humanity
Humanity or geek-manity? Humanity topics include pieces on the real-life lives of geek advocates and influencors.
Interview with Larry Blamire, Creator of 'Steam Wars'
In Steam Wars, the year is 1897. Warfare is fought with large steam-powered fighting machines––steam rigs––designed to resemble ancient armored warriors. Manned by crews, the steam rigs serve a larger purpose in the Second Steam War of the world.
Natasha SydorPublished 8 years ago in GeeksLegacy of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee's life story has always been worthy of myth. His influence has managed to endure leaving behind a timeless legacy that has become the stuff of martial art legend. In many respects the world is still recovering from his loss considering the fact that he died so young in 1973. New martial artists like Donnie Yen have stepped up to inherit the legacy of Bruce Lee. In many respects his legacy is like the water from his famous philosophical quote.
Geeks StaffPublished 8 years ago in GeeksHistory of Emoji
Emoji, those adorable little smiley faces or other symbols that are used for messaging, are swiftly dominating global communication. The seemingly innocuous pictures are often scoffed at for serving as the bulk of Millennial conversation, but abbreviations like “IDK” and “NSFW” have even become common articles for older cell phone-toting adults.
Stephen HamiltonPublished 8 years ago in GeeksWas Nintendo's Metroid Character 'Samus Aran' Transgender?
Where both Mario and Link were tasked to save their respective princesses, Samus Aran can be seen as the princess herself. Arguably, a self-contained logic for her own volition, Samus is an intergalactic bounty hunter tasked with saving the world in Metroid (1986), easily the third most famous Nintendo game of that era.
George GottPublished 8 years ago in GeeksWas 'The Warriors' the First Gang Movie?
An eighteen-year-old honors student was getting some refreshments during an intermission to Paramount's The Warriors at an Oxnard, California, movie theater when another youth demanded a quarter from him. He refused, and was stabbed to death. The Warriors, the first gang movie, had dropped into the the theater that night. It dropped out the very next day. It was winter 1979, and there were still intermissions during movies.
Frank WhitePublished 8 years ago in GeeksKathleen Smith Ultimate Fangirl
In a world dominated by successful geeky franchises (Star Wars and Star Trek, I’m looking directly at you), we find ourselves simply obsessed. From comic conventions to cosplay, collectors items, and fan videos, the most dedicated fans can’t get enough of their favorite series. Waking moments are spent writing fan fiction or planning the next con, as well as consuming all news on the subject at hand.
Natasha SydorPublished 8 years ago in GeeksSexuality In The Legend of Korra
Children’s television has advanced far beyond the innuendos of 80s Saturday morning cartoons like He-Man and G.I. Joe, programs that were rife with homoerotic interactions and inconsequential violence. The Nickelodeon animated series, The Legend of Korra, is a prime example of a show that defied the trappings of conventional kid’s programming while maintaining a sense of realism and a stance against ambiguous portrayals of female characters, diversity, death, and romance.
Patricia SarkarPublished 8 years ago in GeeksComic Creators that Frequent Cons
The best part of going to any con is the chance to mingle with the best and brightest talent available. This is where fans get to ask their favorite creators the burning questions that have been eating away at their hearts. While not every creator can make every con, there are a few usual suspects that manage to always find their way into the biggest conventions. So if you’re going to any reasonably well-sized con, chances are you’ll have a good chance at running into one of these creators. Here’s our list of our favorite creators that frequent cons, so keep an eye next time you’re at an event.
Geeks StaffPublished 8 years ago in GeeksGender Bending Cosplay
Let me just say now that I’m biased in that I have a horse in this race. I’m a straight guy, and I enjoy wearing skirts. It’s not a fetish thing for me, but I must say I look good in a mid-length skirt. It’s a comfort thing. Anyone who hasn’t worn a skirt before, take a few minutes and go try one on the next time you’re in a store. Tell me it’s not so much less miserable than wearing shorts, especially in the summer. The reason I bring this up is because while women breached the cultural taboo against wearing pants almost a century ago, men are still straggling along coddling their delicate sense of masculinity that some people seem to think can’t survive wearing a hoop of fabric. That is slowly changing, and I cannot help but think this isn’t a good thing, especially in geek culture.
Stephen HamiltonPublished 8 years ago in GeeksBusiness of Being a Female Gamer
The relatively mild mannered “other” Ryan of 8-Bit Gaming posted an impassioned vlog entitled “This has to stop.” In the video, Ryan explains that he finally had enough of one woman’s presence on Twitch. Given Ryan’s usual focus on more positive aspects of gaming, “this has to stop” as a title definitely jumps out among his other videos. The woman in question apparently turned her channel into your average pay for play porn streaming site. Ryan’s problem with her was focused on the fact that the woman had potentially reached the eyes and ears of Twitch’s largely underage user base.
Patricia SarkarPublished 9 years ago in GeeksCosplay Is Not Consent
The buzz and excitement of a Con is unrivaled by any other geek/nerd/otaku gathering in existence. The single release of even the most popular video game or comic book is only a fraction of the atmosphere of a convention. Before you even get to the convention however, you may notice people around you that are headed to the same event. How do you know that they’re fellow convention-goers? Cosplay of course. At the 2015 New York Comic Con, a large sign stating “Cosplay is NOT Consent” greeted some hundreds of thousands of visitors upon entering the Javits Convention Center. The slogan is a part of a recent movement to end sexual harassment and tasteless treatment of cosplayers (mostly female) that may or may not be sporting revealing costumes of their favorite characters. The harassment ranges from the creepy but somewhat harmless photos without permission, to the full blown stalking, and even sometimes, sexual assault.
Tara EdwardsPublished 10 years ago in Geeks