Trailer Tuesday - Dragon Blade

I love a good historical fiction, but as a historian, I am often left disappointed. I judge costuming, props, dialogue, and facts all a bit too harshly. I try not to be too judgey, I promise, but if comic book fanboys get to pick over every detail of the latest Marvel offering, I should get to share my elation or disappointment over my genre of choice.

I'll be the first to admit, however, that I don't know all that there is to know about every historical period. I'm particularly deficient in world history Eastern history and there is a great deal that I have left to learn. A class on samurai a few years ago helped fill in my gaps on Japanese history, but I need a refresher on Chinese history, since my last experience with it was actually in elementary school. So, when I heard about a new historical film starring Jackie Chan as a Chinese commander would be released in 2015, I was pretty excited. The trailer, however, looks like a hot mess.

My Favorite Things: The Avengers Get Jolly

While raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are splendid in their own right, there is a multitude of awesome things that we all can enjoy. As Christmas approaches, I thought I'd take a look at some of these in a series I'm calling My Favorite Things.

Last year, I posted a splendidly seasonal video made by James Covenant which featured a supercut of my favorite Enterprise crew singing Let It Snow. James has engaged again this year with a delightful video of Avengers getting into the Christmas spirit with some tried and true carols. There's even a special surprise!


Check back for more of My Favorite Things!

Be sure to like Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook and follow my daily updates on Twitter! If you have any questions or want to discuss partnership opportunities, be sure to send me an email.

Trailer Tuesday - The Last Five Years

We've been graced with a lot of great entertainment news over the past week or so. We got the Star Wars The Force Unleashed and Jurassic World trailers. We found out that James Bond will go up against Spectre in the new film. And there was a rather remarkable image released of Sherlock and Watson wearing period clothing in the Sherlock special due in 2015. So, yay for all that! But on today's Trailer Tuesday, I want to talk about something completely different.

Anna Kendrick has 3 movie-musicals coming out within the next 6 months. Three. Uno. Dos. Tres. We start with Stephen Sondheim's modern twist on the Grimm Brothers with Into the Woods in just a couple of weeks. Fast forward to Valentine's Day and we're delivered what is sure to be a heartbreaking look at love and loss in The Last Five Years. Then, we get pitch slapped by the Barden Bellas in May with the sequel to everyone's favorite musical about college a capella groups.

Aside from Cups, which was overplayed and lost any charm that it had in Pitch Perfect, I'm glad to see so many musicals on the scene. Annie is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and a hit at the Christmas box office. I was a little apprehensive about it since Jamie Foxx is hit or miss with me, but the more trailers I see for it, the more jazzed I am. Though, bless their little hearts, the kids who appeared on the float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, including Quvenzhané Wallis, were a bit off their game.


But yes, the real reason for today's Trailer Tuesday post. Yesterday, a new official trailer for The Last Five Years hit the web. The Tony Award winning musical by James Robert Brown stars Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick as Jamie and Cathy, a young couple whose story is told through the music of their love. Cathy's part of the tale begins at the end of their relationship and Jamie contributes the beginning. It all leads up to the moment that Jamie proposes. Still Hurting, which is heard in this new trailer, is Cathy's response to the situation in which she finds herself. The vocals by Kendrick sound great. Still Hurting was the first song from the show that I heard before I knew the plot. It's a hauntingly beautiful song and I think that both Johnson and Kendrick are going to be fantastic in their roles.

The Last Five Years will be released on February 13.

Be sure to like Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook and follow my daily updates on Twitter! If you have any questions or want to discuss partnership opportunities, be sure to send me an email.

I think my whore is dead: Garth Brooks on SNL 15 years later

I hadn't planned on blogging today, but I had a spark of inspiration thinking about Garth Brooks performing at Rupp Arena this weekend. He and his wife Trisha Yearwood (one of my all-time favorite performers) are playing four sold-out shows, which means that roughly 80,000 concert-goers are expected to flood downtown this weekend. So many were expected, LFUCG had to issue a traffic warning, urging all who didn't have a reason to come downtown to stay away.

From what I can tell, Garth Brooks appeared on SNL as host twice in the last 15 years. The first time he hosted, Robert Duvall made a special guest appearance and the second time he was around with Chris Gaines as the musical guest. I've scoured the Internet trying to find clips of both of those episodes, because I really think that there are some strong sketches. Garth is a really funny guy and I think that during that particular era, he had some good material to work with. Tina Fey was writer and there were cast members like Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, and that crew who supported Brooks in the best way.

My absolute favorite of Garth's sketches from his two appearances is a parody game show titled "Old French Whore!" where Cheri O'Teri and Molly Shannon play French prostitutes paired up against high school honor students. Brooks plays a prostitute named Coco, who was apparently personal concubine to Ravel, who knows a lot about Chemistry. Chris Katan, Tim Meadows, and Ana Gasteyer play the high school students with Will Ferrell as the host. Coco shares a tragic story of how she wanted to study chemistry, but it wasn't proper for a young lady to do that back when. Sadly, I can't embed the full video here, but here's a small clip. You can find the full sketch at this link.



In Brooks's first monologue, he talks about this life before country music and shares that he was actually a member of a psychedelic rock revival that had appeared on SNL in the early 80s. Garth also had some interaction with Mango, Chris Katan's biggest character, who drove male guests crazy every week. I can't find the clip of the first sketch that featured the two together, but it's mentioned in Brooks's second monologue where Mango makes an appearance and says that he's excited to meet Chris Gaines, Brooks's rock singing alter ego.

Garth Brooks also appears in a sketch with the Boston Teens, played by Rachel Dratch and Jimmy Fallon. The two visit the mall and encounter Brooks in Hickory Farm where his character is an Assistant Manager. As per usual, the two get pretty touchy-feely and Brooks's character speaks out against kids today.

And, of course, who can forget Nadine, the Simmah Down lady? Garth is actually in the first sketch which features Nadine, whose only response to anyone is to tell them to Simmah Down Now. I say, Sih-muh Dahn Nah. In this sketch, Brooks plays Nadine's superior at a department store who tries to defuse problems between her and her customers. The sketch is repetitive, but hilarious all the same.

Here are the only two actual videos I was able to pull. I'm not terribly impressed with this sketch where Will Ferrell plays the Devil. I honestly thought that Jim Lovitz did a better job in the early 90s.


Saturday Night Live - Garth Brooks - Will Farrell - Deal with the Devil from Illogically Sound on Vimeo.

Silly, but still fun is this NBC take on The Smurfs. 98-99 was still the time in which NBC was producing epic mini-series events. I absolutely loved The Odyssey, Gulliver's Travels, and Merlin. Rachel Dratch as Helena Bonham Carter was a bit random and there wasn't really even any sort of reason for Horatio Sanz as Meatloaf. Regardless, I really liked Garth in this one.


SNL "Smurfs" from John Young on Vimeo.

What was your favorite sketch with Garth  Brooks? Should he host SNL again with one of today's stable of characters?

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Dare to Be Bold Next Saturday

I've made it a mission of mine since returning to Lexington to become connected with as many people as I can be. Getting out into the community, talking to people, and finding out what I can do to help make Lexington a better place just comes second nature to me now and I find myself becoming involved with more and more all the time. From food festivals, to local workshops, and of course historical organizations, I am busier than ever before. It's awesome.

When I was working for a local after-school program a few years ago, I learned of Girls on the Run and other after-school programs which work to empower girls and promote self-esteem. I was in Girl Scouts and was super involved in many clubs and activities which gave me leadership positions. And now, as an adult, it makes me very glad to see so many stepping up to make sure that no girls are left behind in this media-driven, male-dominated world, especially in light of controversies like Gamer Gate, #notallmen, and the like. It's imperative to teach the next generation of women that they are strong, that they are equal, and that they deserve respect.

The founders of Be Bold, Inc. have a mission to achieve just that, "to empower girls by partnering with them to set and achieve tangible goals for themselves through entertainment, education, and above all inspiration." For just $5, girls will be able to attend the workshop which will feature a number of inspirational speakers talking on topics such as self-esteem, empowerment, and entrepreneurship. A step team performance, a fashion show, and art projects are just a few of the activities that girls 9-18 will be able to take part in.

By instilling in them the ability to dream, to think of something greater than their poverty-stricken neighborhoods (or better yet, come back and do something to help them), and to share their goals with others, Be Bold is a program which will help young girls find their strength and bring to light the necessity to nurture those growing up in areas of Lexington like the East End, which are rich in history and tradition, but lose the attention to the more affluent neighborhoods.

Sponsors for Be Bold include University of Kentucky, Partners for Youth, and Third Street Stuff. There is still time to show your support for this initiative. Volunteer your time, make a donation, or just spread the word about the amazing work that is being done in Lexington.

If you know of a girl who would benefit from Dare to be Bold, registration has been extended to October 29. I'm excited to volunteer for Dare to Be Bold!

Dare to Be Bold
University of Kentucky, Student Center
November 1, 2014
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Facebook | Website | Twitter

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The best laid plans - An Update

There comes a time when one must take a step back and evaluate the importance of something in one's life. Is what I am doing successful? Is it meaningful to me and to other people? Is this something that I want to continue to do? I find myself looking at Kentucky Geek Girl in this way, and that's not a bad thing.

I started KGG in 2010 as an outlet to talk about gaming. I looked at a couple of apps that year and then started writing about pop culture in an expanded sense. It was then I started reviewing movies here and there and things pretty much took off. In 2011, I introduced KentuckyGeekGirl.com and started attended conventions on behalf of the site.

I've really enjoyed attending conventions, talking to people, hosting a table. I had plans to attend more conventions in 2014, but other responsibilities got in the way. Ah, responsibilities, professional, social, and the like. I've been so incredibly busy with work, volunteerism, and trying to keep up with everything there is to do, that I've neglected my blogging responsibilities. Truth be told, I have felt rather uninspired as of late. This has left me thinking about where to go with Kentucky Geek Girl.

Lately, when I have prepared to write, the words haven't quite flowed as well as I would have liked. I'm sure I'll work through it, as I have before, but I wanted to be completely honest with everyone as to why you haven't seen a lot from me lately. It's mostly not having time for blogging, but definitely a bit of the writer's block.

I'm always looking for story ideas and I'm brainstorming ways to keep KGG alive as a place for Kentuckians to get their geek news. Living in Lexington, I'll of course be focusing on Central KY, but I would like to also feature what's going on in other parts of the Commonwealth. I'm going to spend the remainder of 2014 really thinking about what to do with KGG and in 2015, I hope to celebrate the site's 5th anniversary with a bang.

Thanks to everyone for sticking out this dry spell. I really appreciate everyone's support!

Be sure to like Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook and follow my daily updates on Twitter! If you have any questions or want to discuss partnership opportunities, be sure to send me an email.

Trailer Tuesday: Dan Stevens Two-Fer

Trailer Tuesday is back with a duo of films coming out in the next few weeks starring none other than Dan Stevens. You may remember him from Downton Abbey, as the adorable heir to the Crawley estate. But Stevens has struck out into Hollywood with roles in The Fifth Estate, Summer in February, and an upcoming role as Lancelot in the third in the Night at the Museum franchise. Stevens is suddenly almost as many places as Benedict Cumberbatch and I'm okay with that.

Blog Tour: Bob Freeman's Top Ten Occult Detective Movies

 This week I'm hosting Bob Freeman and the Tomorrow Comes Media Shadows Over Somerset blog tour. Bob is sharing with me his Top Ten Occult Detective Movies!

Bob Freeman doesn’t just write and draw occult detectives, he’s also a card carrying paranormal adventurer who founded Nightstalkers of Indiana in 1983. A lifelong student of witchcraft, magic, and religion, Bob’s studies are reflected in his art, both as an author and illustrator. Bob lives in rural Indiana with his wife Kim and son Connor. He can be found online at occultdetective.com

Be sure to check him out on social media as well.

Website:  www.occultdetective.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorbobfreeman

Twitter: @OccultDetective

Here's a synopsis of Shadows Over Somerset: 

Michael Somers is brought to Cairnwood, an isolated manor in rural Indiana, to sit at the deathbed of a grandfather he never knew existed. He soon finds himself drawn into a strange and esoteric world filled with werewolves, vampires, witches… and a family curse that dates back to fourteenth century Scotland.

In the sleepy little town of Somerset, an ancient evil awakens, hungering for blood and vengeance… and if Michael is to survive he must face his inner demons and embrace his family’s dark past.

Shadows Over Somerset is the first Cairnwood Manor Novel.

Take it away, Bob!

Guest Post: Jam This Weekend With RunJumpDev!

 

I had the pleasure of meeting some representatives from RunJumpDev, a local video game design collaborative. Recently, they partnered with the Lexington Public Library for The Lexitron, a throwback to classic arcade gaming. They exhibited at LexiCon Gaming Convention where several of their partner video game companies had their projects on display.

I'm happy to host Amanda Wallace on the blog today. Amanda is an Associate Editor at Game Skinny and is a Lexingtonian. Look for more posts from her in the future here on Kentucky Geek Girl! Take it away Amanda!

Fantastical Theatricals' murder mystery is a Whovian love letter

Greeted by a woman in a black dress with curly blonde hair, I knew I was in the presence of River Song, I'm sorry, Cascade Cadenza (portrayed by Kathy Hobbs). From then, we began our meal at The Chop House before the music started and the show began.

Well, This is Awkward: Louisville Back on Wizard World Circuit in 2015

It looks like the honeymoon isn't over for Louisville and Wizard World after all. I happened to see a tweet from a Louisvillian that I follow which included the date of November 6-8, 2015. According to the WW website, this show will be the last stop on the Comic Con train for Wizard World in 2015, unless another show is added. I'm curious to see why they decided to put Louisville back on their schedule.

I had reported a few weeks ago that the Derby City had been removed from the line-up after it's Freshman year, with Cleveland and Indianapolis being added roughly around the same time in its stead. A date much later in the year shouldn't pose a problem to anyone from the Bluegrass state, as there seem to be no other conflicting events that late in the season. This should provide a nice end to the convention season for those who want to attend.

I'm not certain at this time if I'll be involved with the convention in any capacity. I feel like my presentation on Star Trek and Anthropology went really well and seemed to be well attended, even if if I was up against Jason David Frank, so I'll keep my fingers crossed for another opportunity. The shows in the Wizard World stable draw huge names like Matt Smith and Nathan Fillion to their conventions and Smith was definitely the most popular of Louisville Comic Con's guests in March.

The page for WW Louisville still has details about 2014 and I suspect it will stay that way until after the new year. As always, I'll keep you up to date with the latest in Kentucky convention news.


Be sure to like Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook and follow my daily updates on Twitter! If you have any questions or want to discuss partnership opportunities, be sure to send me an email.

It's Not You, It's Me: Wizard World Breaks Up with Louisville After One Year

That's right, Louisville Comic Con is no more. Wizard World has just released a list of shows for 2015, which includes a minimum of 22 shows. Looking at the list, Louisville Comic Con, which debuted in 2014, is no longer part of the circuit of over-priced media-driven shows that have saturated the pop culture con circuit in the last few years. What we do see on the list are a bevy of new shows which include a new Indianapolis Comic Con in February and ... wait for it... Raleigh Comic Con March 13-15.

Breaking up (with WoW) is hard to do

I've said before that one of the reasons I started Kentucky Geek Girl was to talk about gaming. Back in 2010, when I started the blog, I was a pretty hardcore World of Warcraft player. When I use that term, I'm not necessarily saying that I was in a raiding guild with top tier gear and advanced progression. No, I mean that I played the game as often as I could and had since 2007.

My main, Katryona.

Doctor Who-themed Murder Mystery to be Performed in Lexington

 

Local theater is something that has always interested me and I was delighted that director Kathy Hobbs contacted me about a production that is being launched here in Lexington at the end of July. Doctor! WHO is the Murderer? is a murder mystery set at a Doctor Who convention. Performed by Lexington-based theater troupe Fantastical Theatricals, this WHO-dunnit features The Doctor, The Master, and a zany cast of characters that will sure to be a crowd-pleaser for both Whovians and non-fans alike. In addition to their performances in Lexington, the group travels to many Kentucky state parks.

Geek Chat: Interview with Steve Johnson and Leighton Connor of Hex Games Part 2

And now for Part 2 of my interview with Steve Johnson and Leighton Connor of Hex Games. Part 1 showed us how Hex came together and their process of bending genres and coming up with new ideas. In Part 2, the guys discuss where they see the company going from here, their convention experiences, and women in tabletop gaming.

Newly released from Hex Games is Dynateens: Surf Force, which is available at Drive-Thru RPG.

When the evil forces of Megalodon the Mighty threaten the submarine city of New Atlantis, a team of super-powered teenagers, the Dynateens, arise to meet that threat. But are they strong enough to defeat the Great Shark menace and save humanity?

Dynateens: Surf Force is an action-packed game of aquatic adventure designed for use with the QAGS Second Edition rules. It includes background on the setting, rules for creating Dynateen characters, genre tropes, sample characters, adventure templates, character sheets, and more!

Dynateens: Surf Force is written by Ian “Aces & Apes” Engle and illustrated by Joshua LH Burnett, with a cover by James Hornsby.

Go go, Dynateens!

Be sure to enter to win a copy of Dynateens and QAGS 2nd edition! Details about the contest are at the bottom of the interview!

Geek Chat: Interview with Steve Johnson and Leighton Connor of Hex Games Part 1

I met Steve Johnson, Operations Director of Hex Games, at a convention a few years ago when I attended a couple of Hex's sessions in the gaming track. I learned that we were alumni of the same college and I've kept up with the goings on of the company over the last few years. The folks at Hex have been very supportive of Kentucky Geek Girl and I'm delighted to feature their new release, Dynateens: Surf Force here on the blog.

From Drive-Thru RPG:

When the evil forces of Megalodon the Mighty threaten the submarine city of New Atlantis, a team of super-powered teenagers, the Dynateens, arise to meet that threat. But are they strong enough to defeat the Great Shark menace and save humanity?

Dynateens: Surf Force is an action-packed game of aquatic adventure designed for use with the QAGS Second Edition rules. It includes background on the setting, rules for creating Dynateen characters, genre tropes, sample characters, adventure templates, character sheets, and more!

Dynateens: Surf Force is written by Ian “Aces & Apes” Engle and illustrated by Joshua LH Burnett, with a cover by James Hornsby.

Go go, Dynateens!

I'm delighted to be joined on the blog today by Steve and Leighton Connor, Creative Director, as they shed some insight on how Hex came together, their creative process, and their convention experiences. I'll have info on how you can win a copy of Dynateens and QAGs Second Edition at the end of the interview!

Trailer Tuesday: Kingsman: The Secret Service

This post Memorial Day weekend pitted Maleficent and A Million Ways to Die in the West against one another in a box office grudge match. However, X-Men: Days of Future Past was able to hold on to the Number 2 slot for the weekend box office and knock the Seth MacFarlane comedy to Number 3. I'm going to be honest, I'm not terribly impressed with the offerings for the rest of the summer. I'll see Transformers: Age of Extinction since I saw the other three films in the theater and really the summer is all about getting to August to see Guardians of the Galaxy. In between, there's really not to offer me at this point. This week's Trailer Tuesday feature is for a film that comes out even later in the year, October, to be specific.

Flashback Friday: Songs of 1999

Okay, here's the thing, I just turned 27 on Monday, May 26 (and the blog turned 4!), so I've been on somewhat of a nostalgia kick the last few days. My focus in particular has been on music and I randomly started listening to songs from 1999-2001, those halcyon days of youth where I was in 7th-9th grade. It was the age of TRL, when MTV and Vh1 actually played music, when I'd get off the bus just in time to watch the countdown before getting on dialup internet and perfecting my Expage.com website, which sadly no longer exists, or playing around on whatever website builder was popular at the time. This was a simpler time folks and I had my priorities.

So in this week's Flashback Friday, I'm just going to share a few music videos from 1999, picking songs that came out 15 years ago seemed pretty appropriate. Let me know in the comments some of your favorite songs from 1999!

I Think a Videogame Turned Me into a Horror Author by Jason Sizemore

I am thrilled to host author and editor extraordinaire Jason Sizemore on the blog today. I first met Jason back in 2012 just before the first Lexington Comic and Toy Convention where I did a spotlight on Apex Publications as part of my pre-con series. Jason and the folks at Apex have been great friends to Kentucky Geek Girl and I am so thrilled to help promote any of their endeavors. This is also a special occasion because it brings together Jason with my other great friends at Seventh Star Press, publishers of Jason's new collection, Irredeemable.

Jason Sizemore is a writer and editor who lives in Lexington, KY. He owns Apex Publications, an SF, fantasy, and horror small press, and has been nominated for the Hugo Award three times for his editing work on Apex Magazine. Stay current with his latest news and ramblings via his website http://jason-sizemore.com/ and his Twitter feed handle @apexjason. 

Five on Friday: Top 5 Games from Lexicon Gaming Convention

As I write this it's the wee hours of Friday morning. One week ago I was preparing for Lexicon and was like a kid going to bed to awake on Christmas morning. The air was full of excitement; I couldn't wait to go to my first gaming convention in over a year. Now that the convention has come and gone, I'm experiencing Post Con Depression. I thought I'd use that opportunity to continue the 5 on Friday segment with my top five favorite games I played this past weekend.

I featured Lexicon a lot on the Kentucky Geek Girl Facebook page, sharing a lot of their updates. We had Greg on The Rad Ass Bitches episode 13 and we talked about the con on episode 15, which will be released this week. I'm very excited that I got to play over ten new-to-me games and meet a lot of fantastic folks. I'll post my own ReCONnaissance piece on Lexicon here on the blog, but we're covering the con extensively on the podcast as well.

While I got to check out a lot of great games, I thought I'd spotlight my five favorite games!

Guest Post: What Frozen Means to Me by Leila McGuire

After months of me waiting to dish with her about it, she's finally watched Frozen and I had a proud parent moment. I think I need more than one hand to count the number of times that we've watched it since it came out on DVD. And since I got the Bluray combo pack for Easter, I suspect we'll be watching it in hi-def glory soon. I'm so pleased that she has written a post in which I thinks she shares what most of us feel about this amazing Disney feature. Take it away, Leila!

---
I’m 27 years old and I am hopelessly addicted to Frozen.

There I said it. But if you don’t mind, I will be avoiding the twelve step program this time. The addiction to Frozen is beautiful, full of hope, and empowering.

CONversations: Interview with Greg Franseth of Lexicon Gaming Convention

Lexington is getting a brand new convention, y'all, and this one happens to fall right within my interests. Lexicon Gaming Convention will be held May 2-4 at Clarion Hotel and Conference Center near Newtown Pike and I-64. The fellas have been putting together a plethora of fun activities for the weekend, but have also taken to community outreach in the form of bi-monthly board game meetups at West Sixth Brewing Company.

Greg Franseth, one of the founders of Lexicon, took the time to have a CONversation with me about the upcoming event, but you can also hear him on the latest episode of The Rad Ass Bitches podcast.

Guest Post: Putting My Characters into Other Stories by Elizabeth Corrigan

In my seven years of tabletop gaming, I have played a couple of characters that will always be special to me. Similarly, my Forsaken Warrior from World of Warcraft, Katryona, holds a place in my heart and I've reused her name and even her personality in a D&D campaign. I think it's easy to fall in love with a character and want to see them pop up in other worlds. I'm excited today to be hosting Elizabeth Corrigan on the blog tour for Raising Chaos, book two of the Earthbound Angels series..

Check out the description, then click through for Elizabeth's post!

Raising Chaos

Goodreads | Amazon | Excerpt

The daily life of a chaos demon is delightfully sinful—overindulging in Sri Lankan delicacies, trespassing on private beaches in Hawaii, and getting soused at the best angel bar on the planet. But when Bedlam learns that the archdemon Azrael has escaped from the Abyss in order to wreak vengeance against the person who sent her there—Bedlam’s best friend, Khet—he can’t sit idly by.

Only one relic possesses the power to kill Khet, who suffers immortality at Lucifer’s request: the mythical Spear of Destiny, which pierced Christ’s side at His crucifixion. Neither angel nor demon has seen the Spear in two thousand years, but Azrael claims to know its location. Bedlam has no choice but to interpret woefully outdated clues and race her to its ancient resting place.

His quest is made nearly impossible by the interference of a persnickety archivist, Keziel—his angelic ex—and a dedicated cult intent on keeping the Spear out of the wrong hands. But to Bedlam, “wrong” is just an arbitrary word, and there’s no way he’s letting Khet die without a fight.

CONversations: Interview with Mo Lightning of Wizard World Louisville Comic Con

New to the Kentucky convention circuit this year is Wizard World Louisville Comic Con. It's no secret that Wizard World is one of the national leaders in convention promotion and, to be quite honest, it was just a matter of time until a convention of its magnitude was established in The Bluegrass State. I'm thrilled to say that I'll be at the convention this Friday and Saturday, specifically Saturday when I'll be presenting "To Boldly Go: Star Trek The Next Generation and Anthropology" at 11AM at the Kentucky International Convention Center.

It's bound to be an exciting weekend in the Derby City. In addition to vendors and comic creators, Louisville Comic Con has a bevy of celebrities including Doctor Who alums Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, Sean Astin, James Marsters, Jason Momoa, Dean Cain, and Jason David Frank. The line-up looks great and I look forward to being in the same vicinity as Matt Smith. I can't guarantee that I wouldn't fangirl all over the place if given the chance to meet him.

I was approached by Mo Lightning, a member of the Wizard World staff, and was invited to become involved with the convention and I am absolutely thrilled to be given the spotlight for about 45 minutes. He took the time to answer a few of my questions about the convention and his experiences working in pop culture programming.

CONversations: Interview with James Maddox of Tri-State Comic Con

Show organizers James Maddox (left)
and Eric Watkins (right)

I had the esteemed pleasure of attending Tri-State Comic Con in Huntington, West Virginia last April.  Now in its third year, Tricon has become the largest comic-centered show in West Virginia. Thought it still remains a one-day show, it has been recognized for gaining the participation of the best and most active creators in the comic community. And while these attractions bring people through the door, the show’s primary interest is to help shine a spotlight on independent creators in the region. Be sure to read my thoughts on the show and, after the break, check out my interview with one of the key members of the TriCon team, James Maddox.

SNEAK PEEK: Two new DOCTOR WHO series from TITAN COMICS!

Thanks to my friends at Titan Comics, I'm sharing a sneak peek of the #1 issues from the new Doctor Who series which debuts this Summer! New adventures with Ten and Eleven?! Sign me up! Hit the jump for the gorgeous covers and descriptions of the series!

Reclamation Blog Tour - “Voices of Dragons” by Jackie Gamber

I'm so happy to be a part of the Reclamation Blog Tour sponsored by Tomorrow Comes Media. In this tour stop, I'm joined by Jackie Gamber who shares her dream voice cast for the Leland series. Jackie has been an incredible supporter of Kentucky Geek Girl and I'm glad to have her back on the blog.

2014 Convention Season is Here!

Whoa buddy, it's going to be an exciting year for Kentucky Geek Girl. I'm excited to announce that I've already committed to six conventions this year in the greater Kentucky area. I'll be participating in panels and discussions at several of these shows and am super excited about it! If you're interested in having me as a guest at your convention, feel free to let me know!

First up:

More after the break!

Doctor Who Regenerates with Titan Comics

A new day dawns for Doctor Who with the regeneration of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor into Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor. Production is already underway on Series 8 and excitement is building for a possible Autumn 2014 premiere. In addition, production is underway on a new line of comics to help round out the Whoniverse. As a Whovian and casual comic book reader, I'm excited to announce a partnership between BBC Worldwide and Titan Comics. The deal between BBC and Titan will "open up the world of Doctor Who and provide fans with new stand alone adventures featuring the Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor and after the new series launch, the Twelfth Doctor."  New Tenth Doctor adventures?! Sign me up!

"Prepare for the Second Course" With This Hannibal Teaser

With the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in full swing, showrunners and casts have been dishing on some of our favorite programs. The new season of "Hannibal" begins on February 28 and the Season 2 trailer is expected later today after its premiere at the TCA panel.  In the mean time, this teaser should whet our appetite. I cannot wait to see what Bryan Fuller and company serve us this season. It should be delicious.

Post by Hannibal.

Be sure to like Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook and follow my daily updates on Twitter! If you have any questions or want to discuss partnership opportunities, be sure to send me an email.

Sherlock Gets the Musical Treatment

It's been two years since the end of Sherlock series 2 and we've been left with many unanswered questions. With Series 3 starting tomorrow, I thought I'd share a couple of amazing musical offerings that I came across thanks to the wonderful world of Tumblr.

Academy Award Nominations: Lots of Love for "Gravity" and "American Hustle"

It's like Christmas for cinephiles; the Academy Awards nominations were announced this morning. Gravity and American Hustle lead the way with 10 nominations each, "12 Years a Slave" is just behind with 9 nominations. Coming off a strong showing at the Golden Globes, "Dallas Buyers Club" has proven formidable with Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor wins. Surprisingly enough, Tom Hanks was not nominated for either major appearance in a film this year, for Best Actor in "Captain Phillips" or Best Supporting Actor in "Saving Mr. Banks." Speaking of, Emma Thompson who portrayed Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers in the Disney film was not nominated either, and had been considered a lock at a nomination. It seems the Academy told Disney to "go fly a kite." Other snubs include "Fruitvale Station" and "Lee Daniel's The Butler," a Civil Rights drama about a butler who served seven presidents. I'm happy that "The Great Gatsby" got some love in costuming.

Golden Globes 2014: My Picks and Thoughts

Award season is officially here! This is seriously my favorite time of year; the red carpet commentary, the outfits, the speeches: I absolutely love it all. The Golden Globe Awards kicks off the 2014 season in a big way with some huge movies and breakout television shows. I've marked my favorites with bold and italics. In all honesty, I loved both Gravity and 12 Years a Slave so much, it was really hard to choose between the two, so in a couple of places, they're both marked. For the categories in which I have no dogs in the fight, I didn't mark anything. 

Golden Globes winners often have a lock on Academy Awards nominations and I'm excited to see who will be lucky enough this year. Be sure to share your favorites in the comments section! Tina Fey and Amy Pohler host the Golden Globe Awards tonight at 8 PM on NBC. Red carpet coverage starts at 7 PM.