Toronto Comicon 2013: where else can you see three Vaders together?

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

TORONTO COMICCON, IN PICTURES

On Friday we headed out on the five hour drive to hit the Toronto Comicon. I haven't been to a con in Toronto before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, except that it was likely to be large and crowded. I wasn't disappointed.

A portion of the lineup outside.

The organizers estimated there'd be between 65,000-90,000 people in attendance; I have no idea how many ended up showing, but I can tell you that the show was sold out on the first day and the line to get in circled the baseball diamond (the Rogers centre) beside the actual convention centre.

I spent most of my time helping out at the Comic Book Shoppe booth, but when I did get out to look around, I got to see some pretty great sights. I'm just gonna let the photos do the talking here...

Voltron costumes so cool, I just stared in wonder.

Crowded place!

The best Borg I may have ever seen.

A Dr Who Tardis turned Transformer. Much cooler than a normal Tardis.

Some very cool steampunk outfits.

See no Dark Side, hear no Dark Side, Speak no Dark Side.

The infamous 501st, a serious Star Wars fan club.

Behind the scenes of the cosplayers.

Even Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn needs a time out.

Wolverine out on a smoke break...with a cigar, naturally.

Shoppe staff! On the right is the infamous MJ!

Tiny awesome Batman.

Dr Crusher looking fine.

Riker, looking aged but still pretty cool.

Geordi Laforge looking exactly the same as ever. Go, Reading Rainbow!

Adventure Time fans with some zombies. By the end of the con, it was one big crossover.

As wild as Toronto Comicon was, I'm even more excited for Ottawa and Montreal, where I'm gonna actually be warm enough to dress up in costume. Though I kinda wish I had a Voltron costume now...

When to Boycott a Book: the aftermath

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

Last week, I did a post about The Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street and the famous author Orson Scott Card--namely, that Shoppe owner Rob Spittall had taken a loud and public stand in boycotting Card's works since the discovery that Card is a big homophobe with ties to anti-gay organizations. (See the first post here.) The story got big fast, with traditional media sources also picking up the story. Rob was surprised by the outpouring of support, but also by some of the criticism he faced, as well.

When To Boycott a Book: The Aftermath

We headed down to the Shoppe and spoke with Rob directly; here's our interview (which is long, but there's an outtake treat at the end if you wait for it):

Watch the interview with Rob Spittall from The Comic Book Shoppe

Kisses and hugs to Rob Dupuis, our cameraman and videographer. 

Some folks have accused him of censorship, which he wasn't expecting...namely, because it's inaccurate. The book is still available for order at the Shoppe, just not available on the shelf. The Shoppe's decision not to use their own shelf space to promote the works of an hate-mongering artist is, in my opinion, a good balance. It allows individuals to still purchase if they feel compelled, but it allows the retailer to avoid endorsing a hater with their own community influence.

Despite hate mail and unfriending by people on Facebook, Rob has stayed true to his convictions and continues to stand behind his decision. I was happy to interview him in the aftermath and allow him a chance to respond to both the positive and negative reaction he received.

Rob keeps remarking that he's surprised this has turned into such a big news story. I think it's kind of adorable that he doesn't realize just how much his decision means to the GLBT and Straight Allies around him. The reality is, it's still a big deal when a straight person stands up for the non-straight people. I hope that Rob's example leads to more hetero allies making their support vocally known.

When to Boycott a Book

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com

by Jordan Danger

THE BIG NEWS ABOUT ORSON SCOTT CARD

I love Orson Scott Card. Or rather, I should say I love his books. My dad gave me Ender's Game to read  when I was twelve years old, and I must have read it twenty times since then. In fact, in my third reincarnation as a derby girl, I changed my derby name to Ender, so I'd say I'm a pretty big fan. 

Recently, however, I discovered something rather heartbreaking about Orson Scott Card, and as much as I wanted to ignore it and pretend I never heard it, I couldn't. Turns out, Card is a homophobe--and not just a run-of-the-mill, doesn't-let-his-guy-friends-hug-him kinda homophobe: he's a card-carrying member of the National Organization for Marriage, an organization that steadfastly opposes the equal rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people.

EVERYDAY HEROES: STANDING UP TO HOMOPHOBIA

Why am I bringing this up, and what does it have to do with geekdom exactly? Well, the Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street--the official Ottawa headquarters of Capital Geek Girls, and a generally progressive, safe space to shop--has announced recently that they will not be displaying copies of Card's newest graphic novel, Adventures of Superman, because of his very public and active role in the anti-gay work being done by the National Organization for Marriage. As is expected, the Shoppe is getting some serious flak from people who think the Shoppe is just as biased as Card himself because they're not carrying the book*.

DOES IT REALLY MATTER? YES, AND HERE'S WHY

The truth of the matter is, when I first heard Card was homophobic, it didn't really worry me. I don't believe that a celebrity or successful person must be an exemplary role model in every single aspect of his life in order for his work to be appreciated. I don't condone drug use, yet I still listen to Whitney Houston in the shower; I don't condone domestic violence, but I've watched and appreciated many Joan Crawford movies. The truth is, it's not realistic to think that a person with a particular talent is going to be a role model in every aspect of their lives. It's a slippery slope to start expecting that we have a right to pry into every lifestyle decision made by a celebrity; I fear the day that we start passing judgement on whether a presidential candidate deserves our vote because he didn't spay his cat, or whether a Governor General should be forced to resign because she kept her grandmother's old mink coat. 

But there's a not-so-fine line in the sand, once a person goes out of their way to promote their personal agenda to the world. Orson Scott Card crossed that line when he joined the National Organization for Marriage (read: "straight marriage only") and started publicly taking steps to impose his own views on others, including the publication of articles and essays on the subject. Do I think we should follow every celebrity into their homes and make sure they're using only eco-friendly kitchen cleaners? No. But when the celebrity goes out and uses his clout to promote that toxic kitchen cleaner, I'd say it's now fair game to retract my support from his career. 

We are none of us perfect. We all come with biases and prejudices, and we all have a dark side. I'm not condoning censorship, people; and I do think we need to really watch how much we expect from our celebrities in terms of acting as role models in every aspect of life. I would even go so far as to say that Orson Scott Card has a right to put his time and money into whatever cause he likes, no matter how stupid or antiquated. I just also think I have the right not to contribute my dollars to his agenda.

ETHICAL CONSUMERISM, ETHICAL BUSINESS

I applaud the Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street for standing behind their own safe-space values by refusing to display Card's book. The Shoppe would lose honour, in my eyes, if they continued to promote the works of a man who publicly promotes an attitude of hate towards the GLBTTQ community, when the Shoppe has promoted an attitude of GLBTTQ acceptance. I consider it a matter of ethical consumption for people like myself to choose whether we buy the book or not; but it's an even larger matter of importance for a business like the Shoppe to show ethical cultural stewardship by refusing to promote works created by those who hate and actively promote that hatred. In this era of recessions and hardships, it takes courage to maintain the power of one's convictions even if it means losing out on sales. The Shoppe has shown that there are some things more important that the bottom line.

Ethical consumption is about more than just biodegradability or eco sustainability; it's about choosing to shop from the business that makes the right choices in many other ways, too. The Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street gets a huge thumbs-up from me today for taking a stand and weathering the backlash. I am prouder than ever that Capital Geek Girls makes our home at the Shoppe.

Wonder Geeks Activate! Local art show promises geeky fun.

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com

by Jordan Danger

NOT YOUR GRAMMA'S ART SHOW

Look out, Ottawa: there’s a nifty, nerdy new art show on the scene that is most definitely not your gramma’s art show. No water colour sunrises and oil paintings of sunflowers, folks; the Wonder Geeks Activate! show promises to be a very cool event to interact with some highly talented young artists. 

Girl, Crafted chatted with Adam Tupper, artist and organizer of the Wonder Geeks Activate! art show, to learn a bit more about what you can expect to see on February 25^th ’13, at Zaphod Beeblebrox in Ottawa’s Byward Market. Here’s what Adam shared with us about the show and himself.

INTERVIEW WITH WONDER GEEKS ACTIVATE! ORGANIZER, ADAM TUPPER

Cheetara by Adam Tupper

GC: What is your name?                         

AT: Adam Tupper. There are two middle names too, but I'm not telling. A man has to have some secrets.

GC: What do you do? (Your art, not your day job)

AT: My art is a mixture of four main styles: Super-Women (which is attractive model pinup ladies dressed as superheroes - done in a very realistic style); Fusion Art (combining characters that were never supposed to be together in both costume and art style); Say...Hello Project (Hello Kitty meets everything and anything); and horror (pretty self explanatory - monsters and blood).

GC: How long have you been doing it?

AT: Art in general? Since as long as I can remember. Art as a profession? Since Aug. 2010.

GC: Tell us about your art show: what's it called, where is it, what's it all about?

AT: Wonder Geeks Activate! is an art/music show aimed at geeks and nerds. It happens on February 25th at Zaphod Beeblebrox, 27 York Street in the Market. It's basically just an excuse to get like-minded people together and celebrate geek culture while drinking alcohol.

Curtis Tiegs

GC: Who will be in the show?

AT: Only some of the best local artists around!

Edith Chartier (AKA Silver Lotus - costuming queen and maker of a huge variety of arts and crafts)

Morgan Dunbar (AKA Geek Charming - she of t-shirts, accessories and creator of our logo)

Cherry Valance (local artist/model/awesome person)

Staja Artists Collective (Buttons, art, MAGIC!)

Curtis Tiegs (Artist, man who works with famous people on comic books)

Mirror Comics (Local comic book company, kings of industry)

Darren Bird (Creator of art, owner of awesome hair)

Lissa Huddlestone (New Artist, very eager)

Jordan Richer (Artist/Photographer/Evil Genius)

Choleena DiTullio (Mixed media artist, loves paper).

Oh and me [Adam Tupper]. I'm there too. Probably in a vest.

GC: Why did you want to put this show on?

AT:  I wanted to do an art show with my friends and other members of the geek and nerd community because I think there's a lot of talented people here who aren't getting the attention they deserve. We focus so much on so-called "high art" here in the city that it's important to showcase all artists working in all genres. I also wanted to do something for the local genre community which is just massive. There should be more local geeky/nerdy events in Ottawa and I'm hoping people get behind this event so we can do them with greater frequency.

Edith Chartier/Silver Lotus

GC: What kind of stuff do you think we'll see at the show? What'll the price range be like?

AT: I've worked with most of these artists before so you're going to see quite a wide variety of work. We have comic book style art, cartooning, hyper-realism, pixel art, paper art, mashup art, photography, jewellery, buttons, actual comics for sale, small prints, big prints, originals, t-shirts...it's really a mix of everything. Prices should range from $1-$2 for small items all the way into the hundreds for original artwork. All the artists will have items for sale that are in and around $5-$10 so attendees will have no problem finding some fantastic affordable art.

GC: Is there anything else happening during the show? (performances, drinks, etc)

AT: We'll be having some live videogaming happening with some professional players button-mashing on some old-school systems. We should also have cartoons and anime playing on some of the TVs at Zaphods. Maybe if we're all lucky we'll also have some costumed guests show up.

Geek Charming

GC: Where can people go to learn more?

AT: Our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/wondergeeksactivate

Capital Geek Girls Headquarters announcement!

This post was originally shared on our sister blog, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

WE HAVE A SECRET LAIR. 

It's been an exciting couple of weeks for me, as the lead on the Capital Geek Girls fanclub. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the post announcing the formation of the club.) Tons of great geeky girls (and guys) have joined the Facebook fanpage, and I'm receiving tons of leads on great events happening around the city that are geek girl-friendly. There's a lot of support for the geeky girl movement, and it's time to take it to the next level.

It's time for a headquarters.

A batcave.

A fortress of solitude.

A Stark Tower.

An Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. 

THE COMIC BOOK SHOPPE: OUR NEW HQ

Negotiations wrapped up this week (negotiations = sandwiches and the rolling of some 20-sided dice) with the Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street. The Shoppe has been a forerunner in girl-friendliness for a long time...I know this, as a patron now for about a decade...and since it was their special Ladies' Night event that got me excited about this whole 'sexism in Geektopia' thing anyway, it seems like a natural fit for the club. With the Shoppe on Bank Street as our headquarters, Capital Geek Girls will be able to start hosting events and providing a geographical beacon for geek girldom in the city. 

There are talks of hosting another Ladies' Night this spring, and even ramping up the girl-friendly gaming nights that already occur at the Shoppe. Whenever an event is held in a particularly geek girl-friendly fashion down there, we'll be spreading the news and making it known. 

This super-cool headquarters will provide us with a base of operations from which to take over the world. There are a lot of conventions and events coming up in the Ottawa (and Montreal and Toronto) area; with a headquarters, we can spread our geek girl power far and wide.

If you have any ideas of things you'd like to see Capital Geek Girls hosting, comment below or email me. And keep following the Facebook fanpage, where we keep you up to date on fangirl news and happenings!

Geek Girls Unite: the launch of the Capital Geek Girls!

Originally published on our sister blog, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

LET'S SHARE SOME GEEK CONFESSIONS.

Harley Quinn board I
painted. (original:
Bruce Timm)

When I was 11 years old, there was a power outage at my grandparents' house. I was scared, so Dad gave me paper and pencils and told me to keep busy. I drew a bunch of superwomen, and I just never stopped.

My first serious crush, at a very young age,was on Darth Vader. When he took off his helmet in the last episode to reveal an ugly, ruined man, my heart broke. 

I rallied and turned my attentions towards Boba Fett.

I was raised on Star Trek. I had seen every single episode of Next Generation before I hit puberty...and not just once; at least three times each.

In grade 6, I went to school for Hallowe'en dressed as a Bjorn priestess. Nobody else watched Deep Space Nine, but I didn't care. 

I collected XMen titles religiously until the conclusion of the Phalanx Covenant series, then switched to anything Michael Turner was drawing. 

When I was 14, I made over all my Barbies into superwomen. I lovingly built wire-and-papier-mache claw hands for Penance; I agonized over a bomber jacket for Rogue made out of brown vinyl.

In high school, my parents banned me from playing RPG's (the old-school, in-person kind) because they were worried I was 'running with the wrong crowd'. So my friends helped smuggle me to games. That is quite literally ALL the trouble I got into for most of high school.

I have a tattoo inspired by Battlestar Galactica, and another one which is a quote from V for Vendetta.

MJ as Tank Girl. She can geek you under
the table. (I did her hair!)

So I am, unabashedly, a self-professed geek girl. And if you understood even 30% of what I just referenced in those confessions, you might be one, too. 

GEEK GIRL TROUBLES

Over the last few months, I've heard some concerning rumblings about geek girls meeting with judgment, sexism, and meanness from the male geek world. A recent girls-only event held at the local Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street (Ottawa, Ontario) caused several fanboys to get their capes in a twist because the event wasn't open to them, too...nevermind that the rest of the year, almost all geek events are heavily dominated by fans who are male. The event was an opportunity for girls to connect with the things they love without feeling hit on, put down, or excluded from the real action. It was an awesome fun time, and I found the criticism really distasteful and, well, dumb.

I was talking to my BFF, MJ (perhaps the queen of girl geekdom), and she said that this wasn't an isolated phenomenon. Apparently, there's a widespread belief that geek girls are 'posers', wearing Flash tee shirts or Super Mario belt buckles just to look 'cool'; that girls can't possibly be as fanatical about our geek things as boys are. 

Well listen up, sexist fanboys: I hear you roll newbie girl Magic players on their first night and scare them off from coming back. I hear that you wanted into the girls-only event so you could check out more than just the merchandise. I hear that maybe you're just bitter that those cool Flash tee-wearing girls don't find your knowledge of Batcave blueprints as sexy as you thought it was.

For the girl-friendly fanboys: I'm sorry you had to hear that. You're +20 to cool. 

ENTER: CAPITAL GEEK GIRLS

Anyway, ranting aside, I've taken steps to encourage the inclusion and engagement of geek girls in the land of Geektopia. I've begun a modest Facebook fanpage for a little fan club I'm putting together, called Capital Geek Girls. All girls (and girl-identified humans) are welcome to join--as are enlightened males, of course. Capital Geek Girls will be a place to keep connected with geeky happenings, new products/shows/games that girls have an interest in, and maybe even some stories about geek girls in geek industries. The geek world is famous for its DIY component, so I'm going to be spotlighting some great geek girl creators on GIRL, CRAFTED as well. 

Over time, I hope Capital Geek Girls might have a formal headquarters (not a secret one, though...that seems counterproductive). Perhaps we'll have meetups, or tweetups, or other events, too. [Post Script: we totally DO have a headquarters now! Find us at The Comic Book Shoppe on Bank!]

I invite you to go 'like' the Capital Geek Girls fanpage right now. Don't forget to click 'get notifications' so you see all the posts. And listen, ladies: don't worry if you don't know the first and last name of every Green Lantern, or if you're only into one kind of videogame genre. There's no geek gauntlet to run before you can earn your geek stripes. If you're a girl, and you like geek things, we want to see you on the fanpage. And keep checking back out GIRL, CRAFTED, too. I will keep the updates flowing.

xo

NOTE: Do you have a geek confession you wanna share? Comment below. I dare ya.