Q: What is Death Equinox?
A: Death Equinox is, simply, a convention. It is also one that we hope
won't be as institutionally dry as the standard industry conventions. Is it
an industry convention? Yes. Professional net-working can be done as
usual, we simply prefer to throw in some entertainment and brain food
amidst the usual sitting-in-the-bar-getting-drunk-and-schmoozing that
we've all been partaking in for far too long.
Q: Whence came the name?
A: Death Equinox is a celebration of the cycles of life, and of the
purification of the death cycles. At this time of year the leaves drop from
the trees to become nutrients in the ground and offer space for the fresh
beauty of new leaves in the spring (the Birth Equinox). For many people
this is considered to be a depressing time. Break out of hibernation,
shake the depression, and join in for the festivities that celebrate that
continuum of cycles. Death Equinox takes esoteric and psychological
trance-steps into focusing on the myriad aspects of life and death. Our
fears, hopes, crutches, the ways we soothe the unknown and painful with
creations in the arts. Transition, though hurtful and confusing, is ever
necessary for the cycles of life and begs to be given meaning.
Q: Which genres does this convention focus on?
A: As the name would imply, the main focus is on the darker and more
thought-provocative side of the industry. Horror, non-standard Science
Fiction, Avant-Pop, Noir, Cyber Punk, Gothic, experimental. Bizarre
technology, dark philosophy, human weakness and endurance. The
functions likely won't appeal to the squeamish. And, while we might
be able to give basic genre examples, don't expect too much pigeon-holing
at the convention.
Q: Can non-professionals attend?
A: Of course. Every artist needs someone to share their art with. Creation
is nothing without being experienced. Fans can attend to see and hear
their preferred authors do readings or get involved in panels. They can go
to other panels, workshops, and demonstrations, to see how exactly it is
that we accomplish writing, editing, publishing, creating film, etc. Who
knows, maybe you'll decide to join in with your own creations. You can
sit alongside the "professionals" (harrumph, I've always said that the
main difference between industry conventions and fan conventions is
that, at fan cons, you see people attending panels and partaking in
activities. At the more "professional" ones, you see the editors,
publishers, and novelists, holed up in a bar with cartons of cigarettes and
sky high bar tabs. And don't even call me professional at these things
until you find out exactly why I always seem to be wrestling my way out
of tower windows or rolling across a bar table doing obscene things to
the salt and pepper shakers) as they watch the bands play, get... er...
inspired creatively by the fetish and bizarre gadget demonstrations, or
catch a few films in the video room. You can also browse the dealers'
room for hard-to-find goodies to purchase, or pull the pretentious critic
routine in the art room. And, of course, the programming is so varied
that if you happen to know a lot about drugs, alien abductions, or
ritualistic sex practices you're every bit as qualified for programming
as that novelist over there.
Q: How can I become involved with programming at this
convention?
A: Multiple tracks of programming run simultaneously so the ways
to become involved are many. Fiction authors and "journalists" may want
to do readings or join in on workshops. Musicians can check into performing
live. Film-makers and animators can show their work, and join demonstrations,
in the video room. The panels aren't only for editors, publishers, writers,
musicians, artists, and label owners. Other people who can be
included on relevant panels are gurus of spiritual or drug natures, techo-
geeks, complex fetishists, and even "experts" in the theories of the
paranormal and dark psychology. There are multi-media exhibits to get
involved in, mad scientist events, and even features for people who build
and/or play theremins. If you think you have any qualifications for
programming, simply check off the appropriate sections on your
registration form, list your related activities and knowledge, note that you
wish to be involved in programming, and send your membership in. If
your specialties aren't already known by the staff you will be contacted
for follow-up and programming inclusion.
Q: Why should I attend Death Equinox?
A: That would really depend on who you are, and where your interests
lie. Here are a few of the specialized reasons:
1. Net-working: Net-working is crucial to anyone who works in
the industries, and often the best way to do that is at conventions. Writers
search for editors, publishers, and agents, to schmooze. Musicians seek
labels and distributors. Magazines seek contributors. Mad scientists seek
people to set their impressive new critters and gadgets after. Everyone
seeks more people to show off their work to.
2. Entertainment: This is about as packed with entertainment as
you can get for a 4 day weekend. Once you are in the door you get to choose
between readings, panels, movies, live music, workshops, esoterra, erotica,
tles, or even just the general BSing with other attendees.
3. Information: This takes multiple tracks as well. You can find
out about arts projects that might have previously escaped your attention.
You can actually see the small press and independent goodies that tend to
hide. You can learn about everything that goes into working in the
various involved industries (including learning how to build strange
gadgets and robots). You will also be able to glean a variety of
information about politics, psychology, philosophy, the paranormal, etc,
from the wide range of planned panels.
Q: How can you put so much focus on psychology, technology, and
spiritualism, when this is actually an arts convention?
A: These are the initial ingredients of art. Throughout history, art forms
have been used for psychological and religious reasons. Gods were
danced to for hunts and harvests, comedies and tragedies were played out
as a form of catharsis. In modern times, people often purge their fears
and sorrows through their art. That can come in the form of bleakly
emotional music, fiction with political/societal forbodings of the future,
or even just straight-forward ranting. A lot of music is done in styles that
evoke the old feelings of an equinox, or with lyrics that summon the
aligned powers of the performers. Many writers cope with their own
horrors and traumas by purging them through their stories. Gonzo
journalists throw themselves into any news story (be it war in other
countries or slights in the art industries) so they can experience it first-
hand and give a personal recounting. To look at art without examining
its reasons for existing is to label it as hollow commodity. The in-depth
focus of Death Equinox lets the creators expose their reasons for their
involvements in the arts. It only makes sense to take things one step
further and actually explain what these things are while we are purging
our souls about them. The exploration of the creating psyche can entail
personal religion and paranormal belief systems, psycho-sexual trauma,
the drugs that created you, your deepest fears for the future, your feelings
of persecution and belief in conspiracy, etc. Technology, though often
over-looked, is another legitimate art form. It takes a great deal of
creativity to sculpt, and give life to, mechanical devices. Science fiction
has been giving the most credence to technology as art (or at least some
areas of the genre have been), though horror sometimes melds into that
general direction as well. Even if you don't have any excrutiatingly dark
aspects to your psyche, hopefully you at least have some more interesting
reasons than makin' bucks and scorin' chicks behind your creative
endeavors and can share them at the convergence.
Back to the Death Equinox Gritty Details index.