(I watch Natalie Portman masturbate and I get hit on the head with “symbolism.”)
DC Women Kicking Ass collected the 30 most memorable moments for women in DC Comics and enlisted fellow comics bloggers, commentators, and creators to write about each one.
The Amelia Bloomer Project is part of the Feminist Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association, and create an annual booklist of the best feminist books for young readers, ages birth through 18.
I’m so honored that librarians are recommending my book as a valuable read for teenagers!
A Brief Herstory of Gum Shoe Gals, Spy-Fi Sheroes, and Private Dick Chicks
Join comics herstorians, the legendary Trina Robbins and Ink-Stained Amazon Jennifer K. Stuller – together on stage for the first time – as they present an introduction to some of their favorite undercover women in comics. From Miss Fury and Senorita Rio to Honey West, Modesty Blaise, Ms. Tree, and more, come learn about the herstory of female detectives and spies in comics from the women who love them.
I will be doing my best to watch every Tuesday between 7:30 and 9:30 pm – West Coast time – before reading that week’s post online at Nikki’s blog! I love thinking about my Buffy peeps watching all over the world and hope you will join us over the coming year!
Now in its seventh year, the Child’s Play charity provides games, toys, and movies to children through a network of over 70 hospitals worldwide, driven by the gaming culture and industry. As of this writing, they have raised over $1,183,000 (for 2010 alone!) to help make life a little bit more bearable and fun for kids dealing with serious illness. What’s more to say? Donate on behalf of your Gamer to this amazing and generous cause, knowing that you’re giving a child some much needed joy when they need it most.
Geek Girl Con is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting awareness of and celebrating the contribution and involvement of women in all aspects of science fiction, comics, gaming and related Geek culture through conventions and events that emphasize both historic and ongoing contribution and influence of women in this culture. Currently, Geek Girl Con needs seed money to kickstart their convention and organization. They’re looking to cover their first operational costs, venue, and early promotional materials. 100% of your donations go directly to Geek Girl Con. The organization hopes to make their Con happen in Seattle, Washington in 2011. Donations can be made through GeekGirlCon.
THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE AS TOLD BY WONDER WOMAN is an independent documentary feature that looks our culture’s obsessions with superheroes, using our longest running superheroine as a way of exploring how representations of female empowerment have evolved over time.
Examing contemporary culture for women and girls, with its emphasis on how girls and women look, rather than on what they do, the film probes why Wonder Woman has been reduced to a commodity—an icon on a bag, t-shirt or mug etc. How can women claim the action genre as their own, and create more liberating narratives than that of the dominant all-powerful masculine superhero? THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE AS TOLD BY WONDER WOMAN is a visually kinetic yet warmly witty film, harnessing the voices of literary critics, women writers, classicists, philosophers, impersonators, collectors, feminists and fanatics to explore our very gendered notions of “heroism” and “power.”
A favorite charity of Browncoats everywhere – who hold annual screenings of Serenity to raise money for the organization,
Equality Now was founded in 1992 to work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. Working with national human rights organizations and individual activists, Equality Now documents violence and discrimination against women and mobilizes international action to support their efforts to stop these human rights abuses. Through its Women’s Action Network of concerned groups and individuals around the world, Equality Now, distributes information about human rights violations, takes action to protest these violations, and brings public attention to human rights violations against women.
So be sure to look there if your Superwoman Geek is a fan of British Spy-fi!
Jaime Sommers
Fans of Bionic Woman, Jaime Sommers, are in luck – The Bionic Woman has finally been released on DVD in the U.S.!
Na-na-na-na-na-na . . .
And for those wanting to know more about the show there’s Bionic Book Reconstructed – a history of both Bionic Woman and The Six Million Dollar Man. (With interviews!)
Wonder Woman
Anyone who knows me, or is familiar with my work, knows how influential Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman was on me as a child and on the woman I’ve become.
For those that want to revisit their childhoods, pop culture research junkies like myself, and parents wanting to introduce their children to the Amazon Princess, Wonder Woman The Complete Collection is the perfect gift.
Wonder Woman: The Complete History by Les Daniels is a well-researched and thorough history of the character. And while I don’t care for Daniels’ weird dislike of Gloria Steinem I would still recommend this book for Wonder Woman fans.
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is another of my personal favorites when it comes to Superwomen. Get me started talking about the emotional resonance and feminist message of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I’ll never stop. I’ll also probably say things like, “I’m a Slayer. Ask me how.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 will get your Geek caught up in the world of Buffy and the Scoobies as they lead an army of Slayers against the latest Big Bad.
I miss Sydney Bristow. From the very first episode of Alias I was hooked on this Superwoman and spy-fi shero. Your Geek can get hooked too, or just revisit the adventures of Sydney and her family of spies with Alias: The Complete Collection.
Private eyeful Honey West debuted in 1957’s This Girl for Hire – a novel co-written by husband and wife team Gloria and Forrest Fickling under the pseudonym “G.G. Fickling.” In addition to the 10 novels Honey appeared in, she was the star of an eponymous television series in the mid-1960s. (I wrote about her for the Noir Issue of Bitch.)
Fans of Superwomen would enjoy Honey West: This Girl for Hire – the novel that introduces us to the busty blonde detective.
Honey West: The Complete Series – as one of the first American television series to star an action heroine is an absolute joy.
Honey West by John C. Fredriksen provides a guide to the series with episode synopses and interviews.
Cathy and Mrs. Peel are two of the first action heroines of television period. Played by Honor Blackman and Diana Rigg respectfully, they were not only beautiful, stylish, and sexy, but smart, talented, fearless and perhaps more capable than their male colleague, John Steed.
Get Christie Love started out as a made-for-television movie loosely based on a novel called The Ledger, written by Dorothy Uhnak, who herself had worked with the NYPD. Teresa Graves (Laugh-In) starred as Christie Love – a sassy, skilled, take-no-shit, undercover cop.
Get Christie Love aired as a series during the 1974–5 season making Graves one of the first Black women to headline her own television show. Only the pilot is available on DVD.
The character was modeled after New York Police Detective, Olga Ford, one of the first African American women on the force. Ford served as a consultant on an early episode.
With it’s brash delivery of one-liners, cinematography as stunning as the cleavage on display, and sexually confident, if amoral, women, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a classic film for the Superwoman Geek.
Guilty Pleasure? Feminist message? Exploitation? Let your Geek decide! I, for one love Cleopatra 2525 in all it’s awesome awfulness as well as the teamwork of Hel, Cleo and Sarge. And Torres sings the theme song.
Okay, every Geek already owns Firefly: The Complete Series and Serenity– but since they star Torres as the badass, Zoe Washburne, they need to be listed.
Superwomen Geeks can also catch Torres in Season Four of Angel – or you can go ahead and get the entire series.
Hit-Girl
One of the most fascinating Superwomen to come out of the past year is Chloë Grace Moretz’s Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass.
She was more than just a pint-sized, foul-mouthed assassin (and more than a gimmick). She was the most capable, talented, forceful, and driven person in both the movie version of Kick Ass and the comic book version of Kick Ass.
Day 10 is a guest post For the Video Game Geek! I enlisted the help of the Ink-Stained Hubby – Ryan R. Wilkerson – a senior art director with Microsoft Game Studios. (Naturally, he’s a little bit biased in his selections – but hey, so am I! So is any Geek!)
Here is his recommended Wish List for 1337 Gamers:
Xbox 360 with Kinect (or Kinect Sensor standalone if you already have an Xbox 360).
Believe the hype – no, seriously. Built on the industry leading Xbox 360, Kinect isn’t so much an evolutionary step up from the Wii’s motion controller-based game console as it is a truly revolutionary advance in entertainment – hyperbole intended, intentional, and true. Intuitive, natural, and fun, Kinect let’s the entire family (Moms and Dads too) join in the fun on anything from party games to dancing, to sports and fitness.
Who knew that dancing to Lady Gaga in front of your television could be so fun? Trust me, it’s as fun as it is addictive – and great for parties AND workouts! Made by Harmonix, the geniuses behind Guitar Hero and Rock Band.
Forgive the awkward title, and understand this: if your beloved gamer is typical, they spend a lot of time sitting – both at school/work, and in front of the gaming console. Time to shake things up. Ubisoft’s fitness “game” (more like gym class, in a game-shaped wrapper) features workouts crafted by the folks at Men’sHealth and Women’sHealth. Using Kinect’s skeletal tracking and body recognition software, the game provides dynamic feedback on your actions and progress, with classes that include Yoga, Martial Arts, Tai Chi, and Boxing. Not your typical game, and all the better for it.
In the not-so-distant future, our progeny will be amazed that we once gamed at anything so primitive as a PC or mobile phone. And kicking it all off is Apple’s iPad — rightfully deserving of its accolades, it’s a hybrid device that for our purposes, presents a fairly stellar platform for modern gaming. Interaction is all done through its multitouch display, making the gameplay both natural and tactile. Apple’s fledgling social gaming network, “Game Center,” makes it all the more compelling.
Oh, hells yeah. Is it a sequel? A mid-quel? Ubisoft’s bridge between AC2 and AC3 is a superb extension of the epic tale of morality, secrecy, and death, pitting the Templars against the brotherhood of Assassin’s. A truly great sandbox experience, AC: Brotherhood explores Renaissance Rome, letting you play alongside the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Caterina Sforza, Countess of Forli, picking up some real historical context along the way. A great case for a studio taking its time with a franchise, perfecting its design, and truly delivering a polished, triple-A experience, this game also features an outstanding voice cast and best-of-breed graphics for this generation.
OK, seriously? Want to befriend a Gaming Geek Friend for life? Treat them to a wall or workspace decked out in Blik’s gaming themed vinyl decals. Put simply, they are sublime, and every single person on Earth should own one. Options include, but not limited to: Super Mario Brothers, Mega Man, Asteroids, and Space Invaders. Two dimensional happiness for a three dimensional world.
Nobody – and I mean, nobody, likes dirty gamers. They offend even themselves; it is a sad state of affairs. So strike to the heart (and skin) of the matter with gamer soaps! Including Nintendo, Sony, Sega, and Microsoft controllers (plus the rare gold Zelda cartridge), these sudsy, vegan soaps will do their very best to bring cleanliness to even the greasiest of gamers. Cleanliness Unlocked!
Just awarded the Game of the Year prize from the VGA (beating a sizable host of competitors), Red Dead Redemption casts you as the troubled protagonist John Marston in one of the best pieces of entertainment (film, game, or otherwise) in the Western genre. A strong story, backed by an amazing cast of characters (including the headstrong Bonnie MacFarlane) , brings the American West to life in a game rich with detail and authenticity. A must have for any fan of Westerns and/or high entertainment value.
Now in its seventh year, the Child’s Play charity provides games, toys, and movies to children through a network of over 70 hospitals worldwide, driven by the gaming culture and industry. As of this writing, they have raised over $1,183,000 (for 2010 alone!) to help make life a little bit more bearable and fun for kids dealing with serious illness. What’s more to say? Donate on behalf of your Gamer to this amazing and generous cause, knowing that you’re giving a child some much needed joy when they need it most.
Today’s Gift Guide for Geeks (which is a day late, I know, I know) comes to you courtesy of some of the women behind Geek Girl Con – an upcoming convention to be held in Seattle in 2011.
Geek Girl Con is dedicated to promoting awareness of and celebrating the contribution and involvement of women in all aspects of science fiction, comics, gaming and related Geek culture through conventions and events that emphasize both historic and ongoing contribution and influence of women in this culture.
Here’s what she has to say about her holiday pick:
Batwoman: Elegy is by far my favorite book of 2010, and one of my all-time favorite origin stories about a superhero. I love comic books, but face it, most of the time, they’re written for men. Batwoman is the book that I feel I’ve been waiting forever for. Like Batman, Kate Kane (Batwoman) is a socialite from Gotham City. But unlike Batman, she’s a bit of rebel with a rockabilly sense of style and a military background. Both of her parents were in the service, and she follows their lead. However, she is discharge from service under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and her sense of justice and service leads her to become Batwoman.
Elegy follows the story of Batwoman meeting her first villain Alice. Alice is a sharp contrast to Kate with her blonde curls, white outfits, and Lewis Carroll dialog. And since Alice and her crew are determined to sacrifice Kate to their other-wordly gods, Kate has no choice but to confront her. Rucka, a fabulous crime and mystery author, writes a tale of intrigue here, including a big secret about Alice herself.
The art by J.H. Williams III is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen in a comic book. It enhances the story in every way possible from giving hints to the mystery to switching styles when we see Kate in and out of her Batwoman costumes. Lush and gorgeous.
This would make the perfect gift for the reader interested in comic books/graphic novels, but doesn’t know where to jump in as Batwoman: Elegy is a self-contained tale. I’d also recommend it for fans of art, crime and mystery stories, military family tales, LGBT narratives, superheros, and anyone who wants to challenge my assertion that Batwoman makes a better Batman than Bruce Wayne.
Dina Kaminska, our Online Social Media Gal, is asking Santa for “a lot of Steampunk things.”
Hello All! Today’s Gift Guide for Geeks is For the Doctor Who Fan! But since The Ink-Stained Amazon doesn’t have a lot of time for exposition today, I’m just going to post a bunch of links to cool Doctor Who stuffs.
Does your Geek download their favorite British shows? Watch the nightly BBC news broadcast? Have an obsession with BBC America? Do they want to recreate BBC America’s Spy-fi Friday Programming? Have British Science Fiction Television marathons? When then you’re in luck, because today’s gift guide is For the Anglophile/TV Geek!
Created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, and starring then-husband and wife Barbara Bain and Martin Landau (aka “Drusilla’s parents”), Space 1999 began with a ridiculous premise. On September 13, 1999 the 311 inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha were sent hurtling into space when a nuclear explosion happened on the dark side of the moon thus knocking it out of orbit. (I told you – ridiculous.) But the series featured a multi-cultural cast of interesting characters and was a great twist on the Wagon Train in Space trope. It was bad science, but it was great scifi.
Who knew the world needed another reimagining of Sherlock Holmes? Apparently, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss whose brilliant Sherlock captured both British and American audiences this past year. Set in modern-day London, the series stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes, Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson and Rupert Graves as DI Lestrade. It’s smart, dark, and delightful.
Sherlock
We first discovered Steve Coogan on BBC America, which was running episodes of I’m Alan Partridge – a comedy series about a failed television presenter (“Partridge” had previously appeared on Knowing Me, Knowing You) who is now stuck in a small-time radio host job, going through a divorce, estranged from his son, and living in a Travel Tavern. From stealing pylons to his late night “Alan’s Deep Bath” segment to singing Kate Bush to offending the Irish – Partridge is a proto-David Brent.
The Steve Coogan Collection collects all the episodes of I’m Alan Partridge, Knowing Me, Knowing You (as well as the Christmas Special, Knowing Me, Knowing Yule), Saxondale, Dr. Terrible’s House of Horrible, Coogan’s Run, Paul and Pauline Calf’s Video Diaries, Paul and Pauline Calf’s Ham and Cheese Sandwich, and The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon plus special bonus features. As Alan Partridge would say – “AH – HAAAA!” (Or, “Jurassic Park.”)
Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection is the perfect gift for your Anglophile, your TV Geek, andyour Feminist Geek. Created by Lynda La Plante, Prime Suspect is a riveting police procedural staring the glorious Helen Mirren as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison.
If your Geek is a Roger Moore fan, try to get your hands on a collection of episodes of The Saint. They’ll love Moore in the pre-Bond role of Simon Templar – gentleman, detective, adventurer.
Your Doctor Who Geek probably already owns everything ever – especially if they’re a fan of David Tennant. But if not, Doctor Who: The Complete Specials collects “The Next Doctor,” “Planet of the Dead,” “The Waters of Mars,” “The End of Time Parts 1 and 2” and several special features.
Being Human Series One and Two are perfect for the Geek that loves British supernatural comedy-drama series. Being Human is about three twenty-something roommates trying to live normal lives, but one is a werewolf, one is a vampire, and one is a ghost.
Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes are both great shows. I don’t want to say too much – but you can’t go wrong with either of these.
The Prisoner is a classic British spy-fi/sci-fi/fantasy drama created by and starring Patrick McGoohan as a secret agent trapped in an unusual village after he resigns from his job. It’s one of the most influential television series in pop culture history.
