G33k Out With Angie Fiedler Sutton

I first heard about what is known as WhedonCon back in 2016, when I wrote an article for SciFi4Me about it changing its name. It, like GallifreyOne, is a Los Angeles-based con that I first heard about once I moved here.  Since that initial article, I'd kept my eye on it and started seeing posts from one of the people who run it in some of my other geeky groups. Marsia Powers is a Los Angeles real estate agent by day, Whedon fan by ... well, by all free time? She not only helps manage the con, but she also helps run the fan sites Whedonopolis and Fandomopolis, which you may have noticed I've written for occasionally in the past year.  I set down with Marsia and talked about Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon, being a fan, and WhedonCon.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

This is part of a new series of episodes that will be me playing around with audio. These episodes will be produced on no particular deadline - just when I have the time and energy. They also will be published on my feed at times that don't compete with the (somewhat) regular schedule of G33K Out. And, so you can skip them if you want, they will all start with the title "Contents May Vary".  First up: friend of the podcast Angelique Jurd writes male/male romance, and last year had released a fun short story for free. Knowing I wanted to delve into playing around with audio, I asked if she would be open to me attempting to do an audio version of the story. She agreed.  Here's the story description:  Jay tells himself that he doesn't mind spending Valentine's Day alone. Again. His friends, however, have different plans and insist on setting him up on a blind date at a gay vegan cooking class. Jay agrees on the condition that if he goes, they'll leave him alone in the future. He doesn't count on t

 I've been a fan of the Reduced Shakespeare Company (and their podcast) for a long time. In fact, I jokingly refer to Austin Tichenor, the one who does the weekly podcast, as the 'honorary godfather' of G33K Out, as that podcast was one of the many influences on G33K Out, and its predecessor Stage Savvy.  If you're unfamiliar with their work, the RSC has been around since 1981, and started with a variation of what's now know as The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) at various Renaissance fairs. They've been touring their latest production, William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (Abridged), including a stop in Los Angeles.  I sat down with Austin Tichenor and Reed Martin of the RSC. We talked about being an actor and playwright, how things have changed when they first started, and the various details of working together and doing comedy.   For complete show notes, go to my website.

Petrea Burchard is an actor, author, audiobook narrator, and voiceover  artist. We met at a writer's group we both belong to, when Petrea did a  presentation on audiobooks. As someone who listens to audiobooks when I  have time in-between listening to podcasts, I was already intrigued. But  when she said she was the original English voice of Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo, she had me hooked.   Petrea has written two books, has narrated the Westwick Witches mystery  series, and has done both stage and screen, among other things. We talk  about all of this, and more.   For complete show notes, go to my website. 

 For my second roundtable, we discuss shipping -- and some of the taboos that come out of it.   For complete show notes, go to my website. 

 Fangirling is an art. I talk to one of the women behind the podcast Your Biggest Fangirl, Victoria Male.   For complete show notes, go to my website. 

In the second of my ongoing series where I interview women in the geek community about their experiences, I talk to Baker Street Babe Sora Reyes. For complete show notes, go to my website.

 Hansi Oppenheimer is a filmmaker who has considered herself a fangrrl since at least the age of 6, but wanted to explore what it meant to be a woman in fandom. What was originally going to be a feature film turned into the ongoing YouTube documentary project, Squee! The Fangrrl Project. I sat down with Hansi and talked about what it means to be a fangirl, her approach to creating the documentary, and where she wants to go from here.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

 Nikola Tesla is considered by many geeks to be an unsung hero of the 20th century. The inventor of alternating current and many other ideas that we now use regularly, the man is hardly known outside of the geek realms outside of in a vague way. Composer Aaron Guzzo was fascinated by the man, and decided to write a musical based on his life. I sat down with Guzzo and discussed the musical, his process as a composer, and how he got from Indiana to Los Angeles and how that helped bring the musical to life.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

 There’s been a lot of talk in the last few months about the toxicity in the Star Wars fandom, specifically in the backlash against The Last Jedi. How it connects to women and people of color in fandom is not an accident. So, I got together with some women to discuss the female perspective on the issue.   For complete show notes, go to my website.

 Back in June, I attended the red carpet premiere for the short movie about Ulugh Beg, and had a chance to talk to some of the people involved. For complete show notes, go to my website.

 On June 7, I was lucky enough to attend the red carpet for the series finale of the Netflix show Sense8. Much of the cast was there, and there was a sense of sadness and hope as I interviewed them.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

Tom Smith has been filking since the 1980s, and has a loyal fanbase ranging around the world. He’s been recognized by Dr. Demento and Larry Niven, and more. He’s been nominated (and won) a boatload of Pegasus Awards, which recognizes excellence in filking. We talk about what got him into filking, how he deals with the world today, and his process for writing music.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

Back in 2014, I decided I wanted to start a series of interviews with women in the community to discuss what it was like. I finally am getting around to producing some of those interviews. Supriya and I met, as mentioned in the interview, thanks to a Facebook Sherlock fan group for those in Southern California. At the time, she worked for Geek and Sundry, although now she works for DeviantArt. Originally from the Silicon Valley area, she moved to Los Angeles to look for work. We talk Harry Potter, Reddit, and other topics.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

 If you know me at all, you know I've been a fan of Doctor Who for most of my life. I’ve written about it extensively on this website. So, when I had the chance at a ticket for this year's Gallifrey One, I jumped at the chance. Here are my thoughts.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

 In February, I had the chance to attend the red carpet premiere of Living Among Us, a movie shot in the style of a documentary that assumes vampires are real and just made themselves public. (Yes, I do bring up the similarities to What We Do In the Shadows, although as the trailer shows, it’s more in the vein of Blair Witch Project.) While there, I interviewed a wide range of people, both there as part of the movie and just to support it. For complete show notes, go to my website.

 Last year, when I attended the 2017 Writers of the Future Awards, I got a chance to interview author Kevin J. Anderson, who was one of the judges. Alas, the audio went to The Bad Place, lost in the ether. However, he thankfully was happy enough to do a phone interview with me later that month. For complete show notes, go to my website.

Last October, I got to yet again attend Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con, formerly known as Comikaze. My second time attending, this time I only went one day. This convention, now in its sixth year, was Los Angeles’ first major comic convention. As with any convention, there were plenty of panels, celebrities, and artists and vendors to go about.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

 Back in April, I attended the 2017 Writers of the Future Awards. While there, I was lucky enough to connect with author Nancy Kress, who was one of the judges. Author of 27 novels, 3 books on writing, and many, MANY short stories, she’s won 6 Nebulas and 2 Hugo Awards. I managed to do a phone interview with her, where we talked about her writing process, the differences between science fiction and fantasy, and her advice to new writers.  For complete show notes, go to my website.

 On August 22, in partnership with the online fundraising platform Omaze and Make-a-Wish, there was a live tribute to him. Hosted by Chris Hardwick, Extraordinary: Stan Lee boasted a wide range of celebrities coming out to honor the creator. I managed to get on the red carpet and get some interviews down with some of them.   For complete show notes, go to my website.