Press Release: Intervention '11

Hi, everybody. I received the following press release last week about Intervention, an internet culture convention, and it looked like an interesting con. I'm a big fan of the internet, not just for webcomics but for all sorts of information and cool things, and the guest list for Intervention includes such awesome online cartooning humans as Dave Reddick, Steve Napierski, T. Campbell, and Chris Flick. The con's September 16-18, in Rockville, MD, so if you're around the area, you may want to check it out!

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Press Release:
INTERVENTION CONVENTION BRINGS CYBER-LIFE TO REAL LIFE

Event brings creators and fans together for weekend of learning and fun

ROCKVILLE, MD: Intervention, taking place at the Hilton Washington DC/Rockville in Rockville, MD, from September 16-18, 2011, is an indie creator and geek culture convention for the Internet generation. One part conference, one part fandom event, Intervention aims to provide both creators and fans a venue to learn, appreciate, and celebrate the opportunities technology provides.

“James [Harknell] and I wanted to put together an event that would complement the existing print-centric conventions – we wanted to showcase the creators who use the Internet as their primary publishing method,” says convention founder Onezumi Hartstein. “I went to conventions for years to promote my webcomic, and was always treated well, but felt that web creators needed their own space. We’re giving them that with Intervention.” After a very successful first run in 2010, this year will mark Hartstein's second time organizing the event.

Over thirty guests are currently scheduled to attend, bringing three days of panels and educational workshops. Fans of all stripes are also encouraged to submit their own cutting-edge programming, showcase their own works, and schedule their own meetups at the event. A special track of children's programming will be overseen by Matt Blum, managing editor of the GeekDad blog on Wired.com.

Sponsored by Think Geek (www.thinkgeek.com), Wacom (www.wacom.com), Foam Brain Games (www.foambrain.com), Smith Micro (www.smithmicro.com), 4Imprint (www.4imprint.com), Squishable (www.squishable.com), Toy Vault (www.toyvault.com), LH Productions (www.lighthouseprod.com), and Bawls Guarana (http://www.bawls.com) the convention will also feature video and board gaming, an extensive Artist Alley, live action roleplay (LARP), musical performances, a Steampunk-themed dance, and plenty of giveaways. A charity auction will benefit the Electronic Frontier Foundation (www.eff.org), a civil liberties group that aims to defend freedom on the Internet.

Tickets for Intervention can be bought at http://www.interventioncon.com for $40 for the full weekend (through August 31, 2011). Tickets bought at the door will cost $45, with single-day rates available. More information about guests and events can be found at http://www.interventioncon.com.