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[Nina Star 9]

Hello Fanimestucks!

I have been kicking around an idea for an academic Homestuck panel for a while now, and might be able to pull it off for this con, if in a pared down form, as I am a busy grad student and con is right after finals.

Here is my tag on tumblr about the panel, though I'm imagining the format to be slightly different than originally imagined. (Read through all that, if you are interested.)

I'm thinking of having a panel of a few "experts" in a few topics related to Homestuck -- the comic's format itself (panels, time, etc.), possibly Homestuck and culture/HS and ideology, possibly the concept of authorship in relation to the comic (and how Hussie functions as an author, the relation to the idea of the death of the author, ways that the notion of HS having a singular author can be complicated), maybe a literary analysis of themes and motifs, etc. (these are all still in flux) -- and have each "expert" give a mini lecture on their particular subject. I would then open the floor to discussion of the comic and what the panel audience thinks about each of the topics.

This would not be an in-character ask panel, nor would be an informational "what is Homestuck?" panel. This would be structured similar to a college course and would have a scholarly focus.

If I can get this panel together by the convention, would there be interest in it? What types of topics would people be the most interested in hearing about and discussing? Is anyone interested in being on this panel? Would anybody even attend this type of panel (or stay until the end, if they just showed up for the Homestuck and were disappointed by the content)?

I would probably place a 16+ age advisory on this panel and try to have a good mix in terms of the level of discourse, anywhere from highschool upperclassmen to upper division undergraduate college level, so that people of varying levels can still engage with the topics, even if they cannot engage fully in every single one.

If anyone is interested in getting together with academically-minded people and discussing a lengthy webcomic at the con, please let mw know! :]

[chivibii]

Honestly this sounds like a really amazing idea. Something to show that Homestuck is not all just about "buckets" and "horns"
I'd be interested in this personally and I love to hear other people's opinions on this as well.
I'd actually be interested in possibly being a panelist, although I am not 16+ yet.
I can handle many things and am more mature than people my age.
My views on topics that you might be discussing , as I have read your tumblr post on this panel , are quite interesting and I would like other people to here me out on that.
My specialty in things sometimes is just analysis of deeper meaning in subjects and quotes.
The idea of informing others about the means of Homestuck and what it really is about as I stated earlier is quite necessary for the young Homestuck fans interpret only the "inappropriate" parts of Homestuck for their only topics of discussion.
This panel seems very interesting and if I'm not a panelist I will certainly attend. = )

[Nina Star 9]

I'm glad you are interested!

I'm actually pretty happy that someone so young would be interested in the panel, since a range of ages can help provide a range of perspectives, and it gives me hope that other people your age (around the average age of a Homestuck fan, I'd guess) might also want to attend.

If/when I open up a call for panelists, I'll probably keep it to 18+, just to avoid any issues that may arise from having a mix of underage and of age people. (Also, some of the people who are interested in the panel are at least twice your age, so I don't want there to be any problems for anyone involved.) The 16+ advisory on panel attendance is not enforced at the door, but rather a suggestion to let people know that we would be discussing more mature topics (and to help weed out some of the very young folks who may not understand the panel), but if you are younger than 16 and feel you can handle it, then you are very welcome to attend. Since a portion of the panel is planned to be discussion, audience members are encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings on the topics being presented, so your voice can be heard even if you aren't a panelist yourself.

[Creatrix Tiara]

YES! Part of my draw to Homestuck was how academically and intellectually rich it is. ALL THE REFERENCES! I'll contact you on Tumblr.

[Amrein]

We had an event planned in April and dedicated to the 11th anniversary of Homestuck. But anyway, we organized a Skype meeting and an online party afterwards sitting at home and chatting. Btw, I'll be writing about the Pop Culture Stigma and featuring the case of web comic stories, so I chose the example of Homestuck. Can my essay have a references list with only 2-3 internet resources including the official Homestuck portal?