Blog Posts - GEEK GIRLS, INC.

Cosplay 101: China

5/12/2015

by Lindsey

Whether it’s your first time trying a costume or your 25th convention, at some point you’re going to buy something from China. Getting certain costume pieces at an affordable price point is the bane of every cosplayer’s crafting process.

Let’s take a minute to break down the pros and cons of ordering pieces from China.

Pros:

Low cost-- things are genuinely cheaper buying directly from Asia vs a US dealer
Materials-- kanekalon fiber is used in most wigs vs the nylon junk party city offers
Availability-- Cosplay/Anime is common in Asia and marketed specifically so you can actually find what you’re looking for
Refunds-- Buying through Ebay or Amazon affords you some recourse through feedback and Paypal security helps with scams too
Time-- saving the hours and stress over trying to make a wig, etc yourself

Cons:

Delivery-- shipping overseas takes weeks to months with no recourse for a product being late
Materials--often they use stock photos and aren’t a good representation of the actual product
Risk--accuracy/quality is a gamble because you can’t see and feel it in person
Size-- Asian sizes are far smaller than ours, always go big, L=3X big
Policies-- no returns or exchanges are usually possible

So, the key things to remember when buying costume pieces from foreign countries:

Research: always read feedback, ratings, and seller feedback to customers
Timing: always purchase items over 6 weeks before you will need them
Caution: be wary of stock photos
Size: Go big or go home
Judgement: Too good to be true, it probably is!

Geek Moms Rule!

5/11/2015

In honor of Mother's Day, we decided to reminisce about the ways our moms influenced and supported our geekiness - or the ways we aspire to be geeky moms!

Brooke says: "My mom is no geek, but she definitely encouraged my love of sci-fi fantasy reading and my interest in the sciences when I was a kid."

Meg reports: "My mum is more of a nerd than a geek, but she introduced me to all the good old sci-fi movies like Forbidden Planet!"

Ariyanna shared this heartwarming tale: "When I was a kid, my mom looked very much like Linda Carter, so we always called her Wonder Woman - and she certainly lived up to the name and reputation! She encouraged me and my siblings to fight for what was right, stand up to bullies, and always be open to learning new things. On Saturday mornings, she would fix us a hearty breakfast while we watched all of the superhero cartoons that were on. To us, she was a superhero, being the first female police officer on the force in our town. She lived the example of what a hero was everyday. As we grew up, she would encourage us to experiment with science, hands on crafting, and let us freely explore new places on our own. She fostered our imaginations with stories from her work, her childhood, and of our own adventures through the years. She worked overtime and extra odd jobs so that we were able to buy one of the first family computers available at the time and she learned along side of us how to use it and as a family we played the first adventure games together. My mom's childhood was not geeky, her parents were not inspirational to her in that way. It was her drive and curiosity that led her to discovery all of the geeky things she learned about and instilled in me and my siblings. I am ever so grateful to her for those experiences and instilling in me the drive to do the same. The force is string in my mom and I know she will live long and prosper because of it!"

Lindsey remembers: "My mom stayed up all night with me reading the Harry Potter books when they were released at midnight. We'd try to laugh/cry/gasp quietly so we wouldn't wake anybody else up. She bought me a time turner and continues to call me up to discuss the latest episodes of Grimm & Orphan Black."

Jen tells us: "My mom really wasn't a geek - I got my geekiness from my dad. But I do strive to instill geekiness in my own kids. Free Comic Book Day is one of our favorite days of the year, and it thrills me to no end that my son loves Star Wars and my daughter thinks the Incredible Hulk is the best thing ever!"

Free Comic Book Day 2013 - at Dr. No's in Marietta, GA.

And no article about amazing Geek Moms would be complete without mentioning our very own Annie - it was past her bedtime when we decided to put together this montage, but we can all vouch for her amazing costuming skills! Check out her daughters in the My Little Pony costumes she made for them:

Whether you were raised by a geeky mom or strive to be one yourself, hats off to all the moms out there! We hope you had a marvelous Mother's Day!

If you've got an anecdote about Geeky Motherhood to share, sound off in the comments!

Why I'm Pissed They Cancelled Forever

5/8/2015

by Lindsey

One of my new favorite TV shows was cancelled last night and I was not the only one who was shocked. The star of FOREVER, Ioan Gruffudd, was just as surprised and disappointed. He took to social media to thank all of us fans. To console myself I’m reading this in his charming, buttery British accent.

My dear friends, fans, supporters.

Tonight, as you all now know, I received a phone call that I was hoping not to receive, and to be honest I really wasn't expecting it. I knew the numbers hadn't been great, but I also knew the studio and the network both loved the show, and of course that it had an incredible fan base...so I thought we were in with a pretty good chance.

But sadly no, this time the cards weren't dealt in our favor. Show business is like that. Hell, life is like that. You ride to the top of the wave and then you come crashing down again. I asked Alice to send out the sad news because I was a little bit shaken up and needed time to gather my thoughts.

So I sat down and started reading the thousands of Tweets in response to the announcement. And the more I read, the more I couldn't believe it. The love, the sense of solidarity, the hope, the kindness, the support. Not just for the show, but for each other. And slowly I began to focus on what we had gained in the past year, rather than what we had lost in the last five minutes. I was overcome by a sense of gratitude. To have met you all and to have you all rooting for me and the show. At having a chance to play the role of my dreams, even if it was only for a year. To have been given the chance to bring Henry to life.

Watching the interaction of the FOREVER fans come together and share their love for the show has been breath-taking. It was you guys who held me up when I thought I could no longer go on. (Those days were LONG!) You made me smile when you pointed out the little things I did on screen that I thought had gone unnoticed. You gave me confidence when I accidentally found myself reading less than shining reviews. You were always with me, every step of the way, waving your flags, shouting your support for the show. It's been an incredible, wonderful year, one that I will never, ever forget.

And guess what? The memories belong to us. We get to keep them 'forever!' Thanks again a million times for your unwavering support. Stay strong, be brave, and show kindness as often as you can!

Ioan xxx

This is the same curse to befall most great sci fi and fantasy tv shows---early cancellation. ABC will continue to show Fresh Off the Boat (an awkward sometimes racist sitcom), the poorly written and disappointing Galavant and slow paced/implausible/let’s talk about sexism 400 more times Marvel’s Agent Carter. Oh, and there will also be a bazillion more episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. *Sigh* I bet this is how female superheroes feel all the time.

Memorable SciFi/Fantasy Moms in Time for Mother's Day

5/8/2015

We assembled a list (in no particular order) of our favorite mom characters from sci-fi/fantasy TV shows and movies. BTW - not all of them are mother of the year.

Did we miss anyone? Who is your favorite genre mom?

Molly Weasly (Harry Potter Series)

Mrs. Weasley is kind, nurturing and absolutely ferocious when one of her children is threatened.

Helen Parr, AKA Elastigirl (The Incredibles)

Elstigirl is not only a great mom to three super-powered kids, but totally in control of her sexuality and a hero in her own right.

Dr. Beverly Crusher (STTNG)

Mother to the poster boy for 'whiny smart kid in space,' Dr. Beverly Crusher won the heart of Captain Picard and fans everywhere with her sassy intelligence. Also, she got to do this. (Sorry Wil, you may be awesome, but Wesley sucked)

Joyce Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

She supported Buffy, loved a child she was magically given and even made out with Giles once!. The episode where she died is one of the best hours of television ever. Still.

Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons (Game of Thrones)

She may currently be having trouble controlling her growing brood, but this Mother of (Three) Dragons had one of the most epic giving birth scenes of all time.

Martha Kent (all versions of Superman)

There are no moms more "Super" than Martha Kent, adopted mother of Superman.

Sarah Connor (Terminator Series)

There have been several versions of kick-ass mom, Sarah Connor, but the best will always be the 'no fate' Sarah from Terminator 2.

Sharon Agathon, AKA Athena (BSG)

Pilot, wife, cylon, mother - Sharon Valerii Agathon kicked ass and took names - even if she shared a face with her worst enemies. She may have been beaten, imprisoned and had her baby stolen, but she got her happy ending with her family - wherever they all ended up in that cluster of a finale...

Amy Pond (Doctor Who)

Amy Pond had a complicated pregnancy and an even more complicated time-jump relationship with her grown daughter, who originally grew up brainwashed to kill the Doctor and also as her best friend (who tried to kill Hitler.) Still, her determination makes her a top mom in our books.

Mom, CEO of MomCorp (Futurama)

Not all moms are good ones, in fact one of our favorites is down right evil (and looks fabulous doing it.)

The Xenomorph Queen (Aliens)

Ripley may be the hero, but in the Queen's defense, they were killing her 'babies...'

Moya (Farscape)

How can a ship be a mom? Well, when you are a living ship on a crazy awesome sci-fi show like Farscape, that's easy. What happened to Talyn is a tragedy, but Moya loved and protected him the best she could, you know, for a ship.

Honorable mentions for non-biological mother figures: Aunt May (Spiderman) and Mrs. S (Orphan Black)

Celebrity Encounters - The Cast of True Blood

4/23/2015

by Maria Ingmire

In 2010, the hottest show on HBO wasn't The Game of Thrones. Back then the most popular show on HBO was True Blood, a show that addressed the social and political issues of the day under the guise of supernatural storylines. I had been reading the Charlaine Harris books for years, and even though the series veered away from Harris’s plots, I was still hooked. The gorgeous cast probably helped a lot. That year, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Sam Trammell, Michelle Forbes and Nelsan Ellis made their first appearances at Dragon Con. They were even better looking in person, if that was possible.

At a fully packed True Blood panel, I got in line to ask a question during the cast Q and A session. Someone conveniently posted videos of the whole panel.

I didn’t mean to make Pam cry.

The volume is a little low in the opening seconds of this YouTube video where I ask the cast members about their “familial storylines.” Sam and Nelsan gave thoughtful answers, but Kristin is visibly moved while giving her answer. This is one of my favorite experiences at a Dragon Con panel because the actors show clearly that they are emotionally invested in their characters, and the audience really enjoys listening to them.

Later that weekend, my best friend Will and I had a photo op with the True Blood cast members. Group hug!

As I was moving away, I looked at Kristin and said, “Sorry I made you cry at the panel, Kristin.” She suddenly recognized me from the panel, and smiled. “Oh, that’s okay. Thanks for the question!”

Tabletop Noob: Munchkin & Killer Bunnies

4/14/2015

by Lindsey

This year at International TableTop Day, I learned to play two really fun games where I got to KILL EVERYONE.

Well, kill their characters… which is just as thrilling but requires no jail time. The level of backstabbing involved in Killer Bunnies and Munchkin was a great departure from my typically cooperative gaming experience and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Killer Bunnies is one of the few games that has an equal balance between luck and skill. No one is ever completely out of the game, regardless of how well another player seems to be doing. Some of the weapons in the card deck can wipe out all of the bunnies at a time - allowing for drastic changes in game leadership.

Your two goals are to keep your bunnies alive and collect carrots. When all carrots have been collected, the game ends and you'll find out which carrot is the "magic" carrot. You need at least one bunny left alive and at least one carrot to have a chance of winning.

We had one player who had 90% of the carrot cards and still lost at the end (which was great). The game has a very twisted sense of humor that adults definitely love and I imagine older kids would enjoy too. The original game includes two deck of cards, but there are another nine expansion decks (which can drastically change game play).

Munchkin is all about wheeling and dealing and screwing over the other players. You don’t have to be a level 50 Dungeon Master to appreciate the humor in the “boots of butt kicking” armor and monsters like “crabs”. There are several terms, etc that would definitely make it rated PG.
Game play is very simple: if the strength of your weapons and level combined are higher than the monsters level, you win and get treasure cards. You can also buy your way to the top or weasel your way into a win.

The game is fairly fast paced and very tongue-in-cheek. The maker says it "captures the essence of the dungeon experience...with none of that stupid roleplaying stuff." Simple, fun, and full of wonderful treachery!

Both games offer plenty of expansion packs and special versions. I recommend starting without too many expansions if you are a noob and then moving on to the other decks when you understand all the rules, etc. Both games are fun with small or large groups of players and I am definitely going to introduce them to my family.

Thanks Wil Wheaton for starting this awesome tradition!

Celebrity Encounters - Doug Jones

4/9/2015

by Maria Ingmire

You probably wouldn’t know his face, but you’ve seen a lot of his work in films like Hellboy and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, or in the episode “Hush” from Buffy. In 2013, I met Doug Jones, the brilliant character actor who often performs under heavy makeup and prosthetics. In person, he has a grace and charm he doesn’t often get to display on camera.

It’s fun to walk through the celebrity “Walk of Fame” room on the last day of a con. That last day is when the actors have more time to chat. Unfortunately, that’s also when a con-goer is likely to be out of cash at the end of an expensive weekend. Doug had a short line, so I hopped in with the plan of a brief hello and perhaps a request to take a picture of the actor “from the side.” (Note that photos taken “with” the actors at a convention are almost always for a fee. Also note, photos from the side are not allowed except with permission from the celebrity.) When it was my turn, I told him how much I admired his work.

“I don’t want to bother you, but would you mind if I took a photo of you from the side as you speak with fans?” I asked.

“Well, why not take a photo WITH me? Yes, I think that’s better, right?” He stood up and we asked one of the other fans there to take the picture.

As I was being bear-hugged by Doug, I said, “You know, I’m still not over your performance in Pan’s Labyrinth.”

“Nor should you ever be, darling.” He squeezed me and did a couple of poses that had me cracking up the whole time. “Nor should you ever be.”

Top 10 Geeky Characters to Conquer the Grave

4/6/2015

by Lindsey

Easter is all about new life and new beginnings, but you don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate resurrection. In honor of Easter, here’s a list of our favorite sci fi and fantasy characters who came back from the dead.

#10 - Neo: After being killed in the Matrix, Neo’s love brings him back to life and he realizes he is the chosen one to defeat the machines. Admit it, you thought it was cool the first time you saw it.

#9 - Agent Mulder: In a major plot twist for the 90s, Fox Mulder mysteriously comes back from the dead---AFTER HIS FUNERAL.

#8 - Sam & Dean Winchester: As Supernatural fans know, the Winchester brothers have died in dozens and dozens of ways. The show even pokes fun of itself for the number of resurrections they’ve had. Honestly, the boys have died more times than everyone on this list combined.

#7 - Aslan: Kids everywhere cried when the beloved Lion died in The Chronicles of Narnia. It was incredibly magical seeing the mice chew away his ropes and have the great beast come back to life in front of Lucy.

#6 - Rory Williams: In arguably the most romantic way possible, Rory died for the love of his life Amy on the cult series Doctor Who. Rory was killed and brought back to life on such a regular dramatic basis, fangirls everywhere now have impossibly high standards for acts of true love.

#5 - Spock: In one of the original sci fi death scenes to shake nerds everywhere, Doctor Spock sacrifices himself for his crew and dies from radiation poisoning. Later in the series, the classic and slightly plausible cloning process brings our favorite trekkie back to life.

#4 - Buffy Summers: Buffy died twice on the cult Whedon series and her second resurrection had lasting consequences for the other characters. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing spirits rise from the grave to kick ass?

#3 - Agent Coulson: In the epic Avengers movies Agent Coulson is killed in the line of duty, uniting the team to save the world yet again. Then, in possibly the best modern spin off tv series, Agent Coulson is brought back to life in a process we are still not 100% clear on. TAHITI PLOT TWIST!

#2 - Harry Potter: This character death will go down in literary and movie history as the ultimate battle between good and evil. Harry offers himself as a sacrifice to save the lives of his friends and others against the Dark Lord Voldemort. In an amazing turn of magical events (which I may or may not have written about on numerous occasions) Harry comes back to life to defeat evil once and for all.

#1 - Gandalf the Grey: This Tolkien classic should not be a surprise at number one. The wizard Gandalf sacrifices his own life killing the Balrog to save the lives of his companions. You know you cried a little when he shouted, “You shall not pass!”. Of course Gandalf resurrects as the even more powerful White Wizard and defeats evil in a glorious battle for Middle Earth.

Got a resurrection you'd like us to add to this list? Sound off in the comments!

Wine & Beer Pairings for Some of Our Favorite TV Shows

4/2/2015

by Lindsey

Ever wonder what just the perfect wine or beer is to go with your favorite TV shows?

So, next time you are curling up for a night in with your DVR or BYOB-ing for a watch party with friends, keep these selections in mind - and cheers!

Have suggestions for more shows to pair? Sound off in the comments!

Join the Mystery Knit Along for S2 of Outlander

3/30/2015

by Ariyanna

There are many ways fans like to enhance their love of books, tv shows, and movies to carry on through the end of the story and beyond. One of those ways for crafters who knit are Mystery Knit Alongs. I heard about these just last year when one for Downton Abbey debuted. There have been others for Game of Thrones and Outlander just to name a few.

The "mystery" behind a Mystery Knit Along is that, in the beginning, you are not sure what it is you will be creating exactly. You are given instructions on the type of yarn needed, the size needles, any notions necessary, and usually a gauge swatch to try and match.

Unraveled Designs and Yarn

Then each week a new part of the pattern is debuted with each new episode and you can knit along with fellow fans of the show and chat about what happened in that episode and talk about your progress on the project. It's a great way to share the love of your craft and your fandoms together with others from all over the country/world. Most of the projects are easily picked up by a beginner and you are sure to be able to find a new friend willing to help you out along the way.

There is a new mystery knit along for the second season for Outlander that begins Sunday, April 4th. You can find the pattern and other information here.