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Art to light the way

We know the world is pretty scary right now. Everyone is focused on the essentials – food, shelter and family. We here at The Geek Forge hope you are all safe and healthy.

We want to help however we can to get you through this time of uncertainty and stress. We’ve put together some links for some great artists who will help you pass the time.

Xavier Moss – https://www.deviantart.com/xaymontay/

” Someone has kidnapped Agent HoneyBee and Monkey ain’t got no time for games! Monkey is pissed!”

Sweet Magic Cosplay – https://www.facebook.com/sweetmagicosplay

Super Fit with Ree Cosplay – https://www.facebook.com/Superfitwithree

Dean’s Lyst – https://www.facebook.com/deanslyst.wd

Cosplay Your Way – https://www.instagram.com/cosplayyourway/

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Why handmade is more expensive, and why it should be

18th-century Beauty and the Beast

When my grandmother was a teenager, she had to drop out of high school to work in the textile mill when her father was injured on the job. After she got married, she continued with her sewing, making handmade clothes for her children. My mother learned to sew from my grandmother, but my mother didn’t have the same affection for it. In fact, the green metal Kenmore sewing machine sat at the bottom of the closet for months at a time, unless we had a chorus show that required altering dresses. As a result, my mother didn’t teach me to sew. I took a home economics class in middle school that taught us how to thread a needle, attach a button, and the basics of a sewing machine, although the shorts I made fell apart after their first washing. I went away to college, determined to be a programmer. When I discovered my math skills weren’t quite up to par, I switched to technical theatre. During that program, I had to take several costuming classes, including a class where we made costumes for upcoming shows. Sitting at that sewing machine, I realized how much I liked it — the hum of the machine, the hiss of the steam from the iron, the ability to take flat pieces of fabric and turn them into something useful and beautiful. It was art.

Continue reading Why handmade is more expensive, and why it should be
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Geeky Things to Do in the South – November 22-24

Looking for geeky things to do in the South this weekend? Check out these events!

1186803_731783673503365_796084814_n Chibi-Pa: Infinity (Deerfield Beach, FL) – An anime convention
VA_comicon_Header_Rev5_2013 VA Comicon (Richmond, VA) – We are pleased to announce the largest 2-day comic book event EVER in the state of Virginia with Guest of Honor Rob Liefeld on November 23-24!  This show is over 36,000+ square feet of space…10 times the size of our 1-day shows!  It is a show FOR fans, BY fans…and our guestlist so far proves it! With Fan favorite creators such as Rob Liefeld (The creator of Deadpool), James O’Barr (Creator of The Crow!) and classic comic creators like Herb Trimpe (the co-creator of Wolverine), our show is NOT to be missed!
Star-Wars-Logo Open Casting Call (Nashville, TN) – An open casting call to audition for the next Star Wars movie.  Check the link for the specifics.

 

Got a geeky event coming up you want us to know about or attend? Let us know! And check out our Calendar for future geek fun!

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A vote for a donation

logo_mmsWe’re in the home stretch now!  Voting for the Chase Mission Main Street Grants ends on Friday, and as of 7:54 EST, we’re 173 votes away from our goal.  We’ve been blown away by the support our fans, old and new, have shown us, and we’d like to give that support back.  For every vote we receive, even if we don’t get the 250 votes, we will donate a dollar to the Red Cross Typhoon Relief Fund for our friends in the Philippines.

We would like to take our business full time to be able to share our geek with the world.  We’d love to open a brick-and-mortar store not only to sell our products, but hold classes to teach others how to craft like us.  And we’d love to be able to do more for our community, both locally and globally.

Click here to vote for us, and thank you in advance!

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Geeky Events in the South – November 8-10

Looking for geeky things to do in the South this weekend? Check out these events!

 abccon_webpage_banner Chattanooga, TN – Anime Blast Chattanooga is an anime con based in scenic Chattanooga, TN! Since 2011 Anime Blast Chattanooga has helped the local Chattanooga fandom expand, while also attracting fans from neighboring states and beyond to our fair city. All our staffers and directors are anime fans ourselves, so we truly are a con by the fans for the fans. To further that ideal we strive to keep an open dialogue with fellow fans so we can truly make Anime Blast Chattanooga the con they want to see. We’re super excited for Anime Blast Chattanooga ’13, and we certainly hope you are too!
LOGO Charleston, SC – ATOMACON is a family-friendly, multi-genre, 3 day convention held annually in North Charleston, SC. The convention is created and run by fans for fans.
logomini2 Huntsville, AL – Anime Con in Huntsville!

 

Got a geeky event coming up you want us to know about or attend? Let us know! And check out our Calendar for future geek fun!

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Extra Life Charity

rift-extra-life-charity-eventOne of our favorite geeks is participating in Extra Life Charity this weekend.  Started in 2008, it’s an annual fall event halfway between a Light the Night style marathon and a phone-in TV special.  It’s taking all the best things of internet culture and crowdsourcing and turning it to a good cause.  Gamers of any shape, size, or inclination (from online RTS games to MMORPGs to console players and tabletop gamers) join up on the Extra Life page with a fundraising goal and then ask (beg) friends, family, or your online or other communities to make donations.  The “official play day” is 25 hours on or around Saturday, November 2, but the gamer can move the date or play all or none of the actual day–the fundraising happens either way, through the magic of the internet.  We’re earning the 1up, but sending it over to kids who can use it.

The best part is that each gamer is able to choose a hospital or Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) charity that benefits their local area (even worldwide) or one that’s close to their hearts.  Even though I live in Charlotte now, I choose Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as my hospital, as they saved my own life more than once when I was a kid.

 
This is different from Child’s Play, which is the other big name in gaming industry charity.  They hold auctions and golf tournaments and other donation avenues for “real industry” kind of folks, which goes toward putting games and entertainment in the hospitals for kids to play with.  Extra Life goes directly to the masses to raise funds for sick kids’ actual medical treatment, as the money goes to help support CMN hospitals, which provide treatment for sick kids regardless of the family’s ability to pay.
 
Individuals can sign up on their lonesome, or they can join a team for pooled fundraising (just like many other marathon-based charity fundraising).  I play a number of games with my gaming clan, F7Lans, but there are other big-name, well-known groups (reddit has the largest dollar figure so far this year).  Fundraisers are being given a free month of XSplit broadcasting service to facilitate an online stream (such as Twitch) for the event.  I don’t know if I’ll be able to set up a stream in time for the event, but either way, I’ll be at a keyboard asking good folks to donate to a good cause.

If you want to support our team goal this year ($500) you can read more of my story and donate on my page at http://www.extra-life.org/participant/Esca

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Geeky Events in the South – November 1-3

Looking for geeky things to do in the South this weekend? Check out these events!

2013oldheader Omaha, NE – Anime NebrasKon is a Japanese Animation and pop culture convention that is being held at the Ramada Plaza at 72nd and Grover in Omaha, Nebraska.
gmx_logo_final Franklin, TN – GMX (Geek Media Expo) is the Nashville Area’s Next Generation Mult-Fandom Convention. GMX features celebrity and media guests, artists, feature events, panels, workshops, contests, exhibitions and more across 21 ‘channels’ of pop culture content! Are you ready for Another 48 Hours of Cool?
Website-Header-2 Atlanta, GA – Stalk your favorite zombies and their hunters!
488081_474248722624382_1666046357_n Warner Robins, GA – Tabletop games, card games, cosplay and more!
1378055_10100658348141969_681210967_n Marietta, GA – Come and join us on the beautiful grounds of the LIFE University Campus to show off your costumes. Photographers, and Models will have their opportunity to take the Photos they want in the good company of their fellow cosplayers without the crowds, and hardships of trying to make a Cosplay last through a Convention Day.
560030_509520285765777_781519591_n Lexington, SC – Come to our next Games Day event at Firefly Toys & Games this Saturday (Nov 2) from Noon – 11PM. Come on out and support this great event benefiting the Children’s Miracle Health Network of hospitals. Donate as little or as much as you can, everything helps and will be most appreciated. Those who donate $20 will get double prize draws at this event.
1381252746 Marietta, GA – The next Marietta Comic/Anime Con is set for Nov. 3 at the Hilton Garden Inn on 3045 Windy Hill Rd., Atlanta, GA. 30339

Got a geeky event coming up you want us to know about or attend? Let us know! And check out our Calendar for even more geek fun!