Thursday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: STOP THE BLEED (INSTRUCTOR LED)
Our certified Stop the Bleed instructor will help you recognize life-threatening blood loss & intervene effectively, giving you the skills to become empowered to make a life-or-death difference in an emergency. Be ready to save a person until professional help arrives.
PANELISTS: Jonathan Sarge (M), Paige Wolf
Friday 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: SNOWPIERCER: FAN DISCUSSION PANEL
Our panelists will lead a discussion on the Eternal Engine itself. Topics will include the train’s delicate ecosystem, political structure, & power plays, not to mention whether or not it exists in the same universe as the movie.
PANELISTS: Betsy Matteis (M), Deborah Ulmer, Jonathan Sarge, George Cavender
Friday 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: BUGGING IN 201: RIDING OUT THE DISASTER
2020 raised awareness for short-term prepping and ‘bugging in.’ Whether you can’t leave during a disaster or just decide to stay put, our experts will help with planning, advice, resupplying, & avoiding common mistakes without breaking the bank. Prep is no longer a four-letter word.
PANELISTS: Jonathan Sarge (M), Hawkings Austin, Griffin Barber, Dr. Stephanie Thompson, M.D.
Friday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: APOCALYPSES IN DISGUISE
From Supernatural to The Umbrella Academy, our panelists will discuss the trope of using other genres to tell an apocalyptic story. Is it just a convenient plot device, or are there benefits to this style of apocalyptic storytelling?
PANELISTS: Steve Denham (M), Morgan A. McLaughlin McFarland, Wayland Smith, Melanie Waddell
Friday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: DIGITAL APOCALYPSE & 21ST-CENTURY THREATS
Will AI become our greatest asset or birth of Skynet? What is behind the rise in ransomware & cybercrime? What are the threats from government sponsored hacking vs. criminal organizations? Join our cyber warfare & security experts to discuss the challenges & threats from emerging technology.
PANELISTS: Jeff Lee Hubbs (M), Nick Eftimiades, Douglas Burbey, Katla Feilan
Friday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: LOL: HUMOR IN APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE
They say laughter cures all, but does that include the end of the world? Our panel of authors discuss the use of humor in apocalyptic storytelling. What role does it play in these types of stories, & is it always appropriate?
PANELISTS: Steve Denham (M), Garon Whited, Benjamin Wallace
Saturday 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: PANDEMIC?! WE WANTED ZOMBIES, NOT FACE MASKS!
What potential threats endanger humanity? We’ll discuss our favorite real & movie disasters to learn what to fear & how to adjust our survival plans. Meteors, volcanos, plagues, aliens, war, famine, climate change, CRISPER, polarity flip…or will we finally get zombies?
PANELISTS: Jonathan Sarge (M), George A. Cavender, Dorothy Lowry, Paige Wolf
Saturday 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: HAMPOCALYPSE: RADIO COMMUNICATIONS AFTER THE APOCALYPSE
The apocalypse happened. Electronic comms no longer work: no power, cell service, internet, or TV. You need to communicate with family, friends, resource providers, etc. This panel discusses planning for communications after a disaster. The focus is on Ham Radio & its applications in this scenario.
PANELISTS: Jonathan Sarge (M), Donnie Weston, Joe Domaleski
Saturday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: THE WORLD OF THE WALKING DEAD: FAN DISCUSSION PANEL
The comic so riveting that it spawned a TV show, & a TV show that was so successful it led not one, but TWO spin-off shows. Our panelist-led discussion will look at the beginning, the end, & everything in between for all The Walking Dead properties.
PANELISTS: Deborah Ulmer (M), Jacque-Corey Cormier, Wayland Smith, Bekah Starshine
Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (AND I FEEL FINE)…
The audience shares their favorite apocalyptic scenarios: Zombies? Plague? Aliens? Volcanoes? Mega-Streisand? Giant Meteor of Death? Then our panel of apocalyptic experts will craft a story of what it would be like & the aftermath.
PANELISTS: Robert E. Hampson (M), Mike Massa, Douglas Burbey, Marisa Wolf
Saturday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: PSYCHOLOGY OF A PANDEMIC
Unprecedented in modern times, COVID-19 has taken its toll. Masks, isolation, quarantine…no two experiences were the same, though we were all impacted. Our expert panelists will discuss how the past year & a half affected us both as individuals & a community.
PANELISTS: Paige Wolf (M), Birma Gainor, Allison Rentz, Jacque-Corey Cormier, Runa Saha:
Saturday 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM: ALIENS VS ZOMBIES: THE RETURN
They’re back! Our hilarious panelists from last year’s hit virtual panel return for another round of that most ancient of debates, Aliens vs. Zombies. Our panelists will be given a randomly generated apocalyptic scenario, put their fighting gloves on, & debate who would be victorious.
PANELISTS: Jonathan Sarge (M), Jeff Burns, Alison Sky Richards, Christopher Woods, Marisa Wolf
Sunday 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: HOMESTEADING: A GUIDE TO SUSTAINABILITY AT HOME
Learn how to homestead in contemporary society, leveraging the best from the past combined with modern conveniences. We’ll cover the basics of food, water, & self-sufficiency. Homesteading brings back the skills & stability to live a balanced & independent life during uncertain times.
PANELISTS: Paige Wolf (M), Michelle Dean, Diane May, George Cavendar
Sunday 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: SWEET TOOTH: FAN DISCUSSION PANEL
A boy with antlers…what kind of apocalypse is this?! Panelists lead a fan discussion as they dive into this unique take on the apocalypse, looking at such themes as nature vs. science, family, & the effect of a storybook setting on an apocalyptic story.
PANELISTS: Jeff Burns (M), Bekah Starshine, Jonathan Sarge, Deborah Ulmer
Sunday 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: UTOPIAS: FACT OR FICTION
Do utopias–perfect imagined worlds–exist in literature, or are they all just dystopias in disguise? Authors discuss this idea, along with the common themes & characteristics associated with utopian/dystopian fiction.
PANELISTS: Steve Denham (M), Marina Fontaine, Mark H. Wandrey
Sunday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: TACTICAL FIRST AID AND TRAUMA RESPONSE
Paramedics & nurses who handle emergencies under the worst scenarios discuss such topics as stabilizing wounded in an active situation, triage after a disaster, treating trauma injuries, stopping blood loss, personal med kits, & alternative treatments when there are no doctors.
PANELISTS: Paige Wolf (M), Rob Royl, Dr. Stephanie Thompson
Sunday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: SNAP BACK: RESTORING HUMANITY FIVE YEARS AFTER THE RETURN
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed how societies were coping with the return of 50% of the population after the reverse SNAP. We’ll examine the impact of a population doubling & the challenges it would create. Would we be able to feed that many people? Who is that in my house?
PANELISTS: Robert E. Hampson (M), Hawkings Austin, Alan Ledford:
Sunday 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM: THE HANDMAID’S TALE: FAN DISCUSSION PANEL
A story that is as relevant now as the day it was written. We discuss the timely themes of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novels & Offred’s evolving journey in both the books & TV show. WARNING: this story doesn’t shy away from difficult, often uncomfortable topics, & neither do we.
PANELISTS: Brandy Blanton (M), Allison Rentz, Morgan A. McLaughlin McFarland, Kaelyn Ireland, Ria Drane
Monday 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE: WHAT SHOULD YOU BE READING?
Calling all bibliophiles! From the obscure to the well known, we’ll discuss the great works of apocalyptic literature & whether there are even better stories out there to be discovered. Bring your list of top three apocalyptic works of all time to share & discuss.
PANELISTS: Michael Frost (M), Marina Fontaine, Benjamin Wallace
Monday 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: FOR SURVIVAL: OPEN JAM
So many great panels, but you still have questions? We’ll provide a diverse panel for this anything goes Q&A session on survival, prepping, defense, good food, & zombies.
PANELISTS: Jonathan Sarge (M), Mike Massa, Griffin Barber, Jim Houston
