PANELS
On this page, you will be able to find descriptions for all the panels presented at SwampCon, as well as special panels presented by UF students and faculty as part of our Lecture Series.
Our Lecture Series panels will appear in a variety of places to accommodate the needs of our faculty, so make sure to pay extra attention to the description if you want to attend one!
SATURDAY
11:00 am
Nerd Culture Controversies | PG | 11:00am – 12:00pm | Room 2315
We will be taking a look at the controversies and offbeat histories of My Little Pony, Nintendo, the 1989 Batman soundtrack, and more. We will count down 12 controversies in a power point presentation. Along the way, we will play audience games to test your own fandom. Join us to brush up on your geek and pop culture knowledge.
12:00pm
Hype Gurl Hangout| G | 12:00pm – 1:00pm | 2330
Come rank 2023 k-pop albums with us while doing a freebie swap/giveaway! We will also be providing freebies and giving away an album will supplies last. Bring freebies (if able) and your love for k-pop with you! This event is not exclusive to women.
The Art and History of Naginata | PG-13 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm | Room 2365
Come learn about the naginata, the elegant medieval Japanese polearm that survives today as a martial art and sport practiced worldwide, and right here in Gainesville.
Cirque du Vocaloid | PG | 12:00pm – 1:30pm | Auditorium
Come one, come all to the vivacious Cirque du Vocaloid! Prepare to feast your eyes on marvelously entertaining performers coming straight from your screens into the real world for one night only. For games, prizes, and dazzling performances, join your favorite Vocaloids (and a special guest) under the big top. We hope you enjoy the show!
1:00pm
Kpop Graveyard | G | 1:00pm – 1:30pm | Room 2315
Come gossip with us about the lifespan of kpop groups from curses to contracts to military service. Honoring the disbanded groups and welcoming those just debuting.
Touhou: An Intro to Gensokyo | PG | 1:00pm – 1:30pm | 2325
Ever wanted to know more about touhou that vaugley mythical bullet hell series? Whats a danmaku? And why are those ridiculous fumo plushes getting so popular? I Dank will give you as much info as I physically can in a fun and instructional panel meant to help bewcomers get into this wonderful series of games and manga.
Power Rangers Power Hour | PG-13 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm | Room 2335
It Panel Time! CALLING ALL POWER RANGERS FANS! Join in on the fifth year of Power Hour. Once again we will be having a lot of fun with trivia, discussions, and a few games for prizes. Anyone that has attended before knows we have a blast, and if you haven’t you’re missing out.
FNAF Lore: An Introduction | PG-13 | 1:00pm – 1:30pm | 2360
Are you a certified FNAF lore expert? No? Would you like to be? Come join me as we take a journey from humble beginnings at Fredbear’s Family Diner to a futuristic Pizza plex with robots and mimics! This presentation will follow the lore of the main games chronologically, building a timeline that begins with the foundations of Henry Emily and William Afton’s partnership all the way to the most recent games, even with a bit of speculation on future events. I have a feeling you’ll love this presentation, but hey, that’s just a theory.
2:00pm
Smather’s Library Reading Room | PG-13 | 2:00pm – 2:30pm | Room 2330
Stop by our reading room to sit down, relax, and enjoy sci-fi, graphic novels, and the likes brought to you from the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida collections! Make sure to be respectfully quiet to your fellow readers when you come on over! Additionally, if you’re a UF student, you can borrow and take home any book of your choosing.
K-pop: Save one, Drop one | G | 2:00pm – 3:00pm | Room 2355
Join for a fun game of Save One, Drop One, K-pop edition! You will be presented ta small clip of two K-pop songs and you then must choose your favorite, the one you will “save”. See if you and others can rescue your favorite picks.
Sun & Moons Startastic Talent Show: Come show off your superstar? | PG | 2:00pm – 3:00pm | Room 2365
A talent show hosted by my partner and I, to come and show off different talents. Such as singing, dancing, magic tricks, etc.. an all around talent show
3:00pm
Star Wars Character Bracket | PG-13 | 3:00pm – 3:30pm | 2315
Taking a bunch of different Star Wars characters and putting them on a bracket and doing a versus until only one remains
Navigating the Kpop Stan World! | G | 3:00pm – 4:00pm | 2325
A helpful guide to kpop stans everywhere! A discussion of music, the basics and brief history to kpop, what it’s like to be a stan, concert know-how, cupsleeve events, and more! Join us for a free album raffle at the end!
Yes, Just Dance Has Lore | PG | 3:00pm – 4:00pm | Room 2335
Curious how a silly dancing party game has enough content to generate fanfiction? Want to know all the juicy details of Rasputin’s love life? Come join someone who knows way too much about this series as they present an explanation of the entire lore of the Just Dance games, from planet-hopping demigods to every Britney Spears song shoved into one person. Yes, there is lore. There is SO MUCH lore. You may even get the chance to play some Just Dance songs with your newfound knowledge!
Con-undrums: The Silly, the Strange, and the Unbelievable in Convention History | G | 3:00pm – 3:30pm | Room 2360
Diving through con history at the most absurd and worst conventions in recent history included audience interactive tier list of all the conventions.
Furries at my University??? | PG-13 | 3:00pm – 4:00pm | Lecture Hall
From foxes to dragons, these crazy creatures come in all shapes and sizes. Stop by and say hello to learn about how nerdy conventions gave rise to the Furry Fandom! Brought to you by “The Furturnity”, the unofficial organization for furries at the University of Florida!
4:00pm
Reigen Arataka presents: The World’s First-Ever Live Exorcism held at a Public University | PG-13 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Room 2320
Reigen Arataka, the greatest psychic of the 21st century, demonstrates his exorcism skills for of a participating live audience. Bring your salt.
Random Play Dance Presented by Genesis Dance Crew | G | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | 2355
Do you like k-pop? Do you like dancing? Genesis Dance Crew is excited to host their annual Random Dance Play! Come by and have a fun time dancing to your favorite songs, and meet other people who are interested in kpop!
Toon-Tussle: Animation Club’s Death-Battle! | PG | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Room 2365
Ever wondered how a battle between Kirby and Peter Griffin would go down? Carl Weezer and Jotaro? UF Animation Club lets you craft a one-of-a-kind animated death battle between your OCs/fan-faves. Simply enter your character image of choice or draw them (materials provided), and watch them duke it out with another opponent on the big screen. Join us as we host the ultimate championship to determine who is the most worthy fighter!
Project Sekai Random Dance! | 18+ | 4:30pm – 5:30pm | 2330
Do you love the hit rhythm game Project Sekai? Well join Central Florida idol group Showtime Up in this Project Sekai random dance! Get up and join and follow along with the dances on the screen or just feel free to watch!
5:00pm
Bad Fanfiction Reading (18+) | 18+ | 5:00pm – 6:00pm | Room 2360
Two dudes are hosting a reading of the most atrocious, raunchy, badly-written fan-fiction you’ve (probably) ever seen! We will select the worst of the worst fics from a curated list and have audience members act as characters while we narrate the fics, providing (hopefully) funny quips where appropriate. Think you can handle the worst the internet has to offer?
6:00pm
How to Get a Rizztraining Order | 18+ | 6:00pm – 7:00pm | 2365
Have you ever received a weird message from a stranger on the internet? Maybe an eyebrow-raising TikTok comment? Well this is the place to share it! We will be doing dramatic readings of some of the best (and worst) rizz attempts we’ve received.
Black Butler Q&A | PG-13 | 6:30pm – 8:00pm | Room 2325
Come ask questions, or even ask dares to your favorite black butler characters and even play games with them!
7:00pm
The MixFits Podcast Panel 2 | 18+ | 7:00pm – 8:00pm | Room 2360
Come and join The MixFits for our second year at SwampCon! Like last year we will be having an completely uncencored panel recording so choose your words wisely or not (because we don’t). We talk about it all from anime, movies, video games, so of you’re down come rock with The MixFits!!!
Ensemble Stars!! jeopardy!!! | PG | 7:30pm – 8:30pm | Chamber
How well do you know Ensemble Stars?! It’s time to show your knowledge on the hit rhythm game’s lore and characters! Compete to win prizes or just to learn something new! Let’s enjoy an Ensemble!!
SUNDAY
11:00am
How to Write Unforgettable Fantasy & Scifi | G | 11:00am – 12:00pm | Room 2315
Learn to write incredible stories your readers will remember for years to come
How to be Great & Powerful in Cosplay | G | 11:00am – 11:30am | Room 2335
Struggling to find confidence in your cosplay? Trying to find your victories within your contest losses? Maybe you feel your cosplay isnt good enough? No worries. In this panel, ill share my experiences that have helped me maintain my inner strength and motivations to continue my journey, and we can all work together to bring about brand new ideas and provide advice!
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the LOONAVERSE | PG | 11:00am – 12:00pm | Room 2360
The formation of LOONA stands as one of the most impressive predebut projects in K-pop. The group had an ongoing storyline known as the Loonaverse that unfolded through music videos, album descriptions, and exclusive fan gatherings. Come join if you’re interested in learning more about the story from predebut to debut to last song release.
I Adore Idol: Idols LIVE! | PG-13 | 11:00am – 12:00pm | Auditorium
Games, prizes, and live performances! See original and cosplay acts sing and dance with audience games and participation!
12:00pm
TCG Extravaganza! | G | 12:00pm – 12:30pm | Room 2320
Got trading cards but nowhere to trade? This panel is for you! Bring any trading cards from Pokemon to Magic the Gathering to even K-pop photocards and get ready to trade in a safe environment with fellow collectors.
Toploader Deco DIY Workshop | PG | 12:00pm – 1:00pm | Room 2330
Learn to decorate toploaders for your favorite photo cards! Supplies will be included but please feel free to bring your cards.
Con Nightmares | PG-13 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm | Room 2365
From DashCon to Rainfurrest 2015 – Join the UF Cosplay Club as we review and rank a history of conventions gone horrifically wrong!
1:00pm
D3KUniverse Presents: Top Ten Anime Openings Countdown | PG-13 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm | Room 2315
Join D3KUniverse for a thrilling countdown of the top ten anime openings. From timeless classics to recent hits, we’ll rank the most impactful openings in anime history. This event, open to all anime fans, promises an exciting discussion about our favorite series and their memorable beginnings. Come share your predictions, cheer for your favorites, and discover new series. Let’s see who takes the top spot at Swampcon!
Lgbtq Representation in Genshin Impact | PG-13 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm | Room 2325
Join Furina as she explores the different representation Hoyoverse sprinkles throughout Genshin Impact! From romace to gender, lets analyze the genshin lore and do a deep dive on the most obvious (and more mundane) LGBTQ+ representation!
Wheel of Teyvat | PG-13 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm | Room 2335
Come and try your luck as you compete with your favorite characters in hopes of winning faboulous prizes! Will you get to be the one to win big?
History of Fanfiction | PG-13 | 1:00pm – 1:30pm | Room 2360
From copyright concerns to shameful hobby to publicized passion, how did fanfiction develop into the medium it is today? What is the history behind this method of fan expression?
Introduction to the Furry Fandom | PG-13 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm | Auditorium
Interested in learning about the Furry Fandom? This panel will provide all of the basic information to get a glimpse into what this fandom is all about.
2:00pm
Balloon Art 101 | G | 2:00pm – 3:00pm | Room 2320
Have you ever seen a clown at a birthday or maybe even a cosplayer at a con making balloons and thought, “wow! I would love to do that!!” If so, you are fortunately in luck, as this panel will cover the basics of a few simple balloon pieces that you can use to give to your fellow cosplayers or friends! Balloons will be provided at no additional cost.
Fashion & Cosplay Swap | G | 2:00pm – 3:00pm | Room 2330
Bring your unwanted clothes and cosplays to trade and gift! All clothes and accessories must be clean and free or for trade
Improv Your Life with Cospoi | PG | 2:00pm – 3:00pm | Room 2355
As Griffin McElroy often says, play with us in this space? Join Cospoi for some theatre game fun guaranteed to IMPROV YOUR LIFE! We will do a number of interactive games that are a blast to play in or just to watch. Welcome to total newbies and experienced zip-zap-zop champions alike.
The Stories Behind Bungo Stray Dogs | G | 2:00pm – 3:00pm | Room 2365
Bungo Stray Dogs is a beloved anime by many, but did you know that the characters we adore are based on real authors? Our panel, hosted by the members of the Homeless Canines BSD cosplay group, will go into a deep dive of the authors and literature that inspired the manga and anime that holds a special place in our hearts. And stick around for the end—there’ll be a Kahoot where you can win prizes!
3:00pm
How to start Vtubing | G | 3:00pm – 4:00pm | Room 2315
Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to start vtubing? Learn from your local Vtuber on the process from start to finish!
From Screen to Strings- A Pop Culture Ukulele Experience | G | 3:00pm – 3:30pm | Room 2325
Have you ever been caught watching Steven Universe and thought “Dang I wish I knew how to play ukulele so I can try all these songs.” Or ever heard an anime OP and thought “Hmm, what would this sound like on a completely new instrument that no one would have thought of?” Well, Ukulele Club has got you covered! In this panel we’ll play a short set of songs from anime, cartoons, pop culture, and other iconic pieces of media as well as briefly talk about our experiences learning and playing the ukulele and how we mix it with our other interests. If you stick around, you may also learn how you can get involved with the club and start playing ukulele so that you too can flex your uke skills the next time your favorite OP starts playing!
Jackbox with the Stray Dogs | PG-13 | 3:00pm – 4:00pm | 2335
Have you ever wanted to play Jackbox with your favourite Bungo Stray Dogs characters? Now you can! Guests will be able to compete with members of the Armed Detective Agency and Port Mafia in exciting Jackbox competitions! Audience members will be able to participate in the games as contestants or as helpful audience members.
Pokémon Trainers Unite | G | 3:00pm – 4:00pm | Auditorium
Join PikaBelleChu as she discusses over 25 years of the Pokémon franchise, partake in trivia with prizes and everything Pokémon
4:00pm
Animania | PG-13 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Room 2320
I made a bunch of anime characters in WWE 2k22’s custom character creator. I’m going to make the computer control all of them and watch them fight. Let’s see who wins.
Eevee’s Evolution Celebration! | PG | 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Room 2330
It’s time to join the Eeveelution crew as they help Eevee decide what type she wants to become! Team up with your favorite evolution in games and trivia to help prove why your type is the best while winning adorable prizes along the way.
Swing/Line Dancing | G | 4:30pm – 6:00pm | Room 2355
I will teach the crowd various swing moves and line dances
5:00pm
GHQuest— a Gainesville Dungeons and Dragons Actual Play Podcast | PG | 5:00pm – 5:30pm | Room 2325
Talking about our favorite Actual Play shows, putting together a D&D show, equipment provided by the school
The history of nerdcore | PG-13 | 5:00pm – 5:30pm | Room 2335
Are you a fan of nerdcore? Ever wonder how DPS and Rustage got the idea to start nerdcore? Wonder how nerdcore artists have there songs in video games? Well come through the journey of nerdcore with GxG Wolf a fellow enjoyer and a musician in the space. Then after come watch him perform at (insert time of performance)
Bungo Stray Dogs Q&A | PG | 5:00pm – 6:30pm | Room 2360
Come join the members of the Port Mafia and Armed Detective Agency for some Q&A’s, games, trivia, and even some prizes.
CringeFest 2023 | PG-13 | 5:00pm – 6:30pm | Auditorium
That’s right! Cringefest is back for another year, baby! If you aren’t familiar with CringeFest, it is an event involving letting loose and being silly! Do you love song, dance, and performance but wish performance opportunities were a bit more…goofy? Well, this is the place for you! Inspired by Overseas IdolFests, CringeFest centers on idols (and non-idols!) choosing cringe/comedic songs and choreographing performance routines to them. Ever wanted to see a MineCraft Steve cosplayer dancing to YouTube MineCraft songs? What about Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie dancing to Big Time Rush songs? Us too! Join your hosts, Project MPB for another high-energy, action-packed CringeFest!
6:00pm
Shrek Wars | 18+ | 6:00pm – 7:00pm | Room 2365
I will talk about my 600 paged book Shrek Wars
7:00pm
Sex Ed Jeopardy | 18+ | 7:00pm – 8:00pm | Room 2335
Welcome to 18+ Sex Ed Jeopardy! Think you know your sex-related stuff? Come show off your knowledge in this trivia game! There will be 3 teams of 5 (chosen at random from attendants) who will compete for the ultimate prize: some silly stickers and other SwampCon merch! There will be 4 categories: STDs, Anatomy, Reproduction, and Miscellaneous. Each category will have 5 questions. Come learn and have fun!
Obligatory BL Panel | 18+ | 7:00pm – 8:00pm | Room 2360
FELLAS! I know we all love BL, but which stories stand above them all?? Stop on by my house of shame to learn all about the closet genre, and get together to decide which stories live in your head rent free, and which ones you wish didn’t! Let’s get together and see who’s baby girl is the best!
PANEL APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED
We know there is a lot of you out there who want to spread you opinions to the world at large, but unfortunately panel submissions for Swampcon 2024: Cirque de Gator have closed. Keep your ideas in your head though, because Swampcon 2025 is only a year away!