From Dreaming to Running: Putting the Android on Screen

Last week I got to attend a very nice panel from DePaul and One Book One Chicago: three scholars discussing aspects of adaptation, with Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Scott's Blade Runner as the focus.

Paul Booth (who runs the wonderful DePaul Pop Culture Conference, among other virtues) chaired the panel. These were really engaging, fast-moving talks, with lots of visual aids, so notes below are just sketches and highlights.

DePaulPotter notes- Defending Tom Riddle

Last Saturday, I got to attend the illustrious DePaul Pop Culture Conference, this year focused on Harry Potter. I took some notes on a few sessions.

The academic keynote was delivered by Dr. Christopher Bell: "Defending Tom Riddle: The Failure of Albus Dumbledore".

We start out with a discussion of why Voldemort is such a satisfying villain, but also start thinking about how he got that way.

• In order to have a really good villain, they have to believe they're the hero.
• The wizarding world is intensely racist/classist.
• "And then, at the age of 11, he's allowed to carry a deadly weapon with him at all times."

DePaulPotter notes- The Occult Potter

 Last Saturday, I got to attend the illustrious DePaul Pop Culture Conference, this year focused on Harry Potter. I took some notes on a few sessions.

The Occult Potter: Materiality in Harry Potter
Jason Winslade
Megan Zimmerman
Nathanael Bassett

Winslade starts with some thoughts on his work on Potter & the occult:

DePaulPotter notes- The Banality of Evil

Last Saturday, I got to attend the illustrious DePaul Pop Culture Conference, this year focused on Harry Potter. I took some notes on a few sessions.

The Banality of Evil: Collaborators and Appeasement in Harry Potter
Michi Trota- Chicago Nerds | Uncanny Magazine | Raks Geek
Matt Peters- Chicago Nerds | Since Last We Spoke | Digital Dumpster Diving
Jennifer Cross- Just Write Chicago
Kate Lansky- Writer

I have to admit that I was primed for some Arendt/Potter crossover in this panel based on the title. Wound up not getting to that, but check out The Banality of Evil from Arendt's coverage of the Eichmann trial if you're interested--contains some cutting insights on how evil functions (less out of villainy, more out of pettiness) in ways that closely mirror the Potterverse and the present-day issues the panelists were addressing.