Thanks to You All!

So ever since our linguistic ability recovered from the "fire bad, tree pretty" state it was in late Saturday night, Dale and I have fallen into the habit of occasionally looking at each other and saying "We did it!" like a couple of kids who've managed to put on a successful play in our uncle's barn without setting the place on fire and scaring the livestock. While it's true that we are thoroughly enjoying the complements and rave reviews Joss In June has been getting on teh intrawebs, the fact of the matter is that we, Dale and I, had little to do with how great the conference was.

That was all you guys.

In one of the first panels of the day at Joss In June, Ashford University's Lindsay Bryde presents on "The Domination of Buffy the the Submission of her Men" to a packed crowd.

Every one of you brought your "A-Game," and I cannot count the number of times I was approached by someone on Saturday who gushed about how strong the presentations were. Those of you who didn't present brought your questions and brilliance to the discussions in each panel which were insightful, stimulating, and a hell of a lot of fun. So we'd like to extend our deepest gratitude and thanks to each and every one of you. You are what made Joss In June a success!

Extra-special thanks go out to Dr. Rhonda V. Wilcox, whose keynote, likely the first academic presentation on Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, was truly brilliant, and inspiring. I think we all wanted to see the film again after Rhonda's presentation. Thank you so much for coming and for being the perfect capstone ot a wonderful day.

We'd also like to heap fulsome praise on all of the people who worked so hard behind the scenes to make Joss In June run so smoothly. First and foremost of these are our JIJ "Operatives," those committed souls who made sure the presenter-tech interface in each room was as painless and productive as possible: Chuck Davis, DeLane Hoppes, Athena Smith, and Kevin Wolford. You guys truly rock.

Helping us get everyone checked in and insuring that everyone's arm-length of raffle tickets was properly measured were our JIJ "Agents" Barry Dietz, Wendy Ross, and Michele Rogers. You folks may not know it, but you kept Dale and I sane, because we knew the sales and money part of the conference was in great hands!

Way behind the scenes was another JIJ "Agent": Cindy Hoyle who was the official bookkeeper and administrative assistant for Joss In June. Her spreadsheets, lists, and organization were invaluable. Seriously, we couldn't have kept up with everything without Cindy!

The Whedon Studies Association (WSA), and its current president, Dr. Tanya R. Cochran provided advice, encouragement and financial support for Joss In June, and we couldn't be prouder to belong to such an incredible organization. Thanks to Tanya and the WSA Board for all of your help. Beth Cox and McFarland Publishing also provided financial support, as well as a vast array of Whedon scholarship for sale at the conference, and we were thrilled to be working with them again.

We'd also like to thank Linley Crocker, Planning Manager for the LeGrand Center, for being a true joy to work with, for making sure that we had everything we needed, and for emergency printing services! Jeanette Sun and the staff of Ni Fen Wine and Tapas provided and served the wonderful lunch and snacks, and I was way too excited about getting to take the leftovers home, believe me. Chuck Davis gets another heartfelt thanks for overseeing the printing of the signs, tags, programs, and name-plates, and Drs L. Steve Thornburg and Shannon Kennedy of Cleveland Community College provided constant support, encouragement, and in-kind assistance from CCC.

I know I'm probably forgetting a host of other folks, and I can only hope they will forgive me, for as much as Dale and I are enjoying the warm fuzzies we're getting for convening Joss In June, the conference was truly a concerted, group effort rather than a two-person show. Thanks to each and every one of you, we might even  do this again one day!

Also, keep in touch! You can find Dale and I online on Twitter (@EnsleyFGuffey and @KDaleKoontz) and Facebook (Ensley here and Dale here), and we'd love to keep up with all of you!

So thank you all so very, very much! Now go forth and continue to spread the academic Whedony joy wherever you roam!