Writers’ Strike May Affect Media Cons
As most of the world knows by now, the Writers’ Guild of America has gone on strike, barring most TV, movie, and new media productions from having any new writing done. This means movies are delayed, shows are halting production as they run out of material, and so forth.
The San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog has noted a less obvious way that the writers’ strike could affect Comic-Con International this July. It points to the WGA’s strike FAQ, which says:
Can I promote my project at a film festival or at a “For Your Consideration” event about the film or show I wrote on?
No. You should let the Company know you are prohibited from making these promotional appearances about your work until the strike concludes.
Production delays and lack of writer appearances might not be a fatal blow to the legendary promotional events in Hall H. But the SDCC Unofficial Blog adds that more problems may be coming:
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is set to begin their own negotiations with the AMPTA on May 10, and their contract expires June 30. SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild comprised of actors, begins their negotiations on June 7, and their contract also expires June 30. According to Deadline, there are currently talks that both organizations could theoretically strike in solidarity with the writers if an agreement is not reached before June 30.
Should either organization strike, their members would also be prevented from doing publicity on their projects — meaning there is a world in which no actors are allowed to promote their upcoming projects at San Diego Comic-Con.
Your local generic media con would probably be unaffected, as actors are appearing there on their own, rather than as part of promotional events. But other conventions big enough to attract promotions would be affected, as well as official fan conventions.
The last writers’ strike, in 2007-2008, lasted 100 days, 22 longer than this one would need to be to affect Comic-Con International.
In Brief
FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, Utah, September 21-23) has added Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as guests.
Event Calendar
Weekend of May 5-7
Starbase DemiCon: A New World, Urbandale, Iowa, USA
Na meji nevidnega, Ljubljana, Slovenia
AtomaCon 2023, North Charleston, South Carolina, USA
ChupacabraCon IX (gaming), San Marcos, Texas, USA
WagonCon 6 (gaming), The Dalles, Oregon, USA
Heroicon (gaming), Decatur, Illinois, USA
Festival Alchemie du Jeu (gaming), Toulouse, France
Congress of Gamers Spring Session, Rockville, Maryland, USA
San Marino Game Convention, San Marino
1d4Con 2023 (gaming), Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA
Indiana Comic Convention, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
SoCal Gaming Expo (video games), Ontario, California, USA
Game Jam South (video games), Huntsville, Alabama, USA
MagicCon (Magic: the Gathering CCG), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Shine Con (anime), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Kogaracon (anime), Edison, New Jersey, USA
Anime Arizona, Mesa, Arizona, USA
Animefest 2023, Brno, Czechia
Pokheimon Festival, Heimsbrunn, France
Northern FanCon (media), Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Saratoga Comic Con, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
Apopkon (media), Apopka, Florida, USA
Contropolis Pennsylvania (media), Oaks, Pennsylvania, USA
The Hero Con (media), Fort Meyers, Florida, USA
Galactic Diversity & Inclusivity Convention (media/space), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Weekend of May 12-14
SFeraKon 2023, Zagreb, Croatia
Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations (symposium), online
Furry Weekend Atlanta: The Lost City, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Furry Down Under 2023 (anthropomorphic), Surfers Paradise, Australia
Game Market, Tokyo, Japan
North Star (sf RPGs), Sheffield, UK
Lan ETS (LAN gaming), Montréal, Québec, Canada
Tsunami 41 (anime), Mérida, Mexico
Kameha Con 5 (anime), Allen, Texas, USA
PuchiCon (anime), Atlantc City, New Jersey, USA
IberAnime, Lisboa, Portugal
Hazard Con (anime), Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
Metrotham Con Episode IV: Return of the '90s (media), Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Geek Days Lille (media), Lille, France
Weekend of May 19-21
Metropol Con Berlin (German national sf convention), Berlin, Germany
Keycon 40: Choose Your Own Adventure!, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Das Frühlingsfest der Filksmusik (music), Hanstedt, Germany
Mephit Mini Con 24: Highland Games (anthropomorphic), Kirchen/Sieg, Germany
Furry Weekend Holland: Spirit of the West, Baarlo, Netherlands
CanGames, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
LinCon (gaming), Linköping, Sweden
Geekway to the West 2023: Moshin' With Meeples (gaming), St. Charles, Missouri, USA
Huzzah! Con 2023 (miniatures gaming), Portland, Maine, USA
Tokyo Alley 11: Marine! (anime), Perth, Australia
Anime Central, Rosemont, Illinois, USA
Bak-Anime, Bakersfield, California, USA
CloverCon (anime), Bridgewater, New Jersey, USA
Otafest 2023 (anime), Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Tidewater Comicon, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
Comic Con Revolution, Ontario, California, USA
Fantasy Basel (media), Basel, Switzerland
CradleCon (media), Garden City, New York, USA
Dublin Wizard Con (fantasy media), Dublin, Ireland
Horrorcon UK (media), Sheffield, UK
Crypticon Seattle (horror media), Seatac, Washington, USA
Seaquestria Fest (My Little Pony), Ocean City, Maryland, USA
Weekend of May 26-28
Balticon 57, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
MisCon 37: Monster Mash-up, Missoula, Montana, USA
Satellite 8, Glasgow, UK
Fargo CoreCon: Portals to Fantastic Worlds, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
Marcon 2023: Save the World, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Åcon 12 (relaxacon), Mariehamn, Finland
WisCon 46 (feminist sf), Madison, Wisconsin, USA
ConFuzzled (anthropomorphic), Birmingham, UK
AnthrOhio: To the Fur Flung Regions of Space (anthropomorphic), Columbus, Ohio, USA
NomadiCon (anthropomorphic), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
KublaCon 21 (gaming), Burlingame, California, USA
ReCon (gaming), Kernersville, North Carolina, USA
PrairieCon (gaming), Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Rocky Top Game Con, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Evergreen Tabletop Expo, Renton, Washington, USA
Gamex 2023 (gaming), Los Angeles, California, USA
TableTopCon '23 (gaming), Southport, Australia
BGG.Spring (boardgames), Dallas, Texas, USA
Enfilade 2023 (miniatures gaming), Olympia, Washington, USA
PaizoCon Online 2023 (Pathfinder/Starfinder RPGs), online
Otaku Link 6 (anime), Derby, UK
FanimeCon (anime), San Jose, California, USA
Thy Geekdom Con (anime), Oaks, Pennsylvania, USA
Animazement (anime), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Mizucon (anime), Miami, Florida, USA
AniMinneapolis (anime), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
ExpOtaku A Coruña (anime), A Coruña, Spain
Anime Riverside 2023, Riverside, California, USA
Chibi-Con 2023 (anime), Winterthur, Switzerland
MomoCon 2023 (anime), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Sabaku Con 2023 (anime), Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Naka-Kon 2023 (anime), Overland Park, Kansas, USA
FedCon (media), Bonn, Germany
MCM London Comic Con, London, UK
Cherry Capital Comic Con, Acme, Michigan, USA
Weekend of June 2-4
ConCarolinas 2023, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Oz-Stravaganza 2023: Over the Rainbow to Oz (Wizard of Oz), Chittenango, New York, USA
DieCon 2023 (gaming), Collinsville, Illinois, USA
UK Games Expo (gaming), Birmingham, UK
Y-Con 2022 (gaming), Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
North Texas RPG Con (vintage tabletop RPGs), Irving, Texas, USA
A-Kon Episode 32 (anime), Irving, Texas, USA
KimoKawaii (anime), Conroe, Texas, USA
DoKomi (anime), Düsseldorf, Germany
Awesome Con (media), Washington, DC, USA
3 Rivers Comicon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Whinny City Pony Con 2023: Tropical Getaway (My Little Pony), Schaumburg, Illinois, USA
Austria Comic Con, Wels, Austria
Portsmouth Comic Con, Portsmouth, UK
Argentina Comic Con, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Zomerspel 2023 (gaming), Merelbeke, Belgium
Phoenix Fan Fusion (media), Phoenix, Arizona, USA
ConQuesT 54, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Fantasticon 2023, Copenhagen, Denmark
ColossalCon (media), Sandusky, Ohio, USA
North Country Comic Con, Watertown, New York, USA
Anime Marathon, Königslutter am Elm, Germany
NordCon (gaming), Hamburg, Germany
YUMiCON (anime), San Antonio, Texas, USA
Ultra Gaming Expo (video games), McAllen, Texas, USA
Sci-Fi-London 23 (film festival), London, UK
JodiWorld (Chronicles of St. Mary’s/Time Police series), Coventry, UK
SaltCON Summer (gaming), Layton, Utah, USA
Wellycon 2023 (gaming), Wellington, New Zealand
My Hero Convention: Alabama (anime), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Warsaw Comic Con, Warsaw, Poland
Cogs & Corsets (steampunk), Bloomington, Illinois, USA
Etna Comics 2023 (media), Catania, Italy
Coda
ChatGPT has memorized a lot of genre fiction (The Register)
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