming called Awesome Con Jr., presented in partnership with Nickelodeon. Attendees can start planning their Awesome Con experience and view the full schedule online at: www.awesomecon.com/programming.

“This year we’ve doubled down on our programming efforts,” said Awesome Con founder Ben Penrod. “From Future Con, to Awesome Con Jr, to our LGBT creators showcase Pride Alley, and to our most robust celebrity guest list yet, Awesome Con has grown by leaps and bounds into a fan convention unlike any other.”

Highlights from Awesome Con 2017 include:

Celebrity & Comic Guests

Hear from some of the biggest influencers from the world of pop culture and comic books at panels, screenings, Q&As, and more. Events include:

·         Stan Lee Q&A (10:30AM – June 18 – Main Stage) Stan Lee will discuss his exciting career spanning several decades and answer questions from audience members. Seating begins at 9:30 AM.

·         Tech of Batman Panel with Greg Capullo, Scott Snyder & Tom King (1:30PM – June 17 – Room 150) – Capullo and Snyder, the creative duo behind today’s Batman comics, join engineers and experts in technology and intelligence to look at the plausibility of replicating Batman in real life. Panelists will examine Batman’s endurance, tech, and more to determine what’s real and what’s best left to fiction.

·         David Tennant Explores Time and Space (10:30AM – June 17 – Main Stage) – Actor David Tennant, who ‘visited’ the furthest futures while playing The Doctor on BBC’s Doctor Who, joins experts Dr. Grant Tremblay and Dr. Matt Shindell on Awesome Con’s Main Stage to discuss the outer reaches of the galaxy. They’ll cover topics including Doctor Who, what’s really going on out there among the stars, and answer questions from the audience. Seating begins at 9:30 AM.

·         Edgar Wright: Meet the Director of Baby Driver (2:00PM – June 17 – Main Stage) – Meet Edgar Wright, the director of popular film juggernauts including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Shaun of the Dead, and get a first look at his new film Baby Driver. Wright will share insight into his career and the creation of Baby Driver, with giveaways and extra surprises planned for fans. Hosted by Felicia Day.

·         WWE® Superstars Charlotte Flair™ & Shinsuke Nakamura™ Q&A (2:30PM – June 17 – Room 146) – WWE® Superstars Charlotte Flair™ and Shinsuke Nakamura™ discuss life as WWE stars and answer audience questions.

·         The Guild Reunion with Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, Amy Okuda, Jeff Lewis, and Robin Thorsen (11:30AM – June 18 – Room 146) – Cast members of The Guild, the award-winning original web series, reunite to talk about working with each other, their careers, and new projects, and answer audience questions.

·         Experience Japan! (1:00PM – June 17 – Room 154) – Hosted by the Embassy of Japan, this panel seeks to help participants understand the influence of Japanese culture on American pop culture. Explore traditional Japanese culture, play Japanese games, and meet the embassy’s very own therapeutic robot, PARO.

·         Representation Matters with Bryan Turner, Jerry Gaylord & Penelope Gaylord (3:30PM – June 16 – Room 152) – How important is it to see characters and creators that look like you? Join Identity Comics Studio and the “Loading Snacks” crew for a discussion on diversity in media, from the characters leading stories to the creators behind them.

·         Comics Conversation: Collections and Preservation at the Library of Congress (11:00AM – June 17 – Room 150) – Join Library of Congress staff members for a panel discussion about the comics collections at the Library. Specialists from the Library’s newspaper, graphic art, and popular art conservation teams share collection highlights, insights on comics conservation, and suggest how attendees can utilize the Library’s comics collection.

Future Con

·         StarTalk Live! with Colonel Chris Hadfield & Scott Adsit (8:00PM – June 16 – Main Stage) – Colonel Chris Hadfield, former commander of the International Space Station, and award-winning actor and comedian Scott Adsit (Veep, 30 Rock) co-host a special edition of award-winning talk show StarTalk Live!, bridging the intersection between pop culture and science with humor and passion.

·         Brave New Girls: Women in STEM (5:00PM – June 17 – Room 146) – Some of the greatest scientific advances in history have been made by women, but girls are seldom encouraged to explore the sciences. Future Con presents a panel of scientists jointly discussing the achievements of female scientists, women’s roles in STEM today, and the need for advocacy to create the next generation of female scientists, engineers, and astronauts. With speakers from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and more. Hosted by Nerdist’s Jessica Chobot.

·         IBM Watson: Superman or Supercomputer? Making Money with Artificial Intelligence (5:30PM – June 16 – Room 146) – IBM’s Artificial Intelligence creation Watson, which made its debut on Jeopardy! in 2011, amazed American audiences and today is an open platform for millions of users and developers. Dr. Marc Teerlink, IBM’s Chief Business Strategist, takes the stage to discuss what Watson represents for AI progress worldwide.

·         NASA’s Space Lasers (4:00PM – June 16 – Room 143) – Explore the latest laser technology and the key science behind missions helping us investigate our home planet and beyond. Engineers and scientists will take you behind the scenes of missions like the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite 2 launching with green lasers in 2018, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter currently orbiting the Moon, and more.

Awesome Con Jr

·         GeekDad Celebrates Father’s Day: Raising Geek Generation 2.0 (1:30PM – June 18 – Room 149) – Join some of the writers from GeekDad.com and their kids for a discussion about raising the next generation of geeks. Topics covered will include introducing various fandoms to kids, sharing old and new geeky passions, and determining what’s age-appropriate.

·         Padawan Lightsaber Training presented by Saber Guild Corellia (5:45PM – June 17 – Backlot Stage) – Adults and their ‘Padawans’ can join Saber Guild Corellia to learn how to wield a lightsaber and stave off the Dark Side on the Backlot stage.

·         Kids Costume Parade presented by The Emoji Movie (1:00PM – June 18 – Backlot Stage) – Awesome Con encourages budding costume designers to strut their stuff in custom outfits at the Kids Costume Parade presented by The Emoji Movie. Participation is limited to the first 30 kids (and their parents) who register at the Backlog stage 30 minutes before the parade.

·         Let’s Go LEGO! (1:00PM – June 17 – Awesome Con Jr Stage) – Cartoonist John Gallagher shows you and your kids how to draw LEGO versions of your favorite characters. Come expand your art skills and take home the art as a souvenir.

Pride Alley

·         Making LGBT+ Representation Matter in Fiction (5:00PM – June 16 – Room 144) – Engage in a lively conversation about LGBTQ+ characters in fiction and what creators are doing, or not doing, to foster representation.

·         A History of LGBTQ+ Representation in Comic Books & Television (June 17 – 12:30PM – Room 144) – Learn about the history of LGBTQ+ representation in Nerd Culture through discussion of the most iconic LGBTQ+ characters in anime, comic books, video games, and television. The important dialogue will conclude with thoughts on the importance of LGBTQ+ characters in the media and pop culture.

·         Pokémon, Musicals, & Gay with Voice Actor Jamie McGonnigal (4:30PM – June 17 – Room 144) – Fans will have the opportunity to discuss Jamie McGonnigal’s impressive resume including his voice work on Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, his global LGBTQ+ activism, and his career as a Broadway producer. From questions about how to get started in voice acting to how to come out to your high school anime club – nothing is off the table!

Esports

·         NRG at Awesome Con (11:00AM-2:00PM – June 18 – East Salons G-I, Booth 16) – Fans of video games and esports will have a unique chance to meet players from NRG Esports’ Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) team at Awesome Con on Sunday, June 18. Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, will host the NRG CS:GO team’s visit in Awesome Con’s Video Game Room in East Salons G-I from 11:00AM to 12:00PM for a live gaming experience, followed by an autograph session in the show’s Exhibit Hall at booth 16 from 1:00PM to 2:00PM.

For Awesome Con’s full guest and event list, visit www.awesomecon.com, and for the latest news and information, follow Awesome Con on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AwesomeConDC.

About Awesome Con

Awesome Con is the biggest annual comic and pop culture convention in Washington DC, attracting over 50,000 attendees in 2016. Awesome Con celebrates all aspects of geekdom and pop culture with a wide assortment of engaging events, comic books, collectibles, toys, games, original art, cosplay and more. Awesome Con is presented in partnership with LeftField Media, an event organization company also responsible for Play Fair, Anime NYC, Rose City Comic Con, the Five Points Festival, and more.