I was at PAX a couple of weekends back, and I briefly walked the floor. Now, I know it’s a gaming convention, so I expected to find games of all kinds, which I did. I saw some comics, some books, some artwork…and then I got the heck out of there. I’m not a gamer, and the lack of light on the main show floor (other than flashing video games and monitors) was very disconcerting to me. I figured it out pretty quickly: PAX really IS pretty much about games.
Then again, Emerald City Comicon has a lot more than comics, but I didn’t have any money earlier this year…so I sort of hoped I’d find some shiny bits to carry away with me at PAX. After I paid for them, of course. While I am attracted to shiny things, I am not the kind of crow who lines her nest with STOLEN bits of shiny!
When I went to Star Trek conventions many years ago, they called it the “dealers room”. At Emerald City Comicon, they call them “exhibitors”. GeekGirlCon calls them “exhibitors” as well…and there are some AMAZING exhibitors coming, y’all! I don’t have room to tell you all of them here…but I’ve spotlighted a few for you, our dear GeekGirlCon devotees.
The first one to catch my eye is a vendor I’ve seen before called cutebricks. They make “up-cycled LEGO jewelry”, and I have been drooling over them since my first sighting. (Don’t worry, it was figurative drool–no cleanup necessary!)
Cascade Rainbow earrings, a dark blue chrome heart, and a Battlestar Galactica Viper!
The next vendor on my list–and one I’m saving up to buy something from as soon as GeekGirlCon ‘14 opens on Day 1–is Unicorn Empire. They make screenprinted t-shirts from various fandoms (Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Captain America to name a few!), pillows, paper dolls, and this exquisite clock that I have absolutely no real reason to own, but desperately want!
Do you have a magic wand? Do you need one? Of course you do! If you can’t get to London, Diagon Alley, and Olivander’s Wand Emporium, you can just come talk to the friendly keeper of the Hungarian Wand Shop. They have a selection of wands ready-made in various woods, and with different types of cores, depending on the type of magic you are most likely to be performing. And don’t worry–if they don’t have a wand on hand that responds to you (as a good wand should), they take special orders. You can have any kind of wand you want!
LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) was featured in an episode of Supernatural last year–and those of us who watched that episode (with guest star Felicia Day!) kind of geeked out about it. We saw knights, queens, faeries, and all sorts of other medieval people and creatures. Sinister Metalworks has everything you need to outfit yourself and all of your friends for your next LARP session. From metal crowns of all different kids to custom-made body armor, their work will help keep you safe from swords, axes, and magic spells of all strengths!
Butterfly Frillies has Steampunk costuming supplies–from outer garments to under garments and everything in between. A friend of mine is looking for a custom-made, over-bust corset, and I have sent her the website information; this is the kind of thing they do! They have a selection of ready-made apparel and jewelry, as well. The fabrics are amazing, and the craftsmanship is beautiful.
LuvCherie Jewelry has what you’re looking for in the “elegant geek fandom and nerd whimsy” category. Necklaces, charms, earrings, rings, and many more pieces will grace their booth in the vendors room. Here are a few examples that I can’t wait to see in person:
I’ve spent some time looking at FiveLeafClover’s Etsy shop, GeekStar Costuming, and I’ve got to say: I need glowing cat ears, if only to make my own cat jealous!
Looking back at this partial list of exhibitors for upcoming GeekGirlCon ‘14, I realize that I could be in some trouble: there are a lot of items I want to buy from these peeps. And this is only some of them. Here’s the whole list!! I may need a loan…
Written by Adrienne M. Roehrich, Manager of Editorial Services
The Exhibitors Hall of GeekGirlCon ‘13 was full of geeky merchandise, as one might expect. As a chemist, anything chemistry related caught my eye. So you can imagine how excited I was to see some elemental jewelry—that is, jewelry with the chemical elements.
My delight was observed by the self-proclaimed “two giant nerds” of Optimystical Studios, a business that specializes in hand-crafted geek & fandom jewelry that incorporates everything from Doctor Who to comics to icons of the nerd world. They introduced me to their latest endeavor—a project called Heroes & Inspirations: Ladies of Science. Of course, I was intrigued.
The project is rooted in Optimystical Studios’ Adrian Keith’s childhood:
Growing up all of my heroes and idols were women. I wanted to be like these women, they showed me what I could do. I loved baseball, but I never looked up to baseball players like I looked up to women like Eleanor Roosevelt. When I wanted to be an astronaut, I knew I could, because Sally Ride did it.
As our world has changed, as I’ve grown, one thing has stayed strong for me, the desire to honor the amazing women who have been my core inspiration. This project is our very nerdy way to do that.
Items coming out of this project include Ladies of Science postcards, Periodic Element Pendant, Copper Pendant, Formula Pendant, Scientific Lady Pendant, Noble Gas Crystal Earrings, Periodic Element Earrings, Copper Earrings, Silver Pendant, Periodic Element Set, Silver Earrings, Formula Set, Scientist Set, Diloolie Custom Portrait & Pendant Combo, Whitney J. Brown Custom Portrait & Pendant Combo, Isabelle Melançon Custom Portrait & Pendant Combo, Full Lady Scientist Pendant Set, Gold Pendant, and Gold Earrings. Some of these are limited edition and only available to those supporting a Kickstarter of this project.
Interested in ladies of other fields? Optimystical Studios has you covered. If they can, they’ve lined up:
Ladies of Literature pendants featuring the likes of Mary Shelley (inventor of western science fiction) to honor the writers who have inspired us to new worlds.
Historical Ladies, women who lived amazing lives and have helped shape us, but we probably didn’t learn about in history class (Wilma Mankiller, Chief of the Cherokee Nation, for example).
Visit Optimystical Studios for more information about this project and how you can help make it succeed.
Ah, shiny baubles! For those of us who like to adorn ourselves, poring over displays of jewelry, clothing, accessories, and other luscious accoutrements never gets old. In any store or at any event that features crafters and artisans, it’s the first place I gravitate to, hoping to find the next little treasure that I just can’t live without.
Unfortunately, my geeky jewelry is sadly lacking these days. In high school, I had one of those dragon’s claw necklaces (you know the ones), and a ring in the form of a snake wrapped twice around, which I pretended was my own personal Sning (this was my Piers Anthony phase).
Happily, I plan to rectify that situation at GeekGirlCon ‘13. Here’s a small sampling of some of the many jewelers and other makers of pretty things you’ll see on the 3rd floor Exhibitors Hall.
Image courtesy of Surlyramics
I love it when science-minded artists create works that are sort of sneaky. Like this pendant from SurlyRamics: it looks a bit like an abstract drawing of a flower, but wait! It’s actually a neuron! She carries plenty of other science, skeptic, and geekery designs, too, from Feynman diagrams to trilobites and robots.
Image courtesy of idolatre clothing co.
For fantasy-lovers who have maenads, faeries, unicorns, and the like on the brain, check out the fantastical creations of idolatre clothing co. Who needs the Younicorn app on your iPhone when you can have an actual unicorn horn sprouting from your head, complete with ears and a flowery headdress?!
Image courtesy of RetroPopNamu
If screenprints are more your thing, RetroPopNamu has got you covered with hoodies, t-shirts, and bags, all inspired by retro Japanese motifs. Some of their designs include octopus, squid, kitten, and dragon themes. It’s officially fall in Seattle, so I’m already coveting their cozy owl hoodie—you can never have too many hoodies, right?
Image courtesy of Tea Time, Inc.
Vendors like Tea Time Inc. and Christal Blu Creations appeal to the steampunk aesthetic, with their intricate hats, fascinators, and other apparel. With Halloween and New Year’s Eve both around the corner, you’ll find good use for items like jaunty mini top hats and saucy underbust vests. You’ll need some jewelry to go with these, of course, and Verona the Mad is just the thing, with brass filigrees, delicate gears, and colorful beads.
There’s more, including Lego-inspired jewelry, duct tape bags, and astronomy-inspired necklaces—but you’ll have to come to GeekGirlCon ‘13 to check it out!
It’s a few days before Christmas; the malls are mobbed from open to close, and you really need to find a stellar gift or two for some geeks in your life.
Who you gonna call?!? I’m pretty sure the Ghostbusters won’t be able to help on this one…
Never fear! GeekGirlCon’s Last Minute Geek Gift Guide is here!
Kinda Last Minute
There’s always Amazon, but if I can, I like to think a little smaller. CafePress, ThinkGeek, Etsy, and HalfPrice Books have a wide variety of products guaranteed to appeal to the geek in your life: t-shirts, toys (both pop culture and scientific in nature), coffee mugs, movies, books, bumper stickers — and the list goes on!
Local comic and games shops may offer gift cards or gift certificates if you’re overwhelmed by the amount of geek one place. Find out what genre your geek loves the best, then ask an employee to point you in the right direction. It saves time, and gives your shopping experience a personal touch–as well as giving that employee the opportunity to show off their own geek cred.
Mostly Last Minute
It’s definitely time to go local, people. If you’ve got a steampunker or a scientist in your midst, shops like UW Surplus, Second Use, and Hardwick’s are goldmines. New and used machine parts, tools, building materials, furniture, and stuff you never thought about using might be just what your geek is looking for.
There’s also a search option on Etsy for “shop local”. Find something you think your geek will like, and contact the artist. If that handmade awesomeness is available, it’s as easy as meeting the artist at a local coffee shop to exchange your money for the nifty gift.
TOTALLY Last Minute
Tickets to local events can be found on Brown Paper Tickets, a fair-trade ticket company; you can print them and hide them in a festive box for your geek to open. Brown Paper Tickets sells tickets to concerts, movies, author readings, and conventions. For instance, you can gift your geek with passes to GeekGirlCon ‘13! (shameless plug, I know…)
You can order tickets to other awesome Seattle geek events like Emerald City ComicCon and Sakura Con from other sites, as well.
I don’t know about you, but I love to poke around in museums and educational attractions. Don’t tell the kids about the educational part, though, or you might have a fight on your hands! Some suggestions for local places and events:
Pacific Science Center: The big one going on now through January 6, 2013 is the King Tut Exhibit. There are also rotating movies at the IMAX Theater, as well as camps and scientific exploration stuff for the kids.
Woodland Park Zoo: Memberships, which help support both the zoo and animals in the wild all over the world, start at just $42 for adults for an entire year.
Seattle Aquarium: Learn to make fish faces of all kinds at the Seattle Aquarium! Special exhibits and fun, on-going classes for kids make this a fantastic gift.
MOHAI
Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI): The grand opening celebration of the new MOHAI building at 860 Terry Ave N in Seattle promises to be a day to remember in the history of Seattle!
Starbucks
NO TIME WHATSOEVER
As an absolute last minute option, there is probably a gift card rack at your local supermarket or convenience store. Those racks have gotten bigger over the years, and sometimes that card is the gift your geek will value most. They get to pick what they want at their leisure, online or in a store, and you don’t have to worry about having your gift exchanged or returned. Some racks contain gift cards for iTunes, a favorite restaurant, or online gaming sites. Even a gift card to that Seattle coffee chain looks pretty in its little envelope, and geeks love their caffeine.
Barnes and Noble Gift Card
My favorite gift, for anyone looking, is a Barnes and Noble gift card. Any denomination welcome. *wink*
Hi everyone! To kick off this segment of “Ask GeekGirlCon,” we staffers will start off with the question “What is your favorite geeky accessory?” Here’s what some of the staffers have shared:
I love my D20 earrings because they are discreet and not in your face. When people do recognize them for what they are, there is usually a small ‘bonding’ moment, which is always fun! But the best part is that if I ever need to make a skill check, I’m good to go! Terra Clarke, Street Team Coordinator
My favorite geeky accessory is my Wonder Woman purse. It was handmade by AllThingzBeautiful. It has such wonderful shape and serves as inspiration for making my formal nights a bit more fun. Plus, Wonder Woman’s my hero, and a reminder to be strong, graceful, and empathic to all is a great thing. Erica McGillivray, President and Marketing Director
My favorite geeky accessory is my library card! I am a huge fan of books, in particular sci-fi and fantasy books. I “Geek the Library” because it gives everybody the opportunity to explore their passions and discover themselves. Librarians also are the most punk rock people I know. Every day, they advocate for freedom of speech and expanding our minds. Where else can you get all that — and for free?! Susie Rantz, PR Manager
Shoot us a comment below about your favorite geeky accessory! What’s the Geek of 2012 toting in the new year? Look for more Ask GeekGirlCon! here on the PR Blog.
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Shubz K. Blalack
PR Content Producer
prcontent@geekgirlcon.com