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Con-Geda Directors Preview ‘The 100’ Convention and Announce Guest Allisa Swanson [Exclusive Interview]
Con-Geda is a The 100 con that offers something special because it is truly fueled by fandom!
Con-Geda a reality. In 2017, over 100 fans contributed to a Kickstarter campaign to get Con-Geda in the works.
Now just a couple of months away, Con-Geda is packed with exciting guests and events.
One of the first U.S. The 100 conventions, Con-Geda will debut at the Crowne Plaza LAX in Los Angeles, CA, on June 22nd-June 24th, 2018.
Con-Geda is a fan-driven passion project that recognizes how much The 100 has positively impacted the lives of fans. The inclusive event will feature a wide variety of panels and events and, importantly, provide opportunities for the fandom community to celebrate The 100.
Con-Geda is going to be a big, fun, fandom party!
Th End of the World Events team is elated to announce a new guest, Allisa Swanson! Allisa is a costume designer on The 100 and will be taking on a special role at Con-Geda.
Con-Geda leaders shared exclusively with us in the interview below what fun we can expect from Allisa at the con.
We also had a few questions for the End of the World Events Team who run Con-Geda — Jessie Suarez, Rachel Walker, Nicki Murphy, Sam Makowski, Rory Beale, and Michaela Martin — about their favorite Season 5 fan theories, how to ask good questions at panels, and other advice for making the most out of the Con-Geda experience.
Tell-Tale TV: Imagining, organizing and executing a convention must take a great deal of time and energy! What about The 100 inspires you so much that you committed to making Con-Geda?
Jessie: It’s unlike any show I’ve ever seen. The fandom itself is so passionate, myself included, and it has so many important storylines and representation.
The show inspires me personally in a lot of ways, and at the time we originally planned Con-Geda, there hadn’t yet been a con for the show in the U.S., so we wanted to bring something to American fans — though of course, all are welcome!
Michaela: I’ve never been so engaged in a show before– it’s incredible how much depth the show has to it! And of course, the cast are all such lovely people, so meeting them at conventions is always so much fun.
As Jessie said, when we first started planning Con-Geda a year ago, there hadn’t been any conventions for the show in the U.S. Since we don’t all have the money to fly overseas to where many of the show-specific conventions are held, we wanted to have one in the U.S.!
Nicki: I’ve never been so involved in a fandom as I am in The 100’s and I’ve met some of my closest friends through The 100 fandom and its conventions in both North America and Europe. ‘
Being surrounded by amazing people who are so passionate about the same things as you for a whole weekend is such a great experience — particularly for people whose families and “real life” friends may not share the obsession!
Tell-Tale TV: Meeting The 100 cast is a real highlight of Con-Geda. What other non-cast related panels or events are you most excited to share with The 100 fandoms?
Sam: As a writer myself, I am unbelievably excited for the writers panel and workshop!
It’s something that is entirely unique to our con, and I can’t wait to learn more about what goes into writing an episode, as well as taking part in a writer’s room activity!
Michaela: We also have some exciting party plans for the fans! We’ll be having a masquerade ball, where people can dress up, wear masks, and have a blast dancing.
Jessie: We’ve also partnered up with a few charities that were started because of the show, and we are planning a charity event at the con to raise money.
All donations will be made in honor of the Jasper Jordan Project (which benefits the Anxiety and Depression Association) and the Battle Scars Project (which benefits the iPain Foundation).
We’ll release details closer to the date, but it’ll be a fun time for some great causes!
Tell-Tale TV: What is your favorite Season 5 fan theory?
Jessie: It isn’t really a specific theory, but I love reading all the speculation about when and how Space Kru will reunite with the ground, mainly Clarke. It’s so interesting to see how other people think the reunions of my favorite characters will happen, and I am incredibly excited (and nervous) to see if any of them are correct!
Rory: I really like the theories surrounding Shannon Kook’s character and who, or possibly what, he is.
Sam: I’m super interested in all the hype around the weird alien thing we see crawling around in a guy’s stomach for a second in the trailer.
Is it an alien lifeform or irradiated plant life? A weapon or a natural threat? Whatever it is, I’m here for it being a common threat the three groups have to unite together to fight off.
Tell-Tale TV: Recently, Jason Rothenberg, Bob Morley and other The 100 team members have responded to critical or bullying fans on Twitter with calls for kindness. What role do you think cons can have, and Con-Geda in particular, to prevent and address a toxic fandom?
Sam: I’ve been to a couple of cons for this show and every time I’ve been extremely pleasantly surprised by how easily fans get along in a con setting as opposed to an online one.
In person, it becomes primarily about one’s love for the show over ship wars and other opinions whereas online, it’s all too easy to forget that there is a real person behind the username.
Michaela: Ship wars in this fandom can be nasty, but at conventions, things are so much more welcoming. That’s one of the things that makes conventions so magical!
We don’t stand for any sort of nastiness in our focus group or facebook group either, and try to be a positive force in the fandom!
Rachel: Conventions serve as a place for fans to connect and celebrate their favorite shows. Our convention will be no different.
Our goal is to create an inclusive environment where hot topics can be discussed in a respectful manner. It’s important for us to facilitate these kinds of interactions while being mindful of every viewpoint. We want Con-Geda to be a giant party and we will not tolerate anything but kindness.
Tell-Tale TV: I am an avid consumer of The 100 podcasts, The 100 fan art, The 100 fanfic and other The 100 fan-created media. What can we expect at Con-Geda that has to do with fan-created media?
Sam: We have several panels tentatively planned especially for fans of the show, including a diversity panel, meta panel, and creators panel!
Additionally, there will be a press roundtable featuring our media partners and a marketplace where people can shop for fan art and other fandom-specific merchandise!
Rachel: Depending on how restricted our schedule becomes with any additional guests (wink wink), we plan on providing official periods for the brilliant and talented fans to discuss hot topics.
Tell-Tale TV: To cosplay or not to cosplay?
Rachel: I absolutely love seeing cosplay at cons — it’s honestly my favorite part of these fan events.
Since we all admire the hard work and creativity of fans who put together cosplays, we wanted to create an environment where it would not only be welcome but appreciated.
This is why we reached out to Allisa, one of the costume designers from The 100. She will be bringing original costumes from the show and judging a cosplay contest!
We will have some exciting extras to announce in the near future, so all of our costume-lovers should keep an eye out.
Rory: If you feel inspired to cosplay I say go for it! I’d also add on to find other cosplayers and take some fun in character photos.
Tell-Tale TV: Who are some of the guests you’re most excited to have at Con-Geda?
Rachel: I’m very excited to meet Eli Goree! His character still resonates with fans of the show.
You can’t find a fanfic that doesn’t contain Wells Jaha. It’s fun to imagine what the show would be like if he hadn’t died early on. This will also be Eli’s first convention, so I hope we can make it a great experience!
Rory: I’m excited to have Aaron Ginsburg and Wade McIntyre.
These two have written some of the best episodes of The 100, including Wanheda: Part 2, Perverse Instantiation Part 1, and Die All, Die Merrily.
It’s not every day you could get to meet the people on the other side of the camera and learn about their process.
Jessie: I’ve met Lindsey Morgan at cons before, but I am still so excited she’s going to be a part of Con-Geda. She’s such a good spirit, and she takes her time with every fan – she’s just such an amazing person to be around!
Nicki: Anyone who has met Chelsey Reist or even follows her on social media knows she is a ray of sunshine and I’m really excited to have her at Con-Geda!
She always does really fun poses in her photo ops so I’m looking forward to seeing what she and the fans come up with.
Tell-Tale TV: Do you have any tips for asking good questions of Con-Geda panelists?
Michaela: Be creative! Most of the actors have answered many times which other character they would like to play, or who they would bring back from the dead.
But unique questions, whether about the characters or the actors themselves, are much more engaging to the actors and more memorable!
Sam: Be wary of what questions edge into spoiler territory and thus can’t be answered by the cast!
We’re lucky in that Con-Geda takes place approximately halfway through Season 5, so there will be plenty of new material to ask questions about and receive actor insight on!
Nicki: We are very lucky to be blessed with an incredibly talented cast who do a lot of research and soul-searching to bring their characters to life.
Questions about their character’s motivations, feelings during certain moments or backstory that may not have been shown on screen will more likely bring out interesting and well thought out answers.
As we want Con-Geda to be an amazing experience for the cast as well as the fans, I would also avoid asking questions that make the cast uncomfortable like spoilers and things overly shippy.
Tell-Tale TV: What type of merch and vendors can we look forward to at Con-Geda?
Michaela: We’re very excited about having One Word At a Time vending at Con-Geda, and they’ll be donating all their proceeds to our charity partners, the Jasper Jordan Project and the Battle Scars project!
We’ll also have artists that contributed to our Kickstarter rewards there. As for official merch, we’ve been working on several ideas for things like t-shirts, posters, stickers, and more!
Rachel: We still have tables available for vendors, so anyone with a talent and passion for creating art inspired by The 100 should apply!
IDDS, the appearance management for several cast members, will also be bringing merch, so make sure to save up for all of the awesome items that will be available.
Tell-Tale TV: Do you have any insider tips for making the most out of the Con-Geda experience?
Jessie: Planning! We don’t have a final schedule yet, of course, but we have a ton of activities and events happening at Con-Geda, so planning out what you really want to do is going to be important.
We’re doing our best to keep major activities from overlapping, but there will still be some decision-making involved. Make it the best event for you!
Michaela: I’m a mom friend, so I’m going to remind you all to eat and stay hydrated! Carry snacks and water with you, and any medications you may need.
If you’re cosplaying, bring some safety pins, bobby pins, super glue, and other such things for any costume emergencies!
Rory: Wear good shoes, or carry an extra pair to have on hand to slip on if you need. There will be opportunities to sit during panels and some other events, but you’ll be on your feet for a lot of the day.
Rachel: Plan on bringing or purchasing a tote. You will have a lot of goodies from the convention and we don’t want you to lose anything!
It’s also a good idea to bring something firm to store your photos and autos so they don’t bend during transit.
Nicki: One of my favorite things about conventions, particularly fandom specific ones like ours, is you already have a HUGE thing in common with everyone else there so you’re basically primed and ready to be friends.
Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation while waiting in line for an autograph, or dance with a group of strangers at the party, or compliment someone on their cool shirt!
When the weekend is over, I promise you will value your new friendships as much or even more than your interactions with the cast.
The first ever Con-Geda will be held at the Crowne Plaza LAX in Los Angeles, CA, June 22 -24, 2018. Tickets are still available for the convention, so be sure to visit the Con-Geda website!
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Are you as excited for Con-Geda as we are? Make sure to let us know if you will be joining us and what you are most excited about in the comments below!
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Janelle Ureta
Janelle Ureta is equal parts Veronica Mars, Raven Reyes, and Rebecca Bunch, but she aspires to add some Tammy Taylor to the mix. An attorney turned teacher, Janelle believes in the power of a well-told story. She is currently exploring how to tell short stories, 140 characters or less, on twitter. She loves to talk about TV, and right now she can't shut up about Timeless, Dear White People, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The 100, or Younger.