Stuff That Doesn't Suck 9 - Revenge of the STDs!

Stuff That Doesn’t Suck is a meme where I graciously share with you the things that I come across in a week that do not suck. This includes a variety of things from books to music to YouTube and even more. Feel free to join in on the comments or on your own blog.

After, well, a much too long hiatus, the STDs are back. This isn't a bad thing, as today we take a look at the Stuff that Doesn't Suck this week. Saturday has been the usual day for STDs, but I was so excited for their return that I thought, why not Thursday?

Prada Unveils Steampunk Inspired Fall 2012 Campaign

Prada, the fashion house known for its innovative designs and uniqueness, will celebrate its first century in fashion in 2013. The company has revealed its Fall 2012 menswear line. The couture magnate's inspiration for this line comes from the world of Steampunk. Prada called upon actors Willem Dafoe, Gary Oldman, Garret Hedlund, and Jamie Bell for their fall/winter photo shoot.

Photographer David Sims shot the campaign, which is described as a subtle parody of power and role-play. "Exaggerated poses and conspiratorial glances hint at the game, a plam solemnly placed on the heart or into a pocket with precise formality," explains the Prada website.

You can view the full line on the website for Prada's 2012 fall/winter campaign. Do you think more fashion designers should draw upon Steampunk as inspiration for their couture?

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:

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!