The LxL at WonderCon 2012

Last year, many members of the League of Extraordinary Ladies made it up to San Francisco to enjoy the small but mighty WonderCon. It was an amazing time all around and this year, it’s going to be right in our backyard at the Anaheim Convention Center! For one year, and one year only, us Southern Californians get to enjoy this smaller cousin of San Diego ComicCon and don’t even need to fight over hotel rooms! To celebrate, we are hosting a meetup on Saturday, March 17^th starting at 8pm at Trader Sam’s in the Disneyland Hotel. We promise, it’s a very quick walk from the convention center and you get to see Downtown Disney which is a lot of fun. Here’s a FB invite for the festivities: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/119628924832029/

Also, once again, several of the founders have been chosen to moderate, participate in and/or organize a few panels. I’m sure we’d all love to see you stop by. I’ve also made a quick list of other LxL members (and friends of the LxL) whom I saw on the schedule. Let me know if you’d like me to add anything. Hope to see you all in a few weeks!

*LxL Founder Panels*

SATURDAY: 12:30-1:30 CAC Session 6: Lessons Learned from Batgirl about Female Superheroes and Trauma: Resilience, Recovery, and Relaunch— Is it healthy to be a female character in today’s comics? Do comic book superheroines still face different traumas from those faced by their male counterparts? Psychologists Andrea Letamendi (UCLA), Robin Rosenberg (The Psychology of Superheroes), and Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight), with the help of writer Bryan Q. Miller (Batgirl, Smallville), explore how gender differences figure into storytelling issues and reflect on the dangers, support, and expectations encountered by women in real-world high-risk and life-threatening environments. Room 210

SATURDAY: 2:00-3:00 Geek & Sundry— Felicia Day (The Guild), Wil Wheaton (Awesome), Veronica Belmont (Tekzilla), and Tom Merrit (Sword & Laser) present a sneak preview of Day’s new Geek & Sundry YouTube channel lineup. Room 204

SATURDAY: 5:30-6:30 Geek Girls Create— Kristen Nedopak (Think Hero TV), Stephanie Thorpe (ElfQuest), Crix Lee (Girl Gamer/Dread Central), Jessica Mills (Awkward Embraces), Leah Cevoli (Robot Chicken), and Helenna Santos Levy (Girl and Boy) are women who took their love of the geek life and turned it into a career. As producers, hosts, actresses, and multi-hyphenate personalities, they have spent time and love creating their own award-winning content for film, TV, and the web. Learn how each of these smart and sexy ladies built her unique, individual brand, and gain insight into the struggles and success of creating your own work, from networking to production to marketing…and staying sane along the way. Room 207

SUNDAY: 11:30-12:30 Steampunk 101— H.G. Wells, leather corsets, goggles, gears and steam-powered blasters: these are all marks of the genre, but what exactly is Steampunk? Explore the answer to this basic question and much more with scintillating steampunk experts Donna Ricci (Clockwork Couture), Joe Benitez (Lady Mechanika); Thomas Willeford (Brute Force Studios); Nick Bauman, Andrew Fogel and Duane Matthews (The League of S.T.E.A.M.); and moderator Dina Kampmeyer (The Manticore Society). Room 213

*Other LxL Panels*

FRIDAY: 12:30-1:30 TheOneRing.net Hobbit Movie Insider’s Preview— Ringers everywhere are eagerly awaiting Peter Jackson’s new Hobbit films during the 75th anniversary year of the book’s publication! Staff writers and scholars from TheOneRing.net web portal invite you to join this lively panel revealing film production surprises and a zealous shredding of rumors! Led by Clifford Broadway (Ringers: Lord of the Fans), Josh Rubinstein (Star Trek: TNG Blu-ray), Cathy Udovch (Cruise to Middle-earth), and Mike Urban (The People’s Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien). Room 207

FRIDAY: 4:30-5:30 Spotlight on Renae De Liz— Meet one of the rising stars of the industry! Acclaimed artist and WonderCon special guest Renae De Liz (The Last Unicorn) was building a rabid following even before she masterminded the Kickstarter runaway smash success project Womanthology! Room 203

SATURDAY: 11:00-12:00 Womanthology— Get the story behind the hottest Kickstarter project of the year, a graphic novel produced entirely by the top women in the industry! Over 200 creators combined to create Womanthology,  and all profits go to the charities of GlobalGiving.org! Project mastermind Renae De Liz and a host of surprise creators offer sneak peeks, inside tips on how to break into comics, and more! Room 213

SATURDAY: 1:30-2:30 How to Get News Coverage— Small press publishers, what makes the difference between an item that will get news coverage, previews, and interviews and an item that doesn’t? A lot of publishers have no idea what to submit to the press, how to submit it, and why they are being overlooked for coverage. Comics journalist Rik Offenberger (First Comics News, Archie Comics) moderates this panel on just what it takes to get coverage, with the comics journalist themselves telling you what they are looking for in your submission. Panelists include Alan Kistler (Comic Mix, Newsarama), Heidi McDonald (The Beat), Kiel Phegley (Comic Book Resources), and Josh Waldrop (M1W Entertainment). Find out what it takes to self-promote and make a significant impact on your ability to sell your comics project. Room 208

SATURDAY: 6:00-7:00 Archaia Entertainment Presents: How to Build a Better Story— Are you an aspiring storyteller? Archaia has a tradition of publishing great stories, such as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, and The Killer. Archaia editor-in-chief Stephen Christy and founder and chief creative officer Mark Smylie lead an information-packed session on what it takes to create a better original graphic novel. From world building to storytelling to what Archaia looks for in submissions, if you’re an aspiring graphic novelist, this is the panel you don’t want to miss. Plus, get a sneak peek of some of Archaia’s upcoming titles, with never-before-seen art and exclusive information! Please note: Archaia will not be accepting submissions or reviewing portfolios during this panel. Room 203

SUNDAY: 4:00-5:00 Jane Espenson: Sci Fi and Beyond— A TV writing fixture for the past 20 years, Jane Espenson has written episodes for Sci-Fi and fantasy shows including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Game of Thrones, and ABC’s current hit Once Upon a Time. Her work in TV comedy includes work on Dinosaurs, Ellen, Jake in Progress, Andy Richter’s Andy Barker PI and Gilmore Girls. Espenson has also made online inroads with Battlestar Galactica webisodes and her current web series, Husbands. The panel is a moderated discussion and lively Q&A about her work in different genres and across different platforms. She will be joined by Husbands co-writer, co-creator and star, Brad Bell. Room 203