December | 2010 | ChinaShop

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Geek GEEK IN A CHINASHOP: May the Force Be With Katie

December 9, 2010 - 1:27 pm

Now, more than ever, a Geek Girl movement is thoroughly under way. Books like Chicks Dig Time Lords, panels like “Geek Girls Exist” at San Diego Comic Con, and upcoming events like Geek Girl Con in Seattle all spotlight the fact that not only do women and girls genuinely enjoy things like sci-fi and fantasy independent of the men in their lives, but that they have valuable contributions to make to the creation of sci-fi/fantasy stories, as well as to their respective fandoms.

It’s easy to dismiss such efforts as unnecessary in 2010. After all, do we really need another “Women in Sci-Fi” panel? Aren’t we past all that? Couldn’t women just be included in things where gender isn’t the primary focus? Well, no. Not yet. If you ever wonder why the current rise of the “Geek Girl” movement is so important, one only need look at stories like that of Katie, a 7 year old Star Wars fan in Illinois who was teased in school for carrying a Star Wars water bottle.

Because Star Wars is “for boys.” Apparently.

Katie’s mother, Carrie Goldman, wrote a blog for ChicagoNow about the general topic of bullying and related it specifically to the teasing Katie was getting as early as first grade. When the news of Katie being teased for her Star Wars paraphenalia hit the internet, the geeky troops were rallied and the story was spread everywhere. Soon, Katie and her mother were being interviewed on national news programs and online for outlets like The Huffington Post. #MayTheForceBeWithKatie became a popular hashtag on Twitter, and a Facebook group was started for what has become Wear Star Wars/Share Star Wars Day, which is tomorrow, December 10th!

I had the chance to speak with Ms. Goldman about being a parent to the most well-known Star Wars fan under 10, how Katie’s been doing now that she’s been adopted by the geek community, and how she hopes Katie’s story will help others.

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Urban Exploration Those Who “Keep Austin Weird”

by Dustin Downing

December 9, 2010 - 11:49 am

Not many librarians are known for their influences on pop culture. Austin Community College librarian Red Wassenich is. But it’s not Mr. Wassenich as a man that is cause for celebrity, it’s the 3 words mentioned offhand on a local radio station in the spring of 2000 that are -“KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.” This offhand remark has since become the slogan for a campaign to preserve small-ish local businesses, a merchandise cash cow for local tourism, and inspired copycats such as “Keep Portland Beered.” For me this slogan reflects much more on the populace of the “15^th largest city in the US” and the dualities of its inhabitants.

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Music Throbbing Gristle : Bizarre, and Proud Of It

by Shop Keeper

December 9, 2010 - 11:49 am

With names like “Slug Bait Part 1″ and “Zyklon B Zombie”, you get the idea of what Throbbing Gristle is gonna give ya. The legendary UK industrial/bizarro/electronic rock band, along with acts like Killing Joke, could technically be called pioneers of the industrial sound, as they got their start way back in the late 70s and early 80s (if that claim isn’t completely obvious, they even took the time to name one of their songs “Industrial Intro”).

Whew. That’s no small feat, seeing as how if you listen to their music, it’s a wonder how they’ve managed to stay alive so long — in today’s world of Lady Gagas and emo bands, most people would run screaming from their stereos if they were to put this on. But they’ve also got a little bit of goth-tinged rock in there — think Sisters of Mercy would be the closest I could come as far as comparison — though they found favor with the likes of Cabaret Voltaire and Sparta as well. Fans of Pigface and Chemlab may also find favor with their strange, eclectic noises.

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Comic Books COMICS: Droppin’ the ZombieBomb!

by Teresa Jusino

December 8, 2010 - 12:09 pm

A clear sign that the geeks have inherited the Earth, and that mainstream culture is embracing genres like horror, sci-fi, and fantasy is the prevelance of zombies in pop culture. From The Walking Dead to 28 Days Later (I’ll let you all debate whether you think the things in that movie actually qualify as zombies), from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to World War Z, zombies are everywhere, and it isn’t only geeks who are signing up to prepare for the zombie apocalypse. As Adam Miller of Terminal Press points out, “Well, the thing about it is that I don’t think it’s so much a fad anymore. I think it’s really become its own genre. It think it’s like The Western. I don’t think it’s going anywhere.”

Adam Miller and Rich Woodall honor the zombie genre through an anthology series they edit for Terminal Press called ZombieBomb! Currently on its third issue, ZombieBomb! assembles a broad range of talented artists and writers to create new zombie stories for each issue. What makes this zombie anthology special is the diversity of the storytelling brought to the zombie-loving public by artists with diverse backrounds – it boasts comics professionals, children’s book illustrators, photographers, and even a heavy metal musician! – which allows the books to offer stories in a range of styles from different points of view.

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Music Red Bull Sounderground Shakes up Sao Paulo

by Shop Keeper

December 8, 2010 - 12:08 pm

When you walk through underground stations around the world you’ll notice a universal character. These are the musicians that have discovered a special way to reach their audience, something which puts them in contact with millions of people. Also known as buskers, they aim to live solely from their art, with freedom and creativity by their side.

Red Bull Sounderground, the first International Metro Musicians Festival, recently took place in São Paulo Brazil. During one week in November, performers from around the world met in the underground stations of São Paulo city to share their busker-chops and compete for the crown.

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Music Tuesday Newsday: New Releases from Deadmau5, Daft Punk, Redman, and The Plain White T’s

by Shop Keeper

December 7, 2010 - 4:43 pm

The much-anticipated Tron: Legacy soundtrack is out today (check out this review if you haven’t heard any songs yet because they’re awesome); Def Squad’s Redman comes back with Reggie; The Plain White T’s delve into the Wonders of the Younger; Jessica Simpson gives us an album chock full of $$$Christmas music$$$, awesome!; and last but not least Deadmau5 conquers the world with 4×4 = 12. (You can also check out Yael’s post on their gig in New Orleans). Stay rezzed…

Natasha Bedingfield - Strip Me
Daft Punk – Tron Legacy [Soundtrack]
Deadmau5 – 4×4=12
Hinder – All American Nightmare
Christian Kane - The House Rules
Adam Lambert – Acoustic Live! [EP]
Plain White T’s – Wonders of the Younger
Dew Scented – Ill-Natured and Innocent (and other albums) re-release
Redman – Reggie
Jessica Simpson - Happy Christmas
The Sorrow – The Sorrow
Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP [CD Release]
Robin Trower – The Playful Heart
T.I. – No Mercy
Charlie Wilson - Just Charlie

Art/Design Featured Gallery The Ghost of Delilah and Other Stories at Gallery 1988

by Zoetica Ebb

December 7, 2010 - 12:28 pm

Last Thursday, Gallery 1988 in Hollywood hosted the reception for The Ghost of Delilah and Other Stories – an unprecedented group show curated by NYC’s Travis Louie. Travis, known for his sepia-toned, photo-realistic depictions of monsters and fantasy creatures, invited artists to collaborate with him on a series of drawings, featured in the show alongside his paintings.

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Music Can Kanye ‘Survive in America?’

by Yael Reed Wachspress

December 7, 2010 - 12:20 pm

Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Pusha T, RZA and CyHi Da Prynce all repeatedly chant, “It’s like that sometimes, I mean ridiculous / It’s like that sometimes, the shit is ridiculous” over the track, So Appalled, debuted on Ye’s fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. And that’s exactly what the whole entire album is, ridiculous. Ridiculously good.

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Music Prepare to be Amazed: The 2010 Grammy Nominations

by Rich Thomas

December 6, 2010 - 1:01 pm

After having the weekend to marinate on both this year’s Grammy nominations and the college football bowl selections, I’m having a hard time figuring out which entity frustrates me more, the BCS or the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. For both, a lot of money is riding on who gets anointed with top honors, but every year both groups seem to get more wrong than they do right. (Except for the year NARAS picked 60% right on the Album of the Year nomination with Radiohead’s OK Computer, Paul McCartney’s Flaming Pie and Bob Dylan’s Time Out Of Mind.) But the sad fact is, both entities aren’t going away anytime soon, so we must make due with what we’ve got. I’ve highlighted a few categories below and picked some crowd favorites and dark horses. (You can see the entire list of nominations here.) Sit back, crack open a juice box, and prepare to shake your fist at the screen. And don’t forget to check out some of our very own nominations at the end. We think they deserve a little shine, too!

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Featured Gallery Music LA Crews Flex at the Red Bull Music Academy Culture Clash

by Rich Thomas and Sidney Bensimon

December 6, 2010 - 12:57 pm

Four stages. Four Los Angeles crews. Four different sound systems. The minute you stepped inside the arena at the Red Bull Music Academy Culture Clash, you knew your ears were in for some serious damage. Held in downtown Los Angeles at the Exchange LA, Red Bull Music Academy’s first US installment of the Culture Clash matched some of the city’s best DJ collectives against one another in a decibel battle that would last nearly four hours. With each crew repping their own style—Stones Throw with rare groove funk and hip-hop, Smog with dubstep, Dub Club with roots reggae and dancehall, and Dim Mak with dance-rock electro—the sonic and thematic variation was off the charts. But within the traditional, multi-round sound clash framework, each crew had a chance to flex skills outside of their own comfort zone.

“When you have four different sound systems in one room, that’s just war,” said legendary reggae singer and 30-year sound system veteran Shinehead, there to rep Dub Club. “Best man win, last man standing. We rip each other’s face off, then we go to the bar and have $10 glasses of champagne.”

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