Apparently not having learned their lesson from my previous times as a panelist, LosCon 39 (Nov. 23-25) has invited yrs trly back for another go-round:
Fri 4:00 -- Chicago Room Creating Language Language and culture are linked. What concepts need words? How does the environment affect the language? What does it take to create a realistic, usable language? Lorien Gray, David Gerrold, Buzz Dixon, Sarah Joy AdamsFri 5:30 -- Scottsdale Room Comics: Marrying Words & Pictures An in-depth look at the art of bringing together the story, the dialogue, and the images that make comic books and graphic novels a unique art form. Marv Wolfman, Neo Edmund, Shaene Siders, Joe Pearson, Buzz Dixon, Jim Krueger
Sat 10:00 -- Chicago Room What If Superpowers Were Real? What effects would there be on society if there really were people with superpowers? Would government's just let superheroes act? Would near absolute power corrupt? Would the existence of superheroes ultimately bring forth supervillains? Or would there only be supervillains? What toll (or benefit) would the world see from years or decades of superpowered derring-do? Jacqueline Monahan, James Hay, Edward L. Green, Buzz Dixon, Kenn Bates, Robert N. Skir
Sat 11:30 -- Dallas Room Animation & Science Fiction Animated science fiction on U.S. television goes back to Colonel Bleep and Tom Terrific (both 1957) and The Jetsons (1962). What are the unique aspects of creating and writing science fiction for animation? What's around today and what's coming in the future? Buzz Dixon, Robert N. Skir, Len Wein
Sat 4:00 -- Chicago Room Good Villains No one wakes up and says “what can I do that’s nasty today?”. Or do they? Do you need just as much motivation and backstory for your villains as for your heroes? How do you create a good bad guy? Len Wein, Nancy Holder, Laurie Tom, Buzz Dixon, Kenne Estes, Fred Patten
Sat 5:30 -- Saddlebrook Room The World's Most Useless Superpowers Sure, super strength, invulnerability, being able to fly, being invisible are all really cool powers. But not everyone can be blessed with good, useful powers. Someone's got to be Allergy Boy or Mr. Droopy Socks. What are your ideas for the world's most useless superpowers? Genny Dazzo, Kenn Bates, Shaene Siders, Buzz Dixon, Neo Edmund
Sun 11:30 -- Dallas Room Religion In Genre Books & Movies Religion is frequently ignored in science fiction and fantasy. But sometimes it isn't. How is it treated? Do we see standard Earth religions or all-new ones? Or ones that just think they're all new? Some authors seem to think that, come the future, all people will just abandon their religious beliefs. Does that seem likely? Allison Lonsdale, Buzz Dixon, Bradford Lyau, Laurie Tom, J. Michael Straczynski, Fr. John Blaker
Sun 2:30 -- Scottsdale Room The Ethics Of Cloning At some point, it seems pretty likely there will be clones. Body parts at first but, eventually, cloned beings. What rights would they have? What rights won't they have? What about for robots or androids? Fr. John Blaker, Buzz Dixon, Scott Campbell, Richard Dean Starr
Big tip o' the space helmet to Craig Miller for all his generous help