I have played video games since I was three years old, when my mother brought home an Apple IIe computer, and loaded up Pac-Man for me. From there, I went from playing a range of games like Tonk in the Land of Buddy-Bots and the Monkey Island series, to console titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed and Halo.
But here’s one thing I’ve noticed: my favorite games will, more often than not, have a protagonist that looks nothing like me. Where games have a single playable character, that playable character is likely to be a man. A white man. Maybe he has a beard, maybe not. He’s probably also straight–perhaps he also has a wife or child or someone close to him who’s died or been kidnapped at the start of the game as a plot device, and he’s probably armed with some sort of gun or melee weapon or both.
Hi everyone! Meet Anna Zola Miller, who serves on the Open Doors Committee of the Organization for Transformative Works. For those of you not familiar with Open Doors, they are an organization dedicated to preserving fanworks, especially those that run the risk of being lost. Check out some of their collections, which range from website to posters and fanfiction preservation. Anna was kind enough to answer a few questions about Open Doors and share what she’s currently geeking out about.
What has been the most rewarding part of the Open Doors Project?
Open Doors has given me a much better sense of the history and continuity of fandom. The online archives we’re importing to AO3 tend to be about ten years old, and of course fanzines have been around since the 1960’s. Media fandom has been around for going on half a century, now–it’s a well-established, coherent subculture, and at this point we have enough history that we need to take better care of it. Being involved with Open Doors has been a way for me to learn about that history and take an active part in preserving it.
What are some challenges that you have faced?
One of the major challenges in Open Doors is the tension between the philosophy of preservation and the culture of fandom. When we did our first automated archive import, there was a lot of controversy over whether we were moving fans’ work without permission, and whether that violated fan culture’s etiquette. As I see it, the preference some people have expressed for letting old archives disappear and old fanworks with them, rather than moving to the AO3, is a product of the shame and silence that surrounds fandom. I think we should assert our rights as fan creators to do and preserve what we see as culturally interesting and valuable transformative work, even as we attempt to protect people’s identity in situations where fandom can be a sensitive subject. A major part of that is ensuring that current fans are aware that they are not alone; they are part of a legitimate culture that has been around for a long time. And as a history geek, the thought of old fanworks disappearing makes me really sad.
Tell us about your favorite archived piece.
There’s a Starsky and Hutch fanzine that was archived in the Fan Culture Preservation Project a while ago, called Scales of Justice. I’ve never even seen Starsky and Hutch, but the zine is full of art and it’s so ridiculously gorgeous that I love it anyway. You can see some of the art on its Fanlore page.
What are you geeky about right now?
I’ve just started watching Battlestar Galactica so basically everything is robots. It’s an amazing show, and I already want to cosplay Starbuck. I’ve also been geeking out about all the Shakespeare in the Park that’s going on this summer. I’ve seen five different productions of Twelfth Night but the one Wooden O is doing currently is pretty near my favorite.
What was your favorite part about GeekGirlCon ‘12?
The con was excellent; the Jane Espenson panel was probably my favorite, but I also got a lot out of the Fans, Creators, and Social Justice panel. And Nerdlesque. And everything else. 😀
Check out Anna’s blog to read more about her experience at GeekGirlCon 2012!
Now reader, let’s hear from you! What’s your favorite kind of fanwork?
Hey everyone! Shubz here with your monthly installment of Geek of the Month! Let’s learn a little more about our awesome PR Manager, Susie!
Susie as Hawkgirl and Stephanie as Starbuck (Photo: GuyEatsOctopus.com)
Name: Susie Rantz Occupation: Account Supervisor at GMMB, a communications and advertising company that works for nonprofits, government programs, and companies doing amazing things to improve lives across the world. Position in GeekGirlCon: PR Manager
1: What are you geeky about right now?
Right now, I can’t get enough of Game of Thrones. That “Blackwater” episode? So amazing. I also am exploring video game development, and more specifically the Unity 3D game engine, and am really digging the Princeless comic books.
2: How did you find out about GeekGirlCon?
A Facebook friend posted about an event GeekGirlCon was hosting. After further investigation, I thought the organization sounded amazing. So far, working for GeekGirlCon has exceeded my expectations.
3: Why did you choose to get involved with GeekGirlCon?
I chose to get involved because I loved GeekGirlCon’s mission to support people in exploring who they are and what they love. There is a lot of negativity right now in the world. People see things as black and white, liberal and conservative, wrong and right, etc. I wanted to be part of an organization that tore down these walls that separate us, that opened its arms to anyone.
4: How do you incorporate your geekiness into your everyday work/life?
I’ve never really thought about NOT incorporating geekiness into everyday life. 🙂 In my day job, I get to work with a range of people using technology to improve lives around the world. At lot of the time, I use my love for web programming and social media to do this. Outside of work, I recently built a website for my dad’s flight instruction company in Eastern Washington and am currently sketching out plans to build a video game. Finally, I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction books as I’m currently working on a young adult novel; reading great books is the best form of homework!
5: What’s the best thing about being a geek?
There is so much out there in the world for geeks. The fastest-growing careers in the United States are in science, technology, and engineering. Video games continue to evolve, with many being used in education and cause-related advocacy. Being a geek can be an incredibly empowering thing — for women, girls, boys, men, everyone. And, on top of all that, you get to explore worlds where a black man can be captain of a ship, or a woman can be the leader of a country, with no questions asked.
Thanks for all your awesome work, Susie! Readers, it’s your turn for us to get to know a bit about you – How do you incorporate being a geek into your everyday life?
