Escape Velocity 2019
by Mike Lunsford, Editor-In-Chief of the Great Geek Refuge
Another “con” is in the books! The reason I put the quotation marks around con in this particular case is that Escape Velocity is like no other convention you’ve attended. Heck, it’s like no other event I’ve attended! As their website describes
Escape Velocity is a futuristic world's fair to promote STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics) education within the context of science fiction using the fun of comic cons and fascination of science and engineering festivals.
Unlike your typical “con,” Escape Velocity’s goal is not just to make money through guests, merchandise sales and ticket fees. As per a conversation I had with Nico Pandi, the director of external relations for the Museum of Science Fiction, Escape Velocity’s goal is to bring awareness to the Museum of Science Fiction. They created this event as a way to support their belief in STEAM programs and show how dedicated the Museum is to furthering the growth of these programs. A Museum of Science Fiction in the DC Metro area would be committed to educational scientific ventures because “there is no science fiction without science,” as was said throughout the event by the Escape Velocity staff. When so many of these conventions are only focused on profit margins, it’s refreshing to go to an event that has a soul and a focus on education.
When it comes to a guest list, it ranged from celebrities like Morgan Gendel, the author of arguably one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation “The Inner Light,” to actresses Gigi Edgley (Farscape) and Dominique Tipper (The Expanse), to C. Alex Young, solar astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Associate Director for Science of its Helophysics Science Division. The event had an incredibly rich and diverse guest list, and for that matter the attendees were equally diverse in regards to age, gender, race and nationality.
Not only are their guests diverse, their panels are equally intriguing! Creator of the Klingon and Vulcan languages Marc Okrand had his own program. There were panels about women writers in Science Fiction, panels about anime, conversations about space probes with NASA scientists, Introduction to Video Game Programming, and “The Laws of Scientific Inventions” featuring guest of GGR Pirate Radio Charles Hildebrandt! You can listen to that interview here. These panels expounded upon ideas of utopian vs dystopian societies in science fiction and brought one of my favorite quotes from the event. “Every utopia is some person’s dystopia.”
The event was both intimate and immense. The show floor was not overwhelmingly large but in conjunction with the panels and the museum’s gallery of items, there was always something to do or see. On top of a plethora of awesome things to occupy and fascinate you, their choice of venue could not have been better. The Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor is a beautiful venue right on the Potomac River. It has plenty of dining options all around and makes for a wonderfully delightful time at Escape Velocity.
MC and I were joined by Fantastic Forum’s, and friend of GGR, Ulysses E. Campbell to cover the event. We got to speak to many of the organizers of the event such as the aforementioned Nico Pandi. The event staff helped coordinate the live broadcast of Fantastic Forum on WERA 96.7 FM (which I was lucky enough to co-host!) where we had guests like Charles Hildebrandt, Morgan Gendel and Gigi Edgely! Take a look at the pictures below that show these guests and some of the other amazing things we saw over the weekend. MC Brooks is quite handy with a camera.
I hope we are lucky enough to come back to Escape Velocity again. I am rooting for this cause and can’t wait for the day when there is an actual brick and mortar location for the Museum of Science Fiction. This is the kind of cause we here at The Great Geek Refuge can get behind 100%. We will do everything we can to help Escape Velocity grow and help them establish their goals.
Big thanks to Charles Hildebrandt for having us as guests of the Museum of Science Fiction. Furthermore, the entire staff of Escape Velocity was incredibly friendly and accommodating. Also, I would be remiss if we didn’t thank Ulysses E. Campbell. He connected us with the folks at the Museum of Science Fiction, had MC and I on Fantastic Forum, and hung out with us doing all sorts of fun things. Thanks again Ulie!
Mike Lunsford reviews a new independent comic from Free Fall Comics: Roundhouse Hooligans.