The history of GeekGirlCon starts in 2010 at the annual San Diego Comic-Con International. That year, the convention’s programming included a panel entitled “Geek Girls Exist”. Panelists included Bonnie Burton, Marian Call, Veronica Belmont and Kari Byron. Despite the fact that the panel was held simultaneously with the panel dedicated to the film adaptation of the acclaimed comic book Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, it drew a lot of attendees and was met with overwhelming enthusiasm.
The panel’s popularity has been cited as a primary inspiration for the first ever fan convention designed for geek women and their supporters. The inaugural GeekGirlCon was held on October 8 and 9, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. It was attended by around 4,000 pop culture fans. Of course, its staff and attendees include men as well as women, the event is inclusive and embraces all types of people. What is really important is that GeekGirlCon focuses on women’s experiences, representations, and participation in the geek community. Most events are dedicated to female characters in comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games.
The main goal of GeekGirlCon is to celebrate and honor the contribution of women to science, technology, literature, arts, comics and other media, game design, etc. and to connect geek girls worldwide, creating a strong community. The structure of its programming is similar to that of other fan conventions. It includes exhibitions, panels, workshops and master classes, cosplay contests, etc. Each year the festival’s panel content is a mix of staff-curated events and community-organized submissions.
GeekGirlCon is a non-profit event, it is organized and managed by a stuff of volunteers who want to empower girls and women to pursue their passions. The convention is financed by donations, sponsors and partners.
In 2020 and 2021, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo by Danny Ngan, geekgirlcon.com
