In honor of National Coming Out Day, I thought I’d date myself by sharing some of my favorite queer comics.
I came out in 1995 in Minneapolis, an earnest young bi-dyke feminist, with the requisite shaved head and combat boots (did I mention it was the 90s?). I was lucky enough to have a community of feminist and queer friends to come out into, who offered their support and introduced me to queer culture. We drove eight hours just to see Ani DiFranco perform, we held kiss-in protests in front of a known skinhead house, and we made zines protesting hegemonic standards of beauty. In short, it was a pretty radical time to be a young queer.
Amazon Bookstore (no, not that Amazon, this was before the giant corporate website) was a huge influence on me. It was the local feminist bookstore. It was the place where I bought books by Audre Lorde, Robyn Ochs, and Leslie Feinberg. It was the place where I sheepishly glanced at the “adult” products in the case in the back, and then ran away to the safety of the magazine rack, where Bitch Magazine was just getting started. And it’s where I discovered queer comics.
Yes, this is actually what the storefront looked like! From Dykes to Watch Out For, by Alison Bechdel
Dykes to Watch Out For, by Alison Bechdel (yes, that Bechdel), was among my first loves. Featuring an incredibly diverse ensemble of characters, the stories often paralleled my own life, and would continue to do so over the years. Plus! The bookstore in the strip, Madwimmin Books, was based off of—you guessed it!—Minneapolis’ own Amazon Bookstore. Which made me feel pretty chuffed, as a Minnesotan.
Hothead Paisan, by Diane Dimassa
In a less realistic vein, the righteous rage of Hothead Paisan stoked my own fires of political passion. Not for the faint of heart, Diane DiMassa’s creation is heavy on the violent fantasies (which is, y’know, sometimes a side effect of being violently oppressed) and scathing social commentary. Many’s the time I would think “damn, if only Hothead were real” when someone shouted homophobic slurs at my friends and I as we walked down the street. And I personally know more than one dyke out there with a tattoo of Hothead’s beloved cat, Chicken.
Flaming Iguanas, by Erika Lopez
An openly bisexual woman, Erika Lopez was a big favorite of mine. Her loose memoir-style comic novels about Tomato Rodriguez’s deeds of derring-do captivated me, and I loved her brash, unapologetic style. Her book Flaming Iguanas sparked in me the love of road trips and the idea that I could do whatever the hell I wanted.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I’m sure there are plenty of 90s-era queer comics artists that I’m missing. And I have to say: this little trip down memory lane has made me realize that there’s a vast world of queer comics out there now that I have yet to explore, so share your favorite past and current comics in the comments!
Last August, when my GeekGirlCon Star Wars panel explored the fairy tale archetypes of princesses and witches that are prominent in the galaxy far, far away, I had no idea what was about to unfold two months later. The Disney purchase of Lucasfilm coincided with the announcement that there would be more Star Wars movies. Not just a sequel trilogy, but also new stand-alones. Almost immediately rumors swirled about a female lead protagonist for the sequel trilogy from a franchise that is often considered one for the boys. A recent Slate article by Libby Copeland revealed that Disney programs like Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First are turning on its head the entertainment industry’s notion that boys supposedly won’t watch shows about girls. It’s still too early to say what the future of Star Wars movies and media tie-in products will be, but undoubtedly this is a time when female fans are more prominent than ever.
Shea Standefer and Tricia Barr cosplaying as Jaina Solo at Celebration 6
For all the talk surrounding the lack of a female-led superhero movie or television show after the recent round of announcements from DC Comics and Marvel, it’s easy to forget that Jedi are superheroes too. That was one topic of discussion at last year’s panel. While Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games is proving that a female-led action heroine movie can draw impressive box office tallies, she is still just a girl and not a supergirl in the minds of studio executives who greenlight movies. Following up on rumors that Soairse Ronan has read for the lead role in Episode VII, Bleeding Cool commented: “Years of genre films living under a cloud on this front and Star Wars is coming back swinging with at least a pair of great leading roles for young ladies. It almost feels like a grand statement you wish nobody had to make.”
Having been a fan from 1977, I’m proof that Star Wars was never just a boys’ franchise. In 1980 the president of the Star Wars fan club was a woman, Maureen Garrett. The Star Ladies are a fan group invaluable in the running of the Star Wars conventions known as Celebration. Not to mention the simple fact that movies don’t become worldwide phenomena without engaging a broad base of fans. As a young woman I was sold from A New Hope’s opening scroll, which didn’t mention the saga’s hero but rather a princess who was “custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy.” In her first on-screen moments Princess Leia transferred the stolen plans to R2-D2 and engaged stormtroopers as a diversion for the droid’s escape. That was the moment I realized girls could be heroes too.
As a blogger covering the franchise, I see plenty of signals coming from Lucasfilm and its parent company Disney that both corporations don’t view their audience as just boys, either. IndieWire reported from the exclusive Disney event at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo that Star Wars “content presents stellar licensing opportunities and deepens Disney’s portfolio across consumer segments, particularly with boys and collectors, but also opens up the Star Wars world to new fans.” We are entering an era that will be very similar to the first return of Star Wars movies when The Phantom Menace hit screens. Old fans were reenergized and new fans were born. It was both an exciting and daunting time. Fanzines and local fan groups were replaced by message boards and chat rooms. The fan community grew exponentially and shared its passion at computer terminals. Think of how much larger and more connected internet communities are today than they were a decade ago.
The internet allowed fans to foster many new friendships, but also created greater opportunities for bullies to lash out. My fandom almost came to a screeching halt in 2003, when I had the good fortune to win the first of many fanfiction awards—and my success earned me the ire of a certain subset of the fandom called movie purists, who were not happy that stories about characters found in the Star Wars Expanded Universe books had garnered more awards than stories about the movie characters. At the time I was very naïve about gatekeeping and the dynamics of geek culture. Luckily, as I struggled with individuals who thought Star Wars only needed certain types of fans, other fans reached out. I began to form a circle of friends who shared the same passion for the books, comics, and movies, or who were willing to be open about how others enjoyed the fictional universe. Although the problem hasn’t gone away completely, the anti-bullying message is carrying the day, and female fans have many opportunities to find safe spaces to discuss the franchise and their fandom.
In 2010, after years of trying to work within the established message board environment and noting that the products coming from Star Wars licensees were being aimed more toward the men who managed and moderated these sites, I decided women needed a place to voice their opinions as fans and consumers. Having already created a small message board community that promoted respectful discussion, I dove into the world of blogging and started advocating for female fans and the stories they wanted told. The success of my blog led to opportunities to write about Star Wars for Random House’s blog Suvudu, Action Flick Chick, Lucasfilm’s official Star Wars Blog, and the print magazine Star Wars Insider.
Both The Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni and voice actress Ashley Eckstein have personally emphasized to me that one of the most important things fans can do is to speak up and ask for what we want. Ultimately, too, fans then have to support their likes by putting their money behind their passions. Her Universe, with its line of geek merchandise, gives female fans a chance to double down on their passion—first by buying geek products, then by displaying our passion by wearing it loud and proud. Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein used the Year of the Fangirl to help foster a community for female fans.
When I considered the upcoming opportunities for new and old Star Wars fans in the next few years, GeekGirlCon seemed to be a perfect venue to help share the experience of women who had been enjoying adventures in the galaxy far, far away for some time. Our panel “Star Wars: More Than A Boys’ Franchise” will be in Room 301/302 on Sunday, October 20 at 3 p.m. If you are in the mood to share Star Wars with like-minded fans before them, Star Wars Reads Day is Saturday, October 5. For more details of events and locations check StarWars.com.
If you have questions you would like the panel to answer, feel free to leave a comment here. We’ll try to incorporate them into the panel discussion.
Tricia Barr discusses Star Wars, fandom, and strong female characters at FANgirl Blog. Her first novel, Wynde, is a military science fiction tale with a fantastical twist exploring a heroine’s journey. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com. For updates on all things FANgirl, follow @FANgirlcantina on Twitter.
Ah, shiny baubles! For those of us who like to adorn ourselves, poring over displays of jewelry, clothing, accessories, and other luscious accoutrements never gets old. In any store or at any event that features crafters and artisans, it’s the first place I gravitate to, hoping to find the next little treasure that I just can’t live without.
Unfortunately, my geeky jewelry is sadly lacking these days. In high school, I had one of those dragon’s claw necklaces (you know the ones), and a ring in the form of a snake wrapped twice around, which I pretended was my own personal Sning (this was my Piers Anthony phase).
Happily, I plan to rectify that situation at GeekGirlCon ‘13. Here’s a small sampling of some of the many jewelers and other makers of pretty things you’ll see on the 3rd floor Exhibitors Hall.
Image courtesy of Surlyramics
I love it when science-minded artists create works that are sort of sneaky. Like this pendant from SurlyRamics: it looks a bit like an abstract drawing of a flower, but wait! It’s actually a neuron! She carries plenty of other science, skeptic, and geekery designs, too, from Feynman diagrams to trilobites and robots.
Image courtesy of idolatre clothing co.
For fantasy-lovers who have maenads, faeries, unicorns, and the like on the brain, check out the fantastical creations of idolatre clothing co. Who needs the Younicorn app on your iPhone when you can have an actual unicorn horn sprouting from your head, complete with ears and a flowery headdress?!
Image courtesy of RetroPopNamu
If screenprints are more your thing, RetroPopNamu has got you covered with hoodies, t-shirts, and bags, all inspired by retro Japanese motifs. Some of their designs include octopus, squid, kitten, and dragon themes. It’s officially fall in Seattle, so I’m already coveting their cozy owl hoodie—you can never have too many hoodies, right?
Image courtesy of Tea Time, Inc.
Vendors like Tea Time Inc. and Christal Blu Creations appeal to the steampunk aesthetic, with their intricate hats, fascinators, and other apparel. With Halloween and New Year’s Eve both around the corner, you’ll find good use for items like jaunty mini top hats and saucy underbust vests. You’ll need some jewelry to go with these, of course, and Verona the Mad is just the thing, with brass filigrees, delicate gears, and colorful beads.
There’s more, including Lego-inspired jewelry, duct tape bags, and astronomy-inspired necklaces—but you’ll have to come to GeekGirlCon ‘13 to check it out!
Street harassment: at best, it’s irritating, like a buzzing fly that won’t leave you alone. At worst, it’s scary and makes you feel unsafe. Most of us have experienced it at least once, if not several dozen times. And we’re tired of it.
The good news is that women (and other folks) all over the world are putting that fed-up energy to good use. Hollaback is an international movement to end street harassment, with chapters from Argentina to Turkey, including several cities in the US.
2011 comic cover
Hollaback encourages folks to take action, and HollabackPHILLY took an innovative approach to that mission. Working with Philadelphia-based artist Erin Filson, they created an anti-street harassment comic book for use in education workshops. Fundraising to publish the comic was so successful, they’ve also been able to translate the comic into ten (!) languages and are at work on a choose-your-own-adventure computer-based comic.
According to their website, HollabackPHILLY is “on a mission to make conventions safer.” At GeekGirlCon ‘13, they will lead a panel on comics for social good, culture jamming, and a more inclusive geek culture. They’ll talk about some simple ways for you to get involved in anti-harassment efforts at cons.
By Steven Stone, co-owner of Smooches and Science Presents, former staff member for GeekGirlCon
Let’s talk video games, shall we? I have been a gamer all of my life. It’s hard to remember a time when I didn’t have a controller or keyboard in my hands. From the NES to the Genesis to the PSX to the Xbox 360, I’ve been all over the map of types and builds of consoles. Another thing I’ve been a proponent of over the past couple of years has been burlesque. I’ve been everything from a host to a prop.
Last year, I, alongside former GeekGirlCon staff member Kelly Clark, was able to help put together a burlesque show based on our love of gaming. It was called JOYstick! It was a fundraiser for GeekGirlCon, and it was a dream come true. We had a Samus Aran constructing her armor, a Psycho Mantis controlling the minds of audience members, and, most importantly, Link dancing to a Ke$ha song. Link’s act was fun, goofy, and held a special place in my heart. The Legend of Zelda has always captured my time and attention and has usually been the game series I employ to introduce friends to gaming in general. It’s able to be an innovator graphically and gameplay-wise despite always seeming to deliver a similar story. With the Link act, the audience was allowed to have fun in the moment, connecting with Link in ways they didn’t even know was possible. Something though, was missing.
Fosse Jack as Link in the original JOYstick! (Photo by Jackie Kingsbury)
Thinking back on The Legend of Zelda, the story has never been about Link, really. I mean, he’s not even worthy enough to be given space in the title! Zelda has always been the through line to me. She was the one who split the triforce apart to protect it from Ganon in the original game. She was the one who helped teenaged Link through the tougher dungeons through her alter-ego Sheik. She was the young pirate who helped Link out on the high seas when he needed it most.
To me, Zelda has always represented a different side of the helpless princess. Unlike Princess Peach, Zelda always seemed to have an understanding of what was about to occur and planned appropriately. She represented the crafty princess, aiding and, in some cases becoming, the hero when the time and circumstances called for it. Unfortunately, as Anita Sarkeesian points out, Zelda’s role eventually does revert back to being a damsel in distress, traditionally being kidnapped to begin the final act of the game she is in.
How does this relate back to burlesque? As a feminist artform, burlesque represents to me that moment when a woman (or man) is given the chance to take the main stage and capture the audience through their physical qualities and abilities. For JOYstick! Level 2, we hope to challenge some notions of the video game world. We want to showcase the heroine that Zelda is and the important part of video game lore that she represents. Princess Zelda will be given a starring role in a solo act by the ever talented Olatsa Assassin. She takes Zelda from damsel to hero in a very specific way…and you’ll just have to attend the show to find out how!
JOYstick! Level 2 is the second show dedicated to the the world of video games from producers Smooches and Science Presents. This year, beyond featuring Zelda, we hope to have fun and challenge norms. From characters that represent the misogynistic side of video games (through the jerk that is Duke Nukem) to games that we love simply because they involve rolling things onto a ball, we aim to have it all. We hope to blow minds and earn achievements.
Smooches and Science Presents will be showcasing JOYstick! Level 2 at the Columbia City Theatre on September 20 and 21. Tickets are $20 and can be found on Brown Paper Tickets.
GeekGirlCon is running a series of blog posts about strong female characters from all sorts of fiction, from books and comics to movies and TV shows. When we came across this post from Bitch Magazine writer Sarah Mirk, we knew it was the perfect addition to the series—a celebration of smart, skeptical Scully is something we can definitely get behind.
The summer between sixth and seventh grade was a long one. I was super gawky—already six feet tall, equally passionate about science and musical theater, with pants that never quite reached the ground—and I spent most of my days on the sofa, wolfing down episodes of The X-Files.
Today, the show celebrates the 20th anniversary of the day its first episode hit the air. As a tween, I couldn’t have asked for a better role model than Agent Dana Scully.
Looking back on the show, it seems extremely cheesy. Aliens, conspiracy theories, FBI agents tromping around through foggy woods—was there really a time when I thought that low-budget intro montage with the lightning plasma ball was truly awesome? But when I was 12, first defining my identity via pop culture, I really did love the show.
During that summer, I recognized my addiction and decided to limit myself: no more than three episodes ofThe X-Files a day. In the days before the internet, this meant walking every afternoon to the video store, where I could rent a VHS tape with two X-Files episodes, and then staying up late enough to watch the episode broadcast at 9pm on FX. It’s arguable that I hung out more with Dana Scully than with any real-life individual. Which is alright, actually, because Agent Dana Scully is a smart person to make my BFF. She’s the woman with all the acronyms (B.S, M.D, FBI), a brave and hard-nosed scientist who believes in justice and skepticism.
What I loved most about Agent Scully was her steely confidence. Despite her advanced science degrees, the men around Scully on The X-Files are constantly telling her she’s wrong. The plots of most episodes are built around a central, repetitive conflict: something unbelievable happens (a human is sucked dry of all blood, say), and Scully comes up with a realtively logical, science-based theory (murder) which her partner Fox Mulder immediately rolls his eyes at and dismisses, insisting that the supernatural must be at work (“IT CAN BE ONLY VAMPIRES! Unless it’s the chupacabra.”) Usually, in the end, both agents are a little right and a little wrong, but the important part is that no one can bulldoze Scully. She’s not a preachy spoil-sport, she’s written as a rational person who never fails to stand up for her ideas.
What’s rare about Scully’s character is that while she’s and the show’s male lead have some ongoing sexual tension, she’s not defined by her relationship to any of the X-Files male characters. Scully is definitely her own person, not a sidekick or a sex object or a plot device to further Mulder’s story. She’s not a damsel in distress, either, as Scully often rescues Mulder when he finds himself on the wrong end of a poison dart or nuclear submarine. Often when there’s a smart women who’s can shoot guns, arrest bad guys, and stand up for herself, she gets written as a Strong Female Character who lacks complexity and contradictions. But Agent Scully is open-minded and her science-minded personality is complicated by the fact that she’s also Catholic. Her struggles to balance her beliefs in science and Catholicism—while challenging Mulder’s zanier supernatural beliefs—develop her into a character with depth.
Finally, Scully is straight-up capable. She’s the character on the show who actually gets shit done. While Mulder chases down supernatural creatures, she’s the one who does the nitty-gritty work of dissecting them. The show never shies away from a chance to show Scully dropping a disgusting internal organ onto a medical scale, reminding viewers that Scully’s responsible for the unglamorous, practical day-to-day work that actually leads to clues and solving crimes.
The X-Files certainly didn’t get everything right. It’s monster-of-the-week formula occasionally featured distorted, stereotypical versions of African and Native American spirituality, for example, there were few main characters of color, and don’t even get me started on the worthless last few seasons of the show.
But for a young girl looking spending a summer flipping through channels, Agent Scully stood out as a realistic character who excelled in her career, expressed herself boldly, and could rock a trench coat like no other. Happy anniversary, Scully.
When visiting with Denise Crosby , you can get an autograph for $25 (on your item or one of her photos at her booth). Candid photos with Denise on your camera are free with the purchase of an autograph. $15 for a candid photo with Denise on your camera without the purchase of an autograph.
You can also see Denise at our Spotlight on Denise Crosby on Sunday at noon in room 301/302.
We’re pleased as Muskan seed punch to announce that Denise Crosby will be at GeekGirlCon ’13 this October 19 and 20!
image courtesy of Denise Crosby
Best known for her memorable role as Lt. Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Crosby has appeared in plenty of other geeky fare, with turns in Pet Sematary, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. The impact of her portrayal of Lt. Yar far outweighs the character’s tragic first-season death; Crosby as Yar has inspired countless girls and women with her strong, intelligent leadership as the head of security.
Currently co-starring in the new Showtime series Ray Donovan with Liev Schreiber, John Voight, and Elliot Gould, Crosby has kept busy with indie films The Miracle Mile and The Red Shoe Diaries as well as guest-starring in more recent shows like Mad Men and Bones.
We’ll have more details about her attendance as GeekGirlCon ‘13 draws nearer, but in the meantime, you can check her out in our upcoming TV dinner at Central Cinema, where we’ll be showing two episodes of Brisco County, Jr. including “No Man’s Land,” in which she plays the sheriff of an all-woman town.
Guest post by GeekGirlCon Manager of Gaming Alyssa Jones
World of Warcraft: 4th place at the 3v3 PvP tourney!
My journey to Geekdom is perhaps slightly different than my fellow GeekGirlCon cronies. My story is about a shy girl looking in from the outside of the Geekverse.
Although I didn’t think so at the time, my family was actually incredibly geeky throughout my adolescence. We’d watch Next Generation every Sunday, played hours of Golden Eye, and fought over who got to be Storm when we were pretending to be X-Men (I won, by the way).
But my life at home did not reflect my time at school. In kindergarten (at the not-so-far-from-infancy age of 5), my classmate informed me that Power Rangers were for babies. I was Shy Level: Hinata (extremely shy), so finding new friends didn’t really seem like an option at the time.
Observing the effects of the Void on video games at PAX 2010
As I changed schools, I adjusted by finding other, more relatable interests. But I always had my eye on that table in the back of the library where the boys were playing Magic: The Gathering, discussing their D&D characters, or going on about how to get flame arrows in Ocarina of Time (which I already knew), but I was still too shy to join in.
Eventually, I felt so disconnected from Geekdom, that I started to feel unworthy of donning the title. I didn’t (and still don’t) know how to build a great Magic deck, I watched Dragon Ball Z, but not GT, and I could never remember how many sides my attack die had. Since video games were the only medium I felt I was decent at, I turned in my Nerd Badge for a Gaming License, and was known to all as a Gamer.
Sith happens.
In my freshman year of college, I hit level 60 with my priest in World of Warcraft. At the time, I played WoW a lot (as in, “I only know the day of the week because of the raiding schedule,” a lot). My dorm R.A. actually held a mini intervention one day when I neglected to walk to the cafeteria with the rest of the dorm. Naturally, I was excited to be level cap, but I didn’t expect any of my real life friends to care.
However, the next day, I walked into the common room after class to find that my friends had planned a party to congratulate me on getting to 60. There was even a cake (not a lie)! I was shocked that they cared about that part of my life. When I asked why they had decided to throw a party, they explained that since my birthday was in the summer, this was the closest way they could celebrate the passing on to another year/level.
Having way too much fun with paint. Moon Prism POWER!
And then they said it: “You’re a geek, Lyss. This is probably better than your birthday for you anyway.” This was the first time anyone had ever labeled me as Geek. I was surprised that the people whom I had excluded from my geeky side were well aware of it. Turns out, I couldn’t contain all the geek.
They say admittance is the first step to acceptance and in my case it was true. Since that day, I’ve let myself be more open about what I love. I don’t let the fear of being a total noob ruin my chance to learn something new. Now that I’m a staff member at GeekGirlCon, I love that I get to help others find and release their inner Geek.
Fall is starting early this year in Seattle. Step out of the rain and into some great geeky activities. We’ve got literature, science, tech, feminism, comedy, music, gay, gaming, art, and animal-related events for you throughout the month of September. Be sure to warm up your geeky engine while GeekGirlCon works on bringing you our third annual convention on October 19 and 20, 2013.
From the Pacific Science Center Calendar: “The next major Pacific Northwest earthquake might be a century from now, or much sooner. At the September Queen Anne Science Café, join the Seattle Times’ Sandi Doughton (and author of Full Rip 9.0) and the Washington State Seismologist, John Vidale, Ph.D., to explore what type of earthquake we can expect in the future and how our region is preparing for the next ‘big one.'”
Wednesdays, September 4, 11, 18, 25, 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.:Girl Develop It Seattle – Intro to JavaScript at Filter Digital
From the GeekWire Calendar: “Javascript is an important language in modern web development. It gives developers a greater degree of control over web pages for creating interactive interfaces and dynamic content. In this class we will provide you with some of the basics of programming, using JavaScript to manipulate websites and the basics needed to start on the path of becoming a great web developer.”
From the GeekWire Calendar: “Children of the Atom present LEVEL UP!, a FREE weekly comedy show EVERY THURSDAY night, 7:30 PM at The Capitol Club! Expect funny stuff, nerdery, possible life lessons, dork debates, embarrassing diary entries, live action show n’ tell, almost decent sketches and consistent awkward moments provided by Seattle comedy’s finest! Plus, sometime secret guests and tons of PRIZES! Most importantly, not only can you enjoy Happy Hour specials until 8 PM, but Thursday is $1 taco and $2 Rainier/Tecate night! COMBO!! This will be the best dinner and not movie you’ve ever had!”
From the U Bookstore calendar: “Gearing up for the Sept. 14 conference “Gay Romance Northwest Meet-Up” at the Seattle Central Library, Old Growth Northwest presents a special reading event with four Washington state writers—Kade Boehme, Daisy Harris, Rick R. Reed, and Lou Sylvre. Whether they write taut thrillers or powerful romances, each author shines a spotlight on LGBT relationships and the universality of love.”
From the GeekWire Calendar: “Join the Technology Alliance Group (TAG) for Northwest Washington for a fun-filled family picnic out at Boxx Berry Farm on Sunday, September 8th. From noon until 3 pm, we will have food, fun and technology for all ages!
Enjoy hands-on displays like Bricks and Beyond’s Lego robotics, or explore farm technology displayed by Boxx Berry Farm.”
From the GeekWire Calendar: “So you have an idea for a startup? What next? Time to discuss it with someone, and get some feedback. Let us introduce you to Mentor Mondays – A collaboration between NWEN and Founder Institute Seattle. Rebecca is currently serving an interim post as the CEO of Vittana, and loves doing good work with great people who are making a difference in the world. She brings 20 years of operating, development and executive experience to the role, and was delighted to return to her native Seattle a decade ago. Here, she has served as the Director of the Alliance of Angels program, Executive Director of the Northwest Entrepreneur Network (NWEN), and most recently Chief Business Officer of GeekWire. She teaches a class on Venture Capital in the UW MBA program, and serves as a mentor at TechStars, the Founder Institute and 9 Mile Labs. In all of these capacities she has screened, coached and mentored thousands of entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on pitch coaching and match-making. She is on the employer advisory board of the UW Foster School of Business, the board of directors of NWEN, and the advisory board of LikeBright. Rebecca is a phi beta kappa graduate of Carleton College and a Dean’s Scholar, UW Foster MBA program. She is endlessly devoted to education, entrepreneurship, and karaoke.”
Tuesday, September 10, 5:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.:Women In Wireless Seattle: Career Networking Event at T-Mobile Newport 2 Cafe
From the GeekWire Calendar: “For the third year in a row, Women In Wireless is proud to host a Global Speed Networking Event where thousands of professionals around the world unite on the same day to meet, mingle and discuss current issues relevant to women in the wireless industry.”
Tuesday, September 10, 7:30 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.: Inside Art: Why Do We Make Things? Downstairs at Town Hall Seattle
From Town Hall Seattle Calendar: “This fall, Town Hall debuts a new four-event series dedicated to exploring and celebrating visual arts in Seattle. Each of the programs features some of the area’s finest creative minds in discussion with a moderator around a topic designed to illuminate how art reflects—and defines—us. This inaugural program features artist Marita Dingus (who donated her mixed-media sculpture Woman as the Creator to Town Hall in May), videographer/photographer Rodrigo Valenzuela, and painter Margie Livingston, in conversation with Jess Van Nostrand of The Project Room.”
From the GeekWire Calendar: “The GeekWire Summit is the premier technology conference in the Pacific Northwest, bringing together engineers, entrepreneurs and business leaders for a conversation about the future of business and technology. Now in its second year, this year’s full-day Summit will draw hundreds of attendees and speakers from a variety of industries.”
From the U Bookstore Calendar: “Jasper Fforde traded a varied career in the film industry for staring vacantly out of the window and arranging words on a page. He lives and writes in Wales. The Eyre Affair was his first novel in the bestselling Thursday Next series. He is also the author of the Nursery Crime books. The fantastic Jasper Fforde’s new book is a YA novel and a hilarious magical adventure. In it, King Snodd IV has set his sights on destroying magic in the Ununited Kingdom forever, but Jennifer Strange and the Kazam Mystical Arts Management crew are determined to stop him. This is the second book in Fforde’s Chronicles of Kazam.”
From the GeekWire Calendar: “The speaker for this 35th Anniversary event is Leslie Mackie, founder and owner of Macrina Bakery. Leslie was head baker at Seattle’s Grand Central Bakery, then in 1993 she opened her own place, Macrina. All of Seattle knows of Macrina’s irresistible artisan breads.”
From the GeekWire Calendar: “Witness over 25 years of video game history unfold with a cinematic video presentation, synced to Zelda’s sensational, action-packed music performed live by the Seattle Symphony and conducted by Irish-born Zelda Symphony conductor, Eímear Noone. One of the most famous gaming franchises of all time, The Legend of Zelda™ has sold over 62 million copies and has entertained generations, spanning more than a quarter century of magic and adventure.”
From the U Bookstore Calendar: “Gearing up for the Sept. 14 conference “Gay Romance Northwest Meet-Up” at the Seattle Central Library, Old Growth Northwest presents a special reading event with four authors attending the Meet-Up—Megan Derr, Andrea Speed, Ethan Stone, and Anne Tenino. From paranormal mysteries to comedic romances, each writer shines a spotlight on LGBT love and relationships, and promotes the theme that there’s a Happily Ever After for everyone.”
From the U Bookstore Calendar: “As a 501(c)3 organization (status pending), founded in 2012 and headquartered in Seattle, Old Growth Northwest serves the greater Pacific Northwest region, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and Alaska. Old Growth Northwest fosters creative collaboration and exchange within a robust community of writers and readers in the Pacific Northwest.”
From the NW Science Calendar: “One of the best ways to get started as an observer is to attend one of the SAS star parties. Nonmembers are welcome to attend our monthly public star parties at Green Lake and Paramount Park, and members enjoy views under a darker sky at the monthly star parties held at Snoqualmie Point Park. There is no substitute for first hand experience at these events.”
Monday, September 16, 5:30 P.M. – 8:15 P.M.: Space: Are We There Yet? at The Museum of Flight
From the NW Science Calendar:
“How will the commercial space economy evolve in the next 20 years?
Will regulation create disadvantages?
How will national governments support exploration and development of space by the private sector?
What will be the triggers for mainstream investor interest in private space companies?
What will be the biggest opportunities for investors in the second Space Age?
What new opportunities are surfacing for entrepreneurs, scientists, and teachers as the commercial space industry grows?
Join us for an exciting evening of conversation at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, one of the largest air and space museums in the world, as we explore these questions with some of the industry’s leading thinkers and executives- all against the backdrop of the museum’s inspiring, full-scale exhibit of NASA’s Space Shuttle Trainer.”
Monday, September 16, 7:00 P.M.:Ree Soesbee Reading and Booksigning for Guild Wars: Sea of Sorrows at University Bookstore U District
From the U Bookstore Calendar: “Ree Soesbee is a writer, game designer, and lore editor for massively multiplayer online games. She has authored more than sixteen novels in a wide variety of fantastic worlds ranging from the popular Legend of the Five Rings setting to Star Trek, Dragonlance, Deadlands, and Vampire: the Masquerade. This book, set in the high fantasy world created for the video game Guild Wars, follows a human sailor trying to help rebuild a great city destroyed by the Elder Dragon Zhaitan and his undead army.”
From AWIS email: “Event will begin with refreshments followed by Panel Information Session and a Tour of the Facility. Pre-registration is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/5854038587. IDRI is a global health nonprofit, taking a comprehensive approach to address infectious diseases. IDRI combines the science of a research organization with the product development capabilities of a biotech company to create new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.”
Friday, September 20, and Saturday, September 21, 8:00 P.M.: JOYstick! Video Game Burlesque Level 2 at Columbia City Theater
From the Facebook page: “From the team that brought you “An Evening at Merlotte’s”, JOYstick! Level 2 is the next generation of video game burlesque. From Final Fantasy to World of Warcraft to Katamari Damacy, all aspects of video games and gamer culture will be explored. ” Doors open at 6:00 P.M. for mingling and cocktails. Get your tickets here!
From the GeekWire Calendar: “Robothon is a national event that showcases the capabilities and technological developments in robotics from the amateur robotics community. At this event, people from around the world come together to present new robotic technologies, share ideas, meet fellow robotic enthusiasts, show off their robotic creations, and compete in many robotic competitions and activities.”
From the University Bookstore Calendar: “Former Seattle Post-Intelligencer staff artist, Wendy Wahman is the author/illustrator of Don’t Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs and A Cat Like That, and the illustrator of the forthcoming Snowboy 1, 2, 3, written by Joe Wahman. Don’t Lick the Dog was selected as a 2010 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, starred for Outstanding Merit, and accepted to the Society of Illustrators Original Art show. Wendy’s editorial illustrations have appeared in major publications including Harper’s Magazine, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. She lives in Washington with her husband, freelance writer and editor Joe Wahman.”
From the Burke Museum Event Page: “Bug out as thousands of specimens, dead and alive, fly, buzz, or crawl to the Burke Museum for this favorite annual family event. Get eye-to-eye with giant walking sticks, examine bugs of all kinds from the Burke’s collections, try some buggy snacks, and more!
He’s Back! David George Gordon, AKA The Bug Chef, returns to Bug Blast with brand new recipes from his recently published book of entomophalolical delights, The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook, Revised: 40 Ways to Cook Crickets, Grasshoppers, Ants, Water Bugs, Spiders, Centipedes, and Their Kin. The Bug Chef will cook up tasty treats on the outdoor stage at 10:30 am, noon, and 1:30 pm. Can you eat them? Of course you can!”
Tuesday, September 24, 5:45 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.:3 Parents and a Baby at 415 Westlake Ave. N.
From the NWABR Calendar: “New technology uses genetic material from three people to create an embryo through modified IVF in order to prevent the inheritance of some genetic disease. The first country to adopt the technology, the UK recently announced it will draft regulations for the procedure to be approved by Parliament before it can be used clinically.
Before it is in play, let’s examine this technology. Is this a cause to celebrate disease prevention? Is it safe? Does it go too far to make a ‘perfect’ child?
Come and add your voice to an engaging and informal discussion with open-minded people about science and its role in society.”
From the Town Hall Calendar: “You might know the story of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger—but chances are you’ve never heard (or seen!) anyone tell it like Seattle alternative-comics master Peter Bagge. The Harvey Award-winning author of the comic series Hate launches Women Rebel, his graphic-novel biography of social and political maverick Sanger, in a slideshow focusing on her activism and how the book came together, with original sample pages. Then, in conversation with Cienna Madrid of The Stranger, Bagge expands on the life of the birth-control activist, educator, nurse, mother, and protofeminist, making Sanger whole and human and showing how her flaws fueled her fiery activism just as much as her compassionate nature did.”
From GeekGirlCon Events: “Go west, young geek, go west! Or east. Or south, or whichever direction will get you to Central Cinema on September 30! GeekGirlCon and Central Cinema welcome you to watch two episodes of The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. starting at 7:00 p.m. Be sure to come hungry as a horse, as these tall tales will unfold at a tasty TV Dinner.”
In many ways, it’s a pretty awesome time to be a queerdo/gayelle/QUILTBAG/whathaveyou. But just because Ellen and Portia can get married doesn’t mean it’s all unicorns and rainbows. (Okay, sometimes it is because unicorns and rainbows are totally gay and totally awesome.)
So gay, so awesome.
While a lot of GeekGirlCon’s programming includes content of interest to queer and trans folks (and allies!), there are also some panels and discussions that focus exclusively on LGBT topics.
“QUEER GEEK!: Women in Gaymer Communities” focuses on the rise of gay gamer communities—and women’s experiences in these queer geek spaces.
“Kids of the New Normal: Queer Families and Their Children in Popular Culture” will get geeky-intellectual and explore representations of LGBTQ families and kids using television shows like The New Normal and Modern Family. Discussion topics will include challenging heteronormative gender, creating complex stories about queer parents and gender-creative and trans children, and why we can’t seem to get past the story of (initially) unsupportive families.
Anything That Loves: Comics Beyond “Gay” and “Straight” is a comics anthology that delves into the complex world of sexuality beyond the gay/straight binary. Editor Charles “Zan” Christensen and contributors will discuss the origins of the project, why it’s important, the challenges of being a bisexual storyteller, and more.
Don’t miss out on these and other great events at GeekGirlCon ’13—get your passes today!
