BYOBG August 7th

BYOBG with LGNYEG!

(Bring Your Own Board Game with LADY GEEKs uNITE) too much with the abbreviations?

August 7^th we, the lady geeks, converged at Happy Harbor for hours of board game shenanigans! We encouraged people to try games that were new to them with one or two other experienced players. Groups broke off and the games began: the classic Settlers of Catan had players cursing the dice and the surplus of bricks, the sorrowful yet hysterical card game Gloom was perfectly miserable, Pirate Flux seemed to be addictive and had players itching for more, and Smallworld took a little more set up and learning but was a success once everyone got going.

Sylvia Moon also provided a diverse sampling of Indie Comics she has collected over the years from conventions as well as Happy Harbor Comics local comics section..

INDIE COMICS, WHAT DO?

Artist Alleys, creator booths, small time vendors; all places to find indie comics. Indie comics bring a new taste to the reading palette which can be inviting if you've only been downing fatty junk food superhero comics. Indie comics have no specific genre, they can be about anything and paced at any speed. Creators of indie comics are doing it for themselves, your direct contribution to their endeavour is a bigger gesture to the local comic community than buying another New 52 title. These stories are personal, they take you on journeys into the scene of where ever the indie comic came from, the collected thoughts and manifests of artists, the experimenting they tried. They give you a humanist perspective because these comics are made with love, with no other intention but to tell the author's story. If these reasons alone are not enticing enough to try finding indie comics at the next convention you attend, maybe you're journey into comics is not as deep as you wanted it to be. Indie comics make great additions to collections because maybe that indie comic you picked up from an artist will be the next big read. They're affordable, fun, and unique. 

Some types of indie comics are:

- Ashcan: a short comic printed on standard size paper, folded, with a few staples in the middle

- Booklet: similar to the ashcan but much longer

- Coil bind: with either a plastic coil or metal coil, looks like a scribbler/notebook

- Perfect bind: glued spine, just like a paperback book

So the next time you see an artist with a comic book, give it a flip and maybe you'll see a comic worth reading sans the hype department.

Thank you to everyone who came out and played games with us! We’ll do it again sometime!

Coming Up Next for LADY GEEKs uNITE…

Come and enjoy a free screening of Sailor Moon Crystal on September 4^th at 7pm. The beloved story of the celestial Sailor Scouts has been rebooted to follow the source material, the original manga, more closely. Using modern animation the series is being brought to life once again for fans and new audiences to experience. Many adults have fond memories of these heroines who were each unique in personality, strengths, and weaknesses but each relatable on some level to everyone, especially young girls. This free screening is open to life long lady geek fans, lady geeks who have never heard of Sailor Moon before, and junior lady geeks that want to attend with a parent. As always, lady geeks can bring a guest along if they wish! See you in September: Moon Prism Power! 

Our Story Thus Far...

To my dear geeks,

I want to tell the tale of LADY GEEKs uNITE

Welcome lady geeks of all types, varieties, and perspectives! What is LADY GEEKs uNITE? It’s the monthly, though not strictly so, meeting of the women and gender queer that are interested in things called geek.  Taking place at Happy Harbor Comics you can join us on the first Thursday of every month. We would like you to know that we do welcome all; men can attend as a guest of a lady! Before we get carried away I will give you some backstory:

Once upon a time… There was a fair lady named Kate Leth, a comic book retailer and creator, she was inspired to open up her world of geek with other ladies like herself. So, Kate set out to connect with the other women that worked in comic shops and thus the group called The Valkyries was born. Through the wonders of the Internet hundreds of women in, not only North America, but also the world have joined The Valkyries. The group has created a space for the women working in comic shops a place to praise comic we love, share ideas and thoughts about the industry and retail, bitch about the problems we’ve encountered working in comics, and help each other with tips and tricks of the comic book trade.  The geek gatherings we call Comic Cons or Expos The Valkyries have even moved the conversation offline and been able to meet up.

The next chapter of our story introduces The Valkyries inspired event: ladies nights! The idea is to create a welcoming, safe, non-judgmental environment for women and gender queer to come and enjoy comics and all things geek! Now there are many comic shops that host ladies nights and they’re gaining steam. More and more women are coming out and engaging with other women into comics, reading new stories, and sharing their own stories. Why is this so exciting? On a personal level I am excited because being into lots of things geek I have faced, as many other have, a lot of barriers just trying to enjoy comics, games, and more from those that either don’t believe there is a place for women in geek culture or have unwarranted expectations of women in geek culture. Another reason it’s exciting is in this very established and “set in it’s ways” industry it’s refreshing to have new voices to continue to enrich geek culture in positive ways.

Screening of Red Sand

Our story thus far has taken us from lively discussions about our favorite stories, what comic book or newspaper comic strip got us into comics, conventions, and experiences we’ve had engaging in geek culture. Our highest attended meeting was the screening of Red Sand, the Mass Effect fan film, with special guest Mark Meer, the voice of Commander Shepard and local improviser and actor. We had an off-site meeting at Table Top Café for hours of lively board gaming madness. Most recently, we have a special Q&A with four comic creators: J. Torres a prolific writer for DC and driving force behind the Canadian comic project True Patriot, Scott Chantler creator of the widely acclaimed Two Generals, Adrian Alphona the artist on Marvel’s Runaways and Ms. Marvel, and Scott Kowalchuk artist of Down Set Fight! It was a great forum for discussion and encouraging hearing these male creators speak very enthusiastically about more women becoming involved in the comics industry by being creators themselves, retailers, or just fans of the story telling comics offer.  

Special Guest Mark Meer

So, if all of that sounds AWESOME to YOU we look forward to seeing you soon for LADY GEEKs uNITE! (we also have cake by Sarah: Kitch Chick 

Sylvia Douglas - Valkyrie and Lady Geek Wrangler

On behalf of Andrea Brown, Sylvia Moon, and LADY GEEKs uNITE

First Post

Welcome to the #LGNYEG Official Blog.

Ladies, are you looking for a safe, welcoming space in which to geek out? A place to learn about new comics, pop culture, and gaming? Commencing April 3rd, Happy Harbor Comics is hosting the Lady Geek Nites!

What is #LGN?

It’s the opportunity for Geek-savvy ladies to come together to unite in our geeky glory!

Meetings start at 7pm and ends at 9pm, meetings are the first Thursday of the month.

Not a lady but want to join?

As long as you’re a guest of a lady attending you’re good to go. We want everyone to feel welcome.*

Hope to see you there!



*Lady Geek Nite, along with their host space, Happy Harbor Comics, strive to provide a safe and comfortable environment for everyone. Please be mindful of this as people demonstrating repeated insensitive behaviour will not be invited to return.