A Fashionably Late Recap of FlameCon 2018!

August has come and gone, but it’s never too late to look back on the queerest comics convention in the U.S. — FlameCon. Hosted in New York City every August, this fully-volunteer run convention gives you panels, cosplay contests, and an Artist’s Alley that will make your wallet weep and your backpack bulge with all of the new goodies you’ll find. in just its third year, FlameCon has easily become my favorite local convention. Everyone is always kind, their inclusion is impressive, and they strive to make accessibility the forefront rather than an afterthought. The atmosphere that FlameCon cultivates makes the two-day event feel like one of the most comfortable con spaces I’ve ever occupied.

I arrived early Saturday and spent most of the day checking out Artist Alley and some of the fantastic cosplayers. The only panel that I managed to make it to was Black, Queer and Nerdy Women. Moderated by Isake Smith, Isake chatted with Reign, co-founder of Latinx Geeks and ValerieComplex about their work within nerd culture, how their identities as queer Black women impact that work, and how they include time to recharge and persevere when they encounter setbacks. I loved the candor of the conversation and how it seemed to flow between the three of them. There were also so many inspiring gems that encouraged those of us in the audience that we can do things as well. I still think about Reign’s response to the question of “How has living at your intersection impacted what you decided to do”: “Continue to build the platform you want to see, and others will follow.” It was a great start to the weekend, and I left the panel feeling light, encouraged, and seen.

Sunday was more of a panel-heavy day for me. To keep up with my personal brand, I had to start my day with Let’s Talk About Scouts, Baby: How Sailor Moon Made Me Queer. Moderated by Kate Leth, the panel included Karen Cunningham, D.J. Kirkland, Julia Reck, Yoshi Yoshitani, and Victoria McNalley. The hour that the panel had to talk about the beloved shoujo series wasn’t nearly enough time, but they still managed to touch on their favorite Sailor Senshi and villains, favorite arcs, how Sailor Moon helped them to understand their own queerness, and what the series means to them today.

Almost immediately after was the next panel, The Sapphic Comics Confab. Moderated by Margot Atwell, the panelists (Molly Knox Ostertag and Mariko Tamaki) focused on the importance and necessity of sapphic-specific media. There were mentions of so many webcomics, comics, and other lesbian media and creators that paved the way for the panelists (Jennifer Camper, Alison Bechdel and her work, Dykes to Watch Out For, The Prince and the Dressmaker, the Beyond anthology series… just to name a few). And even with how far we’ve come, there’s still room for improvement, especially for sapphic media. Body diversity and a focus on characters with disabilities were high on the list for both panelists on what kinds of heroes they want to see in future stories, but stories that can capture the variety and complexity of the sapphic experience had an especially soft place in the hearts of the panelists.

I concluded FlameCon 2018 with the panel The Invisible Latinx: FlameCon Remix. Moderated by Reign, the panelists included Barbara Perez Marquez, Alexis Sanchez, and Vita Ayala talked about representation for the Latinx community within media at large. From Miles Morales to Voltron: Legendary Defender, Gina Torres, America Chavez, and One Day at a Time, the panel was fun and on-point, touching on the important questions of “What makes a character Latinx?” and how things can move forward as diversity and representation continues to evolve on-screen.

Overall, FlameCon’s third year did not disappoint. A special shout out to all of the artists that I purchased from: D.J. Kirkland, Wendy Xu, Michi, Julia Reck, Elise Schuenke, Little Corvus, Nic ter Horst, Xan Larson, Zora Gilbert, NightOwlJewelry and HamletMachine. The biggest shout out to my friend and con buddy, Bilal. I’m sad that it’s over, but I’m already excited and looking forward to see what’s to come for next year’s convention.