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Queer Fear Panel Returns to San Diego Comic Con with Some Familiar Faces.

Michael Varrati is always werking…

Prism Comics is proud to announce the return of the “Queer Fear” panel at this year’s annual San Diego Comic Con International. Hosted and curated by screenwriter and personality Michael Varrati (Tales of Poe, the forthcoming Dead for Filth), the Queer Fear event has become a must-stop destination during SDCC for those looking to add a little insightful fright to their weekend’s programming.

The panel, which has previously hosted such guests as Hannibal‘s Bryan Fuller, Final Destination creator Jeffrey Reddick, and American Psycho screenwriter Guinevere Turner,  has continually sought to address the relation/attraction of genre materials to LGBTQ+ audiences.

“There’s no end to the discussion,” Varrati says. “Though there may be common threads in our stories, what drew each of us to horror is different. I think when you exist in the world of the outsider, there’s catharsis in seeing otherness represented. There’s a comfort in the fantastic. It’s inspiring to hear the stories of some of our greatest creators and how they relate to this genre we all love.”

This years panel boasts an array of notable guests ready to tackle the topic, including best-selling novelist Christopher Rice, filmmakers Gary and Edmund Entin (Seconds Apart, The GLAAD award-winning Geography Club)Paranormal Activity actor Maria Olsen, Shock Attack filmmaker Jaclyn Chessen, Bear Creek filmmaker George Aaron Climer, and pop culture sensation Ira Madison (The Daily Beast, formerly MTV News).

“I can’t wait for this year’s line-up,” says Varrati, “Each one of the panelists this year exemplifies strength in voice and art. We’re going to have a lot to discuss.”

And lest you think it’s going to be all serious, Varrati is quick to remind that it’s still Comic Con and that the event will surely entertain.

“We may talk about some serious stuff,” he says, “But we always have fun. When you get that many dynamic personalities together, it’s bound to get a little wacky…and we’ve certainly leaned into that in years past. We’ve talked about everything from slash fiction to queerbaiting to who we considered the hottest survivor in a horror movie. We’ve had unexpected guests (Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman made a surprise cameo during the panel last year to talk about navigating LGBTQ content in the 80s) and outrageous questions. We are here to have good time in the name of horror and celebrate the fabulousness of fright.”

From the Comic Con Program Guide: The LGBTQ community has had a long history with the horror genre, from James Whale’s Frankenstein to the oft-cited “gayest movie of all time,” A Nightmare on Elm Street 2. Does a gay horror genre exist, and if so, what makes it different from mainstream horror? Furthermore, how does the current political climate alter the lens through which viewers celebrate and connect to the macabre? Join Prism Comics and moderator/screenwriter Michael Varrati(Tales of Poe, Darkest Night) and an array of panelists, including Christopher Rice (A Density of Souls, Ramses the Damned), Jaclyn Chessen (Shock Attack), George Aaron Climer (Bear Creek), Gary Entin and Edmund Entin (Seconds Apart, the Rest Stop series), Maria Olsen (Paranormal Activity 3, Starry Eyes), and Ira Madison III (pop culture writer, The Daily Beast).

The panel takes place in the San Diego Convention Center on Friday July 21, 2017 7:00pm – 8:00pm in Room 28DE.

Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

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