Geek Herring

Cosplay, or costume play, is more than just dressing up as your favourite character for Halloween. The dedication cosplay artists put into their costume goes above and beyond anything you could imagine to get every details of their character’s costume right. From sewing custom outfits to melting bits of foam together to create those extra large fantasy swords, there’s no better way to describe it than dedication, passion, and talent. Today’s guest, Anna, has been cosplaying for over a decade and has some pretty impressive titles under her belt!

Anna as the German Representative at Eurocosplay 2012, won World Cosplay Summit 2014, and the European Cosplay Gathering 2017. Her passion lies in Japanese culture and she is most often bringing characters to life from the Final Fantasy franchise. 

In today’s episode, you’ll find out:

• How Anna got into cosplay and what it’s meant to her life
• What it’s like attending a worldwide cosplay convention hosted in Japan
• What the ups and downs of the cosplay community are
• How cosplay has no problems and all the problems at the same time
• Why cosplay celebrates body positivity
• How gender is approached and celebrated through cosplay

Find Anna on her website | Twitter | Instagram

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily Yours,
 Monika & Amanda

Special Guest: Anna.

Support Geek Herring

Happy holidays from Geek Herring! Monika and Amanda are talking all things Christmas. From the latest controversies attacking historical holiday favourites, to Amanda's obsession with Hallmark Christmas movies, and gifts the geeky girls in your life will love.

In this episode:

• What Amanda and Monika's Christmas traditions are
• Why there's such controversy over holiday classics such as "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
• What's happening with Santx
• Why Hallmark Christmas movies are the best things ever
• What to buy the geek girls in your life

We referenced the following:

This Hallmark Christmas movie script written by a bot is the Christmas movie we all need

Girls Resist! A Guide to Activism, Leadership, and Starting a Revolution

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily Yours,
 Amanda & Monika 

Support Geek Herring

TV is an important part of Geek Culture and can be the foundation for many geek girls out there. Amanda and Monika definitely have their fair share to say about TV Shows in the 90s - the start of a golden era for strong female characters on television. 

While not everything they have lost themselves in would classify as geeky per se, the sheer passion for it definitely counts as geeky as far as our hosts are concerned. 

What animated series was your favourite? Ever heard of COPS? Did you wish to be one of the Ninja Turtles? On a level from 1 to fangirl how much into Buffy the Vampire Slayer are you? 

Tune in and see if you can recall as many awesome series as we can. Or share with us on social what we missed. 

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily Yours,
 Amanda & Monika 

Support Geek Herring

Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: "YAY" or "OMG I can't believe that." The latest and greatest news in November 2018 covers America's midterm election, Facebook and females working in games, Women in Antarctica, Science and sexual harassment, Female actresses talk money and more!

In this second episode of Geek Girl in the News, we covered these news stories:

• American MidTerm Elections
• Facebook helped Launch a Documentary Series to Inspire Girls to create games
• First-Ever All-Female Antarctic Expedition Busts Women's Endurance Myth
• Enough is Enough! Science, too, has a problem with harassment
• SCREEN QUEENS With Ellen Pompeo, Emma Roberts, Gina Rodriguez & Gabrielle Union
• Uncharted Power Founder Jessica O. Matthews On Building The Anti-Silicon Valley Energy Startup
• Google Removes gendered pronouns from Gmail’s smart compose to avoid AI Bias

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring

The soundtracks that bring our video games to life are mindblowingly awesome and can be completely life-changing to listen to. Would it surprise you to learn that almost 90% of game music is written by men? Women, like today’s guest Karina Pardus from Coy Compositions, are challenging gender inequality in music composition. 

In today’s episode, you’ll find out:

• How Karina balances being a music composer while raising a geeky family
• What the ratio of men to women in music production is
• Why many women feel like outsiders when first starting in the video game industry
• How we can challenge gender inequality in our careers
• How you can get started composing music in the video game industry
• What we can do to encourage young geek girls to pursue a passion for creating video game music

Find Karina and Coy Compositions on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Patreon

Mentioned resources:

Soundgirls.org
Women in Game Jobs
Women in Games International
Women’s Audio Mission
International Game Developers Association
GANG - Game Audio Network Guild
Utah Digital Entertainment Network

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily Yours,
 Monika & Amanda

Special Guest: Karina Pardus.

Support Geek Herring

Potterheads near and far were looking forward to the new addition to the Wizarding World: Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald. While the fanbase is excited to find out what happens to Newt, Tina, Queenie, Jacob, and - most importantly - the Niffler, one specific cast choice however, gave a lot of people reason for criticism. 

Around the same time that the first adaption of the series came out in 2016, Johnny Depp was accused of abusing his wife Amber Heard. Even though the case seems to be settled (with a big privacy clause attached that prevents both parties to talk about it) fans are NOT pleased.

We discuss our views on this topic in the light of the current #MeToo movement and as hardcore Potterheads ourselves.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily Yours,
 Amanda & Monika 

Support Geek Herring

There are few things like the Geek Girl Community. It can be one of the most supportive environments to be in online, whether you're connecting through forums, in game, social media, or in person. This episode is dedicated to our lost geek girl sister, Cheryl Baker-Carre. Your fellow geek girls are thinking of you and your family <3

In this episode of Geek Herring: 

• Why making friends on the internet can literally save your life
• What can cause some geek girls to reject others, especially newer geek girls
• Why it's important to be open to and nurture geeky friendships
• How the geek girl community is especially awesome for trans people
• Plus loads of real life examples from and shout outs to the geek girl community

If you're able to donate to Cheryl's GoFundMe, please do. Anything you can would be appreciated by the family.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring

Geek Girl in the News looks at the awesome or not so awesome news that will make you go either: "YAY" or "OMG I can't believe that." The latest and greatest news in October 2018 covers Doctor Who, Superheroes, Scientists, GirlCons and more!

In this very first episode of Geek Girl in the News, we covered these news stories:

• Record ‘Doctor Who’ Ratings Prove Jodie Whittaker Brings Big Audiences
• Hex appeal: how Netflix's Sabrina taps into the rising feminist passion for witches
• Five ways the Simpsons could tackle the 'Apu problem'
• Girls Want - and Need - More Female Superheroes
• Students Create World’s First Bricks Made from Human Urine
• ‘Geek Girl’ gamers are more likely to study science and technology degrees
• Self-Proclaimed ‘Geeks’ Unite at GeekGirlCon

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily yours,
 Amanda & Monika

Support Geek Herring

World of Warcraft has always been ahead of the curve, but latest expansion, Battle for Azeroth, has seen an explosion of strong female characters. Jaina, Sylvanas, Azshara, and Talanji all vie for the top spot in our hearts while side characters give us the girl power vibes we love.

This week on Geek Herring, we’re joined by Sil from Whispers of War, a World of Warcraft podcast, to talk all about the Glorious Ladies of Warcraft.

In this episode of Geek Herring, you’ll find out: 

• What strong female characters stole our hearts before Battle for Azeroth
• Why Jaina is the fiercest witch of the west
• How we really feel about Sylvanas as the Horde warchief
• What Monika thought of the Azshara Warbringers
• Who our favourite female side character is
• And more!

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

You can find Sil:

Whispers of War Twitter
Whispers of War on Podbean and iTunes or wherever you normally get your podcasts!

Geekily Yours,
 Monika & Amanda 

Special Guest: Sil.

Support Geek Herring

How many times have YOU, fellow geek girls, been accused of not playing games?! Or maybe you've checked out the #geekgirl hashtag on Instagram and been a bit... dismayed.

Let's investigate these stereotypes and see how we, as geek girls and female identifying geeks, can start to change the stigma.

In this episode of Geek Herring, you’ll find out:

• What the reality of being a geek girl in a male dominated culture really is
• How stereotypes, especially negative ones, affect our identity
• Where the phrase “geek girl” came from and how it’s adapted through the years
• How the Gamer Girl rose to dominate the geek girl persona
• What geek girls look like from the outside and how they actually are
• How geek girls are represented in pop culture
• How geek girls fit into the geek world at large

Resources and Links:

The Harsh Reality of Being a Female Nerd
13 Things You Should Know Before Dating a Nerdy Girl
GeekGirl.org

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please check out some of our others! And don’t forget to leave an iTunes review and check us out on social media: @geekherring on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also find us on our website and over on Patreon!

Geekily Yours,
 Monika & Amanda

Support Geek Herring