ATL Comic Convention is back!! Where to find the FHP

It's summertime, and you know what that means for us - con season!!

ATL Comic Convention is back July 18-20, and the Fandom Hybrid Podcast will be there! This will be our third year presenting, and we have a total of six panels that we are excited to discuss. The tentative schedule is as follows (and can be found on the convention app, which is now available to download here):

Friday, July 18, 2025

2:00pm - Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 Discussion - 2023 introduced the first TV series in the newly established Anne Rice "Immortal Universe" and it was better than most expected. With Season 2's explosive conclusion and the intriguing trailer and music single for Season 3's focus on the Vampire Lestat, we have lots of new things to discuss! (Please note that this is a discussion about the TV series, not the book series (although we will allow some mentions of the books). (Hanako, Michele)

3:00pm - Let's Talk About Negan: Take 3 - A Walking Dead Fan Panel - Whether you love him or hate him, you can't deny that The Walking Dead's Negan is probably one of the most charismatic - and controversial - characters on television. He also has one of the most hotly debated character arcs discussed within the TWD online fandom. With Season 2 of TWD: Dead City, Negan is being forced (maybe?) back into his old ways in order to save someone else. Has your viewpoint of Mr. Smith changed at all? Do you feel that Negan is a redeemable character? Has he earned his redemption? Let's talk about Mr. Smith and why he is so polarizing a character. (Hanako, Kacey, Michele)

Saturday, July 19, 2025

4:00pm - The Ones Who Live (And boy, did they!) - A Walking Dead Fan Panel - Yeah, we know it's been a year since Rick Grimes and Michonne Hawthorne exploded back onto our screens and left us wanting more - why is why we are doing this panel! Come join other Richonne stans as we discuss the good (the reunions! the writing in episode 4!), the bad (Nat's death :'(, the CRM) and everything in between of The Ones Who Live, and whether or not we will see the Grimes again in the TWD Universe. (Hanako, Kacey, Michele)

5:00pm - What If...? TWD-style: Maggie Rhee: A Villain Origin Story - A Walking Dead Fan Panel - Most of the time when we are introduced to a villain, they are already deep into their bad guy arc and we have to rely on flashbacks and other means to get to the origins of their story. Maggie Rhee is a beloved character from The Walking Dead, and the horrible things she's had to survive have added complicated layers to the development of her character. Last season on TWD: Dead City, we saw a version of Maggie that is straddling the fence between good and not-so-good. The Season 2 trailers seem to be hinting at a darker Maggie (I mean, did you *see* her holding a certain object in the Season 2 trailer???) Could we possibly be watching a villain origin story in the making? Let's walk through the timeline of the life of Maggie and contemplate the unimaginable: what if she becomes the next TWD bad guy? (Hanako, Kacey, Michele)

Sunday, July 20, 2025

3:00pm - The Last of Us - Season 2 Discussion - We've seen the numbers and heard the comments over the years: video game adaptations historically don't do well in television and film. HBO took a gamble that paid off in a huge way with the 2023 introduction of "The Last of Us", enthralling audiences with the story of Joel and Ellie. Season 2 turned everything on its head with the death of a major character - as well as a large-scale attack by the monsters known as Clickers - and now the town of Jackson Hole must mourn and rebuild. However, one resident seeks justice (or revenge) for the loss of their family, and that may bring more trouble and heartbreak to our beloved characters. Join us for a discussion/therapy session as we discuss Season 2, and guess what will come in Season 3. (Please note that this is mainly a discussion about the TV series, not the game, although we will allow some game talk). (Anthony, Hanako, Michele)

4:00pm - TWD: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol Season 2 Recap and Discussion - A Walking Dead Fan Panel - Season 1 saw Daryl Dixon making his way across France, trying to get back home. In Season 2, Carol goes searching for her bestie soul mate and also, incredibly ends up in France. With Madame Genet's regiment and The Nest both trying to get to Laurent for different reasons, Daryl and Carol face lots of obstacles trying to keep the people they care about safe and finding a way back home. We'll discuss the season and what we think to expect in Season 3 as filming moves to Madrid, Spain. (Hanako, Kacey, Michele)