By David Doub Please describe your background from Funimation to E-Sports to HomeCon I've grown up as a fan of entertainment and believe, like many others, that it shapes who we are as a person. This brought me to working at Funimation for about 10 years in marketing and events, social media, and business development. In the past few years, I've transitioned to esports as a new challenge in another emerging market. Eventually I became VP of Events at Envy Gaming in an effort to build out new local experiences for fans and launched the first ever home game in esports history showcasing the Dallas Fuel to 9,000 attendees over the weekend at Allen Event Center. Now, I’m taking on a side-project putting together a first-of-its-kind online fan convention called HomeCon. Could you describe what exactly is HomeCon? HomeCon connects individuals who are respectfully staying at home to an online event community that’s bringing a brand new face to the world of pop culture conventions. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend live virtual panels with the stars of their favorite shows via Twitch.tv/homeconofficial —and they will be able to book video chats with celebs in intimate one-on-one video settings. How did HomeCon come about? Paul Amos reached out to me about 2 weeks ago about an idea he and Lost Girl cohort Rachel Skarsten had discussed about providing some sort of experience for fans to see and meet their favorite actors during this social distancing era. Having worked with both of them in the past during my stint at Funimation and considering my experience with fan engagement and events, Paul thought I’d be a good fit to brainstorm and develop this new way of connecting fans with talent. What is your involvement with HomeCon? I’ve done a little bit of everything. Event strategy, live production, business development such as securing a Twitch partnership in under a week, and helping to build a team of amazing people with incredibly diverse skill sets to get HomeCon off the ground. I’m also hosting a handful of the panels with talent from Lost Girl, The Expanse, Shadowhunters, and Lucifer. What were some of the challenges in getting an event like HomeCon starter so quickly? Time, technology, and communication. Trying to get this out the door as fast as possible to satisfy the needs of fans who are lacking this type of engagement due to conventions around the world getting cancelled has been a challenge. No single platform or service really satisfies all the needs fans have to get the best experience, so we’ve had to work with multiple partners like Twitch, Zoom, and Acuity Scheduling. Getting the word out to these groups of people, finding the right talent, and making sure everyone understands how the event will work has been no easy task. Where do you see HomeCon gong in the future? Is this a one-time thing for a unique time or is their plans to grow it? The future of conventions and events will be impacted by this COVID-19 pandemic forever. While what we’re exactly doing with HomeCon may evolve, we think this could be a long-term recurring event with many different iterations that address the needs of the various fandoms. What are some of your favorite parts of HomeCon? Rallying together as a team has been amazing. This has been a truly humbling experience to see how passionate everyone is-- actors, fandom, and production team alike. There’s absolutely no way this could have been possible without the unique combination of individuals and incredible support we’ve received. Who are your personal favorite guests for HomeCon? Who are you geeking out over? Being on the hosting and production end of this, I try to be as professional as possible in every interaction - or else I wouldn’t get to do this again. Though, my personal favorite franchise over the past few years has been The Expanse. What are some of your personal favorite conventions? Every convention has its moments. I like them for very different reasons and my preferences have changed as my life and priorities change. Last year was actually the smallest amount of conventions I’ve attended in the past decade, due to focusing on producing our own events for Envy Gaming. Though, I still managed to make it out to some of the big ones like E3, DragonCon, PAX East/West, Anime Expo, and BlizzCon. I can definitely appreciate a more intimate convention also. Any cons want to invite me out as a guest? What are some of your favorite convention memories? Too many to really recall. With going to maybe 10-15 cons a year for about a decade, I could do an entire interview just on this. Being a nerd during these challenging times, is there anything you’d like to say to all your fellow nerds out there? Just keep doing what you love. While we can’t congregate physically, there are endless options to share and experience our fandom digitally. But be cordial online and let other people enjoy what they love too. https://linktr.ee/homeconofficial By David Doub What got you into This Event? What is your current role at this Event? Cosplay Prom was born out of my obsession with putting my own spin on cosplays. I don't ever do screen accurate or comic accurate cosplays-- I think I'd drive myself mad with details. I made a post in a local group asking if folks would be interested in such an event and everyone was in! The first Cosplay Prom was held at The Nines in Deep Ellum in September of 2017 and has continued to blossom year after year. I am the event's Organizer and Host. Can you tell us a bit about the event and what is the core purpose of your event? Honestly, the purpose of the event is to put a fun spin on a costume and have a good time! I wasn't very popular in high school so I only attended one prom. I've had several people share the same story with me-- They never went to their own prom because they were outcasts. This prom is for all the outcasts to come and have a good time with an added bonus-- you couldn't drink at your High School Prom! Haha. What makes your event different from other events? What do you hope people take away from your Event? There aren't many formal events out there that aren't part of a convention. Cosplay Prom tends to hit right in a sweet spot where there is a lull in conventions. I think my favorite part of the event is the Cosplay Contest, which gives folks a few minutes in the spotlight to show off their creation. I feel like most of the people that enter the Cosplay Contest wouldn't normally enter a Cosplay Contest at a convention and it makes my heart swell with pride to think I'm giving them an opportunity to show off their work and what they came up with. If you had an unlimited budget, what one special thing would you like to do for your event? I'd love to bring in more prom-like decorations to really give it that "prom" feel. I've kept the cost of tickets relatively low to encourage attendance and because I'm not in it for the profit. I just want to show folks a good time! What is your opinion on the aggressive growth of all the nerd conventions and events in North Texas? Where do you see your event fit into this landscape? I'm thankful being a "nerd" is no longer something to be ashamed of. I love all the opportunities the North Texas area presents to gather with other like-minded people and get your nerd on with! As I mentioned before, my event presents an opportunity for folks that didn't previously attend their prom to have a second chance and also hits during a lull in conventions. What some of the other local events doing that you really like or with you thought of first? I can't really think of anything honestly! I love seeing these local events grow and I look forward to what they come up with next! By David Doub Please introduce yourself and describe your chosen Creative Medium. Hi! My name is Maysa Sem and I’m an illustrator based in Dallas, Texas. I love doing detailed illustrations of plants and animals inspired from nature. I studied illustration at an art college in Memphis, but didn’t find my artistic voice until after college. My favorite creative medium is ink and watercolor. What got you into your Creative Medium? What schooling and experiences help lead you there? What do you do to continue to learn and improve? I got into watercolor and ink from looking at printmaking books and scientific illustrations. Growing up my parents didn’t have the money to buy me name brand art supplies. My dad would give me cheap office pens to use. Because of this I was able to practice various art techniques such as mark making and shading. I find studying from art history books and from other artists was one of the best experiences to practice my medium. What are some of your favorite works? What do enjoy about creating? What are some pet peeves? My favorite works are my “Tiny Ink Life” series. These miniature ink and watercolor illustrations of animals are all unique and ready made in a tiny frame. What I enjoy the most about creating this series is hearing how certain animals remind people about someone special in their life. Who are some local creators who you enjoy their work or are just generally awesome people? Please explain why. My friends Diana and Hannah are local creators who continue to inspire me. These ladies are both hardworking and always give it their all. What I love about these two creators is they are positive and want others to succeed. They will be showcasing their beautiful artwork at Women of Wonder Con! The support from my friends is one of the reasons I have continued art. What are some of your favorite local conventions? Can you share any particular fun memories? One of my favorite local conventions was actually last year at my first Women of Wonder Con. I wanted to start doing shows and I didn’t know how. I was nervous about sharing my work but my friend Diana was very supportive. She helped me set up my table and gave me a few tips on how to display my art. It was also fun to do a show with a friend because it feels like I’m not doing it alone. What do you look forward to for Women of Wonder Con? What do you hope people can take away from Women of Wonder Convention? I look forward to the supportive community and meeting amazing people. I hope others will be inspired to create and follow their passion. Hope to see you there! You can find me @MaysaSem on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/maysasem/ ) & Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/maysasem/ ) The Dallas Public Library hosts the 3rd annual Women of Wonder Con on Saturday, March 7th at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library from 10am to 5pm! Press coverage about WOW Con 2019: http://kabooooom.com/2019/03/women-of-wonder-con-2019-report/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjXshtdnTEY https://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/events/women-wonder-con-2019 More information about Women of Wonder Convention can be found at: http://www.womenofwondercon.com https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfWonderCon By David Doub Please introduce yourself and describe your chosen Creative Medium. My name is Jasmine Willis but I go by Jazzy Né (nay). I am a writer, entertainer, and graphic designer. What got you into your Creative Medium? What schooling and experiences help lead you there? What do you do to continue to learn and improve? Growing I watched my childhood heroes be actors, cartoonists, voiceover artists, etc and I knew that I wanted to be like them. Everything I know now has been through learning on my own. I've watched YouTube videos and continue to practice. I know most would think it takes major discipline, but in reality it takes a good amount of curiosity to find out what else you can learn. That's literally what I do. What are some of your favorite works? What do enjoy about creating? What are some pet peeves? I think my favorite work was a YouTube video I produced about being a Black girl gamer. It was a solo project I worked on, with some help from my husband, and I was very hype about the final product! Creating to me is an outlet. It allows me to release whatever negative or weird energies I've dealt with to be revamped and turned into whatever it is I'm working on at the time. Biggest peeve is when my pc decides it doesn't want to be nice or I overwhelm myself with too much on the plate. Who are some local creators who you enjoy their work or are just generally awesome people? Please explain why. Aww jinkies... Ummm... I'll have to say I love the works from Mixed Hues, my girls Tami and Kika (cosplayers), and DJ R.O.C.K.M.A.N.!! They may not be traditional artists but they are creators in their own right and my fave Black geeks to ever be around! What are some of your favorite local conventions? Can you share any particular fun memories? I don't have any favorites but I have attended some - IKKICON, Okashicon, AnimeCTX, and PAX South to name a few. My team, The NexCrew, hosted a panel at Ikkicon called Race: Does It Truly Matter? and while we had some folks try to troll us the turnout and learning opportunities were amazing! We got to empower our fellow geeks and encourage others to be bold in who they are. I got to host and DJ a party Okashicon! I have NEVER DJed before that was fun lol. At PAX South I was able to establish connections with amazing musicians and people in the Nerdcore music world. I have pictures on my FB page to show how short I am but that these folks are amazing!! What do you look forward to for Women of Wonder Con? What do you hope people can take away from Women of Wonder Convention? I'm looking forward to representing the Black geek community at Women of Wonder Con. I want to show young girls and boys who look like me that they too can do what I do! I want people to walk away from the con feeling empowered and riding the creative vibes. They should feel like they can do anything and their fire won't be doused by dream killers. You can find me at the following: Twitter.com/JazzNexCrew Instagram.com/jazz_necole Facebook.com/jazziewillis. Visit gcxaustin.com and thenexcrew.com to see my teams in action! The Dallas Public Library hosts the 3rd annual Women of Wonder Con on Saturday, March 7th at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library from 10am to 5pm!
Press coverage about WOW Con 2019: http://kabooooom.com/2019/03/women-of-wonder-con-2019-report/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjXshtdnTEY https://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/events/women-wonder-con-2019 More information about Women of Wonder Convention can be found at: http://www.womenofwondercon.com https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfWonderCon
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AuthorNorth Texas Nerd is a site for news, reviews, interviews, and opinions about all pop culture and geeky things happening and being made in North Texas. Archives
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