Pacificon (Bitchin' Party)

Convention
Name:	Pacificon
Dates:	2008-2016, 2018-?
Frequency:	Biennial
Location:	Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Type:	fan con
Focus:	due South, 6 Degrees of Canada
Organization:
Founder:	Brynn McK
Founding Date:
URL:	bitchinparty at Dreamwidth; bitchinparty at LiveJournal;
	Click here for related articles on Fanlore.
	Contents 1 Organization; 2 Reception; 3 Future; 4 Links; 5 2008 5.1 2008 Con Reports/Panel Notes; ; 6 2010 6.1 2010 Con Reports/Panel Notes; ; 7 2012 7.1 2012 Programming; 7.2 2012 Vid Show; 7.3 2012 Con Reports/Panel Notes; ; 8 2014; 9 2016 9.1 2016 Con Reports/Panel Notes; ; 10 2018 10.1 2018 Programming 10.1.1 Friday; 10.1.2 Saturday; 10.1.3 Sunday; ; ; 11 2020; 12 References;

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."^[1]

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.^[2]

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.^[3] The concom was open to feedback and suggestions at the con proper as well as in a suggestion post ^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6]

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 ^[7] 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 here, ^{Archived version}

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 2008^[8]
I view partying with fond regard by Kerithwyn dated March 31, 2008^[9]
Pacificon '08 Pornographic Pictionary PWP by slastsbeans dated March 2008^[10]
It really was a bitchin party! dated March 2008^[11]
CanCon Report, Thursday by brynnmck ^[12], Bitchin' Report - Part 2! by brynnmck ^[13],Bitchin' Report - Part 3!by brynnmck ^[14] dated April 2008
Vidding 101 Panel: Online Vidding Resources and Vidding 101 Panel Notes dated April 2008^[15]
con post-it(tm); or, back from the wilds of fangrrlland by qe2 dated April 2008^[16]
Meresy's First Con: Part The First, ^{Archived version}, Meresy's First Con: Part The Second!, ^{Archived version}, and Part 3, ^{Archived version} dated April 2008
Bitchin' Party Con Report Part One by troyswann dated April 2008^[17]
vid show! dated April 2008^[18]
Con report dated April 2008^[19]
You Know The Con Is Over When You're Singing Flight Of Seaguls by Torra dated April 2008^[20]
Worldbuilding Panel handout and commentary by troyswann dated May 2008^[21]
Additional reports^[22]

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. ^[23] 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

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.^[28]

2012 Programming

Programming: Panels, ^{Archived version}

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.^[29] 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.^[30] 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.^[31] 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 Vid Show Playlist, ^{Archived version}.

2012 Con Reports/Panel Notes

Well, ^{Archived version} by jednic, dated April 2, 2012
I went to Pacificon and all I got was a new fandom!, ^{Archived version} by sdwolfpup, dated April 2, 2012
Brief con report + advice on Pinboard?, ^{Archived version} by luzula, dated April 2, 2012
True Facts, ^{Archived version} dated April 1, 2012

2014

Pacificon was held April 11-13, 2014.

Panels: [2], ^{Archived version}

Vid Show: [3], ^{Archived version}

2016

Pacificon was held April 2-3, 2016.

Panels: [4], ^{Archived version}

Vid Show Playlist: [5], ^{Archived version}

2016 Con Reports/Panel Notes

I used to go to all the panels at cons and take detailed notes and then go home and write them up ASAP. Then I decided that I was missing the entire point of cons and stopped doing that. I did actually jot down a few things at Bitchin Party this year, but I'm not sure what to make of them. For example: keerawa talking about writing John's healing cock as angsty -- "Who do I heal with my cock?!" That might have been in the inverted tropes panel.
Anyway, in April I attended my second Pacificon aka Bitchin Party aka "Pacific Writers' Conference" (the "official" printable name as given to the hotel). For the second time, Seattle was warm(er) and sunny, in direct contrast to Massachusetts; my flight home was delayed due to a snowstorm in Boston, so I hung out in the airport with akamine_chan and argentumlupine, later joined by lucifuge5 and mizface(?). romantical/Laura was the saint who made multiple trips to the airport to drop us off. So at this con I talked to lots of Bandom fans and other people I hadn't talked to before, but may or may not have been at the previous Pacificon. I also saw people I remembered from previous cons. But this was the last Pacificon, so I'll probably never see most of them again. So that's depressing.
THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THE CON:

Sadly, one of my roommates had to cancel at the last minute.

No bands split up, so already a better con than MJ

Before the con I wandered around Seattle and tried to find Pike Place Market. At one point I walked into a parking lot at random and ran into ride_4ever and rainewynd (?).

hung out in the con suite and talked to rainewynd?, Mary??, and others??? about due south, highlander, other stuff I've forgotten. good times.

The first night we watched Dante's Cove. AMAZINGLY BAD--a good time was had by all. Then I probably went to bed immediately because jet lag.

SATURDAY:

up way too early due to time difference and probably woke up my roommate too. sorry, audrey.

think I went to "The Truth About Fandom" panel, but I don't remember much about it. It was good?

With Inverted Tropes panel

attended a live podfic recording at some point. pennyplainknits was organizing, it was Muppets/Slings & Arrows, and I think the funniest part was fiercynn and feedingonwind chortling in character as the muppet hecklers.

ate shawarma for lunch with good company, because Avengers

made something at the craft table. IIRC, feedingonwind suggested I add a speech bubble.

Star Wars TFA panel. got a button that said, "That's not how the Force works!"

fannish nail polish party, at which there was also cake from lattice_frames, I think. My nails lasted for a month since I really didn't want to scrape off the last physical reminder of the con

vid show and dance party happened. I mostly stood around the edges and didn't dance much because my uncoordinated ridiculous dancing soul has withered and died. I sort of miss it, but I talked to Bandom people, so I had a good time anyway. mel_fabu talked about the difference between fanon Brendon and actual Brendon (so skeevy in concert, she felt she needed a shower; also "literally raised by wolves").

SUNDAY:

made a thing at the craft table when I thought I had lost my badge. Later found it in my backpack.

Pretend Dating panel

Music panel (non-RPF music fannishness)

lunch at Chinese restaurant with Luce, keerawa, and somebody else [who??]. I took boxed leftovers, and then turned down a group dinner outing, but then realized I hadn't refrigerated it so couldn't eat it. Also, I didn't have a fork. Lowest point of the con, really.

Fannish Osmosis Fic Exchange. an excellent game everyone can play, no fic-writing experience needed.

Fan Is A Tool-Using Animal

Rec My Fandom

live reading of Texts from Cephalopods, with bessyboo, lunate8, exmanhater, and revolutionaryjo. A most excellent and funny performance. A+

went back to my hotel room, but someone else was already lying on one of the beds crying and possibly sick, so I hung out outside the consuite instead and waited for everyone to get back from dinner. Did I eat? I don't know. some podficcers (lattice_frames and torra?) were talking about editing techniques.

a viewing of Magic Mike XXL, with cake. It was hilarious, and not nearly as badly acted as Dante's Cove, which was a genuine train wreck.

post-movie conversations, during which Laura offered people rides to the airport and said she had to go home immediately and sleep and then kept talking instead of going home. Also, rumor has it that William Beckett has legs.

Due South viewing party with torra, ride_4ever, audrey1nd, and burnishedvictory, except I think everyone nodded off. Or maybe that was just me.

THE MYSTERIOUS PANEL NOTES I TOOK:

highlander has a lot of fixit fic

Glee fandom - nobody watches it, canon knowledge acquired from reading other fic

Ryan Ross's enormous cock

exmanhater said: fandom focuses more on character truth than pro media. often gets RL facts wrong. you as a reader are more forgiving if it's not your area.

you can tell when fic writer is writing from experience

miscommunication scenarios - missed connection vs. characters genuinely bad at expressing feelings

exmanhater: would accept anything if writer is good enough, emotionally true

latest AO3 survey

integration of sexuality with everyday life - happens in fanfic, not pro media

AUs explore nature vs. nurture

glorification of surprise; surprises are overrated; tag your tropes; comparison to known allergens

wish babies is a trope??

DADT repeal fic era 2011

soulmark fic started by one author, maybe at the end of 2014? [I think I asked torra about this. Apparently this is a specific named subtrope, though similar fic was written before.]

A/B/O supplanted directed!verse because they fulfill the same role--examining gender role

work of wings

true colors

lady_ragnell

imprimateur - soulbonding paperwork (suits)

5 times they told someone

THEFT OF ASSETS [I think someone was reccing the awesome HP fic by helenish

pretend dating:

different from arranged marriage. performative, reevaluation

pete/patrick accidentally come out on GMA

double performance - pretending you're not in love to the person

B99 - Amy refuses to fail at marriage

marriage of convenience vs. arranged marriage vs. accidentally married

COFFEE PRINCE

music panel:

discussed ways to get or learn about music--8tracks, spotify, fingertips mailing list, tumblr: 1 musician 1 week, local music scene, experience music project, archive.org, UC Santa Barbara cylinder project

recs: cowboy mouth in concert, laura jane grace, arcade fire, bela flectones, empires, doom tree, angel haze, lake street dive, eilean ivers, peter mulvey, MSI, william beckett

tools panel:

scrivener for writing

riversbend: using tech in unapproved ways = similar to fans' approach to canon

fans are early adopters

distance means need to communicate

fans: smart, tech savvy, sharing info

rec my fandom:
bluestone 42?
The Raven Cycle
Legends of Tomorrow
The Flash
Tales from the Borderlands
Ever After High
The Goblin Emperor
Quantico
Wentworth Miller
Billy & Billie
Steven Universe
Gravity Falls
Care and Memory by Elizabeth Bear?
Rivers of London
Killjoys tv show, not MCR album]
Critical Role
The 100 ^[32]

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