Post-Glasgow2024 WorldCon Catch Up
The Scots deep fry pizza, y'all. I have notes.
Con Report
Tee, Grandma and I went to Glasgow for our first WorldCon and we had a blast, thank you. No, we didn’t win the Hugo, but that’s okay — believe it or not, it really is an honor just to be finalists.
Check out the winners here: 2024 Hugo Award Winners!
Most importantly, we saw good friends we hadn’t seen in years and made new friends in Andrew Hickey, Ruoxi Chen, and Dr. Florence Gaub. Despite the extra stress it put on my writing slate, I’m calling it a win.
Oh, and clootie dumpling - yes; fried pizza - HARD NO.
Upcoming Appearances
Fresh off of Worldcon, and resetting my suitcase because Aug. 29 – Sep. 02, 2024 is DragonCon in Atlanta, GA! I will be there with the good folks of Good Trouble Productions. DragonCon is where we had the dinner with Congressman John Lewis that ended up launching the GTP project, so it’s heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time.
The very next weekend is Sept. 06 - 08, 2024 and our hometown show, Rose City Comic Con! Looks like Fraction and I will both be there, which is a rare thing these days what with the TV and the Covid and all. I’ll be there in support of FML, so you’ll find me wherever Dark Horse things are happening. (I might be teaching/lecturing again as well, but I don’t think that’s been confirmed yet, so stay tuned.)
Milkfed Mentions
Comics Beat is calling out WONDER WOMAN HISTORIA: THE AMAZONS again! This time they’ve featured us in their Classic Comic Compendium.
Sex Criminals is “one classic pick you need to read” according to Bam Smack Pow’s 10 new comic books to watch out for this week.
Good thing that Humble Bundle is bringing Sex Crims to you as part of this Zdarsky & Fraction 32 piece set!
FML
I am predictably behind on everything—including two TV projects that are in first position, so the FML ARG is paused for a minute but hang tight.
In the meantime for more traditional marketing, I was incredibly honored to be asked to do a two part interview for the 99th and 100th eps of the IDEAS DON’T BLEED Podcast, from Ashcan Press Comics. (You all already know Matt Rosenberg’s work I’m sure, but if you’re not reading Ethan and Griffin’s Kill Your Darlings, you really should pick that up. The first issue made a strong impression on me for their craftsmanship and you all know I’m usually a bitch about that. Maybe you don’t know? I’m sorry you had to find out like this.)
I also had the opportunity to chat with Portland’s own Geek in the City Radio about FML. If you’re not aware, I have a super assistant in Denise Espinoza, who is also one of the GITC co-hosts. I imagine being my assistant is akin to chasing a toddler with a caffeine addiction and limited English. Yet somehow she makes it look easy. Anyway, it was my pleasure to be a guest in her other workplace and be impressed by her there as well. (Kaebel and Aaron are super too, but let’s be real — Denise is a fucking boss.) Watch it here.
Oh, and guess what? FML drops on November 6th. You know what else November 6th marks?? THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION IN THE US. So yeah, under the very best of circumstances I suspect we’re going to be pre-occupied with protecting our democrazy and ensuring that there is a peaceful transfer of power come January. Which is just and right.
A new comic book dropping is going to be the last thing anyone is concerned about. Which—again!—is as it should be. I mean, I care more about democracy than I do about this book, but also I LOVE THIS BOOK. So help a girl out and pre-order at your local comic shop, okay? You don’t have to pick it up on the 6th. Totally reasonable to save democracy first.
More Things to Call to Your Attention
FML is set in Portland. If you live in Portland or have ever visited, you know we have an affordable housing CRISIS. Well, I’ve had the honor of serving alongside CEO Nkenge Harmon Johnson on the Board of the Portland Urban League for six years now and I am so excited to share that The Portland Housing Bureau has awarded Over $40M to Home Forward and Urban League for a 230-Unit Affordable Housing Development in the Broadway Corridor!!!
This is a big, big deal, friends. For Portland, for our community and for the Urban League. Think global, ACT LOCAL.
If you’re in our area—Oregon or SW Washington—this is me encouraging you to join us as a member or a volunteer.
If you’re in Portland, please join us at the Equal Opportunity Dinner!
If you work for a corporation in our area, you can encourage your organization to sponsor the EOD with a table. For details, they can contact Nikki Paxton at npaxton@ulpdx.org. (For media inquiries please contact John Sepulvado at 503.998.4603 or jsepulvado@ulpdx.org.)I am inordinately excited for this. I’m sorry, I just am.
Teacher, Glow Shark and Comic Reader Jeremy Sitnick is chronicling his experience with Bells Palsy here and it’s worth your time:
Why Don’t You…
Diana Vreeland helmed BAZAAR for 25 years, during which she very famously had a column called Why Don't You...
We miss the big weirdo fabulist that Diana was, so we are picking up the torch.
Why don’t you watch HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET, streaming now on Peacock? Unless you don’t have Peacock, in which case, know that being able to stream HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET is a good reason to get Peacock.
Cut a hole in your wall and make a teeny tiny room?
Choose a signature scent?
Replace all your shoelaces with elastic laces that clip together at the ends, because SRSLY who needs that hassle? (the hassle of tying shoelaces Every. Day. It’s truly the worst… Right?)
Check your voter registration? (US only. Y’all feriners should check yours too, but I can’t do all the work.)
Cover the edge of a door with disco ball tiles?
Ask one of your friends to help you bury a body, just to test their loyalty?
Make these scones? I made them this morning and HOLY SHIT.
Do one of the above and tell us about it? We’ll publish any that make us laugh in the next newsletter.
… Oh shit, you DID!
A SHOCKING number of you figured out how to Venmo Fraction $14. We laughed really hard, and then passed that money on to Faelin.
Summer Suzuki did a “paint something” from Fraction’s Why Don’t You last newsletter, and it’s lovely! If you enjoy yard birds & crafty art projects you might could give them a follow.
You read all the way to the end, so you get a prize. I’m sending a couple David Lopez’s terrific digital stickers out to the FML text list today at 5pm PST. To join, text FML to (503) 738-1029.
It was great to meet you at Worldcon! Thanks so much for signing my copy of Historia and for the chat. I listened to you on Ashcan Press on the train ride back from Glasgow!
“… to test their loyalty…”
What if they say “ Ok, there’s this place I use for that…”