Guest Post for Geek Girl Con

I reviewed Mike Madrid's forthcoming Vixens, Vamps & Vipers (coming this October) in a guest post for the Geek Girl Con blog. I was thrilled to do both. See it here: http://www.geekgirlcon.com/mike-madrid-vixens-vamps-vipers-3/

"Action Figures for Girls"

The Twitter account for Geek Girl Con shared this IAmElemental Kickstarter campaign. I didn't hesitate.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iamelemental/iamelemental-action-figures-for-girls

Much as I love my girls (and I really do love them, run-through-a-burning-house-to-save-them love), I completely recognize that many of them were made with the adult male collector in mind. "More hooters than heroines," indeed. So, where are the action figures for girls?

Well, Mattel gave us the marvelous She-Ra line... in 1985. Galoob had the equally wonderful "copycat" line of Golden Girls, and there were several other knock-offs at the time. Ten years later, Mattel tried again with a much more insipid line Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic, and Kenner with Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders. Japanese author/artist Naoko Takeuchi gave us Sailor Moon in 1992. The toys that went with Sailor Moon were never called action figures; they were "adventure dolls."

The paucity of adventuring toys for girls is pretty apparent. The gender gap in the toy aisles is pretty immense. If you're a girl, you get dolls -- fluffy, pretty, pink dolls. Boys get to have the adventures. Action figures reflect the art in the comics; most of it is pretty sexy, and some of it is salacious. I like sexy -- in its place. Kids don't need sexy toys or comics.

This Kickstarter campaign was already funded when I clicked through, with 26 days to go! That's exciting! It tells me, and I'm sure it tells the creators, that there is demand for this. I look forward to everything this creative team has to share.

I gripe about the sexism in comics and in toys, and I put my money where my mouth is when I can. I'm clearly not alone.

Kelly Sue DeConnick

Kelly Sue DeConnick is a writer whose best-known work includes Captain Marvel and the recent Pretty Deadly. She’s very outspoken about the role of women in comics and stated in an interview that “if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft. They have to be protagonists, not devices.” On the subject of women of color, she said in a panel at Geek Girl Con ’13 that she nearly made one of the pilots in her Banshee Squad African American but decided not to, because there were no black women pilots in WWII. Then she said (paraphrasing), “You know what else there weren’t any of? Aliens.” She apologized for not taking that inclusive step, stating baldly, “I fucked up.” (This led to an African American woman taking to a mic in the audience and thanking her for admitting a lost opportunity.)

So Much to Do!

My basement is a mess. It's making my brain kinda messy, too. I have packaged figures I need to photograph and get on the shelves, comic books that need to be boxed, art to frame, and a wall to paint. I've been working on the basement in fits and starts since August '12, and I just can't stand it. I have so many things I want to do with the space, and can't because it's a mess.

My goal right now is to get the clutter taken care of so that by this summer, I can paint the wall. Once that's done, I will have more time to devote to the curation of the collection, and of the list of heroines. I have so much I want to do with that...

I bought my pass for Geek Girl Con in October, and I'm trying to talk a friend into making a trip down from Ontario so we can go to G-Fest in July. The end of June is my target date to get the basement "done." (It will never be completely done; there will always be something that needs doing.)

I have a pretty clear goal, less clear solutions for reaching it, and a headache that is getting in my way. C'est la vie, non? Le sigh.

Another motivation for getting it done once and for all? I promised myself a "geek tree" once the basement was clutter-free. I even put all the geeky ornaments in a separate box when I put everything away earlier this month. And so many ideas for geeky ornaments to make... I am a woman on a mission, and just as soon as the painkillers do their job, I am on it! (But until then, I think it's gonna be me, on the couch, with a notebook making lists...)

Recap 2013 (Another one?? Ugh.)

Yeah, I thought I would, then realized everyone was recapping 2013, and probably had better things to say about it than I would, so I'll refrain from a long look back.

As with any year, there were ups and downs, both on a personal level and Out There. The two geekiest things that happened for me were the amazing and life-changing Super MOOC: Gender Through Comic Books, and being able to attend Geek Girl Con.

All in all, 2013 was a pretty fantastically geeky year for me. I got to visit some of my awesome friends in Canada (that's geeky because I know them from playing WoW -- and because of a trip to the Silver Snail where I bought many action figures), I went to C2E2 and bought many (many) action figures, I took the Gender Through Comic Books class, and I went to GGC.

More personally (less geeky), I saw a neurologist and got an official diagnosis for migraines. (I knew they were migraines, but with docs, they want it on paper... and for me to spend money -- lots of it -- to get that Dx. Whatever.) The upside to that is a prescription that takes care of the pain, mostly, but not the unpleasant aura symptoms, which are legion for me. But you don't want to hear about that.

Exciting news for 2014: Christina Blanch (who taught the gender/comic books class) has a new class Social Issues Through Comic Books! Hell, yes, I enrolled. She's an amazing teacher, and you should absolutely take her class. I hope to attend GGC again as well, but that's 10 months away... anything could happen.

So this year I hope will be a continuation of the last year, with nerdy geek-time, filling in gaps in my comic collection, curating the collection of figures, hopefully another trip North and Northwest.

Until next time, here's my New Year's Eve TRU scores:

My first Transformer! I was actually looking for Arcee
but she was nowhere to be found.

I'd love to have the 12-inch figures, but they are cost prohibitive,
and size prohibitive... where the hell do you put an army of kaiju?!

Geek Girl Con '13 Debriefing

In some ways, GGC was my first con. I've been to Chicago Comic Con (before it was Wizard World, and after), been to C2E2, ChamBana Con, Duckon, and maybe a couple others I don't recall... but this one was the one I was fully invested in. Hell, I packed 4 pairs of shoes to wear with different outfits (and wore only 2 of them, opting on Sunday for the comfy shoes I flew in wearing). This was my first time cosplaying, and I went on Saturday as Rosie the Riveter (though I skipped the costume contest, because I loathe being on stage).

My arm is up so high... I have no idea what I'm doing.
Photo taken by one of the con photographers, with my phone.

Friday night was the kickoff party, the burlesque show, and the after-party at the coffeehouse with the Doubleclicks. After I picked up my pass, I went to the Tap House for dinner because my clock was on Chicago time and I was starved. Exhaustion and a blistered heel sent me back to the hotel after I ate, and straight to bed. I'm sorry I missed the festivities, but I was so damn tired...

Saturday, I got into my Rosie gear and went down to breakfast. A woman actually stopped at my table and thanked me for dressing up as Rosie. :) Then I trekked down about 30 minutes before the con opened. We weren't allowed into the Conference Center yet, so we were queuing up outside. The dude in front of me (loud, annoying), commented at about 9:05 (5 minutes late) that it figured a "con run by chicks" wouldn't run on time. I said nothing but wanted to smash him with my backpack (he had loudly commented on a few minutes earlier as something that shouldn't be allowed at cons). Whatever, dude. You're an ass.

Anyway, after we filed in, I headed up to level 3, and did a little shopping, picking up Mike Madrid's new book, Divas, Dames & Daredevils,  as well as Miss Fury: Sensational Sundays 1941-1944. (In hindsight, Miss Fury was a bad idea -- it's a coffee table book, hardcover, and I had to carry it around all day; on the other hand, I got it for half price, and it was their last one. Who am I kidding? It was totally not a bad idea!)

I went down to level 2, where some folks from EMP were set up in a dim corner with Margaret Hamilton's hat from The Wizard of Oz. One of the hats, anyway, but it was one of the ones she wore in the film.

I didn't get a very good picture, no flash photography was allowed, but I should have
stepped back more, to show the egg-shaped case it was in, so the chiffon drape
was more visible.

While I was queued up for Madrid's panel and talking with a really nice girl in line with me, he walked past and asked "Are you Rosie the Riveter?" "Yes... you're Mike Madrid!" He waved off my acknowledgement and asked if he could get a picture. A couple others got photos, too, since I was posing. But I was enormously flattered, and had my first fangirl moment of the con.

His panel was about the new book, and it was so interesting to hear about some of these long-gone Golden Age heroines, largely forgotten today. I was able to ask if he could see any of these heroines revitalized and brought to film, who would it be? (see below)

The Woman in Red, art by George Mandel.

A lot of the time, it feels like I'm the only one who cares about these forgotten heroines. I know I'm not, but I've never met anyone else who is interested in them and doesn't want to see their legacy fade... until now. It was a real pleasure to meet him. Mike Madrid is a very nice guy, and anyone who loves these ladies as much as he does is clearly a person of superior taste and sophistication. (Next on my list of people to meet who love these heroines: Trina Robbins.)

The SuperMOOC panel was the next panel I didn't want to miss, mainly because I wanted to meet Christina Blanch in person. I took that class, and it was a pretty amazing experience; I wanted to be able to tell her in person how important it had been to me. There were a few others of us in the room who'd taken the class, but we didn't manage to connect. Afterward, I was able to get my husband's Kingdom Come books signed by Mark Waid (who is also an incredibly nice guy), and told him how much I enjoyed the MOOC and his participation in it.

When I went down to Wild Rye for lunch, I got in line, and checked with Bane and Catwoman if they were also in line. They weren't, but it turned out that Bane was the dudebro from that morning. He commented about me not recognizing him, even though I was behind him in line, and I said that I recognized his voice, and that the con didn't open a little late because it was run by chicks. His friend laughed when he said "thanks for callin' me out!" "You said it, and you said you were going to tweet it." "He doesn't even have Twitter," she said. Oh well, too late, I called him out that morning after he said it. Ass.

I was originally going to go to another panel, Fat Girl: Fan Girl, but I was so tired... I ended up skipping it in favor of going back to the hotel to decompress and change for the concert. I also decided to be comfy for the show, and didn't wear the outfit I'd planned on. I didn't want to fool with public transportation and caught a cab to the EMP. I heard wonderful music from Unwoman and Marian Call, and LMAO at Bri Pruett -- it was pretty awesome. Bought CDs, chatted briefly with Pruett (who I kinda wanna adopt; I wonder if she needs a sister?), and when I happened to look up when I went outside, I saw this:

Ha! I totally didn't realize that the EMP was right next to the Space Needle. I didn't see it on the ride in, but we came from the other direction. So that was kinda cool. At night, kinda misty, all lit up -- I think it was better seeing it like this than in the daylight. Anyway, once I got back to the hotel, I was just keyed up enough that I had trouble getting off to sleep. Which did not stop me from waking up way too early Sunday morning...

The panel Romance Is a Feminist Genre was really interesting, and I had never considered it that way before. "Shipping" (short for relation"ship") in fan fiction was discussed, as well as how romance is still sneered at by book reviewers even though it's the #1 selling genre of fiction. The panelists were outspoken and interesting; I wish the panel had been longer.

The Spotlight on Kelly Sue DeConnick was the next panel I attended, and I pretty much needed to get in line for that as soon as I left Romance. (OK, it wasn't quite that bad, but it was a very well-attended panel, because KSD rocks.) After the panel, she was signing books, and that line was unbelievable. She have her time to each person -- this was no assembly-line autographing. I stood in line for an hour (and actually had to ask a con agent to please have Jennifer Stuller sign my copy of Ink-Stained Amazons, because I didn't want to get out of line -- which she she did, and I am grateful!). After I got Captain Marvel signed, Hope Larson was at the table and I was able to get my copy of her graphic version of A Wrinkle in Time. In all, I ended up with nine signed books and a signed CD (because I messed up and didn't ask for the two others to be signed as well).

The last panel I attended was (Re)Creating Female Sexuality in Comics, and it was a little disappointing. The description read

"examine how woman-created comics simultaneously subvert existing representations and celebrate women's sexuality. The goal is to engage in a community discussion of the role of female comic book creators in the industry, and inspire attendees to produce their own works."

For me, it seemed more like a PowerPoint presentation giving a few examples of how sexuality exists in Wonder Woman and a few select webcomics. There was very little discussion, and I didn't hear any inspiring words for creating my own work. *shrug* Perhaps others had a different experience.

After that, I sat in on the last half of the 80s singalong (I'd've had more fun if I skipped the sexuality panel and gone straight to that), then stayed for the closing celebration. Two of the organizers (Stuller, and I completely forget the other woman's name) spoke briefly, and The Doubleclicks performed "Nothing to Prove"... and it was over.

Exhausted, I walked back to the hotel, ordered a pizza and watched the last half of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

What a weekend.

There were many other panels I would have liked to have attended, but it was a little overwhelming. The girl I met had blocked out most of her con with panels she wanted to see, and I almost did the same... maybe next year I will.

SO MANY talent artists and craftspeople! I came home with wonderful loot. But I think that needs to be its own post. In part because I'm still so tired I can't hardly think straight.

Summary: Geek Girl Con rocked, and I can't wait for next year!

Geek Chic

I found a vest and tie that I want to wear at Geek Girl Con next month. The vest had plain black buttons, and I replaced them with crystal-looking plastic ones in pale lilac. The tie is purple with a subtle pattern and texture, silk. But it's not plain anymore...

I got a screen capture of my Night Elf druid (my first toon) emoting a /roar, sized it to fit on my tie (it's about 5.5 inches tall, and 3 inches wide). I deleted out all the background, lightened it to increase the contrast in Photoshop and printed it out on an iron-on transfer sheet (Jolee's Boutique Easy Image for dark fabrics, glitter). Once trimmed, I peeled it off the backing, which was tricky. The film is actually fairly thick, but it's like anything else you have to peel: you have to catch a corner and try not to damage it in the process.

The instructions are for ironing on cotton. I couldn't find anything to tell me how to do it for silk, so I just proceeded as if it was cotton. *shrug* I was a thrift store tie; if I screwed it up, I was out $4 but gained the knowledge that it doesn't work on silk.

It actually worked quite well. The texture of the material shows through the transfer, which makes it look better than if it was essentially a big sticker. If I had to do it over, I would lighten the printed image even more, because the printer laid down quite a bit of ink. I would have preferred to put a couple layers of paper towel in the tie, to avoid the back seam showing through when I ironed it, but it was sewn in a way that I couldn't do that.

"You roar with bestial vigor. So fierce!"

I might do a whole series of these, because I can. My only other 90 is a Tauren druid (love the class), so I think I'll limit myself to the upper-level toons. That way I won't end up with a couple dozen ties... >_>

Geek/Grrl Power Playlist

I am not a music-obsessed person. I don't even listen to the radio, instead choosing mix CDs I've burnt from my odd collection of music, and then usually only when I'm driving. (I like the quiet at home.) But sometimes the urge to create the perfect soundtrack for a mood or event forces me to go hunting. The event that was my inspiration this time is Geek Girl Con.

I've got 33 songs, for 2+ hours of music. I have a 4 hour flight. If I can't find other music, I might leave it at that. Anyway, this is what I've got so far (not in order yet):

• I Am Woman, Helen Reddy
• (I'm the One That's) Cool, The Guild*
• Nothing to Prove, The Doubleclicks
• All I Really Want, Alanis Morissette
• Rock This Joint, Alannah Myles
• What I Am, Edi Brickell & the New Bohemians
• Call Me, Blondie
• Control, Janet Jackson
• These Boots Are Made for Walkin', Nancy Sinatra
• We Got the Beat, The Go-Go's
• The Warrior, Scandal (Patty Smyth)
• Redneck Woman, Gretchen Wilson
• Goodbye Earl, The Dixie Chicks
• Respect, Aretha Franklin
• Bad Reputation, Joan Jett
• Bitch, Meredith Brooks
• Just a Girl, No Doubt
• Man! I Feel Like a Woman!, Shania Twain
• You Gotta Be, Des'ree
• All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crow
• Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves, Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin
• Independent Women Part 1, Destiny's Child
• U.N.I.T.Y, Queen Latifah
• One Girl Revolution, Saving Jane
• Rebel Girl, Bikini Kill
• Can't Hold Us Down, Christina Aguilera w/ Lil' Kim
• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper
• I Am Woman, Jordin Sparks
• I'm Every Woman, Chaka Khan
• Superwoman, Alicia Keys
• Can't Keep a Good Woman Down, Sista Monica
• Never Underestimate a Girl, Vanessa Hudgens
• You Don't Own Me, Rasputina†

There may be more to come; this is just the work of an evening and morning. The con isn't for another month (squeeee!), so I have time. I also have to put them in order so things aren't lumped together. (I Am Woman and I'm Every Woman cannot be together, that's obnoxious.)


__________
* Not a female-empowerment song as such, but I love Felicia Day, and the reference to "prom queen bitches" is fierce. Who doesn't remember those girls?

† You wouldn't believe the frustration this song caused. The original version is by Leslie Gore, and frankly, I find it incredibly draggy. These lyrics need to be sung with defiance and fire! In the end, I chose the cover by Rasputina that is even more draggy than the original. Why? Because I couldn't find what I wanted so I went in the opposite direction. :P

The Supergirls: Book Review

The Supergirls: Fashion, feminism, fantasy, and the history of comic book heroines
©2009* by Mike Madrid
ISBN: 978-1-935259-03-9 (print)
978-1-935259-00-8 (ebook)
Exterminating Angel Press

The Supergirls is a marvelous book by Mike Madrid (you may remember him from the Wonder Women! documentary if you watched that), and it tells the stories of some heroines you know already (but maybe didn't know some of the early history) and some who were groundbreaking (and since forgotten). Madrid shines a light on the dark corners of comic book history and the ladies who've been there all along, but who certainly haven't had the same recognition.

Madrid divides the book by decades, beginning with the 1940s, with colorful histories separating one decade from the next. In these eras, he shows us how current events and social movements are directly tied to comic books and their heroes and heroines. It's by no means exhaustive; instead you get a taste of the way things were (and are), which should make you want to go find more, and from the original sources! And if wanting to know more about obscure heroines -- or obscure histories of well-known heroines -- isn't your thing, I can't imagine why you're here reading this blog...

His own fascination with superheroines started young, when he first recognized that Supergirl was not treated the same as Superman. Later, he noticed how most of the women were named: Supergirl, Invisible Girl... even when the women in question were adults, their alter egos were demoted to "girl" status, when teenage Peter Parker was Spider-Man. Not only were their names diminished, but their powers weren't as impressive either, and they often required rescuing from the more powerful male characters, at least in those early years.

Not all of the book is a social/historical look at superheroines. The chapter "Heroine Chic" is a rather biting commentary on the practicality -- and lack thereof -- of superheroine costumes. This chapter in particular should be required reading for every writer and artist working in comics. "The world is your gynecologist," indeed...

The Supergirls is a well-written look at the convoluted and sometimes baffling world of superheroines. They are both mirror and lens for how women are perceived in society, and it's not always flattering. Anyone who is interested in superheroines should have this on the shelf right next to Trina Robbins' The Great Women Superheroes. Feminists, people who study women's history, comics geeks of all stripes, should read this book.

For all their problems, I love these heroines. They have complicated histories, bizarre twists in plots to contend with and weird reboots. It's because I love them that the disrespect shown them by publishers and creators makes me angry on their behalf. (Yes, yes, I know: fictional characters, blah blah blah. Don't coming whining to me if they change something about one of your beloved male characters. Superman isn't a killer, right? Right?)

It's pretty clear that Mike Madrid loves them, too. And because The Supergirls is written with such care and affection, I am all the more exited about his forthcoming title, Divas, Dames & Daredevils: Lost Heroines of Golden Age Comics, due out this October. Madrid will also be signing books at Geek Girl Con in October, and I look forward to telling him in person how much I enjoyed his book (and hopefully getting a copy of the new one).

Read my review of his book Divas, Dames & Daredevils here. The villainess companion book, Vixens, Vamps & Vipers, is due to be published October 2014.

_______________
* The copy I have is the 3rd printing (in 2013), and he notes that Ms. Marvel took the name Captain Marvel in 2012.

Miscellaneous Geeky Girl Stuff

By now, you've almost certainly heard/seen "Nothing to Prove" by The Doubleclicks. (You can buy it from iTunes or Bandcamp, and read the lyrics here.) It's an awesome and poignant Geek Girl anthem, but it's the signs that choked me up. Many people (famous and otherwise) submitted signs for the video; they estimate that they received between 150 and 250 signs, but the song just isn't long enough to include them all. Here are the ones they were able to use (I tried so hard to get all of them, but I know I missed a few):

• Hi there! We are geek girls.
• I started playing D&D in 6th grade. I never stopped.
• I learned to read with comic books.
• I've been a Gamer since before I can remember.
• I grew my hair out / so I could dress up as Princess Leia.
• I played Myst when it was released. I was 11. It was the GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE!
• My Transformers played with my Cabbage Patch Kids.
• I received my first console when I was nine years old.
• My regular Saturday night "date" was with the 5th Doctor.
• Comics taught me women can be beautiful & powerful!
• [arrow pointing at face] Founder and president of my high school Star Trek fan club.
• I spend hundreds of hours working on cosplay.
• [hugging toddler daughter] I'm raising The Next Generation of Geek Girls!
• Accounting associate by day, Elf ranger by night.
• I was obsessed with Star Trek: The Next Generation and had a super huge crush on Jonathan Frakes. / Now we're friends. It's weird.
• I write code for particle accelerators.
• im in ur HOUSE OF IDEAS writin ur COMICS
• Being a geek girl is really awesome / ...except when it isn't.
• I LOVE video games but BOYS tell me I'm not a "REAL" GAMER
• That look of surprise when I talk about Star Trek? It gets old.
• Why are you surprised I want to be an ASTRONAUT when I grow up?
• I'm a SCIENTIST not a secretary.
• I own a comic + game shop, but people just assume I 'm humoring my geeky husband!
• People say I only play video games because of my boyfriend but I owned over 200 games before I even met him!
• I work at a comicbook store. Male customers tend to ignore me completely or as if there is a man around to help them.
• Being Asian & a GEEK doesn't mean I have to like ANIME.
• I was told I traded my cleavage for free comics.
• I have to have a gender-neutral pen-name just to be Respected.
• I was told I "sound smart for a girl in a pink skirt."
• I con vendor told me that the smaller dice sets were for women to wear and show off (accessories). The regular ones were for me to, you know, play games with.
• Here's a message for the haters, elitists and bullies / from us, the geek girls, and our friends.
• No one gets to tell you how to be a geek.
• If someone has to pass a test to hang out with you... / YOU'RE the problem.
• You think I do this for your approval??? / mwa ha ha ha! / Get over yourself.
• There are no fake geeks... / ...only real jerks.
• Who died and made you Batman?! Wait. Was it your parents? In that case, I'm very sorry. Nevermind.
• I don't need you to tell me how much I like anything.
• We've both been ridiculed for our hobbies... Be supportive. We're on the same side!
• I don't need to go to a con to be a geek. I am & I haven't.
• Please don't let my gender turn you into an elitist. *We love the same things for the same reasons.*
• Don't tell my daughters that Lego, Robots and Superheroes are for boys.
• "Geek" + "Equality" equals GEEKAUALITY now!
• I was a Geek before I saw a cult film or played a game. I don't need your approval in the end.
• Be RESPECTFUL and I won't EAT you.
• Staring =/= Respecting / Men are women, too!
• I'm a geek and I'm awesome / and I don't need your permission.
• DON'T PANIC
• DON'T BE A DICK
• I'm older than "your mom" and I still love MMORPG's!
• I am a geek. Search your heart. You know it to be true.
• I founded a camp to teach girls how to program.
• I am a cardboard-flipping card gamer.
• You can't take the geek from me.
• [stick insect on girl's face] Buuugs!
• I'm a geek!
• I am a geek! (and I'm good at sports!)
• I'm a geek!
• I'm a geek.
• I'M A GEEK!
• I am a RPG Nerd!
• I am a geek!
• I'm a Geek <3
• I'm a geek.
• I will do anything for $5 [I'm a little confused with this one]

[the images come really fast right here, and I can't quite catch all the signs] 

• I am a Costume Geek!
• I cosplay for attention. LOL NOT
• I'm Me NERD
• I'm a Geek!
• I'm a NERD.
• I'm a fraking NERD!
• I'm a cosplayer.
• I'm a NERD
• I am a Geek Grrl!
• I'm a GEEK!
• I am a GEEK!
• I am a tabletop geek girl!
• Browncoat Comic Book Collector Convention Panelist I'm a GEEK. Tabletop Gamer Fanfic Writer
• I solved the cube in 36 seconds on TV 30 years ago... now I publish the card game FLUXX.
• I just knew that one day STAR TREK could be cool. Take that EVERYONE from junior high!
• I turned nerd watching the 90s XMen with my dad.
• [daughter and mom, can't make out the signs completely] I am a geek girl in training. / aka a general all-purpose geek girl!
• Trek-obsessed cosplaying grammarian librarian.
• I got my husband into gaming.
• I am a geek!
• It's not easy but I'm a geek.
• I crochet my own Elder Gods!
• I have been playing video games for almost 28 years!
• [can't read it]
• When I ran a two-week line up for the first Star Wars prequel, my homeroom teacher called me an EMBARRASSMENT and said I was ruining my school's reputation.
• My mom let me read her copy of The Jedi Academy trilogy when I was 10!
• I was born making Vulcan hands.
• I often contemplate the merits of a Hogwarts education.
• I got my PhD in Electrical Engineering with a research focus in Computational Neuroscience.
• I am a Wizard, Jedi, [?], XMan, Baker Street Irregular, Companion, Browncoat, Starfleet Officer, Dread Pirate, Walker, Wizard, GEEK.
• Ich bin ein aussenseiter :) ["geek" in German]
• I'm geeky enough for me.
• I teach robotics to kids, make my own cosplays, and I work as a professional NPC at my local comic book store. (And I watch lots of geek TV shows.)
• I was born pulling things apart & putting them back together. Now I do science on a boat. #geekforlife
• Write fanfiction. Do cute and sexy cosplay... BE YOURSELF. Do what you want.
• I can be a ballerina AND kill cylons!
• When I was six my family brought me to PAX. I loved it!
• Chem teacher told me I would never make a good SCIENTIST. I start my PhD in Biology in September.
• I said I liked Illusion of Gaia. He asked me how many red jewels the game contained.
• Don't worry of you haven't read, watched and played everything. With [?] time you will explore!
• In high school and university, guys were shocked that I played video games and read sci fi/fantasy books.
• I am a geek! YAY!
• Geek girls are awesome and we are not going away. / Deal with it.

[roll credits]

GEEK GIRL CON III

So not only are the lyrics awesome, but those signs are fantastic. This song will definitely be going into the iPod playlist I will make for the upcoming GEEK GIRL CON coming up in October. Because I am so going this year, and OMG am I excited about it. The schedule is going to be posted (IIRC) on the 15th. Christina Blanch, who taught the amazing MOOC Gender Through Comic Books is presenting there, so I'm super-stoked for that and looking forward to meeting her. I'm a little sad that it's only a 2-day convention, because I have way more geeky clothing than I can wear in just a couple of days. :/ (On Twitter, I'd think that has to be tagged with #geekgirlproblems, dont you?) The Skirt of Awesome for sure, but how will I narrow it down? *dramatic hand to forehead*

Another guest I know will be there, for the second consecutive year, is Mike Madrid, author of The Supergirls: Fashion, feminism, fantasy and the history of comic book heroines, and the forthcoming title Divas, Dames and Daredevils: Lost heroines of Golden Age comics. I'll definitely have to take my copy of The Supergirls for him to sign.

KICKSTARTER PROJECTS

And one more thing (actually 2) before I go play with my action figures. Jill Thompson is about to finish up her Kickstarter to make a Scary Godmother doll. It's gorgeous, and I want one desperately, and there's only a few days left, so go pledge! The other Kickstarter that I want to urge your backing of is for Charles Dowd's Lilith Dark graphic novel. He wrote Lilith Dark for his daughter, when he saw the serious dearth of comics for kids and for girls especially. This is a heroine our girls (and boys, too!) need to read about! Check out his project and see if you don't agree that it's pretty fantastic.

Gathering of Geek Grrls

This year, I was unable to attend Geek Girl Con, in Seattle, Washington. It happened the weekend before my daughter started high school as an incoming freshman, and though I desperately wanted to attend, I just couldn't. The 2013 con is scheduled in October, and when I mentioned it to my husband, he asked if I wanted to go. (DUH!) Then he said something surprising -- he asked if I wanted to go alone, or if I wanted my daughter and him to go with me. I didn't have to consider that for long; of course, I'd love them to go with me!

The con's motto is "The Celebration of the Female Geek." He and I have had some spirited discussions about male/female relations, roles, and women in pop culture. He probably sees me as being a little rabid about some things, and I see him as a bit clueless (but it's not his fault, because as a non-female, he can't truly understand my POV). That he is willing, in fact kinda volunteering, to go to this particular con with me shows me that I really married a great guy.

The Kid won't be as excited, probably. Cons are noisy and crowded, and she's autistic. But the hotel will likely have a pool (don't they all?) and if she can't take it anymore (or if he can't), they can always go hang out in the pool. And she loves to fly, so at least she'll get to do that.

So I'm jazzed on a couple of levels. Getting to attend a con with like-minded people, with minimal BS about being a fake, is awesome. Plus I hope that he can gain some insight into some of the things I'm all ranty about. And it'll be a family vacation like I wanted to take this summer that never materialized... *sigh* ANYway, there's all kinds of excellent reasons to attend, and the biggest drawbacks I see are that we'll have to board the pup and The Kid will miss a day of school.

I just have to wait 10 months and 9 days... :(