Geeking Out at Oz Comic Con

I've been feeling a bit like Austin Powers lately - that is, that I've lost my mojo. I know it happens to us all, but ultimately one learns that it was there the whole time, you'd just lost touch with it!

One way to rejuvenate your mojo and really get those creative juices flowing is to hang out with people who share your interests and be inspired by what they are creating. So it was very timely that Oz Comic Con Brisbane happened at the Convention Centre on the weekend!

The only pop culture/scifi/fantasy/geekdom con I'd ever been to before is Supanova. I found Oz Comic Con quite different - bigger, better and a more inclusive vibe. The cosplay game was seriously On Point too - I was just walking around in awe most of the time, feeling a bit left out! When you're not in costume and you're in the minority, that's a pretty odd feeling!

We checked out the interactive spaces (art, gaming, kids) and stalls for a while before grabbing a bite to eat. I was lined up between gender-bent Marty McFly & a steampunk lady explorer. 

We headed over to the big stage to war Richard Dean Anderson's talk next. He answered a lot of questions about both Stargate and Macgyver, was a funny guy. 

We could have spent oodles of money on cool things, from authorised merch to handmade crafts, but in the end we just got some stickers and patches. 

Oz Comic Con was a heck of a lot of fun! I highly recommend it to anyone with a love of all things cult and pop culture-y. 

*I was a guest of Oz Comic Con and received a free double pass to attend. Not a sponsored post. 

Oz Comic-Con 2015 Giveaway

I'm noticing a trend in 2015. And that trend is that being a geek is going mainstream.

In between a plethora of Marvel movies and the huge popularity of Game of Thrones, more and more people are getting into what was previously the domain of nerds - comic books, science fiction and fantasy, animation and cult movies.

Back when I was a young geek, it was a fairly lonely old life. It wasn't until I got to university and found The Internet that I discovered there were people out there who loved Star Wars! And Tolkien! It was like finding my tribe.

Flashforward a few years and now you can find geeks everywhere. They're at your work, making coffee and talking about why Jon Snow Knows Nothing. They're in cinema foyers, munching popcorn in their Captain America t-shirt.

And, joyfully, geeks can now congregate at conventions like Oz Comic-Con. We can dress up as our favourite characters, chatter with other like-minded folk about the latest fandom news; and most exciting of all... chat to our favourite actors, authors and artists!

Oz Comic-Con is coming to Brisbane in September and I've got 2 x family passes (that's 2 x adults and 2 x children) to give away. It's on at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 19-20 September, enter to win! Each pass is for the WHOLE WEEKEND and is worth $160. Check out the con website to see what guests are expected. If you're a Stargate fan, you'll be particularly excited. Plus there's plenty of other cool stuff to see, experience and buy.

To be in the running, just leave a comment below (along with a way for me to contact you) and tell me - if you had an an unlimited Cosplay budget, who would you dress up as? [THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED]

Me, I've already been a Jedi, but if I had oodles of money and time I've always wanted to try the Kaylee's Layer Cake Dress from Firefly!

Terms and Conditions:
This is a game of skill. Chance plays no part. Open only to Australia residents. This competition closes 11.59pm AEST Tues 1st September 2015. Winners will be announced Wed 2nd September. Prize is not transferable and is not redeemable for cash.

Defining the Nerd

It was with interest that I read that the new series premiere of Doctor Who will be simulcast in Australia, so we get it at the same time as the UK. When did this show become so popular that this can happen? I remember when the series reboot started, only one of my friends watched it. Now everyone's a fan!

But I submit to you that there are not more nerds than there were before. I believe it's actually just more acceptable to "own up" to liking "nerdy" things now. 

Who knows why? I suspect it's the internet's fault. Well do I remember the joy and relief from 15 years ago of finding other people online who loved Star Wars as much as I did. It was so unbelievably reassuring. If you love something - doesn't matter if it's astronomy or Sailor Moon - you can find a community of people on the internet that you could never build in real life.

 Yes that's a very bad pic of me dressed as a Jedi for the premiere of Return of the Sith!

I find it interesting that only certain passions are considered "nerdy". If a nerd is a person who intensely likes something but why is a sports fan or motorhead not considered to be one? The definition of nerdiness seemed previously only to encompass scientific and pop culture interests. That's significant, don't you think? I wonder why.

I do however think the word is being applied in a wider context now. I have heard non-internetty people describe themselves as "family history nerds" or "gardening geeks". It's a slightly self-deprecating way of saying "I'm really into this thing that I think that you might think is slightly daggy or uncool".

I say we should embrace it. Ten years ago I would have been completely flabbergasted by the sight of a girl wearing Black Milk Harry Potter tights at the train stationg but now I think to myself "You are awesome and I'd probably like you".

Are you a nerd about something? Do you embrace it or are you still slightly embarrassed by it?