Over the years we’ve highlighted our favorite characters in the running series “Strong Female Characters.” We wanted the name of the series to reflect how passionate we are about these characters, and came up with the name “Fantastic Femmes and Where to Find Them.” We hope you like the new name as much as we do 🙂
To kick off this series reboot, our newest copywriter Rebecca Anglesey wrote about her favorite fantastic femme, Anne Shirley. Enjoy! – GGC Copy Team
Anne Shirley, the indomitable main character of the beloved Anne of Green Gables books, has been inspiring girls everywhere for over a hundred years. Written by L.M. Montgomery in 1908, Anne’s passion, intelligence, and quirkiness endeared her to audiences of all ages. Anne blazed a trail for geek girls everywhere by being herself and wearing her heart on her sleeve, regardless of what others around her had to say.
As a child of the early 90s, I was first introduced to Anne in the Sullivan Entertainment movie adaptations of the book that were frequently aired on PBS fundraising telethons. I used to love sitting on my living room floor to watch Anne’s antics, and I quickly devoured every Anne book I could find at the library. As an adult, I think I appreciate the story even more.
Here’s the thing about Anne Shirley: she is a total geek girl! Anne had a passionate love of literature from the very beginning, and she was never shy about that fact. She loved to use big words, and she never hid her intelligence, even though people were constantly putting her down.
Anne had some hard knocks in her early life. Being an orphan, she was shuffled through the system and was frequently abused. No one cared enough about her to nurture her obvious academic talent until her eventual adoption by the Cuthbert siblings of Avonlea. With a little bit of encouragement and advocacy from people who loved her, Anne flourished and became a model student and high academic achiever.
One thing that I loved about Anne was that she never listened to the haters (I’m looking at you, Josie Pye). Anne was surrounded by people who could only be described as basic, but she never felt pressure to conform to what was considered “socially acceptable” because she was happy being herself. This lesson is relevant to everyone everywhere, which is another reason Anne’s story is so near and dear to my heart.
Remember the time Anne cracked her school slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head because he made fun of her hair?
Anne smashes her slate over Gilbert’s head in a fit of temper. Image courtesy of Giphy
Or when she told Rachel Lynde to stick it for calling her skinny and ugly?
Rachel Lynde is Surprised! Image courtesy of Giphy
Anne never took any crap from anybody, and she always demanded respect from the people around her. Anne knew her self-worth, and she refused to associate with people who didn’t respect her.
Even when met with adversity, Anne would adapt her plans. When Matthew died suddenly, she didn’t give up on her dream of going to college. She adjusted her plans so that she could help Marilla with Green Gables, but she still pursued her education while holding down a teaching position to boot. It is even more impressive when you think about the fact that women weren’t encouraged to go to college in Anne’s world. Most women were expected to get married and have kids and keep house, but that was never the goal for Anne.
All this isn’t to say that Anne didn’t have her flaws… Anne was terribly vain, and she had a quick temper, both traits that landed her in more than one embarrassing situation. She constantly bemoaned her red hair, but accidentally dying it green taught Anne that having red hair wasn’t so bad after all (I personally think redheads rock, but I may be biased). She even sold her cow, Dolly, in a fit of temper with the bovine troublemaker for getting out of her pen only to find that she had accidentally sold her new neighbors’ cow instead! Anne was able to use honesty and charm to turn that potentially alienating act around and make good friends with the man, showing that you should own up to your mistakes and take responsibility, and that you can make friends anywhere if you have an open heart and mind. I feel that these things make Anne a more relatable person, and she always learned from her mistakes.
Even after all these years, I still get as much enjoyment as I ever have from experiencing Anne’s trials and tribulations. She has always been one of my top role models. She was a loyal friend, she always tried to make herself better than she was, and she let her imagination run wild. Anne Shirley taught me that it was okay to be a girl who was smart and passionate and a total geek!
Gilbert gives Anne a standing ovation at a recital. Image courtesy of Giphy
We already told you all about this weekend’s Seattle Mini Maker Faire in this month’s Geek About Town, but what we didn’t share is that MoPOP invited GeekGirlCon to participate! Come check out our talk on exploring and celebrating the contributions and legacy of women in science, technology, comics, game design, and more, then stop by our booth to get your tickets to GGC18!
Source: Giphy. Description: a corgi jumping excitedly as he waits for his bowl to be filled.
When? Saturday, August 18th to Sunday, August 19th
Where? Museum of Pop Culture, 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, Washington 98109
What? Seattle Mini Maker Faire is the greatest show (and tell) on earth! Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. You won’t want to miss it!
Do you love movies? Events? Community? If so, join us Friday, August 10 for the 16th Annual Skyway Outdoor Cinema Festival’s showing of Wonder Woman! GeekGirlCon will once again be emceeing the pre-show with a trivia contest to give away some 2-day passes to the con!
Source: Giphy. Description: a gif of Wonder Woman climbing out of a trench into enemy fire and stopping a bullet with one of her gauntlets.
The showing will take place at 12702 Renton Ave S, Seattle 98178 behind the 7-11. The pre-show will kick off at 8:00 p.m., so plan to arrive and get settled by 7:00 p.m.
For additional details, info about which food trucks will be there, helpful tips, and more, check out the Facebook event page.
August is right at our heels, my fellow geeks! It’s sunny, it’s hot, it’s the perfect time to get out and about and explore some of the incredible events our lovely city has to offer! (Though, it’s just as good a time to stay inside a temperature-controlled house all day and fully submit to a combination of gaming/reading/TV-marathoning. Just saying.) Without further ado, here’s what’s coming up in August:
Image Description: A gif from the TV series “Golden Girls” of a person spraying themselves with a spray bottle in a kitchen. Source: Giphy.
1000 2nd Ave 1000 2nd Ave, Seattle, Washington 98104
Join us for daily weekday (M-F) VIGIL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS in front of the Seattle ICE office, 1000 2nd Ave (between Spring and Madison in downtown Seattle). We are a group of concerned human beings who gather every day in front of the Seattle offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Many of us are here from 8 to 10 am every workday, but we encourage people to come any time between 8am and 6 pm, or later. Bring your friends. Bring a sign if you can. Our goal is to be a constant visual reminder that we repudiate ICE’s/CBP’s activities. Our presence is peaceful and we are not engaging in civil disobedience. Every day at this address, ICE and CBP agents report to work, and immigrants arrive for hearings at the Seattle Immigration Court on the 25th floor. ICE’s lawyers are on the 29th floor; its investigators, who work in joint task forces with Seattle Police and the King County Sheriff under the name of “Homeland Security Investigations,” or HSI, are on the 23rd floor. CBP, also known as the Border Patrol, has its Seattle field office on the 22nd floor. There are also other offices in the building unrelated to immigration enforcement. The U.S. government continues to subject migrants and refugees to an organized campaign of cruelty and abuse. For years, it has broken up families, detained migrants in inhuman conditions, and frustrated the right to asylum. Under President Trump, it has seized children from parents, threatened migrant families with indefinite detention, declared victims of gang violence and domestic violence ineligible for asylum, and slashed the number of refugee admissions. These policies are accompanied by a rhetoric of hate targeting migrants and refugees. Our government’s policies, implemented by ICE and CBP, violate fundamental rights to asylum, due process, and family life. They cause anguish, terror, and lasting psychological harm. They threaten the safety and well-being of children. We will not rest until our government respects the human rights of migrants and refugees. We call on our leaders to end the systematic mistreatment of migrants and refugees. We call on public employees to refuse to implement or assist such mistreatment. We call on our fellow human beings to oppose it with all their might.
Central Cinema 1411 21st Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122
Presented in collaboration with Pacific Science Center. Join Pacific Science Center and Central Cinema as we show the Disney family favorite “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” paired with a talk by Rae Eaton, research scientist with The Bush Lab and president of Women in Chemical Sciences at the University of Washington. Making Prototypes: Out of the Garage, Into the Lab: Building a shrink ray is harder than it looks. It takes a lot more than a few home tools and wires to turn an idea into a prototype. Rae discusses the challenges home inventors can run into, and explores the benefits a lab offers versus working by oneself in their garage. Rae Eaton is a 4th year graduate student in the University of Washington’s Department of Chemistry and president of Women in Chemical Sciences at the University of Washington. Working under Prof. Matt Bush, Rae designs, constructs, and tests new scientific instruments to understand the shape of proteins and their interactions with other chemicals and proteins, all to help research the causes of and treatments for chronic diseases. Her work focuses on studying current instruments and techniques to maximize the precision and accuracy of these tests. Since a home laboratory is currently out of her price range, Rae spends her free time baking, knitting, and otherwise learning about any craft that involves making things.
Jet City Improv 5510 University Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98105
Joined by Seattle improvisers Nathan Cox and Alison Luhrs, Mike is bringing the show on the road! For the first hour, they will discuss part of Deathly Hallows, and after intermission, there will be a Q&A!
Peddler Brewing Company 1514 NW Leary Way, Seattle, Washington 98107
Join Exhale Pro-Voice, NARAL Pro-Choice WA and Repro Health Happy Hour Seattle for an afternoon of empowering conversation on reproductive choice and the pro-voice story sharing philosophy. Exhale, an after abortion counseling talkline, has been engaged in listening to callers with abortion experiences for over 15 years. Our pro-voice approach provides the space to listen without judgment and to create a brave and respectful space for our callers. Under the leadership of our new Executive Director, Susan Chorley, we are sharing our pro-voice model through storytelling events and community conversations across the country. The time for open and honest sharing across difference is now. It is through open-hearted conversations and personal stories that we can create community and bridge the abortion divide, using radical empathy and authentic listening. We’re thrilled to be hosted by Peddler brewing company, a family-friendly space with delicious beer on tap and a food truck on site. Join us in the outdoor beer garden for this afternoon of abortion story sharing and conversation.
The Lab at Ada’s 425 15th Ave E, Seattle, Washington 98112
Join the writers and engineers of Botnik Studios (creators of this predictive text Harry Potter chapter and this computer-generated Coachella poster) along with their friends for a night of readings, sketches, songs and interactive experiments at The Lab. Featuring performances from: Jamie Brew – CEO of Botnik and former head writer at Clickhole Elle O’Brien – Consulting Chief Scientist at Botnik Kai Curtis – Master of Text Scraping at Botnik And special guests! Doors open at 7:00pm, show begins at 7:30pm. Full bar available, 21+ with ID.
Blanche Lavizzo Park 2100 South Jackson Street, Seattle, Washington 98144
A short time from now, in a park very close to here, Hello Earth will bring you the first segment in a galactic saga of rebellion, family, and friendship. Like Outdoor Trek the past seven years, A New Hope uses creative casting and innovative stage techniques to bring this classic film to life! Families welcome. Hot dogs for sale most days. Come join the Rebellion!
1009 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122-3824, United States
Come out and join us for the very first Macabre Market! Celebrate the dark side of life with vendors selling jewelry, art and clothing. The bar will be open! 21+ only, non-smoking. Come be our guests! Our event takes place at The Mercury @ Machinewerks. Mercury is a private club for members and their guests. August vendors include: Half-Caff Crochet City Street Vomit Blessed Beads Jewelry Capybara Cafe Ground by the Sound Bawdy Love Kinky Bricks ScarletRabbit Psychopomp Designs The poshness monster Son of Dawn Icon Alchemy Hidden From The Light Studios Merlyn’s Realm Spirit Boards Tormented Artifacts Miniature Wytche Tarot Swamp Swag Creations Come out and see us!
REBATEnsemble Theatre Group 1900 NW 89th St, Seattle, Washington 98117
Banished from her uncles shiny tech megacorp, Rosalind decides to seek herself (and her father) in the great outdoors, armed with nothing but trail mix, her loyal cousin Celia, and her wit. Disguised as a young man and his sister, the pair ventures out of the city theyve always known into a mystical place known as the Forest of Arden, where they encounter a strange cast of characters, including the lovestruck Orlando, who has escaped to the forest in order to avoid his brothers wrath. Music, poetry, and love unite in this compelling journey of community and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We return to Volunteer Park (where we last played “THE TEMPEST”) for Shakespeare’s famous gender-bender love comedy. Audiences will literally follow Rosalind and Orlando into the “forest of Arden” because, well, why not? “All the world’s a stage” after all. Bring your walking shoes, picnic blankets, and arm chairs and end the summer with us and Shakespeare in the Park! Featuring a score of original songs, dancing, singing and even some Judo. CREATIVE / CAST Director – Megan Brewer Stage Manager – Rebecca Hsia Assistant Director – Hannah Hadjes Costume Design – Amelia Wade Production Manager – Rojo Davis Fight Choreographer – Tom Dang Featuring the talents of: Mara Palma Alanah Pascual Chris Wong Frank Sun Season Qiu Duncan Pound Hannah Prendergast John Han Andrew Forrest Morgan Patton Nick Eveland Buddy Todd Tickets Available at the Door SUGGESTED DONATION: $15 ***For a guaranteed seat, please consider visiting www.rebatensemble.org and registering at the suggested donation price
The Vera Project Warren and Republican, Seattle, Washington 98109
Rainbow Remix is a Family Event for all ages Celebrating LGBTQ+ children & families ?❤ Cat Valley https://catvalley.bandcamp.com/ WIGS Dj Christian Science Art by: Kaya Nieves, James Meyers, Fennec Nightingale and Lucia Santos Photos by Jordan Nicholson of Gender Family Alliance for Li’l Woody’s Benefitting: Gender Family Alliance and the Rainbow Book Fund for Seattle Public Schools The Vera Project 6-9 pm $5 *Collecting Period Supplies for One Million Tampons
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
The Hillman City Collaboratory 5623 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, Washington 98118
We’re back! We’ve found an accessible safe place we can regular host letter writing nights in! Join us to write letters to prisoners of war and political prisoners. We’ll also be talking about the upcoming #August21 prisoner strike so bring your questions and enthusiasm about abolishing prisons! This is also a good time to bring any general prisoner support questions you might have. We will also be providing all the supplies. Rain City ABC and Hillman City are committed in providing safe and accessible place. There are two ADA compliant all gender bathrooms. We ask that folx come as scent free as possible and sober. We look forward to seeing you!
Museum of Pop Culture 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, Washington 98109 Seattle Mini Maker Faire is the greatest show (and tell) on earth! Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. You won’t want to miss it!
Seattle Hempfest 3130 Alaska Way, Seattle, Washington 98121
Join us Friday August 17, High noon – 8 PM & Saturday/Sunday August 18 – 19, 10:00 am – 8:00 PM for three days of more freedom than you’ll find anyplace else on earth! Our 4 stages will feature hundreds of bands & speakers to entertain and feed your brain knowledge about cannabis law reform and where we are with our burgeoning legalization. Our Stage Schedules are https://www.hempfest.org/festival/schedule/ Seattle’s Hempfest features ~400 vending booths along 3 gorgeous Seattle waterfront parks. You can check out our Vendor Directory https://www.hempfest.org/festival/directory/ Have you booked your stay yet? Or having trouble to find the best deal? Well, we have you covered! HERE is an accommodation map where you can find the best deals for your stay and being close to the action. Book ASAP! Rooms are filling fast! https://www.hempfest.org/festival/accommodations/ Our new NO WAIT entrance, The West Thomas Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Overpass, is accessible at 3rd Ave W & W Harris Streets just north of Seattle Center. This new entrance has great parking potential being just 4 blocks north of Key Arena. It’ll take you across the busy Elliot & Western Avenues, and drop you right in Main Stage! Take The West Thomas Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Overpass! Do you want a safe and secure place to store your things while you attend Seattle Hempfest? Personal lockers will be available so you can free up your hands and avoid losing any personal items during the fest. They’re only $15 and need to be booked in advance before they sell out! Full info https://www.hempfest.org/festival/locker-rental/ General attendee information https://www.hempfest.org/festival/attendees/ Want to vend? Full info https://www.hempfest.org/get-involved/vending/ Seattle Hempfest is free, but free speech is not. Suggested donation is $10 per day – remember to give as the Hempfest you save is your own!
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
Image description: Jo sitting, looking up to where a tan ferret is perched on her head, licking its lips. Source: Jo Lau
In this edition of Hey, Staffer, I’m taking the reigns from Jo (JC) and interviewing her for a change. I have been honored to work for the past year under Jo as a GeekGirlCon Copywriter to her Manager of Editorial Services. Jo has recently transitioned into a new role here at GGC–read on to learn about her new position, her “drunk toddler-puppy hybrid” pets, and plenty more!
Who are you and what do you do at GeekGirlCon?
Hi! I’m Jo, or JC Lau. I’m GeekGirlCon’s Campaign Project Manager! My job is to make sure that our various campaigns are coordinated and that all the different teams that touch them are aligned on how we want to show the world our best side. It involves taking marketing requests from other departments, parsing out the requisite tasks for each marketing team, and then making sure it all gets done. It’s a lot of herding cats, but the cats are lovely and want to make things work out.
Welcome to July! Summer is in full swing, and Seattle (and beyond) is buzzing with all things fun, geeky, and eventful! Here’s a quick peek at special occasions you’ll want to add to your calendars as quickly as you can say “Harry Potter Drag Show!”
Image Description: A gif of the cast of High School Musical saying the word “summer” as they sit at their desks. Source: Giphy
1000 2nd Ave 1000 2nd Ave, Seattle, Washington 98104
Join us for daily weekday (M-F) VIGIL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS in front of the Seattle ICE office, 1000 2nd Ave (between Spring and Madison in downtown Seattle). We are a group of concerned human beings who gather every day in front of the Seattle offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Many of us are here from 8 to 10 am every workday, but we encourage people to come any time between 8am and 6 pm, or later. Bring your friends. Bring a sign if you can. Our goal is to be a constant visual reminder that we repudiate ICE’s/CBP’s activities. Our presence is peaceful and we are not engaging in civil disobedience. Every day at this address, ICE and CBP agents report to work, and immigrants arrive for hearings at the Seattle Immigration Court on the 25th floor. ICE’s lawyers are on the 29th floor; its investigators, who work in joint task forces with Seattle Police and the King County Sheriff under the name of “Homeland Security Investigations,” or HSI, are on the 23rd floor. CBP, also known as the Border Patrol, has its Seattle field office on the 22nd floor. There are also other offices in the building unrelated to immigration enforcement. The U.S. government continues to subject migrants and refugees to an organized campaign of cruelty and abuse. For years, it has broken up families, detained migrants in inhuman conditions, and frustrated the right to asylum. Under President Trump, it has seized children from parents, threatened migrant families with indefinite detention, declared victims of gang violence and domestic violence ineligible for asylum, and slashed the number of refugee admissions. These policies are accompanied by a rhetoric of hate targeting migrants and refugees. Our government’s policies, implemented by ICE and CBP, violate fundamental rights to asylum, due process, and family life. They cause anguish, terror, and lasting psychological harm. They threaten the safety and well-being of children. We will not rest until our government respects the human rights of migrants and refugees. We call on our leaders to end the systematic mistreatment of migrants and refugees. We call on public employees to refuse to implement or assist such mistreatment. We call on our fellow human beings to oppose it with all their might.
Hello friends, blog readers, geeks far and wide! Today we are gathered here to celebrate a very important show. A show that is so insistently tense that it might as well be mainlining adrenaline directly into my veins. A show that represents relationships between women in all their strange and amazing multiplicity and complexity. A show that is smart and funny and idiosyncratic and bold. A show that, above all, provides a showcase for the brilliance of Sandra Oh, an actor so gifted that every tilt of her head conveys ten different emotions.
(Image Description: A gif of Eve and Villanelle lying in bed together, fully clothed. Villanelle cradles a gun and has a bloody lip. The caption says “Are you gonna kill me,” and represents lines spoken by Eve. Source: Giphy)
The show is Killing Eve, and as you can see, I’m only slightly excited about it. Based on the Codename Villanelle novella series by Luke Jennings, and adapted by the inimitable Phoebe Waller-Bridge (the mastermind behind the brilliant Fleabag and Crashing), Killing Eve follows the intersecting lives of two women who are each enmeshed in a plot to pursue each other. Sandra Oh’s Eve is an American transplant living in London, a bored MI-5 officer who has outgrown her role and whose innate curiosity and intellect ensure that she will always crave something more than the cozy, tidy life she has constructed for herself. Portrayed by Jodie Comer (equally amazing in a diametrically opposite way in the groundbreaking series My Mad Fat Diary), Villanelle, on the other hand, is an immensely talented assassin and diagnosed psychopath with a mysterious backstory. When Eve catches onto Villanelle’s trail of seemingly disconnected kills, she finds herself propelled down a quest to apprehend one mercurial, enigmatic, highly dangerous, and absolutely irresistible target –  Villanelle – who, in turn, becomes equally obsessed with her dogged pursuer.
(Image Description: A gif of standing in her apartment with a bloody lip. The caption says “I think about you too.” Source: Giphy)
There is nothing easy in the relationship that develops between Eve and Villanelle. Fraught from its inception, stretched to the brink my their actions, it still manages to spark with a kind of palpable energy. Scenes with the two of them are kinetic and electrified, as impossible to pin down as they are to resist. Just as Eve and Villanelle cannot resist their mutual obsession, so too is the viewer implicated in their mesmerizing dynamic, unwilling to look away even when we know we should.
(Image Description: A gif of Eve and Villanelle. Eve looks terrified and holds a toilet brush out towards Villanelle in self defense. Source: Giphy)
It is important to note that, from its very first episodes, the show has been wholeheartedly embraced by the queer community. Deftly sidestepping the pitfalls of queerbaiting, homonormativity, and (perhaps counterintuitively) queer demonization that so often befall mainstream television, Killing Eve presents a central relationship that is unmistakably queer even as it defies easy categorization. Stripped of the trappings of a traditional onscreen relationship, the show still manages to depict a red-hot core of infatuation that not only gives what could have been a stale cat-and-mouse game a palpably fresh urgency, but also expands the possibilities of what queer representation in television (and beyond) can look like: intimate, thrilling, complex, and provocative.
(Image Description: A gif of Villanelle chewing and holding up a sandwich. The caption say “That is massively poignant.” Source: Giphy)
If you, like me, geek out about queer representation, about espionage, about people with British accents typing very quickly on keyboards and referencing CC-TV, or about Sandra Oh being the lead in one of the best TV series of our time, please allow Killing Eve to change your life. You won’t regret it.
(Image Description: A gif of Eve pleading with another character whose face isn’t shown. The caption says “I have to find her.” Source: Giphy)
Can you believe that it’s already June, lovely blog readers?! The sun is shining, summer is officially in the air, and we’re on the hunt for geekiest, most awesome events the Seattle area has to offer. For my fellow queer geeks, June is an especially important time for celebrating pride all month long throughout our wonderful city and beyond! Movies, trivia, parades, meetups, and more abound in the coming month, so take a look at what’s coming up and mark your calendars!
Image Description: A gif of a group of people walking in the street during a pride parade. Source: Giphy
Upstream Music Fest + Summit is a three day music fest where attendees can discover a diverse lineup of acclaimed national and international artists performing alongside 200+ rising stars from the Northwest and beyond. Our open campus in the heart of Seattle’s historic arts and entertainment neighborhood allows for serendipitous moments for fans and musicians alike, and our variety of ticket options means you can curate your perfect weekend of music.
Comics Dungeon 319 NE 45th St, Seattle, Washington 98105
Hey Seattle area friends! Our first Friday pop swap continues! Come meet up with other fanatics and bring your Funko pops you’d like to swap*! Attend the event to get 20% off on all Funko items in the store. *Please note: It is prohibited to sell your own pops in the store, trading only please.
Enjoy an evening of unlimited tastes from some of Washington’s finest wineries while learning the science behind the vines.
Image Description: A gif of the character Olivia Pope from the TV series “Scandal” pouring herself a glass of wine while her friend looks on in disapproval. Source: Giphy
Friday Afternoon 4228 Stone Way N, Seattle, Washington 98103
We are planning a super fun, everyone-friendly Sailor Moon Cosplay Tea! The theme for this event is set, but we will be hosting a number of Cosplay Teas with varying themes in future. You’ll have lots of chances to bust out those cosplays you work so hard to perfect and sip tea with friends! This is a free event to attend and we will be sampling out exclusive teas for you to try and purchase as you like. We also plan to have a photo booth setup for you to strike a pose with your fellow scouts!
MUSEUM OF HISTORY & INDUSTRY (MOHAI) 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Celebrate Pride Month at MOHAI! On this Free First Thursday, MOHAI offers a special welcome to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) families. Make crafts and cozy up in our reading corner for storytime with LGBTQ-themed books. Enjoy screenings of local queer films with Three Dollar Bill Cinema and live performances by Youth Speaks poets, plus connect with community groups and resources. On the first Thursday of each month, general admission to MOHAI’s permanent exhibits is free all day long! Free admission includes: True Northwest: The Seattle Journey and the Bezos Center for Innovation. Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith exhibit price: $8 adults; $6 student/senior/military.
So, you’re a traveller, eh? Join us for The Ultimate Travel Trivia! Share your knowledge and win fun prizes while engaging and learning about how to travel more sustainably in Seattle and beyond! A great opportunity to connect and meet like-minded people!
The 2018 Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show takes place June 8th-10th at the Tacoma Convention Center in Washington State! The show features: -Over 400 pinball and arcade machines on free play! -Guest speakers from the pinball and arcade industry! -Seminars on collecting, playing and fixing games! -Kid’s Zone with games specifically geared towards younger aged children! -5 pinball tournaments, compete for national rankings, money, prizes and pride! -Play the latest pinball and arcade games on the market, we also usually debut a few new games before you’ve seen them anywhere else! -Play homebrewed pinball and arcade games, neat one of a kind games people have built and bring out for you to check out and play! -Win your own game! Along with merch and lots of daily prizes, each day of the show you can win your own full-sized pinball or arcade game! -Cosplay and costumes, arcade tournaments, beer and food onsite, and much more! This is our 11th annual show, find out why so many people consider this one of the best shows in the world. Over 100 volunteers help put on this yearly non-profit show. The profits go towards education and charity, this year we will be giving away 3 college scholarships, stay tuned for details.
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
Volunteer Park 1247 15th Ave E, Seattle, Washington 98102
Join us for the annual Volunteer Park Pride Festival (formerly known as the Pride Family Picnic) on Saturday, June 9th, 2018 from 12noon-7pm! The Volunteer Park Pride Festival is a chance for family and friends to come together in one of Seattle’s iconic parks and celebrate our amazing LGBTQ community. As in years past, the event will be FREE and ALL-AGES, and there will be LIVE MUSIC, BEER GARDEN, FOOD TRUCKS, CRAFT BOOTHS, AND MORE! 2018 VOLUNTEER PARK PRIDE FEST MUSICAL LINE-UP: Desi Valentine *Special Surprise Guest* – To be announced SOON! DoNormaal Little Bandit Fruit Juice Betsy Olson DJ Toya B Now, more than ever, it’s important to have conversations about the impact of the new administration to the LGBTQ community, so we’re inviting community leaders, partners, and organizers to speak throughout the event. We’ll also have non-profit organizations from our community and Seattle Pride Sponsors who make this and the Seattle Pride Parade possible.
Seward Park Audubon Center 5902 Lake Washington Blvd S, Seattle, Washington 98118
Join us at the 19th Annual Furry 5K for the Seattle Animal Shelter. When you register please join team Giving Paws Project. We will all meet prior to the start time for Walking at 11:40a. If your not able to join us for the walk but still want to donate please visit www.furry5k.com to Day Nate online. This year there is also a donation drive of items needed for the Vet side of the Shelter. I will post an update with the Wish List and will collect any items prior to event if cannot attend. This event is always fun and it raises money for our Seattle Animal Shelter
Image Description: A gif of corgis running on grass towards the camera. Source: Giphy
Offbeat Bride author Ariel Meadow Stallings hosts a discussion with local cartoonist, author, and legend Ellen Forney – Cartoonist about her new book, Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice From My Bipolar Life, a manual of self-care tools and techniques learned from the front lines of bipolar life (Fantagraphics, May 2018). The two authors and friends will dig deep into how Ellen’s advice for maintaining emotional stability in the face of mood disorders is relevant to all of us trying to maintain stability in unstable times. Don’t be fooled: this event will be lighthearted and hilarious. About the author: Cartoonist Ellen Forney is the author of bestselling graphic memoir, Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me, and collaborated on the National Book Award-winning novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Ellen curated a traveling exhibition about comics and health for the National Library of Medicine, “Graphic Medicine: Ill-Conceived & Well-Drawn,” on display at Seattle’s Central Public Library from May 21–June 30. As a visual artist, she was selected to create two permanent large-scale murals for Seattle’s Capitol Hill light rail station. She was awarded residency fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and Civitella Ranieri, and teaches comics at Cornish College of the Arts. Guaranteed seat: $10 Guaranteed seat AND a copy of the book: $25 21+ with ID 6:00pm Doors 6:30pm to 8:00pm Program and Q&A
Five years before the amazing TV series hit the air, Joss Whedon watched his film script get staked through this heart with the big screen horror-comedy starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry. LUKE PERRY! Also starring Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee!), Hilary Swank, and David Arquette.
Image Description: A gif of the character Buffy and her fellow cheerleaders performing a cheer. The caption says “Our goose is totally loose.” Source: Giphy
Peddler Brewing Company 1514 NW Leary Way, Seattle, Washington 98107
Do you know the name of the mummy that resides in Ye Olde Curiosity Shop? How about who built the Fremont Troll? Or what nickname JP Patches was commonly known by? Learn about these facts and much more at Crosscut’s Trivia Obscura and Bingo night, a partnership between Crosscut, Atlas Obscura Society Seattle, and Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)! Join hosts Knute Berger from Crosscut, Jared Steed from Atlas Obscura Society Seattle, and Sondra Snyder of MOHAI as they guide you through the weird and wonderful world of Washington state while you vie for fabulous prizes and the title of Trivia Obscura Champion! Come for the trivia, but stay for the bingo, featuring even more local oddities, landmarks, and prizes!
MUSEUM OF HISTORY & INDUSTRY (MOHAI) 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Celebrate the launch of BookMarked Seattle and emerging young writers from the Seattle metro area! Join teens from around the city as we reflect on Seattle’s diverse stories. Participate in book discussions, make art, hear selected works from the BookMarked Seattle writing competition, and more. Hosted by the MOHAI Youth Advisors. Don’t forget! TeenTix members receive $5 admission.
Elliott Bay Book Company 1521 10th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122
We are delighted to finally have novelist Zinzi Clemmons here—her debut novel, What We Lose (newly in paper, Penguin Random House), was one of 2017’s most lauded novels (forget the debut part), cited as a Best Book of the Year by Vogue, NPR, Elle, Esquire, Buzzfeed, The San Francisco Chronicle, Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, The A.V. Club, The Root, Harper’s Bazaar, Paste, Bustle, Kirkus Reviews, Electric Literature, LitHub, The New York Post, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and Bust. And praised by many others, as well. “The narrator of What We Lose navigates the many registers of grief, love and injustice, moving between the death of her mother and the birth of her son, as well as an America of blacks and whites and a South Africa of Coloreds. What an intricate mapping of inner and outer geographies! Clemmons’s prose is rhythmically exact and acutely moving. No experience is left unexamined or unimagined.” —Margo Jefferson. “Zinzi Clemmons’ first book heralds the work of a new writer with a true and lasting voice—one that is just right for our complicated millennium. Bright and filled with shadows, humor, and trenchant insights into what it means to have a heart divided by different cultures, What We Lose is a win, just right for the ages.” —Hilton Als. Zinzi Clemmons was also a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree.
Living Computers: Museum + Labs 2245 1st Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98134
We’re kicking off PRIDE with a screening of the documentary Gaming in Color. This Kickstarter-funded film focuses on LGBTQ issues in video games, gaymer culture, and the rise of queer themes in gaming. NR | Included with Admission ____________________ From the Gaming in Color website: “Diverse queer themes in game storylines and characters are an anomaly in the mainstream video game industry, and LGBTQ gamers have a higher chance of being mistreated in social games. Gaming In Color explores how the community culture is shifting and the industry is diversifying, helping with queer visibility and acceptance of an LGBTQ presence. Almost every gamer will relate to the concept of seeking solace in a video game. Hope for sanctuary guides their escape into a virtual universe where they can be anything they want to be. For many, however, choosing to be true to themselves becomes an open invitation for hatred. This multiplies for those who are marginalized people, including people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ community. Toxic cultures that breed violence and vitriol hide behind a industry that undervalues the innovation of its audience. GAMING IN COLOR crusades for anyone who believes that the pixelated world can be a better place for everyone, no matter who they are or what they love. A lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise queer gamer has a higher chance of being mistreated in a social game. The power dynamics of a male-dominated geek society tips against them. Further, diverse queer themes in game storylines and characters are an anomaly in the mainstream video game industry. However, the gaming community is far more colorful than one may expect. Gaming In Color shows that there is a full spectrum of gamers picking up their controller to play. This feature documentary explores the queer side of gaming culture and the game industry’s LGBTQ presence. The queer geek community is taking huge steps forward in being recognized on a worldwide industry scale. At the same time, more popular mainstream and indie games are featuring a greater amount of queer characters than ever before, helping with visibility and acceptance. There’s a long road ahead and tons of aspects that desperately need improvement, but the video games universe will continue to mature and diversify both in its community culture and industry only if we elevate the conversation about inclusion and respecting one another – not in spite of our gay geekiness, but because of it!”
8:00pm Central Cinema 1411 21st Ave. Seattle WA 98122 US
It’s the 2018 edition of the best damn weekday party you’ll go to all June. We celebrate Pride month with the return of a favorite Sing Along that features divas, camp classics, new tunes, hunks, foot stompers, rump shakers and every video is certified TOTALLY GAY! Plus, the Sing Along’s original host Jason is in the building to lead the fun.
Your ticket includes a copy of Not That Bad About the Book: In this valuable and revealing anthology, cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay collects original and previously published pieces that address what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence, and aggression they face, and where they are routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied for speaking out. Contributions include essays from established and up-and-coming writers, performers, and critics, including actors Ally Sheedy and Gabrielle Union and writers Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz, Claire Schwartz, and Bob Shacochis. Covering a wide range of topics and experiences, from an exploration of the rape epidemic embedded in the refugee crisis to first-person accounts of child molestation, this collection is often deeply personal and is always unflinchingly honest. Like Rebecca Solnits Men Explain Things to Me, Not That Bad will resonate with every reader, saying something in totality that we cannot say alone. Searing and heartbreakingly candid, this provocative collection both reflects the world we live in and offers a call to arms insisting that not that bad must no longer be good enough. About the Author: Roxane Gay is the author of the essay collection Bad Feminist, which was a New York Times bestseller; the novel An Untamed State, a finalist for the Dayton Peace Prize; and the short story collections Difficult Women and Ayiti. A contributing opinion writer to the New York Times, she has also written for Time, McSweeneys, the Virginia Quarterly Review, the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, The Rumpus, Bookforum, and Salon. Her fiction has also been selected for The Best American Short Stories 2012, The Best American Mystery Stories 2014, and other anthologies. She is the author of World of Wakanda for Marvel. She lives in Lafayette, Indiana, and sometimes Los Angeles.
Image Description: A gif of Roxane Gay giving a talk. The caption states “These days, I look at how women are treated the world over, and anger, in particular, seems like a perfectly reasonable response.” Source: Giphy
Please join us for the 59th Annual Northwest Great Books Weekend Event! All books are pre-read by the Board and chosen for the ability to sustain a rousing two hour discussion. Special effort is given to find pieces with: cultural diversity, different genres ie, plays, fiction, non-fiction, and pieces that have or will stand the test of time. Whether you’re a seasoned Great Books member or you are just thinking of joining-everyone is welcome. Many of our titles have included classics and prize winning authors, but (in true Great Books fashion) we do not limit our selections based solely on book sales or as defined by others as classics. We are excited to present the four readings of our next June 22-24 event: As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner 9780679732259 Passing by Nella Larsen 9780142437278 Being Mortal bu Atul Gawande 9781250076229 Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks 9780143121077 ISBN are provided for those that choose to purchase books separately. Please purchase the specified books above, makes it much easier to refer to page numbers!
Elliott Bay Book Company 1521 10th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122
Up from Tacoma (which she has written glowingly about), where she teaches African American Studies at the University of Puget Sound is fiction writer Renee Simms, with a true gem of a debut book of stories, Meet Behind Mars (Wayne State University Press). “Renee Simms’s Meet Behind Mars is an eclectic, emotionally rich, funny, quirky, and grounded debut from a fresh voice. It is truly a pleasure to spend time among such a diverse roster of African American characters in settings ranging from Katrina-devastated New Orleans to the South China Sea. In these fictions that are, by turns, realist, fabulist, and satirical, women and men search out life’s meaning through work, sex, travel, and family in finely observed moments full of quiet urgency.” —Asali Solomon. “Renee Simms is an incredible storyteller gifted with both wit and wisdom. She’s not afraid of the hard questions, yet this work brims with hope and heart. Meet Behind Mars marks an exciting debut of a vibrant new voice in American literature.” —Tayari Jones.
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
ACE Comic Con is coming to Seattle, WA June 22-23-24! We are bringing 3 of your favorite #Avengers, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland and many more for an unforgettable weekend at the WaMu Theater & CenturyLink Field Event Center. As if that wasn’t enough, we will also have 60+ of the top comic writers & artists in the industry, 100+ curated vendors & exhibitors, and 30+ hours of panel programming across multiple stages! More guests will be announced shortly, so make sure to keep following us right here for up-to-the-minute updates. General Admission tickets start at $46 (photo ops, autographs, and VIP packages are available for an additional cost). INFO AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE VIA www.aceuniverse.com! ***Up to 2 Kids (10 & under) get in FREE when accompanied by a paid adult*** 1-Day Friday General Admission is $46 1-Day Saturday General Admission is $56 1-Day Sunday General Admission is $56 3-Day Weekend General Admission is $96
Image Description: A gif of the character Scarlet Witch from the Avengers film series, using her magic during an action scene. Source: Giphy
Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, Washington 98109
Our 2nd Annual Queer Geeks and Gamers event features board games, console games, panels, comics, cosplay contests, exhibitors, and more! FREE FOR ALL. Beer garden for 21+. Open 12-6pm Saturday 6/23 Open 12-7pm Sunday 6/24 Come one, come all to QGG 2.0! Sponsored in part by Living Computers Museum.
An event to bring new and vintage toys, comic books, video games, movies, celebrities, and anything pop culture together under one roof for a fun weekend in Pierce County. June 30 – July 1, 2018 An event that the whole family can enjoy: Vintage and Modern Toys | Collectibles | Comic Books | Photo Ops | Panels | Star Wars Characters and Vehicles | Kids Zone | Costume and Trivia Contests | LEGO | Military Vehicles | Transformers | Artists | Video Games | Table Games | Movie Props | Authors | Anime | Exhibits | Celebrities from Television and Movies
Image Description: A gif of actor Ellen Page waving a rainbow pride flag. Source: Giphy
Happy (almost) May, blog readers! As the sun continues to grace us with its mercurial presence, it’s time to get out and take full advantage of some of the incredible events coming up this month! Catch some movies, play some games, go to some talks…this month, the world is your oyster!
The Grinning Yogi 345 15th Ave E, # 102, Seattle, Washington 98112
Each year Eating Recovery Center celebrates Eating Recovery Day–a day dedicated to removing stigma, raising awareness and inspiring hope for recovery. The Eating Recovery Day theme for 2018 is #MyRecoveryLetter. Join us in Seattle at The Grinning Yogi. This complimentary evening of activities will include yoga, mindfulness, letter-writing, conversation and celebration. First, Jamie Silverstein E-RYT 500, Owner and Director of The Grinning Yogi, will be leading a heartfelt yoga practice. Following yoga, the group will participate in a creative letter-writing exercise to practice accessing love and gratitude in recovery. Letter-writing will be led by Nica Stepien, LMHC, NCC, Alumni Family Liaison at ERC, Washington.
8:00pm – 11:30pm The Showbox 1426 First Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 Tickets: $27 – $77
SuicideGirls is bringing back a revamped version of the sexiest show on the planet for 2018! Blackheart Burlesque is unlike any other burlesque act you’ve seen filled with pop-culture references, a high energy indie soundtrack and the sexiest choreographed strip tease to make your inner nerd explode with glee. Choreographed by one of their very own – you can see Star Wars, Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, Star Trek and West World numbers in a insanely sexy reimagined way!
Given the wildly fluctuating highs and lows of 2017 (let’s face it, mainly lows), this past year’s GeekGirlCon represented the perfect space to reflect on the progress that has been made in the media we love, as well as the work that still needs to be done. One panel which perfectly encapsulated this blend of nostalgia and foresight was Lassos, Lightsabers, and Stakes: Assessing the Heroine’s Journey 20 Years After Buffy.
Image Description: Buffy twirls a stake in her hand. Source: Giphy.
Since 2017 was the 20th anniversary of the premiere of the complex and groundbreaking Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series, this panel highlighted the ways in which the entertainment industry still struggles to accept the lessons demonstrated by the enduring impact of the show, its characters, and its fans. Simultaneously, panelists celebrated the gains made through media ranging from Wonder Woman and Star Wars at the movies to Supergirl, The 100, and The Crown on television.
Drawing on the theory of the Heroine’s Journey – a counterpoint, most notably presented by Maureen Murdock in her 1990 book of the same name, to Joseph Campbell’s famed Hero’s Journey – in which characters experience a cyclical journey of personal and communal growth, the panelists analyzed the state of affairs in media representation for women and other underrepresented communities.
Image Description: A gif of Buffy squinting her eyes and looking intense. Source: Giphy.
The panelists included B.J. Priester, a law professor, novelist, editor, and self-professed “lifelong geek;” Tricia Barr, an engineer, novelist, and writer at the FANgirl blog; and Jennifer K. Stuller, a writer, editor, and pop culture critic and historian specializing in the history of American female superheroines and action heroines in comics, film, and television.
Image Description: A gif of Buffy and Willow, with Buffy sucking on a lollipop. Source: Giphy.
Fittingly beginning with the enduring significance of Buffy, the panelists discussed the modern-day resonance of its values, especially the themes of community, friendship, mutual support, and female empowerment and leadership. The panelists argued that, while many shows shaped the values of young people at the time, Buffy truly defined those values. However, the show is not without its flaws. The panelists noted the egregious lack of diversity in the show’s cast as a particularly frustrating limitation. Similarly, the actions of the show’s creator Joss Whedon – which have been incredibly problematic and disappointingtosaytheleast– are important to grapple with for fans who continue to glean insight, comfort, and empowerment from the series.
Image Description: A gif of the character Rey from Star Wars, with the caption saying “Follow me.” Source: Giphy.
The panel subsequently analyzed Star Wars and Wonder Woman, pieces of media which represent both how far we have come in terms of representation for women in film, as well as highlight the limitations that we still encounter time and time again. With the emergence of the character Rey, the Star Wars universe has introduced an exceptional new example of a heroic arc, as well as an inspirational figure for audiences and storytellers to connect with. At the same time, the film series needs to ensure that all female characters are depicted as full human beings, with agency and complexity of their own.
Image Description: A gif of the character Diana from Wonder Woman, deflecting a bullet with her forearm cuff. Source: Giphy.
As Jennifer noted, Wonder Woman not only became the highest grossing DC comic film ever, but had a “visceral, resonant impact,” due to the care with which director Patty Jenkins crafted a narrative of empowerment and the struggle for power and self-determination in a world marred by war and misogynistic violence. However, as Trisha noted, Wonder Woman is far from perfect, and it too falls far short in terms of full representation for women and marginalized groups as a whole.
This panel is a perennial staple at GeekGirlCon, a chance to check in on the state of affairs in feminist media. As the panelists noted, every year there are more stories to talk about, more examples of exciting and necessary representation, and more opportunities in the future to look forward to. But as with the Heroine’s Journey itself, the progress of intersectional feminist representation is never-ending, and we must constantly challenge ourselves to support diverse media, to fight for greater representation, and to create our own narratives which challenge all of us to extend our knowledge, understanding, and empathy.
Image Description: A gif of Dawn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with the caption saying “Cause at least I admit the world makes me nuts. Source: Giphy.
