ECCC Wrapped: Mixed Bag of Community Joy, Grumbles, Nerdisms
There were still plenty of comics professionals signing, sketching, chatting, and being cornered by fans who did not realize that their 20-minute theory on Aquaman's ability to communicate with sea life as part of a broader metaphor for climate change was not appropriate when other people waited patiently behind them. Yet, Artist Alley felt like a small piece rather than the centerpiece it had been in years prior.
Mornyng Knight Queers ECCC with ‘The Solo Swordfight’
The gender-defying scoundrel known as Mornyng Knight—a stage character who is an amalgamation of drag and Renaissance faire theatrics—has come to the Pacific Northwest. And they’re armed! Embodied by the Jeff-nominated actor, combat choreographer, and producer Chloe Baldwin, Mornyng Knight transforms your inner demons into physical objects (possibly balloons), then stabs them! In their own words, it’s a show of “epic poportions.”
Queers Confidently Flourish Amid ECCC’s Commercialism
ECCC was so very Queer this year. Not in a rainbow capitalism kind of way (at least not exclusively). There was an authenticity to this queerness that wasn’t planned or staged or made exclusively for profit. There were simply lots of gay-ass people around, stopping and gabbing and hyping each other up—even talking about their various artistic pursuits. This year, ECCC felt more like a public forum than it has in a long time. And that truly feels worth celebrating.
Emerald City Comic Con Returns with Sparks of its Former Glory
Finish up your cosplay and grab your favorite comic books—Emerald City Comic Con is back! ECCC is a time-honored (and super nerdy) Seattle tradition, held at the Seattle Convention Center on March 5-8 this year. Attendees will be preparing for four days of panels, screenings, fan meetups, cosplay contests, after-dark partying, and perusing the wares of Artist Alley, where local artists come together to hang out, create, and sell fun products.
Evergreen Style: Seattle Fat Mall
One of the greatest joys about fashion is finding the perfect fit. Yet for fat or plus-size shoppers, that joy is rare, often overshadowed by an exhausting search for options that barely exist.
Earlier this year, in partnership with Seattle Restored, the Seattle Fall Mall emerged as a pop-up community space in Downtown Seattle where being fat or plus-size was centered and celebrated.
For eight months, the founders—Amber and Alyss Seelig, Candace Frank, and Kwame Phillips-Solomon—brought together local artists and fashion designers who challenge industry norms through body positivity and collective liberation.
Fossil & Stone Spotlights Natural Worlds in the Heart of Downtown
Just a quick walk from the Westlake Lightrail Station, and a few blocks inland from the bustling Pike Place Market, Fossil & Stone Fine Art Gallery stands still and quiet amongst the normal chaos of downtown Seattle. It is a gallery that one might walk past day in and day out, never quite noticing the inspiring and beautiful art within.
Ruby Mimosa’s Sound of Strip Lights Up Burlesque with Live Music
For the uninitiated, the Triple Door is a longtime dinner-and-a-show venue in Seattle’s downtown that seats some 300, The Sound of Strip is an improv burlesque show set to the music of a live cover of The Cure, and Ruby Mimosa (aka The Effervescent EnterTEASER) is a local star noted as one of the most influential performers in the world by 21st Century Burlesque and the genius mind behind BurlesKaraoke.
