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He says he saw his mission and FanCons as one and the same: proper representation of misrepresented groups.
That quote became a flashpoint of indignation for fans of color and others.
URAEUS, who knows T-shirt material when he sees it, repurposed those words as a wearable rallying cry.
Why did you want to be involved in FanCon, initially?
We like to see ourselves represented the way we really are, which is as brilliant contributors to society.
But were not portrayed that way in popular media.
Tell me about how Wicomicon first came together.
URAEUS: It was dire straits.
Hotel rooms were canceled.
There was no reason in the world to say yes to us in such a short amount of time.
I had to borrow the space.
We had no idea if anyone would show up, of course.
We were prepared for this pop in of thing, even though we didnt know it.
Had either of you ever put on an event like this before?
AR: Id produced events all over the country, and often in convention centers.
Its a big undertaking, and the rent is only one part of the bill.
The other bills can be extraordinary.
It was a situation where we just jumped in.
How did you have the money to pull this off?
AR: We didnt.
Theres a lot of accounting that has to happen.
The organizers of FanCon emphasized how challenging putting on an event like this is.
What was it like for you?
Keith Chow, from Nerds of Color, was brought in to deal with the vendors.
I was doing graphics, packaging, the logo.
It was stressful, it was hair-pulling-out and long nights.
But everyone played their part magnificently.
It was like an orchestra.
I got back to the site and theres a line out the door and I was like, Oh!
I guess people are going to come!
We had divine providence and luck and the universe on our side.
I want to hear about your new T-shirt, URAEUS.
What inspired you to make it?
URAEUS: There was so much negativity going around aboutthat comment the nonexistent community.
And the fallout from FanCons failure was catastrophic, not just financially, but emotionally.
Because for the first time, we were going to have this celebration, and then it fell through.
So it was like,Here we go again.
That one statement cut deep, when that was the reason we were gathering in the first place.
But I saw the wordunityin there Im always looking for words within words.
And of course the wordWicomicois the Algonquin word for a place where homes are built.
It captured in one statement everything wed poured our hearts into that last week.
Thats what the T-shirt represents to me.
What is your view on the collapse of FanCon andthe founders account of what happened?
AR: Ive had many failures of events Ive worked on, many more failures than successes.
Its a hard business, and it’s crucial that you get all the details absolutely correct.
Only an amateur would say, Oh, that was easy and you messed it up.
I can afford to be objective about it because its not my dollars that got crushed in that game.
I dont know that [the organizers] are evil.
I dont know them at all.
Im just saying, I know this community.
Ive loved this community my whole life.
And I appreciate anyone trying to do anything.
If they didnt do it well, hopefully they can recover to learn those lessons.
Its tarnished that entire brand.
Now people are looking at the entire organization with suspicion.
I dont know all of these people who were involved.
Its sad because this is a time when we really need those voices, galvanized and speaking for us.
Thats the biggest loss to me.
I dont know if it will be salvaged.
I hope it can be, but the name has been sullied and its just tragic.
I believe they bumbled and mismanaged in the worst way.
I hope they can land on their feet, but I dont know.
People are angry at them, but its really hurt.
So whats next for Wicomicon?
Any plans for another event next year?
AR: We still have some accounting to do.
But we have enough time to do that well.
I feel very good about the potential for Wicomicon to fill a need.
Theres a need, and an audience that still feels marginalized.
This is not a game for amateurs.
