PLEASE NOTE: Panelists were required to ‘social distance’ more than usual, while audience members were required to wear masks throughout this panel. This does make certain portions of the recording a bit difficult to hear, and I apologize for this [albeit very necessary] “inconvenience”.
This panel focused on a set of characters (voted onto the list by the IAFC Patreon supporters 🙂 ! ) and whether or not HBO’s Game of Thrones did a good job portraying these characters and their story lines as we know them from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series.
I’m going to be a bit cliche here, I know, but can you believe that when we gathered at IAFC 2022, it had been nearly three whole years since we were all together? I’ll be honest, it both seemed like yesterday and like a lifetime ago.
AUTO THOTS ROLL OUT
I know we all changed in some way or another in these past years – how could we not? I certainly did, but one thing that remained the same for me is the wild combination of stress and excitement and anxiety and love that I experience surrounding each and every Ice & Fire Con (yes, even the virtual ones)…and, of course, the immense amount of gratitude that I feel for our extremely supportive and understanding “fam”.
Dubbing Lydia the newest Small Council Member
This year was both different, and yet the same. When we all met up again, it was as if no time had passed…and yet SO MUCH TIME had. We kept saying “last year” about our last in-person event, when of course it was three years ago. But seeing you all again, it was like two of those years didn’t exist. Granted, some of us have had a lot of virtual hangouts, but really, no matter how much time had passed, no matter how much we have changed…the fam is…well, I have to say it: UNBOWED, UNBENT, UNBROKEN.
I missed the ones who couldn’t make it. Special shout-outs to Dan and Nancy and Pasha & Benita! I hope to see y’all next year, because truly, the tourney ESPECIALLY wasn’t the same without you. And also a personal special shout-out to Rachel & Josh 😉
Pat and Mallory aka Sanrixian GETTING ENGAGED <3 <3 <3
But wow, did we make some amazing new memories this year. First, ANOTHER IAFC ENGAGEMENT! Congrats to Pat and Mallory, who knew each other online prior to IAFC, met in person for the first time at the convention, bonded at Small Council member/ASOIAF podcaster Chloe’s wedding to fellow ASOIAF podcaster Emmett, and got engaged at our tourney this year! I will never, ever cease to be amazed by the relationships this event has fostered – this is “only” our second at-con engagement (shout out to Ashley and Keith for the one that made me sob for days in 2017, as they met at the first ever IAFC), but I’ve lost count of the number of relationships that have been fostered after people met at this convention. It’s certainly not the most important thing about this event, and of course I personally can’t take credit for them, but I love that – as one Twitteros user said – “Ice & Fire Con is for Lovers”!
Meanwhile, despite the tech issues (hello, main room projector breaking sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning), and, to be honest, needing way more volunteers than we had, this year was amazing. Mostly because of the people who did step up and help out – for Small Council, Lydia and Elena; for volunteers, Jason, Matt F, Kevin, Shelby, Ray, and Chelsea; for non-volunteers, James and Frank B. Then there’s my transport helpers, Bekah & Ren – I mean, who would have had the worst traffic stop, had it happened? Them with the Skelly head, torso, feet, and arms, or me with the Skelly leg bones and tourney swords and stick horses?
LOOK AT ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE <3 <3 <3
And then there’s Obie. A fan who bought a ticket, then offered to help us with recording panels and taking photos, and just went so above and beyond that I can never thank him enough.
RANDOM ASIDE: Special shoutout to Steve Cantu’s amazing and lifesaving empanadas, and Toemas Pappas’ awesome homemade hot sauce. HOW DO WE DESERVE YOU ALL?!
Meme-worthy pic of me w/empanadas & White Claws cuz I gotta call myself out sometimes
Honorable mention: David T for his homemade pretzels. They absolutely saved my life one day of the con when I didn’t have time to eat an actual meal, and they were DELICIOUS!
When it comes to programming – we couldn’t do what we do without the people who provide it. Ashley from APOIAF deserves ALL THE ACCOLADES for the revamped Maester chains and the Medieval Fest. And of course there’s our fandom faves who host so many panels: Davos’ Fingers, Game of Owns, History of Westeros, and Radio Westeros. The support of these uber-popular podcasters has been a huge part of sustaining us all these years, and I can never thank you guys enough (and, to be honest, am kinda star-struck that I get to call you guys friends 😉 )! Not to mention Chloe (IAFC Small Council + Girls Gone Canon podcaster), Emmett (Not-a-Cast), and all of the other amazing people who hosted panels this year. (Special shoutout to the attendee-voted fave panel Gays of Thrones peeps: Elena, Lo, Sam, and Rohanne)
As for this year’s musical…wow, you guys. People have been working on this since late 2019. Auditions, recordings, rehearsals, re-writes, more rehearsals…I was so hashtag blessed to be part of a cast and crew of people who were so hardcore about everything from beginning to end. I can never thank Dom, Anna, and Chloe D enough for writing such a fucking FUN show…but at times our Queens cast chat group has been such a help – such a lifesaver – that I can never ever thank my fellow Queens – Britt, Lydia, Elle, Kat, and Anna – enough for being the uplifting, amazing, TALENTED people they are.PS the trailer drops like NOW!
And then there was Saturday.The Manimals coming back to IAFC was something I only dreamed of, especially as we have been so short on funds after having to postpone the convention so many times. Their performance was such a huge highlight of the event, and I am so, so incredibly grateful that they are so supportive of our little event.
We also got to have a Guest of Honor this year, which was a first for us and so exciting! Despite the tech issues surrounding his panels (again, looking at you, main room projector), David J. Peterson rallied and was just the best about all of it.
I also had high hopes for the Game of Swag, and HOLY SHIT DID Y’ALL SHOW! UP! I can’t wait for next year and see all of the awesome items people bring, because WOW will it be hard to top this year!
On an even more personal note – this event takes a lot out of me. While the virtual events in 2020 and 2021 were certainly fun in their own way, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, like the energy I gain from being with the fam in person. I already said this once, but it bears repeating:
I can never give enough awards for everything everybody does for this event. I appreciate and love our IAFC fam so much. I’ve been off and on happy crying for DAYS NOW because I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve this, to deserve ALL OF YOU AMAZING PEOPLE in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you. For being you, for helping out, for loving this convention and in some cases by extension loving me.
I’m only human, and every single one of you makes mea better person.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t give a special shoutout to our patrons and sponsors for their additional contributions. The truth of the matter is, Ice & Fire Con 2023 is happening thanks to YOU.
On that note: My love and appreciation for every single person who made this – the first Ice & Fire Con in, again, THREE YEARS – an absolutely BANGIN event – is beyond anything I have words for. Because the end-all, be-all is that the community as a whole is what really, really makes Ice & Fire Con special. I FUCKIN LOVE YOU, FAM!
PS EXTRA SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO THE 6 OF US (how is it only 6?!) WHO MADE THE 8 THIS YEAR!
Join myself and guests Bekah, Emmett, Farid, and Paul for an in-depth discussion of experiences we have had with toxic fandom, how these experiences changed us and the way we perceive our fellow fans, and how we have moved – or hope to move – beyond the toxicity we’ve encountered.
Geek Saga Podcast Episode 54: When Fandom Goes Too Far
Continuing with my week-long celebration for the 5th publication anniversary of my second novel, How to Start Living (in the Zombie Apocalpyse), I did a live (virtual) reading and question and answer session!
Geek Saga Podcast Episode 53: Live Reading and Q&A for How to Start Living (in the Zombie Apocalypse)
I can’t believe it’s been FIVE WHOLE YEARS since my second novel, How to Start Living (in the Zombie Apocalypse) came out! I thought it would be fun to celebrate the anniversary all week, beginning with a prequel chapter that I churned out just for this little celebration.
If you HAVE read HTSLITZA, you might be able to figure out – pretty easily – who is featured in this prequel chapter. On the other hand, if you HAVEN’T read HTSLITZA, there are no worries about spoilers.
So without further ado, I present the release of the first EVER prequel chapter to How to Start Living (in the Zombie Apocalypse)!
OPEN MIC NIGHT
“C’mon dude, she’s not around to roll her eyes at our choice of bars. Grab your guitar and meet us at City Pub for open mic night.”
I glanced at my girlfriend’s dog. “I dunno, man. She might not be here to judge me, but I swear she ordered the dog to do it in her stead.”
When you’re a coupla geeks in love, and you bonded over Red Dead Redemption, what else would you do but go to New Orleans to celebrate your nuptials? Thus, a Red WED Redemption Weekend!
Our wedding ceremony “script” was something that I wrote all on my own, and I’ll be honest, I’m really proud of it. It, like us and our relationship, was non-traditional, non-religious, and peppered with geeky references. There was no “husband” and “wife” nonsense. We are partners in life, and what I wrote reflected that.
Our best friend Nami officiated, and did an absolutely amazing job. We had the most perfect and beautiful experience, and that was entirely because of the people who were there. We missed everyone who was invited and couldn’t make it (almost entirely due to health issues/COVID), of course, but I can never express the gratitude I feel for those who were able to be there to support us.
We ate amazing food, including a lot of beignets (burgnerts? bugwats? binyetts? buhlwahrs?) We drank good beer. We also drank…a lot of other stuff, lol. We listened to awesome music. WE. FUCKIN. DANCED.
Things were broken – arms, phones, car windows. People got lost in NAWLINS from time to time. It was all as it should be. I don’t regret a single moment (okay, except maybe Nami breaking her elbow). We gathered. We got in trouble for gathering. There was oatmeal and there were a lot of mimosas and there was a strip club and there was hanging out at the hot dog bar because yes, of course, there is a hot dog bar in Nawlins.
I am so beyond grateful for the people who love us. For the fact that we all, whether we are related by blood or not, became FAMILY that weekend. I feel so HASHTAG BLESSED for the people in my life who made this weekend happen, who made our WEDDING happen, who made it all so. Darn. Amazing.
I love that so many of our friends and family have become friends with each other now, because of us, because of this time in NOLA.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for being there. My life – OUR lives – wouldn’t be the same without you.
And PS
NAWLINS GOT US NOW, Y’ALL.
So without further ado, the one script that bound us all 😉
OFFICIANT: Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are together in this absurd and wonderful thing called life.
There are thousands of important moments that happen throughout all of our lives, but a wedding is regarded as a moment so critical, it needs to be shared with friends near and far. With us today are guests from South Carolina, Texas, Washington state, California, Connecticut, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and Louisiana.
Love, a great unifier and a universal truth, has brought us together here in New Orleans. Everyone here has their own love stories, be they short or long, with friends or partners, already written or yet to be discovered.
Tara and Dean’s tale is one of fan conventions and video games, of a deep and abiding friendship that has become a deep and abiding love. Their relationship blossomed through mutual interests, and has weathered life upheavals and loss and, of course, a global pandemic. It has spanned three years, five months, and twenty-one days…not to mention about 2,300 miles. And they are here – we are ALL here – today, both despite and because of all this.
In stories, love heals wounds, fixes what is broken, allows you to go on. But love isn’t a spell, some kind of benediction to be whispered, a blame, or a cure-all. It is a single, fragile thread that grows stronger through connection, shared hardship, and honored trust.
We are gathered here this weekend to celebrate not just Tara and Dean and their relationship, but their family – because to be part of Dean’s life is to be part of his children’s lives, a choice that Tara made with an open heart and an open mind.
This celebration of Tara and Dean is about what came before, but more importantly is what happens next. They fell in love by chance, but they are here today, now, in this moment, by choice. Tara, Dean, you have chosen each other. You have each chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile, and makes every day brighter. In that vein, I believe you have each written a little something of your own to say to each other, in front of these witnesses, today.
This is where we both spoke our own vows, but those are reserved for ourselves and our friends and family who were in attendance. Needless to say, they were rife with sweet nothings and Red Dead references.
OFFICIANT: Tara and Dean, do you take each other as lawfully wedded partners, to love, encourage, trust, and respect each other, to work together to foster a marriage of equality, and to create a home for yourselves, Ben, and Camden that is filled with growth, laughter, and compassion?
In which we both said “I Do” as simultaneously as possible
OFFICIANT: Love comes from humble beginnings: through a combination of serendipity and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. You are exchanging rings, which are perfect and unending circles, as a symbol of your imperfect and yet extraordinary love.
Dean, as you place the ring on Tara’s finger, please repeat after me:
With this ring, I bind my life to yours. It is a symbol of my friendship, my love, my trust, and my respect, And the promise to care for you, stand beside you, and share with you all of life’s joys and adversities. For this day and all the days to come.
Tara, as you place the ring on Dean’s finger, please repeat after me:
With this ring, I bind my life to yours. It is a symbol of my friendship, my love, my trust, and my respect, And the promise to care for you, stand beside you, and share with you all of life’s joys and adversities. For this day and all the days to come.
And with that, by the power vested in me by the great state of Lemoyne, I now pronounce you partners for life. Now kiss!
There was a lot of kissing here 🙂
Esteemed guests, it is my pleasure to present to you the Lynbury Gang!
Join myself and my 2001 Walt Disney World College Program friends Kim, Beau, and [eventually, toward the end] Becky, as we discuss the end of our WDWCP, our experiences returning home, and how participating in the College Program changed our lives overall.
Geek Saga Podcast Episode 52: WDWCP 2001 20-Year Reunion Series Part 6: The End
Join myself and my 2001 Walt Disney World College Program roommate Kim as we cover All! The! (2001) Holidays! in this College Program Holiday Special episode!
Geek Saga Podcast Episode 51: WDWCP 2001 20-Year Reunion Series Part 5: A College Program Holiday Special
Join myself and my friend Nikki from the 2001 Walt Disney World College Program as we discuss settling in for our WDWCP and the fun of living in Orlando and working at Disney over Halloween!
Geek Saga Podcast Episode 50: WDWCP 2001 20-Year Reunion Series Part 4: A Halloween Special
Click below to watch in webcast form!
Ad/Lib cast members and friends on our way to the Haunted Mansion Halloween PartyMyself & Nikki donning some laid-back costumes for the live webcast on 10/23/21 🙂
Episode 49 of The Geek Saga Podcast includes live audio from the Dragon Con High Fantasy track’s “Tolkien’s Trickster Tropes” panel at Dragon Con 2021.
PLEASE NOTE: All panelists and audience members were required to wear masks throughout this panel. This does make certain portions of the recording a bit difficult to hear, and I apologize for this [albeit very necessary] “inconvenience”.
This panel focused on how J.R.R. Tolkien incorporated the trickster archetype into his works – and no, it wasn’t just all about tricksy hobbits!
GEEK SAGA PODCAST EPISODE 49 – TOLKIEN’S TRICKSTER TROPES AT DRAGON CON 2021
