Ms. Hartstein, who might be best known for her work reviewing haunted house sites, is the con organizer for this year. From the press release, offering her take on the show:
I've not personally gone to the show for various reasons, but it's always seemed like a fun idea. Most conventions tend to have a very tight theme, so the idea of a show that highlights different aspects of internet culture together in one place, whether it's webcomics, video gaming, internet celebrities, or other geeky activities.The convention features educational content, children’s programming, board gaming, video gaming, vintage arcade cabinets, an extensive Artist Alley / Vendor Room, live action roleplaying, musical performances, and plenty of giveaways. As in past years, there will be a charity auction to benefit the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an international non-profit digital advocacy group that helps to defend civil liberties in the digital space.Tickets for Intervention 2013 can be bought at http://www.interventioncon.com/register for the pre-registration price of $40 for the full weekend. They may be purchased in advance or at the door for $45.
A full list of the guests are here. Some notables include Mark Frauenfelder from BoingBoing, Paul Sabourin of Paul and Storm, Viz editor and webcomics creator Shaenon Garrity, Margee Kerr from Pittsburgh's ScareHouse, Cinematic for the People (billed as an MST3K like experience, only live), as well as many others from the world of webcomics, geek-rock/folk musicians, and other performers. They cover a wide variety of internet fandoms, leaving something for everyone.
The convention recently released its panel schedule, which is quite comprehensive. It reminds me quite a bit of a typical sci-fi con breakdown. There's three panel tracks, a workshop room, kid's stuff, gaming, and of course, a video room. A few of these caught my eye as being particularly interesting, but keep in mind I have my own geek bias, so don't go by me alone:
- Robots on Mars and other Awesome things about Space
- How to Make Money in Webcomics (mostly because I think this is where comic future lies)
- It Needs To Be Discussed: Harassment, Drama, and Fandom Failures--We Can Do Better
- Writing for Fantasy Stories
- History of Comics as a Medium
- The Computer is Willing, But the Spirit is Weak: How to Build the Motivation to Keep Going
- 50 Years of the Doctor
- The Cinematic for the People showing of Fast and the Furious
- Writing and Creating Three Dimensional Characters
- The Artist/Writer Relationship
- Website Hosting for Art and Comicc
Other items of note are portfolio reviews, which are held periodically throughout the weekend, as well as discussions about how to use various tools to make comics (traditional vs digital, photoshop, etc.). It's a very well balanced offering, and the fact that there's multiple creative tracks all weekend is notable and a really cool idea.
Located in Rockville, Maryland at the Hilton, Intervention runs from Friday, August 23rd at noon to Sunday, August 25th at 4pm. Tickets are available online or at the door, $45 for the entire weekend, $15 for Friday/Sunday only, and $25 for Saturday only. (I really appreciate that day passes are available, for those who can't spare an entire weekend.)
This show is designed for people to have a good time, and I know Onezumi well enough to know that she won't allow any sexist crap at her convention, so it should be a safe harbor for those who may be used to con harassment. If you like geeking out and are available, go to Intervention and frolic with those who understand you. I'm betting you'll find fellow fans of just about anything--except being mean!
