From the EiC: Thank you so much for joining us for our month long tribute to our favorite Lady Nerds. It did sooo well, and we’ll definitely be celebrating more nerds with you next March. Til then, keep on appreciating your favorite Lady Nerds. We started the series with Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) from the original STAR TREK and we’re ending it with Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) from STAR TREK: VOYAGER. As you might have guessed by now, we here at Fierce and Nerdy love us some STAR TREK. Jersey Joe says… Kate Mulgrew, best known as Captain Katherine Janeway from STAR TREK: VOYAGER, could quite possibly be one of the finest actresses on stage or screen. The role of Janeway was demanding for the actress, who had to endure long hours of filming with some outlandish acting situations. But through it all, she managed to grow the character. She took Janeway from tough as nails at the start of the voyage to letting her hair down and becoming a friend and guide by the end. Along the way she was able to step out of the role and play such oddities as the queen of the Spider People or a tavern owner who was secretly fighting Nazis. She even got assimilated by and then defeated the Borg! With each character Mulgrew plays, whether on stage, screen, or film; she gives subtle hints and gestures to allow the audience to truly see and feel what her character is experiencing. From a small grin with a piece of pecan pie to sheer hints of sadness when her husband sends her a Dear John letter, it is those little moments that allowed Mulgrew to truly open up her character to the audience. Take a very close...
A Cautionary Comic for Writers and Tananarive Due [One More Thing Before We Go] [XXOO]...
posted by T.E. Hibbard
The below comic has me wondering if we should create a “funny because it’s true” category for FaN. I mean … Oh, and speaking of writers, our second-to-last Lady Nerd of the month is Tananarive Due. From Ernessa: “MY SOUL TO KEEP by Tananarive Due is literally the first horror novel written by a black writer that I ever came across, and since then she’s become one of my favorite writers of all time. I love that she can tackle several genres well, from horror to sci-fi to mystery — she even has a zombie novel coming out this summer with her (fellow nerd writer) husband, Steven Barnes. Wha??? C’mon now, how am I not going to put her name in for one of this month’s featured Lady Nerds?” That all praised, here’s “A Cautionary Comic for Writers” by Debbie Ridpath Ohi via Writer’s Unboxed...
Steampunk Disney Characters, Including Today’s Lady Nerd [One More Thing Before We Go] [XXOO]...
posted by T.E. Hibbard
How much do we love these steampunk versions of Disney characters by DeViant artist, Mecanique Fairy. Our favorites are below but go HERE to see the full set. ~via The Mary Sue Today’s Lady Nerd, appropriately enough, is Mulan from the eponymous Disney film. One of the few Disney Princess who wasn’t actually a princess, we love her can-do spirit, her grit, her bravery, and most of all, her clevernesss. Mulan teaches girls that you don’t necessarily need brawn when you can clever your way out of most predicaments. Pocahantas: Evil Queen (Snow White): Mickey and Minnie: Maleficent: Ursula: Nightmare Before...
The Girl Scouts ROCK and Are Apparently in the Candy Business Now [One More Thing Before We Go][XXOO]...
posted by T.E. Hibbard
Because so many fierce nerds we know started out as Girl Scouts, we’ve decided make them our Lady Nerds of the Day. But more importantly, did you know there’s now Girl Scout Cookie Candy??? I think we need a Jersey Joe review...
Joe Rusin Admires Sarah Vowell So Much, He Doesn’t Find Her Voice Annoying (Anymore) [XXOO]...
posted by Joe Rusin
Sarah Vowell is one of my favorite writers. Period. When I first heard her read some of her work on THIS AMERICAN LIFE, I found her voice annoying, and ignored her for a long time. Then I forced myself to actually listen to her, and fell in love with her essays that mix humor, personal experience, and American History. In her telling of one historical event, General Lafayette’s tour of America during his twilight years, she reduced me to tears. And I’ve re-listened to it, and cried again. And again. Not because it’s sad, but because she manages to find in history the human soul. And she makes me so pleased to be an American, embracing both our historical shames and triumphs. She is a writer of ideas and heart, and can be as funny as David Sedaris, but also much more poignant. And after reading her and listening to her again, I find her voice isn’t really that annoying, it’s just different. And in Sarah Vowell’s America, there is plenty of room for people to be...
I Less Than Three Tara & Willow from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER [Nerdy Ish We Found on Etsy] [XXOO]...
posted by T.E. Hibbard
First up, if your loved one doesn’t appreciate this I <3 You notecard, then s/he ain’t nerdy enough to be with you. Seriously consider moving on. Get yours from Etsy seller InsomniaStudios for $4.99. Speaking of Nerd Love, today’s special Lady Nerd couple is Tara & Willow from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. If I have to explain why they’re awesome Lady Nerds, then you need to stop reading this blog now. I’m totally serious. Go away and don’t come back. [EIC’s NOTE: No, don’t stop reading the blog, but you really do need to watch this series. It’s pretty horrible if you haven’t...
Baby Superheroes and Michonne from THE WALKING DEAD [One More Thing Before We Go] [XXOO]...
posted by T.E. Hibbard
How cute is this Baby Avengers vs. Baby X-men by Skottie Young? Speaking of heroes, we’re very excited that THE BORING WALKING DEAD has finally cast the role of Michonne with the excellent actress, Danai Gurira (TREME). So in honor of that, this lawyer turned bad-ass zombie slayer is today’s lady...
Amy Robinson Hearts Sarah Jane Smith [XXOO]
posted by Amy Robinson
When I was around 11 years old, the local PBS station started playing episodes of Doctor Who. I immediately fell in love, with the show, The Doctor and his companions. When The Doctor brought Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) on board, I was transfixed by her. The character was like no other companion before. She challenged him, refusing to be anything other than his equal. At 11 years old, I was probably to young to understand that her insistence that humans were just as important, intelligent, capable and brave as a Time Lord, given equal circumstances, was a metaphor for the female population standing up for their rights. Sarah Jane taught me to not be embarrassed by my brains, my wit or my own fear, but to embrace them and bravely charge...
Saturn Earrings -Christa McAuliffe & Astronaut Ellen Ochoa [Nerdy Ish We Found on Etsy] [XXOO]...
posted by T.E. Hibbard
Hey Nerds, we found these purty cute Saturn earrings on Etsy. Click here to pick yours up from $12 at the Lily Pickford shop. And just in case you’re wondering or don’t remember, Christa McAuliffee was the hero/teacher/astronaut/earring-inspirer who died in the Challenger explosion. And speaking of astronauts, today’s Lady Nerd is Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go into...
The Conflicted Introvert by Dana Zemack & Eleanor Roosevelt [One More Thing Before We Go] [XXOO]...
posted by T.E. Hibbard
This comic is funny because (as any artistic introvert can tell you) it’s true. ~via Jezebel Speaking of conflicted introverts, today’s Lady Nerd is the reportedly introverted, Eleanor...
Lego Patent Drawing from 1958 and Octavia Butler [One More Thing Before We Go] [XXOO]...
posted by T.E. Hibbard
Let’s all take a moment to admire this LEGO patent drawing from 1958, and get lost in nerdy childhood memories. ~via LikeCool And after we’re done doing that, give a wave to today’s Lady Nerd, Octavia Butler. She was nominated by Ernessa, who said, “I didn’t know any black women were even writing sci-fi until I stumbled across her first book, DAWN, in a bookstore in Beijing. I only found the store because I was super-duper lost, and trying to find some other place. For whatever reason it had a whole basement filled with English-language books. Once I left, I was never able to find it again. Probably because I have zero orientation skills, but also maybe because it was the Brigadoon of book shops. In any case, I’ve always attributed finding that first Octavia Butler book to magic.”...
Lord of the States & Mary Blair [One More Thing Before We Go]
posted by T.E. Hibbard
So, I guess it would pretty impossible for a blog called Fierce and Nerdy to not love this map of the U.S. done up Lord of the Rings style. Here’s the story behind the map from i09: [R]edditor Jvlivs has made Middle Earth-ified America a reality. Jvlivs originally drew the map on what looks like 1/4″ rule graph paper, using red pen to divide the country up into six “mega states” [see the original here]. But with a little help from fellow redditors vede and Lizardbreath, Jvlivs wound up with the gridless, antiqued version of the map that you see up [below]. And speaking of cool art, today’s Lady Nerd is Disney artist, Mary Blair. Gudrun Cram-Drach nominated her for the mood pic spot, and a blogger Brandy Bratcher sums her up quite nicely here. Basically, if you love CINDERELLA, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, PETER PAN, or the Small World ride, you should love Mary...
Missy Kulik Says “I Like You” Amy Sedaris [XXOO]
posted by Missy Kulik
March is National Women’s Month, so we’ve decided to admire the heck out of favorite lady nerds with our special XXOO features. Here’s Missy Kulik from Dork Lifestyle: One of my favorite nerdy women would be Amy Sedaris. I admire her because she simply does her thing, is good at it, and she is funny. And, she is a DIY queen – have you seen her craft books? Like me, Amy also has pet rabbits, loves vintage and collects Blythe dolls, too. Here’s the picture I submitted for a Blythe “Heroes” contest. I made my Blythe doll pose like Amy Sedaris from her book, I LIKE...
Liz Lemon vs. Carrie Bradshaw — Frankie Says..[XXOO]
posted by Frankie V
Frankie Says… Tina Fey is my idol. When I first started writing, I thought of myself as a very young Carrie Bradshaw – all gumption and glory, no consequences or catastrophes. But through the last two-and-a-half years there have been a few consequences and some minor, but significant catastrophes in my freelance writing world. I am a more cautious and thoughtful writer now. Moreover, I use a pseudonym so that I can, when necessary, write like a complete jerk who doesn’t have to deal with consequences or catastrophes. Nowadays, I see myself more as a Liz Lemon (nee Tina Fey) than a Carrie Bradshaw. Two years in and I don’t own any Jimmy Choos, I don’t have an awesome East Village apartment, and I definitely don’t have a stream of good-looking men I get to sleep with and then throw away. Instead, I have a modest apartment in Los Angeles, a tiny closet full of Nine West shoes, and I wear sweatpants and t-shirts about two-thirds of the week. Like Liz/Tina, I have nasty habits that include eating breakfast standing up in my miniscule kitchen wearing only underwear, cutting my toenails in bed where I find bits of nail sticking into my side about a week later, and wearing inappropriate outfits to either get me in to something or out of something (think Liz in full Princess Lea gear to get out of jury duty). The guys I end up dating for very short periods of time are a) crazy (Matt Damon aka “Carol Burnett”), b) losers (Dean Winters aka “Dennis Duffy”), or c) possess weird quirks that even quirky me can’t get over (Jon Hamm aka “Drew Baird”). But don’t be fooled by me ripping Liz/Tina apart and putting myself on that same...