Comic Cons and Craziness

So......

Life has finally hit a small bubble of free time where I can sit for one minute (pretty much literal time allotment) and take stock of life the last few months. Now that I have become a year older (and supposedly wiser).

Main focus being Comic Con. For various reasons I am going to focus on Denver Comic Con, with a bit of Fort Collins Con thrown in!  Because as anyone who is involved in cons in any way knows how it takes over your life! haha

This year was my first Denver Comic Con, so I went outside of my comfort zone to do as much as possible for it.  To start with I was one of the 25 or so crazy people that was outside the doors at 6, or earlier, everyday to be first in to the con. Which I have to say from my perspective was totally worth it, especially on Saturday!! As I was not going to be sleeping anyway, due to too much excitement, I got to hang out with some cool people and watch gleefully as the line behind me grew knowing that I didn't have to be part of that and got to sit the entire time. (Evil I know!)

Friday, first day of con, Mission: Get the lay of the land and recon with friends. Mission status: Accomplished. Most people get overwhelmed by the size and massiveness of the convention center and con. I am not one of those people, scarily enough. It didn't take me long to learn the navigation of rooms and I had already mapped out the panels that I wanted to go to. I managed to get to all of the panels that I wanted and they were all enjoyable.  I found the my friends vendor table, Tabletop Fables which ended up being my base for the weekend. Helping out with the booth and hanging out included. Figured out where all of my friends were getting out of panels so was able to connect with them there or at the table and spend some fun time. Got to meet some awesome new people and just explore the entire building.

Luckily my brother lives close enough to Denver I could room there and have just a short drive there and back. Perks of connections!

Saturday, Second day of con, Mission: Get to Celebrity and other panels and continue friend recon. Mission status: Accomplished. This was the day I was very happy to be at the front of the line for as there were SO many people this day. Having a plan for panels and appropriate spacing between really helped me to get to what I wanted without having any stress. Was able to spend some enjoyable time with my friends. Learned some fun new things during panels and meet some cool people, one of my favorite panels being on screenwriting. Had an amazing lady on that who wrote for Star Trek and others shows during a time when women were tokens in the industry. She had some awesome stories!
Also made some new friends during the day and at the afterparty, definitely need to work a little on coordinating with people for the after partys though! haha

Sunday, last day of Con, Mission: Same as above. Status: Accomplished. Either I have really low standards, or I just am super good at making the most of everything. Probably spent the most time at my friends booth this day helping out, but it was still awesome and fun.

Overall I really enjoyed the panels. The quality varied with regards to the content and presentations for them. My friends panels win every time on both those categories though!!! Panels are, outside of hanging out with friends, the best part of cons to me so content is super important.  I love the atmosphere walking around the con, with everyone dressed up in cosplay. Which I did all three days because why not! The celebrity guests were entertaining and it is interesting seeing the charisma they have in action.

Rating of the con would be a B+. I felt that there was an air of detachment for people there at times. The panel content was good, nothing that stood out as outstanding, friends panels aside being great. The atmosphere felt a bit too commercialized for my liking. The fever people had to get to panels/see celebrities/get that item takes away from the attitude that I feel makes a con special. That of having time to appreciate the effort people put into costumes and building a community by being able to spend quality time talking with those who share your fandom and passion. The air of have to get to my next panel really cuts off the chance of building any acquaintance.

That being said I am gearing up for this years Fort Collins Con. Last year this event was my first con, so it will always be special for me. I felt it A+ed at everything which a con should be, highlighted above. This year being one of the people in charge of programming has me super pumped for the awesome panels that are going to be presented! As it is the end of August (Tickets on sale now and going fast) the excitement is going to build from here.

To be honest I am more excited about one of our celebrity guests, Richard Hatch, then I was for any celebrity at the Denver Con. As I definitely plan on getting a photo/autograph from him, while I didn't make a point of that for Denver.

Anyway, this years Fort Collins Con is going to be awesome!!! I am so happy to be working with the awesome and creative people that are working behind the scenes to pull this event together. The hard work is paying off and coming together!

Signing off for now.

Mary

Dora's Jinx Book Review

Heyo!!

Time to try something new. I am going to be reviewing some books from time to time, first up Dora's Jinx by Boom Baumgartner

I am lucky enough to have met and know the author of this book in real life which is hugely exciting for me! Being connected with other creative people is inspiring and empowering because it can trigger creativity in you. Anyway, on with the review.

I will attempt to keep this as spoiler free as possible as I personally HATE spoilers!

Dora the main protagonist of the book is someone I can relate with on many, many levels which made this a great book to me. She is struggling with something we all face at some point, trying desperately to avoid becoming what everyone expects of her. Due to certain circumstances she also feels invisible, and when she isn't invisible it is for reasons she finds embarrassing.

As if being a teenager in high school is not hard enough there is the added down side of having somewhat embarrassing family connections. Which can definitely subtract from your cool factor.

There is also the issue of friends, throughout the course of the novel Dora struggles to make friends and it takes her time to realize what the word truly means. Having a boyfriend is something she desperately wants but none of them seem to even notice she is in the room. In the end she finds that connection and true friendship mean a lot more then the romantic ideal of being in a "relationship" like society expects of everyone.

This book includes fantasy, friendly banter, a bit of mystery, adventure, good story/plot, relatable characters, and true growth for the protagonist. All things which I love in a book and admire in writing.

I really like Dora because she struggles with forming her own identity while receiving pressure from family and society. What is expected of her is not what she wants, from how she dresses and the effects that has on those around her, to where and who she is supposed to spend her time around. Thrift store clothes and weird, nerdy, and unpopular friends are things I have in common with her that I wouldn't change for the world.

Dora's Jinx is a book which I would recommend to anyone! I think it is important as it highlights the power and magic of friendship over romantic relationships, which is prevalent in teen fiction today. This will definitely be enjoyable for those on the asexual spectrum as well because it doesn't focus around love/sex/romance like most books.

Last words on this are go and get this book so you can enjoy this fun adventure as well!!!  :)

Stay cool (er...nerdy...whatever is you)!

Mary

Sequels/Prequels/Remakes and Creativity

Let's get down to business...(no not to defeat the Huns, though that would be more epic)...but to discuss media and movies today.

I am the first to admit how much I enjoy Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and any franchise films at times. But lately I have been a bit turned off by the amount of sequels, prequels, and live action remakes that have been flooding the theaters. From lists I have seen this trend is not scheduled to end anytime soon either.

One thing which is bothering me a lot right now is the lack of originality and new stories within movies and television shows today.


As I stated above I really do love many of the original movies and characters in them. For a few examples I will take Disney Princesses, Star Wars, and Marvel.

There are a lot of live action remakes being made nowadays by Disney and quite a few of them are in or will be in the Disney Princess realm. Cinderella is one that has come out with Beauty and the Beast and Mulan in the works now. As much as I enjoy these characters, especially Belle I wonder how much can be done to the story to make it interesting to see. There have been many retellings of these stories and it feels like Disney is just trying to build off the popularity of the story and characters to draw people into seeing something which will not in any way be NEW.

Star Wars, to be honest I am super excited at how they are taking this franchise and bringing it to life and expanding it for a new generation. I will probably be first in line to see each new movie when it comes out. Yet it is also one of those things which may be hard to keep creativity and uniqueness a part of. Building off an established universe there are many different ways to explore it. Yet it can get to the point where like Marvel the storylines become so dependent on building to the next movie that it may start to take away from the plot and individual character development.

With Marvel as I stated above there may be the point where the stories are so convoluted that it will be hard to tell a story in a movie well because you are trying to put too much into it. The first Avengers seemed to have a pretty good balance for all of the characters. While Civil War felt a little jumpy at times just trying to incorporate all of the characters and building interest in the new introductions backstories. Thus the buildup to the next movie. I know they are trying to work the same way the original comics work but it will be interesting to see if the movie form of media can compete with the written form.

All of these movies have their ups and downs. I still feel that there is a lack of original plot and stories in media today. Building off of a series which people love is all well and good. Also I know there are only so many types of stories/ways to tell them with original ideas. Yet I feel that remakes and reboots of shows and movies such as Ghostbusters, The Jungle Book, etc, is just a big money grab. This takes away from the possible creativity which might be going into making and creating something new rather then building off something already popular. If people like Walt Disney, Lucas, C.S.Lewis, Tolkien, and Rowlings had been content with this we wouldn't have many of these stories which we love today because no one cared to push that bar, take risks, and explore where no one had gone before.

None of these remakes and sequels would be being made if people did not want to see them though, so what besides nostalgia is the huge draw? Especially for remakes which we know pretty much how the story will go. I will definitely make the note that as far as retellings of stories which do it in a unique vision and new way I am completely for!!

Anyway, just a personal pet peeve that I have against movies and tv nowadays!

I would love to hear others thoughts on this. The examples that I used are pretty generic and are just a small portion of what I think about this to get people thinking.

Easter, Endings, and Beginnings.

Happy Easter!!

Hope that everyone got to spend it with their family and loved ones. I know that I did. Today is a time for rejoicing and reflection. I used some of the time before and after Midnight Mass to reflect upon how far I have come this past year and the new adventures I have embarked on for the future.

Today is the end of our crowdfunding for The Doctors Diary movie project that I am in! Here is a link to the fun cast and crew interviews which covers topics from favorite Doctor, Enemy, and emotional moment to the question of if Doctor Who should end? Cast chat playlist! Also here is the link to the donation page,Funding and Fun gifts! Thank you for all who have helped so far, and to any last minute donations. Even if it is just $5 or $10, every bit is appreciated!

This movie project is one of those new adventures which I am beyond excited to be involved in. When I was little I always wanted to be in a movie/play, never really thinking it was going to ever happen. So it really is a dream come true.

Looking back at last year I realize that many things have changed. Friends have come, gone, and grown closer. My direction of majors in school has done a complete 180. Going from Sciences to majoring in English. My family has grown, with the addition of a new sister, when my brother got married. And I have changed too, having a clearer idea of where I don't want to be and what is truly important to me in life.

I am involved in new projects which have challenged me to grow and get outside of my comfort zone. With one more semester left at community college I have the daunting decision ahead of which university to move on to next. I have decisions to make about if I want to move up in my job now, or expand out to something new and more in line with my interests. Or if I just want to expand out on the side.  All of these decisions make my head spin but I look forward to these adventures and the promise and start of something new! Thank you to all who have come with me on this journey so far and who continue to be there for me. :)

Best Wishes and Dream Big!

Women, Doctor Who, and Cast Interviews.

Geronimo and Allonsy!

     Just a bit of a movie making update for you all. The above photo is a partial one of the cast and crew taken at our last production meeting! (I am front/center in the burgundy shirt, for those who don't know me by sight). It was great getting the whole group together as being around dedicated people like this has been and continues to be an awesome and amazing experience.

Not long ago a group of the women, cast and crew including myself, got together for an interview on all things Whovian. Now after the editing is done that footage is up on YouTube! I felt so much like a celebrity when doing this interview. Considering this was the first time some of us had met it was really awesome how well we hit it off. Relaxing, discussing Doctor Who, and just having a really great time made us all forget that we were filming at all.

Included are links to our videos such as Who is Your Doctor, Best of the Worst (aka Favorite Villains), and Dream Guests! As I said this was amazing to film and be part of and I really can't wait for filming to start next month on the actual movie!

I thought it was a really neat getting other women's perspectives on a show that means so much to me. It was also great to find that even though we all have different levels of knowledge/introductions to the fandom we all love it for similar reasons. How it made us feel and the connections to our own lives we are able to make from the show. This meaning is what brings a work of art like a movie to life.

Speaking of bringing movies to life we are on the last few days of Indiegogo campaign!! We still have some ground to cover in making this dream a reality and would appreciate any help and support given. Even just a small $10 donation would mean the world to the whole team! Plus there are some really awesome and exclusive whovian memorabilia for higher levels as well.  Click to Discover how to be Part of this Awesomeness! Thank you as always for any support! :) #TheDoctorsDiary

That's a Wrap!
Till next time of course.

Fandoms and Social Connection

Hello All!

So at this moment most of my life revolves around work, school, and fandoms. Not necessarily in that order! ;)

Most of these can overlap in many ways. For example at work I run into people who are in a fandom I am in that equals an instant bond. Similarly that same bond can be formed at school. As my spring break week comes to an end I am pondering what connections in my life there are between my fandoms, nerd interests and my academic pursuits.

My fandoms ended up preparing me for my college experience. This is a serious observation. Growing up I was homeschooled until I graduated high school. That and growing up in a very conservative religious family meant I was very sheltered.

What started to get me outside of my comfort zone was the online fandoms I joined and the friends I made through that. It changed my life in more ways then I can say, just by opening me up to new experiences. My first fandom wasn't Doctor Who, Sherlock, Supernatural, or most of the common fandoms that I am part of now. It was Celtic Thunder....Yes an Irish singing group became a catalyst for change in my life. It introduced me to my best friend, amazing experiences (Including meeting said celebrities), fanfiction, and the joys of sharing a passion with a group of diverse individuals.

That opened the door for me when I went to school. Fandoms gave me something I could have in common with others, since I felt that my life was so uncommon that people would not understand it or me at all. I still find it hard to talk to people about things that truly matter but fandoms open that door to talking about feelings and things that matter that are hard to bring up in normal conversation.

In college I have met some awesome teachers who have changed my life in more ways then I can count. The great thing about college is that once a class is over you are able to, if you want, keep in contact with favorite teachers on a personal friendship level. This has opened up many doors to participating in nerd/fandom things such as local comic cons and fan movies for me. This has really become an important social part to my life. I was able to get together with some of the awesome women involved in said Doctor Who movie to chat about the show, it meant a lot to me, see the first part in the link! :D  Interview fun! #TheDoctorsDiary

As I mentally prepare to get back into the swing of this spring semester I also look forward to sharing more of my life as it happens. This probably will include some pretty deep stuff as we go along. So Happy Spring to all!!

A New Chapter- An Actor's Life For Me!

Welcome to my life.

To get you started on the right foot I want to cover a few details. I am a 20 something female college student taking steps to make something of myself in the wonderful wide world. You will soon get to know me quite well.

Firstly I want to cover the name of my blog. I am a huge nerd and I think that everyone has a bit of nerd in them, some more than others. I like to call this universal nerd function the nerd chromosome. It's quite catchy. I love anything nerdom which is the main reason for me starting this blog.

Next, the name of this post means something specific. I am in a movie!!!!! Not just any movie, but a Doctor Who movie!!!  As if you can't tell already I am very excited as this means the realization of a dream I've had forever. The production company is local, just getting started up itself, and has a team of the most dedicated individuals that I have ever had the honor of working with. Our goal is a group is to create a really awesome project which anyone, whovian or not, can enjoy. The story is awesome because our writer and the movie's creator is an extremely talented individual. It drew me in from the start and I could not be more excited about being involved in this project!

For more info on this fantastic dream we are bringing to reality click on this link! #TheDoctorsDiary Any interest and sharing of this idea is much appreciated by everyone involved.

From now on I am going to be posting more details about this project and our progress in making it possible, clue you in to other projects in my life, and talk about issues and commentary about things in the fandom world. Hold on tight and thanks for jumping on to the roller coaster of my life. Enjoy the view and Geronimo!!