Full Frontal Fantasy-

INTERNETS: I HAVE SUCH SIGHTS TO SHOW YOU.

2014-05-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

So I have been teasing a BIG THING for a while now. A thing I could not share. A SECRET!

I SUCK AT SECRETS.

but I did it. BUT NOW I CAN SHARE!

I made my first pro sale to a comic company!

You may have heard that BOOM! studios is doing a Hellraiser Anthology series

CLIVE BARKER’S HELLRAISER: BESTIARY will be a 6 issue anthology series featuring loads of impressive writers and artists...

and me!.

Meep!

Issue 1 comes out in August and features:

CLIVE BARKER’S HELLRAISER: BESTIARY #1 (of 6)

Written by Victor LaValle, Ben Meares, and Mark Alan Miller

Illustrated by Colin Lorimer, Carlos Magno, and Conor Nolan

Covers by Conor Nolan, Kim Herbst, and Sam Shearon

I have no idea which issue my story will be in, but this is ... unbelievable.

The first comic I ever read was a horror anthology.

The first horror movie I ever saw was Hellraiser.

It's really AMAZING to be part of that universe and I am super excited about it.

Endless love to my editor, Chris Rosa and the artist for the story

Daniele Serra for making this story all it could be.

In Which Lela Gives a Lecture on "Freedom of Speech"

2014-04-04T21:43:00.003-04:00

A girl gets raped by a teacher and a commenter on the news article says she
was “asking for it.” A hue and cry of rape culture follows. The commenter
stands by the original statement and adds that she was probably wearing
something provocative and was old for her age. It is explained to the
commenter that these are all standard responses from someone immersed in
rape culture, that victim-blaming is part of what creates the perfect
conditions for rapists to act with impunity. Some of the respondents are
more aggressive, creating an us versus them dynamic. The commenter angrily
declares that this is a free country and he or she can say what she wants.
Freedom of Speech!

America, can we talk?

For the most part, I love you. Seriously. I mean yes, I'm a politically
moderate feminist, which means I find myself mad...a lot, frankly. But I
love you.

But my love is a tough love. And there is a problem. An arrested
development issue.

In elementary school when someone said “Shut up” the standard answer was
(and I dare to stay still is) “It's a free country. I'll say what I want”.

Which is perfectly fine 8-year-old logic.

Thing is, America, I see a lot of adults using this same counter-argument
all the time.

Every time someone says something racist, sexist, or rape apologist and is
called on it I see the same sad, sorry response. “Don't censor me! This is
America! Freedom of Speech!” The peanut gallery adds a chorus of “We have
a little thing called the Bill of Rights! First Amendment!”

Let's take a look at the First Amendment, with some emphasis added, shall
we?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

See that? The Amendment provides Freedom of Speech... from the government.

The government.

Not people. Not society. In fact the way human society works is we keep
each other in check and weed out undesirable behaviors using peer pressure.
When a person says or does something awful, it is imperative to society's
forward movement that we do so. This is how civilization was built. And
here in America, this is how we get to that much lauded “more perfect
union.”

Screaming censorship or wrapping yourself in a false banner of freedom of
speech is a tool for stopping conversation. For stopping progress. For
keeping old paradigms of inequality and hate in place. Using “freedom” and
your “rights” as the unassailable bubble wrap protecting your hate takes
the dreams of Americans wishing to live in a land where all people are
created equal and distorts them. The Bill of Rights was created to prevent
tyranny, not to create a myriad of small tyrants. By accusing people of
censorship and infringing on your rights you are casting yourself as a
victim and negating all personal responsibility for maintaining civil
discourse.

So, grow up America. Get a grasp of the rights that you have and go argue
with someone. But if someone tells you that what you are saying is
unacceptable, first stop and think about what you are saying. And then if
you are still set on your position, find a different tack. Try logic or
past precedent to prove your point, but unless you are talking to a
government official, don't cry censorship or scream about your First
Amendment rights. Civil communication moves us all forward.

WE'RE FULLY FUNDED!

2014-03-21T18:13:00.000-04:00

BORN DARK IS OFFICIALLY FULLY FUNDED

which is AMAZING!

YOU can still get in on the fun (NO RISK! ALL REWARD!)

THE KICKSTARTER IS LIVE

2014-02-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

That's pretty much it!

After a MONTH of issues we are GOOD!

THE KICKSTARTER FOR BORN DARK IS LIVE!

GO SUPPORT US! SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS! BE AMAZING!

WAIT... It's Valentines Day . Shouldn't there be a BORN DARK KICKSTARTER?

2014-02-14T11:11:00.002-05:00

WELL, YES.

but no.

I MEAN NOT YET!
Due to the fact that we want to present the BEST POSSIBLE THING and the fact that when Kickstarter says it takes up to 7 days for this to happen and 3 days for that you should DAMN WELL LISTEN (my bad, I'm sorry. Learning here.) we are delayed.

BUT I WILL BE SINGING FROM THE BALCONY WHEN WE (finally) GET THE GO AHEAD.

and till then, go check out the PREVIEW.

and let me know what you think!

Sacrifices written in support of Dylan Farrow. Trigger warning

2014-02-04T16:40:00.000-05:00

Mallory walked into the room and beamed at John.

“You just saw it, didn't you?”

“I did.” She looked up at the ceiling, drawing her fingers through her hair, trying to gather the many thoughts and feelings that swirled in her head.

“So?”

“I'm glad I went alone. I don't think I could have waited to talk about it and I hate people who talk in movies.”

John pulled back his blanket and patted the couch next to him. “So let's talk. What was your favorite part?”

Mallory dropped onto the couch eyes still up, still living through the movie in her head. “The whole thing? Everything? I mean the emotion, the focus on small conflict, the realness of it all.”

“Right? It feels like life. But life as art. It's beautiful and terrible and real and better than real.”

“Yes! That exactly.” She leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. “I feel so good right now. I can't wait till he makes another one.”

John's face darkened. “Well you know it'll be a while. It takes certain things for a genius to do his work and selfish people never want to make the sacrifices.”

Mallory lifted his chin and and smiled at him.

“Don't worry, babe. They'll do it. No one wants to live in a world with his brilliance.”

~~~

The room was dark except for a single light behind the three men sitting at the table. That single light was sun bright and spotlighted a young girl in a thin cotton sundress.

The girl blocked her eyes and squinted at the men, but they were blocky black shadows in the dark.

“You're certain no one will miss her?”

“Her mother, maybe, but she's no angel. We can paint it as an unfit parent getting help from a wealthy, softhearted celebrity and then turning on her benefactor. Plus, everyone loves those movies.”

The girl couldn't tell which ones were speaking. Just that in the whole time that she'd been in here two of them had talked about her like she wasn't there and one never said a word.

“What's he saving her from? Health problems? Poverty? We can't have...”

There was more, but she didn't understand it. She looked down at her dress. It was new. A yellow dress like for the summer time with a lady bug on a leaf on it. She grabbed the skirt and looked at it closer. Cold air blew on her bare legs. There were one, two, three spots on one side of the ladybug and one, two, three, four on the other side.

She was so busy counting she hadn't noticed one of the men had gotten closer to her. The light was still behind him and he was bent over so she couldn't see his face.

“What's your name?”

His voice was softer than the other men's. He was the one that hadn't been talking.

“Myra Jean Falloy.”

“Well, Myra Jean. You're going to come with me. Isn't that nice? I make movies and my movies make people happy. Making people happy is good isn't it, Myra Jean?”

She nodded.

“You're going to make me happy, so I can make other people happy.”

He held his hand out, the long shadow of it cut her in half. She hesitated for a moment, thinking of her Mother. She hesitated, but then relents. She is a child. It's her job to trust adults.

It's been a long time coming....

2014-01-18T14:29:00.000-05:00

So I've been talking about making comics for a while now. Hell, I've been working on the project That has been known as ~~Mother~~, ~~Bourne,~~ and now BORN DARK for almost 3 years. But friends, Neighbors, countrymen WE HAVE PROGRESS.

We have art. And it's sorta awesome. And you're totally gonna lose your mind.

And if you sign up at www. BornDarkComic.com you will be the firsty first first to see that awesomeness right in your inbox. Why? because we love you.

Who is we?

Well, I cannot talk about Born Dark with out talking about my amazing TEAM OF AWESOME

Adam P. Knave - editing- (because I knew better than to think I know best :D) You know him from his Eisner Award winning hand at editing PopGun and writing amazing comics like Amelia Cole and Artful Daggers

Richard Clark- art- (because AWESOME) You've seen his work in House of Gold & Bones as well as a a dozen other superhero titles. He's bringing some serious depth to these characters and I'm super excited to show you what he's got!

Frank Cvetkovic- lettering- (cuz AMAZING) He's the letterer for books such as ARTFUL DAGGERS, THE BLACK WRAITH, FIRESIDE MAGAZINE, KUNG FU SKRATCH!, MOLLY DANGER, NENETL OF THE FORGOTTEN SPIRITS, and THE INSIDE. He's pretty much the bomb y'all.

The plan is to Kickstart Issue 0 beginning Feb 14th and to have a special package for people who give in those early days. SO BE READY! SIGN UP at BORN DARK COMIC if you want to know more before ANYONE ELSE!

LET'S HAVE A CONTEST!

2013-12-19T11:25:00.003-05:00

I HAVE COMICS!

Specifically, I have comics I have stories in! From GrayHaven & Coldstream Studios!

SO Imma do a GIIIIIIIIVEAWAY!

Grand prize:

One copy each of

Coldstream Studio's One Eyed Pussy 2,

GrayHaven's Seven Sins,

GrayHaven's The Dark 2

TO ENTER! Just comment below what the best thing you read (comic, novel, subtitled movie) was this year. I'll pick a random winner.

If I have > 25 entries I'll add a set of 8x10's from the NerdbondageprojeKt to the grand prize!

If I have > 35 entries I'll give Seven Sins to another random person!

If I have > 40 entries I'll give The Dark 2 to another random person!

One entry / person. Leave your email or twitter handle so I can get a hold of you if you win! Contest CLOSES at 11:59(EST) on Monday 11/23

Tornado Drill

2013-11-21T19:08:00.000-05:00

Ladies. You're doing it wrong.

Enjoy Social Media?

um no you just like that boys

Enjoy Comics?

pay attention to you when you think that they think

Enjoy Math?

that you actually get that stuff. They know you're faking and they just PRETEND to

Enjoy Sports?

respect you and let you think you know what's going on because you are

Enjoy Politics?

so desperate for their time and attention and they are

Want Success in your Career?

victims of you. REAL Women do it this way and that way and how I do it!

Have Opinions?

So go BACK TO YOUR CORNER. Sit very still and very small and wait for someone to come get you.

Enjoy sex?

THINK OF LIFE AS A TORNADO DRILL. Curl up in a ball cover your head and someone will tell you when it's safe.

the message is given to us over and over again. be small. Be safe. Be quiet. Don't enjoy anything (certainly not YOURSELF) too much.

I reject your tornado drill. I will be my own damn siren.

Comics! From Me!

2013-11-15T21:39:00.001-05:00

HEY INTERNETS!

GUESS WHAT!

You can buy Comics with Stories written by YOURS TRULY!

You can find my story FACELESS in DARK 2.
(which is the first comic script I ever really wrote!)
Art by Matthew Spicer

You can find my story LUST in SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Art by Sean VonGorman

All the love in the world goes out to Andrew at The Gathering for taking a chance on me way back when. It's been a long time coming but so WORTH IT! :D

SEXY OBJECTS & the people inside them

2013-10-23T19:21:00.000-04:00

SEXY

I won't pretend that I don't attempt it from time to time.

I won't pretend that some people don't "like" me just because I am unafraid of the SEXY.

I won't pretend that some people don't judge me harshly because of said SEXY.

Which is weird because, I mean... I just this nerdy girl, right?

But I'm not. I'm not JUST anything.

I'm not JUST a nerd, or JUST sexy, or JUST a fitness nut and a dog lover and a person addicted to tea and books and travel.

And that is the difference between finding someone SEXY and OBJECTIFYING them. I mean when you look at a "sexy" picture you may not know that the subject of the picture has 2 cute fluffy dogs at home and he or she likes to run outdoors 10 months of the year.... but do you look at the person and see a PERSON? Not a sex toy. Not a Dildo with fresh batt'ries or a pocket pussy that Jeeves warmed up in the dishwasher* for you.

Recently someone that has always been a BIG FAN of my WORK as a fetish model got mad at me and blasted me for calling someone else out for a series of sexist remarks.

I see this as YOU ARE GREAT WHEN I IMAGINE YOU ARE SUBJUGATING YOURSELF, BUT I CANNOT ACCEPT THAT YOU HAVE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS TOO! HOW DARE YE!

Well, I dare. I dare like a motherfucker.

Because I am not a dildo or a Fleshlight. I'm a person. And persons are complicated.

Also: If everyone else has gone the polite route, I will yell at you. Because for some people anger is the only language they know. Talk smack, get smacked. Other ladies were raised right. They try to explain. I was raised by wolves so I explained it in a way that it could be heard by other animals**.

But on to the criticism of Modern Feminism- That we are crippling men & boys by making them mealymouthed neutered pansies afraid of their own shadow.

MOSTLY I wanna smack people who say this. I wanna hit them in their giant melons and say OH YEAH? CUZ 1 outta 4 women in America won't have to fight with a Rapist and MAYBE win? Cuz we make as much money and we are equally represented in positions of power?

UM NO.

But then I know a few guys and they are TRUE SWEETHEARTS and sometimes they aren't sure what to do or how to say it and they get really conflicted on where the "lines are".

So.. INTERNET HELP ME. I'd like to have a chat. A big group chat in which we talk about

Sex and Feminism and How to be a Stand Up Guy without being a Turgid Dick

but I dunno how that works. Do they still have chatrooms? Is this a thing? Can I take one over for a day?

If you know how to make this work I will invite people and talk and get it ALLLLL OUT IN THE OPEN AND SOLVE THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS. ALL OF THEM.

or something.

Tell me what you think in the comments or over on TWITTER!

OKAY SO! I've figured out the CHAT! But I need your EMAIL to INVITE YOU TO THE CHAT!
you can DM it to me on Twitter or email it to me lgwenn @ Yahoo dot com
We'll be doing it Tuesday the 29th, at 9PM EST

* I don't honestly know if dudes put pocket pussies in the dishwasher, but it seems like a practical (and clean!) way to warm it up and I figure a warm pussy is better, right?

** add animal to the list of things I am

In which Lela wishes to change the world through snark

2013-08-31T11:55:00.000-04:00

The harassment policy at NYCC is sorta terrible.

While they are VERY CLEAR (in the statement pointed to VICTIMS*) that harassment will not be tolerated, The RULES only say

Be nice and have fun! All of your fellow NYCC con-goers are there to have a good time, so be friendly, make a new best bud, give a free hug and have a paramount good time at NYCC! Any behavior that's offensive in public should be kept out of NYCC and in the privacy of your own home.

(link here)

On top of that, the mechanics for a victim to deal with it are awful. The victim is instructed to "Go to the NYCC Show Office."

JAVITS IS HUGE.
And during NYCC it is STUFFED WITH PEOPLE.
By instructing people to Go to the Show Office, Reed Pop is basically saying, "We are going to give you a lollipop and pat you on your head because there is NO FUCKING WAY we're gonna find that guy, confirm it was the dude that grabbed your tit and kick him out. Why don't you spend the rest of your already ruined day sitting here while we "look"? OH and that costume shows an awful lot of skin. NAKED IS NOT A COSTUME, YANNO?

*Click What if I'm Harassed?

So what do we do?

TO TWITTER MY FRIENDS ( and Facebook and G+ too !)

TWEET/STATUS UPDATE How you will deal with immobilizing/capturing/ what-have-you a hypothetical harasser at NYCC? Freeze ray? Giant Hammer? Old Fashioned crotch shot?

Give me your super hero story of defeating a harasser! They should be over the top and silly. A fun game with a serious purpose.

Use the hashtag #ConHero and tag @NY_Comic_Con

This has an added benefit. If it trends then people all over nerddom will see it. It will make it clear that we don't accept harassment.

Collect your thoughts, loves. We will be launching this ship on TUESDAY, September 3rd.

** To improve harassment policy we need:
1) CLEAR RULES AGAINST HARASSMENT
2) BETTER WAYS TO REPORT HARASSMENT.
3) CLEAR CONSEQUENCES FOR HARASSERS

Examples of tweets:
I see a girl getting harassed @NY_COMIC _ Con. I Use my + 5 Sword of Suffering to cut him in twain. I'm a #ConHero

Some dude grabs my booty @NY_ Comic_ Con so I make him walk the plank. I'm a #ConHero

In which Lela conducts a fake interview and the internet ESSPLODES!

2013-08-16T19:18:00.000-04:00

I'm HEAD NERD CORRESPONDENT over at WHACK! Magazine. MOSTLY, this means I read graphic novels and tell people if they're good or not, but sometimes I do interviews.

Let me tell you a secret: I suck at interviews. Seriously. I ask the same questions everyone asks. The people I interview are generally better off just giving me their Playboy Playmate of the month stats.

I like long walks on the beach and cold nights by the fire. Turn ons include flannel sleepwear and Zima Malt Beverage.

So I asked Chuck Wendig and Stephen Blackmoore if I could interview them back in JANUARY. And then I put it off. Why? Cuz I hate doing things I suck at.

When I came to the realization that I really HAD to do SOMETHING I did what I usually do-- I went to Twitter.

Gimmie some interview questions!

HOW BIGGS ARE THEM CANZ?

Now you have to understand that this was from a Dear Friend and so I giggled and this got me thinking. I suck at interviews, but I do not suck at snarky commentary. So I asked Chuck and Stephen if they were for it and we produced THIS .

And THIS thing we produced has taken on a life of it's own with 200+ notes and making the front page of Reddit and SO MANY NEW TWEEPS (Hi new twitter friends. This is all quite overwhelming) One of the biggest critiques I've heard is that they were expecting it so it isn't really the same thing.

Which is true, if the intention had been to put men in the same position as women are constantly placed by media. But that ain't me. This is really just about the ABSURDITY of those questions. The ridiculous labels put on women because they have/don't have kids. Because they write/don't write sex/violence/science/unsympathetic characters.

Thing is, there is DEFINITELY space for that kind of skewering satire. And there may even be dude writers who deserve that kind of treatment. But that ain't me.

But the thing is it IS TRUE that most women CAN'T answer the types of questions that I asked Chuck & Stephen with the candor or wit that they did.... not without risking the interview disappearing.

So I'm going to be hitting up LADY WRITERS for a a column called IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING. In which I will ask the terrible questions and the LADYWRITER in question will be allowed NAY! EXPECTED to hand me a fist full of TRUTHINESS.

I'm gonna be reaching out to people in the near future. If you have a suggestion for who you think would be a good fit COMMENTS are below!

( Idea for IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING came out of a conversation with Suleikha Snyder on Twitter)

GUEST POST: Clovia Shaw gives us a little nibble of her new book NOGITSUNE

2013-08-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you don't know how much I (heart) Clovia Shaw you aren't paying attention. SHe was here during BIG COMICS WEEK reviewing CHEW and spreading LOVE for Third Eye Comics. Here's a little snippet (a drrrrrrrty little snippet) from her new book :

[QUOTE]

Linc rested his cheek on her head, still pressed firmly inside her, his hand smoothing up and down her quivering thigh as his stomach heaved against hers.

“We shouldn’t have done that,” he said quietly.

“I’m pretty happy with it.”

He grinned into her hair, the length of velvety tail uncoiling from her leg so slowly it felt reluctant, leaving an uncomfortable chill where her skin was now exposed. Letting her get a foot solidly down first, he gave her ass a squeeze before shifting to disengage. Delia closed her eyes for the shiversome sensation as he withdrew slowly, her hands curling against his hot sides.

“Do you trust me to do this for you?”

Delia nodded, reaching down to snag the right leg of her panties and jeans so she could put her boot back through them. She’d been expecting the flare of foxfire to destroy the condom, but it was still disorienting in such a small space while hopping on one foot.

Alerted by the squeak, Linc just watched her topple headlong into the laundry, the flames in his palm receding to a glow so he didn’t miss anything.

[/QUOTE]

First off, let me say that picking an excerpt from a longer sex scene is hard. Heh, hard. I try very hard to craft a romantic or sexual scene so that it makes sense in the context of the story, suits the tone of the rest of the book, and isn’t in there just because I was getting bored and wanted the characters to screw already.

Wait. Back up the truck. “Length of velvety tail?”

Don’t make it weird, man. The MC in Nogitsune, Lincoln Black, is descended from Japan’s legendary fox-wives—which in my universe, means he has spirit tails. It works, shut up.

I didn’t realize this was a Romance.

It’s not. If you took the romance with Delia out and just had them work together, Linc would still have a book, though it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. My kitsune are sensualists, life-force harvesters who draw harmlessly on their lovers for a little extra afterglow buzz, and writing around that would be ridiculous.

Okay, so why this excerpt? We didn’t get to see anything!

Because it illustrates what I try to do with sex scenes—it’s easier without the distraction of hot, heaving, slick things. Physical intimacy can’t exist in its own bubble, discrete from the rest of the story. Something led the characters there, the plot rolls on around them, and worldbuilding rules still apply. Here, Linc is putting Delia in danger by having sex with her, but he’s not used to curbing his appetites. So he’s worried he’s started something he can’t stop. The bit with the condom is a window onto the local magic and the danger inherent in sleeping with another magician. Spit, blood, sexual fluids, hair—all these things can be used against you, so it’s a further trust to give, for Delia to let Linc handle the disposal for her. And lastly, there’s a casual fondness there that I think is very sweet when Delia trips bare-ass into the mountain of laundry, and rather than try to catch her, Linc just enjoys the view.

Or, you know, it’s just rude.

Foxes are habitual line-steppers, tricksters at heart, and don’t particularly care what you think of them. Linc could play Prince Charming as easily as any other illusion in his repertoire, but Delia doesn’t expect or want him to be something he’s not. It’s not like the laundry was going to eat her.

Stop acting like italics isn’t just you talking to yourself.

Fuck you, it makes me sound more personable and engaging. Or creepy and sad, but whatever.

…I spend a lot of time in my head.

Thanks to Lela for letting me rub my naughty bits all over her blog today, and for all you non-italicized people who dropped by to get a look at them. Nogitsune is available at Amazon and Smashwords, and you can come talk to me on twitter if there’s nothing good on late-night TV.

NerdbongageProjeKt People!

2013-07-09T10:47:00.002-04:00

It has been 2 weeks since I sent the pictures out into the world! At this point I have to assume that everyone *should* have gotten their photos.

But alas... the postal service, she is not the perfect perfection that she should be.

So friends, this is when you need to let me know if you have NOT RECEIVED your photos.

NOT BY COMMENTING ON INDIEGOGO ( you know I can't answer you there, right?) or here.

but via email (LGwenn :at: Yahoo :dot: Com)

I will be reordering posters and doing all that that swell stuff in the next few days ( so if you've already contacted me... I'll be taking care of it SOON! :-D )

I really want to make sure everyone gets what they ordered and in good condition, so PLEASE let me know!

POSTERS!

2013-06-27T22:23:00.000-04:00

SO: I wasn't going to reorder posters for NerdbondageprojeKt

I was gonna print up the ones for the perks and then just have 8x10s on hand.

ALAS! the USPS hath screwed me royally.

One set of posters was destroyed in transit. So I have to order new ones. If I'm gonna order 1 of each I can just as easily order a few more.

SO: IF YOU WANT A 16x20 of

CATWOMAN

HARLEY QUINN

LEELOO

or

DEATH

contact me lgwenn (at) yahoo . com
everything will go through Paypal. They'll be $35 ea-- including shipping

8x10s are available as well! $12 each! same deal, just email me.

NEW PEOPLE! I BETTER SHOVE ... everything ... UNDER THE COUCH!

2013-06-11T09:22:00.000-04:00

So we're expecting some new friends. EVERYONE BE ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOR! (From io9 Have you seen the pictures? Go check it out!)

or whatever passes for "Best Behavior" around here.

UM. HI! Feel free to look around. Things have been a little dark lately, but that's just one of the modes.

Okay back to business

So I'm trying to get a comic book made. That's hard y'all.

Seriously.

HARD.

I have more to say about it, but my baby niece is here and I've...

gotta protect my cat.

and my laptop.

#TODDLERTERROR

( If you are new... come by and say HI on Twitter! )

(OH! And I will have prints available in a few days!)

I'm keeping the chain going...

2013-06-07T13:04:00.000-04:00

7th grade.

We'd moved from Texas to Virginia. From a neighborhood on the wrong side of the tracks where the bussed us to a great school to a ghetto where they put up fences to keep all the poor in.

My favorite teacher had volunteered me for a special science program-- a different teacher was running it and could I meet her after school?

The other teacher's class was at the very end, tucked behind the stairwell, right next to the bathrooms. It was dark; the lights went out minutes after the last bells rang. I waited alone.

I decided to go to the bathroom.

He was waiting there.

He kissed my neck. He grabbed me... in places.

7th grade. I'd had crushes on boys. I'd even kissed one once. But this was...

I laughed. I used to do that when I got nervous. It made him mad. He pushed me down. I heard footsteps, heels clicking down the hall.

"She's expecting me. Her classroom's right there."

He let me leave.

For the rest of the school year I couldn't use the bathrooms at school. I peed myself- like full bladder, pissed all over the place because I couldn't hold it anymore- twice. My parents talked about taking me to the doctor to see if I had a UTI, but they never did and I never told them what really happened.

I'd see him around the school and he's smile at me and tell his friends, "That's my girl."

I'd laugh.

Throwing up wasn't an option. I'd have to go in the bathroom to do that.

I've had several incidences where only LUCK has kept me from being violently raped. LUCK. In the grand scheme of things a saving throw should not be the thing that stands between any woman (or girl. I was a girl) and being violently assaulted.

** I'd love to go back to being a happy go lucky, silly chick who make dick and fart jokes all the time. But stories like mine, Like Delilah Dawson's like all of the women who are standing up and saying No More... I'm tired of this story. Rape is used to control. And when it doesn't work and the "ladies" get too uppity we're told to Maintain our Womanly Dignity. Or to just shut up and stop ruining their awesome boy things with our icky girl stuff. It's old. It's tired and ... welll....

THIS. ***

SO! I've had a GREAT IDEA. I want to recreate the speech above ^^^ using lots of people. One video, one speech, many different voices. Men, women all tired of all the bullshit, fear based, isolation, rape culture crap. Lots of people have volunteered on twitter and that is AWESOME. If you are interested EMAIL ME lgwenn (at) yahoo

**UPDATE Women 101 has been pitched to NYCC. I will hear back one way or the other by early August. If you're a professional creator ( writer, artist, cosplayer what have you) and want to be on the panel if it goes, let me know. I'd like to have 3 women & 2 men. **

Women 101: Welcome to the Age of the Geek Girl

2013-06-02T16:13:00.001-04:00

So.

It's hard out there for a Geek Girl.

I mean there's a couple of OLD WHITE DUDES with the SWFA telling ladies to keep their dignity and shut up.

Then over at A-Kon we had the wonders of GropeCrew *trigger warning*

And then there's the endless incidents of women being told to "get a sense of humor" at best and "Someone needs to rape you and put you in your place" at worst.

But I'm tired of RAILING at Mr. Internet. Mr. Internet listens with friendly ears... but the ones that need to hear? Maybe never do.

So... being tired of yelling into the void... I decided to do something.

A year ago I joked about doing a Women 101 panel at a con. This year... I have contacted NYCC about actually DOING it.

Not because I'm famous. *I ain't*
Not because I have super special womyn powers *I don't*

But no one else seems to be doing it. And someone needs to.

What would we cover?

What women are ADDING to Geek culture.
How to talk to geek girls with out getting decked ( or: don't ask her bra size, dood)
Evolving the representations of women in fiction.
How to be ally.

And then... Maybe have a discussion? If we can keep it civilish?

There are OBSTACLES. I have to put together a panel and since I don't know who will be there... I don't know who I can ask to pop on over. If I have to ask people who aren't going to be there anyway then they have to pay to get there and NY is cray expensive.

SO.... First things first.... Let's see if we can get some traction.

1) Tweet, or FB New York Comic Con and let them know that you want to see #Women101Panel (if you do-- tag or @ me! I'd love to see!)

2) If you know famous ladies who will be at NYCC- INTRODUCE ME! I've talked to more than a few but so far I only have "If I'm there, sure". I'd love to see 3-5 diverse women with broad accomplishments.

3) Let me know if this is the sort of thing you would support on kickstarter. I HAVE 0 IDEAS what I would do for perks, but yeah.

I am FULLY aware that I am not famous and that this is usually the arena of famous people. But no one is doing it. And when I see things that aren't being done.... I step up.

I know.

VERY UNLADYLIKE.

So Talk to me Mr. Internet. Let me know your feels. I'm a girl and all about feels.

The part that bothers me. (warning: possible triggers)

2013-05-02T20:59:00.001-04:00

The part that bothers me is that I can't remember her name.

I remember that the girl down the street's name was Nikki (I used to sing to her Nick nicknick Nick NICK nicknick NICKELODEON). I remember that Tom next door had a creepy older brother and his little sister had rats as pets and called them hamsters. I remember that his dog's name was Bullet.

I remember that I had a crush on a boy named Mateo.

But I don't remember her name. Part of my brain wants to call her Nina. Or Anna. But I don't remember.

Can I be forgiven for not knowing something was wrong?

I was 11. The Cambodian girl across the street was a year younger, but we did everything together. We ran the streets of our wrong-side-of-the-tracks neighborhood, practically inseparable. I'd moved there from Tennessee. Her family-- Bad things had happened in Cambodia and they had moved to California and then Texas. We had a gang. Our gang talked like Valley Girls and hit people with purses.

She had an older sister, the picture of integrated glamour. The sister was a teenager and everything I wanted to be and have-- a brass bed like a gilded bird cage and pictures all over her pink painted walls.

My friend's bedroom was white walled and instead of a beautiful canopy bed, she had a tatami bed roll. I thought it was weird at first, but she told me that it was the way it was in Cambodia. Who was I to argue with Cambodia?

She didn't go to school. THIS bothers me. Even a year behind me we would have hung out on the bus. In our ghetto neighborhood everyone got picked up at one stop and she would have walked the 5 blocks with Tom, Nikki and I. But she didn't. I remember sitting on the bus, day dreaming about the awesome things her glamorous older sister must do on weekends. She wasn't there for me to ask. Why didn't I notice that then?

But really, my guilt boils down to that last night.

It was hot. Heat from the cement driveway baked into the bottom of my feet, despite the late hour. Inside, my parents and my brother were watching tv. I was standing at the end of the driveway looking at my friend's house.

Her sister came out and got in the car. The sister sat in the back, behind the driver's seat, her head down. There was silence for a moment.

Then the door burst open. Her dad was screaming, repeating something over and over. I'd learned a smattering of Spanish, but she hadn't taught me a word of Khmer. Her dad had a gun. He held it to her mother's head and screamed at no one.

No one but me. I was the only witness. He kept yelling. He grabbed her by the hair and hauled her toward the car. She followed behind. I had been frozen until I saw her. I ran to my door and called to my parents.

"Something's going on across the street."

Lela. Master of understatement.

No one came out. Her whole family got into the car and drove away.

No one noticed. No one said anything.

No "Where is She?"

I have no pictures. I don't remember her name. If I were a worse or better person I might could convince myself that she never existed. That she was a fevered dream of an always overimaginative child.

But she wasn't.

And she haunts me.

And I don't remember her name.

NOT DEAD YET!

2013-03-29T20:06:00.002-04:00

So....

There were a few... mistakes...over at Indiegogo. And as such.... they extended the campaign!

I CAN'T EVEN! I JUST CAN'T!

SO we are BACK ON and we have ALREADY hit the target.

4 Characters are good to go! Any extra $$ we get at this point will basically be used to either add more characters (YAY!) or just give you guys a little extra depending on budgets.

MOSTLY I JUST WANNA SAY I LUFF YOU PEOPLE. YOU JUST RAWK SO HARD.

NerdbondageprojeKt...... is Ded

2013-03-22T12:55:00.002-04:00

Seriously. SO much Love.

(also: sorry about the audio. Apparently new laptop has a SHITTY MIC)

OH! AND I FORGOT! PAYPAL holds the money you contributed.... but it *SHOULD* be returned in the next several days (you know how slow Paypal can be) YOU WILL GET YOUR MONEY BACK!

Which do you like better? Leeloo

2013-03-17T23:23:00.000-04:00

Hey Y'all!

I just can't decide on a (possible... I mean this could all change. You all have the power here.) costume for Leeloo

I could go with a more traditional....

Or a more INDUSTRIAL approach

(I promise to not be that skinny tho)

Tell me! Here or on Twitter! And CONTRIBUTE! We are in the last days! GET IT DONE LOVELIES! #nerdbondageprojeKt

Haters... and SOLUTIONS!

2013-03-15T17:37:00.000-04:00

So.... I got an email expressing all sorts of unhappiness about me and my moral fiber and what not.. this is my answer:

ALSO! Someone on Twitter remarked that they WANTED to give to nerdbondageprojeKt but they don't have a Paypal account! Here are instructions on how to use Paypal without having an account

I CAN'T WAIT!

2013-03-13T01:16:00.002-04:00

OKAY kids.. we got close... so I'm terrible with secrets

(Seriously. Don't tell me things.)

(Seriously)

So here it is! The Proposed Harley Quinn ( if she makes it to the final 4)

Classic Harley to balance the unconventional CatWoman!

Whattya Think?

REMEMBER! NONE OF THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT YOU!

With < 9 Days to go... Get Excited people!