Makeover for Wonder Woman

Who doesn't like Wonder Woman...but when you think of Wonder Woman, what image does you mind conjure?

Yup I bet it's the good old classic star spangled pants with the red corset...and those iconic red boots...just do a google image search and that is what you will get.

Who could forget Lynda Carter making nerd girls around the world beg their parents for gold cardboard to make some bullet-reflecting gauntlets? Or blue undies to stitch felt stars on? Practising boomarang throws with that Princess tiara? Or twirl around in the yard to the point of falling over or being sick?

Besides all the awesome stuff such as a role-model teaching young girls to stick up for themselves and not needing a guy to save them, or that a strong, powerful woman could be good, (as compared with other super hero television - women were either villains or oooh I sprained my ankle)...intelligent and good looking at the same time.

Wonder Woman has had many outfit updates...the pants went from shorts to grannie pants to high cut bikini. The iconic red corset with the golden eagle has had many modifications.
Even Wonder Woman, or Diana Prince has had her hair keep you with the trends...from her original tight curls to the bullet-reflecting-hair-spray-helmet to that 80's perm to 90's layers...if there was ever great documentation for hair style fashion through the decades it is Wonder Woman comics.

But DC decided for Wonder Woman's 69th birthday she needed a make over....and a tv series...

Oh yessssss....yes they did....

Manga & Anime 101

We all know manga and anime as those "Japanese comics and cartoons".
Some of us are avid fans and try to consume as much as we can...sometimes with horrific results.

Like most Westerners my first real introduction was Astro Boy...I thought Astro was cute and blowing rockets from his butt was the apex of toilet humour. Please remember I was seven at time.
Then came G-Force or Battle of the Planets which I later discovered was a butchered American adaptation of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. I say butchered because to edit out most of the violence from the original, the Americans created 7-Zark-7. This little robot who loved oil showers was basically was a C-3PO in a shape of the love child of R2-D2 and a football. He would explain what was going in the guise of worrying.

My family could not understand me and my obsession. My school mates just thought I was werid. I could not articulate how I was waiting for the show's only female character Princess to die...horriblely. In a vain hope that 7-Zark-7 would call me and ask me to take Princess' position as kick-arse-ninja-girl. But I was going to insist on an outfit similar to the show's villian Zoltar.

Things change and so did public programming so I got into ponies instead. My family relieved that I was becoming a normal girl and a result of lots of school friends due to my uncanny ability to draw horses for them.

Then Jap-animation came to town.

As someone who was blown away by Akira when it first hit our shores, I went anime and manga crazy...and I sat through some dreay flicks and read some crappy things but when I found a gem I feverently grabbed it. Anime movie festivals were rare and usually only featured three movies at a time. Most of the time new things were seen via video tape swaping...or going to Chinatown and grabbing the chinese translation and try to figure out what was going on by looking at the pictures...these were the days before DVDs and Madman Entertainment. And they were not that long ago.

So I'm just going to give you a basic low down on the types and genres of manga and anime, for those of you who already know this I apoligise for the re-hash. For those who don't, well this is for you if you are trying to find direction in locating something you like.

Girls Read Comics Too!

It might seem obvious to some of us here at Nerd Girl Army but often it seems like the industry forgets that girls read comics too!

Girls Read Comics is a Wordpress blog by women for women that read comics; it features reviews, interviews and recommendations and also features a great geek girl blog roll. You can also find Girls Read Comics on Facebook and Twitter (@GirlsReadComics).

They've recently been nominated for an Eagle Award for their effort in bringing great comic book content to the web and here at Nerd Girl Army we salute them for their familiar mission of reminding the world that women like geek culture just as much as the boys

Terry Pratchett at the Sydney Opera House

Fantasy fans take note Terry Pratchett is coming to Sydney to speak at the Sydney Opera House in his talk 'Sir Terry Pratchett: Imagination, not Intelligence, Made us Human'


Pratchett will be interviewed by local adolescent fantasy author Garth Nix and they will be taking questions from fans and the audience. Pratchett is best known for his epic work on the Discworld novels and related graphic novels, cartoons and TV films. His work is so far reaching that he was knighted in 2009 for his contribution to English literature. 


The show is on at the Opera House on the 17th of April, a continuation of incredibly popular pop culture talks that the Sydney Opera House has conducted including Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry and Kevin Smith. 


Tickets are only $30 and still available from the Opera House website, they're also conducting a competition to meet Pratchett in the flesh and have him personalise a book. Purchase tickets to be in the draw.

Young Justice

I'm a big fan of most of the DCAU (DC Animated Universe) franchises so when I heard about a new series I was pretty excited. Justice League Unlimited was my favourite by a long shot so when I learned that the newest series would be Young Justice I was even more thrilled.

If you're a fan of the Young Justice comic series the changes will probably infuriate you, happily for me I only have a passing acquaintance with the original series so the name changes and trade-outs don't bother me but here are a few of them so you're forewarned.

Aqualad is an original character created for the series then introduced into the comics, it's Kid Flash, not Impulse, and is also Wally West and producers have said that the Robin is Dick Grayson (but this hasn't been said in the series, in fact Batman has told Robin not to reveal his face or name to the others).

The series is cute, and funny. I love Robin's creepy stealth laugh, Wally being the miniature version of the JLU version of the character and Superboy needs a hug and a hot pocket (and a few years of therapy to deal with his Daddy issues). Really, the only thing that missed the mark for me is Miss Martian.

If you've seen the series, I'll just say Helloooo, Megan! and if you haven't, well then you'll understand soon enough as the only girl in the first few episodes bakes cookies, makes moon eyes at boys and sprouts the most annoying catchprase since Excuuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess! Why, writers, producers and directors? Why would all the other characters have cute schticks or personality quirks (Robin hates Prefixes) and you give the often awesome Miss Martian a valley girl headsmack and cringe inducing catchphrase?

I'm whelmed, guys, but hopefully the later season introduction of Wonder Girl (held up due to legal issues) will give me some kickass girly goodness aside from Ditzy and Bitchy over there.

Girl Geek Dinners Sydney is back

The first major event for the year is booked in for March 10th at UTS.

To help celebrate International Women’s Day we have organised a fun-filled event full of tech talks and a special section on softer skills as requested by some of you last year.

Technical talks:

• Recent cyber attacks and information security
• Pia Waugh will be coming from Canberra to discuss the National Broadband Network
• OzGDI Jscript teacher Cathy 

Career and soft skills:

• Salary negotiation: Find out what you are worth and get it
• Smash the glass ceiling: What has really worked for Lynn Kraus, partner at Ernst & Young (with a Q&A so have your questions ready)
• Coaching: Emily Baxter, girl geek turned life coach will give a short talk

What: Girl Geek Dinner
Where: Aerial UTS Function Centre, level 7, UTS building 10. Enter at 235 Jones St, Ultimo Foyer, take the lift to level 7.
When: Thursday 10 March 2011. Talks start at 6:30 but don’t miss the nibbles and drinks first from 6pm!

More at: http://www.girlgeeksydney.com/