Ladyhawke is a love story for the ages. By day she is a hawk, and he is a human. Then by night, she is human, and he is a wolf. Lovers torn apart by a wicked, jealous Bishop and destined to find their way back to each other. Awww…

Join GeekGirlCon at the Central Cinema on Thursday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m. for this 1985 classic fantasy tale starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Rutger Hauer, and Matthew Broderick.  Movie is PG-13 with a running time of 121 minutes.

Details and cheat codes:

Date: Thursday, March 15th
Where: Central Cinema (1411 21st AVE, Seattle)
Time: 7:00 PM
Who: All ages (Film is rated PG-13)
Cost: $6 advance, $8 day of show

Contact Kelly at 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/.

The best days are made of kittens and rainbows and board games! Come to AFK Tavern on Sunday, March11, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. and test your board game mettle with Dragonflight and GeekGirlCon. Game play is FREE, and the event is for all ages and skill levels.

Dragonflight is a community organization dedicated to promoting all manner of gaming from board and card games to LARP to computer games throughout the Pacific Northwest. Since 1980, Dragonflight Conventions have been a mainstay of the northwest convention scene and game community. GeekGirlCon and Dragonflight are teaming up to bring you the best in board games to hone your skills and have a blast doing it.

GeekGirlCon is happy to partner again with AFK Tavern for another great event. AFK Tavern is a self-proclaimed gaming tavern, so it is a perfect fit for food and fun. Browse the menu or ask your server about customer faves, but don’t miss out on ordering yourself some tasty treats.

Details and cheat codes:

Sunday, March 11, 2012
12:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m.
AFK Tavern in Everett, Washington (1510 41st Street)
All ages
Game play is FREE!
Fun and new friends are FREE!
(Food is not free or paid for by GeekGirlCon or our partners. Remember to tip your servers!)

Please contact Kelly at SpecialEvents@geekgirlcon.com with any questions.

I became a member of the GeekGirlCon staff three weeks ago as PR Manager. I’d like to share one of my reasons for joining, as well as why I think this organization is so important. And I’ve found the best way to describe my motivation for getting involved in GeekGirlCon is through this quote:

“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.”
- Marie Curie

Marie Curie

Growing up, we all had an idol or two. Some worshiped Madonna and her cone-shaped bras. Others wanted to grow up to be a peacemaker like Mother Theresa. One person I’ve looked up to—as a child and now as an adult—is Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. There are so many things to admire about Marie Curie, but the above quote in particular has always stuck in my mind.

Here’s what it means to me. While, most often, Marie Curie is recognized purely for her ideas and contributions to science; at times she is celebrated because she was a brilliant FEMALE scientist.

We should not have to add this qualifier to describe women working in STEM fields. Someone should be innovative, or brilliant, or entrepreneurial—and also a woman. It’s a small, but important, distinction—one that emphasizes ideas over a person’s gender, race, or appearance.

In the geekdom, whether it’s gaming and comics or math and robotics, women are sometimes forced to prove their “Geek Cred.” Not only is this frustrating, it’s also harmful. I recently came across a study that tested the impact of gender bias on math scores. Researchers brought in two groups of undergraduate students of both sexes, all skilled math students. Before the test, one of the groups was informed that women usually didn’t do as well on the test as men.

The women who weren’t informed of this stereotype performed just as well as the men. The women informed of the negative assumption scored significantly lower, with average scores of 609 versus 817 for the men.

That’s over 200 points. As a mathlete in high school, this breaks my heart. Just telling a woman or a girl that she is going to do worse is enough to make her perform poorly. And it makes me wonder: What other messages are we sending to young geeky girls?

Without even knowing it, we’re making it harder for young girls who want to be inventors, engineers, and scientists. We’re challenging them to be extraordinary, just so they can be seen as ordinary.

GeekGirlCon wants to change this dialogue. We’re here to tell the world: “Geek girls exist. In science. In math. In the world of gaming and comic books. And gosh, are they cool.” But unless we speak up, unless we support and celebrate one another, we can’t make a difference.

I joined GeekGirlCon to help give a voice to the geeky women of the world. I joined to tell 11-year-old me that it was all right to be different and geeky, despite how others treated you.

Now tell me: Why do you support GeekGirlCon?

-

Susie Rantz
PR Manager
pr@geekgirlcon.com

Everyone's hard at work putting frosting to cupcake at this table!

There were four categories that folks could win a fabulous prize for: Sweetest, Most Magical, Most Awesome, and People’s Choice. Here’s the results:

Sweetest: "Wombat in Paradise" by Hilary

Most Magical: Raspberry Unicorn by Rachel

Most Awesome: "Solitude Execution Re-enactment (Skyrim)" by Aaron

Crowd Favorites: "Narwhal" by Aubrey and "Chicken Crossing the Road" by Alyssa and Aubrey

Our winners received cupcake stands crafted by Natalie’s mom, Debra. Check out her shop Glad Bunnies!

So readers, what fabulous treats did you indulge in during Valentine’s Day? Let us know with a comment!

Uhura! Uhura! Uhura!

My love affair with Star Trek began with Deep Space Nine, continued through The Next Generation, lingered repeatedly on even numbered movies before firmly rooting itself in the original series. A little backwards, yes, but love works in mysterious ways.

Because of this roundabout adventure, I never understood the fascination old-school Trekkies (or Trekkers, if you prefer) had with Lieutenant Uhura, the USS Enterprise’s communications officer portrayed by Nichelle Nichols.

Sure, I knew the history:

* First scripted inter-racial kiss on American television was between Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura and William Shatner’s Captian Kirk

*After the first season of Star Trek, Nichols planned on leaving the show but was convinced to stay after a conversation with Martin Luther King, Jr.

*Whoopi Goldberg cited Uhura as the reason she fell in love with Star Trek and later appeared as a recurring special-guest on The Next Generation

But after watching hours of Major Kira, Counselor Troi, Jadzia Dax, Doctor Crusher, and Captain Janeway, I still have a hard time truly understanding what it was like to watch Uhura on the bridge of the Enterprise in the late sixties. I joined GeekGirlCon and Central Cinema for a screening of three Star Trek episodes featuring Uhura. I was hoping to see something new, to understand what drew people to this character. When I compare Uhura to her more contemporary counterparts, to me, she appears very lonely.

Troi had Crusher and Kira had Dax. Each had a friend, a colleague of similar rank to confide in. Where were Uhura’s friends? I have to remind myself that her mere presence on the bridge was a beacon of hope for so many people. A sign that equality for all is in our future. But it still makes me a little sad.

So, I have come to a conclusion. I will be Uhura’s friend.

To do this, I vow to support and foster programs that encourage more women to follow their geeky dreams, whether it be on a command bridge, running a tech start-up, or becoming an astrophysics professor. Uhura shouldn’t be the only girl in the room. Let’s all be her friend.

How do you feel about Uhura? Is she one of your favorite characters?
Let us know in the comments!

-
Alicia McBarron
Merchandise Coordinator
merch@geekgirlcon.com

Are you a professional in a geeky industry? Do you run your own geeky business? Can we learn from you about the history of women in gaming? Do you have a unique perspective to share about being a woman in the sciences, horror, comics, television, film, robotics, costuming, or stunt industries? Are you an artist or illustrator? A pop culture “herstorian” or cultural critic?

GeekGirlCon will feature informative and entertaining programming on topics ranging from geek lifestyle issues, to the sciences to popular culture. We are seeking engaging and thought-provoking proposals from professionals for panels and presentations on topics such as, but not limited to:

· Geeky parenting and dating
· Women in science, math, engineering, and technology 
(STEM)
· Women in robotics
· Women characters and creators in comic books, literature, film, and television
· Pop culture scholarship
· Women in gaming 
(Tabletop, Board, Console, PC)
· Women in horror
· Diversity in genre – including race, ethnicity, class, gender, ability, sex and sexuality
· Crafty or geeky businesses
· Cosplay 
or Crossplay
· Women in Stunt Work
· Women writers (and men writing great geeky female characters)
· Women artists and illustrators
· Women in science fiction and fantasy
· Fandom and community
· Women’s history in geeky popular culture, science, and technology
· Women in Anime/Manga
· Women in Pop Culture Publishing
· YA authors with Strong Female Protagonists
· Geek Girl Pioneers in Fandom and Community
· Documentary filmmakers
· Web series producers
· Geeky Charities
· Women mentoring each other and our geeky little sisters
· Hackers and Programmers
· LED/Tech Fashion
· Steampunk

To be considered for acceptance proposal submissions must reflect the mission of the convention – to promote, celebrate, educate, mentor, encourage and empower the female geek – and should make an effort towards inclusivity.

We are interested in presentations, screenings, readings, workshops, mentoring sessions, and round table discussions from women and men in geeky professions. These topics should be addressed with a women-centric and woman-positive focus and with attention to issues of diversity.

GeekGirlCon is committed to representing women geeks of all ages, races, sexual orientations, gender identities, creeds, physical and mental abilities, and familial statues. Proposals must reflect a commitment to this as well.

Submissions are open until March 15th. If you are interested in proposing a panel or presentation please fill out this form:  http://www.geekgirlcon.com/con/propose-a-panel/

P.S. Just have an idea, but don’t want to be a part of programming yourself? Tell us about it in the Programming Suggestion Box!

From the desktop of Adrienne, GeekGirlCon Copywriter:

EMP Museum and SIFF hosted the 7th annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival (SFFSFF) on February 4th. SFFSFF accepts and solicits film submissions from around the globe. Since 2005, the SFFSFF has showcased a wide variety of films and filmmakers that range from the humorous to the awe-inspiring. And there were quite a few female directors this year. You can see the director bios on the EMP Museum’s website.

The 2012 SFFSFF showed 21 short films from the United States, Spain, Bangladesh, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia that included a mix of animation, special effects, and live-action films. SFFSFF is a juried festival, and this year’s winners were:

Grand Prize: The Hunter and the Swam Discuss Their Meeting, Emily Carmichael, USA
Second Prize: Time Freak, Andrew Bowler, USA
Third Prize: Terminus, Trevor Cawood, Canada
Audience Favorite: Time Freak, Andrew Bowler, USA
Douglas Trumbull Award for Best Special Effects: Terminus, Trevor Cawood, Canada

I won’t spoil any of the films in this post. But, I’ll give you some of my impressions and some links to find out more below.

The Audience Favorite winner, Time Freak, is also nominated for an Oscar this year. It is funny look at the discovery of time travel and the little things you can accomplish with it. For any Seinfeld fans, it is as if George Costanza figured out time travel.

The Grand Prize Winner, The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting, also takes a humorous approach to its fantasy theme. This film presents us with very, very awkward dinner conversation. Who knew fantasy couples had these types of moments?

Terminus won for best special effects and placed third in festival. In this film, a man is stalked by a concrete megalith to an unfortunate end. The film has a very 1970s feel adding a stark atmosphere to the short. The megalith is a mix of effects including motion capture and prosthetics and creates an eerily realistic creature.

All the films were really strong, as usual. A few of my personal favorites were Decapoda Shock by Javier Chillon (Spain), Carta a Julia by David González Rúdiez (Spain), The Captivus by Casey Tebo (USA), and Madame Perrault’s Bluebeard by A.J. Bond (Canada). My picks are all over the place as far as themes and tastes.

Decapoda Shock is about a man who returns to earth from a space mission half-man and half-crab. When the hombre-cangrejo discovers that his fate was part of a sinister plot, he seeks revenge. Mayhem ensures as he seeks to foil the plot of those that caused his transformation and stole his family. Chillon taps into revenge flicks, spaghetti westerns, and exploitation films with some screaming guitar to make a very memorable short.

Carta a Julia is a humorous look at an older couple who trade the hustle and bustle of city life for the serene Spanish countryside. As the narrator writers a letter to Julia, she recounts Paco’s encounters with some aliens that he says want to destroy the Earth. Rúdiez gives the audience an alternate look at impending alien invasion, one without panic and massive explosions.

The Captivus is about two men working in isolation for six years on a rescue spaceship with only each other for company. For one of them, the mission is over and he is scheduled to return to civilization. It may not be a welcome change. Tebo uses audio effects on the character voices to demonstrate they are speaking in binary. This proved to be a cool effect that worked well pull you into the environment.

When Madame Perrault discovers the manuscript of Bluebeard in her husband’s desk, she is transported into a fantasy world where she experiences the fates of all those missing wives, perhaps revealing her own doubts about her own marital safety. Madame Perrault’s Bluebeard is visually rich and wonderfully dark as created by cinematographer Amy Belling and director A.J. Bond.

Complete SFFSFF 2012 List

First Screening:

Time Freak, Andrew Bowler (USA)
Decapoda Shock, Javier Chillon (Spain)
Chorebot, Gary Omelchuck (USA)
Attack of the Killer Mutant Chicken, (Murgi Keno Mutant), Nayeen Mahbub (Bangladesh)
Dolls Factory, (Fábrica de Muñecas), Ainhoa Menédez (Spain)
Matter Fisher, David Prosser (UK)
The Comet Chronicles, Wade Chitwood (USA)
Terminus, Trevor Cawood (Canada)
Oliver Bump’s Birthday, Jordan Canning (Canada)
Dead Happy, Nicky Lianos (UK)
Mahahula the Giant Rodent of Happiness, Nomint Motion Design (UK)

Second Screening:

The Dungeon Master, Rider & Shiloh Strong (USA)
Birdboy, Pedro Rivero & Alberto Vasquez (Spain)
The Epiphany, SJ Chiro (USA)
The Captivus, Casey Tebo (USA)
Crystal Jam, Leonie Savvides (Australia)
Protoparticulas, Chema Garcia Ibarra (Spain)
The Sierra Project, Gabriel de Urioste (USA)
Carta a Julia, David González Rúdiez (Spain)
Madame Perrault’s Bluebeard, A.J. Bond (Canada)
The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting, Emily Carmichael (USA)

With each year, SFFSFF gains in popularity. The show sells out. Sometimes there are encore showings. And the films get better and better. Keep your eyes out for 2013! You won’t want to miss it.

-
Adrienne Fox
Copywriter
copywriter@geekgirlcon.com

“My Geeky Valentine is my boyfriend Nick. He cooks me breakfast while I play video games and bought me the Mario Kart Wii system for Christmas. I also really look up to his first-person shooter skills; it’s true love! This is my favorite picture of him (he is gonna kill me).” - Melanie Howard, Customer Service Coordinator

“My Geeky Valentine is Andy Munich! During our relationship, we’ve done many nerdtastic things. The best thing is he’s run RPGs throughout the entirety of our twelve years together. For several years, he ran a game so I could play a thrill-seeking Filipino vampire slayer (pinay represent!), and for nearly ten years, a Star Wars RPG that has allowed me to play two generations of a Eurasian Jedi!” - Kristine Hassell, Twitter Administrator

“Rockin’ Robin/Lovin’ from Sugar Sugar Rune: He’s a witch, a rockstar, and he’ll steal your heart crystal. Ooh-la-la! Also, how can you go wrong with lavender hair? For being 6,800 years old (although he does use beauty masks), he has a mysterious way of singing his way into your heart.” - Tammy Vince Cruz, Design Manager and Vice President

“For all my talk about guys from my favorite geeky roles like Jamie Bamber (Apollo), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol), James Marsters (Spike), and Ray Stevenson (The Punisher), my one true valentine is my husband. He may draw the line at watching SyFy Original Films, but I can count on him to come along for the ride on most other geeky events. He believes every guy should see Miss Representation. He seeks out speculative fiction by female authors. He is my partner in life, and also in making sure we get a copy of each new release on Free Comic Book Day!” - Adrienne Fox, Copywriter

There’s a sample of who the staff is geeking out about for this year’s Valentine’s Day. How about you? Is there anyone IRL or in your fandom that you’d “take an arrow [of love] to the knee for?” Leave us a comment about who makes your heart swoon!

-
Shubz K. Blalack
PR Content Producer
prcontent@geekgirlcon.com

The other week, I was fortunate enough to get a tour of Geek Chic Headquarters in Everett, Washington. If you hit the comic conventions on the West Coast, you may have seen Geek Chic showing their heirloom-quality furniture tailored to the geek and gaming crowd. For anyone not familiar with Geek Chic, you can check out their wares at the website (http://www.geekchichq.com/). This company takes the idea of your basic table—dining, coffee, or casual—and turns it into the gamer’s best friend. Outfitted with specially sized drawers, shelves, and a rails system for accessories (also known as the table’s utility belt), the Geek Chic folks seem to have thought of everything. The essential feature for any table top gamer is the recessed playing surface hidden beneath a removable top or leaves.
This hidden space serves as a holding area for unfinished games, puzzles, or even a place to hide piles of unfiled personal papers! So, if your crew falls asleep at 2 a.m. around an unfinished game of Arkham Horror , it’s no problem, you can easily save the game for later.
The rail system allows you to insert cup holders, wine glass holders, extra shelves, and bins of all sizes into the slots on all sides of the table. Possibly the best feature of all is the customizable quality of all the Geek Chic furniture.

A view from the Geek Chic factory floor. Photo by Adrienne Fox

I had ordered some extra bins and cup holders for my Hoplite table, and Ruth Boehler, my Geek Chic customer service valet, suggested I pick them up at the office and get a tour of the facility. Ruth gave me the complete tour of the office, the shop, and shipping center. We started on the second floor of the office for an aerial view of the shop and all the work areas: sorting, planning, sawing, sanding, and piecing. Once on the shop floor, Ruth showed me three Emissary tables recently assembled and clamped together. I also got a peak the wood supply and learned about sap wood and other imperfections they look for to insure quality of their products.

An Emissary table under construction. Apparently, it takes about a million clamps! Photo: Adrienne Fox

We wandered through the laser-cutting room and some unfinished space that will soon be a killer showroom. Next, we visited the shipping center where my rail accessories were neatly packaged and waiting for me. But before I departed with my goods, Ruth showed me some completed 8-Hour Seating chairs and stools. I give these chairs and stools give +20 to back health for comfort and support! Each piece of the chair is carved and not steam-molded. After a short test run, I think The Geek Chic “butt hugging technology” really works and could be worth the high price tag. I shall be saving up the coin of the realm to acquire a pair.

hese chairs might look like something you’ve seen before. But, trust me, you could game for days on these seats. Photo: Adrienne Fox

Also in the shipping area is the inspection area, where all pieces are inspected before they are wrapped up for delivery. Pieces large and small all get the same eagle-eye treatment. Geek Chic has a line of “Game Aides” that are smaller, handcrafted extras like deck flasks and boxes, wooden weapon art, and other curiosities. Some of the game aides can be imprinted with a design of your choosing. It is nice to see the range of gaming supplies offered, because not everyone needs or can afford the big high-end pieces.

A super stylish way to secure your deck. Now, these desk flasks and boxes are customizable with images of your choice. Photo: Adrienne Fox

Now for the philosophical part of shopping Geek Chic. This company embodies the ethic that I look for, or feel I should be looking for, when shopping: using domestic, sustainable wood; employing people in my local geography; and creating high-quality, long-lasting heirloom furniture. And, doing all this with great customer service. I am a fan. I love my Alexandria Codex and Hoplite table, plus all the accessories. If you are planning on investing in Geek Chic products, do it. You won’t be disappointed.

A candid pic of my own Geek Chic pieces—the Alexandria Codex and the Hoplite table with a few rail accessories--complete with a little GeekGirlCon branding! Photos: Adrienne Fox

-
Adrienne Fox
Copywriter
copywriter@geekgirlcon.com

Chase Masterson in the vendor room at GeekGirlCon 2011. Photo by Amir Rosenblatt.

GeekGirlCon ’12 will take place August 11th and 12th, 2012 at the Conference Center in downtown Seattle, WA. We are super excited to bring you another convention focused on the female geek. We’ll have programming, panels, games, exhibits, and more. So come and celebrate geeky women with us. From the scientist to the manga-addict, we have a little bit for everyone. All geeks welcome!

Buy Your Passes Today!

2-Day ($35) and Saturday or Sunday only ($20/each) passes available. Kids ages 5-10 are $5 and kids under 4 are free with an adult pass.

See you there!

The GeekGirlCon Staff