Art

Are Puppets Subversive?

What's so special about puppets? What can we do with puppets that live actors can't communicate? What makes for a successful puppet script? What are some resources for puppeteers? In December 2011, the Muppets were accused of being communist agitators. What are our thoughts on the Muppets re-boot?

Artwork in Gaming

(Maybe a slideshow?) The basic idea and rules are not that make a game. Sometimes the look and feel of a game and its pieces can make or break the gaming experience. What considerations need to be taken into account when developing art for a game? How do these considerations change (or not) when you consider different sorts of games (CCG vs RPG vs MMORPG, etc.)?

CHOPPED Flash Artistry

Essentially a game show similar to CHOPPED on The Food Network. Contestants are given a time limit to come up with the best drawing (or other artistic endeavor) using three mystery ingredients (e.g. a shrubbery, a herring, and a European swallow). All three ingredients must be used, and the audience decides who goes on to the next round, and who gets CHOPPED. (See also CHOPPED Flash Fiction)

Creating Book Art

A roundtable DIY event about art made with books. Bring your own book to be re-purposed with scissors, X-acto knives, gluesticks and embellishments. Weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth will be allowed only in the hallway.

Costuming Connection

How do I get started with costuming? How do I improve my beginner skills? What can I do with a simple sewing machine? Which features are cool to have on a more expensive, gadgety machine? What are some good costuming resources?

It Leapt Right Off the Page

Live, interactive tutorial on making your own pop-ups.

Striking a Pose

Based on this post [1] by Jim Hines. Examining the way women are portrayed on SF/F book covers. In particular - Are these poses realistic? Can they be replicated by a male body? What do such images say about the portrayal of women (even in books with strong female protagonists) in SF/F?

Fandom and Zeitgeist

Book Tasting: Pairing your Favorite Teas with SF/Fantasy Novels

What if the the overall experience of reading a particular book could be enhanced or complemented by drinking a particular kind of tea? Join panel hosts for a discussion of classic SF/fantasy novels and tasting of their companion teas. (See www.book-tasting.com)

Fannish Bags

What do you keep in your fanny pack, messenger back, laptop case or cargo beanie?

Fannish Show and Tell

Got a cool new something you want everyone to see? Working on a new story/song that you need everyone to hear? Bring your thing to Show and Tell - max 5 minutes per person.

Geeks Always Want to Be Right

Admit it: you corrected the title as soon as you read it. Geeks often have a strong allegiance to getting the facts right, which can be constructive or destructive. (Or both or neither or sometimes one then later the other or...) When do we let this need assert itself? When do we resign ourselves to letting information stay wrong?

How to be Monogamous in a Poly Subculture

Fandom sometimes seems to be predominantly polyamorous. How do monogamous folks navigate? What awkward situations can come up, and how can they be resolved?

The Imposter Syndrome -- Do You Belong in the SF Community, or Are You Simply Faking It?

The Imposter Syndrome is the opposite side of the coin that reads, "fake it till you make it." It's the fear that someone's going to call you out, expose you as someone unqualified to belong to the fraternity of creative professionals, or that you're not qualified to be a panelist. It's the phenomenon that causes you to question whether you belong, to wonder what it is that qualifies you to be a part of the community of writers and editors, and whether you have that quality, or if you're simply faking it. How does this force play on members of our community, fans and pros alike?

The Intersection of Fanfic and RPGs

Fanfic is often about trying to understand one character better. RPGs usually emphasize getting into character, too. How does writing for a fanfic resemble roleplaying? What can fanfic writers and RPG gamers learn from each other?

Living with Asperger's/Autism

It has often been suggested that Asperger's/Autism is more common among members of the fan community. Why is this so? What are some of the most common characteristics of this condition, what are some effective strategies for managing, navigating and communicating both for people with A/A and for their friends and families. Where is the line between disorder and different methods for organizing thoughts?

Not That Kind of Geek

I'm not a Star Trek geek, a Star Wars geek or a comic book geek, but I'm still a geek. Fans seem to have a unique perspective concerning their fascinations with things, and many of those things exist outside of fandom. Gardening geeks, combustion engine geeks and model train collectors rejoice! We'll examine the mind of the geek, and celebrate what we have in common.

Pros Discovering Fandom

What changes in behavior occur when pros interact with people who actually like their work for the first time, or discover that they are themselves a fan but never knew (of) the community?

The Psychology of Batman, a Dark & Stormy Knight

Does Batman have PTSD? Why does he fight crime as a vigilante? Why the mask, the bat, and the underage partner? Why does he have a thing for bad girls? And why won't he just kill that homicidal, green-haired clown?

(See http://fac.hsu.edu/langlet/syllabi/2012/Batman_Syllabus.htm and associated book by Travis Langley)

The Seven Deadly Sins of Fandom

What social behaviors are absolutely unacceptable within the fannish world, regardless of their acceptance elsewhere? What things in our culture get sanctioned that are unacceptable elsewhere?

Sports Outside Earth's Gravity Well

How would popular sports and hobbies differ in zero-gee or an other planet? What new sports might develop in such environments? What are your favorite (literary) works that feature baseball, mountain climbing, sailing, and other physical endeavors? [Compare/contrast media portrayals (e.g. Rollerball, The Running Man) to literary (Varley's "Blue Champagne" & "Retrograde Summer", KS Robinson's Mars]?

Twin Cities Fandom from the Outside

What is unique about Minnesotan fandom? Could our non-local attendees talk about what is different about MN fandom or how they would characterize it? Are the differences Twin Cities fans notice about non-regional conventions (e.g. Worldcons held outside the Midwest) the same (or corresponding) differences that outsiders would notice about our convention?

Twin Cities Ties to Gaming

How much do you know about the role Twin Cities fandom has played in the development of games and the gaming community? From the beginnings of Dungeons & Dragons to local contemporary gaming companies (e.g. Fantasy Flight), what have the Twin Cities contributed to gaming?

We'll Always Have 101 Panels

Some topics just never get old. Other topics get really old but we keep talking about them. Which beginner-level panels will we always need? Which ones used to always happen but now don't? Which ones do we wish we didn't need?

When Flamewars Took A Year

Social networks in the days of snail mail had a distinct smell: Ditto, mimeo or photocopy. The texture of communication helped pass the time between comment and response. What was it like in Days of Yore? Why do people still print zines when they could just post them online and ignore all blog responses? What has modern social media taken from zine culture?

When Pros Become Fans

We often talk about how fans sometimes become pros, but we rarely talk about the reverse process. How and when do professionals stop producing work for pay?* How do we negotiate the transition? What expectations need to change? (*Is this the only definition of "becoming a fan" that we should consider?)

Gaming

Basics of Game Creation and Design

So, you've got a great idea for a game - what do you do next? From developing the rules to deciding on the actual look and feel of the game, what steps are necessary to take an idea and make it something playable?

Cooperative Board Games

Cooperative games seem to be getting more & more popular. What are some examples of good cooperative games? What makes a cooperative game work well (or not)? How do "traitor" roles influence cooperative gameplay? What role do cooperative games have in training young people for the future, particularly in our competitive society, where reality shows that feature backstabbing & tantrums are ratings-winners? Try to organize scheduled gaming (1-2 games?) to follow this panel in gaming room/space

The German Invasion

Yikes, it's Spiel des Jahres winners everywhere! Where did all these German games come from and what makes them so good? What do German games have to offer that other (American?) games do not?

House Rules - Clarifications or a Whole New Game?

A discussion about making up your own rules for existing games. At what point does a house-ruled system become a homebrew? What are some games that cry out for player enhancement? Is it "house rules" if the original RAW seems insufficient? What methods work for finding agreeable methods of modification?

Once Upon a Time - More Than a Card Game

Once Upon A Time is a card game where four (or more, or less, but four is ideal) players try to tell a story leading to one of their pre-determined endings using elements dealt to them on cards both at the beginning and throughout the game. Apart from being a very fun experience, Once Upon a Time is a wonderful writing exercise.

Practical Applications of D&D Alignments

Can we apply the concepts of D&D alignments to real world situations like politics or workplace interactions? If the 700 Club is Lawful Evil, then is Westboro Baptist Chaotic Evil? What characteristics define Chaotic Neutral, and how are such individuals best handled in the workplace?

Science-Fiction-Themed Board Games

A discussion of science fiction themed board games. What are the best ones, both historically and recently released. What sci-fi themes are scheduled for release this year? We will discuss whether these games have interesting stories and whether those stories are relevant to the gameplay. Try to organize scheduled gaming (1-2 games - maybe an old classic & a new one?) to follow this panel in gaming room/space

Literature/Writing

CHOPPED Flash Fiction

Essentially a game show similar to CHOPPED on The Food Network. Contestants are given a time limit to come up with the best short story using three mystery ingredients (e.g. a shrubbery, a herring, and a European swallow). All three ingredients must be used, and the audience decides who goes on to the next round, and who gets CHOPPED. (See also CHOPPED Flash Artistry, Iron Plot)

Flash Fiction Contest

(perhaps instead of the panel(s) on this idea): rules are announced at Opening Ceremonies on Friday, entries are due by "end of day" Saturday, winner(s) are read at Closing Cerermonies on Sunday.

The History of Terraforming in Science Fiction

Early ideas about terraforming emerged from 1930s-1960s hard science fiction, with Olaf Stapleton's Last and First Men, Arthur C. Clarke's The Sands of Mars, and Robert Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky, among other works. Beginning with a generally positive view of technology and the glorification of engineers, later terraforming stories split into two narratives, the technological narrative harnessing "wasted" natural resources as a natural extension of human activities, and the ecological narrative that "naturally" transformed the planet, and respected natural environments and life.

Id, Ego, Superego

How does psychology fit into fiction? When Characters represent facets of a complete persona, what does it say about what the author is trying to communicate?

Iron Plot

In a similar vein to Iron Chef, the audience proposes plot ingredients and the panelists work collaboratively to tell a story with them.

Sex in Science Fiction

How does the "pornographication" of culture affect speculative fiction? How does the rise and immense popularity of paranormal romance interact with/influence this effect on the rest of the genre? How vanilla is the "racy" sf of your youth (based either on your worldly experience or in comparison to what is written today)?

Using Book Trailers for Promotion

Some authors/publishers have begun to use book trailers to promote their fiction (e.g. Orbit Books: Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy and Brent Weeks' The Black Prism), and the practice seems to be getting more popular. Supposing you wanted to make one of your own, what are the do's and don'ts? What resources are out there to help the novice (Animoto, iVideo Promotions, others)? How do you find audio and voice talent for a book trailer? And once you've done all that work, are they really all that necessary, or has the publishing industry already reached the point where they're essential?

Victorian Era Hugos

Before the Hugos existed there were some great works in the burgeoning field of SF/F. What about this time period was unique and called out for SF/F? What are some of our favorite stories of this era (e.g. 1885-1888) and why do we like them? What work(s) do we think would have won the Hugos had they existed and why?

Wookies Need Extra Legroom

Many SF stories include the realization that reasonable accommodations are for many different types of "normal." By challenging the idea of normal in a format that includes different species, do we marginalize disability accessibility or do we make it more socially universal?

Media

Aliens Invade! (But Why?)

From "War of the Worlds" to the new TV series "Falling Skies," Earth is always getting invaded by aliens. But why? What, if anything, does Earth have that you can't get somewhere else? And, if you really wanted to get it from Earth, how would you go about doing it?

Alternate Reality TV

What would a reality show look like if it were set on another (fictional) world? What are some of our favorite proposals for reality shows set in spec fic worlds - what makes them fun/interesting, not just silly?

Beyond Bechdel

In 1985, comic strip writer Alison Bechdel invented the Bechdel Test to assess movies for sexism. For a movie to pass it had to have (1) at least 2 women, (2) who talk to each other, (3) about something other than a man. Since then, the discussion has expanded to include more categories. How are other marginalized groups represented? Which groups still don't even get to be real characters with definition beyond there status as outsiders?

GLBT Characters and Censorship in Comics and Manga

In 1954, The Comics Code Authority (CCA) came into being as a response to Fredric Wertham's "Seduction of the Innocent." In his book, Wertham argued that comic books negatively influenced children with images of violence and sexuality, including subliminal homosexuality. Wonder Woman's independence and background was an indication of her lesbianism, and "The Batman type of story may stimulate children to homosexual fantasies." Manga and comics today still often contain unrealistic portrayals of sexuality, though it could be argued that the medium has improved. How do these formats get it right and wrong? How can they improve?

My Tivo Thinks I'm Gay

People are put into marketing categories based on credit card purchases, magazine subscriptions, browser history, Tivo viewing history, and countless other categories. Is this just a way of voting for what we want? What are the implications concerning privacy? How do publication and media companies decide what appeals to fans? What happens when the marketers get it wrong? What does it mean when we are defined (by others or ourselves) by what we consume?

The New Pony Phenomenon

A new fad has swept the internet, amassing a huge fanbase in an amazingly short time. My Little Pony has been retooled into a work of epic fantasy that appeals to both men (Bronies) and women (Pegasisters), with extensive fanfics that delve into science fiction, romance, and horror. How did all this happen and where is it going? What is the ponies' secret?

Person of Interest

Does this TV show represent (near-future) science fiction? or is this sort of “almost here” technology not really speculative and just fiction? Where do we draw the line between what is "speculative" and what isn't? Are there other examples of this phenomenon in today's popular media (aka where (else) is the general public being exposed to science fiction without their knowledge)?

SF Prequels That Aren't As Bad as Phantom Menace

What makes a good prequel? What are some good origin stories? What are our favorite retcons? What retcons have we made up for ourselves to fill in the missing pieces?

Unfilmable Science Fiction

How have advances in (special effects) technology changed which books we believe could never be made into movies? What are some good examples of books that we used to think couldn't be done, but now they've gone and done it (for better or for worse)?

Music

Filking for Fun

We did this last year

Music and the Mind

How does music affect the brain? How much of our reaction to music is hard-wired and how much is cultural? What is the relationship between music and memory? Did human beings sing before they spoke? What is the significance of the sacred geometry of music? What's so naughty about the Forbidden Interval?

Science and Technology

Advances in Cryotechnology

Have there been any? Is this still just a ridiculous fad or has the technology actually changed in a way that could make this feasible? And what's our fascination with it, anyway?

Communicating with the Animals ... and Aliens

How do human languages compare with other bioacoustic communication systems? How would other senses be used for communication, would such communication be considered language, and how might it shape alien cultures (e.g. if chemical messages like smell are used for communication, how might the persistence of odors affect a sense of privacy)? [A possible continuation of "Truly Alien Languages" from M47]

Disability in the Technological Future

In 2008, Oscar Pistorius was turned down as an Olympic runner because he was too fast. Pistorius, a double amputee with carbon fiber prosthetic legs, was deemed to have an unfair advantage. At the same time, Michael Phelps' high tech swim suit was the talk of the television. In 2012, Pistorius may possibly be the first disabled athlete allowed to compete in the able-bodied Olympics and the internet is abuzz. Is there a cultural bias to force disabled people to fit the mold as "less capable"? Is the bias embedded in the definition and usage of words like "capable" and "disabled"? How much influence will technology have on attitudes in the future?

Electronics Show & Tell

Show, tell, and discuss new and upcoming gadgets and gizmos. What will these tools do to change the world we live in? We might all wish for flying cars and jetpacks, but much of the technology we've got has just made life more complicated. Where is the line between fad and function?

Fairy Tale Physics

Could Thumbelina fly? Could somebody actually climb Rapunzel's hair without ripping her head off? And what do the laws of thermodymanics indicate about the lifestyle of the bears in the Goldilocks story? Discuss children's tales and the underlying science behind the story.

Farmers in the Sky: Growing Food in Space

Growing food in space is currently being researched by NASA. What plants might be best suited for space horticulture? And what animals might be initiated into an orbital or planetary colony?

The Geekiest Smartphone On The Block

What are some useful applications for iPhone or Android phones that appeal to geek interests? Where is the line between fad and function?

The Invasion of the $99 Tablet, or Infernal Devices

In this world of increasingly-available cool-sounding technology, what are the things that didn't live up to their hype? What gadgets have you owned and hated/regretted buying? (Panelists might consider making contributions to the Rumpus Room Tower of Junk)

Mining the Gems of Junk DNA

As we learn more about the contents of our genome and the interactions among its parts, it has become increasingly obvious that "junk DNA" is a misnomer. Now referred to as "noncoding DNA", it seems that most of these sequences actually serve some biological role. Come learn about what your DNA can do other than store your genes.

Moving Beyond "Franken-food"

Genetically-modified foods and the companies who make them (e.g. Monsanto) often get bad publicity. Let's have a discussion about the benefits of this technology and not rehash the "threats".

Our Oldest Science

Though the term "biology" was not in common usage until the 1800s and is probably the science in which our understanding has evolved the most in recent years, humans have been practicing biology since ancient times. From animal husbandry to early medicine, let's discuss the long & winding history of the life sciences.

Stealth and Surveillance Among the Aliens

When the Redshirts of an away team are sent into a low-tech (or rural) environment, what tactics are used to move through the terrain silently and undetected? How do you lessen the likelihood that indigenous lifeforms decide that you are edible or threatening? What techniques (similar to what is used by military or law enforcement) can be used to keep the planetary investigators alive for the next assignment?

GOH Panels

For our Author GOH

The Early Risers Panel

Few people want to be on the 10 AM Saturday spot, but the people that like to do morning panels are always enthusiastic and engaging. Sign up for "Early Risers Panel," and include a list of some of your interests. The Programming department will open a discussion with the panelists to come up with a great panel. (Breakfast with Julie.)

The Making of Marrowdell

Julie Czerneda did a slide show presentation related to her upcoming fantasy novel, A TURN OF LIGHT (to be published by DAW in March, 2013), at Polaris 26 in Toronto in July 2012. She built a scale model of the setting of the village, Marrowdell, and has been blogging about in on Facebook. Maybe she would like to talk about her model building at Minicon as well.

Oh, Canada!

Our Author GOH is not the only Minicon attendee from Canada - do you know who the others are? Come find out what's awesome about our neighbor(s) to the north.

Science Fiction for Science Literacy

Could be as little as a single panel or as much as a morning's teachers' workshop, Julie's interest will determine. Workshop spolights on:

Science Education in the 21st Century

Developing Believable Aliens & Their Ecosystems

Include hands-on "creating an alien" activity from Reno teacher workshop (Julie developed); and/or a discussion of gas giant creatures - how could they become space-faring?

World-Building from the Ecosystem Up

For our (Gaming)Fan GOH

Closing Ceremonies - "Golden the Ship Was"

The Dreampark Gaming Library

Maybe just a slideshow, maybe an actual field trip to see it in all its glory. Emily has talked about doing a 10-minute documentary.

Knights of the Dinner Table Readings

Or maybe other comics, as we did at the early 4X Minicons.

Play/Discuss the Original Mpls Dungeon

Though the original developers of the game are no longer with us, some of their gamimng friends are still here. Here tales of the original Minneapolis D&D campaign and possibly play from the DM's notes.

Richard's Light Show

Maybe not so much an actual programming item, but something to have - maybe in a side room to the consuite/bar?

Why Richard Doesn't Play RPGs Anymore

Stubs

Bar Tricks Presentation

Boop-Oop-a-Doop

Magenta owns a full set (?) of Betty Boop cartoons & is interested in doing a showing/discussion.

Comic Books for Kids

Creating Good Characters, Settings and Plots for RPGs

A panel about the proper self-maintenance of happy players and a happy GM.

M48 Programming Brainstorm

Art