Tracks

ConFusion offers a wide range of tracks with panels crossing over into multiple tracks to create content that is entertaining, educational, and energized!

Art – 

Spotlight Panels:

  • Whose Cartoon is it Anyway?: A cartoonist face-off — the audience gives the panel of cartoonists a situation to draw. Cartoonist #1 draws half of it – Cartoonist #2 finishes it and a punch line!
  • The Mural of ConFusion: Throughout the weekend you are welcome to lend your talent to a mural that will be created and on display.
  • Iron Artist: Drawing/sculpture isn’t usually a performance art, but Iron Artists show how they work while creating prepare a piece of art (or craft) on the assigned topic. (3 HOURS)

Comics – 

ConFusion’s Comics track covers discussions and geeking out about all forms of comics, from superheroes, to indie comics, webcomics, anime and cartooning.

Spotlight Panels:

  • Bad Girls Just Want Good Stories: Let’s talk about anti-heroines and the positives and negatives of the flawed female character archetype.  Is the flawed female character becoming the new strong female character?   Is this yet another one-note character type masquerading as diverse representations of women?  What’s the line between an anti-heroine and a villain?
  • Comics for Kids & Teens: What’s out there for younger kids and teens these days?

Costuming – 

Spotlight Panels:

  • How the &*(#^ Do I Make This???: Stump the Costume Experts: A lively and popular discussion returns! How do you make an Ood ball… or a better spacesuit helmet… or articulated wings… or get the look and feel of a character you want to cosplay? Come ask a panel of experienced costumers your toughest questions.
  • Masquerade: Come see – or show off – the best costumes of the night! Judges will scrutinize. Crowds will cheer. Audiences will swoon. Honors will be awarded. Winners of Iron Artist also announced.

Fandom – 

Fan Programming covers everything fans do! And fans do a lot of fun stuff. We’ll be talking about cons we love, books we want to nominate for the Hugo awards, and things we like to do when we’re not going to cons, like go to Burning Man instead. We’ll be doing some stuff at the con, like decorating sugar cookies to look like galaxies (then eating them), turning old stuffed animals into Frankenstuffies, and modding old con T-shirts into cool new designs. Plus panels covering topics of our times.

Spotlight Panels:

  • Fangirls Over 30: While no one seems to be surprised when men are still playing video games and reading comics into their 30’s, in some circles women face more pressure to give up their fannish passions now that they’re “grown up.” Our panelists discuss this phenomenon and how to fight it.
  • Fragmented Fandoms: Before 1990, computer geeks tended to be the fans online, and fandom tended to be a little more fragmented (fanzine fans/con fans/gamers/readers). Now that almost every fan has an online presence, are we more fragmented or less?
  • Fan-writing in the 21st Century: Before there were SF conventions, there were fanzines. Fanzines are still around (one of our panelists won a Hugo for hers) but now there are blogs and podcasts and fanfic too. Our panelists talk about what fan-writing is and why it’s as important as ever in the 21st century

Film Room –

Mysteries and stories untold await you in the ConFusion Film Room! Featuring animation ranging from gangsters and fairies, Robots big and small, to worlds of fantasy and futuristic races. In theme with this year there will also be a special two night showing of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, don’t forget your towel!

Spotlight Panels:

  • Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Viewings of both the mini-series and the full length feature
  • Super Smash Bros.: After last year’s large turnout Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U will be making a return to the ConFusion Film Room.Once again face off with up to 8 players in a crazy antics fueled brawl featuring some of Nintendo’s famous characters.

Gaming – 

Spotlight Panels:

  • Zephyr: Winds of Change: A cooperative modular board game adventure for 1 to 4 players. players take on the role of a post-apocalyptic steampunk airship captain. Customize your ship and build yourself up to defeat the ever growing evils of a fallen world.
  • Netherstorm (multiple experiences): Netherstorm is an open sandbox game using the Thunderhead role-playing game (RPG) system, in which you have free reign over your character’s destiny.  There are no classes or levels. With approval from the Game Master, any skill or spell can be designed. Design any type of character, and enter the world of Thelal.

KidFusion – 

KidFusion is the place for kids to be, well, kids! The weekend is filled with events from every track that have been developed for nerd youth. Open to children ages 5-12.

Spotlight Panels:

  • Saturday Night Movie & Pizza Party: Kids can enjoy some great entertainment and food with their friends. THIS IS A PAID EVENT Come ready to party in your pajamas! We will have Pizza, pop, popcorn along with movies, games and crafts. Register for this event at the registration table.
  • Lego Mania!: Build a robot or a space ship! Legos will be out and ready for you to create! You are only limited by your imagination.

Literature – 

Spotlight Panels:

  • Autograph Sessions: On Saturday afternoon over 50 professionals will be available to sign your books, CDs, or other memorabilia. (limit 3 signatures per panelist per attendee)
  • SFF Debates 2016!: Six of your favorite SFF personalities debate the issues of our time in this live debate!

Media – 

The Media track at ConFusion celebrates all kinds of visual SF&F media, from TV shows and movies, to web series, fan films and fanvids.  Media panels cover critical discussions, trends and themes, and everything we love and hate about SF&F on the big, small or computer screen.

Spotlight Panels:

  • Round Tables: With the wonderful abundance of TV and film science fiction and fantasy to talk about,  we’re going to try something new this year and hold round table discussions about TV shows and movies all through the weekend!  These will haven every couple of hours at a designated table in the lobby area.  If you’re interested in moderating a discussion about a specific show or movie, or you want to make sure we get your favorites on the schedule, email media@confusionsf.org!
  • 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. Too, Legends of Korra has made 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?
  • Golden Year of TV, 50 Years Later: Of the 36 hours of Prime Time TV programming in 1966, 17 hours of it was F&SF shows, including Trek, Batman and Lost in Space… Time for a good look back at it.
  • What is the value of fans’ work?: Fan-fiction, fan vids, gifsets on Tumblr, fan meta: what value to fan works bring to TV and movie fandoms?  How is the value of these works meaured or dismissed based on gender, source material and where fanworks are posted and discussed?

Music – 

SF fans have a long tradition of making music together. We’ve got a great group of singers, instrumentalists, songwriters, and (the important part) listeners attending, and we always want more. (Join us! Join us!)

Spotlight Panels:

  • Concerts: We’ll have concerts by everyone from the always-amazing Tom Smith to new-to-ConFusion bands The Faithful sidekicks (from Minnesota) and February Sky (from northern Michigan).
  • Workshops: We’ll have workshops on guitar technique and songwriting.
  • And More!: Of course, we’ll have plenty of opportunities for fans at every level of musical experience (from zero on up) to share the music, stories, and poems they love.

Science – 

Spotlight Panels:

  • Geek Heresy: What Technology Can’t Do for Society, and Why Some of Our Best Science Fiction Gets It Wrong: Some of the most popular science fiction imagines a future in which advanced technology eliminates hunger, illness, and ignorance. Based on a critical examination of the present, this talk reveals why even in the future, it will take a lot more than technology to meet humankind’s persistent social challenges.

  • The Socioeconomic Impact of Science: How does scientific advancement impact social chance and economic advancement?  Do these advancements have a real impact in communities worldwide, or only for the groups prepared for them?

TeenFusion – 

TeenFusion is the place for teens to hang out with other teens and play games and have fun! The weekend is filled with events from every track. Open to teens ages 13-18.

Spotlight Panels:

  • Epic D&D: Brian R Bay is the Dungeon Master of this beginner level Dungeons and Dragons game. Starts at 7pm on Saturday, goes till the campaign is done!
  • Magic the Gathering: Come learn the game or play with other teens. You do not need your own deck, but it is encouraged.