GMX Wrap up – as always, SO FUN!
In our family we always look forward to GMX – it’s the most fun con of the year for us!
ROAD TRIP!
So, Geek Media Expo (GMX) was the second con to have GeekGirlsRun as guests/panelists (DragonCon was the first – <3 the Kaleidoscope Track!), and GMX was the very FIRST con to have an OFFICIAL Geek Girls Run (GGR) fun run! Our previous two fun runs at Origins Game Fair and DragonCon were unofficial, though well attended events. (I was attending GMX as an Author guest & co-founder of GGR).
Me & Betsy, 2 of the 3 co-founders of GeekGirlsRun. WE MISSED YOU, CAITLIN!
The convention started off with a bang for me & Betsy with our very first event being a “Meet Geek Girls Run” panel. It was very different from our DragonCon panel in that, where our DragonCon panel was attended almost exclusively by women and we discussed everything from how to make a running costume to what sort of sports bra a large breasted woman should invest in, our GMX panel was predominantly attended by men.
We were thrown a bit for a loop at first, yet delighted that people seem to take our message of “Geek Girls Run is for everyone regardless of gender, age, race, size, or ability” to heart! Or maybe they just thought it was a panel about Geek Girls. 😉 Regardless we had a lot of great discussion again covering how to make a running costume, only this time instead of talking about feminine issues when running, my husband, Ron, came in and addressed the issues most men have to deal with: nipple and groin area chafing.
We found it very amusing that at our DragonCon panel we women were very open and comfortable discussing our running challenges of dealing with big boobs and menstruation, but the men at GMX seemed very uncomfortable talking openly about bleeding nipples and chafing in their nether regions. Heh.
Ron was awesome & jumped in and handle the discussion like a champ! <3
The next day (Saturday), we had our first official GGR Fun Run! We had so many people show up, all ages, all sorts of costumes, and some just in running gear (as you can see in the pic), and one Tony Stark even ran in actual jeans! (Ron also ran as Tony Stark, but his jeans were actually pajama jeans). We broke into two groups: runners and walkers (which contained at least one zombie!).
IT NEVER GETS OLD!
I FEEL STALKED
GIVE ME BACK MY HAMMER
I led our walkers out first as Thor, and about 7 minutes after, Betsy (as Loki) led the runners. It was a about a 1.8 mile course along a lovely scenic drive and the highlight was passing the PUFFY MUFFIN. 😀 Both groups ended around the same time, and as with the DragonCon run run, the first runners formed a victory tunnel for the finishers to run through. It was AWESOME and we loved how great a turn out we had!
LOL I don’t even know… THORNY Stark?
Ashlee’s AWESOME panel on upcycling!
Betsy premiered her new superhero themed athletic headbands. They’re based on your favorite superhero’s colors (like Black Widow, Ironman, Captain America, Ms. Marvel, etc), and lined in velvet so they don’t slip off your head when you wear them. They’re all handmade with love by Betsy and you can get them in the Official Geek Girls Run Etsy shop!
STAND BACK, WE ARE SCIENCING! Doctor Banner & Toni Stark.
It’s like Christmas, only with more, me!
Dr. Banner and HULK!
I spent the rest of the weekend doing writing panels. My first one was “Part time writer, full time world,” and was, as always well attended. I was the only person on the panel so I felt a bit odd pontificating about time management & prioritizing all by myself for an hour, but they seemed to dig it! So I guess it went well. 🙂
Pretty cool moment for me – first person to bring me an already purchased (and read!) book for me to sign, EVER!
Later, I had a “Writing Military Sci-Fi” panel with Timothy Zahn, and as always, we had a great time together, and hopefully those in the audience did as well/felt they got something from the panel.
I love that I caught this moment. Later this young man was painted blue and dressed as Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The last day of the con, Tim & I had a reading together and as I sat down I started to panic… “OH MY GOSH I HAVE A READING WITH TIMOTHY ZAHN! I’M GOING TO SOUND HORRID COMPARED TO HIM!”
But… no one walked out on my story (maybe because I went first?), and a bunch of people bought my books afterwards… so I guess that’s a good sign, right? Tim and I had a “super” good time. We both read Superhero stories, and people seemed to dig that, soooo…
I’m so glad I got to see this costume. I missed seeing him at DragonCon.
I love that you can tell what this group is from the back!
Kelldar looking FABULOUS as Donna Noble!
FACING DOWN A DALEK!
All in all, GMX was awesome. I sold a ton of books, reconnected with old friends, made some new ones, and had a wonderful time! I say it every year, and I’ll say it again – GMX treats their guests and their attendees a if each and every one of them are VIPS. Seriously, A list, 5 star treatment for everyone. Â This is a con that puts the people first, and that makes them A++ in my book!
Hope to see all of you at GMX next year!
Athena’s Daughters is a collection of short fiction from some of the best female science fiction and fantasy authors in the business.
To that end, Athena’s Daughters is a project conceived, developed, and driven by women. All of the authors in this anthology are women, as are the artists, the graphic designer, and the editor.
The Kickstarter for this project will launch on December 10th and I hope you will join us!
Need a copy of one of my books? As it happens you can buy them here.