San Diego Comic-Con!

It's that time of the year again! The time when geeks, nerds, cosplayers, trekkies and everything in between come to indulge our versions of pure euphoria.

That's right, guys and girls, inbetweeners and undecideds, I'm talkin' about San Diego's very own Comic-Con International hitting the convention center from Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21! Some guest speakers have been revealed, but little has been leaked or confirmed and won't be until two weeks prior to the annual event. I managed to find out a few things for us to look forward to and will also attempt to school you on some gay comic history! So let's get it started!

The Queer side of Comic-Con

In addition to being the biggest nerd and geek bash on the planet, the convention is also a hotspot for gay activity and 2013 promises to be the best yet! First off, Prism Comics (the nonprofit organization supporting LGBT comics, their creators and readers) will be there with booths, giving 2013's Comic-Con the most queer events in the entire history of the convention.

With that said, Prism is lined up to have at least five panels this year alone, focusing attention on queer characters and creators. Some of the biggest names in comics today will be present, such as Alison Bechdel, Gail Simone, Eric Shanower, Phil Jimenez, Marjorie Liu and Nicola Scott, just to name a few.

For the past decade, depictions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters haven't always been as positive role models. However, these days a lot more creators aren't shying away from sex stereotypes and bad behavior in their pursuit of intriguing and well-rounded characters. Comic readers are opting for more explicit, more outrageous and the even more scantly-clad than in the previously timid and politically correct times. Writers from such huge comics like Batgirl and Justice League will be partaking in discussions about the provocative frontier of queers in comics!

As for gay superheroes in mainstream comics today, Northstar, a part of the X-Men and Alpha Flight series, is the first openly gay superhero. He even married his partner Kyle in what would be Marvel Comics' first gay wedding! Prism Comics plans to discuss how attitudes toward LGBTQ characters such as Northstar have changed and will dive into our favorite gay mutant's past... and what's in store for his vivid future! For more information go to prismcomics.org.

Some of the other events taking place this year promise to be fan-funk'n'tastic! Prism Comics' is hosting the annual Gay Comic Fan Mixer and Silent Auction again at Comic-Con, and they also plan to host the annual Heroes and Villains Party at Rich's on Saturday, July 20 and the Oso Oro at Pecs, which celebrates the International Bear pop culture and artistry, kicking off geek week on Thursday, July 18 beginning at 8 p.m., so be there and be bear!

For more information on Comic-Con events go to comic-con.org.

Gaymers Unit

The very first Gaymer Convention focused on the queer geek culture will be held in San Francisco this year Saturday and Sunday, August 3 and 4.

Gaming is the largest entertainment industry, larger than music, film and television. Until now, there has never been a safe space for queer geeks and their friends to come together to discuss queer theory in games as a community and party as one. GaymerX is that convention.

A weekend of fun, socializing and educational panels focused on LGBTQ Geek Culture in the heart of San Francisco! For more information on GaymerX go to gaymerconnect.com.