Many geeks are gaga for Sherlock, but I’m here with a shout-out to the other modern-day TV adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes books, CBS’s Elementary.
For me, the core appeal of the show is not the sleuthing—the mysteries can be a bit lackluster—but the relationship between Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) and Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), and the character of Watson herself. Lucy Liu’s casting caused concern in fan circles, for some because they favored ‘traditional’ (ie. white male) casting; for others because they thought that making Watson female meant the showrunners planned to reduce her to a love interest or caretaker.
For folks in the second group, just one or two episodes should set their minds at ease.
Just to get the main drawbacks out of the way: as in all Holmes adaptations, Watson is defined by her relationship to the title character. The show also suffers from a lack of other female characters for Joan to interact with. But she herself is the most dynamic and interesting Watson I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a lot of Watsons), and she elevates the whole show.
Anita Sarkeesian, creator of pop-culture analysis webseries Feminist Frequency, joined us in the very first panel at GeekGirlCon ‘14 to talk about her work, her inspirations, and the pressures of being a high-profile feminist on the internet. For those keeping track at home, this was her fourth time at GeekGirlCon–she’s been with us every year since the very beginning, and we thank her for being such a strong supporter!
GeekGirlCon’s very own Gaming Events Coordinator, Andy Munich, will be charging into battle on October 26 to raise money for Seattle Children’s Hospital in a gaming marathon with Extra Life.
GeekGirlCon staffers rocking the punk Sailor Moon look.
It’s been an amazing day here at GeekGirlCon ‘14! I had so much fun playing “spot the cosplay,” especially with the sheer number of character remixes and cross-plays gracing our convention floor. A special shout-out goes to the Welcome to Night Vale fan who floated their Glow Cloud around all day long, and the baby dancing Groot everyone was buzzing about.
We know you like to show your GeekGirlCon pride all year round, so come check out our Merchandise Booth in the exhibitor hall (Booth 300), where we’ll have a ton of awesome goodies at great prices.
T-shirt ($15)
Shirts sporting this year’s GeekGirl Power logo are available in Youth sizes S-L, Basic S-5XL, and Fitted S-XL.
Tumbler ($8)
16oz travel mug. Microwave and dishwasher safe.
Tote ($12)
Sturdy, roomy zippered tote bag.
We’ll also have available:
Button ($.50, or $2 for a 5-button set)
Dice bag ($8)
Notebook ($10)
Hoodie ($25) (Pullover-style, basic sizes only)
Bonus deals!
Spend $40 or more on our merchandise for a free GeekGirlCon D6, or at least $80 for a full dice set.
GeekGirlCon is excited to announce the presence of featured contributor Susan Eisenberg at GeekGirlCon ‘14. Ms. Eisenberg is the voice of Wonder Woman on the Justice League animated series, and a nerdy role model. Her other geeky voice-acting credits include The Super Hero Squad (Power Princess), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Shaak-Ti), Jak II (Ashelin), Daxter (Taryn), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Mass Effect 3, and Destiny.
And this year we’re lucky enough to have her join us for several of the con’s highlights!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve given you teasers of the fun we have planned for GeekGirlCon ‘14. You’ve heard about exhibitors and artists, about panels on diversity, cosplay, writing, and comics, and about our fabulous GeekGirlCONcert.
Finally the full line-up is here!
Take a look around our brand new website for the full schedule and details on: panels and workshops; free-play gaming; gaming tournaments; networking and career advice with GeekGirlConnections; and much more!
From Orphan Black to Doctor Who to the Young Avengers, queer characters have been popping up more and more in genre media, and at GeekGirlCon ‘14 there’ll be many ways to celebrate, critique, and discuss your favorites and your not-so-favorites.
Doctor Who’s Madame Vastra and Jenny Image source: Frontiers LA
For decades, fans kept the queer flames burning with little ‘canon’ support by bringing the subtext to the surface and pouring their creativity into works like fanfiction and fan art. Mainstream publishers, studios, and networks are finally catching on, sometimes to positive effect, and sometimes in cynical ways. Join us in “21st Century Boys: Slash in the Mainstream!” to discuss both sides of this coin and explore the future of queer fandom.
“Queerbaiting in Genre Television: Representation or Exploitation?” will look at what happens when creators clue in that fans want to see queer representation but don’t fully commit. When queer characters were few and far between, fans were happy to clutch at any straw of subtext; in an era of increasing LGBT acceptance, is all representation good representation, or is subtext no longer enough?
Of course, LGBTQ creators don’t have to wait for other people to represent them. Queer authors have been writing fabulous speculative fiction for decades, and in “Gaylaxy Quest: Exploring Queer Fantasy and Science Fiction” co-hosts Gay City Health Project, Queer Geek, and Gay Romance Northwest bring you a whole panel of them.
Malinda Lo’s Huntress, a fantasy YA novel in a Chinese-influenced setting. Image source: MalindaLo.com
Fans of Yaoi (Boys’ Love) and Yuri (Girls’ Love) anime and manga will find plenty of interest in “Is The Seme Always Taller?” Panelists will cover the history, themes, sexual roles, and social impact of the genre.
As always, GeekGirlCon ‘14 has some more general diversity panels that touch on queer issues as part of their discussion. “Why Isn’t Bilbo a Girl? Talking to Kids About Media Representation” will help navigate what to do when kids ask, “Where are the characters like me?” while “Diversity in Young Adult Fiction” shines a spotlight on the lack of LGBTQ and people of color protagonists in YA novel–and what we can do about it.
Finally, if all those panels have only whetted your appetite for more queer fiction, you can stop by the tables of queer publishers Blind Eye Books and Northwest Press in our exhibitor hall.
I’ve had a really rough year. Last August, I was laid off by the company I’d worked for for nearly eight years; by December I was in the deepest period of depression I’ve ever experienced; and in January I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
My chemo treatments ended in May, and I’m now (as far as they can tell) cancer-free, but what people don’t tell you about having cancer is that after treatment is over, it’s really hard to get back into the swing of “normal life.” For one thing, you’re not the same person you were before the diagnosis. You might have body issues you never used to have, or the things you cared about before might seem small in comparison to what you just went through. You might drift apart from friends and become very isolated. In my case, a big part of my normal life–the comfy game writing job I’d had for years–no longer existed.
Depression after cancer is a thing, and more people are beginning to write about their experiences with it, such as this heartbreaking article by Lauren Szcudlo for Gawker. (Content note: frank discussion of depression, and NSFW language.)
I’ve struggled with depression throughout my life, and I knew that if I did nothing I’d end up in a deeper hole than ever.
There’s a list of things I know I can do to make myself feel like I’ve accomplished something, to make myself feel better both physically and mentally: the physical therapy exercises I started after surgery; remembering to take my meds every day; going to bed at a reasonable hour; working on my personal writing projects; volunteering for something I feel passionate about (GeekGirlCon). The problem is, in the throes of depression, these things feel like an impossible chore.
