It’s been a pretty cold winter (as LA goes) and you still haven’t found that special someone to snuggle up with and keep warm. Have no fear, your good friend Lady Steam is here! Sorry it’s been so long since our last singles event, but I’ve finally managed to secure a venue for our second event. If you’re interested in meeting some single geeks on Saturday, May 5th from 7-10pm in Hollywood, please email me at ladysteam@thelxl.com. Please include your name, age, gender and email address and send that off to me and I’ll let you know if there are still spaces available. Thanks everyone!

-Dina, AKA Lady Steam

I’ll admit it, I’m a huge musical theatre geek. Ever since my mother took me to see Into the Woods when I was in 5^th grade, I’ve been hooked. Half of my ipod is filled with the sounds of Broadway and my heart skips a beat whenever someone bursts into song on Smash.

When I first heard about Geeks! The Musical!, I couldn’t help but get a little excited. Of course, there’s not much worse than bad musical theatre, so I kept my optimism cautious. Once I found out that my dear friend Liz Heathcoat was choreographing the production, I knew the production was in good hands.

I was able to attend the opening weekend of the three-week run and was very pleasantly surprised. Taking place in a quiet neighborhood in Hollywood, the set was large and professional and the audience was full and happy to be there. You could easily tell which members of the audience were friends, family and casual viewers vs. those of us who are hard-core geeks. Thankfully for this group, the production is geared towards the latter. I started laughing from the very first song, “Comic Con”, where the entire musical takes place. Are there geeky stereotypes in this musical? Yes, but they are written with love and I could easily think of examples from my own circle of friends for each character. The comic book geek, the negative guy who seems to hate everything, yet still comes to conventions, the sweet geeky girl, the has-been 80s sci-fi actor and the overly dramatic artist.

Geeks! The Musical! has some rough edges, but it was created with geeky love by Thomas J. Misuraca and I had a fantastic time. Seldom do I look forward to a second act, but I happily waited through the brief intermission so I could find out what happened to Jordan and Kerry, our charming main characters. There were songs about Doctor Who, “A Girl at Comic Con” and “Women in Sci-Fi” which made my female geeky heart all warm and fuzzy.

With two more weeks left in its run, I highly recommend that you grab a few friends and head down to the Write Act Repertory theatre and prepare to laugh. While non-geeks may enjoy the show, it is clearly written and performed for geeks and will be best enjoyed with friends who can laugh along at the Watchmen, BSG and Dick Grayson references. Have fun geeking out!

Geeks! The Musical! runs March 1-17, 2002 and you can buy tickets at https://www.plays411.net/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=3037 and if you’re available this Thursday night, there are still a few tickets available on Goldstar. http://www.goldstar.com/events/hollywood-ca/geeks-the-musical.

Last year, many members of the League of Extraordinary Ladies made it up to San Francisco to enjoy the small but mighty WonderCon. It was an amazing time all around and this year, it’s going to be right in our backyard at the Anaheim Convention Center! For one year, and one year only, us Southern Californians get to enjoy this smaller cousin of San Diego ComicCon and don’t even need to fight over hotel rooms! To celebrate, we are hosting a meetup on Saturday, March 17^th starting at 8pm at Trader Sam’s in the Disneyland Hotel. We promise, it’s a very quick walk from the convention center and you get to see Downtown Disney which is a lot of fun. Here’s a FB invite for the festivities: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/119628924832029/

Also, once again, several of the founders have been chosen to moderate, participate in and/or organize a few panels. I’m sure we’d all love to see you stop by. I’ve also made a quick list of other LxL members (and friends of the LxL) whom I saw on the schedule. Let me know if you’d like me to add anything. Hope to see you all in a few weeks!

*LxL Founder Panels*

SATURDAY: 12:30-1:30 CAC Session 6: Lessons Learned from Batgirl about Female Superheroes and Trauma: Resilience, Recovery, and Relaunch— Is it healthy to be a female character in today’s comics? Do comic book superheroines still face different traumas from those faced by their male counterparts? Psychologists Andrea Letamendi (UCLA), Robin Rosenberg (The Psychology of Superheroes), and Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight), with the help of writer Bryan Q. Miller (Batgirl, Smallville), explore how gender differences figure into storytelling issues and reflect on the dangers, support, and expectations encountered by women in real-world high-risk and life-threatening environments. Room 210

SATURDAY: 2:00-3:00 Geek & Sundry— Felicia Day (The Guild), Wil Wheaton (Awesome), Veronica Belmont (Tekzilla), and Tom Merrit (Sword & Laser) present a sneak preview of Day’s new Geek & Sundry YouTube channel lineup. Room 204

SATURDAY: 5:30-6:30 Geek Girls Create— Kristen Nedopak (Think Hero TV), Stephanie Thorpe (ElfQuest), Crix Lee (Girl Gamer/Dread Central), Jessica Mills (Awkward Embraces), Leah Cevoli (Robot Chicken), and Helenna Santos Levy (Girl and Boy) are women who took their love of the geek life and turned it into a career. As producers, hosts, actresses, and multi-hyphenate personalities, they have spent time and love creating their own award-winning content for film, TV, and the web. Learn how each of these smart and sexy ladies built her unique, individual brand, and gain insight into the struggles and success of creating your own work, from networking to production to marketing…and staying sane along the way. Room 207

SUNDAY: 11:30-12:30 Steampunk 101— H.G. Wells, leather corsets, goggles, gears and steam-powered blasters: these are all marks of the genre, but what exactly is Steampunk? Explore the answer to this basic question and much more with scintillating steampunk experts Donna Ricci (Clockwork Couture), Joe Benitez (Lady Mechanika); Thomas Willeford (Brute Force Studios); Nick Bauman, Andrew Fogel and Duane Matthews (The League of S.T.E.A.M.); and moderator Dina Kampmeyer (The Manticore Society). Room 213

*Other LxL Panels*

FRIDAY: 12:30-1:30 TheOneRing.net Hobbit Movie Insider’s Preview— Ringers everywhere are eagerly awaiting Peter Jackson’s new Hobbit films during the 75th anniversary year of the book’s publication! Staff writers and scholars from TheOneRing.net web portal invite you to join this lively panel revealing film production surprises and a zealous shredding of rumors! Led by Clifford Broadway (Ringers: Lord of the Fans), Josh Rubinstein (Star Trek: TNG Blu-ray), Cathy Udovch (Cruise to Middle-earth), and Mike Urban (The People’s Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien). Room 207

FRIDAY: 4:30-5:30 Spotlight on Renae De Liz— Meet one of the rising stars of the industry! Acclaimed artist and WonderCon special guest Renae De Liz (The Last Unicorn) was building a rabid following even before she masterminded the Kickstarter runaway smash success project Womanthology! Room 203

SATURDAY: 11:00-12:00 Womanthology— Get the story behind the hottest Kickstarter project of the year, a graphic novel produced entirely by the top women in the industry! Over 200 creators combined to create Womanthology,  and all profits go to the charities of GlobalGiving.org! Project mastermind Renae De Liz and a host of surprise creators offer sneak peeks, inside tips on how to break into comics, and more! Room 213

SATURDAY: 1:30-2:30 How to Get News Coverage— Small press publishers, what makes the difference between an item that will get news coverage, previews, and interviews and an item that doesn’t? A lot of publishers have no idea what to submit to the press, how to submit it, and why they are being overlooked for coverage. Comics journalist Rik Offenberger (First Comics News, Archie Comics) moderates this panel on just what it takes to get coverage, with the comics journalist themselves telling you what they are looking for in your submission. Panelists include Alan Kistler (Comic Mix, Newsarama), Heidi McDonald (The Beat), Kiel Phegley (Comic Book Resources), and Josh Waldrop (M1W Entertainment). Find out what it takes to self-promote and make a significant impact on your ability to sell your comics project. Room 208

SATURDAY: 6:00-7:00 Archaia Entertainment Presents: How to Build a Better Story— Are you an aspiring storyteller? Archaia has a tradition of publishing great stories, such as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, and The Killer. Archaia editor-in-chief Stephen Christy and founder and chief creative officer Mark Smylie lead an information-packed session on what it takes to create a better original graphic novel. From world building to storytelling to what Archaia looks for in submissions, if you’re an aspiring graphic novelist, this is the panel you don’t want to miss. Plus, get a sneak peek of some of Archaia’s upcoming titles, with never-before-seen art and exclusive information! Please note: Archaia will not be accepting submissions or reviewing portfolios during this panel. Room 203

SUNDAY: 4:00-5:00 Jane Espenson: Sci Fi and Beyond— A TV writing fixture for the past 20 years, Jane Espenson has written episodes for Sci-Fi and fantasy shows including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Game of Thrones, and ABC’s current hit Once Upon a Time. Her work in TV comedy includes work on Dinosaurs, Ellen, Jake in Progress, Andy Richter’s Andy Barker PI and Gilmore Girls. Espenson has also made online inroads with Battlestar Galactica webisodes and her current web series, Husbands. The panel is a moderated discussion and lively Q&A about her work in different genres and across different platforms. She will be joined by Husbands co-writer, co-creator and star, Brad Bell. Room 203

Hi WrongSiders!

How excited was I to see Vera Brosgol’s graphic novel Anya’s Ghost under my Christmas tree? Super excited! I had actually tried to buy the book at SDCC over the summer, but it was sold out by the second day. It was the first thing I read from my holiday horde and it did not dissapoint.

The story: Without revealing too much, the basic story follows the modern highschooler Anya Borzakovskaya who is a Russian immigrant (though she left when still a young child) trying to fit into American suburbia. After falling down a well, Anya meets and befriends the ghost of Emily Reilly, a girl who died after falling down the same well while trying to escape the man who killed her family.

The story is as beautiful, simple and spare as the art, with a series of surprising turns that take it far beyond a simple Casper-style buddy comedy.

Of course, Anya’s problems are the predictable problems of any highschool girl: weight, boys, grades, fitting in, so this may not be the book for your more macho friends. But Anya’s issues are addressed in sometimes surprising ways (especially in regards to teen heartthrob Sean and his perfect girlfriend Elizabeth), so anyone who hated highschool has a decent chance of liking this book.

Still Anya’s Ghost is best suited for the highschool reader. If you have a niece you’ve been trying to get into comics, this is a very approachable, very relatable read, a great place to start. Middleschoolers is a little bit of a gray area as there are some mature themes (implied sex, smoking, non-graphic murder), but I have no doubt the characters will resonate.

Read up, Wrongsiders!

Mairghread

*Originally posted on http://www.wrongsidecomics.com/ on 1-15-2012*

I love this book.

The story so far: Without butchering all the lovely details creator Ben Costa sought to put in, Pang: The Wandering Shaolin Monk (Vol. 1: “Refuge of the Heart”) is the story of a short, pudgy reject of a shaolin monk who looks like Charlie Brown. He also happens to be the last surviving member of his temple (which was destroyed by the new Emperor’s army). Pang has two goals: to safeguard the single precious book he managed to save from his temple’s library and to find the other surviving monks he believes are out there, somewhere.

Now, the on-the-lam noble hero and the beautiful inn keeper’s daughter (played here by the feisty Yang Yang) is not a new story, but Costa’s simple art and attention to detail breathes fresh life into it. Characters speak in modern English equivalents to their ancient stations; yokels speak like yokels without extraneous thou’s or thee’s to make them sound old-timey. On the other hand, characters frequently use actual Chinese phrases and reference “current events” which are translated and explained in foot notes. This level of detail fills out the otherwise simple story and gives the world of Pang a depth not normally seen. The same strategy was used in the non-graphic novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell to similar effect.

I won’t lie; the book is dense. It took me several tries to get all the way through it. The page layout can also be a bit confusing. It’s a traditional left-to-right, up-to-down read, but look for tiny arrows in panels that change course. On the bright side, the spare art and sheer fun of the wiggling panels are a nice counter-balance to the more expository bits.

And, honestly, the main character’s lovable goodwill captured me. In a genre of tough guys, Pang is truly the sweet-hearted monk you hope he is and once the books finally grounds you in the world the pace picks up considerable.

For those of you who are unsure about the story or feel intimidated by so much exposition, I adored the prequel Eight Herbs Mtn.: The Rice Paddy Kid as well. It’s a much more lightweight story about young Pang training (at least, trying to train) for a local martial arts competition. Funny and touching, it’s also a good place to get acquainted with many characters that appear in Pang.

Still, I can’t recommend the primary book highly enough. This is a great and rare gem for the history buffs, kung fu students and hopeless romantics in your life.

Pang can be purchased through Costa’s website: www.shilongpang.com where you can also view it in web comic form. But the hardcover is so reasonably priced ($20 for 188 pages), I suggest you support Mr. Costa by buying the book. You can also get it from your comic book store. Tell your retailer its Diamond order number is: JUL111134  F

*Originally posted on http://www.wrongsidecomics.com/ on 1-5-2012*

The producers of the show took a light hand in this special and chose to follow only 3 or 4 single geeks before their experiences at New York ComicCon and Sci-fi speed dating. Obviously, the show did not and  could not show the wide range that is geekdom and the convention circuit. But, I found the coverage to be mostly respectful and I quite enjoyed it overall. 

We got to meet several young, inexperienced and passionate geeks who were into cosplaying, Ninja Turtles, Iron Man and much more. I rooted for them to find love and I was so very proud of them for not only putting themselves out there during the speed dating, but for agreeing to do it on national television. I especially loved the Mandalorian who reminded me so much of my younger, inexperienced self. As a geek dating columnist, I am especially interested in the subject and I look forward to seeing more of the show if it gets picked up.

I’d love to hear what you think about the show. Did you think it was a fair representation of single geeks? Would you like to see more of the show?

Sorry about taking a few months off there from my column duties. Bad Dina! *gentle wrist slap* I’d love to give a belated thank you to everyone who attended the first meeting of SGLA: Single Geeks in LA a few months ago. The event was quite successful (minus a few glitches) and I’m planning another pre-Valentine’s event in February, so stayed tuned if you’re one of my southern California readers.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, today we delve into the tricky problem of how to survive the long holiday season as a single person without going completely insane or making some very bad decisions. I had a friend once who refused to date anyone between Halloween and Valentine’s Day and I didn’t personally agree with it, I could certain understand the sentiment. The holidays can be a joyous time full of family and friends, but it’s also a time for parties you have to attend alone, being grilled by your grandmother as to why you’re still single and holidays custom-built for couples. Here’s a few things that might help you not only survive, but flourish this time of year.

1) Embrace your life and don’t allow others to make you feel bad about the current state of your dating life.

-We all have those people in our lives that like to make you feel bad for being single, even if they don’t mean to. Many coupled people forget what it’s like to be single and they can make you feel like there’s something wrong with being alone at this time of year. I’m here to tell you that there’s not. The situation is what it is and feeling bad over your current status won’t help you to find someone.  If someone asks why you’re still single, be honest and tell them you just haven’t met the right person, but that you’re definitely looking for that perfect person for you. You never know, Aunt Marge or your boss’ wife just might know an amazing guy or gal who could end up being your date for next year’s party. 

2) Acknowledge that starting a relationship over the holidays can be tricky.

-I’m not advising that if you meet someone the week before Thanksgiving that you shouldn’t ask them out. Never give up an opportunity to date someone because they may not still be single come January. Make sure you manage expectations so you can avoid any hurt feelings. Don’t feel pressured to bring them to any special events at work or with family if it’s too soon. Best to avoid any talk of office parties and if they ask you to an event that you’re uncomfortable with, don’t freak out, just politely decline and say you’ve got other plans that evening. Make sure the other person knows you’re interested, but perhaps take things a bit slower than you would at other times of the year.

3) If you’ve started dating someone and you get swamped over the holidays, don’t disappear.

-I have seen this happen more often than you’d think. You form a connection with someone in October or November and then your schedule becomes completely insane for the rest of the year. There’s barely enough time in the day to finish your work and shopping, let alone go out on dates. If you truly don’t have time to see someone you think you’d like to date, let them know and continue to communicate with them, even if it’s only online or on the phone. Don’t just disappear because you’re too busy. Be honest about your schedule and pick up right away after life gets back to normal in January.

4) Volunteer your time for a local charity.

-Charitable organizations are always in desperate need of volunteers during the holiday season. Go out and do something good for an important cause and you might be surprised at what can happen. Not only will you be doing good for others, you will feel better about yourself and you will meet some high quality people in the process. If you’re looking for a nice guy (or girl), it’s hard to imagine a better place to meet them than during volunteer work.

 5) Make sure you have a good wingman or woman and keep an eye out for other singles.

-Holiday parties can be depressing being surrounded by mushy couples, but try and approach it as an opportunity to meet other singles. The advantage of all of those obvious couples is that it’ll be easier to spot that cute guy/gal over in the corner without a date. Go talk to them and if you need help, bring along a wingwoman or man who can help you approach them. If you’re at an office party, ask your married friend to help you out if need be. If they work together, it could be the perfect opportunity to make that first introduction.

6) Avoid first dates on major holidays (especially New Year’s Eve & Valentine’s Day).

-It may seem quite romantic to ask someone out for New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day as a first date (or very early on in the relationship), but this can put way too much pressure on things. All the restaurants will be packed with couples, things will be expensive and it’ll be hard to have a relaxing evening on such a big occasion. Wait a week and ask them out then.

7) Be careful not to make bad dating/relationship decisions because you’re feeling lonely or you need a date for a party.

-We’ve all been there, the company Christmas party is coming up and you get an email from HR asking if you’re bringing a date. You know everyone is going to be there with their significant others and you dread showing up without a date. Hopefully you’ve got a friend at work who you can hang out with that night or a good (platonic) friend who can accompany you. If not, don’t be tempted to call up your ex or anyone else that you wouldn’t ask out under normal circumstances. Don’t do anything that you’ll regret later just because you’re feeling stressed or lonely. Be confident enough go alone and be okay with that. This can be a very lonely season, but don’t give up hope. That perfect relationship could be waiting just around the corner and you’ll want to be open and ready for them. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

That’s it from me today my extraordinary friends. Have a wonderful holiday season and I hope to hear from you soon with any stories, questions or column ideas at ladysteamy@thelxl.com!

The Trimbles have been active in fandom for over 50 years – running fashion shows and art shows at conventions, starting and running their own conventions, working on the “Save Star Trek” campaign and the effort to name a US space shuttle the “Enterprise,” to name just a few! I’ve included their full bio at the bottom of the post for the curious.

One of your most famous exploits is spearheading the letter writing campaign that eventually led to the original series of Star Trek being renewed and having enough episodes for syndication – which led to the series’ eventual movie franchise and additional tv series. Do you think it’s possible for today’s fans to save their favorite shows, or has the culture in the studios (and tv distribution) changed too much for fan involvement to really make a difference?

It is very possible to put pressure on corporations, studios, networks and distributors, if one is willing to do some work. In many cases, too much focus is put on annoying the TV show producer, who has very little to do with a show actually reaching the airways and staying there. We have always said that the best way to get any corporate attention is through their wallet. In “our day” we did it with letters. It is so much easier today via the Internet! Telling a show’s sponsors – local and national – that you are unhappy about a proposed cancellation works far better than harassing just the studio/network/etc. Sponsors tend to contact The Powers That Be, and ask why their product advertisements are in danger from unhappy viewers. This gambit worked in 1967 and it will work today.

What do you think modern conventions are missing that past cons had? 

What is sadly missing from modern large, well-polished commercial events is that they are not truly conventions: they do not offer a convening of fans. All the fans really do is stand in line to get into the hall, stand in line to buy merchandise, stand in line to buy autographs, and stand in line listen to Big Names for a few minutes before rushing off to stand in line somewhere else. There are no fannish activities, no way or reason for fans to get to know each other and share experiences, laugh and have real fun. We consider this a sad loss, considering the crazy fun we have enjoyed with fan-friends over the past 30-40 years.

Bjo, you wrote two non-fiction books about Star Trek – On the Good Ship Enterprise and Star Trek: Concordance. Have you said everything there is to say about the topic, or would you want to revisit it?

Funny you should ask! At this very moment, two people are working on this. A young man in Colorado is working on updating the Star Trek Concordance. Though the book is something of a museum piece, it is part of Trek history, and should be available. When every possibly niggle and nitpick has been addressed, it can go online as an eBook for fans to buy. Another kind soul is trying to get me to update On the Good Ship Enterprise with more humorous stories of fans and those involved with the show. When finished, it will likely become an eBook. I once also started a Trek novel, but got stalled, and have not returned to it.

What TV or movie series do you wish you could’ve been involved with to the level you were with Star Trek?

Farscape, Firefly (series and movie), another Galaxy Quest, The Big Bang Theory, and more Star Trek movies. Unfortunately, no one has asked us for help.

I’ve known you for ten years mainly with your fiber arts business, Griffin Dyeworks, which has turned me into a craft geek, rather than just a geek crafter. What will you have in store for us at this Friday’s Craftacular?

We found a box full of early Star Trek fanzines. So we’ll bring those, publicity photos of William Shatner and author David Gerrold posing with Bjo on the ST:TMP set., and some other fan collectibles! We’ll also be autographing books if you already have a copy.

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John and Bjo Trimble discovered fandom individually: John by browsing used book stores to feed his interests, Bjo by accidentally discovering the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, and then attending her first convention. They both enjoyed the vast range of creative imagination to be found in all of the fandoms.

It’s only 3 weeks till our very first League of Extraordinary Ladies Craftacularstravaganza at Meltdown Comics! Stop by on Friday, December 2 from 6-9pm to support local artists, meet some geeky ladies and gentlemen and get some of your holiday shopping done early.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/155050367877126/253893401326155/?notif_t=group_activity#!/event.php?eid=183751078374525

We are very pleased to announce the vendors (with Twitter handles) that will be joining us on Dec 2nd (subject to change, of course):

I found Cancelled to be an engrossing read – not just for the realistic portrayals of life in a startup company, or how the military robotic technology was handled, but also for breaking the romance genre mold in a lot of ways. I immediately asked Elizabeth if I could send her some questions for an interview, and entirely too many weeks after she responded with answers, here we are!