BALTIMORE, Md., Feb. 1, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The inaugural Universal FanCon (FanCon) is the first large-scale, 24-hour, inclusive event that celebrates the diversity of fans, the diversity of fandom and the true needs of those who love pop culture. This year\u2019s event will help benefit and promote relevant causes, including Geek Club Books Charity for Autism.<\/p>\n
![\"Universal](\"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/images\/18-0201-universal-fancon-696x522.jpg\" "\\"Universal")
\nHosted in Baltimore, Maryland,\u00a0April 27-29, 2018, FanCon\u2019s mission is to create a sense of belonging by providing authentic connections and experiences through fan-centric parties, programs, panels and partners. As an important part of this mission, FanCon is building accessibility and education into every aspect of the programming to make certain it is a disability- and autism-friendly event.<\/p>\n
With its broad range of attendees, celebs, and unique experiences — and its engaging, interactive festival atmosphere — FanCon is the place for everyone who is a fan!<\/p>\n
To purchase tickets, visit\u00a0https:\/\/www.universalfancon.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n Follow on social: https:\/\/twitter.com\/UniversalFanCon<\/a> and #FanCon<\/p>\n \u201cUniversal FanCon is more than just a new Geek convention,\u201d said Co-Founder Robert Butler. \u201cIt\u2019s an event where all fans of pop culture are being celebrated, represented and included during every step of the way: through our planning, our attendees, programs, parties, celebrity guests and unique experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n FanCon got its start during a dinner conversation in 2016 between Butler, his partners in the wildly popular The Black Geeks podcast, and Jamie Broadnax, founder of Black Girl Nerds.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all big geeks and realized, for instance, that people of color have the same complaints as other minority groups and marginalized populations when it came to representation in the celebration of fandoms,\u201d said Butler. \u201cHispanics, African Americans and Asians make up 38 percent of our population and 49 percent of frequent moviegoers \u2013 and they are more likely to see a movie featuring characters to whom they can relate. So, we knew there was a need that we could fill!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to create a safe space that celebrated fandom differently by including the many different faces and voices that truly made up the groups, artists, affiliates, and brands that we all represented, such as women, the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, autistic community, and people of color,\u201d said Jamie Broadnax.<\/p>\n \u201cThe inclusion and accessibility mission of FanCon is why Geek Club Books got involved with this inaugural event,\u201d said Jodi Murphy, President of Geek Club Books, an autism nonprofit. \u201cAutistic representation and inclusion in pop culture, media and the community-at-large is what we\u2019ve been advocating for!\u201d<\/p>\n The support from Hollywood, brands, and organizations has been and continues to be amazing: Kristian Nairn, a.k.a. Hodor from\u00a0\u201cGame of Thrones\u201d; Aydian Dowling (Trans activist), Riyadh Khalaf (YouTube sensation),\u00a0Yuriko Yamaguchi (Voice Actress \/\u00a0\u201cSeiyuu\u201d); legend Billy Dee Williams; actor and comedian\u00a0Orlando Jones;\u00a0Mehcad Brooks (\u201cSupergirl\u201d); comedian, Paralympian and actress Katy Sullivan; Ricky Whittle and Yetide Badaki (\u201cAmerican Gods\u201d);\u00a0DC Comics\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0<\/em>Marvel\u00a0writer Greg Pak; actors Phil LaMarr, Sumalee Montano and Fryda Wolff; GRAMMY-winner Big Daddy Kane, video game composer for Sega\u2019s\u00a0\u201cPanzer Dragoon\u201d Saori Kobayashi with TriForce Quartet, rapper Mega Ran, and electronics musician TeddyLoid; Kim Chi (\u201cRupaul\u2019s Drag Race\u201d); Geek Club Books for Autism, Black Girl Nerds, Blerdgurl, ClexaCon, Disability Visibility Project, FanBros, and more.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people and fandoms we are representing, the support we are getting from the city of Baltimore and the committed team we\u2019ve been able to build are all testaments to how important and relevant an event such as FanCon is today,\u201d said Butler. \u201cWe can\u2019t wait to see everyone in Baltimore,\u00a0April 27-29!\u201d<\/p>\n SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE<\/strong>\u00a0(list by alpha order\/more to be announced): PROGRAMS, PANELS & EVENTS INCLUDE<\/strong>\u00a0(more to be announced): MORE INFORMATION:<\/strong> For more information about Geek Club Books autism nonprofit go to https:\/\/geekclubbooks.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n Using storytelling, Geek Club Books nonprofit\u2019s mission is changing perceptions and putting an end to\u00a0the stigma surrounding autism, replacing fear with wonder. The nonprofit produces interactive children\u2019s comics, curriculum, assemblies, public awareness campaigns, online resources, and educational videos for acceptance in classrooms, on playgrounds and in communities. They mentor and empower autistic individuals to be the storytellers, inspiring empathy, inclusion and acceptance for those who are different. Twitter: https:\/\/twitter.com\/geekclubbooks<\/a>.<\/p>\n LOGOS for Media: @GeekClubBooks @UniversalFanCon #FanCon #Activate4Autism<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BALTIMORE, Md., Feb. 1, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The inaugural Universal FanCon is the first large-scale, inclusive event that celebrates the diversity of fans, fandom and true needs of those who love pop culture. This year’s event will help benefit relevant causes, including Geek Club Books Charity for Autism. Coming to Baltimore, Maryland,\u00a0April 27-29, 2018.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9780,"featured_media":32592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[389,527,37,134,426,346,56,650,559,197],"tags":[9218,9388],"class_list":["post-32593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pop-culture-news","category-baltimore-news","category-entertainment-news","category-general-editorial-news","category-maryland-news","category-movie-filmmaking-news","category-non-profit-news","category-performers-celebrity-news","category-products-news","category-event-news","tag-autism-charity","tag-universal-fan-con","has-post-title","has-post-date","no-post-category","no-post-tag","no-post-comment","has-post-author"],"acf":[],"views":9440,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9780"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nYetide Badaki, Demore Barnes (actor), Steve Blum (voice of \u201cWolverine\u201d), Big Daddy Kane, Bit Brigade, Mehcad Brooks, Kim Chi, DJ-Jo (DJ), DJ NightCrawler (DJ\/musician), Terri Doty (voice actress), Aydian Dowling, Ducky Dynamo (DJ\/musical artist), HEAVYGRINDER (DJ\/producer\/vocal duo), Jamal Igle (comic artist\/writer), Orlando Jones, Riyadh Khalaf, Saori Kobayashi, Phil LaMarr, Bruce Langely (\u201cAmerican Gods\u201d), Mega Ran, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (\u201cStar Wars: Rebels\u201d), Sumalee Montano, Kristian Nairn, Greg Pak, Professor Shy Guy (music artist), SAMMUS (rapper\/producer), Regine Sawyer (Women in Comics Collective), Peter Shinkoda (\u201cFalling Skies\u201d), Katy Sullivan, TeddyLoid, Triforce Quartet, Jeffrey Veregge (Native American comic book artist), Voia (producer\/singer), Jeremy Whitley (comic series writer), Ricky Whittle, Billy Dee Williams, Fryda Wolff,\u00a0Yuriko Yamaguchi.<\/p>\n
\nCelebrity Meet-and-Greets, Photo\/Autograph Opportunities, Lightsaber Dueling Academy, Music Concerts, Comedy Show hosted by Orlando Jones, 24-hour Arcade and eSport Gaming Tournaments, Tabletop Gaming,\u00a0\u201cAmerican Gods\u201d\u00a0Show Panel, Kids STEM, and other programming for gaming, comics, anime, movies, TV, music, and all things fandom!<\/p>\n![\"Geek](\"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/images\/18-0201-geek-club-books-696x522.jpg\" "\\"Geek")
\nAFFILIATES & PARTNERS INCLUDE<\/strong>\u00a0(more to be announced):
\nBaltimore Convention Center, 3 Black Geeks, Black Girl Nerds, BlerdGurl, ClexaCon, Comic Attack, CrunchyRoll, DC Anime Club, DeAnn Cox Chronicles, Disability Visibility Project, FanBros, Funimation, Geek Club Books for Autism, Geek Soul Brother, GeekGirlCon, Geeks of Color, Gifted Sounds Network, Graveyard Shift Sisters, Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor, I Need Diverse Games, LatinxGeeks, Marriott Inner Harbor Camden Yards, MEGASHEEN, Nerds of Color, Nerds of Prey, Pink Banana, Ramp Your Voice, Renaissance Harborplace, Shepard, Sheraton Inner Harbor, The Black Geeks, The Black Tribbles, Visit Baltimore (www.baltimore.org<\/a>), and more.<\/p>\n
\nFor more information, to review FanCon\u2019s Accessibility information, and to purchase tickets, visit\u00a0https:\/\/www.universalfancon.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\nAbout Geek Club Books:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\n* Send2Press.com\/300dpi\/18-0201s2p-geekclub-300dpi.jpg<\/p>\n