Pacificon (Bitchin' Party)

A fan convention first held in 2008 in the greater Seattle area, mostly known as Bitchin' Party (a reference from the series Dante's Cove), with a slight emphasis on due South and 6 Degrees of Canada fandoms, though encompassing many more. Events have included such things as a group viewing of Dante's Cove, fannish Pictionary, a vid show, and 3-minute Pimp Your Fandom.
It has a cap of 100 attendees. Pacificon is described by the organizers as a "laid-back, totally non-classy, slash-friendly het-welcome gen-is-good-too multifandom fan con."bitchinparty LiveJournal profile, accessed 9 November 2013.
For much about this con, see It Was a Bitchin' Party -- Brynnmck, a 2016 interview. Not to be confused with the two Worldcons nicknamed Pacificon.
==Organization==
In 2008, it was a first-time con with a cap on attendance, Pacificon focused on a relaxed, casual atmosphere. The con chair was brynnmck. Panels and schedules were organized by nos4a2no9 and the vid-show was hosted by sdwolfpup. Ride-sharing and airport transportation was coordinated by belmanoir. This con had a very casual con zine called Fics on a Plane!.
In 2010, this same theme of a relaxed, casual atmosphere was repeated. The con committee stated at the con that the plan is to hold the con every other year.
In 2012, the con was held on March 31-April 1.
In 2014, the con was held April 12-13, with some unofficial events held on April 11.
In 2015, it was announced that brynnmck had decided that 2016 would be the last Pacificon ever unless someone else volunteered to take it over. The final con was held April 2 and 3, 2016, with some unofficial activities on the evening of April 1.
After the 2016 con, it was announced that several con attendees had got permission from brynnmck to take over responsibility for Pacificon and that the next con would be held in 2018.exmanhater. , posted to bitchinparty on Jun. 4th, 2016.
==Reception==
Pacificon was received to wild acclamation and much squee, going by the posts on the LJ community for the con; most panels were well-attended and prompted lively discussions.[personal experience of Raine Wynd, added here by reference April 22, 2010] The concom was open to feedback and suggestions at the con proper as well as in a suggestion post Bitchinparty suggestion post. (Accessed December 5, 2008) on the Livejournal community.
==Future==
Pacificon organizers hosted another "Bitchin' Party" every two years, but called it quits after the 2016 con. Some fans volunteered to take over running the con in future years and ran a con in April 2018. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the con in 2020 was cancelled and a virtual dance party was held instead.pi. Virtual Vid Dance Party 11/14, posted to Dreamwidth on November 7, 2020. (Accessed May 27, 2024.) In 2021, con organizers announced that they needed to postpone plans for a con in 2022 and hoped to offer it again in 2023 or 2024.intransitive. Next BP Update, posted to Dreamwidth on May 9, 2021. (Accessed May 27, 2024.) 
==Links==
* Bitchin' Party - Official LiveJournal Community
* bitchinparty - Official Dreamwidth Community
* INTERVIEW: IT WAS A BITCHIN' PARTY at These Curious Times webzine
PacificCon Vid Show Playlists
==2008==
 
The schedule . (Accessed December 5, 2008) included sessions on skill development for writing, vidding, and podficcing, as well as panels focused on specific shows. The Vid Show playlist can be found 
Evening activities included a screening of the pilot of Dante's Cove, a hilariously over-the-top show about vampires, featuring bad hair, bad acting, and gratuitous sex scenes. Quotations from the show ran rampant throughout the convention.
Rock Band and room parties were featured on Saturday night.
===2008 Con Reports/Panel Notes ===
Con reports and Panel Notes
*I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUN I CAN'T QUITE BELIEVE IT. by spuffyduds, dated March 2008reference link.
*I view partying with fond regard by Kerithwyn dated March 31, 2008reference link.
*Pacificon '08 Pornographic Pictionary PWP by slastsbeans dated March 2008reference link.
*It really was a bitchin party! dated March 2008reference link.
*CanCon Report, Thursday by brynnmck reference link, Bitchin' Report - Part 2! by brynnmck reference link.,Bitchin' Report - Part 3!by brynnmck reference link. dated April 2008
*Vidding 101 Panel: Online Vidding Resources and Vidding 101 Panel Notes dated April 2008reference link and reference link.
*con post-it(tm); or, back from the wilds of fangrrlland by qe2 dated April 2008reference link.
*, , and dated April 2008
*Bitchin' Party Con Report Part One by troyswann dated April 2008reference link.
*vid show! dated April 2008reference link.
*Con report dated April 2008reference link.
*You Know The Con Is Over When You're Singing Flight Of Seaguls by Torra dated April 2008reference link.
*Worldbuilding Panel handout and commentary by troyswann dated May 2008reference link.
*Additional reportsreference link.
==2010==
Pacificon was held April 9th - 11th, 2010. As in 2008, panels reflected a similar emphasis on skill development. Newer fandoms were discussed, including Castle, Leverage and White Collar. New for 2010 was a Fannish Pictionary, which drew most of the con attendees, and a more formalized dance party instead of a Rock Band/dance party. Some of the panels for pacifi-cant (fans who could not attend) are listed here. Fans who tweeted used #pacificon and #bitchinparty. A Vid Show playlist was not made available.
===2010 Con Reports/Panel Notes===
Convention Reports and Panel Notes
*Friday con reportreference link.
*Art of the Con panel handout reference link.
*Leverage panel notesreference link.
*Fruits of the Craft Tablereference link.
==2012==
PacificCon 2012 was held March 30-April 1, 2012. Approximately 85 fans registered for the convention. The Vid Show playlist can be found here.reference link.
 
===2012 Programming===
Saturday -- Room A
10:00: History of Us: The Evolution of Fandom 
How has fandom changed and evolved since it began? We'll share our own earliest memories of fandom, indulge in some nostalgia about fandom of yesteryear, and then trace it forward through time: how has fandom changed, for better and for worse? What have been the major turning points? And what are our predictions (and hopes and dreams) for fandom's future?
11:00: If Loving You is Wrong, I don't Wanna Be Right 
What are your favorite tropes in fanfiction? What's that one scenario you'll read no matter what--even if it's a badfic wip with dialect, song lyrics and a hard-coded, eye-searing font. Is curtain!fic your kryptonite? Fuck-or-die? Accidental outing? Which fanfic cliché are you most embarrassed (or not!) to be so besotted with (and where are the recs)? Let's chat!
2:00: Why AU? Panel notes are here.reference link.
With so much canon to work with, why read/write AU? What's the appeal of making an angel a bookstore owner, a Mountie into a professor, or a scientific genius into a chef? What are the basic elements of a good AU? What do we like about them? What makes them work? What are the challenges for both writers and readers?
3:00: F.O.U.F. - Fic of Unusual Format. Panel notes are here.reference link.
This panel is about fanfic written in an unusual format: 2nd person POV, epistolary fic, imperative fics, comics, free-verse, non-chronological stories, etc. 
What type of stories call out to be written this way? What makes them work, or not work, for us as readers? How can we, as authors, make them more effective? Let's encourage each other to take a risk and try something new!
Saturday -- Room B
10:00: Sherlock Holmes - A Tale of Two Sherlocks: Comparing the Sherlock Holmes movies and the BBC Sherlock TV show The Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies and the BBC Sherlock TV show are very different in many ways, from the setting to the tone to the way the main characters are portrayed. But they also share similarities, and both work as interesting albeit different interpretations of the classic stories.
How do these two new versions of Sherlock Holmes compare to each other and to the original stories (and the many previous movie and TV adaptations)? How are they similar and where do they differ? Which elements of the original stories do they pull from, how do they interpret these elements, and to what effect? 
11:00: Star Trek (All) - Boldly Continuing: The Revival of Star Trek Fandom 
This panel will explore the revival of the Star Trek fandom following the 2009 Star Trek XI movie, and discuss with manic glee the upcoming 2012 sequel. We will also discuss classic Trek fandom in all its permutations, including favorite pairings, extended canon information, and maybe even Tom Hardy. Perfect for the long-term and more recent Trek fan, this is a great opportunity to get psyched up for Star Trek XII and start your rewatch of the entire 727 tv-and-movie canon. And the 500+ books.
2:00: Knitted Hogwarts Scarves and Crocheted Daleks: Finding a Place in Fandom as a Geeky Crafter 
Did you learn to knit solely so you could make your own Gryffindor scarf? Or did you pick up a hook and teach yourself to crochet because you just had to own a plush TARDIS? If so, you’re not alone – there are more of us geeky crafters out there! Geeky crafting isn’t as widespread as writing fic, drawing fanart, or making vids – but there are lots of us out there, and we want to meet you! 
Come out for an informal panel about geeky crafter culture – who we are, what we do, and how we interact with fandom. How, as crafters, do we find our place in fandom? There aren't many fandom-related craft communities out there. When do you find you interact best with non-traditional fanwork, where do you find friends or an audience? Do you sell your work? If so, how do you deal with issues of copyright and other legalities?
3:00: Bandom - Here's My Mixtape: Getting into Bandom Ten Years Later 
In the past two years, a new wave of fans have dipped their toes, if not become fully immersed, in Bandom waters. Some of the topics we'll discuss: ways to avoid being overwhelmed by the size of the canon, how is Bandom different from other fandoms that are just as old, etc.
Sunday -- Room A
10:00: Writing What You Don't Know 
How important is it to get the language and culture correct when writing in a fandom from a different country? Will it throw the reader out of the story if you call it a trash bag rather than a bin liner? Is changing your spelling and grammar going to far? Or is it necessary? Is it appropriating? Let's discuss the importance of and issues surrounding writing for a fandom from a different country, how to go about it and where to ask for help.
11:00: Id-fic: What we want and why 
We all have our id fics, the stories that we read that make us think, "Holy shit, I had no idea I wasn’t the only person who wanted orgasm denial to make Frank cry!" This panel is about those themes, those desires and narrative kinks that fandom fulfills and sometimes awakens. We’ll explore what it is about transformative work that lends itself so easily to these sorts of stories, and also address how we can get out of our own way when writing and let our ids fly. Because if you want to write about Steve Rogers being the best little sub the world has ever seen, someone out there surely wants to read it.
2:00: I Hear Voices In My Head: How to Make a Mountie (or a Soldier, or an Air Force Pilot with the ATA Gene and a Thing for Brilliant Scientist Types) Think and Talk in Character 
Sometimes it seems like the trickiest thing about writing fanfic - especially if you're active in multiple fandoms - is capturing the characters' voices. With certain exceptions (because when are there not?), canonical characters speak in specific ways that are part and parcel of who they are and what they represent. Getting inside the way characters communicate can make or break a story, but doing so takes more than an eye for an "ain't" or an ear for a beautiful polysyllable. What are some practical ways to learn a character's voice - and how can a writer put that voice into words in ways that read authentic and not imitative?
3:00: Let us tell you a story- Podfic as collaboration 
The workshop looks at ways podfic can be a collaborative process, taking in direct-to-podfic works like Spring fling and Pod_together, working with a musical or audio editor, and creating multi voice podfics, and whatever anyone else wants to talk about!
Less a podfic 101, and more about all the different ways podfic creators can collaborate to tell stories and create fanworks, and how fandom can be a multimedia experience, not just a text-based one.
Sunday -- Room B
10:00: Due South - due South: Keeping the fandom alive, 12 years on. Panel notes are here.reference link.
It’s been over 12 years since due South ended, but the fandom is still plugging along. Some fans move on, but new ones are still entering the fandom and the show is still beloved by many. What is it about this little Canadian show from the ‘90s that still inspires devotion and still brings in new fans? What can those of us in the fandom do to keep the fandom alive and active? If you’re a new fan, what do you want to see happen in the fandom? Where do we see the fandom going from here?
11:00: Comics (Broad) - Bam Bam POW! Comics for the Moviegoer 
As the Marvel Universe's Avengers is making it to the big screen, and the DC Universe primes for the conclusion of its prized Batman trilogy, this is a great time to become better acquainted with superhero comics fandom, or to renew your love for the men and women (and aliens) in tights! We'll provide a short primer, recs, and other materials to kick-start your foray into the wily world of comics.
2:00: Kinky Bitches: A Frank Discussion of Sexual Kinks In Fanfic, What Really Goes Into Their Practices And Aftermaths, And Dispelling The Common Myths 
More and more in recent years, NC-17 fics have become accepted as major parts of fandom, and more and more Kinks are becoming well known and accepted as "not too freaky" or "surprisingly hot" to "almost common, what do you mean, not EVERY person ties up their partners and fucks them with purple ice dildoes while reciting the National Anthem??" But despite kinks becoming known, beloved, and commonly read, a lot of the people writing them have no first hand experience. What are the realities of kinky sex? What actually goes into making a kink work? What tools can be used in one kinky sex act that would injure or derail a similar sex act. What are the common myths about kink, and what are ways to dispel them? A lot of people love to read and write kink, but everyone wants to read and write well written kink even more. Let's act as a community to help each other do that, pooling information, sharing what we know, and teaching the masses how much fun kink can be!
3:00: Sherlock (BBC) When John Met Sherlock... 
Let's talk about the fantastic BBC series, Sherlock! Is Sherlock really a "high functioning sociopath"? What is the true nature of his relationship with John? Why does John put up with him? Why does he put up with John? What of his other relationships: Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft? Let's leave no stone unturned as we deduce why this modern adaption of Sherlock is so brilliant.
=== 2012 Vid Show===
The 2012 .
===2012 Con Reports/Panel Notes===
* by jednic, dated April 2, 2012
* by sdwolfpup, dated April 2, 2012
* by luzula, dated April 2, 2012
* dated April 1, 2012
==2014==
Pacificon was held April 11-13, 2014.
Panels: 
Vid Show: 
==2016==
Pacificon was held April 2-3, 2016.
Panels: 
Vid Show Playlist: 
===2016 Con Reports/Panel Notes===
==2018 ==
Pacificon 2018 was held April 13-15. The con comm was jedusaur, Rhea314, jarrow, and exmanhater.
===2018 Programming ===
Panel Results! and BP 2018 Official Schedule!
====Friday====
5:00 Registration
7:00 Guided Mingling
8:00 Movie (Trick (1999))
====Saturday====
Tol room
*10:00 It's the End of the World As We Know It, And I Feel Fannish (mods: SDWolfpup, cyborganize) Post-apocalypse shows & fic are plentiful, and have plenty of fans, even though they're (usually!) very dark. What draws us to these worlds? What are your favorite post-apocalyptic media and why? What do we learn about ourselves from watching others struggle with the destruction of everything they knew?
* 10:40 A short time ago, in a fandom not so far away... (mods: bessyboo, exmanhater) Let’s talk STAR WARS! Originals, Prequels, Sequels, Rogue One, Clone Wars, Rebels, EU—which parts are you really feeling, and why? Which parts that you’re not already into should you check out? What did you think of The Last Jedi? Everything from the galaxy far, far away is on the table!
*11:20 Miss Fisher's Intersectional Feminism (mod: krytella) The adaptation of MFMM from books to the screen aged Phryne up into a rare portrayal of a glamorous heroine over 40 surrounded by a broad range of supporting female characters. The show tackles social issues around gender and class and occasionally attempts to grapple with racism and Australia’s colonial history. What do we love about it, what do we wince at about it, what do we wish we had fanworks about for it?
*2:00 A Song and a Dream: Now What? (mods: SDWolfpup, scribe) You've got the perfect song for your fandom - what's next? How do you get source? What do you do with mkv files? Square pixels? Frame rates?! To outline or not to outline? Do I really need a clip database? Let's talk about it all!
* 3:00 Speed Dating Small Fandoms (mods: metatxt, cyborganize) A semi-structured con-game where we share and explore why we love the small fandoms we love. By generating a creative categorization structure, together we will match-make fans with new small fandoms relevant to their interests. Our goal is for everyone to leave with a new fandom to date and a new fan joining one of their small fandom faves.
Smol room
*10:00 Women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (mod: Minim Calibre) Natasha Romanoff, Peggy & Sharon Carter, Jessica Jones, Shuri, Gamora, Valkyrie, Maria Hill, and many, many more! Let's talk about the wonderful women of the MCU and why we love them.
*10:40 Why We Write: Fandom Needs You! (mod: keerawa) This panel is aimed at aspiring writers, experienced writers dipping their toes into fanfiction, fanfic writers who've been going through a dry patch, or anyone looking to get the creative juices flowing. Topics will vary based on the participants, but might include how to start, where to find cheerleaders and betas, where to post, how to get over that hump and throw ourselves into writing something we and other fans will love.
* 11:20 Fandoms That Won't Die (mod: aethel) Come talk about the fandoms you love that surprised you with their longevity! Why do some fandoms last and others don't?
*2:00 I'm sure the FBI has a file on me: research and fandom (mod: Minim Calibre) Ever find yourself needing to know the marriage requirements in places you'll never live? In-depth information on weaponry? Best ways to hide a body? And, of course, sex tips you may or may not ever need. Come share your tales of research gone wild and/or pick up research tips and tricks from your fellow fans.
*3:00 Makeup Fandom 101 (mods: bessyboo, visionshadows) Do you not wear makeup because you find it intimidating, but would like to start? Are you a total makeup pro who loves to talk brands and share your knowledge? Maybe you're somewhere in between, but want to know how that person on tumblr achieved that super sweet eye look or particular nail art you loved. This panel is for all of you, as well as anyone else who wants to come talk everything from skin care to shadow to nail polish. (There may be a makeup swap at the end of the panel!)
4:00 Rec My Fandom
7:00-9:00 Vid Show
9:00-11:00 Vid Dance Party
====Sunday====
Tol room
* 10:00 The Real Bad Place Is The Friends We Made All Along (mods: SDWolfpup, Brynn, Minim Calibre) The Good Place started with a straight-forward premise and became one of the most complicated, delightful, and philosophy-loving shows on TV. Let's talk about why we love it (so many reasons!), how it manages to keep turning its own premise with such skill, and what we hope for next season.
*10:40 Visit Themyscira (mods: cyborganize, metatxt) Share your Wonder Woman story, whether you're a movie lover, a Lynda Carter devotée, or a long-suffering comics fan. A conversation about the conversation about Wonder Woman: why we feel how we feel about her, what she represents, how she has been represented. Explore Diana's origin in the early 1940s (see: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women) and her fictional origin in the Amazon culture of Paradise Island / Themyscira, and why the character and her worlds are still relevant. Will involve the F word – feminism! (And the other F word – femslash!)
*11:20 You Like My Thing Wrong (mod: bessyboo) You know that moment when you’re really into a popular thing, but you hate the popular pairing, or character, or fanon characterization? Or maybe you’ve been into something for a million years and suddenly everyone else is on board too, but everything they’re saying and creating is just…WRONG? Friends, let us get together and discuss strategies for taking a breath, chilling out, and avoiding feeling like horrible fandom hipsters or Bitter Old Fandom Queens when other people just Like Our Thing Wrong.
*2:00 Fannish Osmosis Fic Exchange (mod: Scribe) Write a stranger the fic of their dreams...for a canon you only know about via hearsay! Other types of fanworks welcome, as long as they can be completed in about fifteen minutes; reading/sharing with the room is encouraged for maximum hilarity, but not mandatory.
*3:00 Alphas, Omegas, Doms, & Subs: Alternate Gender System Tropes (mods: krytella, keerawa) Why do A/B/O, BDSM AU, and other AUs that play with alternate gender designation have such strong appeal? Do they provide a safer space to eroticize gendered oppression, create a dystopian critique of gendered oppression, or both at once? Are slash gender system AUs an expression of internalized misogyny or badly written female characters or something else entirely? Do slash and femslash uses if this trope serve to straighten the queer relationships they depict? How about alpha/alpha and omega/omega stories, or D/s AUs centering switches? Wait, we only have 50 minutes?
Smol room
*10:00 Cosplay 101 (mod: bessyboo) Have you ever wanted to get into cosplay, but weren’t sure how or where to start? This panel is for you! We’ll discuss strategies for choosing/designing a character & outfit, and putting together a costume (for both DIY & “I am 0% crafty” options!)
*10:40 Feelings Are The Worst (mod: jedusaur) Emotions run high when you care a whole lot, and fandom is all about caring a whole lot. Let's talk about different types and contexts of fannish feelings, what sparks and alters our fannish interests, how and why conflicts arise in fandom, what feelings even are (your mod will make a sincere effort not to derail the conversation too far into the intricacies of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex), and what situations lead to fandom obsession, frustration, gradual indifference, and loving everyone in this whole damn bar.
*11:20 Sometimes we pay for it (mod: rivers_bend) come talk about queer romance novels, fannish tropes in pro fiction, and finding the perfect book for you.
*2:00 Documenting Fandom (mod: aethel) Fans have been writing down the history of fandom since fandom began. Let's discuss the various ways and reasons that fans document fandom! And also Fanlore.
*3:00 Where Do We Go From Here? (mods: Minim_Calibre, cyborganize) As the Internet changes and sites rise and fall, how do we stay connected as a community? Can we? Explore the state of fandom in 2018 and how has it changed since the first Bitchin' Party ten years ago!
4:00 Fannish Charades
6:30 Closing Remarks
7:00 Movie (Jupiter Ascending)
==2020 ==
Due to COVID-19, the in person convention was canceled.
A Virtual Dance Party was held in its place on Saturday November 14th.pi. Virtual Vid Dance Party 11/14, posted to Dreamwidth on November 7, 2020. (Accessed May 27, 2024.)
==References==
Category:Due South
Category:6 Degrees of Canada
Category:Conventions
Category:2008 Conventions
Category:2010s Conventions
Category:Conventions in United States