I’m not speaking metaphorically, nor do I mean “behind every great man from Krypton, there is a fearless woman ready to kick a little butt in the name of truth and justice” (though this is true and Lois Lane is simply marvelous). I’m talking about Baroness Emma “Emmuska” Magdalena Rosalia Maria Josepha Barbara Orczy. Her hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel, started the ball rolling.
There were stories of powerful fighters of evil before, such as Hercules, Gilgamesh, or Robin Hood, but these were cultural myths that shifted with the teller. They weren’t created for popular entertainment under the direction of one person or a small group of people, and the characters didn’t use what we consider to be a “secret identity” or costumes that symbolized an alter ego. Rather than fighting injustice in general, they usually had one major enemy or were reactionary protagonists, fighting evil if they stumbled upon it or if it directly entered their lives. Robin Hood didn’t patrol Nottingham the way Batman patrols Gotham or Superman watches over Earth.
The first step towards a traditional “superhero” in literature started in the mind of Baroness Orczy. In 1899, the 34-year-old Emma Orczy gave birth to her son John and published her first book. It didn’t meet with success, but that didn’t slow her down. She published several short stories and then a second novel in 1901, which earned her a bit of fame. She enjoyed writing heroic detective stories, and created Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, one of the first female detectives in literature. In 1901, she wrote (but did not publish) a story called “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” which came to her so quickly that she is said to have finished it in five weeks. The story starred Sir Percy Blakeney, a British baronet married to Marguerite—“the cleverest woman in Europe.” Sir Percy is a man skilled in swordsmanship, disguise, and strategy. During the early days of the French Revolution, he secretly rescues people he considers unjustly sentenced to death by Madame Guillotine. To cover his tracks, he uses an alias taken from an old family seal, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and recruits nineteen friends as agents in his “League of the Scarlet Pimpernel.” In public, Sir Percy acts like a shallow fop, one who grows faint at the mention of violence and believes that all problems can be solved by luxury, relaxation, and beautiful clothing.
This hero was clearly drawn from Baroness Orczy’s childhood as well as her political views. During her older sister’s fifth birthday, a peasant uprising set her family estate ablaze, prompting her family to leave Hungary and travel through Europe before settling in London, where she eventually met her husband Montagu Barstow. The Scarlet Pimpernel was the kind of hero she wished could have protected her family when she was a young girl.
Though she didn’t initially publish the story, Emma Orczy and her husband wrote a stage production version that opened in October 1903 at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal. It wasn’t well received but the Baroness again chose to not give up. After a little rewriting, the new version of the play opened in London in 1905 and became a popular hit, even while critics wrote negatively about it. The same year, Baroness Orczy published her novel The Scarlet Pimpernel, which was highly acclaimed by casual reader and critic alike. She went on to write ten sequel novels, plus two collections of short stories featuring the hero. She also wrote two prequel novels starring an ancestor of Sir Percy Blakeney, and another novel that focused on a descendant. The Scarlet Pimpernel grew beyond Baroness Orczy and spread across pop culture. There have been film adaptations, TV adaptations, and a Broadway musical. In 1940, Daffy Duck assumed the identity of the Scarlet Pumpernickel. Bart Simpson once watched a film where Zorro declared war on the Scarlet Pimpernel. In the first comic book series starring the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a painting revealed that an earlier incarnation of the titular team included Sir Percy and Marguerite, as well as the Reverend Dr. Syn (more on him in a little bit).
Was Sir Percy the first superhero? He didn’t have any powers, but neither do characters such as Batman or Iron Man (usually), or Green Lantern without his ring. In general, I see the term “superhero” as traditionally referring to a character who wears a distinctive costume or uniform, lives in an exaggerated reality that involves science fiction and/or fantasy elements, often has a secret identity, and fights evil due to a moral calling rather than because it is literally a job they signed up for (so the police and agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are heroes, while the Justice League and Avengers are superheroes). There are exceptions, but this is the general and traditional idea. The Scarlet Pimpernel wore many disguises, but he didn’t have a costume or a distinctive mask, just his literal calling card decorated by a red flower. He’s close to a superhero, but not quite there.
To my mind, the first traditional superhero came in 1915 with Russell Thorndike’s book Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh. The book featured Dr. Christopher Syn, a pirate-turned-reverend living in Dymchurch (a town in Kent, England) who decided not to simply stand by as his parishioners were victimized by the government and criminal elements. At night, Dr. Syn rode a dark stallion, which he kept in a hidden lair, and donned the costume of a demonic scarecrow. None suspected that the kindly, somber reverend was secretly the terrifying Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, feared even by those he helped.
Syn is a very different character on the surface, but Thorndyke followed many beats from the Scarlet Pimpernel. Similar to Orczy’s hero, Dr. Syn acted less aggressive in his public life, using tricks to appear older and weaker than he was. While Blakeney had the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Syn had a few trusted agents, including a witch and a death mask-wearing gravedigger called Hellspite. Dr. Syn was also a man initially born into a wealthy upper class family who, unbeknownst to his family and friends, received training in fighting and other special fields, just like Sir Percy.
The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh was popular enough that he starred in six later novels by Thorndyke, three films, a television mini-series from Disney, audio adaptations, a stage play, and comic books. The town of Dymchurch even has a biannual “Days of Syn” celebration in honor of the character.
In 1919, four years after Syn’s debut, Johnston McCulley created a more famous character who also inspired by Baroness Orczy’s hero. McCulley’s story “The Curse of Capistrano” was serialized in the pulp fiction magazine All-Story Weekly. Later, it was published as a novel under a new title: The Mark of Zorro.
Don Diego de la Vega aka Zorro was, like Sir Blakeney, a man of wealth and education who was secretly adept at sword fighting, strategy, and disguise. In his daily life, he pretended to be a shallow weakling with no direction in life, focused mainly on the latest fashion and popular trends. While the Scarlet Pimpernel left a calling card, Zorro left his monogram carved on walls. Following Syn’s example, Zorro used a hidden lair and a dark horse and donned a distinctive costume.
After Zorro, pulp fiction magazines and comic strips brought forth other characters cut from the same cloth. The mysterious Shadow, the Spider, and the Phantom all followed the basic model of the Scarlet Pimpernel, being independently wealthy renaissance men who pretended to be less in their public life while fighting evil via an alter ego. The Spider, Phantom, and Green Hornet also had unique seals like the Scarlet Pimpernel. While many of his contemporaries wore distinctive clothing, the Phantom took it a step further by donning a skin-tight costume and a mask that didn’t reveal his eyes.
Two years after the Phantom was introduced, Superman debuted in Action Comics #1, published in 1938. The Man of Steel was not independently wealthy as the Scarlet Pimpernel had been, nor did he rely on a team of agents, but there was still the element of a man who pretended to be meek in public so none would suspect he was a hero who protected others from harm and evil. Similar to the Pimpernel, you immediately felt Superman’s presence when you saw his distinctive seal. In the Superman radio show a couple of years later, it was implied that Superman’s S-shield was actually a Kryptonian symbol. This idea entered into popular culture with Superman: The Movie in 1978, where it was shown that the shield was Superman’s family symbol —just like the scarlet pimpernel flower was Sir Percy Blakeney’s family seal.
The Scarlet Pimpernel was not a traditional superhero. He was actually the proto-superhero, that first model that eventually led to Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Justice League, and so many others. Some of these characters may still have been created, but they wouldn’t have been the same. Our popular culture, and some of our lives, would be very different. We needed The Scarlet Pimpernel before we could figure out how to take things further and further.
So if someone suggests that superheroes can only be appreciated by the male gender, remember that it all started with a woman who certainly wasn’t perfect but who should be recognized for never letting failures and setbacks stop her. A woman who kept writing until she created something that struck a chord. Baroness Emmuska Orczy’s story was the seminal work of a whole new genre, and look where we are now, over a century later.
She changed the world.
Alan Sizzler Kistler is an actor and author who bounces between New York City and Los Angeles. He is the host of Stay Geeky on YouTube and co-host of the podcast Crazy Sexy Geeks on iTunes. A contributor to various websites, Alan is the author of The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook and the upcoming Doctor Who: A History, and is a contributor to the book Star Trek and History. He prefers his vampires to be scary and is still waiting for a Wonder Woman movie. Find him on Twitter: @SizzlerKistler
Listen, sometimes a girl just wants to pretend she’s fancy Cersei Lannister, all braids and brocade. Other times, she’s out to find the perfect tweed jacket, suspenders, and bow tie. Or maybe she’s getting ready to ask her boss for a raise, so she needs to dress for success and channel her inner badass Zoe.
For such occasions in your life, GeekGirlCon ’13 has you covered, from fashion to cosplay to crafting. Your not-so-inner research nerd will be delighted by the presentation “Everything I Thought I Knew about Fashion History Was Made Up by Victorians: Research and Costuming.” Caroline Willis and Sarah Rocheleau will discuss stereotypes, appropriation, and how turn-of-the-century Victorians still influence us today.
“Intro to Costume Craft and Cosplay” is a workshop for newbies and veterans alike. Bloggers from Crafters In Disguise will delve into cosplay, costuming, and tips and tricks for creating outfits and props. And for those who like to cosplay across gender, “Rule 63 Costuming: The Whys and Hows of Genderbending” will explore genderbending versus crossplay and what makes a good genderflipped character.
How about drawing inspiration from fictional characters for your everyday fashion? As previously mentioned, Anika Dane will put on a mini-fashion show followed by a discussion of the looks and how to put together your own heroine-inspired outfits. And the panel “Geek Girl Style: Demanding Recognition in the Fashion World” will explore the growth of pop culture-themed fashion and accessories for women, where you can find these items, what areas need improvement, and how recognizing geek girls in fashion empowers fangirls in a predominantly male market.
For those who want to get crafty, bring your needles and row counters and get ready for a reading from Needles and Artifice: A Refined Adventure Story with Ingenious Knitting Patterns, from The Ladies of Mischief. There’ll be a Q&A after to ask some of the authors about steampunk, knitwear design, and co-writing fiction.
Buffy: The Making of a Slayer Deluxe Edition
Well-known local sci-fi (and more) publishers becker&mayer will be on hand for “Craft Explosion! Craft Books and Kits,” with a behind-the-scenes look at the book-making process from beginning to end.
And finally, hold on to your glue guns and get your soldering irons ready for GeekGirlCon Craft Wars! Three rounds of vague themes, crafting tools, and weird supplies will determine who wins the title of Ultimate Crafters of GeekGirlCon!
It’s not easy being an enthusiastic consumer of media and a social-justice-minded critical thinker.
Seriously?
Sometimes the problematic content is front and center from the get-go (I’m looking at you, white-savior-Khaleesi Game of Thrones); sometimes it seemingly comes out of nowhere (hello, Charles de Lint and your romanticization/appropriation of Indigenous culture). Either way, it’s almost always there, the big ol’ fly in my otherwise delicious soup of fantasy and sci-fi escapism.
But I often keep enjoying the shows or books, because I like them for other reasons. Memorable characters, exciting plot points, witty writing—all of these will typically keep me coming back for more, even when there are cringe-worthy moments (and let’s be honest, sometimes they’re shouting-obscenities-and-throwing-things moments). It’s hard for me to know what my tipping point will be. What makes me decide to call it quits, versus being content to critique it?
With Once Upon a Time, I watched the show for about one and a half seasons. It was mostly the fairy-tale storylines that kept me watching, because I adore fairy tales (I even took a class on the subject in college). Like many shows, it frustratingly focuses on thin white women (especially blonds) and casts a woman of color as the villain. But there was one episode that touched me personally as an adoptee. And when I say “touched,” I mean “filled me with white-hot rage at the lazy stereotypes of adoptees and adoptive parents and using adoption as a plot device.” Bam, that was it. Done with the show (though I admit that lately I’ve gotten curious about the whole SwanQueen ship).
On the other hand, I started Game of Thrones all excited for a pseudo-historical, slightly fantastical epic tale, liked it in many ways. . .and then quit about two episodes in. Rape scenes are always horrible, but the ones in this show seemed to be about titillation, which especially bothered me. And the portrayal of the Dothraki? Again, lazy stereotyping, this time of epic racist proportions. I decided abruptly that it was not for me. But a lot of people I knew were watching it, people whose opinions and politics I generally respect, so I gave it another go. Like many others who hadn’t read the books, I was right there gaping and shrieking at the (spoilers) Red Wedding. I still find it problematic in oh-so-many ways, but for some reason, I can reconcile that with my enjoyment.
In fact, one of my favorite ways to enjoy shows like Game of Thrones is to immediately hop online and see what other people are saying about it, what critiques they’re bringing to the table that I may not have thought of. And Social Justice League’s “How to be a fan of problematic things” has an excellent set of general guidelines for folks who want to think critically and get their fan on.
As you might expect, GeekGirlCon is the kind of place where such explorations are encouraged and welcomed. The 2013 Con has some panels and workshops for the critical thinker in you, focusing on fan, gender, race, and queer studies, and more! As a Con, we’re committed to creating spaces where we can have these kinds of potentially challenging conversations in a respectful and safe(r) environment.
Below are a few of the topics you’ll see at the Con—keep your eye out for the program and don’t forget to buy your passes!
Creating anti-street harassment comics, with HollabackPHILLY
Queer families and their kids in pop culture
A research study on race and gender in comic books/graphic novels
Women of color in geekdom
Queer women in gaymer communities
Cosplay and consent
How to build inclusive and welcoming game communities
YouTube is bursting at the seams lately with smart, engaging web series. I’ll admit that I’m a little late to the game in this area; my first forays into a web series were Issa Rae’s hilarious Misdventures of Awkward Black Girl (ABG) and Hannah Hart’s inebriated My Drunk Kitchen.
These days, more and more talented writers, producers, and actors are showcasing their talents online and foregoing the traditional Hollywood studios. Especially those whose voices and experiences are often marginalized at mainstream television studios: there’s so much more creative freedom to be able to present a character in a fully-fleshed, nuanced way, whereas a mainstream show often would reduce that character to a punchline or erase them entirely. Web series are a breath of fresh air in the all too often stagnant and stale world of televised entertainment.
In that vein, GeekGirlCon ’13 is proud to bring you several viewings and panels focusing on web series.
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, Husbands co-creator Jane Espenson and director Eli Gonda will take the stage to talk about the making of the show and what’s in store for our two accidental lovebirds—and they’ll be taking questions from the audience, so make like a scout and be prepared!
Did you know that women were leaders in nearly every aspect of the production behind the scenes of the roaringly successful web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries? You won’t want to miss “Inside the Lizzie Bennet Diaries,” a screening and discussion with some of the movers and shakers behind the hit YouTube series.
The folks from Standard Action—including Joanna Gaskell—will be on hand to screen a few episodes from season two and chat about the story of four misfit adventurers as they bumble through their quest to save the world from evil. Hear about the webcomic, the card game, and what’s next in the Standard Action world, like season three!
Other screenings include Seattle’s Imaginary Friends, an adorable new show with a twist about two loners and their imaginary friends who find each other, and Geek Seekers, in which we follow the (mis)adventures of paranormal investigators. Geek Seekers will be followed by a discussion on web series, ghosts, Bigfoot, and gaming with creators Jen Page, Monte Cook, and Max Holechek.
For those who just want to talk about web series in general (and other kinds of fan art), the panel “Beyond Tomorrow: Empowering Female Makers and Fans” delivers with a discussion about Felicia Day’s Geek and Sundry as well as topics like gender bending in cosplay and women in fanfic and publishing.
“When you can be this for as long as you have to be, then you’re a razor. This war is forcing us all to become razors, because if we don’t, we don’t survive. And then we don’t have the luxury of becoming simply human again.” Admiral Cain in Razor
Michelle Forbes as Admiral Cain. Syfy Channel Photo: Carole Segal
Not all strong female characters are role models—sometimes they’re villains. And sometimes they’re both. Though she appears in only a few episodes and the made-for-television movie Razor in the Battlestar Galactica series, Admiral Helena Cain has a lasting impact and is one of my favorite characters in the series.
The Battlestar Galactica reboot certainly didn’t lack for strong female characters, and it’s one of the reasons the show earned a lasting place in my heart. From the swoon-worthy swagger of Starbuck to Cat, Boomer, Dualla, and President Roslin, the series gave women a chance to portray strong, intelligent, flawed, complicated characters.
Admiral Cain certainly has all of those qualities: strong, intelligent, flawed, complicated—but especially flawed. She’s well-suited to military command as a confident, fearless, tough leader whose first loyalty, always, is to her crew. That loyalty is proved in a twisted way when she orders the takeover of civilian ships in order to get parts and supplies, ordering her soldiers to use lethal force if necessary. In her view, she must have those supplies at all costs, and the civilians must comply or their families will die. It’s a harsh necessity and she entertains no other options. She may feel some sorrow over the loss, but she won’t feel a speck of guilt for her decisions that result in the deaths of thousands of the last human survivors. Regaining the home planet and ensuring the elimination of the Cylons are worth paying any price.
At the same time, she proves herself to be nurturing, in her own way. With both Kendra Shaw and Starbuck, we see her taking younger women under her wing. She recognizes the smarts and potential behind the sometimes surly attitudes of both young women and encourages them to step up and grow into bigger responsibilities.
It’s safe to say that she is blinded by her unyielding hatred of Cylons, and that hatred is given more fuel when she discovers that her lover Gina is actually a Cylon (Six). She gives one of her officers free rein to torture and rape the Six, ostensibly in order to learn more about the Cylon plans and also about these humanoid Cylons themselves. But it’s pretty easy to see that the vitriol and disgust she feels toward Gina is also about her own betrayal and hurt feelings. On the one hand, she claims that Cylons aren’t people, don’t feel emotions like people. On the other hand, why would she order such brutal actions that are designed to hurt and humiliate if she doesn’t believe in Gina’s ability to feel hurt and humiliated?
When she is finally killed by Gina, it’s hard to feel much empathy for her, given some of the horrific things she’s done or has ordered others to do. Still, her unwavering bravery coupled with a hard-to-deny vulnerability as she stares down the barrel of a gun make me admire her and feel for her, even if it’s just sadness and frustration at her decisions that led to this inevitable end.
And no discussion of Admiral Cain would be complete without talking about Michelle Forbes, the actor who plays her. Forbes has a history of playing formidable, strong-willed, whip-smart characters in sci-fi and fantasy, including True Blood and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has that quality of being able to seem like she’s looking right through you and all your b.s., a trait that is both terrifying and extremely sexy (or maybe that’s just me). She’s able to bring a steely depth to Cain that lessor actors would not.
All in all, Helena Cain is a total BAMF, worthy of the title of Strong Female Character. You may not like her or agree with her actions, but you can’t deny her strength and her appeal.
What flawed or villainous female characters do you love?
You might be asking yourself how these three seemingly disparate subjects are intertwined.
But think about it: when music has an emotional impact on you, you often express it in your body: your eyes well up with tears, your heart rate speeds up or slows down, you tap your feet or nod your head. And many studies have shown the impact music can have on both physical and mental health.
We’re all products of our cultural environments, and the ideas about disability, gender, and music are no exception.
The reality is that most people will experience disability at some point in their lives, and for at least 35,000 years people have been making music—so how does music impact us emotionally and physically? How are we impacted by our culture’s concepts of gender and disabilities?
Robin Harwick will share current research and lead participants in a rich discussion on these and other questions. She’s been active in the music industry for decades; as a performer, promoter, and a 6-year stint as a Union Stagehand; her current research examines the intersection of music, gender and disability.
From the Facebook page: “We will be showing 8 artists~all women!!! Heidi Estey, Braden Duncan, Dominique Cilento, Lis Wright Ivec, Ronny Beeman, Rebecca Tracy, Gabriela Sugier, and Valerie Herron will be presenting their images of the divine feminine in Her light to dark aspects in various mediums from paintings, woodcuts, and digital art.”
From the event website: “Unnatural Redhead Productions is proud to bring “The Sugar Frosted Crunchy Flake Friday Evening Cartoon Hour! A burlesque tribute to the cartoons, commercials and cereals of childhood!” to Seattle this August. Come relive and re-examine the cartoons you grew up watching with us—from superheroes to super-villains, awesome toy commercials and even cereal mascots, the Friday Evening Cartoon Hour will amuse and delight.
Featuring Bolt Action, Scarlett O’Hairdye, joining us from Portland, Kit Katastrophic, and your own private radical, Randi Rascal! Emceed by Vanadium Silver.
Headlined by the wild child of Seattle burlesque, Evilyn Sin Claire!
Sponsored by Pinup Girl Parties and GeekGirlCon! Our sponsors will be providing goodies for the VIP bags and for the raffle as well.”
From the Meetup page: “Was on twitter today and discovered a profile for a new bar in Edmonds called MVP’s that caters to gamers and sports fans 🙂 according to there web page they have over 30 different game titles on tap. 8 big screen gaming booths, 3 shooter stations with Turtle Beach head sets, a “battle bar” with two fight sticks for quick combos in all our fighting games, plus a 100″ TV for daily tournaments and big games complete with gaming chairs with built in speakers.”
From the ScienceOnlineSeattle meet-up group: “No technical or science background is required! Bring your science-related civic hacks, join a team, or start something new. Learn about Open Science and what’s happening in Seattle.”
Grab a blanket (or a low-backed lawn chair) and head outside to enjoy great movies every Thursday! The fun kicks off at 7PM with live entertainment from The Cabiri and film-specific trivia before the movies for cool prizes. Outside food and beverages are permitted or come early and check out some of Seattle’s best food trucks to sate those rumbly bellies! Well-behaved dogs are welcome and admission is a cool $5 for those over 5 years old.
From the Meetup page: “What are we doing? Dominoes (or other games depending on the mood), chatting about anything sci-fi related, drinking (caffeinated or unleaded) and general silliness. We start around 10:30 AM or so and play until whenever (usually 2:00 PM), feel free to come early or late; punctuality isn’t important.”
From the Meetup page: “What is GeekBingo, you ask? Well, it’s just like regular bingo, except we kicked it up a notch with geeky words instead of plain old numbers! Bingo cards are $1 and proceeds raised are donated to local charities – so feel free to triple or quadruple your chances, it’s for a good cause! Plus, we have awesome prizes donated by Dreamstrand Comics, Otherworlds,Wayward Coffeehouse, as well as some of our own shiny bits and bobs.”
From the GeekWire Website: “The Zombie Run is not your typical 5K run, unless of course, your hometown is infested with an army of marauding Zombies.
By using the popular Zombie theme, The Zombie Run creates a running narrative on a racecourse designed like a Hollywood Apocalypse movie-set – complete with helicopters flying overhead – where participants either run through the course as Zombies, or living Zombie prey. Participants must run to safety, while dodging an imaginatively harrowing barrage of apocalyptic carnage.”
From the Facebook Event Page: “The Burl-X-Files: The Truth Is Down There Burlesque Inspired by the X-Files on August 23, 24, 29, 30, 31st. We invite you to Spooky Mulder and Agent Scully’s basement office from which they investigate sexy alien abductions, salacious paranormal activity and other strange unexplained phenomenon. What chilling monster-of-the-week will they encounter? Will the Lone Gunmen lend a helpful hand? What forces, or cigarette-smoking fiend, will conspire to keep our leads apart?”
From the GeekWire Website: “The Official Star Trek Convention comes to Seattle this summer! Meet some of the cast and crew from one of your favorite science fiction series!”
From the ViosCafe website: “Science on Tap takes place in the pub the last Monday of every month. Visit Science on Tap to find out what this month’s topic will be.”
Friday, August 30: Kirby Krackle, Adam Warrock, 9K1, Soup or Villainz, and more at The Lo-Fi
Nerd music concert adjacent to Pax Prime.
SOLD OUT: Friday, August 30-Monday, September 2:Pax Prime
Annual gaming convention from the team that brought you Penny Arcade.
What event are you excited about going to?
Got any geeky events in the Seattle Metropolitan Area and beyond? Send them to shubz@geekgirlcon.com.
Note: While we welcome all suggestions, GeekGirlCon reserves the right to approve or decline any event for Geek About Town. Please make sure that your event is in alignment with the GeekGirlCon Mission Statement.
It’s time to introduce another appearance at our upcoming GeekGirlCon ‘13. She’s been here before, and we love her dearly. Geeks and gentles, it’s Jane Espenson, co-creator and producer of the hit web series Husbands!
For those of you who aren’t yet in the know about Jane Espenson, we are here to help. Espenson started her screenwriting career with the likes of Disney and Ellen (the ‘90’s sitcom, not the talk show), and has worked extensively with Joss Whedon’s creative team on shows from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Angel, Dollhouse, and Firefly. She has penned episodes and produced for shows such as Tru Calling, Torchwood, Battlestar Galactica, and Game of Thrones. Espenson has shared Hugo Awards for an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (“Conversations with Dead People”) and for a first-season episode of Game of Thrones (“A Golden Crown”). Along with Husbands, Espenson is also co-creator of the SyFy hit Warehouse 13. As if that wasn’t enough of an amazing résumé, she can currently be found as a writer and producer of NBC’s runaway hit Once Upon a Time.
Espenson’s latest project, a collaboration with writer and co-creator Brad Bell, is the hit web series Husbands; it has won critical acclaim from multiple sources, including both mainstream press and the LGBTQ community. Its second season came about thanks to a fan-funded Kickstarter campaign, which led to its third season being picked up by CW Seed, a subsite of CWTV.com.
Appearing at his first GeekGirlCon will be Husbands director Eli Gonda. Gonda is best known for producing movies American Teen and Swimmers, and for directing short film The Rooster (written by Buffy alum Danny Strong). He and Espenson will discuss their work together on Husbands and the future of the series, as well as taking questions from the audience.
Join Espenson and Gonda for a special look behind the scenes of the fun of making Husbands. Jane Espenson will also be signing copies of the Dark Horse comics graphic novel Husbands.
This post is brought to you by GeekGirlCon Twitter Administrator and Board President Kristine Hassell.
As we work toward our convention in October (Do you have your passes yet? Seriously? Buy them already!), I thought I’d address some assumptions about GeekGirlCon, who we are, and what we do. As a proud staffer with GeekGirlCon, I am familiar with our mission statement:
We celebrate and honor the legacy of women that contribute to science and tech; video games and comics; and arts and literature. We fulfill this mission by connecting geeky women worldwide and nurturing a community that fosters the growth of women in geek culture through year-round events.
To me, it seems evident from reading this that anyone who supports geeky women would be welcome, but what does this really mean? So I decided to pose the question, “Based on what you know, who do you think that GeekGirlCon is for?” to some folks I know, and some of the replies are interesting.
“Pretty much what it says on the label. It’s primarily for girls and women of the geekier persuasions, but it’s also open to anyone who’d like to learn and see more about the perspectives/issues on their side of things.” – Aaron Blalack, convention attendee and hip-hop artist
“GeekGirlCon is for the thinking geek. I’ve always found the atmosphere and the vibe of GeekGirlCon to be a bit more academic than most other gaming conventions I attend. The panelists and the special guests arrive with the intention to talk about important issues. You are expected to think, you are expected to communicate well, and you can expect the conversations to be thoughtful and the questions challenging. Attendees should go to GeekGirlCon expecting to explore their favourite element of nerdy culture on a more thoughtful level.” – Joanna Gaskell, writer and producer of Standard Action
“GeekGirlCon to me is a sort of geeky safe harbor. A place where women can meet one another and share common enthusiasm about geeky passions without being subjected to the more negative side of our beloved culture such as sexism and voyeurism. A happy place to feel warm and fuzzy.” – Nick Hahn, Community Outreach Event Coordinator for Ablegamers
“I think GeekGirlCon is for everyone. It doesn’t exclude men in the same way that Comic-Con focuses on Comics but doesn’t exclude people who like genre prose, video games or sci-fi television. It invites you to a gathering that celebrates women who, sadly, don’t always get the recognition they should elsewhere. And it has plenty of panels and activities that aren’t gender specific.” – Alan Kistler, author/actor and comic book historian
“If you believe GeekGirlCon is a place for all geeks, then GeekGirlCon is the place for you. Join the inclusion clique!” – Andy Munich, convention attendee, Special Agent, and RPG specialist
“I think that GeekGirlCon is for anyone who thinks that questions of gender disparity in geek culture are fair ones, and who therefore sees that having a focus on deliberately (re)presenting groups or perspectives that differ from the cultural default of many other events is a reasonable response. When other events (or cultures surrounding them) are, or seem to be, presumptively male, tagging an event “girl” only seems exclusionary in the superficial sense. Really, it’s a geeky and pop cultural event for anyone interested in any other such events, but built from the ground up to rest on the foundation of a more inclusive default.” – The One True B!x, Portland writer and founder emeritus of CSTS
“I am a little disadvantaged, having never been to GeekGirlCon…but I would still have to say, it’s for everyone. Based on the fact that every male Enforcer I am friends with actually looks forward to going to GeekGirlCon and certainly every geek girl I know in the PNW attends. I would say it’s for anyone who is comfortable with a con that is trying create a space where women actually feel comfortable instead of merely accepted.” – Shervyn von Hoerl, nerd dad hoping to raise a geek boy and a geek girl
“Although my knowledge is limited because I’m on the other side of nation and all, I was always under the impression that GeekGirlCon more or less celebrated and emphasized the fact that it’s not just a rare thing to be a girl with sci-fi/fantasy/RPG/console gamer interests. It’s normal… and darn it, it’s cool!!! GeekGirlCon is awesome, and I really must spread the word to a couple newly arrived gamer grrls I met at our weekly game day. I think at least one of them would make a pilgrimage someday :-).” – Michael Hanna, gay gamer rakehellion and Michigan bon vivant
“GeekGirlCon is for people who enjoy geekery, inclusion and happiness.” – Angela Webber, The Doubleclicks
“GeekGirlCon is for people who like smiling and puppies.” – Aubrey Webber, The Doubleclicks*
Now…after reading all of these replies, it’s clear that everyone sees GeekGirlCon a little differently—and that’s sort of the point! GeekGirlCon is for everyone that supports us in our mission and values.
I’ve encountered folks who were convinced they couldn’t come because they think they’re not geeky “enough” or they’re not girls. Nope. All are welcome. All welcome. Go into the Light. There is peace and serenity in the Light. Wait, sorry. I channeled a little Tangina there…but you get my drift. Genuinely, and I’m quoting directly from our values:
“GeekGirlCon embraces all types of people. PERIOD. There is no way to list all the subsets of folks that now or in the future will make up the body of GeekGirlCon. ALL: ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, sexual preferences, sizes, abilities, ethnicities, nationalities, races, creeds, religions, familial statuses, alien species, earth species, education levels, science specializations, operating system preferences, fandoms, etc., are welcome. Anyone supporting women in geeky pursuits is welcome.“
I recently tabled a community event for GeekGirlCon and thought I’d share some of my personal thoughts on the experience.
I admit that when I first suggested that GeekGirlCon have a table at last month’s Trans* Pride celebration (organized by the awesomely named Gender Justice League), it was a bit of a test. Would this group o’ geeks want to be at an event for trans folks? Over the years, I’ve worked on being an ally to trans communities (always a work in progress), but sometimes there’s resistance or ignorance in groups, and if that was going to be the case here, I wanted to know sooner rather than later.
Happily, the answer was a quick and resounding “yes!” and “that sounds awesome!” and “of course we should be there!” This confirmed my suspicions that I’d gotten involved with a rad group of people who really are committed to creating a space that is welcoming, inclusive, and celebratory for all.
My partner-in-crime Alison and I got to Cal Anderson Park early in the evening to set up our half of the table, with our banner, info cards, and candy (candy is a very important community outreach tool). It was gorgeous weather, with the sun beaming down on a half-circle of tables and canopies at one end of the green and a full stage at the other, volunteers scurrying about between.
As Alison and I were chatting with a few attendees, over 2,000 marchers began to arrive at the park, and soon we were inundated with visitors to our little table. What’s GeekGirlCon? What do you do? When is it? How can I get involved? We talked about comics, Trans*H4CK, intersectionality, Buffy, biology, and much more.
We heard questions about our name and our tagline. Everyone I talked to was happy to see an event focusing on geeky girls and their achievements and interests, and even happier to know that everyone is welcome at GeekGirlCon, regardless of gender or type of geekery.
Of course, using words like “girl” and “female” can sometimes feel limiting; in general, our culture is deeply invested in there being only two genders, even though there clearly are more ways to express gender than that. It’s often challenging to figure out the best ways to talk about supporting and celebrating geeky women and girls in a sexist culture while not ignoring or disregarding those whose gender identities don’t fit neatly in boxes. I have no doubt that GeekGirlCon, as an organization full of dedicated, passionate, and thoughtful people, will continue to grow and evolve as we explore gender and geekery over the coming years.
Alison and I talked a lot about GeekGirlCon’s mission and values (and of course, how much fun we have at our events!), and I do believe we managed to recruit not only attendees to the Con in the fall, but new volunteers as well! I had so much fun talking to people that I completely missed hearing one of my favorite thinkers, Julia Serano, speak, and one of my favorite musicians, Rae Spoon, perform. C’est la vie; I’m sure I’ll have another opportunity to see both of them. And since they’re both pretty geeky in their own ways, perhaps they’ll even come to GeekGirlCon someday!
The atmosphere was so happy and celebratory, and I’m glad GeekGirlCon was a part of it. My hands-down favorite part of going to Trans* Pride as a representative of GeekGirlCon? Watching the faces of trans women as they read our banner and then came up to the table, exclaiming, “Hey, I’m a geeky girl—this is for me!”
Yes, yes, it is. And we can’t wait to see you in October!
There were stories of powerful fighters of evil before, such as Hercules, Gilgamesh, or Robin Hood, but these were cultural myths that shifted with the teller. They weren’t created for popular entertainment under the direction of one person or a small group of people, and the characters didn’t use what we consider to be a “secret identity” or costumes that symbolized an alter ego. Rather than fighting injustice in general, they usually had one major enemy or were reactionary protagonists, fighting evil if they stumbled upon it or if it directly entered their lives. Robin Hood didn’t patrol Nottingham the way Batman patrols Gotham or Superman watches over Earth.
To my mind, the first traditional superhero came in 1915 with Russell Thorndike’s book Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh. The book featured Dr. Christopher Syn, a pirate-turned-reverend living in Dymchurch (a town in Kent, England) who decided not to simply stand by as his parishioners were victimized by the government and criminal elements. At night, Dr. Syn rode a dark stallion, which he kept in a hidden lair, and donned the costume of a demonic scarecrow. None suspected that the kindly, somber reverend was secretly the terrifying Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, feared even by those he helped.
Alan Sizzler Kistler is an actor and author who bounces between New York City and Los Angeles. He is the host of Stay Geeky on YouTube and co-host of the podcast Crazy Sexy Geeks on iTunes. A contributor to various websites, Alan is the author of The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook and the upcoming Doctor Who: A History, and is a contributor to the book Star Trek and History. He prefers his vampires to be scary and is still waiting for a Wonder Woman movie. Find him on Twitter: @SizzlerKistler
