Being Geek Chic is a blog for stylish geeks, sophisticated nerds and people who enjoy the musings of a complete dork. Join us as we dream of driving the TARDIS, cuddle with our eBooks and test out an iPad sleeve. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi and a team of brilliant lady nerds. Meet the team.
How amazing would it be to flaunt your lady geek pride on national television? Well, this week’s Lady Geek of the Week has that opportunity. Meet Kristin Hackett (@SuperSpaceChick). She’s one of seven geeks featured on Syfy’s new series “Fangasm.” The show is a “six-part docuseries that celebrates the incredibly unique, often misunderstood, and infinitely fascinating fan girl and fan boy culture.” The seven geeks live together in LA and work together at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo.
Just exactly how does this situation unfold? You’ll have to watch! And check out the trailer below. You might notice another previous Lady Geek of the Week: Molly McIsaac! The series premieres September 24.
As you’ve probably figured out, Hackett’s a force to be reckoned with. When she’s not living in LA, winning over TV audiences with wit, charm, and sass, she resides in bustling NYC – with over 600 graphic novels and a closet full of custom cosplay outfits.
She’s also the co-creator of On Wednesdays We Wear Pink, a blog created for sci-fi savvy ladies who love “fashion, cupcakes, crafting, and eclectic music.” (That’s you!)
So read on for Hackett’s interview with Being Geek Chic. You’ll discover what beloved fictional character she’d share a butterbeer with, what she would (or wouldn’t) discuss with her 13-year-old self, and why she refuses to give her life a memoir title.
Q: What has led you to your passion?
A: There are 3 main gateway fandoms that not only led me to my passion, but also helped shape me into the girl I am today. They are Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Spider-Man. Because each of these books, movies, and comics had such a strong impact on me, it gave me this motivation to constantly be seeking out other stories that’ll make me feel similar. All of this obsessive news hunting led me to a full-blown Twitter addiction, which is how I met one of my best friends and my website partner, Kristin Fowler. We bonded over shared interests and since both of us are very passionate about creating and promoting a positive and welcoming community for geeks, we decided to start a website together. We named our site On Wednesdays We Wear Pink (because Wednesday is new comic book day aka the best day of the week), and we decided to cater our posts to a female audience. I spend countless hours everyday sitting in front of my computer and compiling stories to share with our readers, and I love each and every minute of it.
Q: When did you first realize you were “geeky?”
A: I first realized I was “geeky” when some of the other kids in school didn’t understand that Empire Strikes Back is one of the greatest films ever made, and they didn’t feel the need to talk about it for hours on end. I was always really shy in school and I was (and still am), a total bookworm. I would much rather have been reading the newest Goosebumps book at recess than playing on the playground. So I think I’d have to say it was in elementary school when I realized that a lot of other people didn’t understand my interests. Luckily, I embraced my geekiness and I was able to find a really strong community of people online who were interested in the same things as me. And now I’m even going to be on Syfy because of my interests! My ten-year-old self would never have believed that anything like “Fangasm” could even have been a possibility!
Q: What can we expect from Syfy’s “Fangasm”?
A: I can’t wait for everyone to see Fangasm! The show is going to promote a positive and welcoming community of passionate people who have come together for the summer to intern for one of their idols, Stan Lee. It’s basically 7 geeks living in one house and exploring our fandoms with one another. I’m so happy that Syfy decided to make a series that truly celebrates every aspect of the fan culture.
Q: You flaunt your fabulous geeky self so proudly in Syfy’s “Fangasm.” What advice would you give to ladies who are a little more timid to wave their lady geek flag?
A: If I could give anyone advice about waving their lady geek flag, I would tell them they should be proud of their interests! Everyone is a fan of something, even if its not necessarily a geeky interest and if you really love something and you’re passionate about it, you should be excited to share your love of it with other people! There have been so many occasions that I’ve unintentionally inspired someone to read a comic or watch a movie they had never been exposed to before because I tend to get really excited about my interests! I embrace my passions and nothing makes me happier than being able to gush about them whether its on the Internet or to anyone who will listen IRL.
Q: You can choose one superpower. What is it?
A: It’s so hard to choose just one power, but after weighing my options, I would have to say that I would want the ability to control time. I would freeze time constantly so I could have extra uninterrupted reading and writing sessions. I would time travel through different eras so I could see firsthand how New York has evolved into what it is now, to the Cretaceous Period to see a real live velociraptor (from a safe distance of course), I would definitely make it a point to attend a few Beatles concerts, and I am dying to know what the future is going to be like! Leave it to me to pick a superpower that’ll allow me to learn more :-)
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: This is a great question! I would love to take Albus Dumbledore out for butterbeer. He had such a long and interesting life, and it would be a pleasure to hear him tell stories about the good ‘ole wizarding days. I’m sure he would have so many unheard stories about past students, and gossip about the Hogwarts teaching staff. Plus, I know he has a sweet tooth so I’m sure that I could coerce him into grabbing some cauldron cakes or chocolate frogs once we finish our butterbeer!
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: I actually wouldn’t want the opportunity to talk to 13 year old me. I think that everything I’ve done and all of the experiences that I’d had are what has gotten me to point I’m at now in my life. I would hate to give young Kristin well-intentioned advice that could be misinterpreted and change the course of events thus far. Plus, I don’t even know if she would listen to me! She’s kind of stubborn in the sense that she prefers to learn things for herself rather than listen to other people.
Q: What would be the title of your memoir?
A: Hmmm. I can’t think of anything for this one! I feel like my story is just getting exciting so I would hate to prematurely commit to a title before I know how it’ll all play out!
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic.
Follow her on twitter: @emmalynnbauer
The U.S. company Syfy Ventures says it is working on a collection of apparel and accessories aimed at the growing female science-fiction fan base. … The Syfy Gear/Her Universe collection is expected to include both original designs and show-specific merchandise from hit Syfy series such as “Caprica,” “Eureka,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Destination Truth,” “Ghost Hunters International,” “Ghost Hunters Academy” and “Warehouse 13.”
