Calendar
Panel Discussion: Women’s Role in Tech, Video Games, Anime, Manga, and Comic Books
East Liberty branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
130 S Whitfield St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
March 13, 2025
6:30 PM-7:30 PM
Join us at CLP for a free panel discussion with RAD Pass participating organization Pittsburgh Opera where we will explore Women’s Role in Video Games, Anime, Manga, and Comic Books. Women have often been unrealistically represented in these art forms leading to detrimental outcomes in the real world. This discussion aims to unpack the origins of female representation in art and explore the fine line between fandom and fetish.
Pittsburgh Opera leads this discussion in anticipation of its groundbreaking new production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Created by an all-Japanese and Japanese American creative team, the story is set in a fantastical realm where reality and dreams intersect. The male protagonist, Pinkerton, puts on a VR headset and transports us into a vibrant virtual reality playground where he has ultimate control. As his avatar, a U.S. Navy Lieutenant, he can seduce and marry Cio-Cio San, his fantasy girl, and abandon her just as easily. But to Cio-Cio San, this is no game and the love and betrayal she feels is all too real.
Attendees receive a discounted ticket offer to the performance of Madama Butterfly of their choice (March 22nd, 25th, 28th, and 30th) and will be entered into a raffle to receive a pair of free tickets. All performances of Madama Butterfly will take place downtown at the Benedum Center.
NO REGISTRATION NEEDED!
Guest Speakers:
Emy Bitner is a writer, illustrator, and graphic novelist best known for her acclaimed series Trying Human. A graduate of PennWest Edinboro University with a background in media arts, traditional animation, and illustration, she has been creating and publishing comics full-time since 2008. Her works other than Trying Human include the graphic novel Alternating Current, gothic horror illustration collection EMpathY, as well as contributions to Emi Gennis' Unknown Origins & Untimely Ends: A Collection of Unsolved Mysteries and two issues of Justin King’s GOTHOLOGY: The Eternal Sad. Her comics are digitally distributed by Hiveworks, where she continues to build a dedicated readership. Beyond comics, Emy has also provided illustrations for museums and creative institutions. When she's not drawing, she enjoys reading nonfiction and watching horror movies.
Carina Stopenski (they/them) is a writer, academic, and librarian born and bred here in Pittsburgh. They received their Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Chatham University, their Master of Science in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Arts in Literary and Cultural Studies from Carnegie Mellon University. They work for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh as a Teen Librarian. Carina has taught on manga history, ludonarratology, and the correlation between animation and culture since 2020 in multiple freelance settings. Their primary research focus is representation of women and girls in low media, specifically horror cinema, video games, and cartoon spheres. They have published on feminist media practices in such academic avenues as sic: a Journal of Literature, Culture and Literary Translation and Horror Homeroom, and presented at conferences held by Horror Writers Association, Popular Cultural Association, and New York University, among others. Carina is the Librarian in Residence and a Comics Educator with Incubator Productions, functioning as the Lead Archivist for a burgeoning mobile cartoon museum project. They serve on the Horror Writers Association's Library Advisory Council, where they have heavily promoted comics and illustrated media in their work. Carina is also the author of the short story collection The Things We Do For Blood (Alien Buddha Press) and the Appalachian body horror novel Stuffed (Unveiling Nightmares Ltd.).
Yuchan Wu is a multidisciplinary designer and visual artist specializing in UI/UX and digital experiences. She holds a Master's Degree from Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), where she explored the intersection of design, technology, and interactive media. With experience in AR/VR, gaming, and immersive storytelling, her work blends aesthetics with user-centered innovation. Recognized by international design awards, she has collaborated with startups and organizations to push the boundaries of digital interaction.
