KickStartKentucky: Build Lexington in SimCity

KickStartKentucky is a new feature at Kentucky Geek Girl where I scour the web for interesting, Kentucky-based crowdsourcing projects. It doesn't have to be Kickstarter, projects can come from Indie GoGo or any platform. The only criteria for this feature is that the project has to be about Kentucky or based in Kentucky. If you have a project that you'd like for me to feature, just send me an email!

In this inaugural edition of KickStartKentucky, I'm sharing a project by Nolan Gray called "Help me build Lexington, Kentucky in SimCity (2013)." The title is self-explanatory. Nolan wants to construct the Athens of the West, the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington, Kentucky in SimCity.

I am fascinated by cities and city planning. As a historian, I find it interesting to see how a city changes over time and Lexington is no stranger to change. Starting from a town plat which spanned less than ten blocks, Lexington became a sprawling city, especially in the mid-20th century when urban sprawl was the norm all over the country. Even today, new subdivisions are cropping up all over as more and more land is taken in by developers. The landscape of Lexington has changed tremendously even in the 10 years that I've call it home.

I asked Nolan a few questions about his project and what he hopes to accomplish. More from him after the break.

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.

Ahoy, Mateys!

As you can see, things have been a bit busier around here than they had as of late. I am sorry that I hadn't stopped in to say Hello more often, but things were extremely busy with finishing my last semester of school. In fact, I made school a higher priority than a lot of things, but it all paid off beautifully. If you follow Kentucky Geek Girl on Facebook, then you see my daily updates there. I also tweet like a mad woman as well. However, I just didn't have a lot of time to sit down and beautifully construct a blog post for your reading pleasure.

That changes now.

Interview with Author Stephen Zimmer

Last summer, as I was going through the "likes" on the Kentucky Geek Girl Facebook page, I noticed one from someone by the name of Stephen Zimmer. Up until that point, most of the people who liked the page were those that I had invited to be a fan or were somehow connected with the blog. So, it was refreshing to see what I thought was organic blog and Facebook traffic. It was shortly thereafter that I attended the George R. R. Martin book signing at Joseph-Beth and saw a banner hanging from the banister which read talked about a local author's book signing later that month. The name on the banner was "Stephen Zimmer." I was delighted; an author, A CELEBRITY!, liked my humble little Facebook page! A couple of months later I had the pleasure of meeting him at a book signing at The Morris Bookshop, where he informed me that he was the Literary and Gaming tracks director for FandomFest, a convention which I attended last summer. We chatted for a few minutes about my thoughts on the convention. Fast forward a few months to a lovely spring day as Stephen and I sat down at (of course!) the Bronte Bistro at Joseph-Beth for me to learn more about his inspiration as an author and what we can expect from FandomFest this year. I'll be including the FandomFest portion of our interview with this week's preview of the convention, which will be held June 29-July1.

Stephen Zimmer is originally from Denver, Colorado and moved to Lexington with his family when his father took a job at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine. About Lexington he said, "I just never left, but it’s turned out to be a great place for what I do now because Lexington is so centrally located in relation to so many larger urban centers. It’s turned out in retrospect to be a good place to be an author."

Stephen is part of a stable of authors with Seventh Star Press, a small press publisher based out of Lexington. It was established in 2008 and specializes in speculative fiction. Other authors from Seventh Star Press include Jackie Gamber and Steven Shrewsbury. They release titles in all formats and more information about the company can be found on their website. His newest book in the Fires of Eden series, Spirit of Fire, is available now. Check back to Kentucky Geek Girl on Sunday, June 10 for a stop on the Spirit of Fire book tour!

Many thanks to Stephen for having a cup of coffee with me and answering the following questions:

Get Your Gamer Geek On This Weekend at FORGE

It's a good weekend to be a geek. Not only was yesterday Star Wars Day, Geek Pride Day, and Towel Day, but the first annual FORGE Gaming Convention is being held this weekend at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Gaming stores Amazing Wonders and Cosmic Oasis among other local vendors will be set up hosting games. Whether you are a total n00b or seasoned gamer, FORGE is celebrating all things gaming. D&D, Pathfinder, and Savage Worlds will be just three of the platforms that you'll be able to play, but there will also be Collectible Card Games, Board Games, and a whole host of events at Forge. Deadly Sins Burlesque, Tinder Box Circus Sideshow, and Drunk & Sailor will be performing as well. On the whole, it's going to be an absolutely fantastic event. One day has already past and the fun continues through Sunday evening at 4 PM.

Kentucky Theater Unveils Line-up for 'Summer Movie Classics' Series

Something to look forward to in Lexington every year is the Kentucky Theater's summer-long celebration of classic cinema. I've seen several movies at the Kentucky as part of the series including one of my favorites, "It's A Wonderful Life." There are gems every summer and in 2010 my favorite "Raiders of the Lost Ark" played on my birthday! I'm hoping it comes back, maybe next year, so I can see my favorite movie on the big screen. I love that the Kentucky does this every year. It's a huge hit with people in Lexington and contributes to the culture downtown of being out and about during the summer.


May 30: Charade (1963) – Starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, and James Coburn. What a cast!

June 6: The Wizard of Oz (1939) – This is simply a must-see on the big screen. Sing-a-longs are encouraged!

June 13: Johnny Guitar (1954)

June 20: Ghostbusters (1984) – One of my favorite films and so highly quotable. "Listen, do you smell something?"

June 27: Annie Hall (1977)

July 4: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) – Very nice choice for a film to show on Independence Day. I personally would have picked "1776" but I think that this will be very cool.

July 11: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – Super star-studded cast.

 

July 18: Casablanca (1942) – This movie turns 70 this year. Holy cow!

July 25: Carousel (1956) – Wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.

Aug. 1: Notorious (1946) – Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman team up for this thriller.

Aug. 8: Mary Poppins (1964) – The film that I'm most looking forward to this summer: my favorite live-action Disney film. If I had to choose my fantasy grandparents, they would be Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. 

Aug. 15: The Manchurian Candidate (1962) – Angela Lansbury is wonderfully bat-shit crazy in this movie.

Aug. 22: Pillow Talk (1959) – Romantic comedies have sure come a long way.

Aug. 29: White Heat (1949)

Sept. 5: The Leopard (1963)

Showtimes are 1:30 and 7:15 p.m., admission is $5. For more information, contact the Kentucky Theater by calling (859) 231-7924 or visit the theater's website.

Big Names Already Announced for Lexington Comic and Toy Convention 2013

Lexington Comic & Toy Convention turned out to be one of the most successful one day conventions that many of those involved had ever seen. With over 4,000 in attendance and 200 exhibitors and guests, LCTC wildly exceeded expectations. Preparations have begun for the 2013 convention, which has been expanded to two days and will coincide with Lexington's city St. Patrick's Day celebration. LCTC will be back at the Lexington Convention Center in Heritage Hall and will take place on March 16-17, 2013. There will also be space for 400 guests, exhibitors, and vendors, so the convention is both doubling in time and in size.

Yesterday, Jarrod, the convention's promoter, began announcing guests for Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2013. An attempt is being made to get as many of the inaugural guests back as possible, but there have been some great announcements for new guests as well.

New guests:

Billy Dee Williams - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Marina Sirtis - Star Trek: The Next Generation

Margo Kidder - Superman

Power Rangers Cerina Vincent and Walter Jones

Cindy Morgan - Tron

Doug Jones - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Hellboy

and more!

Returning guests:

Mike Grell

Mark Ryan

Mark Kidwell

Drew Curtis

and more!

A complete list of all guests can be found at the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention website. Also, be sure to like the convention's page on Facebook. Jarrod will reveal more guests at 1500, 1850, 2000, and 2500 likes. So, like the page and share it with your friends, pets, and even the pages that people make for their babies.

Also returning are many of the artists, writers, podcasters, and all around awesome people who were exhibiting and vending at the 2012 con. The "Who's Coming" page of the LCTC website is continually updated with the names of those folks.

I must say, I am already excited about the lineup for 2013. As a lifelong fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation (yes, the show premiered the same year I did: 1987!) I cannot wait to meet Marina Sirtis. Counselor Deanna Troi is one of my favorite characters on the show (though her mom got on my ever-loving nerves!) I would be thrilled if more of the cast could come to LCTC 2013!

Who are you excited to see at the convention? If you could have anyone be a guest, who would it be?! Leave a message in the comments below!

LCTC Spotlight: Gears and Glass Guy

 

I'm not sure if I'd said it before, but I love Steampunk. As a history major, I'm drawn to all things inspired by particular time periods. If you're a fan of Steampunk, then definitely stop by to see David Underwood, the Gears and Glass Guy. After attending Dragon*Con several years ago, he was inspired to make his own Steampunk creations. His prices are affordable and all of his pieces are original and hand-assembled. Take a look at his Etsy shop and stop by to see him at Lexington Comic and Toy Convention tomorrow!

EPIC GIVEAWAY: lots of free stuff from KGG at LCTC!

 Alrighty folks, the time has come where I let you all know the details of the giveaways that I'll be doing at Lexington Comic & Toy Convention! Some great people have graciously donated items for me to give away, so I'll be having giveaways every hour beginning at 11:00 AM (the second hour of the convention.) Items include: Batman soap from GEEKSOAP.net and prizes from The Morris Bookshop, Apex Publications, and DriveThruRPG.com

LCTC Spotlight: Apex Publications

 Apex Publications, based in Lexington, is a media publication company that produces an online magazine and print works of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. The company has been in operation for ten years and is owned by Jason Sizemore. Beginning with a digest of short fiction, Apex has grown over the years and now produces the online magazine of science fiction as well as print novels, anthologies, and short stories.

Jason says that some of his earliest memories include watching films such as The Exorcist, The Thing, and Alien with his mom during their weekly movie nights. He has drawn a significant amount of inspiration from these horror and science fiction classics and cites storytellers such as John Carpenter as heroes. Apex was formed after he became interested in publishing his own fiction. Though he says that he has always enjoyed writing, it wasn't until he was in his teens and twenties that he started to pursue it. Now, Apex has a stable of authors, editors, and designers who produce works including the newly released Machine, which was written by Jennifer Pelland. Apex Publications is currently seeking authors based in Kentucky.

In promoting Apex Publications, Jason says that he attends eight to twelve conventions per years. This weekend, he'll be at Lexington Comic & Toy Convention and will have books available for purchase. Among his favorite conventions are MidSouth Con in Memphis, which he says is the farthest he's traveled for a convention.

The Apex Book of World SF Volume 2, an anthology of science fiction, will be released in April, and pre-orders are available now. It features works by international authors Will Elliot, Hannu Rajaniemi, Shweta Narayan, Lauren Beukes, Ekaterina Sedia, Nnedi Okorafor, and Andrzej Sapkowski. The anthology was edited by World Fantasy Award nominated editor Lavie Tidhar. Works by Apex are availble in print, epub, mobi, and pdf and are highly convenient for readers of all preferences. 

Be sure to stop by and say hello to Jason at LCTC! Check out the website for Apex Publications for more information about upcoming releases and other news.

LCTC Spotlight: Kenn Minter

Lexington comic artist Kenn Minter will be among the 200 vendors at Lexington Comic & Toy Convention. Minter just held a signing at The Morris Bookshop to promote the release of his new book Tales of the Emerald Yeti #1. The artist is a Lexington resident who is also behind I'm Not From Here.

Lexington Comic & Toy Convention Debuts in One Month!

I began my adventure in convention-land last summer when I attended Derby City Comic-Con and Fandom Fest in Louisville. Last fall, I found out that Lexington was going to be getting its own signature comic-con! Lexington Comic & Toy Convention will make its debut in the Lexington Center (adjacent to Rupp Arena) here in Downtown Lexington. Featuring a mixture of pop culture celebrities, artists, writers, and vendors, the convention is sure to make Lexington a premiere destination for fans of conventions.

"Transylvania Mania" hits Rupp Arena

Photo courtesy of The Ramber

Most folks I know are huge fans of Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein." How could you not be? It's amazing! The touring production of the Broadway musical is at the Lexington Opera House this weekend. One of the songs from the production is called "Transylvania Mania." Conveniently enough, Transylvania University, where I am a history major, played the University of Kentucky Wildcats in basketball on Wednesday evening. Shortly before tip-off, faculty, staff and students from Transy joined with dancers from the Town and Village School of Dance of Paris, Ky. to perform "Transylvania Mania" flash mob style. Video after the break!

George R. R. Martin draws hundreds to Joseph-Beth in Lexington

Last night, author George R. R. Martin drew a crowd of around 900 to Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington. In case you've been living under some sort of rock, Martin is the author of five books in the epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" which has inspired the HBO series "Game of Thrones." The first season of GoT garnered massive attention to both Martin and the books, which I think is absolutely spectacular. The series was nominated for 13 Emmy awards including Best Drama and Best Supporting Actor. Peter Dinklage, who is a total rockstar by the way, totally deserves the award which Martin expressed to the crowd last night.

The signing in Lexington wasn't even supposed to happen. George R. R. Martin specifically requested that Joseph-Beth Booksellers be added at the end of this leg of his tour for the newly released "A Dance With Dragons," the fifth book in "A Song of Ice and Fire." Joe-Beth was particularly sentimental for Martin because he came to Lexington on his initial tour for "A Game of Thrones." That book tour was drawing crowds of less than a dozen, but in Lexington, hundreds came out to support him. Fifteen years later, Lexington showed that it still loves its fantasy and it still loves George R. R. Martin. But Lexingtonians weren't the only attendees of last night's signing. According to the store's Facebook page, people drove down from Columbus, OH and up from Tennessee and South Carolina to see the author.