Way back in 2008 I became co-chair of Orycon 30, a science fiction/fantasy convention held in Portland Oregon every year. The theme was “Days Of Futures Past” and it was about books, movies, television shows etc. that took place in what was then the far future but is now our past and present (think Space: 1999 
), and I asked y’all for panel and event ideas…and you came through for me spectacularly.
Well, I’m doing it again for Orycon 44 (orycon.org), and this time the theme is Villains! We decided to have Vincent Price as our Ghost of Honor, and when I contacted his daughter Victoria to ask her blessing she decided to come to the con to join in, lucky us! Anywhatsit, I was wondering if you had any panel and/or event ideas that might be “villain” oriented in nature.
“What is it with stepmothers?”
I might be able to use that as a title, and expand the panel to evil relatives in general.
“How to Build a Lair, and Staff it with Henchmen.”
Why are villains (usually) more interesting than heroes?
Interesting. I’m doing program for the Buffalo NASFiC in July and am also looking for program ideas.
I don’t want to step on your toes and take any ideas here, but if anyone has ideas other than Villian-oriented panels, I’d love to see them.
The Villain Monologue: Why Does It Benefit the Villain to Divulge Their Plan?
Examining the socio-economic details of sci-fi locales to understand why and how it’s so easy to obtain swarms of henchmen willing to die for you. In other words, how shitty is Gotham?
Property insurance rates in Marvel’s New York City. I mean, is it an act of God if Thor breaks your building? What about Hawkeye? If Hawkeye is being carried by Thor?
I regularly do panels at Rose City, SDCC, ECCC, O-con, Wondercon, etc. (I’m based just north of Seattle)
Hit me up if you want help.
I’ve done a panel called “Re-Inventing Monsters” “A panel discussion covering how creators reinvent monster characters and tropes for modern audiences.”
the implications of you being the savior of your universe and your father or immediate relative being the supreme evil
aka the skywalker problem
Just letting you know that I am taking all of these ideas (and a few of my own) to the programming meeting today.
“Psychological and Physical Trauma: What Life Experiences Cause Supervillains to Embrace Evil (and Superheroes to Become Guardians of Truth, Justice, and the American Way)?”
Mwah-Ha-Ha: The evolution and anatomy of villainous laughter.
Not enough for a panel, but an Evil Laugh contest might work.
The Prof. Moriarty Appreciation Society.
The Scarlet Witch: Help A Good Girl Go Bad
Villians as a Symbol of Foreign or Racist Evils
(Think Ming the Merciless, The Evil Dr. Fu Manchu, The Yellow Peril, &c.)
Supervillains As Mirrors of Heroes
(The Reverse Flash, Gen. Zod, Sinestro, Crimson Dynamo, Abomination, &c.)
A Villain Walks Into A Bar
He didn’t see the Invisible Woman holding it.
Science fiction novels, stories, movies, and television shows which have had a bad effect on the present because the people who created some current technologies or social schemes read or watched those things, and they turned out to be bad ideas.