Have you ever portrayed the bad guy in a computer game and thenaccidentally almost started World War III? Well, Matthew Broderick has, as David Lightman in WarGames. Before he was everyone’s favorite teenage rebel in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off–where he played a disgruntled high school student hacking into the school computers to change the number of sick days he had taken–Broderick played a disgruntled high school student hacking into the school computers to change the poor grade he had just received. Ever wonder if Ferris learned a thing or two from David?
In WarGames, with his friend Jennifer Mack (played by The Breakfast Club’s Ally Sheedy), David accidentally hacks into a game that isn’t a game…and you’ll have to watch the movie to see how it ends!
Join GeekGirlCon at Central Cinema for the screening of this awesome scifi thriller!
GeekGirlCon ‘13 has come to a close, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any geeky events around! Celebrate GeekGirlCon’s third year by attending these fabulous events!
From the Meetup Page: “Unnatural Redhead Productions is proud to bring ‘Boobs and the Bard: A Shakespeare Burlesque!’ to Seattle this November. Whether you are a life-long Shakespeare devotee or have only resentfully read what was assigned to you in school, this show will delight and entertain. Genderbending and crossdressing! Clever wordplay! Comedy and tragedy! Oddly frequent occurrences of twins! The best stage direction of all time! Boobs and the Bard explores all the things so beloved about Shakespeare, but with more near-nudity and in a venue where you can have the finest ales and foodstuffs brought directly to your table.”
From the Meetup Page: “Be part of the TEAM! Are you better with numbers than with equipment? Do you long to be part of the action but just aren’t coordinated? Play the role of LifeSaver extraordinaire! Provide concessions for the hungry hoards and raise funds for local cancer patients and their families. Join your friends and have fun making a difference for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society while volunteering in a concession stand at the University of Washington Volleyball match on Friday, November 1st. We will run the concession stand and a portion of the proceeds from the stand goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Free food and beverage while working and if time permits you will be able to catch parts of the match.”
From the Meetup Page: “Want to make games but not sure you have enough time? Lack the programming chops to turn your ideas into reality? Or perhaps you’d just like to practice designing games? Join us for an afternoon of good old-fashioned game making! We’ll be using pen, paper, and various other odds and ends to design games from scratch.
From the event page: “This tribute to the wide-ranging career of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle features readings of two of his pure horror stories (“The Case of Lady Sannox” and “The Brazilian Cat”), along with one of his mysteries that really is a mystery: we’re not even going to name it. But after it’s read—by one of Seattle’s favorite professional actors—director Kurt Beattie will hold a contest to see whether anyone can identify it, and then he’ll award an appropriate prize! Here’s a clue: it’s about a man named Holmes.”
From Event Page: “For more than 25 years, Rebecca Eaton has served as executive producer of PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre, the longest-running weekly prime-time drama series in American history—so she has seen a lot. With unprecedented insider access to the people and stories behind all the huge hits at PBS—including Downton Abbey, Prime Suspect, and Mystery!— Eaton, author of Making Masterpiece, shares interviews with writers, directors, and producers, along with her own candid photos and personal anecdotes about her career. In addition to revealing behind-the-scenes insight, Eaton shares tidbits on Alistair Cooke, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Daniel Radcliffe (whose first TV role was as the title character in David Copperfield).”
From Pacific Science Center: “Taken without consent in 1951 from a patient named Henrietta Lacks, the cells now known as HeLa are the oldest and most widely used human cell line in scientific research. At the November Queen Anne Science Café, join UW’s Jay Shendure, M.D., Ph.D., to explore his team’s efforts to decipher the HeLa genome amidst controversy regarding issues of patient consent and the privacy of genetic information.”
From the Event Page: “Within months of Jezebel.com’s 2007 debut, fans of the cutting-edge website for women dubbed themselves ‘Jezzies’ and organized meet-ups all over the world. By 2008, Jezzies’ devotion warranted a New York Times feature story, and parody blogs and copycat websites popped up everywhere. Now, with contributions from the writers and creative types who give the site its distinctive tone and influence, The Book of Jezebel offers an encyclopedia of everything important to the modern woman. Editor Anna Holmes and Seattle writer Lindy West (formerly of The Stranger and lately famous for a debate over rape jokes—and the unbelievable response to it) pore over pop culture, feminism, fashion, and sex from A (Abzug, Bella) to Z (zits!).”
From the Event Page: “Homer’s exasperated “D’oh!” might most popularly define The Simpsons, but Simon Singh says the show is anything but simple: It contains so many mathematical references, they could form the basis of an entire university course. Offering deep insights into the celebrated TV series, Singh, author of the bestseller Big Bang and the new The Simpsons & Their Mathematical Secrets, reveals how the show’s writers (all of whom have advanced science degrees) slip in morsels of number theory and mathematical concepts, from pi and the paradox of infinity to the origin of numbers and the most profound problems that haunt today’s mathematicians.”
Thursday, November 7 – Sunday, November 10 BurlyCon
From GeekWire Event Page: “For the sixth stellar year, BurlyCon is back for 2013! Attendees glowed about last year’s amazing schedule of offerings and round-the-clock fun. With over 100 classes taught by over 30 instructors, BurlyCon is the place to amp up your game! BurlyCon is an annual Burlesque Educational convention that provides educational offerings, professional growth and in-person social networking for the Burlesque Community. Our aim is to further the development and historical knowledge of this rare American art form that is experiencing a popular resurgence worldwide.”
From the Meetup Page: “Thursdays in Ballard equals a night of party games and merriment. Join us at Ballard Coffee Works. Bring your favorite games or choose from the host’s selections. First timer? Don’t be shy, we are as friendly as they come.”
From the Meetup Page: “New venue! We’ve moved Thursdays to Phoenix Comics & Games. Which also means we’re back to all-ages. Come join us for Thursday night story gaming! Everybody’s welcome. Never come to our meetups before? Never tried story games or for that matter any roleplaying games? No worries! RSVP so we know you’re coming and you’ll get to play.”
From the Meetup Page: “Want to explore the board/card game hobby? Want to meet people happy to teach you board games? This is your group! It is a very casual newbie-friendly group! We play a wide range of modern board and card games as well as some classics. You could find Ticket to Ride, Flash Point, Pandemic, The Resistance, Dominion, Settlers of Catan, 7 Wonders, and many more. Join the GeekGirlCon staff and friends and play some games! Want to each a game? Bring along some games and show others how to play!
From the event invite: “KRAM’s BINGOmatic Improv Machine returns for two shows November 8 & 9 at Ballard Senior Center. The show takes 16 short improv scenes and puts them against the backdrop of a twisted bingo game. The audience controls the order of the show and prizes are won by a lucky few. Each show is a completely fresh non-stop evening of improvisational scene- and game-based comedy, driven by the suggestions of our all-powerful audience.”
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: “Story gaming has expanded to the Eastside! Everybody’s welcome. Never come to a meetup before? Never tried story games, or for that matter any roleplaying games? RSVP and you’ll get to play.”
From the Event Page: “Using a blog, MS Paint, and a penchant for telling poignant, funny, and self-deprecating stories, Allie Brosh has won over a huge, faithful audience. This book collects some of her most popular posts with new material to create a unique graphic memoir filled with humor, pathos, and doggies.”
“Based on the graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley, the film combines the worlds of video games and comic books with plenty of ka-pow. Watch wannabe-rockstar Scott Pilgrim on his quest to defeat not just one, but seven evil ex-boyfriends of his crush, Ramona Flowers. As if that task wasn’t tough enough, roadblocks along the way include bitter bandmates, a bloodthirsty old flame, and maybe even his own past mistakes. He’s going to need all the 1-ups he can get. Geeky greats Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Jason Schwartzman deliver knock-out performances worthy of the original book series.”
From Event Page: “After a wildly successful debut season at Town Hall, the popular public-speaking series returns with its simple goal: ‘Enlighten us, but make it quick.’ Since 2006, Ignite communities have thrived in Portland, Sydney, Boulder, Baltimore, NYC, and elsewhere. Presenters are asked: If you had five minutes on stage, what would you say? What if you got only 20 slides, and they rotated automatically after 15 seconds? Touching briefly on a variety of topics, from the DIY community to parent-educator relationships, and presented by anyone and everyone, Ignite events are all-ages, fast-paced, sometimes-unpredictable, and always thought-provoking. A Science Challenge networking event open to all precedes the talks”
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.”
What are you excited for in November? Let us know in our comments!
Do you have a geeky event to plug? Email Shubz Blalack. We are happy to feature events outside of the Seattle Metro area!
Please Note: GeekGirlCon reserves the right to approve or deny any event submissions. All submissions must be in alignment with GeekGirlCon’s Mission Statement.
Happy 2013, everyone! While the New Year is here and the holiday season winds down, take a look at these geektastic events in January!
Saturday, January 5:The Doubleclicks & Molly Lewis in Seattle! Geek girl music at its finest! From the Facebook event page: “There’s no cover charge, but we do the indie “suggested donation” thing – so if you can afford it, please support the tour with a donation of $5 or $10 – or maybe buy a CD or a poster!”
Saturday, January 12:Seattle Elvis Invitationals at the EMP Museum From the Facebook event page: “The 16th annual search for Seattle’s best amateur Elvis Impersonator. **Buy tickets in advance, this event sells out every year!** 21 and over with ID required.”
Friday, January 18-Sunday, January 20:RustyCon From the website: “Rustycon has a focus on literature, science, art, costumes, and gaming. After dark, many fen can be found enjoying the various parties and night time events. Join us as we explore the alternate worlds of the human imagination.”
Saturday, January 19:Vox Fabuli Beginning Puppetry Class From the press release: “In this fun, dynamic class, you’ll learn the foundations of good stage puppetry – focus, physical commitment and basic puppet operation. We’ll focus on how to make your puppet seem alive and connect with the audience. You’ll get lots of hands-on time with professional arm-and-rod puppets plus a simple practice puppet to take home so you can keep working on your skills. No puppet experience required, class recommended for ages 15 and up, and class size limited to 16.”
Saturday, January 13: Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival From the webpage: “EMP in partnership with SIFF will present the eighth annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival on January 19, 2013 at the Seattle Cinerama Theater. The festival brings together industry professionals in filmmaking and the genres of science fiction and fantasy to encourage and support new, creative additions to science fiction and fantasy cinema arts. The festival will showcase animated and live-action in science fiction and fantasy films.”
Monday, January 21:Nerd Nite – Gotta catch a ball! From the Facebook event page: “Eat your heart out, nerds! This month we’ve got Pokémon… we’ve got board games… and as always, we have fabulous new, nerdy friends and ample amounts of beer!”
Wednesday, January 23:Central Cinema’s TV Dinner featuring GeekGirlCon presents “Red Sonja” From the invite: “Whether your introduction to Red Sonja was from her debut in a short story in 1934, her first appearance in Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian comic series in 1973, or her own feature film in 1985 (this one, in fact), you can relive the action of Red Sonja’s revenge on Queen Gedren. Enjoy snacks or a meal while attending a showing (or two) of Red Sonja.”
Friday, January 25-Monday, Jan 28:Central Cinema’s I Heart Sequels Series “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” presented by GeekGirlCon (on January 25) From the invite: “GeekGirlCon is introducing another event with Central Cinema during the month of sequels: Terminator 2: Judgment Day! Many consider this film to be even better than the original Terminator; come on down and judge for yourself. Marvel yet again at the size and definition of Linda Hamilton’s biceps, and enjoy the terror of the liquid, shape-shifting T-1000 played by Robert Patrick.”
Friday, January 25:An Evening at Merlotte’s Burlesque Show From the Facebook event page: “You are cordially invited to a special night of music, burlesque, and vampires with the citizens of Bon Temps! Join us for one of two shows, either at 7 p.m. or 10 p.m. on January 25 at the Highway 99 Blues Club for a celebration of all things True Blood.”
How are you going to celebrate the first month of 2013, readers?
Check out this sweet Galileo ornament! Festive! (Photo by Sarah Grant)
Happy Holidays from your friends at GeekGirlCon! If the winter chill has got a hold of you, gander at our awesome list of geeky events to keep you warm with nerd comfort and joy!
Friday, November 30 — Tuesday, December 4:Princess Bride Quote-a-Long From the event page: “The swashbuckling fairy tale to end all swashbuckling fairy tales returns to the big screen complete with quote along subtitles for all the best lines, free inflatable sword props, and Rodents of Unusual Size LIVE in the auditorium!”
Saturday, December 1:: Molly Lewis and The Doubleclicks: The Dammit Liz Holiday Special From the Facebook event page: “Known for organizing and producing geeky and off-the-wall events and entertainment, “Dammit” Liz Smith brings together some talented nerd folk for a holiday extravaganza! Get ready for an evening of music, comedy, and holiday merriment in this all-ages show! Featuring special guests Molly Lewis, The Doubleclicks, Kyle Stevens (Kirby Krackle), NerdProv, and Stepto! Holiday cosplay encouraged.”
Saturday, December 1 — Sunday, December 2:Urban Craft Uprising From the webpage: “At Urban Craft Uprising’s shows, fans can choose from a wide variety of hand-crafted goods including clothing of all types, jewelry, gifts, bags, wallets, buttons, accessories, aprons, children’s goods, toys, housewares, paper goods, candles, journals, art, food & much, much more. Each Urban Craft Uprising show is carefully curated and juried to ensure the best mix of crafts and arts along with originality and uniqueness.”
Tuesday, December 4:Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia Night at Central Cinema (SOLD OUT) From the Facebook event page: “Hosted by the inimitable Brandon Ryan, inscrutable Shane Regan, special guest host Brittany Cox, and MAP Theatre! Teams of 1-5 are welcome. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & last place, door prize, costume prize, and random other prizes for being awesome. You don’t have to be good at trivia … just come on down to ole Sunnydale and relive the Glorificus with us.”
Thursday, December 6GeekWire Gala From the website: “Make our gala your holiday party, close out 2012, and ring in the New Year in style. Join the “geeks who give back” and consider supporting Vittana. Bring old friends, your colleagues—and yes, your significant or insignificant others—and enjoy an evening of conversation, tasty treats and festive cocktails with our region’s vibrant tech community.”
Friday, December 7:Ladies Gaming Night at The Raygun Lounge From the Facebook event page: “The Raygun Lounge will be hosting the first Queer Geek! Ladies Gaming Night! All LGBT-friendly female-identified individuals are invited. Hetero ladies are welcome, but no dudes- it’s our turn to hog the games! Beer and food will be available at Raygun, and some board games will be provided. Feel free to bring your own games as well. If you’re new to tabletop, role-playing, or board games, come on out- we’re a friendly bunch and happy to show you the ropes.”
Friday, December 7:Teens Celebrate Art with GeekGirlCon and SAM From the press release: “Join GeekGirlCon and the Seattle Art Museum for an evening in celebrating the accomplishments of women and the arts. Hear live music, watch dance performances, play instruments, talk about global women’s issues, and create your own works of art at workshops inspired by Elles: Women Artists from the Centre Pompidou Paris and Elles: SAM. Free admission for teens 13-18 (and accompanying adults). Stop by the GeekGirlCon booth in the South Hall to play a game of “10 Things I Know About You,” a game about female geeks and geekery. Spin the wheel for a topic and then name everything you can think of about it for the next 30 seconds. Surprise yourself with how much you know and maybe even win a prize!”
Friday, December 7:Slog Happy Hour From the event page: “We’ve been telling you about the Raygun Lounge, the bar-and-gaming venue that was Kickstartered into existence by the good folks at Gamma Ray Games, for months now. The Lounge’s temporary liquor license finally came through this morning, which means that it’s time to celebrate with Slog’s nerdiest nerds.”
Friday, December 7 — Sunday, December 9:Gremlins at Central Cinema The rules are simple: 1. Never expose them to sunlight. 2. Never get them wet. 3. Never EVER feed them after midnight! This holiday season, Central Cinema is going to be full of GREMLINS!
Saturday, December 8:JENGA Tournament at Central Cinema 32 players enter…….
Only one remains victorious!
Prepare yourselves for JENGA Thunderdome
Saturday, December 8: Second Saturday SciFi Cinema at Wayward Coffeehouse,
6417 Roosevelt Way NE #104, Seattle It’s a brand new monthly event at Wayward Coffeehouse, hosted by SciFi Commons and Wayward Coffeehouse. This month’s cinematic feature is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians!
Sunday, December 9:December Mourning Market From the website: “Mourning Market is Seattle’s premiere dark themed market. An artists collective, featuring the Pacific Northwest’s spookiest artists, crafters and vendors. Hosted at El Corazon, Mourning Market is not your average show. It is an experience. Encouraging artists and supporting its unique culture and dark romanticism.”
Thusday, December 13:Seattle Girl Geek Dinners Enjoy dinner, and a guest speaker for the holidays with Seattle Girl Geek Dinners! Featured speaker is Lisa Koutek, Senior Director of Customer Experience at Cobalt.
Friday, December 14:The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Release Date Join Bilbo Baggins for the first of three movies adapted from The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien!
Saturday, December 15 — Sunday, December 16:GeekFest From the website: “The holidays are coming, and you don’t want to be caught without some shiny gifts to give to your friends and family. Now’s your chance to get all your holiday shopping done and get your groove on with some geeky entertainment. We’re bringing together vendors from all over the Pacific Northwest with wares sure to charm your inner geek. Special guests include Kirby Krackle, Hello, the Future, NERDprov, and many others.”
Got a geeky event you’d like to see on our Geek About Town? Email Shubz at shubz@geekgirlcon.com! We at GeekGirlCon do reserve the right to include or not include any submissions.
Wally the Dog is too busy this October with so many nerd events!
Hi folks! Is it fall yet? Here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s hard to tell right now! Let’s celebrate this sun a little longer with some nerdy fun!
Tuesday, October 2nd: Tuesday Night Games at Raygun Lounge with Queer Geek! From the website: “This weekly meetup replaces the Monday meetup group that used to meet at Six Arms (and Chao Bistro before that). It will be held at the Raygun Lounge, Gamma Ray Games’ new game bar. Come and play board games and take part in other geeky pursuits and mingle with your fellow geeks” (Note: This is a weekly event so if you can’t catch Queer Geek! this time around, come through every Tuesday night for some gaming!)
Wednesday, October 3rd:Nerdy Board Game Night Location TBA, please see event invite for details.
Thursday, October 4th:Dominion Tournament Please see invite for details. If you would like to participate in the tournament, you must register!
Friday, October 5th – Sunday, October 7th:BrickCon From the website: BrickCon is a convention for adult fans, collectors, and builders of LEGO®.
Friday, October 5th – Sunday, October 7th:Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival From the website: The Pacific Northwest’s premier weekend long event devoted towards independent and international genre filmmaking. The event was created to offer exposure to films that traditionally are overlooked by the festival circuit from genres including action, animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction. The festival will feature an amazing selection of fantastic films from around the earth – with the possibility of artists presenting the works themselves. U.S. and world premieres will play alongside global festival favorites and select retrospective titles.
Tuesday, October 9thInformation Architechture Panel from Amazon From the event invite: What is the role of an Information Architect at Amazon.com? You’re probably burning with curiosity, wondering what an IA does at the world’s largest online retailer. You probably wouldn’t guess that there are only 4 known Information Architects in the entire company! While Amazon has employed browse taxonomists for years, IAs are relatively new to the mix – mostly as a result of the tremendous growth of the company, and the information challenges that come with it. At this IA Meetup, you’ll have the opportunity to meet a panel consisting of three of them: Nick Sweers, Carolyn Tweedy, and Nick Berry. These IAs will inspire you with their pioneer spirit, as they show you how they are defining the practice within a culture dominated by developers.
Friday, October 12th:Seattle Art Museum Community Night Out From the SAM Website: Celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of women artists with an evening full of free live music, art making, My Favorite Things tours, performances and workshops inspired by Elles: Pompidou and Elles: SAM. Bring your family, friends, students, kids, parents, and fellow artists—there will be something for everyone! (From the SAM website) Join GeekGirlCon for “Ten Things I Know About You,” a game about famous female geeks and geekery. Spin the wheel for a topic and then name everything you can think of about it in the next 30 seconds. Surprise yourself with how much you know and maybe even win a prize!
Saturday, October 13th – Sunday, October 14th: InfoCamp 2012 From the event page: Join us at InfoCamp Seattle 2012 for an exciting weekend of talking & learning about everything information! As always, it will be you, the participants presenting sessions, talking amongst yourselves, and driving the content of InfoCamp!
…Rates are $60 for professionals, $20 for students for the 2 day event including lunch and snacks…This year will return to Mary Gates Hall at the UW. As well as the unconference format, we are featuring two speakers in 2012: Seattle City Librarian, Marcellus Turner, will start things off on Saturday before we move to the participant-led sessions and discussion. On Sunday, we will feature Information Architect and educator, Dan Klyn, to get us jazzed for another day of enthralling discussion between the participants. For more information, see the Seattle InfoCamp Blog.
Sunday, October, 14th: Dominoes and Such From the event 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 a.m. or so and play until whenever (usually 2:00 p.m.), feel free to come early or late; punctuality isn’t important.”
Friday, October 19th:DMG 5: Billy the Fridge, Art Vandelay, Death*Star, MC 117 Every third Friday at Pink Gorilla U-District, the DMG series features a line-up of live performing chiptune or nerdcore artists, complete with a visual display, and free-play gaming.
Friday, October 19th:Geeklesque: Unites! From the website:In times of crisis, those with great powers often come together. Leagues are formed; things get avenged; clothes… are taken off?! Critical Hit Burlesque (Portland, OR) and Jo Jo Stiletto Events (Seattle, WA) are teaming up this fall to bring you Geeklesque Unites! Geeklesque Unites will feature some of the best geek-themed burlesque from around the Pacific Northwest, for one night only on Friday, October 19, 2012.
Friday, October 26th – Sunday, October 28th, 2012: AkiCon Three-day anime, manga, and Japanese culture convention.
Friday, October 26th – Sunday, October 28thSteamCon Three-day steampunk convention during Halloween weekend
Sunday, October, 28th: Dominoes and Such From the event 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 a.m. or so and play until whenever (usually 2:00 p.m.), feel free to come early or late; punctuality isn’t important.
Monday, October 29th – Tuesday, October 30th:Seattle Interactive Conference From the website: SIC 2012 provides a unique stage for entrepreneurs, technologists, advertisers, designers, entertainers, online business professionals and thinkers to converge: Visionary speakers on technology, creativity, and emergent trends will leave you inspired, and networking events promise to better connect you.
Got some geektastic events you want to add on to Geek About Town? Email Shubz at prcontent@geekgirlcon.com!
GeekGirlCon’s Mystery Box Game Design Challenge is an opportunity for you to learn from the top industry pros and have a little fun while doing it. This workshop is aimed at ages 12 + and college students interested in game design, but the workshop is open to everyone, by yourself or with your friends. Just bring your brain (mmm….braaaaains) and your creativity!
Space is limited (only 16 seats available), so register now to secure your spot! To register, email our gaming director, Lani Blazier at gaming@geekgirlcon.com with your name and a few sentences about why you want to participate. Please include “Workshop Registration” in the subject line.
– You and your design team get a box of mystery game parts.
– An industry mentor shows your team the ropes to create game concepts, prototypes, and design.
– Creativity abounds.
– Your team’s game goes on display in the game room for a popular vote to choose a winner.
– Return to the Game Room on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. to find out if you won and collect your prize.
Industry Mentors FTW!
We have some amazing, talented, and experienced industry mentors to help you win this design challenge, get expert advice, and learn what it’s like designing a brand new game.
Mark Baxter
Mark Baxter has been in the Games and Digital Media industry for more than 12 years in a variety of roles including: executive, producer, and creative director. He is currently vice president of product & creative and co-founder at Vivity Labs, a Vancouver-based developer of mobile, web, and social games. Baxter is also the president and founder of Gnosis Games, an independent games studio that developed multiple #1 games. At Threewave Software, he led the Casual Games division and was also producer of multiple titles for the Xbox360 and PS3, working closely with top clients including: Disney, EA, MTV/Viacom, RealArcade, Shockwave, and Big Fish Games.
Christine Miller
Christine Miller started a career in games early – at six she and her brother were board game testers for a now-defunct publishing company. That was followed by years of interest in everything from art and technology to horror stories and science. Clearly only one outcome could emerge – a fabulous career in game development! She has shipped numerous well-respected titles including Morrowind, Forza and several titles in the SOCOM series. Miller has also worked as FX artist, environment artist and game/level designer. In her spare time she trains for triathlons and half-marathons and somehow also manages to play a lot of Diablo 3. Currently working at Disney Interactive, she shares office space with some amazingly creative and talented people and a purple manatee named Hugh.
Narisa Spaulding
Narisa Spaulding is a multidisciplinary user experience (UX) designer with a passionate focus on creating aesthetically-pleasing and usability-considerate digital experiences. In other words: she believe that things should be pretty AND easy to use. Her current emphasis is on making fun, beautiful, easy-to-use games for mobile touch devices. Her favorite way to do this is by working collaboratively with others to define, develop, and streamline the UX — from flows to UI to visual design to final production art. Thankfully Big Fish Games Studios lets her get away with it.
Before falling into games, she spent 8 years at design agencies creating graphic design solutions for web and print, for clients such as Nintendo, Hasbro, Nike, and PBS.
Outside the office, you’ll find her seeking out new sights, sounds, and tastes around the world, snapping endless digital and film photos, attending live music, and petting moss.
Register Now!
Don’t miss this opportunity! To register, email our gaming director, Lani Blazier at gaming@geekgirlcon.com with your name and a few sentences about why you want to participate. Please include “Workshop Registration” in the subject line.
Give that gamer-thumb a rest and sit back and relax as your favorite TV characters take on the problems, joys, and woes of world of gaming. Revisit a classic South Park where the boys of level up one boar at a time in a fantastic gamer training montage. See the Futurama folks in 8-bit. Then, Commander Riker’s brings home more than a tan from his vacation on Risa–a video game addiction!
Episodes include:
“South Park” Make Love, Not Warcraft
“Futurama” Reincarnation
“Star Trek: The Next Generation” The Game
Don’t leave your seat at intermission! Stick around for a preview of the game- and gamer-inspired burlesque show JOYstick!
Details and cheat codes:
Date: Thursday, July 12, 2012 Where: Central Cinema (1411 21st AVE, Seattle) Time: 8:00 PM Who: All ages (please note that intermission contains some entertainment not suitable for children under 18) Cost: $5 (goes toward your food voucher)
TV Dinner at the Central Cinema located in Seattle’s Central District at 21st Avenue and East Union Street. If you’ve never been to a TV Dinner before, here’s how it works: you pay just $5.00 and it gets you a TV Dinner food voucher to secure your seat. Then order up some snacks* and cash in your voucher with your waiter against your tab. Easy!
Send an email to specialevents@geekgirlcon.com with questions or for more information on this event. To find out more about the Central Cinema, visit http://www.central-cinema.com/. Please note there is no photography of performances allowed. Only our staff photographer is allowed to take pictures during the performance.
Hi everyone! Summer is (finally) here in the Pacific Northwest! Check out what’s coming up for July geekery here!
Friday, July 6th – Sunday, July 8th, 2012:Celebrate IA, UX, Library, & Tech Geekiness From the website: “We’ve added some check-in & registration time to the evening. We’ll open doors at 6:30 pm and start the talks around 7:30, as possible. Although the event is now full, spots may open up. We will maintain a waiting list and keep everyone updated. Attendance fee is $10 and comes with pizza, beer and soda pop.”
Thursday, July 12th, 8:00 PM:GeekGirlCon TV Dinner: JOYsticks In honor of JOYstick, our video game-themed burlesque show, we are hosting a night of video game-centric TV episodes, including Futurama, South Park and Star Trek: The Next Generation, with tons of surprises, sore thumbs. Join us at Central Cinema!
Friday, July 13th and Saturday, July 14th, 8:00 PM:Stark Naked: A Nerdlesque Tribute to A Game of Thones From the event page: “If you’re hungry like the (dire)wolf for gritty glamour, Danaerys Stormborn, eat your heart out! Drawing inspiration from the fantasy novel A Game of Thrones and the 2011 HBO mini-series of the same name, Stark Naked: A Nerdlesque Tribute to A Game of Thrones fuses contemporary pop culture and social commentary with the already over-the-top elements of high fantasy, through multimedia displays of burlesque, music and variety.”
Friday, July 13th, 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM:Between Heaven and Hellboy: Alternative Artists Take on Comics, Superheroes, and Supervillians From the Press Release: Come join us at Urban Light Studios on Second Friday, July 13th from 6-close for “Between Heaven and Hell: Underground, Alternative and Urban Artists Take on Comics, Superheroes and Super-villains.” Join the best and brightest in Seattle’s Underground Art Scene as we celebrate four-color fantasy and history. Judges from various Art Galleries and Comic Book Websites will help us pick the best artworks and we will have raffles and prizes to give away to the public as well. Please join us—especially if you can’t make it to San Diego Comic Con—you won’t want to miss this!”
Friday, July 13th – Sunday, July 15th: Startup Weekend Women’s Edition From the website: “Startup Weekend hosts a series of events in cities around the world and offers a way to test ideas for new startups, contribute to those ideas, and even meet potential co-founders. Ideas are shared on Friday evening and the event culminates in final presentations to an all-star panel of judges on Sunday evening. This particular Startup Weekend will have a unique spin: a focus on connecting and showcasing the talents of women entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. Men who wish to attend Women’s Startup Weekend can do so…if they find a female participant to bring them along!”
Tuesday, July 17th, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Neuroscience vs. Philosophy: Is free will an illusion? From the event page: “Neuroscientists have argued, largely on the basis of the results of a few experiments, that free will is an illusion. Sam Harris also argues that free will is an illusion in a very recent book. However, some philosophers think that there is a mistake being made here, and that many scientists are confused about the concept of free will. [Gene] will give an overview of the issue, and discuss the scientific work and the philosophical approach to free will. No preparatory reading is necessary, but the Stanford encyclopedia reading is worthwhile.”
Friday, July 20th and Saturday, July 21st, 8:00 PM:JOYstick: A Nerdlesque Tribute to Video Games and GeekGirlCon fundraiser From the event page: Join GeekGirlCon for a fun and geektastic evening of nerdlesque — combining the best of gaming nerdery and the new burlesque — and fundraiser for GeekGirlCon ‘12. JOYstick is put together by gamers for gamers, this celebration brings together the world of video games with the allure and fun of burlesque. JOYstick! is a full-fledged dedication to the gaming world. The performers are gamers of all types, ready to take -1 (or more) to their armor in what will surely be an epic evening.
Saturday, July 21st:GeekGirlCon All-Hands Meeting From the website: “Come to the GeekGirCon All-Hands Meeting at Card Kingdom in Ballard on June 23 at 11:30 a.m. Look for us in the Tournament Room located in the back of the store. This meeting is open to everyone. Swing by and learn about the convention and all the events we have planned between now and then. Because we’re using the Tournament Room, food and alcoholic beverages will not be allowed during the meeting, only nonalcoholic beverages in containers with a lid. If you would like a bite to eat before or after the meeting, we suggest patronizing Cafe Mox, located next to Card Kingdom.”
Saturday, July 21st: Death*Star – Live and Barely Breathing Seattle nerdcore show featuring Project Euphoria, MC 117, Sketch, and Death*Star. From the event page: “Death*Star returns to the Blue Moon with Project Euphoria, MC 117, and Sketch. That’s right, all ranges and types of geek music and hip hop for our mighty return after 5 months of no performances. What other stage would we perform on than the Blue Moon?”
Tuesday, July 24th – Thursday, July 26th, 2012: Casual Connect From the website: “Casual Connect is the place to learn more about an industry which entertains 300 million people each month. Learn all about iPhone, Social, Android, Flash, Browser MMO and Download Games.”
Thursday, July 26th, 6:00 PM: Beers with Engineers: Westside Gathering From the group page: “A monthly gathering for Seattle area tech junkies. More specifically, those focused on storage, HPC, and general IT. Industry guys, IT guys, nerds, geeks, tech philosoraptors, whatever…. Whether 3 or 30 this should be good times to get together talk shop, learn from peers, or just have some beers and a good time.”
Friday, July 27th, (approx. 8:30 PM): Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s Free Outdoor Movie Series: Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure From the website: “Fasten your seatbelts for the ultimate summer escapes! We’ll be rockin’ down the road with these movies guaranteed to get you movin’ and groovin’ without having to leave “the hill.” Come early to enjoy music with 12HR NOTICE DJs and the Shopping Cart Soundsystem! All screenings are FREE and start at dusk (around 8:30 pm) at the southeast corner of Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park. Hot popcorn, cold drinks, candy and other concessions will be for sale on site. Limited lawn chair rentals available. Donations to Three Dollar Bill Cinema happily accepted. Proceeds benefit Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s efforts throughout the year to provide voices and visibility for the LGBT community through film and video.” This week’s feature Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure!
Tuesday, July 31st, 7:00 PM-9:00 PM: Brat Pack Trilogy Trivia Night From the group page: “50 questions from Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and general Brat Pack shenanigans. We’re cracking skulls!” Enjoy food and drink and participate for a chance to win a prize!
What are you excited for this coming July? If you have an event you’d like to see on Geek About Town, please send us an email or comment below!
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Shubz K. Blalack
PR Content Producer
prcontent@geekgirlcon.com
Hi everyone! It’s time for the June edition of Geek About Town! Ring in the summer season by checking out this list of events!
Friday, June 1st – Sunday, June 10th:Seattle International Film Festival Be sure to check out some of the amazing films playing during the Seattle International Film Festival, which runs until June 10.
Saturday, June 2nd:Olympia Comics Festival From the website: “The Olympia Comics Festival was started in 2001 to celebrate comics as an art form.” Guests of Honor include: Jason Shiga, Mike Allred, and Shannon Wheeler.
Saturday, June 2nd – Sunday, June 3rd:Seattle Mini Maker Faire at the Seattle Center From the website: “The mission of Maker Faire events is to inspire, inform, connect and entertain thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers of all ages and backgrounds through the public gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkers, hobbyists, science clubs,
students, authors and commercial exhibitors.”
Saturday, June 8th, 8:00 PM:Icons of Science Fiction Opening Party From the event invite: “Don’t miss this opportunity to preview the exhibit and squee over props and costumes with your geek peers. The exhibit includes an Imperial Dalek, Captain Kirk’s command chair, and Neo’s coat–plus a whole lot more. Opening party activities include a Star Trek/Doctor Who trivia competition, photo-ops, and interview with curator Brooks Peck and artifact collector Aaron Carlson. Advance tickets are required. Visit the EMP Museum event site for more details.”
Friday, June 8th – Sunday, June 10thNorthWest Pinball Show From the website: “The show is a family friendly event that will feature over 300 pinball and arcade games all set on free play! Over the weekend there will be guest speakers and personalities from the world of pinball and video games, from designers and manufacturers to world record high score holders. The show includes vendors, tournaments, contests and give a ways. Enter for your chance to win a full-sized pinball and arcade game, along with hundreds of other game related items, t-shirts, posters and more!”
Friday, June 8th – Sunday, June 10th:Alls Faire From the website: “We are growing the Larping community by exposing the different aspects of our various clubs though music, merchants, tournaments, questing, games, workshops, and the arts for both adults and children.”
Saturday, June 9th – Sunday, June 10th:VanConShow Pop culture and collectibles show.
Tuesday, June 12th, 7:00 PM: HTML Prototyping at Seattle Information Architecture & User Experience Meetup with Seattle UX at Piecora’s From the meetup page: “Continuing our themes, in June, we’d like to bring focus to an important part of IA & UX work: prototyping. We’ll have a panel of speakers with Matt Turpin (Fell Swoop), Bram Wessel (FatDUX), and Kevin Wick (Frog Design). RSVP, space is limited!”
Friday, June 15th – Sunday, 17th:ConComCon: A convention for con runners From the website: “ConComCon, or “C-Cubed”, is a conference for science fiction convention organizers held each June in the Northwest. Special guests include: C.J. Cherryh and Jane Fancher.”
Saturday, June 16th:Free RPG Day From the website: The goal of Free RPG Day is to inspire gamers to play a new RPG, which will in turn, create sales through local game stores.
Thursday, June 21st, 7:00 PM: Beer Tasting with Issaquah Highlands Craft Beer at Blakely Hall (Issaquah Highlands) From the meetup page: “Stop by and meet your fellow craft beer lovers. Bring a bottle or two of good beer for us to try and try our beers. Home brew, local craft beer, imports, whatever you like. For this first meeting we will keep things very casual. No particular theme. Just beer tasting and discussion.”
Friday, June 22nd – Sunday, June 24th: Fairy and Human Relations Congress From the website: “The Fairy & Human Relations Congress is an annual event that attracts about 300 people in the North Central Cascades in Washington State. The Congress is Dedicated to Promoting Communication and Co-Creation with Nature Spirits, Devas and the Faery Realms.”
Saturday, June 23rd – Sunday, June 24th: Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire A Richland, WA, renaissance faire featuring mystery dinners and performances. From the website: “The Greenwood Players consists of actors, dancers, and musicians of all ages. We bring Elizabethan England alive through song, dance, costuming, and environmental theatre.”
Be sure you catch GeekGirlCon at the following:
Saturday, June 2nd, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM:GeekGirlCon at iFEST & Science Expo Day! at Seattle Center From the event page: “Play a game, win a prize, and learn more about GeekGirlCon ’12 at our booth located in the white tent between EMP and the Center House, 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Also check out our panel, Women in Video Games. A panel of women currently shaping the
ever-evolving video game industry will talk about their perspectives and experiences! Women don’t just play video games; they make them. 3:00 PM at the Seattle Center.”
Sunday, June 10th, 10:30 AM:IGNITE: Brighter Future Walk GeekGirlCon will participate in a fundraiser walk for IGNITE!, an organization that works to empower young women to succeed in STEM careers and inspire girls to dream big to achieve their full potential.
Saturday, June 23rd, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM: GeekGirlCon All-Hands Meeting at Card Kingdom (Tournament Room) Get informed about all the latest and greatest as we gear up for our 2nd annual convention in August! Because we’re using the Tournament Room, food and alcoholic beverages will not be allowed during the meeting, only nonalcoholic beverages in containers with a lid. If you would like a bite to eat before or after the meeting, we suggest patronizing Cafe Mox, located next to Card Kingdom.
Sunday, June 24th, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM:Watch for GeekGirlCon at the Seattle Pride Parade! From the event page: “GeekGirlCon is excited be walking in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday June 24th to show our support for the LGBTQ community. From staffers and volunteers to supporters and fans, the LGBTQ community has been part of GeekGirlCon from the start, and it is time for us to show how much we care.”
Be sure you let us know in the comment section if you went to an event listed here or have a GeekGirlCon sighting!
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Shubz K. Blalack
PR Content Producer
prcontent@geekgirlcon.com
What’s shakin, everybody! Shubz here, with another installment of Geek About Town, the go-to guide for the geek on the go!
Wednesday, May 2nd, All Day:The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG Campaign From the website: The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG is a one-day, online charitable giving event to inspire people to give generously to nonprofit organizations who make our region a healthier and more vital place to live. Each donation made through The Seattle Foundation’s website to the any of the 1,300 profiled nonprofit organizations between midnight and midnight (PT) on May 2, 2012 will receive a pro-rated portion of the matching funds.
Friday, May 4th, 7:00 PM:May Book Discussion hosted by the Paranormal and Supernatural Book Club Visit the website for a list and description of he books to read for this month. You don’t have to read them all to attend the meeting, so read as many as you can or feel like.
Saturday, May 5th, 11:00 AM: Join the Seattle Buffy Meetup Group for Brunch with Buffy at the Highline Bar From the meetup page: The Highline Bar shows two “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episodes while serving Saturday morning vegan brunch. This meetup will automatically happen every week until they stop showing the episodes.
Saturday, May 5th, All Day:Free Comic Book Day From the website: “Free Comic Book Day is a single day – the first Saturday in May each year – when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local shop for their participation and rules.”
Saturday, May 5th, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM:Morning Cereal with Morning Serial at Henry Art Gallery. (Free with museum admission) From the website: “Start your day the Henry way: with a late breakfast of cereal and comics. Join fellow comics fans on the morning of Free Comic Book Day for a relaxed breakfast before you venture out to the U-District’s comic shops. Cereal provided, coffee available for purchase at the museum café. Meet fellow comics fans and Morning Cereal curator, Sarra Scherb, outside in the sculpture court next to the café, weather permitting. If it’s rainy, meet in the Education Studio.”
Saturday, May 5th, 7:00 PM:Hey Geek Girl! A Tribute to Women and Pop Culture Opening Reception at Ltd. Art Gallery From the website: Ltd. Art Gallery is teaming up with writer and personality Bonnie Burton to put together this incredible new group Art Show! HEY GEEK GIRL! brings together 25 female artists to pay tribute to the female icons that have influenced and defined women in modern Pop Culture. The show opens on Saturday, May 5th at 7pm; there will be music and complimentary refreshments. Exhibition on display until June 10th.
Tuesday, May 8th, 7:00 PM:GeekGirlCon TV Dinner: Doctor Who, with special guests Behind the Blue Door GeekGirlCon and the Central Cinema bring you a TV Dinner night made for both old and new Whovians on Tuesday, May 8th at 7:00 p.m. If you are new to Who, this is is a great opportunity to check out this iconic sci-fi program. Stay in your seat at the intermission to see Behind the Blue Door
performing a new burlesque act from their upcoming Doctor Who-inspired cabaret show!
Friday, May 11th, 7:00 PM:Reading & Book Signing of Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel ($22 for an autographed copy) From the website: The wonderful graphic novel Fun Home introduced readers to Alison Bechdel’s father. Are You My Mother: A Comic Drama concerns the other half of Bechdel’s biological equation: her mother. She was a passionate and creative woman, but her unhappy marriage led to a difficult relationship with her daughter, and Bechdel explores the gulf in her own inimitable way. This event is free but a prioritized signing ticket guarantees a place in the signing line. Signing tickets are available by pre-ordering/purchasing Are You My Mother from University Book Store. Please Note: Autographed copies of books are only available after the event.
Monday, May 14th, 7:00 PM:Behind The Blue Door: A Dr. Who Inspired Cabaret Presents Dr. Who Trivia Night at Sunset Tavern (21+) From the Facebook event page: Do you know the difference between K-9 and a Dalek? What Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Chronicles & Dr. Who all have in common? Can you match companions to Doctors? On Monday, May 14th, Behind The Blue Door will be holding a special trivia night at the Sunset Tavern to help crown the Dr. Who Trivia Master! Let the lovely and talented Rebecca M Davis (host for the evening) challenge your skills and test your knowledge of the known Whoniverse and the chance to win some cool prizes! So grab a beer and a pizza (at special happy hour prices for the event) and test your Who skills!
Make sure to get there early to grab a seat! $5 per person suggested donation Teams up to 6 people.
Tuesday, May 15th, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM:Northwest Women in Beer at The Pike Brewing Company (21+) From the event site: “Women brewed beer or favorite beers to sample. Women owned food business, small bite samples. Come learn about the historic significance of women brewers. Raffle, food, beer and the proceeds benefit, Planned Parenthood! Not just for women, guys should come too!!”
Saturday, May 19th, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM:Spokane ComiCon at Spokane Community College ($6 General Admission. $1 off with canned food donation. Children under 12 are free.) Are you east of the Cascades? Meet up with fellow comic aficionados and those in the industry at the “big little comic con.” Special guests include: artist Tyler Kirkham, artist Michael Avon Oeming, Boilerplate creators Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett, and many others!
Saturday, May 19th, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM: Art Auction with GeekGirlCon at Ltd. Art Gallery Join GeekGirlCon as we partner with Ltd. Art Gallery to auction off some fabulous geeky art!
Monday, May 21st, 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM:Seattle Nerd Nite: Jokes & Hoax at LUCID Jazz Lounge (21+) Join the folks at Seattle Nerd Nite monthly for “rad talks, beer, and nerd-approved music.”
Friday, May 25th – Sunday, May 27th:Crypticon at the Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center. From the website: Be a part of the largest horror convention in the Pacific Northwest! “This year’s guests include Doug Bradley (Hellraiser); Don Coscarelli (Phantasm); Marilyn Burns (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre); Voltaire (sponsored by El Corazon); and many more. Be wowed by the make-up contest; movie workshop; writing contest; panels with actors, writers, artists and others in the genre; and our film festival. Get your heart pumping with Zombie Tag and our live action role playing game—think you can survive the weekend?”
Saturday, May 26th, 7:00 PM:Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines From the event page: Sheroes exist. They can be found in the stories of comics, novels, film, television, and video games. They can also be found in real life – in mothers and sisters, community leaders, and media makers. How are women, both real and fictional, represented in American culture? Who influences and controls the media messages we receive about strong women – and how are they internalized by consumers? How do advocates of media literacy, as well as media makers themselves, subvert these messages or offer alternatives for empowerment through their own sheroic work?
Join the panelists below (and others to be announced) at this free Seattle International Film Festival special Festival Forum Discussion panel to explore these questions and more. Panelists include: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Jennifer K. Stuller, Daniel Tayara.
Thursday, May 31, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Fremont Geek Meetup at History House (790 N 34th St, Seattle 98103). RSVP required. Local meet up for Seattle techies to meetup, network, and share in one another’s enthusiasm of technology.
Any other geeky May events you know of? Leave a comment below!
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Shubz K. Blalack
PR Content Producer
prcontent@geekgirlcon.com
