Stroker Con 2022: Day 1 Thursday

When I first got to the Curtis Hotel the lobby was packed. There wasn't really any signage to tell people where to go so I asked some people that already had their con badges where to go. They directed me to the long line for the elevators and said that check in was on the second floor. The elevators would prove to be an issue for all of the con goers because there were so few of them and they were small. Even panelists would end up being late to some panels trying to deal with the elevators. When I got there it took some more searching to find the registration. The hotel didn't really have any signs up tell you what direction what rooms were and there were no maps on the walls to help you find your way. Once I got to the room the first thing they did was verify my covid vaccination status. Upon check in people were given a small bag that had a book, a sticker, and a t-shirt and then you were told that you also got to pick out a free book off of another table. After I checked in I had to rush to my first panel (which took a lot of searching).

Panel

Afro-Surrealism in Horror (Horror University)

Description: Despite Black-centered horror going mainstream we have yet to see Afro-Surrealism incorporated widely to amplify aspects of psychological horror, weird fiction, traditional supernatural narratives, or splatter punk. This workshop will define what constitutes Afro-Surrealsim, which horror works have successfully employed it and how to incorporate Afro-Surrealsim in your writing while maintaining your own voice. Beginning, intermediate, and advanced authors can use this workshop to refine drafts or craft material for future projects.

Panelist: John Edward Lawson (Co-Founder of Raw Dog Screaming Press and writer)

Notes: Afro-Surrealism is focused on the here and now, and it can deal with transformation. There can be a hidden world that can be uncovered. Using something that isn't real to show something in the real world and using the future to tell the story of the past. Folk horror- uses folklore to instill fear into the audience. Body horror- violation of the human body. Gothic horror- mystery, generally the protagonist is in a battle against fate. Supernatural fiction: based in the ordinary with impossible elements. The series Atlanta on FX is a good example of Afro-Surrealism and season 2 has some aspects of horror. Get Out is a direct example of Afro-Surrealism in horror. Get Out also has links to African lore of colors like in how one character wears red and white. There is also interesting lore around red doors in both the US and in Africa. Another example is the use of haint blue which is used to keep away ghosts. The strength in chaos you find in the characters. There are many ways to sweep mental health under the rug to try and persevere. A lot of this is linked to African Americans not getting the mental healthcare they need. Black rage: trope?/is it rage or is it trauma/does it take advantage of the trauma/"When did our trauma become your entertainment?"/Is it trauma porn. It blends culture and horror. Many elements of horror/folklore in the US has a set of rules that they go by and they have become locked in set patterns. To re-find horror in these, people need to break the rules. Be aware of using black stereotypes like supporting roles where they are the black best friend, "the magical black," the basketball player, rap master, or the criminal. An example of racism even past death was the line "These zombies don't want to bite us cause we're black." 

Overall Impressions: This panel got off to a very slow start which in part could be due to how much Lawson relied on his notes to speak. The panel didn't get good until the audience started interacting with him and each other. It was actually in the conversation where most of the information came out. Lawson seemed really nervous speaking in front of the group and it seemed to take a load off him when the audience started to engage with itself. Even with that this panel seemed to drag for most of its two hour time. Some parts of the conversation also took a deep dive into film terms and this may have been hard for someone from the general population to follow. Luckily I've had at least some classes on film so I could at least follow most of what they were saying, but I found myself getting bored a lot. Overall, I did walk away from this panel with some new information, so I think I could say it was a win in that respect. I do feel at the same time it could have been structured better.

After the above panel I decided to call it a day since I had to get back to them early in the morning.

Picture 1 From: Stroker Con emails to attendees. 

Picture 2 From: Taken by Geeked Colorado.