InConJunction XLV Programming
We are incredibly excited to announce this year’s programming. We hope to see you all on July 10th! If you have any questions or concerns please email our programming team at programming@inconjunction.org. Thank you!
InConJunction 45 2026 Program Book
Programming Schedule
Programming Schedule Listing
The Actual, Semi-True Adventures of Mark and Dee From Bullying to Love Story
A look at Mark C. Dooley’s MARK AND DEE comic book series and online comic strip, telling the story of his nerdy childhood and eventually meeting his future wife at a very young age. The series also involves their contemporary tales with their good friends at the fabulous Comic Cave comics store.
Friday, 5pm-6pm
Main Programming
AI vs. Human Creators: An Honest Discussion
While AI (or computer-generated) content is being pushed by the businesses that claim to have such software, many creators are worried about their work being stolen or even losing their income and livelihoods. With the ease of self-publishing in many media forms, it is already difficult to find your audience, so AI slop works that can be manufactured much faster could create an avalanche that buries human made work even deeper. None of that matters if the consumers as readers, listeners and watchers only care about cheap entertainment. Let’s have an honest about the fears and hopes that AI content stirs up for all of us folks wanting to be entertained and those who have performed in some fashion.
Friday, 8pm-9pm
Programming Three
Are You Ready for the Academy?
Our panelists will discuss Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Join the discussion and bring your opinions.
Friday, 5pm-6pm
Secondary Programming
Behaving Badly: Art and Ethics
Can we still enjoy the art of problematic people? Our panelists discuss authors, filmmakers, actors and more who have damaged their reputations by acting unethically.
Saturday, 1pm-2pm
Programming Three
Benefits of Our Hobbies to Our Mental Health
In this forum we will be discussing the benefits that our hobbies – gaming, reading, etc. – have on our mental health. We will look at studies that have been done as well individual statements from those affected.
Friday, 8pm-9pm
Secondary Programming
The Best Book I Read Since the Last InConJunction
Join our panel of avid readers as they share the best books they’ve read in the past year. We’ll discuss why a new book caught our attention, how we found an older treasure and why we’ve revisited a book that still stands out from the crowd. Attendees will get a list of these recommended books.
Saturday, 4pm-5pm
Secondary Programming
A Brief History of Saturday Morning Cartoons
Explore the origins of the legendary Saturday morning programming slot, why it existed in the first place and how it evolved over the decades. We will track the rise of the weekend morning block and discuss the end of an era: the final days of the “Big Three” network Saturday morning cartoons. Whether you are here for the nostalgia or the broadcast history, you will leave with a new appreciation for the shows that defined our weekends.
Saturday, 11am-11:45am
Secondary Programming
Building Bridges
In an increasingly divided world, how can we build bridges between groups that may fear or mistrust one another, not necessarily to find agreement, but to build understanding and community?
Sunday, 1pm-2pm
Main Programming
Caricature Drawing
Demonstrating and discussing the basics of caricature drawing.
Saturday, 7pm-8pm
Secondary Programming
Charity Auction
Come support STEM for kids!
Saturday, 2:30pm
Main Programming
Closing Ceremonies
Say goodbye to the guests and all your new friends. And hear the latest exciting news about InCon 2027!
Sunday, 3pm-4pm
Main Programming
Collaborations
Creatives talk about how their collaborative processes have worked on past and present projects, writers with artists and other writers, etc.
Friday, 6pm-7pm
Secondary Programming
Communal Crafting
This is a meetup event for anyone to bring a craft in progress and chat with other makers.
Sunday, 1pm-2pm
Programming Three
Concert: Hazardous Curriculum
Friday, 9pm-10pm
Main Programming
Corporate Control over Creative Content
Around the USA, local, state and even the federal government are constantly trying to balance the protection of our freedoms with that of the most vulnerable among us. When we worry about government overreach, we take our concerns to the courts and the ballot boxes. There is a bigger threat to creatives now, in the form of payment processors, that consumers may not realize. When big credit card brands dictate what types of content them will process payment for, content platforms often just cave and kick such creators offline. This makes it more and more difficult for you to find what you want and for artists and performers to make enough of a living to continue sharing their work. Our panelists will discuss how such corporate control is harming them and others. Let’s generate ideas of how we can fight back.
Saturday, 5pm-6pm
Programming Three
Cosplay Contest
Fun for prizes!
Saturday, 5pm-6pm
Main Programming
DancePunk
Saturday, 10:30pm
Dress up or dress down, and join us for a dance party hosted by DJ Kenneth Hackler and The Music Machine!
Main Programming
DC/Marvel Films & TV
Discussions on DC and Marvel films and television shows.
Friday, 4pm-5pm
Programming Three
Discord and Dragons
For better or worse, online tabletop gaming has exploded in popularity. How does it compare to gaming in person, and how exactly does someone find a TTRPG group online?
Saturday, 4pm-5pm
Programming Three
DnD and Beyond
What are the newest TTRPG systems, and how do they differ from the DnD people are familiar with? Our panelists discuss their favorite ways to play pretend with their friends.
Saturday, 6pm-7pm
Programming Three
Do I Feel Lucky, Punk?
In honor of InConJunction 45’s theme, our panelists discuss the various “punk” genres, what it means to rebel, and what makes hopepunk unique among myriad neighboring concepts.
Friday, 3pm-4pm
Main Programming
Dystopias: Blueprint for the Future or Warning?
Dystopian works of fiction have been around for centuries but became particularly popular after WWII. Let’s discuss why and how some of these visions have turned from warnings about our current world and the future into fantasies some would love to make reality. If you have a couple of specific works, please bring that information to aid our discussion.
Saturday, 10am-11am
Writer’s Symposium
Elements of Fiction Writing
The basic elements necessary to write works of fiction across any genre.
Saturday, 5pm-6pm
Writer’s Symposium
Enjoying Dystopias During Dark Times
Dystopian stories in media have been big business for decades. Yet many of us feel like we are living in dark political, social and economic times in 2026. Why do we still love visiting the more dismal side of fantasy, science fiction and horror in times like this? Panelists will begin our discussion, but audience members are encouraged to join in.
Sunday, 11am-12pm
Writer’s Symposium
Everybody Loves Pirates, But Why?
From Long John Silver to Jack Sparrow, it seems like we love pirates. But why, and why should or shouldn’t we?
Friday, 3pm-4pm
Secondary Programming
Experience Necessary: Mature Main Characters
From Old Man Logan to Geralt of Rivia to President Laura Roslin, these protagonists fall above the average age of their respective industry’s standard. Join our panelists in discussing the themes and perspective of their favorite mature characters across media.
Friday, 5pm-6pm
Writer’s Symposium
Fandom Knitting or Crochet
This is a meetup group for our friendly convention “hookers” to get together and talk about yarnwork in fandom.
Saturday, 11am-12pm
Programming Three
A Fan Q&A with Media Guest of Honor Samantha Newark
Saturday, 11am-12pm
Main Programming
Frankenstein’s Alive! (Still!)
Over 200 years after the book’s initial publication, we’re still talking about Frankenstein’s monster. Why? Our panelists will attempt to answer that. They will also discuss the best and worst interpretations of the story.
Friday, 4pm-5pm
Main Programming
Games Writer’s Play
This workshop will introduce several games you can play to find your muse and click an idea. We’ll look at the Rainbow Quill Tarot Deck, the Writer’s Emergency Pack, Delve and others. Feel free to bring your favorite writing aid.
Friday, 3pm-4pm
Writer’s Symposium
Give and Take: The Art of the Review
Our panelists discuss the difference between pointless criticism and helpful critique. How do you give useful feedback, and how do you accept input with grace?
Friday, 5pm-6pm
Programming Three
Good and Scared
Horror is having a heydey in all forms of media: fiction, film, video games and more. Our panelists discuss the appeal of scary stories of all forms and why people love being frightened.
Saturday, 2pm-3pm
Secondary Programming
Gnome Blessings Hosted by the Indy GermanFest Gnome
Sunday, 11am-12pm
Programming Three
How Much is Too Much?
Writers are frequently told to show and not tell, but how do you know when description is too much? How to you avoid “purple” (ornate, flowery, overwhelming) prose?
Sunday, 1pm-2pm
Writer’s Symposium
InCon 45’s Kick-Off Concert with Musical Guest of Honor Mikey Mason
Friday, 8pm-9pm
Main Programming
Indie Author Publishing Tools
Authors learn about free or mostly-free tools to help sell their work such as BookFunnel, Draft2Digital and more.
Saturday, 6pm-7pm
Writer’s Symposium
Kid’s Story Time with the Authors
Authors will read from their children’s books.
Saturday, 10am-11am
Secondary Programming
Live-Action Comics Adaptations on the Small Screen
Our panelists discuss the relaunched Daredevil: Born Again, Wonderman and Spider-Noir series. The audience is encouraged to participate in the discussion.
Friday, 3pm-4pm
Programming Three
Live Drawing with Cosplay Models
Bring your art supplies! Cosplayers will pose for us to sketch.
Saturday, 6pm-7pm
Secondary Programming
Live Reading with Author Guest of Honor Matthew Barron
Saturday, 1pm-2pm
Secondary Programming
Local Writing Resources
Everywhere has resources for writers, but nobody knows all of them. Bring suggestions for your favorite library events, indie bookstore discussion groups, adult education, etc., and share with your friends.
Saturday, 11am-12pm
Writer’s Symposium
Make-and-Take: Kalimba!: Assemble and Decorate Your Own Musical Instrument
Sunday, 11am-2pm
Secondary Programming
The Marketing and Mayhem Machine: Surviving Generative AI
As we inch closer to a Dead Internet Dystopia, we are seeing a significant shift in content and engagement within social media, news, search engines and even our personal devices. As we’re flooded with AI-generated content, the irony is that most people don’t completely understand what generative AI is … and what it isn’t. We talk through how exactly programs like ChatGPT, Midjourney and DeepSeek create data, how we can learn to spot it and safeguards to protect us from bad players.
Note: This will not be a discussion on how to use generative AI or a debate on its ethics. We will solely be focusing on understanding what it is, where it exists, how to identify it and how to keep ourselves safe.
Friday, 6pm-7pm
Secondary Programming
Master of Task: A Participatory and Potentially Humiliating Team Competition
Teams compete against each other in absurd tasks. Heckling is encouraged. Fun is had.
Saturday, 12pm-2pm
Main Programming
Mental Health and Creatives
Creatives will discuss how their mental health influences their work, how their work influences their mental health, and techniques they use to maintain sanity doing nontraditional work in an insane world.
Friday, 4pm-5pm
Secondary Programming
Midwestern Hemisphere: A Suburban Metaphysical Comedy
Sunday, 11am-1pm
Main Programming
Music in SF/Fantasy, and SF/Fantasy in Music
Fantasy and science fiction films often feature memorable music, and sometimes SF and fantasy have inspired music. And sometimes it goes the other way, with works that are themselves about music. Let’s talk about these connections and some of our, and your, favorite music from, about or inspiring your favorite stories.
Saturday, 7pm-8pm
Programming Three
Non-Denominational Chapel Service
Sunday, 10am-11am
Programming Three
Nurturing Mental Wellness
In this panel, panelists will discuss ways of dealing with mental illnesses while attending conventions. The audience is encouraged to bring questions and ideas for ways they cope to add to the discussion.
Saturday, 10am-11am
Programming Three
Opening Ceremonies
Friday, 7pm-8pm
Meet the guests! Feel the energy! Get punky!
Main Programming
The Original Highlander Movie Turns 40
We will discuss the original Highlander movie released in 1986, what made it unique and what we hope to see in the upcoming reboot.
Sunday, 2pm-3pm
Programming Three
Pagan Service
Sunday, 12pm-1pm
Programming Three
Playing Music Despite Physical Disabilities
Sunday, 10am-11am
Main Programming
Rap with the Con Chair/Meet the Circle of Janus
Come meet the band of friendly geeks that puts on InConJunction each year, and find out how you can become one of us.
Sunday, 2pm-3pm
Main Programming
Readings After Dark
18+ only author readings. Trigger warnings will be provided ahead of readings.
Friday, 8pm-10pm
Writer’s Symposium
Realistic Combat and Writing
A martial artist discusses close-quarters combat
Saturday, 2pm-3pm
Writer’s Symposium
Ready, Set, Write! After Dark
Our panelists write flash fiction using suggestions from the audience in a three-round elimination competition. 18+ attendance only.
Saturday, 8pm-9pm
Secondary Programming
Repeating History and Rewriting It
Whether you’re writing a story set in the past or an alternative history, research is an important part of your writing journey. But how do you find reliable resources that won’t put you to sleep when you’re looking for writing fuel? Our panelists discuss researching as a writer.
Friday, 6pm-7pm
Writer’s Symposium
The Return of Lou Harry’s Pub Trivia
Saturday, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Main Programming
The Rise of the Co-Op Game
Our panelists discuss the rising popularity of cooperative gaming in video games and boardgames. Why are people moving toward collaborative games, and which are our favorites?
Saturday, 3pm-4pm
Programming Three
Rocky Horror Picture Show with DarkSide
Friday, 11:30pm
Main Programming
Rolling Up Aliens with Dead Fish Books
Want to create some truly weird aliens? Then join us with our worldbuilding high-audience participation game of Rolling Up Aliens, where we let random numbers and our own imagination create something truly alien.
Friday, 2pm-3pm
Programming Three
Saturday Night Open Mic Readings
Saturday, 8pm-9:30pm
Writer’s Symposium
Jeff Couch, quillnib@gmail.com
Self-Publishing 101
A workshop on the basics of self-publishing.
Saturday, 12pm-1pm
Writer’s Symposium
Setting Office Hours For Your Muse
Whether you are a working professional facing a hard deadline or a hobbyist trying to finally finish a passion project, relying entirely on a fickle muse won’t get the work done. Drawing on the real-world experience writing and releasing over 60 songs a year for an ongoing weekly deadline, Mikey Mason tackles the reality of the creative process. He will focus on discipline and craft, discussing practical ways to manufacture inspiration, stay consistently creative on a schedule and finally put your muse on the clock.
Friday, 6pm-7pm
Main Programming
Should Old Pulp Characters Be Updated for the Modern World?
Modern action, mystery and sci-fi characters are inspired or influenced by old pulp characters from the ‘30s and ‘40s. But attempts to bring those original pulp characters to the modern age are controversial. Sliding out of the shadows in a fedora and calling for help on your transistor radio wristwatch is less fun in a world with cellphones and cameras on every corner. Will these characters be forgotten? Should we keep them as period pieces, or can they be brought into the modern age?
Saturday, 3pm-4pm
Secondary Programming
Social Media for Writers
Get tips and advice from our panelists on how to navigate Intagram, TikTok, YouTube and more to boost your author profile.
Saturday, 1pm-2pm
Writer’s Symposium
Speed Friending
An easy way for people to come together and meet each other. Gather around, read a few questions off cue cards, start conversations and hopefully make new con friends!
Saturday, 12pm-1pm
Secondary Programming
Spirited Away, 25 Years Later
This Studio Ghibli classic is turning 25 this year. Join us as we discuss why we still love this animated fantasy.
Sunday, 2pm-3pm
Secondary Programming
Star Trek, Star Wars and Beyond
A discussion of Star Trek, Star Wars and other science-fiction films and TV shows.
Saturday, 2pm-3pm
Programming Three
Structure in Storytelling
What do you think of when you hear about story structure? Almost everyone thinks of plot points and formulas like The Hero’s Journey or Save the Cat. What if I were to say there is more to it than just what beat you hit at a certain spot in your story? We will look at what other elements the writer can use to help structure their story beyond just a set of prescribed milestones. Join me as we discuss Structure in Storytelling – the writer’s secret superpower.
Sunday, 12pm-1pm
Writer’s Symposium
Sunday Afternoon Filk
Sunday, 3pm-4pm
Secondary Programming
Swords, Droids and Rock’n’Roll
Aside from filk, parody and fandom bands, let’s look at sci-fi and fantasy in mainstream pop and rock, from Led Zeppelin, Rush and David Bowie, up to more recent odes to superheroes and vampires. More artists qualify for this list than you may realize.
Saturday, 12pm-1pm
Programming Three
Time Travel Tourist Challenge: The Return
Join us for this fun, interactive panel where our panelists will draw random times and places throughout history and discuss who would survive, who would thrive and who would die before the opening credits.
Saturday, 5pm-6pm
Secondary Programming
The Tropes That Shape Us
Pattern recognition is a phrase we hear a lot in this day and age, inthe bookish community especially. In books these patterns, or “tropes,” are a Big Deal™ when it comes to what we love and hate. Though tropes like grumpy vs sunshine, meet-cringe and frenemies are a more modern description, they are as much the bones of story as the classic Hero’s Journey and three-act story structure. We will have a discussion on what these archetypes mean for us as authors and readers. Tropes can be used to create an atmosphere of comfort and predictability, or subverted to confront and challenge the status quo. They can help us identify patterns in life via identifying them through story, or help us break from ones that no longer serve us or our community.
Saturday, 4pm-5pm
Writer’s Symposium
Under the Umbrella: Inclusivity in the Cosplay Community
Open discussion with the audience about how open and inclusive our community is, but also where we can improve. And how do we continue to promote the best of what our community is?
Saturday, 10am-11am
Main Programming
Using TTRPG Techniques to Write a Novel
Saturday, 3pm-4pm
Writer’s Symposium
Weird Science
Saturday, 8:30pm-10pm
Main Programming
What is “American” Speculative Fiction?
Just last weekend, the USA celebrated the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence. We often hear about how “unique” the “American” culture is, but are there specific features of speculative fiction that really are only from the USA, or is that mere hyperbole?
Friday, 4pm-5pm
Writer’s Symposium
What’s Going On at the Movies?
Recently, we’ve seen Supergirl and The Mandalorian and Grogu appear onscreen, and we’ve got Avengers: Doomsday to look forward to. So, what are our impressions and what are your expectations?
Friday, 2pm-3pm
Secondary Programming
Writing as Resistance
How do authors use creativity to resist, rebel and fight oppression?
Sunday, 10am-11am
Writer’s Symposium
