by Lauren

Ok. So we geek girls love cosplay. Right? Right.  

Other than conventions, Halloween is the perfect time of the year to bust out your costume skills and get nerdy with it. 

The problem? Costume shops.

Now, I'm not saying I am against feeling or looking 'sexy' in a costume, do whatever makes you happy and feel confident. The problem is the expectation set by the Halloween industry - there are very few options in a Halloween Express, Party City or the like, for a woman's costume that isn't a Sexy _________ (fill in the blank) - oh, and if you are plus sized - it's a busty witch or a potato sack for you!

What brought this on? This picture...

Sexy Olaf?  Really!!

Cosplayers have a one-up on the muggles because we have 'costume closets' and the crafty skills to make something we want - sexy or not. I feel really bad for your everyday woman looking to attend a holiday party with something bought from a store. It's trashy costumes galore for you!  Also, with those being the stocked and advertised options it becomes the expectation - especially of men - that if you aren't a sexy ____________ at a party that there is something weird or wrong with you.

I'm not sure what the answer is, or if there is anything to really do about it, but if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them! 

In the mean time, remember that 'sexy' doesn't have to mean 'who can show the most skin' and take pity on your costume challenged muggle friends and help them find, make or borrow an outfit they can feel proud of for Halloween this year! 

by Lindsey

I'm a geek girl and I feel like a noob.  For your information (and the late night time suck that is the interwebs)... I give you my Top 5 Unique Fandoms.

#2 - MY LITTLE PONY
Wait, I'm familiar with mlp, I had those toys in the 80s and I think there was a cartoon...

True, but the new version of the show isn't just popular with young girls, the biggest fans are men in their teens, 20s, and even older. They call themselves Bronies (brother ponies) and they have a huge online community that is heavily focused on pony apparel and bizarre kinds of fan art. They have become so popular that even the creator of the show embraces them. Adult My Little Pony fans may seem scary at first, but my experience with Bronies has been positive.

# 3- HOMESTUCK
Homestuck is a webcomic created and produced by Andrew Hussie.  The series is about a group of teenagers who install a beta copy of a computer game and unknowingly bring about the end of the world.  They're transported to another world called Sburb and encounter Trolls.  Trying to explain the plot is futile, so you'll probably need to go experience it yourself.  

Homestuck is known for it's use of media (flash animations, gifs, static images, instant messages etc), for being really long (over 6000 pages), having a crazy complex plot. They raised over 2.5 million dollars in a Kickstarter campaign to produce a Homestuck Adventure video game and it is predicted to be a massive hit (hopefully next year!)

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Dear Esther just barely fits into the definition of a “game,” since mostly you just walk around a grey, lifeless island. Fun! 

No, not really, but it definitely is an experience. As you explore (since that’s the only thing you CAN do) a narrator gives you fragmented pieces of story. At first, you have no idea going on and just wander aimlessly, but as you keep exploring you learn more and more about the island and its lonely inhabitant.


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by Annie

Nine months ago the servers were down for two hours on the MMORPG your parents play and there was nothing of interest on Netflix so they created you!

You got a great dice roll being born of geeky parents and they will do their best to raise you amidst some of the greatest franchises and fandoms with the hopes that one day you will love it all too and then you can all obsess together as a family. So get comfortable and listen how it is great to be a geek kid.

First, you will come home from the hospital and get lovingly rocked in a replica of a Gallifrayan cradle that is pretty close to being screen accurate. Or if your parents are really committed to their geekery they might have even brought it with them to the hospital so you can start life fully believing you are a tiny pink Time Lord.

Then once your parents think you are ready to be in your crib your tiny unfocused baby eyes might peep the awesomeness that is a Firefly themed nursery. You can don your tiny Jayne hat and aim to misbehave! It will be the most incredible baby room in the 'Verse.

To see more, go to their amazing website or friend them on Facebook.

Don’t worry summer lovers! You can still wring out the very last drop of summer fun with your old buddy, Dreamcast, and Samba de Amigo! If you missed out on the party the first time, there’s a latin dance sensation waiting for you in the Wii version as well. Even if it’s already cold outside, shaking some maracas to the rhythm should get you moving and ready to shed that tasteful sweater.

Samba de Amigo has very little actual samba, but why does logic have to get in the way of fun and whimsy? Amigo, the party rockin’ monkey, is ready to translate your maraca-shaking into a virtual fiesta. Like any rhythm game, try to stay on the beat as much as possible-- you also must strike a pose according to how the game directs you (voguing optional) as well as shake it like you mean it at certain points in the song. Outside of arcade mode, there are also maraca-based mini-games for variety.

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Yes, you read that correctly-- it’s a pigeon dating game. A really entertaining, fun, engaging pigeon dating game.

Hatoful Boyfriend is a play on the words “heart” and “hato”, the Japanese word for “pigeon.” The game makes it very clear that yes, you are a human, and you are at a school full of birds. Birds that you want to date. This game is clearly one of those jokes that gets taken way too far and is all the more awesome for it (I’m pretty sure this is how Sharknado happened as well). The best silly jokes are the ones that are played straight: the creator of Hatoful Boyfriend never skimps on the drama, the romance clichés, and the well-loved elements of the visual novel genre, adding further absurdity to the bird characters.

Each potential love interest is introduced with an optional “human” portrait to give you an idea of how our protagonist might fall for these gentlebirds (one character noticeably does not have a human-like equivalent: he’s all bird, baby). Other than that brief moment at the beginning of the game, all the characters are images of birds-- a mourning dove, a quail, a particularly sinister partridge.

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by Ariyanna

Spice up your daily wear with a few period pieces thrown in such as a Victorian style ruffled blouse. Wear fascinators in place of that boring headband. Don't hide behind your every day Clark Kent secret identity, let your geekiness shine!

Share in the comments some of your ideas and pictures.

by Annie

1. Saturday. No. Don't.
I bought a Saturday only ticket. The decision seemed solid at the time but it was totally insane in retrospect. Saturday is so crowded, there needs to be a more emphatic word than crowded. It's like that scene from World War Z when all those people are trying to climb up the wall and they're climbing all over each other but imagine about half of those people in costume and the wall is actually the Atlanta Marriott.

2. Lines.
You will stand in line for everything. I think this is just part of it. Hope for shade or that it is inside because the line may not be. I did get to stand in line with nice friendly geeks who really weren't complaining or irritated by the lines so that made it more pleasant. And there were fuzzy bear costumes behind me which were also amusing. Which brings me to my next point...

5. Shoes.
I walked over 7 miles on Saturday, even my sensible flats which were comfortable but still looked cute with my costume became foot torture devices. It makes me want to plan costumes that could have tennis shoes.

6. Accessories.
Wigs are just the worst. Every time I ate anything my wig slipped a little. I kept having to re-adjust it later I found out that my wig cap had totally shed itself from my head and was balled up inside the wig. I think the wig also greatly contributed to my sweating. 

7. Props.
I made this great Mjolnir hammer prop that was also a case that opened so I could have necessities but not have to carry a purse. It looked great but it was a little heavy. As the day wore on and I got more exhausted it became very heavy. I pretty much had to hold it with two hands which greatly reduced my ability to take pictures or hold a drink.

8. Getting Lost.
I got lost multiple times at Dragon Con, mostly it was outside trying find the other con hotels. They all start to look similar after you have sweat out all the calories that are supposed to be helping your brain function. I got help from an information kiosk and the attendant set me in the right direction, they are a great resource.

9. Weird Stuff.
You will see weird stuff, but this is what makes this experience unique. In my normal daily life I don't usually see My Little Ponies humping, nor do I usually witness Belle from Beauty and the Beast cussing like a sailor.  There will also be partial nudity and costumes that defy explanation from even from the most knowledgeable geek. And this is just Dragon Con during the day, it got weirder at night.

10. Great People.
In a world that sometimes feels like it is populated by jerks it was amazing how many friendly and nice people I met at Dragon Con. I never felt judged or that I was strange for wearing a costume. I tried to do my part and be helpful to people as well. I helped a fawn turn on the sink sensors in the bathroom at the Hyatt and I helped Deadpool find the Hilton.

At the end of Saturday I was utterly exhausted, dehydrated and my legs and feet felt totally destroyed. Sunday I went home, slept and recovered. It was then that I realized that even with my noobness I still had an amazing time! I have already been thinking about costumes for next year and I will absolutely attend DragonCon 2015, just not so much on Saturday!

After spending the weekend cosplaying and people watching at Dragon Con this weekend, GG Inc. would like to take a moment to drop some quick knowledge about costuming at a Con.

Summer Cons are HOT.
Layering is needed for hot days if you are in full costume...moisture wicking first layers, such as Under Armour, will keep you cool once you have sweat through your first layer. Also it will help to protect your costume which may not be as washable as your moisture wicking layer... We saw too many ambulances and heat stroke victims this year. Be careful out there cosplayers!

Underwear. Seriously.
Please wear a bra with your corset (esp. if you are more than a C-cup!)  Wear dance tights if you have a high cut short or skirt. It is good you feel sexy and confident in your costume, but not everyone is there to see your 'goods.'  Also, people bring their kids during the day, have some grace and self-respect. Save something for the imagination - at least until after dark.

Simmer Down.
Just accept that in the crowds, elevators and stairwells, your floor-length capes will get stepped on, and your delicate wings will get bent or broken. Don't have a melt down - no one is doing it on purpose.