# Needing convention panel ideas...again **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2024, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183 "2024-04-12T04:20:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/1 "2024-04-12T04:20:00Z")
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](http://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. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/2 "2024-04-12T05:09:14Z")
“What is it with stepmothers?” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/3 "2024-04-12T05:29:48Z")
I might be able to use that as a title, and expand the panel to evil relatives in general. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/4 "2024-04-12T05:44:13Z")
“How to Build a Lair, and Staff it with Henchmen.” ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/5 "2024-04-12T17:34:30Z")
[Villians that have a point](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainHasAPoint). ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/6 "2024-04-12T19:11:27Z")
Why are villains (usually) more interesting than heroes? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/7 "2024-04-12T22:15:51Z")
Interesting. I’m doing program for the [Buffalo NASFiC](https://buffalonasfic2024.org/) 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. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/8 "2024-04-12T22:43:38Z")
The Villain Monologue: Why Does It Benefit the Villain to Divulge Their Plan? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/9 "2024-04-12T22:48:55Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/10 "2024-04-12T22:55:23Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/11 "2024-04-12T22:56:56Z")
the implications of you being the savior of your universe and your father or immediate relative being the supreme evil aka the skywalker problem ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/12 "2024-04-27T16:14:20Z")
Just letting you know that I am taking all of these ideas (and a few of my own) to the programming meeting today. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2024, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/13 "2024-04-27T16:42:32Z")
“Psychological and Physical Trauma: What Life Experiences Cause Supervillains to Embrace Evil (and Superheroes to Become Guardians of Truth, Justice, and the American Way)?” ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2024, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/14 "2024-04-27T17:24:38Z")
Mwah-Ha-Ha: The evolution and anatomy of villainous laughter. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/15 "2024-04-27T17:32:34Z")
Not enough for a panel, but an Evil Laugh contest might work. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2024, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/16 "2024-04-27T17:43:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2024, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needing-convention-panel-ideas-again/1000183/17 "2024-04-27T18:03:38Z")
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.