Ink-Stained Amazon

I know there are several of you that have been just as excited for this as I am – Day 5 of the Ink-Stained Amazon’s Holiday Gift Guide for Geeks is For The Joss Whedon Fan! Whether your Whedon Geek loved Buffy, hated Dollhouse, knows all the words to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog, or is a Browncoat, there is something here for every kind of Whedonian!

Who can resist the cuteness of this Fruity Oaty Girls Bobblehead Maquette from the Mr. Sparkle-inspired Fruity Oaty Bars commercial?

Not Mandatory!

The Slayer Scythe is a totally cool, but rather pricey gift for the Buffy fan with a lot of room in their home – or their own Slayer army.

Are you ready to be strong?

The Ink-Stained Hubby picked me up a Buffy iPhone GelaSkin last year in the UK and I’m always getting compliments on it. Would make a great stocking stuffer for your Buffy Geek!

Stay clean with a bar of Browncoat Field Ration Soap from Geeky Clean – another great stocking stuffer!

Misbehave all you want, and wash up after!

For the fan of Hoban “Wash” Washburne, there’s the Inevitable Betrayal T-Shirt and the Little Damn Heroes Animated Maquette (with removable dinosaurs you can play with!) both from Quantum Mechanix.

Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!

Is your geek planning to join the Evil League of Evil? Well then they’ll need a Dr. Horrible Lab Coat T-Shirt!

With my freeze-ray . . .

I’ve already gone through one set of Yummy Sushi Pajamas – and another is on my personal holiday wish list. If Buffy didn’t look commanding in them your Geek probably won’t either. But they will be just as cute!

That probably would have sounded more commanding if I wasn't wearing my Yummy Sushi pajamas.

If your Geek doesn’t own Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Complete Series they’ll need it so they can participate in the upcoming Great Buffy Rewatch. Organized by Nikki Stafford and taking place on Tuesday nights throughout 2011, the rewatch will feature a variety of amazing contributors.

In every generation there is a Chosen One . . .

How about a copy of the adapted “Smile Time” episode of Angel for your Angel fan? “Smile Time” was, of course, inspired by The Muppets. The comic book version of the darkly hilarious episode is collected here with 2 other puppet-related stories.

You're a bloody puppet!

Your Angel Geek might also enjoy an Angel Investigations T-shirt.

We help the helpless.

Dollhouse the complete first and second seasons would go great with a copy of Inside Joss’ Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum from Smart Pop Books.

(It really did get better.)

As a member of the Whedon Studies Association, a Whedon geek, and a pop culture scholar and historian I’m tempted to list a whole bunch of book recommendations for your Geek, but think you should just peruse The Slayage Whedonverses Bookstore. Really, it’s full of Awesome Sauce.

The Whedonverse. Polysemic, much?

Finally, there are always great Whedonverse themed items on Etsy!

For example, what geek wouldn’t love a shiny Holiday Sock inspired by Jayne Cobb’s knitted hat?

Shiny!

Personally, I’m debating getting 2 of these mini-Jayne Cobb hats for our Maltese (and resident Whedonians/research assistants), Giles and Wesley.

I mean, C'mon!!! How cute is this?!??

Is your Geek Grrrl always letting you know that Whedon is her master now? Does she need to let the world know with earrings that say so?

For the Uber-Geek

Take notes at the next Biennial Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses with this handmade Buffy journal. The front & back covers feature actual comic pages from the Season 8 comics. You can even ask the artist to design one for you that focuses on a particular character or specific issue from the series.

Handmade Journal

These Slayer Scythe earrings are the absolute coolest. (And, yeah, they’re so cool I actually already went ahead and ordered a pair for myself.)

For the Stylish Geekess

Do you know someone that posts pictures of Eric Northman on their Facebook Wall? Do they obsess over Meredith Woerner’s recaps on io9? Do they throw True Blood themed dinner parties?

Well, lucky you! Because today’s Gift Guide is For the Trubie Geek!

Get your geek a set of some of the greatest guilty pleasure books around with the Sookie Stachouse Series Box Set – they make for perfect bathtub reading.

The Sookie Stackhouse Series

Is your geek’s favorite bar Merlotte’s, Lu Pine’s or Fangtasia? They can’t choose? Then the True Blood Bar Set has you covered!

Shots and Pints

For the Trubie that has to know every detail of the Sookieverse, the HBO store is currently selling True Blood Comic Book Issues 1-5 (Including all variant covers of #1). The comics are published by IDW.

Transmedia in Action

Your Trubie friend can sleep in this Bon Temps Football T-Shirt and pretend it belongs to Jason Stackhouse.

Stackhouse

Or, they can pretend they are wearing their bear, Hoyt’s Renard Parish Hoodie.

For Your Bear.

Of course, no Trubie geek t-shirt set would be complete without a Fangtasia Shirt.

Bite me.

If your Trubie needs guides or criticism there’s A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger’s Guide from Smart Pop Books.

The Fangbanger's Guide

As well as Truly, Madly, Deadly: The Unofficial True Blood Companion from ECW press.

Truly, Madly, Deadly

For the Trubie that likes jewelry, there’s this “I wanna do bad things with you” necklace from Etsy.

Real Bad Things . . .

Why choose Team Eric or Team Bill? What if we love all of Sookie’s men? This hand-stamped bracelet proclaims your love for all of them!

Day three of the Holiday Gift Guide is For the Geeky Feminist!

If you’re anything like this geeky feminist, your bookshelves are overflowing with your collections of Bitch, Ms., and BUST magazines, as well as copies of books with titles like Why Buffy Matters: The Art of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Action Chicks: New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture. Tame those shelves with this nod to women’s history – Rosie the Riveter Bookends!

Rosie is riveting.

Speaking of your Bitch magazine collection . . . Did you know that Bitch only gets 7 cents for every magazine sold at a store? If you love Bitch‘s response to mainstream media and popular culture and want to support independent feminist media why not buy your favorite geekess a Subscription to Bitch?

Feminist Response to Pop Culture

Next up on the list is a copy of Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors and yes, I am biased because it’s my baby and I want everyone to think she’s very smart and pretty – but DC Women Kicking Ass recommended it too!

The Ink-Stained Baby

Another geeky book to add to those shelves is The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid.

The Supergirls

One of my favorite feminist books is The Great Woman Superheroes by Trina Robbins. It’s out of print – though you may be able to order it directly from her (and likely get it signed too).

A MUST read for fans of female superheroes.

Other books I’m currently recommending for those interested in feminism, women’s history, and media include: Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism’s Work Is Done by Susan J. Douglas, Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age by Kathleen Sweeney, When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins, and Feminism and Pop Culture by Andi Zeisler.

Every Grrrl needs a “Stay Golden” t-shirt featuring four of our favorite, and most feminist, television friends.

Thank you, Ladies, for being our friend.

How about getting Golden Girls The Complete Series to go with that shirt?

Finally, if only the Bronte Sisters Power Dolls were real! (With their barrier breaking feminist vision they’d be on my list!) What a great stocking stuffer they’d be!

The Ink-Stained Amazon’s second day of Geekmas is For the Star Wars Fan!

Wait, what!?!? You don’t have a Tauntaun Sleeping Bag from Think Geek yet?!?!?

Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

Originally an April Fool’s Day joke, this awesome bag will delight jedis young and old. (The Ink-Stained Hubby kept his on our bed for months!) Plus, the opportunities for action shots with pets are endless. Just look at Wesley!

He thought they smelled bad on the outside . . .

What’s that? You already have the sleeping bag! Of course you do. Well then how about a Wampa Throw Rug?

Snow Beast!

Are you, or your significant other, a little like Homer Simpson? Always misplacing your pants? Nevermore, as you’ll never want to take off these Star Wars-themed jammie pants!

May the cozy be with you!

Wouldn’t these Bounty Hunter Masks look cool on your fridge?

Bounty Hunters

And I’m thinking this Star Wars Mural is perfect for either the man-cave OR the she-cave.

Star Wars Wall Mural

Thank Geekness for Ashley Eckstein and Her Universe featuring Star Wars themed items that actually fit women!

Star Wars Logo Shirt

Empire Thermal Hoodie

For the Star Wars fan who likes to cook Williams Sonoma has a plethora of goodies for you from pancake molds and cookie cutters to aprons for kids and adults.

Impressive. Most impressive.

Bake tasty cookies, you will.

Star Wars apron.

Though it won’t be released until March 2011, I absolutely recommend the awesome Bonnie Burton’s forthcoming Star Wars Craft Book. Take a first look here.

Geeky Crafting!

Speaking of crafts – Etsy is a great place for unique, geeky, and crafty Star Wars-themed items such as this totally cute AT-AT Attack Pillow Cover.

Super-Geeky!

Bonus Recommended Geek Gift Guide!
A Holiday Gift Guide for the Harry Potter Fan from Smart Pop Books!

Hey nerds! Who has two thumbs, speaks limited french and is excited for the holiday season? This moi!

That’s why over the next 12 days (naturally) I’ll be posting gift ideas for all your geeky loved ones, from your Jedis and Padawans, to your Doctors and companions, to those who believe that Whedon is their master now, to your favorite feminist geeks and geek girls – there will be no shortage of gift ideas for the geeks in your life!

Since everyone knows I’m a huge Modesty Blaise fan (and I’ve already alerted the Ink-Stained Hubby to these items) I’m starting the list with . . .

Gifts for the Modesty Blaise Fan

This tres cool Modesty Blaise luggage set features images by Enrique Badía Romero who took over illustration duties after the untimely death of original artist, Jim Holdaway.

Modesty Blaise Luggage Set

Also available is a laptop case.

Modesty Blaise Laptop Case

I’m totally digging this Modesty Blaise t-shirt featuring the tagline from the horrid 1966 film version of the character and an image from the cover of Modesty Blaise.

Nothing can faze, Modesty Blaise

Modesty Blaise

I also recommend any of the collected strips – published by Titan Books – such as The Gabriel Set-Up – any of the 11 novels (though Modesty Blaise, A Taste for Death, I, Lucifer, and The Silver Mistress are my favorite), or either of the two collections of short stories, Pieces of Modesty and Cobra Trap.

Pieces of Modesty - A Collection of Short Stories

The Gabriel Set-Up Collected Strips

Bonus Recommended Geek Gift Guide of the Day!
DC Women Kicking Ass’ Kick Ass Holiday Gift Guide, part one (under $25).“Gift ideas if you like DC women who kick ass or are buying for someone who does.”

Author Event!

This Saturday, November 13th, I’ll be presenting my book Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology at Wayward Coffeehouse in the Greenwood area of Seattle. Festivities start at 8 pm with a reading that webzine Sequential Tart referred to as a “must see” and “Ink-Stained Amazons the Cliff Notes and multimedia experience.”

Here’s the official description:

Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology

From Wonder Woman to Buffy Summers, Emma Peel to Sydney Bristow, Charlie’s Angels to the Powerpuff Girls, Superwomen are more than just love interests or sidekicks who stand by their men. In her new book, Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology, author, writer, blogger and pop culture historian, Jennifer K. Stuller, explains how the female hero in modern mythology has broken through the boys’ club barrier of tradition and reveals the pivotal role of high-heeled, costumed, and kick-ass crimefighters in popular culture.

Join Stuller as she presents a lively history of these warrior women through video clips, slides, and readings from her book – a question and answer session and signing will follow.

Wayward Coffeehouse is located at 8570 Greenwood Ave N. I will have a minimal number of copies of Ink-Stained with me, so be sure to bring your copy if you’d like it signed!

Hope to see you there, and feel free to spread the word and bring your friends!

Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition (photo credit Ryan Wilkerson)

No one could have imagined in 1978 that a television series set in space, and one that TIME magazine named as that year’s “biggest rip-off,” would have an exhibit devoted to it 33 years later – and in Seattle, Washington of all places.

But Battlestar Galactica, canceled after one season, captured imaginations and resonated with audiences even before the ground-breaking re-imagining for the SyFy channel in 2003, and Seattle’s own Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame is a place that explores and celebrates imagination. . . .

Read the rest at Geek Girl on the Street and stay tuned for Part 2 coming at ya on Thursday!

Early estimates from Wonder Woman Day are that the event raised over $24,000 for the Domestic Violence programs in Portland! Fun was had by all, and I picked up some great art!

Including this piece at auction by Natalie Nourigat.

Grace Under Fire, by Natalie Nourigat

And a sketch for donation by my friend, Anne Timmons.

Lt. Nyota Uhura, by Anne Timmons

The lastest Katy Perry parody viral video is Geek and Gamer Girls by Team Unicorn – whose motto is “Geek Girls: Like unicorns, we’re not supposed to exist.”

Geek and Gamer Girls Song – Watch more Funny Videos

With over 1 million views since it was first posted, the video has received praise for acknowledging and celebrating female fandom, and criticism for catering to male fantasy in its depiction of women.

Team Unicorn Production Still

According to an article on IGN:

When it came to those moments, Grant noted, “That’s where we’re getting a lot of negative feedback from, is actually those particular American Beauty shots, which we don’t really understand. We don’t really understand why it’s bad to be sexy. We are who we are and we happen to love all of those things. I think that if we were different shapes and sizes, we probably would have done the exact same set up, and maybe people wouldn’t be giving us such a hard time. We weren’t trying to alienate any female gamers out there who don’t physically match our descriptions. We were actually trying to be inclusive. When we first started talking about the video, the most major point of discussion that we had was doing our best to not alienate any females whatsoever. We were actually really surprised by the negative reaction from that, because after all, we’re showing as much skin as any girl would show in a bikini.”

On the one hand, I think part of this video is a really cheeky cute celebration of female geeks and fandom. The lyrics are playful, and I appreciate seeing women enjoying spending time together.

Team Unicorn Production Still

On the other, I find the visual reference to American Beauty problematic.

Screen Shot Via Action Flick Chick

What purpose does a naked woman lying flat on her back – – in a reference to Lolita – -serve? Who are these images meant to appeal to? However they want to define beauty and sensuality geek women have the right to be sexy, or hot, or gorgeous, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But how are these particular images empowering to women (assuming that was the intention)? One of the questions Team Unicorn asks in response to criticism is “we don’t understand why it’s bad to be sexy” – – but that’s not really the issue. It’s how they’re choosing to be sexy. One can claim they are being sexy for themselves, but in actuality they are deriving pleasure from being sexy for male attention. That’s fine, but let’s call it what is.

Personally, I don’t really see how images like these can be beneficial to women, help geek girls be taken seriously, or encourage culture industries to depict our fictional characters as multi-dimensional. If geek girls, especially prominent geek girls, are willing to show themselves as objects of male fantasy, why would male-dominated industries such as comics, film, or even television, bother to represent women as anything else? I’m not advocating that any woman should depict themselves as “sexless,” and any one piece of work or celebration of geek girl culture can’t possibly represent every one of us, but I’d hope that as culture-makers we’d give more critical thought to the images we ourselves are producing.

Additionally, I’m concerned that some are framing this discussion as a war of “hot” geek girls against “other” geek girls. That’s not the issue either. There are plenty of hot geek/nerd/fan women of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, ages, and preferences who appeal to different desires and who wouldn’t feel that showing off their body or using their sexuality was an appropriate or productive way to promote their tastes. But pitting geek girls against one another further marginalizes us as women, as audiences and as a market.

I’m also concerned by comments that the women of Team Unicorn are too hot to actually be geeks, as well as those that cheer the idea that “hot” geek girls are being represented (with suggestions that we’re “not all fat, ugly, basement dwellers” – – as if we not only have to prove our geek cred but our sexuality too). Both of these positions are sexist.

Kat Hill, aka The Action Flick Chick, has compiled a round-up of responses to the video from the web that I recommend reviewing and I applaud her for facilitating this conversation. Hill also interviewed Team Unicorn about the video.

For more on gender and media literacy I’m currently reading and recommending Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism’s Work is Done by Susan J. Douglas and Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age by Kathleen Sweeney.

Sunday was the season three finale of everyone’s favorite sexy, twisted, gory, hilarious, and homoerotic supernatural series, True Blood, and we wanted to watch it with our Trubies! We devised a menu à la Talbot and asked our guests to bring red wine and appropriately-themed desserts or appetizers (vampire, werewolf, creole, cajun, etc.)

Cocktails: Chilled carbonated blood. Cruelty-free, all willingly donated.

Raspberry Royales

Appetizers: The Thai Boy.
(We couldn’t get a hold of a “Thai Boy” so we substituted with “Arlene’s Baby Daddy Cajun Crab Cakes.”)

Crab Cakes from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Vampire Staked Skewers with True Blood reduction.

*Cruelty-Free

Dinner: Warm Blood Bisque infused with rose petals.

Tomato Soup recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Dessert: Blood Gelato.

Raspberry Sorbet

And True Blood cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

The guest of honor was in attendance.

R.I.P. Talbot

(Our guests came up with the same idea!)

Talbot 2

Shifters Sam Merlotte and Tommy Mickens.

Brothers.

Our guests.

The Pre-Show!

Thanks to our guests for coming over and for bringing goodies!