Geek Out: Disney Princesses

Welcome to Geek Out! Let's talk about Disney Princesses, or to be more general, Disney Heroins. There is a huge fanbase comprised of what Disney could consider "out of target audience" age group and even gender for these female Disney characters. You could scroll into forever on tumblr and never reach the end of fanart, fanfiction, reviews, raves, and gifs in celebration of these animated ladies, but why is this so?

Disney Heroins are idols, but also can be identified with. Many little girls grew up with Jasmine, Ariel, Pocahontas, and Belle. They had strong wills, went after what they wanted, and ended up helping resolve some type of conflict either directly or indirectly. Oh, and they also looked pretty fab. Little girls bought their dolls, stationary, costumes, etc. Fast forward and lots of those little girls are now in their 20's and 30's, and some have taken that love with them to Adult Land because they see qualities or situations which connect them to those heroins.

What's keeping young adults interested in Disney Heroins? They keep getting better. Disney has been getting it very right lately. It's been what I liken to a reawakening of the Disney Heroins, and where I believe started with:

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

The Princess and the Frog was the first animated Disney film since Lilo and Stitch (2002) to feature prominent female characters and a female lead. Tiana is a hard worker with a dream, she has a wicked funny friend Lottie, there are great one liners, and who doesn't enjoy a love story. After the revival is what I consider the real concentration of awesome:

Tangled (2010)

Tangled came out a year later and upped the Disney Heroin game. A quirky, sassy, and adventurous Rapunzel with her trusty frying pan and chameleon are out to win your heart. There is humor, beautiful animation, and a compelling female lead who is more than just some damsel. I've seen this movie a couple times, and I've yet to stop enjoying it. Two years go by, but what awaits is well worth it:

Brave (2012)

"But Adela, Brave was made by Pixar!" It's STILL a Disney property, so you just hush up. A story about a wildly spirited young woman balancing freedom and family, who can't relate? You get laughs, action, and tear worthy moments. But the most successful new Disney Heroins to break into the scene have to be from:

Frozen (2013)

I have never felt so in sync with a Disney movie in the past 10 years as I did watching Frozen. Sisters Elsa and Anna have a compelling story, tongue in cheek humor, good musical numbers, and have issues you can relate to (I TOO can be an icy bitch). I went home and looked up anything I could to add to the fun I had just had, which included listening to the movie's soundtrack, reading fanfiction, and scrolling through endless gifs/fan art.

An emphasis on independent or growing female characters, more adult humor, and difficult life problems has made the Disney "Princess" movie a more grown up film to enjoy. I've seen adults with all sorts of memorabilia, accessories, and even tattoos celebrating their love for these great gals. Do you love all the Disney Princesses? Are you happy with this resurgence of strong female characters in the animated Disney pantheon? Comments are always welcome!

Geek Out: Orange Is The New Black

Welcome to Geek Out! Let's talk about the Netflix Original Series, Orange Is The New Black. This series premiered on Netflix July 11th, 2013. Yesterday I saw the first episode out of late night curiosity. I went in with pretty high expectations, as the other Netflix Original Series I had watched was Hemlock Grove. Hemlock Grove was an eerie, slow burn, science-fiction tragedy that I enjoyed immensely. The episode was one hour long and I found myself completely content with my decision to watch this series from start to finish.

So, what is Orange Is The New Black about? According to IMDB: The story of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling/Argo), a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to 15 months in prison after she is convicted of a decade old crime of transporting money for her drug dealing girlfriend (Laura Prepon/That 70's Show). Now, I'm only 1 episode in, but there are a lot of interesting characters, which are always referred to in prison by their last name or nickname. The big twist at the end of the first episode (It's a spoiler but come on it came out almost 2 months ago) is that the drug dealing girlfriend is in the same prison as Piper. Shocker!

Why is this Geek Out worthy? I have this thing, where if I'm not wholeheartedly into a series, book, movie, or game, then I'm simply not going to waste my time. So anything I do watch, read, listen to, or play is something I'm a huge fan of. I'm apart of its fandom. So if I'm telling you about this, it's geeky to me. Plus the cast reads a ton of books, so they must be geeky.

Well put. Good lesson for all of us. Have you watched Orange Is The New Black? Did you like it? Why or why not? Comments are always welcome!

Geek Out: Worbla Thermoplastic

Welcome to Geek Out! Let's talk about Worbla. For those of you who don't know, Worbla is a brand of thermoplastic sheet you can heat in several different ways for it to become pliable to fit molds or be manipulated into a shape (kind of like putty). This material hardens fast, is sandable, and is ideal if you plan on using multiple layers, seeing as how the heated Worbla will stick to other sheets. It can be primed, varnished, and painted as well.

So, what can you use Worbla for? Really, it's up to you. Now, what I've seen Worbla used most impressively for is Cosplay. In case you didn't know, Cosplay is short for "costume play" where you can wear costumes and accessories (you can buy or make yourself) to represent a character from a work of fiction (that includes things you make up). There are obviously degrees of technicality with Worbla, going from simple accessories to full on suits of armor complete with helmet and weapons.

Picture right from Worbla's website of a contestant at Blizzard's Costume Contest in 2012.

Crazy impressive right? So what do people say in general about Worbla use? I've heard people swear by it when it comes to crafting props, accessories, and outfit elements. A con for some could be the fact that because it's so easy to stretch and flex, breaking it can also be easy, but that can be said for another commonly used material, Wonderflex. The biggest compliment (and relief) I've heard about the material is even first time users can craft with it pretty simply, and can work on progressively more challenging projects as they get more comfortable.

Where can you buy the stuff? The internet knows no bounds. Cosplay Supplies carries different sized sheets for a pretty penny, but quality is never cheap my friends.

So why am I so interested in Worbla? I'm glad you asked! I'd like to believe most of you know I am head over heels for a one Mr. Laufeyson. Loki is a character I'd be proud to attempt to cosplay as. A lot of the elements of the outfit I feel would look best with the use of Worbla. I'm really determined to do a Lady Loki outfit for MegaCon 2014 in Orlando, Florida.

Way impressive Lady Loki Cosplay by Atra Cosplay.

Have you ever used Worbla before? What are your thoughts on it? What other projects would you use Worbla for? Comments are always welcome!

When Did I Make An Official Posting Schedule?

I played around a little, and asked for feedback, on what sort of categorized set up I'd like to do for the blog starting post 100. I got some good comments, and came up with this:

• Motley Mondays: A round up of what I’m expecting to happen during the week and whatever else is in my head that I feel like sharing.
• Get In My Belly: Tuesdays are about sharing the food porn. Baking or cooking, I’ll share my favorite recipes I found on the internet since last we met, and share my own successes.
• Cheese with My Whine: It’s Wednesday, and you know what? I’ll have something to complain about.
• Thanks A Million: Let’s even out yesterday with what I’m feeling thankful for this week. No, it won’t ALWAYS be my husband. Sorry James.
• Geek Out: Is it tech? Is it pop culture? Does it have to do with fangirling? It's here.
• Creative Writing: Saturday is about sitting down and doing a little anything goes writing.
• Sunday: Day Off. Come on, I need one day to myself. Don’t worry, Motley Mondays will fill you in on anything you missed.

I'm a little apprehensive about making any of these entries video blogs. The time may come where I feel more like talking then typing, but that's going to be down the road. 

Always feel free to comment, critic, or make suggestions. Thanks for reading!