After an successful Kickstarter campaign raised $19,000, New York’s first queer comic convention will take place this Saturday at the Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn.
Unlike the main New York City Comic Con in October, FlameCon focuses entirely on LGBT themes in comics, geek culture, and Internet life. The list of events includes panel discussions with LGBT artists, portfolio reviews with industry insiders like Marvel editor Dan Ketchum, a cosplay pageant, and a teen geek meet-up.
While it comes as a shock to no one that there are LGBT folks in the geek, comics, gamer, sci-fi and fantasy, fanfic, cosplay, and brony scenes, separate conventions focusing on queer topics, characters, and issues are a relatively new phenomenon. These conventions are slowly catching up to the massive online popularity of queer slash and femslash fanfic.
FlameCon is being produced by Geeks OUT, a New York organization that brings queer geeks together for laser tag meet-ups, picnics, and trips to comic readings and movies. Geeks OUT president Joey Stern told the Daily Dot that while comic cons have historically been pretty gay-friendly, his event will provide a deeper focus on queer issues.
“Focusing on a queer geeks lets us do really niche panels and go after amazing—but also niche artists—who wouldn’t shine at a bigger, less focused, con,” Stern said. “Flame Con exists to shine a light on artists and fans who can be swallowed up at larger conventions.”
It wouldn’t be a gay event without a wild after-party packed with sexy queer performers, of course. The Fire Ball features a roster of drag queens, burlesque dancers, and hot dudes from gay arthouse porn site Cocky Boys.
FlameCon is a welcome addition to the small family of queer geek conventions including Los Angeles’s Bent-Con, Philly’s Nijicon, Austin’s HavenCon, and GaymerX (which is game-centered, but still).
So far, FlameCon is set to outpace the growth of the other cons in its very first year, having sold out capacity for the 1,500-person venue.
“Cons are like snow flakes and each is special,” said Stern. “Queer cons are like rainbow snowflakes and each is perfect.”
FlameCon will take place this Saturday, June 13, at Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.
Photo via FlameCon/Facebook
