Pretty sure I’ve been a geek as long as I can remember, but I really didn’t even know about the idea of being a geek till later on in life. I grew up in the deep South also known as Alabama with my younger (1 year 364 days younger) brother. I grew up playing with Ninja Turtles, Transformers, and various other toys setting up large battle scenes and battling out alone or with friends.
The brother and I were both gamers as we started off pretty young in the early 80’s with our first system being the Atari 2600. Yes, we had the dreaded E.T. game among other fun games that our parents already had or bought for us. Eventually we had a NES, Turbografx-16, SNES, Sega Genesis, and many more after that.
Sometime in grade school I spent a week at Space Camp which was amazing and I wish I was able to go back now as an adult. By the time I was in junior high (7-8th grade) I was hanging out with people who were into video games, comics, and other stuff. I think by the time I was in high school is when I started to identify as a geek/nerd or whatever people were calling us while we played Magic the Gathering in classrooms before classes started. Even my work in art classes showed my geeky tendencies as I did several Star Wars related projects. During college I spent free time between classes at the local arcade when I wasn’t busy working on my art and design. College is where my geek expanded into design and photography which I’m able to use in everyday life. Before moving to Seattle in 2010, I’d also gone to several cons. I once cosplayed as Leatherface at one and was made fun of by Bruce Campbell, which was awesome.
Now living in Seattle I’ve been able to meet so many other geeks that are passionate about all kinds of things. I’ve been to many events, cons, concerts that have all been geeky in different ways. It’s been awesome so far and I’m looking towards the future.
Two years ago this month, in February 2012, a website launched that would change the author’s life, and emotionally affect countless others across the globe.
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Gavin Aung Than worked as a graphic designer for nearly a decade before taking the plunge to quit his job in pursuit of his passion. His entire life, he’d expressed himself and concepts that resonated with him through sketches. Inspired by the lives of his heroes – dozens of people, from politicians to playwrights – he left the corporate world to launch his personal comic website, Zen Pencils.
Photo courtesy of Gavin Aung Than
Zen Pencils combines famous quotes and Aung Than’s visual artistry. Thanks to a classic comic book page structure with his own unique style, beloved words of wisdom unfold over the tapestry of his images. New life is breathed into the messages, fresh interpretations come alive, and previously unnoticed implications shine through each panel.
Photo courtesy of Gavin Aung Than
Picture a young couple’s breakup set to declarations by Albert Camus. Or Neil Gaiman’s advice carried out by a hospitalized child. Or depictions of a female wrestler paired with truths uttered by Marie Curie.
Absorbing Aung Than’s work is often rejuvenating and downright tear-jerking. It’s not only the worlds he creates that are inspiring, either; Aung Than’s own story has become an incredible tale of bravery and success. On December 18, 2013, he wrote on the Zen Pencils blog, “I am very glad to say that I am now making a full-time living purely from Zen Pencils. My income comes from the selling of the prints at Society 6, poster royalties, advertising on the site, and recently the limited edition T-shirts. It’s hard to believe that the big dream I had when I quit my job two years ago has actually come to fruition.”
Aung Than has also recently announced that he has signed a book deal, and a collection of his comics will be released in the second half of 2014. Due to intentionally identifying his passion, practicing it consistently, using it to bring joy to others, and decidedly devoting his life to it, Aung Than is a hero of an artist. He is living his art and making his art his living. Just check out these drawings of his own experiences alongside the counsel of Ira Glass!
Photo courtesy of Gavin Aung Than
It’s always fascinating to me to learn about people who’ve paved their own paths into self-defined success. Aung Than is proof that diving into your dreams is far better than staying in a safe and soul-stunting life, and I hope that his work continues to motivate others around the world.
Who are some of your heroes who’ve struck a fulfilling work-life balance? Where do you find inspiration to reach your goals?
Ask almost anyone these days to list ten things they’d struggle to live without, and you can bet that most would mention the internet. Provider of wondrous cat videos, pictures of all your favorite people, and maps that know where you are before you do, it’s a not-so-imaginary friend you can keep inside your pocket.
When we GeekGirlCon staff members aren’t out at an exciting event or watching the latest Dr. Who episode, we love to use the interwebz to keep up on feminist news and discussions! This month, the staff was asked to speak about their favorite feminist websites, and they were eager to dish.
President of the Board and Twitter Administrator Kristine Hassell answered, “In my role as Twitter Administrator for GeekGirlCon, I have an ample folder of bookmarked sites that I visit during the week to find interesting content for our tweeps. I will always have mad love for Jezebel, but I’ve realized more and more, I’ve enjoyed reading other sites with a different focus. Two that spring to mind quickly are Reappropriate and Racialicious. As a WoC, they get much of my love.”
Adrienne Roehrich, Vice President of the Board and Manager of Editorial Services, stated, “My favorite feminist website isn’t really a website, it’s a podcast called ‘Citizen Radio.’ They have a website where you can subscribe to the show, all the social media of the hosts, Allison Kilkenny and Jamie Kilstein, and participate on discussion boards. The show is actually a progressive political news comedy radio show and doesn’t focus solely on feminism. However, more and more in social justice, you cannot focus on a single thing – this leads to imbalance. By focusing on the intersectionality of social justice movements, Citizen Radio covers many of the feminist news items that I also hear covered in other circles, but they add commentary on how race or gender-rights or body size or mental health issues are also affected by the story. This expands my understanding of the situation and has definitely grown my own understanding of social justice. They aren’t my only source, of course. There’s so many great feminists and feminist websites, but they are my favorite.”
Manager of Programming Alison Kozar replied, “I’m really fond of tumblr. Your experience there is really what you make of it, but the wide abundance of blogs and thinkers on the site make it easy to mix and match fandom, art, and feminism. Some examples include medievalpoc, which examines the erasure of people of color from classical art education. The scholar running this blog frequently posts uncropped artwork showing faces and figures of non-white people that have been cropped out of the textbooks, but also takes on the broader topic of POC representation in modern media from time to time.
“Gradient Lair is another of my favorites: Trudy writes regularly on topics ranging from the intersections of sexuality and race, and street harassment, to analysis of music (like Beyonce’s recent visual album,) and television (I’ve really enjoyed her posts on Scandal.)
The Internal Acceptance Movement advocates self-acceptance, body positivity, recovery, and the acceptance of all people, regardless of what they look like, who they identify as, what they have been through, and where they come from. This blog isn’t just about feeling good; while it’s definitely an uplifting place, I find most postings also cause me to step back and re-examine myself, my worldview, and my interactions with others.”
As a copy writer for GeekGirlCon, I enjoy keeping up on feminist undercurrents via the witty and well-written The Mary Sue. There I can find bite-sized articles on geeky fashion, shows, often featuring a feminist point of view. Though the posts aren’t as frequent, my other favorite go-to site is Feminist Frequency. I had the honor of briefly meeting its creator and media critic Anita Sarkeesian at GeekGirlCon ‘13, and always come away from her videos with a sharpened perspective on the treatment of women in pop culture. I highly recommend both (and all of the above!) sites to anyone wanting to know more about feminism and the world at large.
Written by Brittany Matter, zulily.com Copywriter that moonlights as a Comic Book Script Editor
The Professional title on my badge for ECCC created a sense of reality in a fantasy environment.
In the sixth grade, circa 1997, I noticed a billboard on the way home from school promoting the new TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sarah Michelle Gellar. My first thought was, “How dare they turn a classic film into a TV show.” But this wasn’t the moment I realized I was a geek.
The moment came four years later in Ceramics class during freshman year of high school. My classmate asked me how my Tuesday night was, and as I had become an avid fan of the series, I recounted the most recently aired episode to her.
At the end of my fervor, she laughed at me and called me a geek. Since it was said with an insulting connotation, it was apparent that being a geek was something to be ashamed of. My next thought was to never mention my love of Star Trek the Next Generation.
During my journey through high school, my mom supported my passion for the show by taking me to the salon to get my haircut like Buffy, and gifting me cross pendant necklaces and vampire-slaying boots. I then realized I didn’t care what people thought of me.
“I like what I like and they can suck it up and deal with it,” was the attitude I embodied. Bullying can cause conformity, and my love of Buffy and all things geek were more important than fitting in. Although I still felt isolated.
It wasn’t until I signed up for a college-level comic book course in 2007 co-lead byJennifer K. Stuller that I discovered I wasn’t alone. After completing this intro to comics, interning with Fantagraphics Books and Image Comics, attending numerous Comic Cons and leading a panel at the first GeekGirlCon in 2011 (featuring panelists, and a few of my girl heroes, Trina Robbins and Jen Stuller) I realized I wasn’t an outcast. I had found others who shared my interests and introduced me to a whole world I didn’t know existed.
Setting up the Image Comics booth at SDCC 2011, I took a break with the bulked-up Batman.
The wall of Buffy was a part of Dark Horse Comics’s booth. I adored these covers from the comics.
So often we feel alone, like the world is against us and no one will understand, but it is just the opposite.
Geeking out with Gollum.
Geeks, and their supporters, are the most accepting people I’ve ever met. And the beauty of being a geek is that there isn’t any one type, illustrated by a quote from the Class Protector herself, Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
“My Dorothy Hamill phase. My room in LA was pretty much a shrine. Dorothy dolls, Dorothy posters. I even got the Dorothy haircut, thereby securing a place for myself in the Geek Hall of Fame.”
“Dear Diary: Tonight I’m sneaking off to the abandoned taffy factory to look for treasure. Also, if boys had uteruses, they’d be called duderuses.”
If that’s not a perfect snapshot of Tina Belcher’s personality, I don’t know what is.
The cartoon TV show Bob’s Burgers features the antics of a family trying to keep their hamburger joint afloat while dealing with nosy neighbors, unpredictable customers, and each of their own idiosyncrasies. Restaurant owners Bob and Linda are a married couple with three children, of which Tina is the oldest. Each character is has a very distinct, engaging personality, and Tina stands out to me as she is simultaneously nerdy, boy-crazy, and confident. In other words, I would love to be her friend!
As far as geekiness goes, Tina’s interests say it all. She adores horses, enjoys writing, and, in her own words, has “a complicated relationship with zombies.” After dreaming about them lustily, she explains, “They’re dangerous, but I love their swagger.” At age fourteen, a burgeoning sex drive is normal, but hers veers toward the macabre and fantastical, with comical effect. She spends hours penning “erotic friend fiction” and concocting plans to win over her crush, Jimmy Pesto, Jr. The fact that the apple of her eye is an awkward amateur magician should come as no surprise!
Tina also wears the signature accessory of a classic cartoon nerd: thick black glasses. Even though she pairs them with a bob haircut, Converse shoes, knee-high socks, short skirt, and crewneck shirt — an ensemble that’d actually be considered attractive these days — she manages to make the combination look downright dorky. This certainly doesn’t do her any favors in the love department, but as an independent spirit, she sticks with it. Thanks also to her monotone voice — actually that of a male actor — the boys she drools over rarely give her a second glance, but you can bet that in five to ten years, guys will be appreciating her unique charm and feisty sense of self.
While some may think that Tina’s frequent focus on boys and their butts is a sign of emotional weakness, I see it as the opposite. She totally owns her feelings and openly explores them. In fact, one of her most famous lines from the entire series thus far is quite the victory cry for ladies of all ages. “I’m sick of acting like a dumb, helpless girl just so a hot boy who dances his feelings will notice me,” she declares. “That’s not who I am. I’m a smart, strong, sensual woman.”
With her own amazing dance moves, deadpan honesty, uncompromised passions, and clear love for her family, Tina is a strong female character anyone could admire. The fact that she’s this bold while in her early teenage years also allows her to be a role model of sorts for young fans of the show. Thanks to her mix of humility and confidence, even her shortcomings and mistakes add up to someone surprisingly relatable and adorably quirky. I think we all would do well to express our interests and individuality as well as her!
My only issue with selfie is that it’s a bit too cutesy for my taste, and that renders me completely unwilling to hashtag my own online self-portraits with it. Perhaps it will grow on me though; after all, if Hillary Clinton can drop it in a joke-text, it must be worth using!
Another word carefully considered, believe it or not, was twerk. If you haven’t heard this term yet, congratulations, because you’ve been spared some painfully awkward pop culture moments and raging debates. At the same time, learning about the dance move Miley Cyrus is obsessed with is quite imperative, as it’s sparked discussions of cultural appropriation and celebrities’ varying definitions of feminism. Those topics are complex enough to spawn entire books of their own, so I won’t dive into my full thoughts here, but suffice it to say that the term itself became a spearhead of conversation, and I therefore agree that formally recognizing it is important.
The third linguistic concept that caught my attention in the Oxford Dictionaries list is binge-watch, meaning “to watch multiple episodes of a television programme in rapid succession”. No doubt the popularity spikes of Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and more have contributed to this common activity — I know I’ve been guilty of gorging myself on everything from funny cat videos to Doctor Who episodes before, and I don’t even own a TV set.
And there’s the tie between these three trending words, I believe: the internet. Without Instagram, would “selfie” have been deemed the word of the year? How did you first hear about twerking? I’d wager that many people read about it online before they ever heard the word used nonchalantly in person. Finally, how much of the world now binge-watches shows thanks to a wifi connection rather than cable?
Oh, the all-mighty internet. I’m curious to see what words we all learn over the next twelve months that we’ve yet to hear, whether IRL or on the interwebz. After all, imagine hearing this sentence ten years ago: “After binge-watching music videos online all day, I learned to twerk, but it’s impossible to take a selfie of it!” Yeah, I would’ve been scratching my head there too.
Are there any terms on this year’s list you don’t think should be official words? How do you feel about the way slang evolves into formal language?
The day after GeekGirlCon ‘13 ended, I was gushing about the weekend to my pal Erin when she told me something insanely cool. Erin works at a comic book shop called Zanadu, located in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle where we both live. In the weeks leading up to GeekGirlCon ‘13, she and I often discussed its programming, mission statement, and inclusive community. Erin had unfortunately been unable to take the weekend off of work to attend the convention, and listened to my experiences with incredible patience and encouragement. She then had some news of her own to report about those two fantastic days in October.
“I have never seen so many girls visit the shop before. More females swung in on Saturday alone than we typically see in a week. It was crazy! It felt like everyone from the Con came down to shop, we were so packed.”
Free Comic Book Day 2013 at Zanadu Comics
I was floored. I knew that the beloved event would likely drive a few people to where the store resides at 3rd Ave and Virginia Street, but I had no idea that many would seek out this magical place. To say we were both amped about it would be a crazy understatement. Geeks unite!
By now we all know how important it is to support our local bookstores in the face of strictly-online retailers, and to frequent our neighborhood coffee shops so they’re not swallowed up by chains. Record Store Day has grown from a grassroots organization to a monumental can’t-miss celebration for vinyl fans, musicians, and music stores. Look at the difference one shopping day can make!
But what about other locally-owned specialty shops like comic book stores? Free Comic Book Day — the first Saturday of each May — definitely helps drum up business, but since the main lure is free material, many comic-sellers still struggle. While these stores may seem like great places to window shop, just ogling over their wares doesn’t help keep their doors open.
Of course there are times when you’re searching for a gift for someone picky, or only out to buy a specific issue of your favorite series. If nothing looks fitting for your friend or the store is fresh out of your sought-after novella, it’s naturally tempting to simply take off.
But you wouldn’t walk into a coffee shop, hop onto its wifi for an hour, use its restroom, and walk out without ever buying a cup of joe, right? Right. No one is obligated to purchase something just for entering a store (we’d all be permanently broke if that was the case), but keep in mind that these types of shops often have tons of small treasures costing only a couple bucks. The last time I hit Zanadu, just before I skedaddled I noticed a bin of small buttons, dug out one sporting Leatherhead, and left a happy customer after dropping under three dollars. When I realized this was less than the latte I’d been carrying around, and that the shops like these don’t usually have tip jars, it hit me how important every sale must be for them.
Leatherhead Magnet
Even with the internet endlessly selling us stuff, we can never imagine how many comic books are out there waiting to be read. To me, coming face to physical face with the books I’m browsing is much more adventurous. There’s an extra-exciting air around unintentionally stumbling upon your next favorite book, or a series that changes your entire worldview, or a superheroine t-shirt that another geek on the street may call out, thus beginning an awesome new friendship.
It’s all too easy to just click away at a computer and pick up whatever’s trending online that week. Navigating through tangible, amazing-smelling paper — with your hands and nose and everything — is a thrill no one can deny. So let’s keep supporting our local shops, whether they’re selling consigned comic books, mod antiques, novelty toys, or whatever geeky treat Target is missing.
Golden Age Collectibles in Pike Place Market
In fact, almost any small business these days requires such grit and devotion to stay alive, it must be run by geeks. Think also about all the people employed by these unique stores — chances are that if you identify as a geek, you know (or are) one of them. Just look at the magic GeekGirlCon ‘13 helped spark for one Seattle shop. Geekery begets geekery! Let’s get out there and show these businesses some monetary lovin’.
While we’re celebrating grassroots endeavors, don’t forget to include GeekGirlCon ‘14 — pick up your passes today!
Lady Eboshi stands with her workers. Photo source.
When you really think about it, Lady Eboshi is the original source of every awful thing that happens in the anime movie Princess Mononoke. She is also just as fascinating and fierce as the main female character, however, and I can’t help but admire her for it.
Trying to summarize this multifaceted, larger-than-life film is tough, but it begins with a classic (wo)man-against-nature conflict narrative. On a quest for riches, Lady Eboshi builds Irontown, a settlement entirely dedicated to producing iron. To make room and materials for this colossal factory, she clear-cuts acres and acres worth of the surrounding woods, enraging the forest gods within.
All hell breaks loose when Nago, an esteemed warrior warthog god, gets a ball of iron lodged in his body, infecting him with evil. He begins attacking and killing everything in sight, completely driven by hateful demons. In order to stop the murder of nature and bring balance back to the earth, Lady Eboshi’s work must be eliminated.
So why would I dare call such a trouble-starter a strong female character? She’s much more than a run-of-the-mill bad guy. This woman extensively traveled across countries to recruit workers who had been rejected by the general populace. Her main work forces were lepers shunned by society, and prostitutes who’d never had another professional choice before.
She obviously uses these people’s skills and strengths to her own advantage, but she is downright good to them, too. Providing ample food, warm homes, and a genuinely caring community, she helps them heal both physically and emotionally. Many were alone and penniless when she met them, and most would have never escaped miserable lives if not for her. Every citizen not only reveres her, but willingly goes to war in order to protect her and the city they’ve built. When the women insist on defending her, she even has rifles designed specifically for them to learn and use!
When it comes to her relationship with leading lady San — aka Princess Mononoke — you could say it’s a bit strained. San has sworn to kill Eboshi, as she was raised by wolves in the woodlands being destroyed. In this battle, though, Eboshi is mostly trying to protect her assets and stay alive, not assassinate San out of pure evil. Constantly combating over their passions — iron versus earth, spirits versus humans — they definitely pass the Bechdel Test!
I won’t ruin the flick for those who haven’t yet seen it (because, do! Go see it! You’ll be doing yourself a huge favor!), but suffice it to say, somewhere along the way, Lady Eboshi has a change of heart. As if she wasn’t enough of a badass already, she becomes a dynamic character in the story, growing as a person and changing the fate of everyone around her.
While San will always be the star to root for, Lady Eboshi is absolutely brilliant, protective, and driven, making her one of my all-time favorite strong female characters.
Guest post by Chemjobber (who was also one of the scientists in our hugely popular DIY Science Zone at GeekGirlCon ’13!)
Confessions of a Sneaky Geek
My family did not support television as a regular habit. Nights were for studying and for quiet reading. Because I am a sneaky sort, I figured out that I could watch television when my parents were away. Of all the things I could choose to watch, what did I happen upon Saturday nights at eight? Star Trek: The Next Generation, of course. I think that’s when my geekdom was cemented.
My memories of truly geeky 90s television are combined with the memories of listening for the sounds of the garage door creaking open, so that I could turn off the television and race upstairs to my room. Through my surreptitious TV watching, I was able to watch enough TNG episodes to learn to thrill to the sound of Majel Barrett’s voice saying “And now, the conclusion.” Secretly, I watched Agents Mulder and Scully chase a truck carrying an E.B.E. After that, I was really hooked. (One of my favorite teenage memories is sneaking downstairs late at night to watch TV. While I soon figured out that Lorenzo Lamas wasn’t a very good actor, I am proud to say that I started watching Highlander during its earlier seasons.)
When my parents moved me to college with my own computer and without my own television, I think they did not realize how much they were enabling my further move into science fiction geekdom. Routine access to the Internet (and USENET groups) were a great reminder that I wasn’t alone in being a total science fiction nerd. I have strong memories of reading a highly recommended X-Files fanfic until very, very late and immediately e-mailing the author and telling her what a powerful story it was.
Amidst all the classes, time in the research lab and bombing exams, I managed to make time to watch every single episode of Deep Space Nine—on someone else’s television, of course. When I graduated and moved to my first job, I had my own television (finally!) and was able to indulge my full geekiness, including multiple rewatchings of The Wrath of Khan and catching up on all the episodes of DS9 that I missed the first time around. I was also casting about for a replacement for that show, which I don’t think I ever really managed.
Since the end of Deep Space Nine, I confess that my geekdom has gone a bit fallow. In the meantime, I got married, managed to finish graduate school, and found work as a scientist. Between then and now, I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to consume science fiction and participate in geek culture as much as I’d like. Sure, there are the lost two hours here and there to Memory Alpha or Wookieepedia—who doesn’t want to know exactly what happened to Jacen Solo? And, of course, I’ve read every single novel in John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series five times over.
But now that I have a tiny bit of spare time, I feel my geekdom coming back to me. Going to GeekGirlCon was rather a wonderful refresher in what I’ve missed in the years where my inner geek has been dormant. There’s a over a decade’s worth of science fiction and fantasy to catch up, not to mention all the webcomics I’ve missed.
Finally, now that I have two small children, I look forward to the day when they will have their own geeky pursuits. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll let them watch a little TV with me.
So you’ve finally showered, caught up on sleep, and found places to display all the swag you picked up at GeekGirlCon ‘13. That means it’s time to get ready for GeekGirlCon ‘14!
That’s right—passes are on sale now for next year’s big event on October 11 and 12, 2014. Join us as we infiltrate and celebrate at the same bat-girl place as this year, the Conference Center at the Washington State Convention Center. Buyers beware: this year’s convention sold out (!!!), so act fast and buy your passes now! Take advantage of our early-bird prices of $35 for a two-day pass, or $20 for a one-day pass. Passes for kids ages 5 to 12 are only $10 for the weekend, while children under 5 are free! Check out Brown Paper Tickets for your pass to paradise!
Want to contribute your mind and muscles to GeekGirlCon ‘14 as a volunteer? Sign up to receive information on when the official application comes out. Each year’s awesomeness would simply not happen without our amazing Agents!
Is there something specific you’d love to see or experience at next year’s Con? Have a suggestion for making it go smoother? Just want to love on us for a minute? Take the GeekGirlCon ‘13 survey to make your voice heard.
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