5 Things Marketers Can Learn From Reruns of She-Ra: Princess of Power

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Guest Contributor

This post written by Keidra originally appeared on The Learned Fangirl. It is being cross posted here with permission.

3790222_f520

Actually, marketers can’t learn anything from watching reruns of She-Ra, I just wanted to use that as a title for some reason. Anyway, for the past couple of months, my inability to go to sleep before 1 a.m. has led to a nightly viewing of reruns of He-Man and She-Ra on children’s programming-oriented Qubo. You may find this strange but before this I was watching Maisy to ease my chronic insomnia, so the inclusion of actual dialogue in my shows is a marked improvement. And all of it is better than reruns of How I Met Your Mother. I must say I find myself preferring She-Ra to her twin brother’s show, though I am aware that show came first. For a number of reasons, I found myself drawn in once more to the people, places, repetitive musical elements and stock animation of Etheria, so I thought I’d share a few of my insights on the show. Sadly, Qubo has replaced He-Man and She-Ra with Sherlock Holmes in The 22nd Century, and I have a sad feeling that you’ll be seeing a post about that next.

Anyway, here 5 things you can learn from I want to ramble about involving She-Ra. You’re welcome.

1. She-Ra was oddly sorta feminist
shera
I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of the major storylines for Adora (She-Ra’s true identity) revolved around her heroism, her leadership skills and her relationships with her friends/brother. Not to mention, most of her conversations with her female friends Glimmer, Frosta, etc, revolved around the very important topic of freeing Etheria from the clutches of the Evil Horde. It’s actually a Bechdel Test win in pretty much every episode.

As much as I love her 80’s cartoon counterpart, Jem, Jem/Jerrica spent a good chunk of her non-rocking spare time obsessing over her boyfriend, Rio, talking to her friends about if Rio’s into her and needing to be rescued by Rio. Sure, Frosta was pretty heavy into He-Man but every group of ladyfriends has the one lady who’s hot for the brother of another ladyfriend so it’s realistic, I think. Eventually, Adora did get a love interest, the pirate SeaHawk (who oddly reminds me of Ewan McGregor) and even that subplot was handled in a mature way for a kids’ TV show. His introduction was not as a love interest, but as a foil for Adora, who convinced him to turn to the side of good. Only in later episodes did a romantic connection between Adora and SeaHawk develop. Which brings me to the fact that… Continue reading →

Posted in cross posts | Leave a comment

Geeking Out

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Mace
  • Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, and Piero Tosi to receive honorary Academy Awards at the 2013 Governors Awards.
  • Katee Sackhoff in possible negotiations to play Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers. Fingers crossed.
  • Alan Taylor, director of Thor: The Dark World, wanted for the new Terminator reboot.
  • Because you can never know enough Cosby Show trivia: 21 facts.
  • J.K. Rowling is going to write more movies set in the Harry Potter wizarding world based on her Fantastic Beasts book.
  • Check out the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary poster, featuring Matt Smith, David Tennant, and John Hurt.
  • Laura Prepon is indeed returning to Orange is the New Black, but only for one episode.
  • This popsci journalist who chose to liveblog the iPhone 5S reveal on his busted iPhone 4S. You can enjoy some hilarity and a heaping side of schadenfreude.
  • Toys R Us is going gender neutral in the UK, dropping the “boys” and “girls” labels from their toy sections.
  • Siri Rødnes & Marie Lidén take on STEM gender inequality in the new film A Chemical Imbalance. 
  • Mozilla hosted a women’s only hacking event!
  • Introverted asexual scientists – a new annoying stereotype?
  • There’s a staggering lack of visibility, but queer scientists exist!
  • 15 year old girl invents flashlight that uses body heat to operate!
  • 11 TV spinoff series you may have forgotten (or never even knew about)
  • Captain America and Batman rescue a cat from a burning building.
  • Jurassic World is coming in 2015. Time to start planning dino cosplay, right?
Posted in geeking out | Leave a comment

“We’re No. 1!” The Great Ladies of the Big Two

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Jeff

We’re No. 1! is a weekly feature looking at first issues in new comic series, as well as one-offs and special releases. In his reviews, Jeff highlights stories with diverse characters and plot lines Geekquality readers can care about, as well as points out comics that miss the mark.

harleyLet’s kick this week off with the super books first, starting with Harley Quinn #1 (Detective Comics #23.2). Besides the recent Batwoman controversy, there has also been some blowback at DC over an artists contest involving Harley, so she was at the front of my mind when this week’s Villains Month titles hit the shelves. Sadly, this one shot about Harley’s origin falls flat, without much new, real detail. The twist – that Dr. Harleen Quinzel made her own choice to adopt the Harley persona, rather than at the goading of the Joker – is original but not enthralling. It does lead to an interesting question about her as a character, however. Harley has long been written as an intellectual woman caught in the web of the Joker’s madness. She was his psychiatrist in the famed Arkham Asylum and was dragged into his world, becoming both his lover and his sidekick. Here we see that Dr. Quinzel might still be the Joker’s victim, but a great deal of her psychological issues are hers and hers alone. She is certainly depicted as less of Mr. J’s puppet, as has been a trend with her character for a while now. Sadly, the story isn’t particularly well developed, as Harley romps about Gotham adding bits and pieces to her ragtag clown look and setting off the odd bomb or ten. The narration by writer Matt Kindt is difficult to follow at times, and the lighthearted style by artist Neil Googe makes it tough to see the darkness in her character. Continue reading →

Posted in comic books, We're No. 1! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The X-Files Guide to Relationships

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Lois

(This post originally ran on July 12, 2012, but we are bumping it up in honor of The X-Files’ 20th birthday. Tell us about your favorite X-Files episode in the comments!)

Surprise! (Or not?) To me, FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are the ultimate, endgame OTP (and if they’re not yours, I don’t know what’s wrong with you). Even if the Smulder relationship isn’t explicit in the series, everything about their chemistry is too hot to ignore anyway: wistful gazes, obliviousness to/denial of their mutual attraction, their emotional dependency and comfort, and the constant companionship.

Sure, the plot of the X-Files is riveting and fascinating in its sci-fi goodness, but let’s be honest: most of us have watched, and frequently re-watch, the X-Files for the tension, the incredible amount of sexy (shoulder pads included), and the sparks that fly off Mulder and Scully whenever they so much as lock eyes.

Like any good pairing, I can credit Smulder for instilling in my brain all sorts of notions about ideal relationships, seduction, and love. It’s only fair I share with you the wisdom I’ve gleaned from nine sexual tension-filled seasons. Voila!

EYE CONTACT IS EVERYTHING
“I do not gaze at Scully.” Right Mulder, you tell yourself that.

Admittedly, Mulder and Scully aren’t the most expressive of folks, and they spend more than half the series in denial, unwilling to admit to themselves the possibility of attraction. Whenever they lock eyes, though, you can feel the frustration, yearning and longing for each other just pouring from their eyeballs, oh those tender little fawns.

They can try to hide it and they may think they’re safe as long as they don’t say anything, but the eyes are the windows to the soul, my friends. Although not an actual form of sex, eye sex still counts, especially because it fuels my second point. Continue reading →

Posted in fluff, television, tributes | 26 Comments

“We’re No. 1!” Villains Month Begins

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Jeff

We’re No. 1! is a weekly feature looking at first issues in new comic series, as well as one-offs and special releases. In his reviews, Jeff highlights stories with diverse characters and plot lines Geekquality readers can care about, as well as points out comics that miss the mark.

There is mass of #1s this time around, largely due to DC’s major September event, Villains Month, so this is part two of this week’s review. The mega-cross-over-world-shattering-re-boot-super events that Marvel and DC are so fond of usually aren’t my bag. While it is an obvious marketing ploy to drag me to lesser-read titles, it’s fair game, since I actually want to read comics. But usually, these events introduce a lot of guest writers and artists, interrupting the ongoing storytelling in the books I like, which can be frustrating. DC’s latest mega-event comes with a twist, and it’s one that provides what many readers might be looking for.

Forever-Evil-1-cover-David-Finch-Crime-SyndicateIt all begins with a one shot, Forever Evil #1. Villains Month stems from DC’s last big event, the Infinity War. (Something I largely skipped, simply by reading the Batman titles that I enjoy.) The Justice League is “dead” and the alternate dimension counterparts known as The Crime Syndicate have taken credit for their deaths and descended upon the “real world.” All of the DC villains have been given the chance to become the newest incarnation of the Secret Society, to wreak fear and havoc upon the new world these evil doppelgangers seek to rule. It’s a fairly bland introduction, and it’s somewhat disappointing to see the Crime Society characters rehashed so shamelessly in the New 52. But under the stewardship of DC’s creative director Geoff Johns, this title kicks off Villains month well enough. Continue reading →

Posted in comic books, We're No. 1! | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Geeking Out

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Mace
  • Congratulations to 64 year old Diana Nyad for being the first person to successfully swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage! What a badass.
  • Carol Burnett to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, with Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph paying tribute.
  • Batwoman writers decide to leave the project after facing resistance from DC to allow Kate Kane and Maggie Sawyer get married.
  • Controversy is flaring up again over Penny Arcade co-creator Mike Krahulic. Rachel Edidin explains quite thoroughly why she (and likely many others) will not return to PAX in Seattle. Krahulic since has shared a guarded apology, but is it a little too late?
  • Two great articles for you to read about the need for diversity in speculative fiction.
  • There’s a masked vigilante in Ciudad Juarez murdering bus drivers who sexually assault female passengers. Proceed with caution, as there is discussion of rape in article.
  • A wonderful essay on social code-switching by Lauren Lyons, examining the emotional toll of choosing between “fitting in” or speaking up as a Black woman in White, male dominated fields.
  • The UK branch mega store Toys”R”Us met with Let Toys Be Toys, an organization campaigning to stop gender-based marketing of toys. We see change on the horizon!
  • Popular web browsers and social media sites, drawn as anime characters. Why not?
  • Bill Nye is going to be on Dancing with the Stars.
  • You had us at “short documentary on Lisa Frank“.
  • Our new favorite way to procrastinate is, quite simply, The Procatinator. It is exactly what it sounds like.
  • Not enough cats? Here are great photos of adorable, three-legged kitty wearing tiny paper hats. You’re welcome.
  • Listen to Kate Winslet, the two lovable lugs from the IT Crowd, and Andrew Scott (Moriarty on Sherlock), among others, read Roald Dahl.
  • Last, but not least… FRAKA-KAKA-KAKA-KOW:

Posted in geeking out | Leave a comment

“We’re No. 1!” And We’re Just Getting Started

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Jeff

We’re No. 1! is a weekly feature looking at first issues in new comic series, as well as one-offs and special releases. In his reviews, Jeff highlights stories with diverse characters and plot lines Geekquality readers can care about, as well as points out comics that miss the mark.

Thanks to the overwhelming number of #1’s and one-shots on the shelves this week, which can be attributed to the DC Comics Villains Month event, this is just part one of this week’s review of some new first issues in comics. In this installment, we’ll be looking at some of the best and worst from publishers beyond the big two, DC and Marvel.

24280 Certainly the book with the most gravitas, if not the biggest buzz surrounding it, this is Dark Horse Comics’ The Star Wars. Why the “The”, you might ask? The annals of lore around the epic space saga have long held that there is so much more to the story than we’ve been getting, and this release from Dark Horse takes us to an even more mysterious place in a galaxy far, far away. Based on the rumored original first draft of George Lucas’s screenplay, which attempted to encompass his entire idea into one story, this is a story that is vastly different from what we know and love today. The Star Wars has many of the elements we’re accustomed to, including Jedi, an evil Emperor, and a mysterious father who’s more machine than man. But that father is NOT Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker is NOT his son. There are loads of familiar elements in this story, and the world has the feel of the Star Wars we know, but it’s deeply distorted. Artist Mike Mayhew has done some interesting work re-imagining some of the more iconic visual elements of the Star Wars Universe, including Darth Vader’s face, maskless in his very first scene. My personal favorite is the revamped Star Destroyer: still a perfect flying triangle, but as a two man fighter rather than a battleship. J. W. Rinzler’s story isn’t so much a fun house mirror as a complete flipping of a coin, and it has it’s ups and downs, for certain. The name Anakin Starkiller made me laugh out loud, but I also was disappointed that in this version Leia isn’t the strongwilled rebel leader we know, but a privileged young princess, adored by her father, setting out for university. Since this is an alternate narrative that’s only just beginning to be visualized, hopefully we’ll see more from Leia in the future, hoping for the best. Continue reading →

Posted in comic books, We're No. 1! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Choice: Texas – A Q&A with Carly Kocurek and Allyson Whipple

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Tanya

No matter how much some stalwarts may resist it, gaming as a medium for creative expression is evolving and growing. More and more independent game creators are able to reach a wider audience with the help of social media and crowd funding, while established developers are releasing titles that incorporate deeply personal storytelling elements, such as last year’s Papo & Yo from Minority Media. Games and interactive fiction also allow more opportunities to engage the player with important perspectives, potentially leaving the player changed after their interactive journey.

Inspired by the options interactive fiction presents for raising awareness and engagement, writers Carly Kocurek and Allyson Whipple recently launched an IndieGoGo fundraiser for Choice: Texas, a web based game that would allow players the opportunity to navigate the complex and troublesome waters of abortion access in the state of Texas. Incorporating real research into healthcare, policy, and socioeconomic factors, the game will provide a very personal, empathetic way to be educated on the real circumstances so many women face.

I caught up with Carly and Allyson recently to find out more about their inspiration for the project, the creative approach, and what they hope to accomplish.

Choice: Texas character design by Grace Jennings

Choice: Texas – Latrice, character design by Grace Jennings

How did the inspiration for this project come about?

Carly: About a year ago, I got interested in the idea of a pen-and-paper or card-based RPG about abortion access, because I was trying to think of a way to really show how different factors limit who has access to what. I couldn’t ever quite settle on a way to make it work, though, and then I played Spent and Depression Quest, and I got the idea to do something web-based that would be more of an interactive fiction game. When I landed on that, I got in touch with Allyson, because I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to work together, since we’re old friends, and also because I thought we’d bring different skill sets and knowledge.

Allyson: We talk online all the time, and every couple of weeks she’d make reference to it. It started as something that might become a tabletop or card game, and then grew into an interactive fiction. When she asked me to jump on board, I didn’t even have to think about it. I was in! Continue reading →

Posted in gaming, people you should know about | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Geeking Out

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Mace
Posted in geeking out | Leave a comment

“We’re No. 1!” Famliy Ties

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Jeff

We’re No. 1! is a weekly feature looking at first issues in new comic series, as well as one-offs and special releases. In his reviews, Jeff highlights stories with diverse characters and plot lines Geekquality readers can care about, as well as points out comics that miss the mark.

yaThis week, families take center stage in the few #1 to be found in comics stores this week. There weren’t a great many new beginnings to choose from, so let’s get right to our honorable mention, the first trade paperback volume of Kieron Gillen’s Young Avengers series. After we looked at the first issue when it was released 8 months ago, I put the book down without further reading, and it was clearly a mistake. Since then, Gillen has taken this young bunch of heroes and really put them through the wringer. Their first major nemesis? Their PARENTS. (Sort-of.) Teen mage Wiccan (a fan favorite), “Son” of the Scarlet Witch, attempts to restore some normalcy to the life of his long time boyfriend Hulkling, who lost his mother to the Skrull. Sadly, Wiccan’s errant magic instead brings forth “Mother”, an inter-dimensional being that takes on the forms of the deceased parents of the various members of the team. The book, written with an authentic modern teen style, even includes comic book versions of Tumblr and Facebook posts, 5am breakfast sessions after fake ID nightclub outings, and the absolute belief in young life and young love that all teenagers possess, with that never-ending confusion bubbling right under the surface. The relationship between Wiccan and Hulkling gets put to some real tests in this book and the issues that followed it (issue #9 debuts this week). In fact, the publication of the first arc as a trade paperback led to a reading binge, as I picked up every issue since and plowed through them all in a row. Newer issues introduce Wiccan’s brother Speed, as well as former X-teen Prodigy, a fantastic addition to the tale. Prodigy was formerly a mutant with the ability to pick up the powers and knowledge of anyone in his close proximity, and when you rub elbows with the likes of Dr. Strange, Hank McCoy and Logan, you get some pretty interesting info inside your head. When the events of The House of M, Decimation and Schism series in the X-books robbed Prodigy of his power, they didn’t take away the knowledge and life experiences he already had in his head, and now he’s a gifted genius with interesting insight into the super-heroic world. Prodigy, whose real name is David Alleyne, is a fascinating exploration of how being super-powered might inform one’s identity in ways that aren’t often explored in comics. David startles Hulkling with an impromptu kiss and explains that by experiencing the knowledge and personal feelings of everyone he came into contact with, he was able to understood the emotional depth of his feelings for both sexes. Rather than this “making him” bi, David’s gift allowed him to become open to something that was always just under the surface of his identity, making for a compelling coming out narrative.

I feel like I could go on and on about the quality of characters in Young Avengers. While I’m still waiting for Miss America to become more well rounded, she’s a welcome character in the world of capes and superheroes. The young Latina superhero is drawn with realistic style, but she has the least to do in these stories so far, and hopefully that will change soon. The exploration of the relationship between Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye and former Marvel Boy Noh-Vaar is also entertaining and puts the youth on display in the title. They are older than their counterparts (Hulkling and Wiccan still live with their parents, and seem high-school aged, while Kate is in her early 20’s). Thus, their somewhat more mature physical relationship informs the youth around them, and it’s fun watching super children who’ve all grown up too fast keep trying to find real emotional connection amidst their shared loss. Continue reading →

Posted in comic books, We're No. 1! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Geeking Out

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Mace
  • Rashida Jones is developing a new dramedy for the CW with her sister, Kidada Jones.
  • Executive producer Mark Rubin says adding playable female soldiers to Call of Duty: Ghost was about acknowledging existing fans. Bless.
  • WORF SHOW. Let it happen already, Hollywood, damn.
  • Capcom meets Disney! Mike V’s pixel-art fighting princesses make us wanna bust out a hadouken.
  • Inspired by statistics on women’s presence in experimental electronic music, network of musicians Female: Pressure started a festival.
  • Please consider supporting the campaign for a new interactive fiction game Choice: Texas, looking at abortion access in the state of Texas.
  • Ms. Magazine wants to see more major roles gender flipped, and so do we.
  • Mathematician Terri Oda got tired of telling the same story about women in Computer Science, so she made a clever Powerpoint.
  • GLAAD has released their breakdown of LGBT reperesentation in films from 2012.
  • Geeky friends still in grad school: dance your thesis and win $1000!
  • Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer will be Cressida in Hunger Games: Mockingjay. May the sass be ever in her favor.
  • Cool job profile: “library builder” Megan Prelinger of San Francisco’s Prelinger Library.
  • The new SNL casting update is like a white chocolate chip macadamia nut blondie. Hopefully they’re funny enough to dull the pain of the lack of diversity on the show for yet another season.
  • “Guys with fancy lady hair.” This will absolutely be a highlight of your day.
Posted in geeking out | Leave a comment

“We’re No. 1!”: Slim but Fruitful Pickings

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Jeff

We’re No. 1! is a weekly feature looking at first issues in new comic series, as well as one-offs and special releases. In his reviews, Jeff highlights stories with diverse characters and plot lines Geekquality readers can care about, as well as points out comics that miss the mark.

gftrk01a Pickings were slim this week but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some interesting stuff worth highlighting. Zenescope Comics returned to the shelves, and before you just skip this paragraph, let me say that for once it wasn’t a tragedy. Like the Big 2, Zenescope is fond of the cross-over event and the mega-team series, this time with Realm Knights #1. After reviewing (largely against my will) a great many of Zenescope’s books, I’ve finally gotten a handle on their Universe. Basically, there are five “Realms”: Earth, Myst (presumably the first Zenescope Realm), Wonderland, Neverland, and Oz. Thus, we get a lot of reimagined fairy tales, Zenescope’s bread and butter. This is not unlike ABC’s Once Upon a Time, though as I’ve railed about in the past, Zenescope seems to ply its trade via exploitation rather than affirmation. This week, they may be starting to change their tune a touch. In some part of one of their many mega-crossover events, The Gods (the Greek ones) put down the Titans (also the Greek ones), just as legend tells us. Now, the nastiest Titan of all, Chronos, is back and ready to seek vengeance upon … well, whomever. Some of the Realm’s most powerful warriors have been gathered to do battle against such nastiness. Enter Captain Hook, alternately a loud-mouthed lecher with a bionic laser hand rather than a hook,  and Red Riding Hood, a sword wielding part werewolf maiden in a red cape. (As I said, these fairy tales are strongly re-imagined.) She’s joined by Robyn Hood, the female archer we’ve seen before, a woman named Sela who is apparently Snow White, and Abraham Van Helsing’s daughter Rachel, a vampire hunter carrying on his legacy. As I’ve pointed out before, Zenescope books are quite packed with interesting female characters, but for once, the focus here isn’t on their sexuality but on their need to save the world in good old comic book style. Perhaps the company that built its canon on sexy fairy tale heroes is beginning to realize there has to be a reason for portraying their characters a certain way, as female sexuality can be a powerful asset when properly applied. All five of the covers, which are traditionally Zenescope’s Achilles heel, are all relatively tame by their standards, and this feels like their first book in a more positive direction. We can only hope it continues. Continue reading →

Posted in comic books, We're No. 1! | Leave a comment

All in the Game: August Highlights

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Elyse

D. Young in WWE 2K14 [via @WWEgames]

D. Young in WWE 2K14 [via @WWEgames]

This month in gaming we have some notable releases as well as a few exciting announcements. First of all, on the 16th the WWE 2K Twitter account confirmed wrestler Darren Young’s spot on the roster of the WWE’s annual fighting game WWE 2K14, to be released in October. Darren Young recently became the first WWE performer to come out as gay while employed with the company, to widespread support. It may not seem all that significant when celebrities or athletes come out, but the visibility of varying identities in media is certainly important.

Saints Row IV is also being released on the 20th, and has already been hailed in reviews as one of the strongest iterations of the franchise yet. The character creation goes a step further than usual, by allowing characters to change sex at any point during the game and making same-sex romances an entirely normal possibility.

Whether it's short or tall, fat or thin, male, female, or somewhere in between, Saints Row IV lets you be the Boss of your wildest dreams. [via Saints Row Character Gallery]

Whether it’s short or tall, fat or thin, male, female, or somewhere outside the binary, Saints Row IV lets you be the Boss of your wildest dreams. [via Saints Row Character Gallery]

The gaming industry and larger community has always struggled with issues of sexuality and gender, so it seems especially important to point out the instances when breakthroughs like this are made in games and surrounding gamer culture. Even more notable is the genre of games these breakthroughs are happening in. WWE 2K14 and Saints Row IV fall into the categories usually portrayed as the most hyper-masculine and resistant to the politics of inclusion, the sports/fighting game and the sandbox racing/fighting game. Where fighting games tend to avoid any type of representation that isn’t blatant stereotyping, and sandbox games in the vein of Grand Theft Auto only acknowledge issues of gender by way of introducing prostitutes your character can solicit and murder, it’s incredibly refreshing to see different things happening with a bit more regularity. While Darren Young’s sexuality and coming out have little to do with his in-ring persona and probably won’t be addressed within WWE 2K14, it is a fact that becomes part of the WWE narrative. We now live in a world where a wrestler on an active roster does not have to be afraid to come out for fear of career stagnation. Darren Young’s coming out proves that not only can a gay performer exist within the WWE universe (a fact which may have previously been true, but there have been no examples to say for sure) but he can also thrive, as Darren Young’s success, despite his relatively young career, demonstrates.

Steve Cortez in Mass Effect 3 [via Mass Effect Wiki]

Steve Cortez in Mass Effect 3 [via Mass Effect Wiki]

It’s actually doubly encouraging to see issues of gender and sexuality included in games where such topics have little to do with the game’s narrative or themes, because it further normalizes queer identities. Like our friend Steve Cortez from Mass Effect 3, LGBT individuals are people, first and foremost, and they exist literally everywhere, so it makes sense that they should be included in games of every genre and type. There is no place where gay or lesbian characters should not “belong” in games, because based on the numbers, their real-life counterparts are already there. In sports, in cars, in the ring, in the military, they’re here, they’re queer, and we should not only be used to it by now, but we should be including them in the conversation and allowing them to be seen.

In the more personal realm I’m still fiending for StreetPasses on my 3DS XL, racking up the hours on Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Paper Mario: Sticker Star, checking out every new announcement for Pokémon X & Y I can get my hands on (I mean, that Kangaskhan Mega Evolution, amirite?), and listening to friends debate whether or not they’ll be shelling out for the Xbox One, PS4, or neither. The coming end of the season means everyone is squeezing the last minutes out of their free-time summer titles, snatching up any DLCs to be had, and mentally preparing for new fall releases. What are you playing as the weather cools down, and what are you most looking forward to as we head into September?

Posted in All in the Game | Leave a comment

Geeking Out

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Mace
  • Tom Hiddleston will be Captain Hook alongside Christina Hendricks in Disney’s new animated film, The Pirate Fairy.
  • More news from the D23 Expo includes casting updates for Pixar’s next few films like The Good Dinosaur and Inside Out.
  • Harrison Ford thinks films like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark wouldn’t have had the same impact in today’s social media-saturated, pop culture-referencing world.
  • Sometimes when you can’t find what you want, you have to make it yourself: 8 actresses who wrote roles for themselves.
  • The first episode of Burka Avenger is available on YouTube, and it looks pretty good!
  • The rumored departure of Alex will mess with the OITNB‘s dynamic, but hopefully also opens the door for more Taystee and Poussey.
  • Before The Boondocks there was Patty-Jo ‘n Ginger.
  • Buy a bow tie from an 11-year old entrepreneur!
  • The pay gap between genders goes all the way to the top.
  • Lego has released a Lady Scientist MiniFig. The best part: her title isn’t “Lady Scientist”. It’s just Scientist. YES.
  • Certain people will appreciate this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6ahJ5xn75Q

Posted in geeking out | Leave a comment

“We’re No. 1!” Back in the Trenches

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Jeff

We’re No. 1! is a weekly feature looking at first issues in new comic series, as well as one-offs and special releases. In his reviews, Jeff highlights stories with diverse characters and plot lines Geekquality readers can care about, as well as points out comics that miss the mark.

It’s good to be back, or at least that’s what I thought before I wandered into my local comic book shop this Wednesday. The shop itself is awesome (huge love to the guys who run Whatever Comics in SF) but majority of this week’s #1’s left much to be desired.

20619First off, the good stuff. Dark Horse Comics puts out a regular anthology called Dark Horse Presents, and if you don’t read it, you should. It typically features short stories (if that’s a thing in comics), usually 5 pagers or so, several little bits of new stories that the company is developing. It’s a good way to build traction of a good series, and it’s spawned some amazing stuff (Michael Avon Oeming’s The Victories springs to mind). They’ve gone and done it again this week, collecting the first three chapters of Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde which originally appeared in this anthology, and published them as one of my faves, an issue #0. This is obviously done with an eye to a regular series, and it’s an intriguing one. The plot centers around a marooned extra-terrestrial who calls himself Harry. While he waits for his buddies back home to come and find him, Harry is posing as one of us, mingling with the residents of the small western town of Patience, and even serving as their doctor. Harry looks pretty much like the typical Roswell type alien – big eyes, grey skin, pointy ears – but he manages to mask his appearance from the town folk. Interestingly, artist Steve Parkhouse draws Harry with his regular “alien” face, reminding the audience who he is, even if the townsfolk are fooled. Some might be more savvy than others, in particular a young Native American nurse named Asta, who has dreams of Harry’s true countenance. Harry, meanwhile, is intrigued by a series of local murders, including that of the town’s previous doctor, and he’s eager to help the police with is forensic analysis. How Harry got such an astute knowledge of human anatomy is left to the vagaries of science fiction, but his genuinely human behavior and ability to adapt make for a great approach to the immigration conversation. Harry is adapting to life in a new place, contributing his skills as best he can, making a life for himself and becoming a valued part of his community. Though it’s painfully obvious to the reader who he is, he must keep his differences a secret from the people who he is bringing into his life, despite the fact that those differences define him. The cast of the book is well rounded (i.e. even in a southwestern town like Patience, the book is not full of only white people) making the story feel like everyday America. Continue reading →

Posted in comic books, We're No. 1! | Leave a comment