Professor Richard Doyle To Be At ROFLCon

Thanks to a tip from the amazing Christopher Kelty at Rice, we’ve been able to get in touch with Rich Doyle, Professor of English at Penn State University. Rich works in the field of cultural studies of science and researches the rhetoric of emerging technologies, including information technology. You can read more about his work here. He is currently working on a trilogy of works about the development and nature of transhuman (that is, ambiguously biological or mechanical) knowledges. You can read a few pages of his Wetwares here, it’s pretty amazing stuff.

Pending some arrangements, Rich will be attending ROFLCon to discuss his research and potentially moderating/speaking on one of our panels!

As I mentioned a few days ago, we’re in the process of revising the provisional schedule that we’ve been working with, so stay tuned. We’re looking to join up a firm academic base with the formidable industry and celebrity guests that we’ve already compiled. Suggestions for people who would be good for this very very welcome.

Joe Peacock, of Mentally Incontinent, to be Hanging Around ROFLCon

Ian Spector, Executive Director of internet staple Chuck Norris Facts, recently introduced me to a friend of his, Joe Peacock, over at the Mentally Incontinent project. After some talking, he agreed to take us up on our open offer for memes to come out and chill in the audience at ROFLCon and meet their fellow celebs. Happy to add another one to our number, we agreed, and I’m happy to announce that Joe will be attending in April!

Mentally Incontinent is a pretty slick crowdsourcing project based around the fact that Joe really really likes to tell stories. Essentially, he writes a bunch of stories, and then his readers form an editorial base that comments and chooses which ones will go into the eventual book that he’s compiling. Nice? Very nice.

The Weekly Dig Signs On As Official Media Sponsor!

Been trading some e-mails back and forth with David Day, head Arts+Music honcho over at Boston’s best and only entertainment magazine, The Weekly Dig, and we’ve recently gotten word that they’re all systems go for partnering up with us as Official Media Sponsors of ROFLCon!

So to all you folks in the Boston area, keep an eye out for some special coverage April 23rd and in the months coming up to this thing. I’m told they’ll also be there providing some live coverage and otherwise taking part in the event.

Kind of a sweet deal. Great to have you on board, boys.

[Update: and girls! Thanks Christine, major major apologies - Thx, the Mgmt]

Questionable Content to Come to ROFLCon

Jeph Jacques, the super talented artist behind web-comic Questionable Content, the ongoing story of a couple of Northampton indie kids, will be joining the party in Cambridge in April. Jeph also sells questionable content inspired merchandise. I am pretty psyched about talking to him about translating a successful webcomic into a larger business opportunity.