This past weekend, I attended CONvergence at the Minneapolis Downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel. This will be my sixth year attending the con, and I always have a fun time hanging out with friends, wandering around in cosplay, and taking lots of pictures. Whenever I attend CONvergence, I try to choose a couple of panels that pique my interest. This is what inspired me to write this post.

My friend’s husband and I sat down for a panel discussion about antagonists we sympathize with in pop culture. The white panelists dived into discussing Killmonger from Black Panther which led to a discussion about race. It’s not that white people can’t talk about race, but it looks bad especially when there are no POCs (people of color) on the panel. A couple of audience members chimed in and their points were thought-provoking. The fact is being white eliminates us from understanding racial bias since it’s something we don’t experience. This racial bias contributes to Killmonger’s story. Diversity among panelists would have avoided this issue entirely.

Besides the discussion of race, there was another instance in the panel that left me feeling irritated. A female panelist was discussing a book series she liked, but had given a content warning for the sexual assault in the book. The discussion went as follows:

Female Panelist: This is a book series I really enjoy and the female villain is put through tremendous trauma, so I’d like to give a content warning regarding sexual assault to any female audience members.

Male Moderator: I didn’t think the book was that bad.

What rubbed me the wrong way was it felt dismissive of her experience. Sexual assault is a topic I am sensitive to, so I appreciate content warnings ahead of time. I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt to this panelist because he did seem to backtrack after she made a response back to him.

Overall I had a great experience at CONvergence, but this panel left a bad taste in my mouth. If you happen to be on a panel where the panelists are one-dimensional, I would involve more audience participation to retain an adequate discussion. Let me know in the comments section if you have ever had an experience like this with attending a panel at a convention, I’d like to hear about it.

This August I will be attending Gen Con for the first time with a press badge! Instead of attending under Bizarre Brunette, I will attend on behalf of Twin Cities Geek. As a board game and DnD player, I cannot wait for Gen Con. I have already started putting money aside to spend at the con because I want to purchase all the board games. This will be the first road trip me and my brother take together because I invited him to attend Gen Con this year. I’m already counting down the days until Gen Con begins.

The road to attending Gen Con began in January 2019. I have a friend from college who used to own a game store. He has been attending every Gen Con for years. I had always wanted to go, but being in college made that difficult to afford. He reached out inquiring about whether I would want to go this year. For shits and giggles, I decided to fill out a press badge with the full intention of paying full price for a badge in case it didn’t work. In February, I received confirmation from Gen Con that I would be receiving a press badge. I was elated and began to research where me and my brother would stay for the convention.

Speaking of hotels, I started looking too late for a hotel room. Hotel rooms usually sell out when Gen Con badges go on sale in January. Virtually every hotel I had checked was full. This is where I decided to look for an Airbnb. I found an affordable Airbnb northeast of downtown Indianapolis. I’m slightly worried that it’s too far from the convention center, but that’s what Uber is for. My lesson was learned if I want to attend Gen Con and have a hotel downtown, I need to book it early.

Last month, the event lists were released. These include various DnD campaigns, MTG 2020 Core Drafts, and a group fitness class titled Buff Barbarian. You better believe I signed up for the Buff Barbarian class. Besides the Buff Barbarian, I also put down a couple DnD campaigns. However, when I clicked to register for events, I was 6,119 in the queue line. 6119!!!!! It was safe to say I didn’t get many of the events I pre-registered for. I also didn’t realize events were paid. Each event costs anywhere between $2-12 dollars. I wonder if that’s to pay for the DM hosting the event? I’m not quite sure. This limited the events I wanted to do because of the cost per event.

As far as cosplays, I haven’t quite established which cosplays I will bring. I’m my Viking Wonder Woman-inspired cosplay and my Harry Potter Gryffindor student cosplay. I’m not sure how many people cosplay at Gen Con or if it’s more of a gaming convention meaning fewer people cosplay. No matter what I will wear a cosplay because cosplaying is fun.

I cannot believe I’m attending Gen Con as press this year. This is an amazing achievement for me and I hope to spread the word about Bizarre Brunette while I’m there. If you’re going to Gen Con as well, I’d love to meet up! Let me know in the comments below.

June is one of my favorite months out of the whole year. It’s the start of summer, but it’s also Pride month. I’m technically not a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, but I want to show my support in any way that I can. I wanted to share what I’m doing this month

Not Spending Money on Rainbow Stuff

It’s not that buying rainbow-themed stuff is bad, but buying rainbow clothes doesn’t necessarily go back to the LGBTQIA+ community. Some retailers are donating certain proceeds to various organizations. I did a quick Google search and found this article on Mic which lists various companies who are giving back to the LGBTQIA+ community. Please spend money on this merchandise versus the random rainbow stuff corporations are selling.

Supporting through charities or through purchasing art or books from LGBTQIA+ authors

To start off, I wanted to share a Kickstarter I recently backed by an LGBTQIA+ artist. The Prometheite is a lesbian retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in a graphic novel format. The Prometheite was created by Ari Mulch. Frankenstein is one of my all-time favorite books in Gothic Literature, so when I stumbled upon this Kickstarter, I knew immediately I had to back it. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, here’s the link to their campaign. Ari can be found on Twitter or through their website.

As far as charities go, I personally like the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project focuses on helping LBTQIA+ youth under the age of 25. It provides access to suicide prevention hotlines and community resources for those who need it.

Encouraging Corporations to Support LGBTQIA+ All Year Round Instead of in June Only.

Victoria’s Secret is in hot water because of recent comments made about supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s great to pledge support, but this is also the same company who said they wouldn’t hire trans or plus-size models because it wouldn’t “fit their fantasy.” This is what a lot of corporations will do. They will mean well when they say “Happy Pride.”, but it’s often filled with hypocrisy since that same company probably said something transphobic earlier in the year.

I want to wish you all a safe and happy Pride.

It’s been more than a month since my fiancé popped the question on May the 4th. We haven’t been doing any wedding planning but instead basking in the fact that we are engaged. Our intended goal is to have our wedding sometime in Fall of 2020 and to hopefully budget our wedding, so we aren’t spending thousands of dollars. I have already been thinking a maroon, burgundy and orange color scheme though that’s subject to change. When me and my fiancé visited his parents over Memorial Day, his aunt brought her camera and took some amazing pictures of us. I’m going to share a couple of them because it’s rare that we are both this photogenic all the time.

I was never the girl who had her dream wedding planned with a Pinterest board. Now that I’m actively planning this wedding, I’m discovering I’m more opinionated than I realize. I’m excited to get married, so me and my fiancé will truly be united together.

One bucket list item I haven’t achieved yet is leaving the United States. I have always wanted to travel to Europe, Australia, Japan and more. Travel is a huge passion of mine as I like to experience new places and go on mini adventures. The most difficult part for me to accept is the expense of travel and not being able to financially support the trips I want to do. The reason why I bring this up is I constantly think about how I’m not doing enough meaningful things in my life.

When I reflect on travel, I need to keep a couple things in mind. The first would be that all my trips have been self-funded. I never got money from my family to travel while I was in college. I’m not trying to shame anyone; I’m happy you had that experience, however, I’m proud to say I can travel on my own money. Another thing I have to be thankful for is that I’m here. Every day I hear of another school shooting or violent outburst. Some people haven’t lived for as long as I have. I’m attempting to confront the feelings I have, but also recognize how fortunate I am.

The definition of meaningful is having a serious, important, or useful quality or purpose. Even though I want to travel more, I could argue my life is meaningful now. The impact I have with people I see week to week at my day job or continuing to support my mom by driving her to her dentist appointment. These are all important facets of my life. I’m sure I have an impact on many people I interact with, but I suddenly forget about that when I think of my travel plans.

I wanted to write this personal post because I figured I couldn’t be alone in this. I wanted to say, you’re enough. Every day is a blessing to have you on this planet. I need to remind myself of this as I want to remind my readers now. To anyone who took the time to read this whole post, I thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to express my thoughts or feelings. Hopefully, this post serves as a reminder, but also to say that if this is something you have been feeling too, you’re not alone.

I’m engaged! On Free Comic Book Day and May the 4th, my boyfriend proposed. The way he proposed was immensely personal and respectful to me. I didn’t want anything public because my face gets red if I’m put on the spot. Many couples may enjoy public proposals, however, it’s not for me. I wanted to recap this special day.

This Saturday, I drove from work to The Source Comics & Games to wait in line for Free Comic Book Day. When I approached, the line had wrapped around the building. It was at this time that the boyfriend texted me saying he had a surprise for me. I replied saying, “Great, I’ll be there when I’m done shopping for comics.” It took me about thirty minutes to get inside the store, browse for comics to purchase, and pay for them at the counter. I texted the boyfriend telling him I was on my way home when he replied with something along the lines of “Come home quick, this will change your life.”

As I drove home, my heart started to beat exceedingly fast. I wasn’t 100% sure if he was going to propose, but I knew he had something important waiting at home for me. Sure enough, I entered our apartment, and out of the corner of my eye were rose petals on the dining room table. I set down my stuff and walked to the table where I saw a bottle of champagne, a photo of us, and a book.

I was trembling as he handed me this book. The book is an actual bound book describing our love story. HOW CUTE IS THAT!? I was impressed with the attention to detail because my character in the book is wearing a Gryffindor scarf. As I paged through the book, I was reading the last page which asked if I would marry him. By this point, the boyfriend was on one knee. I didn’t cry, but my face blushed into the color of a bright, red tomato. I said yes and kissed my fiance as he held me. After he put the ring on my finger, we started calling everyone we knew to let them know the good news.

As far as wedding plans, me and the fiance are thinking sometime in the Fall of 2020. Fall is one of my favorite seasons and our actual dating anniversary is in October. I’m incredibly thankful to be in a relationship with someone who has always adored me for being… me.

Since I posted about my engagement, I wanted to thank everyone for their love and support. My social media feed blew up with family and friends who were happy for us. Once the initial news of our engagement dies down, we can start looking forward to wedding planning. For now, I’m still getting used to looking down at my finger and seeing the sparkle from my ring as I finish typing this blog post.

Right before me and the boyfriend started dating, we chatted on Tinder about the Justice League. The DC Universe is one of the fandoms me and the boyfriend have in common. Ever since the trailer dropped for Shazam! at San Diego Comic-Con, we have both been awaiting the release of this movie. Shazam is a superhero that could work well in a movie, but it also could go horribly wrong due to Shazam’s back story. I’m thrilled to say this movie lives up to the hype and you all should see it on Friday, April 5th, 2019.

As I mentioned, there won’t be any spoilers for this movie. Instead, I want to focus on Shazam’s back story. Billy Batson is a troublesome, homeless kid found sleeping on the subway or being transferred between foster homes. Despite his upbringing, Billy has a good heart and defends his other foster siblings from bullies at school. This leads him to be transported to a mysterious throne where a very old man is sitting. This man is the wizard Shazam using the powers of all the gods to fight evil. As he ages, he recognizes he needs to pass his powers to someone else because eventually, he will die. Billy says the name “Shazam!” and he is transformed into an ultra-powerful being.

Shazam! takes inspiration from the New 52 series. In 2012, Geoff Johns rewrote the character as being from Philadelphia instead of New York. Johns also introduced Doctor Sivana early on in the series along with Black Adam. I’m thinking of the Shazam! sequel if there is one, Black Adam will be the main villain.

Shazam is truly a kid at heart even though he looks like an ultra buff Superman. This is where the movie lies in a delicate balance. Zachary Levi, Jack Dylon Grazer, and Asher Angel were perfectly cast. Levi and Grazer have amazing chemistry together and Grazer’s humor adds to the comedic tone of the film. One of my favorite parts of the film is Shazam! testing his powers with Grazer’s help as he films him and adds it to YouTube.

Doctor Sivana is the main villain in this movie played wonderfully by Mark Strong. Doctor Sivana is a mad scientist of sorts. I felt Strong did a great job with the role, but I don’t think there’s anything particularly unique about Sivana. He follows the stereotypical movie villain prototype.

Even if you’re not a DC fan, Shazam! is a fun movie to see in theaters. I feel bad for Warner Bros. since their DC movie universe is in shambles. I hope they get their shit together because Zachary Levi was fabulous as Shazam. Let me know your thoughts are with the movie in the comments below.

C2E2 is a convention I have wanted to attend for a while, but the timing didn’t work out. I applied for a press badge this year due to both writing for Bizarre Brunette and Twin Cities Geek. I couldn’t believe that my press badge was accepted! Reflecting on my C2E2 experience, I wanted to publish my Do’s and Don’ts list more specific to C2E2.

While I did receive a press badge to C2E2, all my thoughts are my own.

Don’t Drink Too Much / Do Drink Water!

I’m a beer drinker and immediately after I entered the convention, I had a beer at Revolution Brewing. I was quickly two beers in and my mouth was dry. My poor friend felt hungover because we didn’t drink enough water and walked everywhere. Drink your water especially in between drinks. This convention floor was a lot bigger than what I had ever experienced and I was more dehydrated than I should have been.

Do Scout out Vendors Ahead of Time

I briefly scanned the list of vendors before I drove to Chicago, but I was surprised by the number of vendors who made the trek to C2E2. One vendor I was super excited to see was Flex Comics. I wish I had known their presence beforehand because I would have budgeted the cost of one of their workout tank tops.

C2E2 is easily one of my favorite comic conventions I have ever attended. It was incredibly organized and I liked the red carpet on the floor. It was great for photo ops with cosplayers. I enjoyed the amount of artists, vendors and bigger companies who appeared at the convention. I wish I had more money to spend at the con, but due to my prior trip to Orlando, I had to save money. Attending C2E2 has become one of my favorite memories of 2019.

It’s been two weeks since my last blog post, but I’m back! Two weeks ago, I attended a tabletop gaming convention and then a couple days later, I flew out to Orlando on vacation to see Universal Studios along with Islands of Adventure. It was refreshing to escape the harsh Minnesota winter.

This trip has been a long time coming. When my mom retired after 38 years at the same company (longer than I have been alive), they gave her a $500 Universal gift card to spend at Orlando and at Universal Studios. It was a very generous gift which my mom took full advantage of after buying two wands, a couple t-shirts, and a Deathly Hallows bracelet. While I didn’t buy as much merch as my mom, I bought a few things to help commemorate the trip.

We walked everywhere! I liked The Simpson’s side of the park and I did end up trying a Duff beer. It was pretty good! The Simpson’s ride was a little too bumpy for me and I was glad the ride was over otherwise I probably would have puked. The Revenge of the Mummy ride was another favorite of mine along with the rides on Marvel Island in Islands of Adventure.

This vacation has been one to remember. It gave me enough of a break from work and I’m excited to get back to a routine again.

Before I conclude this blog post, I wanted to share what’s to come on Bizarre Brunette.  Next month, I’ll be attending C2E2 and it will be my first time attending this convention in Chicago. I’m going to write a convention recap of the tabletop convention I attended before this trip. Sitting in my queue are eight different blog posts waiting to be written, but I’m up for the challenge.