The PNW's reemerging geekonomy: Today So Far

We're living in a different pandemic era than before. Events and social activities are reemerging. How are you navigating public and social interactions?

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 21, 2022.

We're gonna have some decisions to make. And it's going to come down to you and me. The pandemic isn't quite the same as before. But it's still a pandemic, and while some folks can return to "normal," others cannot. Which is basically what Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said at a White House briefing.

"We should not let it disrupt our lives. But we cannot deny that it is a reality that we need to deal with ... the good news is that we have the tools to do this," he said.

That remark sticks in my mind as I think about the re-emerging geekonomy.

The "geekonomy" is my word for our region's somewhat under-the-radar scene of fans, pop culture aficionados, and other nerds who gather at conventions, trade, sell, cosplay, and more. And it's a big deal. It's a community. Though, considerations for such events are akin to all other activities folks are looking forward to, from summer BBQs to concerts, and state fairs.

“We’re excited to dip our toes back in and get the geekonomy back up and going," Mike Seibert said of CybFest NW that is happening this Saturday at the Kent Commons Community Center.

“It is a Transformers convention by the fans, for the fans, with a Northwest twist," he said, listing the indie artists who draw robots in disguise, and vendors selling hard-to-find toys. There are also panels and guests. Mike not only volunteers for CybFest NW, he also produces the Mike Seibert Radio Show Podcast, which talks a lot about Transformers. As such, he also has a panel at the event.

This local Transformers community has been active since the 1990s, so when the pandemic first struck in 2020, it was a bit of a blow. Mike says that CybFest NW was one of the first conventions to "roll with the punches." It went virtual in 2020 and organized online toy sales. CybFest NW is back this year and is following King County guidelines, which do not require proof-of-vaccination or masking. Still, Mike notes that it won't be at full capacity. The tables will be more spread out. One guest this year will participate virtually. Masks will be available. Loading-dock doors will be open for airflow.

“Fans are excited. I think we are excited for ... somewhat of a return to normalcy. It’s still not at 100% full capacity,” he said. “But the vibe is good. The feeling is good. The response on social media has been really good … there are folks who will be attending this for the first time.”

Mike tells me that, for him, CybFest NW is the right size for nerding out. The upcoming Emerald City Comic Con in August, however, is still too big of an event for his comfort level. ECCC's most recent health guidelines do not require proof-of-vaccination or a negative Covid test. Masks are optional. The other big convention in our region, Portland's Rose City Comic Con in September, won't be requiring proof-of-vaccination, but it will be requiring CDC-approved masks.

Dr. Pavitra Roychoudhury with the UW Virology Lab tells KUOW's Seattle Now that she is participating in some activities, like traveling, but still maintains precautions such as wearing a mask in crowded, poorly ventilated areas. She's avoiding indoor dining right now as Covid case levels are high. She understands that a lot of people have pandemic fatigue after two years and are eager to get out and about.

"There’s a desire to return to some sort of old normal," Dr. Roychoudhury said.

The virus we're facing right now is called BA.5, a sub-lineage of omicron. Statistically, it doesn't cause as severe illness as previous versions, especially if you're vaccinated and boosted, but it still is more contagious than other variants and it is better at evading our immunity. It's what is causing case numbers to rise considerably right now, along with reinfections.

"A lot has been said about personal risk profiles," she said. "There's been discussions about how everybody should go out there, look at their community transmission numbers and make decisions about masking and gathering, and thinking about implications of being out sick, getting long Covid, and so on."

But she adds that, "The decision to mask or not protects more than just the mask wearer. There's data to show that masks are effective at reducing transmission." Whether or not something like a mask mandate is in our future is unknown, but Dr. Roychoudhury said that if one did come up, she'd support it. Hear Dr. Roychoudhury's full conversation with Seattle Now here.

I'm a lot like Mike with CybFest NW. I'm a radio guy, nerd, and I sometimes help out my friends with Renton City Retro, a video-gaming convention that is also happening soon.

"Definitely excited to get out with vendors, families, kids experiencing the gaming," said Emilio Morales, founder of RCR. "There’s a networking aspect to it."

It's a family-friendly event. Part of it is outdoors. Emilio said it's still somewhat lowkey this year, but they're still planning for vendors with retro games, a streaming booth, virtual reality, "Halo" on original Xboxes, tournaments, a VIP party, and so on.

"We still care and want to make the right decisions," Emilio said. “It’s a community-based event. People are ready to go out. There are a lot of fun things we’re doing."

I'll be lingering around RCR, and I'm considering going to ECCC. But like Mike, Dr. Roychoudhury, and everybody else out there, I'm adding up a few things. I mask up in crowded, indoor areas + I am vaccinated and boosted + I wear a yellow bracelet and keep my distance.

This mental calculation comes up in response to a lot of questions. If I go to ECCC, should I just limit it to a day or two? What about that concert coming up? Can I see that movie? Should I stay away from the office for a few days, just to be careful? Should I limit contact with friends who have kids, at-risk parents, and so on?

What I do know is that I will at least be testing before I go to any event with others and I'll be wearing a mask.

What about you? Do you have a calculation that you work out in your head these days?

AS SEEN ON KUOW

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DID YOU KNOW?

There are a lot of pop culture conventions in our region, large and small. I mentioned Renton City Retro and CybFest NW coming up. Our region also boasts Sakura-Con, Crypticon, GeekGirlCon, PAX West, and so many more.

It could be said that Emerald City Comic Con started much of the modern pop culture fervor in our region (yes, Norwescon has been going for more than 40 years). But Emerald City Comic Con draws some of the largest crowds in the Northwest with nearly 100,000 attendees in the Before Times. ECCC started in 2003 at what was then called Qwest Field. It was founded by comic shop owner Jim Demonakos, and a few colleagues. There were a couple thousand attendees back then, but the audience grew fast. Demonakos once told me that he felt it really got "big" when they landed Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy as a guest in 2010. I first went to see Sir Patrick Stewart in 2013. This year, ECCC has David Tennant (Doctor Who), Felicia Day (actress and nerd hero to many), and Freddie Prinze Jr.

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