D20 Girls Magazine - January 2013

WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
Andres Santamaria (order #4247202)
Staff Credits
Editor in Chief - Erika Litherland Content Editor - Tara Watson Layout Editor - Katie Zheng Copy Editor - Tiana Pimentel Ryan Irvin Writers - Katarina Love Valerie Kitty Starr Kimberly Willis-Starin Tara Watson Erika Litherland Cory Benzenhoefer Brittney Fischer Leah Colburn Stephanie Hull Katie Zheng Kara Peznecker Bridgett Bowie Niki Soto Contributors - Con X Kayla Waters & Sakuya Cosplay Silver Lining Designs CosT Photography Sarah Tanner N3 Photography The D20 Girls of North Carolina Always Love Lorn Constance Lightwood Apocalypse Sue Michelle Savana Photography GoldiBlox Evan Bremer Hex Mex Creations Orchard Corset Katherine Stocking Craig Mitchell Dyer Photography Katherine Elizabeth Coleman Allison Thomas Trinity Fannin D20 Girls across the nation D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE WINTER 2012-13 D20 Girls Magazine is published four times per year. Manufactured and published in the United States of America. The Editor-in-Chief welcomes submissions from all sources. Such submissions should be addressed to EDITOR and sent to submissions@ D20Girls.com. D20 Girls Magazine is a copyright of OGO Publications. Products named in these pages are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies. The publisher shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of the advertisement. The publishers liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is limited to republication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement.
Cover Photography By: Chris Wiggins - CosIT Photography cosITphotography.com Model: Sarah Tanner Cosplaying As: Candy Cane Miss Fortune from League of Legends
Contents
IN THIS ISSUE
4 9 14 17 21 36 44 74 Letter From the Editor Nerd Girls of the Future New Years Resolutions Things We Love. Ask Leah Geeky Flicks: January - March 2013 D20 Girls Out and About Best Nerdy Gift
VALENTINES DAY
6 48 50 56 Nerdy Dates Love Songs A Fairy Tale Wedding My Jewish-Pagan Doctor Who Wedding 22 From Goldilocks to GoldiBlox, Creating Load Bearing Dreams Through Story
ARTICLES
18 Pigtails for Peace 24 Interview with Evan Bremmer: Voice of The Joker in Gotham High 46 DIY Polymer Clay Zombie Mushroom 59 D20 Girls Rock! FEATURING: Chiki, Destelle Geneviefve, Dolly
PHOTO SPREADS
10 Cover Girl - Sarah Tanner 12 North Carolina D20 Girls 68 Photos FEATURING: Katherine Elizabeth Coleman, Allison Thomas, Trinity Fannin
CORSETS
28 29 30 34 Modern Corsetry Terminology How to Measure for a Corset So You Want to Buy a Corset Im Huge In Japan!
38 A Cosplay Fantasy of Final Fantasy
Letter From the Editor:

Its winter! As the world (or at least the northern half of it) gets colder, things slow down and go dormant. But not here at D20! Were already gearing up for a new year of conventions, photo shoots, trade shows, and all manner of activities! D20 Girls Magazine is no exception! Were making some big changes around here, and are so excited to share them with you! First off is a new staff, including yours truly! My name is Tara Watson. Im the content editor of the magazine. I grew up in smallish town in California, and then went to high school in an even smaller town in Kansas before attending Emporia State University, where I graduated with a bachelors degree in theatre arts. Ive copy edited for a local newspaper, written articles for various online publications, including G.A.M.E.R.S. Newspaper, our sister publication. Among my other jobs, Ive taught preschool, been a librarian, and run my own custom sewing business. Of course, I also have my hobbies, which include reading, tabletop RPGs, MMORPGs, cooking, soccer, ancient civilizations and mythology, interstellar travel, and full-contact origami. (Ok, maybe not the last two, but itd be cool!) My fandoms include Star Wars, Stargate SG1, Harry Potter, Battletech, Warmachine, Firefly, Farscape, Marvels Avengers (I want a Quinjet!), and Tolkien. Im a recovering WoW raidmonkey. But enough about me! The magazines going to have so much cool stuff! Were expanding, providing more awesome stories, pictorals, and great interviews! In this issue, youll meet up-and-coming talent Evan Bremer, the voice of the Joker in the new radio drama Gotham High. Youll get great geeky date ideas for you and your favorite Player 2! Wanting to try corsets, but have no idea what to look for? Fear not! We have 8 pages of information on how to fit a corset, what to look for, and even an idea for a fantastic corset-based costume! If youre looking for love for you and your favorite Player 2, weve got everything from great geeky date ideas, to a nerdy love song playlist, to two fantastic weddings! Youll meet some amazing D20 Girls in a fantastic Final Fantasy pictoral, as well as in candid shots doing what they do best. Were always looking for new ideas to bring you! Have an idea or suggestion for what youd like to see? Let us know at www.D20Girls.com! Thanks for reading, and well see you in the world! --Tara
Illustrations By: Washue
D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE WINTER 2012-13
Dating can be scary, and planning a romantic nerdy date can be even harder if youre not sure what to do. But dont fret, Nerdy romantic evenings dont have to be expensive or nerve-wracking to be memorable! Here are some ideas for the perfect geek night out. Contributions from: Erika Litherland, Katrina Love, Kimberly Wills-Starin, Valerie Kitty Starr
NERDY DATES
COSPLAY NERDS
ANIME NERDS
(TV) MOVIE
BOOK\MANGA
NERDS
F I
f you both like to cosplay, then this is the perfect time to work on a couples cosplay together. A couples cosplay is sure to be a multiple date event too! From research to planning, shopping to crafting, you can spend a lot of time with your significant other while working on something that youll ultimately get to wear together!
GAMING NERDS
TABLETOP
RPG NERDS
othing says sweet, sweet romance like a hot pizza, cold Mountain Dew (or your favorite beverage), and a comfy couch with two controllers hooked up to play your favorite games.
CAUTION:
This can sometimes end poorly if you are both competitive players, so try to find a fun co-op. Nothing says I love you like heals and coverage from the hordes you and your partner are fighting against! Take it up a Notch: Take your date to an arcade. If you live near a Dave and Busters or Gameworks you can even combine the outing with a dinner date, If you live in Ohio, check out Just Play Games. Its a unique twist on an internet caf that allows you to pay to play games on their consoles and TVs.
refer dice over directional pads? If your sweetheart doesnt play your game, take a night where the two of you can create characters for an upcoming campaign. It gives you a chance to answer any questions your significant other might have about stats and rules without them feeling silly in front of the group or getting flustered.
CAUTION:
Maybe youre not a big rules and stats buff, but your Game Master should be. If you need help, dont be afraid to talk to him/her. Nothings worse than sinking a bunch of time into a character sheet that you have to redo because of a misunderstanding of the rules. Also, some GMs dont want you to make characters without them, no matter how much you know about the system.
Take it up a Notch: Go the website for your game of choice and look for standalone campaigns that you can run. Most of these will come with characters, histories and background information. A stand-alone game can be a great introduction to a system because you jump in with a sheet and you get to see how those stats really work. With a better understanding of the system, you can then turn around and make new characters for a continuing game. This is also an excellent solution to allow you to privately share the game with your significant other when your GM doesnt want you to make characters without them.
ind out some of your significant others favorite anime, movies or TV series and devote a good chunk of time to watching with them! If you cant get ahold of their favorite, or if you already know you dont like it, try to find something in the same genre that will be new for both of you.
CAUTION:
We dont mean to do it, but when we love something it can be hard to be quiet. Be prepared for You have to see this part and other interruptions. Just try to remind your sweetheart No spoilers! Take it up a Notch: Get in comfy clothes and build a pillow and blanket fort to snuggle in while you watch. You get the fun of building it together and then you get to crawl inside with your snacks and significant other. It certainly will make the date memorable. Hey remember that time we made a pillow fort?
rack down that elusive missing piece of your significant others favorite collection. Local comic or used book stores can be terrific tools for this sort of search, but it may cost you a little extra to get it sent to the store before you can pick it up. Try www. Half.com if you want to chance finding it on your own.
CAUTION:
Cosplay creation almost always takes more time and more money than you think it will, and sometimes frustration will make for short tempers. Take it up a Notch: Go to your local thrift store and play a round of Who am I? You get thirty minutes to create a costume based off a character from your favorite shows, books or games. Get a third person to award accuracy points or declare a winner. The winner has to buy the other one lunch or dinner! Photos are encouraged, and dont forget to buy one small item to take home as a memento.
CAUTION:
Once you give them something they want to read, you may find yourself watching them enjoy your gift instead of enjoying your company! Take it up a Notch: Go to a local book store and choose one book that you think you would like but dont own, then trade books with your SO and find a comfy place to cuddle together and read. Reading something the other person would enjoy can be very insightful, and it just may introduce you to something that you find yourself loving too! And thats just one more thing you can share.
TIPS FOR NERDS OF ALL FLAVORS

Plan ahead:
Life is busy. It becomes harder to make spur of the moment dates happen. So plan a day in advance to do something that you can both look forward to. Fluffydragon and her husband of 6 years plan to go watch the new Diehard for Valentines Day.
Take pictures:
Nothing scandalous, something you can print and put on your desk at work or decorate your home with. Then it can spark the memory every time you see it, and thats the real point. Making lasting memories with the person you love.
For example, you could host a game night! Mix it up with classic board games as well as modern multi-player console games. This can be done intentionally as an AntiValentines Day singles party or as an open sort of party for all of your friends. Have everyone bring some sort of snack or drink to share. Or you could head out to nerd themed events. You never know who youre going to meet at one. Every other month in a cozy bar in a Kansas college town you can attend Super Nerd Night where you play games and meet other local people who share your interests!
Nerd Girls of the Future

I wont lie, Im biased, but my daughter is a completely adorable nerd in the making. She loves Sailor Moon, playing Kirbys epic yarn, and The Avengers, (except for the Hulk). We had a conversation the other day about what a siren is. When we were finished she looked at me and asked, So Jigglypuff is a siren? She wanted to be a pink Super Girl for Halloween. She justified her color-scheme by telling me. I know pink isnt the right color mommy but its my favorite color so that makes it ok. I love that shes already latched onto the idea that she can love something and still put her own personality into it, even if it isnt 100% accurate.
Graciebloves Daughter
Photo By: Silver Lining Designs
A for effort:
Youll make your date feel special if you take the time to look a little nicer than usual for your date. Even if youre sitting at home, skip the sweatpants on special dates, unless the comfy look is part of the point of the date, that is.
SIGNIFICANT
DONT HAVE A
OTHER?
No such thing as perfect:
If youve decided you want to get serious about looking for a significant other, head over to www.nerdsatheart.com or find them on facebook. Nerds at Heart hosts singles events and mixers geared toward nerds! They host events in multiple states too!
Sophie M. 5
The main thing about dates is that it should be about the two of you. Find the things that you both enjoy and do them together. Things will never go 100% according to plan, but that doesnt mean the date is ruined. Take a deep breath and improvise. Ten years from now it will be those moments you remember the most. Graphics By: Moriette
As Valentines Day approaches it can be hard to remember that you dont need a significant other. Youre awesome all on your own! But even if youre single it doesnt mean you have to spend the holiday alone!
Dont stress.
Photography By: Bentpic5 Models: Kayla Waters & Sakuya Cosplay WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
SARAH
HYPNOTIQ
AS Candy Cane Miss Fortune FROM League of Legends
TANNER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CosIT Photography Cerulean Photography
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GENEVIEFE DESTELLE MISS MINA CHIKI MAKA LEE
KIT KATT TOMIE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
N3 PHOTOGRAPHY
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NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

AlwaysLoveLorn Find a way to make cosplaying & conventions work for me. I need to stop, breathe, & make time for the things I love. I have focused a lot on work & paying off bills so much these last two years that I have cut out the fun in my life. I would like to have the time to sew costumes & make a living from that & attending Cons but until then, I just need to make time for what makes me happy. Leah Corset train, work on my posture, FINISH SOME OF MY GAMES, work out harder and sew every day. Kimberly Wills-Starin Take the New Year to refresh my work area. Trash the scraps Im sure I wont use to organize my work space and make things more efficient. Sort, clean and donate larger pieces of fabric to the Project Linus donation box at the fabric store. Volunteers take the fabric and make blankets for those in need. (http://www.projectlinus.org/about/) Constance Quality over Quantity. Im trying to make costumes that are fairly simple so I can focus on construction techniques. Its good to learn things and to improve your craft. Ruby Red Use my new Kinect at least 15 minutes three times a week! Colette Lose weight, finish all my currently on hold games, make a harley quinn cosplay finally, make boyfriends nerd painting and get him a joker costume so we can cosplay together.
Ruby Work out/be more active and lose the couple of inches that I put on...
Lemon Lime Maintain my weight now that I lost what I wanted to, dont procrastinate on costumes, do more pro shoots, and get a million followers on my fan page ;D Photos By: Silver Lining Designs
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Chiki I resolve not to procrastinate to the extent I have in the past on costumes. No matter how much you tell yourself a week before convention is plenty of time, I assure you, for your mental health, it is not.
Trinity Stop smoking, start getting back into shape, and start learning how to sew my own cosplays and make more efficient props!
Alexandria To finally watch every episode of all of the Dragonball series.... Seriously, Ive been putting it off for too long.
Tara To start my Kitchen Superheroes line! Wonder Woman aprons, ladies!
Nightmare Marzipan Open my lolita and geek chic Etsy shop!
things we love.
MLP Fluttershy Necklace $25 Darth Vader Necklace $30 By RocketsandRainbows at Etsy Dr Who Apron $85 Full Metal Alchemist Apron $65 By DarlingArmy at Etsy
Apocalypse Sue I dont know how nerdy the getting fit thing is but its on my list. More specific, finish insanity. Watch aaaaaaall of Dr. who. Get a Lust costume done. Get a female Dr. Who costume done. New wig for Apocalypse Sue. If I get the Lust costume done, maybe enter a cosplay contest. Learn how to use a sewing machine and put a dress together. Maybe learn how to knit so I can make my own Dr. Who scarf so I dont have to shell out money to buy one. Portal 2 Companion Cube Ice Tray $12.99 From Think Geek Alien Chopsticks $7.99 From Think Geek
Angelle Work out (lose all the weight I gained since D*con), finish some prop and costume projects that have been on my to-do list for years, frame and hang the various artwork Ive acquired from multiple conventions over the past several years, play the video games on my to-play list, read the comics that Ive acquired over the last several years that are sitting in a giant stack! Lacey
Sarah To sew more costumes, my machine has been so lonely lately.
Lilith Finish all the songs on Just Dance 4! Katie Improve my portfolio.
Your one-stop nerd shop
www.facebook.com/TheNerdNook www.etsy.com/shop/TheNerdNook
D20 jewelry, crocheted hats, amigirumi, hair doo-dads, chainmaille jewelry and more!
Focus all my interest on my nerdy interest. So far I am buying all new wardrobe to support my love, even bumper stickers, and cosplaying is coming around as well. Tomorrow Im going to be doing some Karen Gillan. I even am trying to fight my anxiety fears of Conventions and going distance alone... Its going to be hard for the last part.. But Im planning on doing a calendar here soon to help get me money so I know Im financially safe taking road trips to conventions. Consider this the year of the Vyxiin. The fox is back XD
We take custom commissions! WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
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Pigtails for Peace

By Erika Litherland
I have been a nerdy girl all my life. This love of science fiction, video games, and comic books wasnt just some phase that I went through; at some point society stepped in and taught me all about normal. Girls are supposed to like make up and doing their hair and all things pink, right? I know Im over simplifying a stereotype, but you get my point. This idea of normal and the pressure to conform to it can be immense. As a girl who also does like a lot of girl things, it was just easier for me to compartmentalize myself and the things I liked as shareable or secret. I didnt stop watching Star Trek and playing video games; I just didnt publicize those activities. Even as an adult, this behavior continued. I had developed a love of MMOs, Firefly, Dr. Who, and tabletop gaming, but I didnt generally
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talk about those things outside of my small group of friends who shared those interests; and then I met Jondi. Jondi and I became fast friends and in October 2011 I finally gave in to her gentle prodding about the D20 Girls Project. What could be better than an organization full of women who loved the things that I loved? But the more I embraced the side of me that qualified me as a nerd girl, the more I realized just how out of my depth I truly was. There seemed to be this unwritten list of requirements for claiming to like something, as if a fandom were some sort of old school boys club that I had no right asking for membership unless I could remember the character who died in episode 3 or what the main characters mothers maiden name was.
I went to my first convention in March of 2012 and I instantly found that I both loved and hated conventions with equal passion. Here you are, surrounded by the things you love and people who also love those things, but if you express interest in a fandom you suddenly have to prove your right to like it. The word fake flows pretty freely through all of nerddom, but it wasnt until that first convention that it hit me how similar to high school this had become. The desire to be normal hadnt changed, but the definition of normal had taken on new meaning... and I still didnt qualify. I love Dr. Who, but I havent watched even a full season in order and somehow I suddenly felt like that was important; like I couldnt really claim to love Dr. Who because I hadnt put in the same amount
of hours as the fans who have watched every season and movie ever produced. I was suddenly immensely afraid of saying anything about Dr. Who at all for fear that Id be quizzed, fail, and be labeled fake. At some level this also made me question if I could really say I loved Dr. Who, even to myself. This sudden bout of selfdoubt could have easily pushed me back into that shell where Id put my nerdy hobbies neatly into their boxes and pretend that I wasnt as into them as I thought I was. But being part of the D20 Girls had introduced me to an amazing group of girls who have never once held their nerd cred over me. Instead of feeling fake, I embraced my lack of knowledge as a problem of education, not a lack of passion. To put it more simply, it became a perfect excuse to throw myself into being a nerd. In recent months a spotlight has been turned onto the issue of fake nerd girls. And while this isnt a new sentiment, it is disheartening. Its an issue we can all relate to. Weve
seen those girls at conventions wearing skimpy outfits and its easy to let jealousy or cattiness color our perception of these girls. We pick apart their costumes and ask them questions about the nerddom they are promoting and when they dont know enough, we tear them apart. This behavior is not limited to cosplayers; its as familiar as the hallways of the high school that we thought we left behind. We grow up comparing ourselves to others and pointing out others flaws to distract from our own. We want everyone to look at someone else because were afraid that if they dont, theyll turn all that animosity on us instead. We seem to forget that underneath the skimpy costume is a girl who tried her best to look like the character shes portraying; its a double edged sword. The girls who dont fit the body type are torn apart, but a girl who can rock those costumes is called slutty and fake. Have we forgotten that the characters they are portraying wear these outfits too? I could
go on and on about the way that females are portrayed in most nerddoms and how unrealistic those images often are, but I wont. The point Im trying to make here is that youre bashing someone for trying to fit a mold that is incredibly hard to actually squeeze into, and most of the time they do it for no other reason than for the love of the source material. Sometimes that love comes with larger doses of knowledge than others. Im not naive, I do realize that sometimes girls squeeze into these outfits because they were hired to do so, and occasionally they not only dont know anything about what theyre wearing but they dont care that they dont know either. We often forget that those booth babes are employees. Hired by vendors or sponsors to work these events and this job, like so many others, often comes with a uniform. It would be easy to claim that we should be mad at vendors for hiring these girls but thats not fair either. The vendors are there to make money, and this form of marketing is clearly working for
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them, which speaks more to the market that they are selling to. So why is it that in this scenario, its the girl that were angry at? As a community we should be welcoming new faces, encouraging people to embrace their hobbies, and grow in their fandoms. And that isnt about what your gender happens to be or how many hours youve logged or even the amount of facts you know. Its about the sheer joy you get from something you love. We need to fully embrace that feeling of community and stand up and say that were not ok with bullying. I was struggling with my feelings on this issue when I stumbled across a Facebook group called Pigtails for Peace. This amazing group was started by a girl who had enough of being bullied. Her response to being bullied for wearing pigtails to school wasnt to yell and scream or get violent; she made her statement by continuing to wear them and getting her friends to wear them
too. Now theyre getting national recognition for standing up to bullies of every gender, race, domestic lifestyle, and social class. I like that message and the fact that standing up to these bullies is as simple as a set of pigtails. For this issue of the D20 Girls Magazine I asked the D20 Girls across the nation to take pictures of themselves in pigtails and nerdy shirts or cosplays. The message in these images is one of pride, in ourselves and in our fandoms. Its also a message of resolution: to stop making the idea of being nerdy into a competition and to start making it about sharing what we love with others. And perhaps most importantly, its an admission of our imperfect natures. We arent perfect, but were still learning and growing, and were making an effort. ALBinWonderland, a youtube vlogger, said it best: There is no such thing as fake geek girls. There are only girls who are at different
varying levels of falling in love with something that society generically considers to fall under the nerd culture category. Id argue that this could apply to even those booth babes, if they just gave nerddom a real chance. Until then, lets all stop pointing fingers at each other and simply enjoy the fact that we share a love for some really awesome things. You could always follow the golden rule: if you cant say something nice, then dont say anything at all. Models: LemonLime, Gracieblove, Little Alice, Harley, Apocalypse Sue, AlwaysLoveLorn, Haimaru, KitKatCaughtcha, Washue Photography By: The Enthusiasts Michelle Savana Photography
Dear Leah,
I just got into the convention scene over the past year. I love it!!! But...my other half is less than enthused. Even when we find a sitter for our kids, hes dragging his heels. When hes there, he just stands back and doesnt do or say much to me or anyone else. Hes a bit of an introvert, and doesnt care much for crowds, but I know hed love going to cons as much as I do if hed give it a chance. We have a lot of the same fandoms, some of mine are a direct result of his own love of it! Id love to be able to share the con experience with him without making him be the cosplay pack mule. Have you got any suggestions for ways to get him involved without making him monstrously uncomfortable?
Thanks,
Share the Love

Okay, first, its SO FREAKING GOOD that you wanna share such an important part of your life with your significant other. That being said... this just might not be his cup of tea. The way you describe him, hes a nerd, which is fan-freaking-tastic, but being naturally introverted is something that runs deeper than hobbies. This could be just one of those things thats your girl time, where then menfolk could just stay at home. If he acts like hed like to get more involved, I think what I would do is sit with him a few days before the con and go through the programming schedule together. Have the you-list, us-list, and him-list of panels and things to go to- its not like you (or he) has to stick to it like your life depends on it. Just give him an opportunity to call the shots and wander off without feeling like he has to be right by you the whole time. On top of that, wing it! Maybe if hes not following you around and watching you get attention for cosplay, hed be more comfortable being there outside of being the cosplay packmule. If that doesnt work, keep in mind that hes no less of a nerd and youre not a bad girlfriend for doing this one separately. Silver lining here: Hes not horribly relationship-killing convention jealous.
Ask Leah
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From Goldielocks to GoldiBlox,

Creating Load Bearing Dreams Through Story
By: Stephanie Hull
friction. The pieces will interact with subsequent books to facilitate creativity. Growing up, I was always intimidated by the word, engineering, says Sterling. I thought it was just for boys. Im creating GoldieBlox so that girls, from a young age, can learn that engineering is for them too. By incorporating a female role model character, storylines girls can relate to and a sense of humor, GoldieBlox will lessen the intimidation factor and get girls excited about building. In short, she set out specifically to assist in acquiring the spatial thinking skills necessary for a career in engineering. Sterling is no stranger to strong female role models. Her grandmother was one of the first female cartoonists and one of the creative minds behind Mr. Magoo. With that background, it should come as no surprise that she wrote and illustrated the prototypes for the books herself. Once she had the concept, she set up a Kickstarter (an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects) account, raising more than a quarter million dollars in a month. Using that funding, she produced the first book and toy, GoldieBlox and the Spinning Machine, selling out the first run- set for a February 2013 releasein less than a month. Her company, appropriately named GoldieBlox, Inc., started taking orders for the second run, due out April 2013. Currently available in only in hardcopy, Sterling plans to release the books for the iPad and iPhone, complete with narration and animation. GoldieBlox has it all: a curious and relatable female character, an intelligent and creative designer and a firm grasp on how to attract females to a field traditionally dominated by males. It won the Editors Choice Award at the World Maker Faire in September, the very month of its first release. The toy can be pre-ordered through Debbie Sterlings website, www. GoldieBlox.com. After all, as the website says, Engineers are solving some of the biggest challenges our society faces. They are critical to the world economy, earn higher salaries and have greater job security. And they are 89% male. We believe engineers cant responsibly build our worlds future without the female perspective. We are here to bring the female voice into engineering. WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
In September, 2012, 29 year old Stanford Engineer Debbie Sterling launched an innovative toy: a construction set with story book designed to catch the interest of young girls. She called her creation GoldieBlox after the main character of the book she wrote to add an interactive element to the engineering toy genre. What specifically sets the $30 GoldieBlox apart from toys like Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys or the classic Erector Set is the purposeful introduction of the basic principles of engineering contained within each story: the girl (aimed at the 5-9 year set) reads the story and builds along with Goldie, learning about wheels, axles, pulleys, force and
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Evan Bremer: A Voice In the Making

By: Tara Watson
Bremer hadnt really pursued a career in voiceover, and was a junior in college when he found a class for voice acting. He took it, and learned about voicing for television and radio, and realized that he really could make a career of it. His first big break came when he auditioned for the radio adaptation of Natsuki Takayas manga Fruits Basket as Yuki Sohma. He recorded his voice and sent it to the producers. Then radio magic happened in editing, and his voice was suddenly interacting with the other actors. Hearing the final production, Bremer was nothing short of in love with his chosen vocation. Having made the decision, Bremer needed an agent. His
college voiceover professor lent him the use of her equipment, and he created demo reels for distribution. Demos went out to every agency in the Chicago area, and DeSanti Models picked him up. Gotham High is a story of the Batman characters if they were all in the same high school as teens. Originating as a neverrun animated series, when auditions for a radio adaptation were announced, the 24 year old Bremer auditioned for every male part. He was thrilled when he was offered the part of a teenaged Jack Napier. Bremer hadnt been a big Batman follower before hearing about the Gotham High auditions. When he started doing research, he found a
That laugh. That piercing, maniacal cackle. It pierces through the speakers, letting everyone know that Jack Napier, aka The Joker, is plotting something particularly nasty. Never mind the fact that every time he sets a plan into motion, Bruce Wayne will thwart it. That part doesnt matter. Its all about the anticipation, and the chance that he just might pull it off on the new radio drama Gotham High.
But who is the man behind the laugh? Who gives Jack the shrill edge of madness that separates the clown from the boys? Enter Evan Bremer. Bremer comes across as bright and optimistic, but tempered with a measure of self-deprecation. He got his first taste of voice acting in 2007 in a class that his father told him about. It was a surprise, and one
that he hasnt forgotten. In the class, he got to learn from voice actor Crispin Freeman, noted for his voicing of Alucard in the Hellsing series. He voiced a few lines for Scrapped Princess, and was bitten by the voice acting bug. Next was a class with voice actress Sherri Berger. Bremer credits Freeman with teaching him how to record his voice, but says that it was Berger who taught him how to act with it. Fast forward a few years.
new voice acting hero in Mark Hamill. As far as hed known, Hamills fame was for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, and that hed faded, only doing bit parts here and there. Upon learning of Hamills extensive work in voice acting, particularly that of The Joker, he sat up and paid more attention. When he learned that hed been cast as the Joker in Gotham High, he pulled heavily from Hamills portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime, as evidenced by the tonality and drawn-out syllabics in Gotham Highs Joker. When asked who his favorite mainstream Joker is, he immediately cites Mark Hamill, but is quick to follow with the late Heath Ledger. Their performances capture different facets of the character, but are
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equally valid and outstanding in their own way, and Bremer would love to be able to follow in their footsteps. If these are his inspirations, then what is the story behind his recent tweet stating that actor and motion-capture master Andy Serkis is his totem animal? Bremer laughs and says that watching Serkis move, and watching him twist his voice as well as his physique to create characters is amazing, and that he is in awe of Serkis talent. Evan Bremer is not only a voice actor. He is also a game designer and amateur cosplayer. He is very vocal in the matter of acceptance, particularly in the face of the recent rash of fake geek girl arguments, having blogged about it on his website. Cosplay is one of my favorite pass times. I do not consider myself a good cosplayer, since I cant barely make anything myself and when I do, production is sluggish at best, but cosplay is something I love and Ill never give it up. And I believe that people should cosplay who they love no matter what. Bremer intends to develop new cosplays this year, expanding on his current costumes of Mortal Kombats Sub Zero and a samurai version of Legend of Zeldas Link. This year, he plans to create a version of Disney/Pixars Wall.e and a Hawkeye based on Jeremy Renners portrayal in The Avengers. He says Ive been the
blue ninja and the green samurai for far too long and I want to bring something new to the party! What does the Evan Bremer of the future have planned? In 5 years, I would like to be sitting at a table hosting a panel at San Diego Comic-Con while wearing cosplay. Thats not an impossible dream. This year, Bremer will be hosting a voiceover panel at Anime Central, the Midwests largest anime convention. Bremer posted on Facebook and on his own website I have some big news for you all. I will be officially showcasing a panel at Anime Central 2013. Its called Voice Acting Industry: How to get in! A couple others and I will be hosting a lecture about what it takes to get into the voiceover business as well as give out some hot tips for anyone who is interested in trying to get their foot in the door. You have no idea how excited I am Bremers excitement is infectious, and his enthusiasm comes through both in his written updates as well as when speaking to him. Bremer describes himself as a total geek, with Speed Racer being his favorite movie and Sonic the Hedgehog holds court as his favorite comic and video game character. Hes played all of the games featuring the speedy critter, starting with Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. When what side of the
Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate he falls on, Bremer laughs and says Firefly! What does he want to see happen in his career? To have my voice in video games and anime, and to have as many credits as my idols, both professional and non-profit. Considering who his idols are, its a lofty goal, but one that Bremer is well capable of achieving. Evan Bremer can be found online at http:// evanbremervoiceover. com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/evanbremervoiceover. Gotham Highs first episode, Dance the Knight Away, can be heard at http://blip.tv/ lacthewatcher/gotham-highaudio-drama-episode-dancethe-kinght-away-6488186, with behind the scenes clips on youtube at http://www. youtube.com/channel/ UCFoow8rdYxH3Jxtxym15XSw.
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Modern Corsetry Terminology:

By: Cory Benzenhoefer BONING: This is the structural part of a corset, sewn in at seams in pockets to create the affects of waist reduction that steel boned corsets offer. Plastic or acrylic bones: ribs made of plastics which are made to offer structure, but not waist reduction. Found in fashion corsets and lingerie, also often used in dressmaking. Flat steel bones: used in the construction of waist reducing corsets, most usually in places that dont need much flexibility in wear (such as the back or the sides). Usually coated in plastic to avoid sharp edges and rust. Spiral steel bones: (also referred to as spring steel) made of the same steel as flat steel bones, but in such a manner that they bend and flex like a spring. Used in the curvier areas in a corset, or in all boning spots on many custom built corsets. BUSK: The hard flat bone often used on the front middle of corsets for closure. It has loops on one side and hooks on the other and provides a sturdy closure option that contributes to structure. BUST: Those are your breasts, silly! (remember: busk and bust are two very different things!) COUTIL: The canvas-like herringbone pattern fabric used on the inside of a corset, made from yarns of cotton. COUTURE: In the same way as this term is used in the fashion world at large, this refers to many corsets with custom-made elements, whether off the rack or custom. This could be embroidery, beading, or any other hand-sewn element or embellishment. CUSTOM: A corset made to the exact measurements and requirements of its wearer. LACING: Much like shoelaces, this refers to the apparatus usually at the back of the corset that contributes to the ability to tighten a corset for waist reduction. Often a fashion corset not designed for waist reduction will have lacing at the back--if it is made with plastic or acrylic bones, the lacing is only included for decoration. LONG LINE: A corset that is made longer on the bottom either to accommodate a very long torso or to wear over the hips and buttocks. MIDBUST: A corset cut to cover about midway up the bust, usually with a straight cut across the top. Also sometimes referred to as Edwardian. OFF THE RACK: A corset that is manufactured in a predetermined size, only to be worn by someone who fits the measurements of the predesignated sizes set forth by the manufacturer and designed to be worn only occasionally, not recommended for waist training. OVERBUST: A corset with a cut that goes over the bust. UNDERBUST: The cut of a corset meant to be worn to only modify the waist line and not cover the bust. Also commonly referred to as a cincher. WAIST REDUCTION: The process by which one cinches down ones waist and ribcage shape with the use of a heavily structured corset. This can be achieved with occasional corset wear in a non-permanent fashion, it can also be done permanently with extensive custom corset wear and direction of a doctor and corsetiere (see: waist training). WAIST TAPE: A horizontal tape sometimes made from a twill often found at waist level inside a corset. This is used to take some of the strain of the corset and prevent it from stretching out of shape. WAIST TRAINING: The practice of using corsets with progressively smaller measurements (with the help of a corsetiere and doctor) to permanently alter the shape and size of ones ribcage and waistline. This process can be extremely dangerous, please do not attempt it without the advice of a doctor and guidance of a qualified corsetieree.
How to Measure for a Corset:

By: Cory Benzenhoefer
Full bust - around the fullest part of your bust, with or without a bra, depending on how you plan on wearing your corset. Ribcage/chest - under your bust at your ribcage Waist - right at the smallest point in your natural waist Top of hip - right at the top of where your hip bone starts (this may not be necessary for some off the rack corsets) Hip - all the way around the fullest part of your hips and buttocks
Please note: a custom corsetiere may have other or different measurement instructions, which they will provide to you.
Drawing By: Moriette
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So you want to buy a corset.

By: Cory Benzenhoefer Illustration By: Moriette
Corsetry is a whole different category from clothing. Historically, corsets were worn to reduce the waist and were purported to help posture. Women would wear them from adolescence and thereby often had trouble sitting and standing without them by adulthood. YOU, new corset wearer, are probably not looking for something this structured and likely are only looking for waist reduction thats going to give you that hourglass look for a costume or occasional wear without being intolerably uncomfortable. So, waist reduction, how does that work? Well, its pretty simple. A corset is made of
heavy duty materials like coutil, canvas and steel boning. Theyre constructed in such a way that they smooth and reduce your waistline when the cording in the back is pulled tightthis is called tight lacing. How do you know what size you need? Well, this is a little more complicated question. There are companies who sell corsets made in a specified range of sizes. Generally speaking, these off the rack corsets will work for costuming and occasional wear. Theyre not a great idea for waist training (something well talk about later) and a terrible idea if your measurements dont fit in their
sizing chart. As an example, well look at my measurements. I measure 43 at the bust, 36 at the waist, and 45 at the hip. Looking at a manufacturer of corsets who has a wide distribution in the US/UK, they recommend measuring the smallest part of your waist and subtracting 4 to get your corset size. Now, this would mean I should wear a size 32 corset, without looking at the other measurements involved. I say this is important because not everyone is proportionate to their specifications, so you dont want to get a corset and find that its a bit too large in the bust or too small in the hips. So the
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next step is to find the actual size chart for their corsets (you may need to ask the companys customer service people for this). Looking at the size chart for this company, a size 32 corset is suitable for a bust of 42-43, a natural waist of 36-37 and a hip of 44-45 so I happen to fit in their sizing chart, but not everyone does. Another thing to consider here is the style and length of your prospective corset. Im 6 feet tall and long waisted, so I personally have to consider the length from top to bottom of the corset, most importantly with overbusts, so my breasts dont literally fall out of the top. Its not like a bustier or a corset-style top you can wear a little higher up on your torsothe waist of your corset needs to fall on your waist or youll be squeezing your ribs and at minimum be uncomfortable, at maximum crack a rib. If your measurements dont fit into the sizing chart for an off the rack corset, its time to look for a custom. Some companies that sell off the rack will make their corsets to order in your measurements, usually this costs a little extra, but its definitely worth it for a proper fit. Other corset manufacturers ONLY deal in custom sizing. This is a great thing to look for, even if you fit into an off the rack corset. Custom sizing can be the saving grace in your hunt and can make or break the appearance of your corset. Its especially important if you plan on wearing it for extended periods of time or waist training. To be fair, off the rack corsets are really only ideal
for occasional wear, even for a person who fits into their sizing chart perfectly. They wont be comfortable enough to wear for an extended period of time, and they definitely will not shape your waist into anything that it isnt already. On the subject of waist training: first and foremost (and I cant stress this enough), never start this process before consulting your doctor. You CAN injure yourself if its not done properly, and not the sort of injury you can simply walk off. For legal reasons, I cant really walk you through the process, but quite basically it involves wearing corsetry thats made a bit more sturdy and heavy duty than a standard modern steel boned corset and using those corsets to gradually change the shape and curve of the waist, hips and ribcage. This should ALWAYS be done with an experienced corsetiere who makes corsetry custom for their clients and is knowledgeable in the process of waist training. Most companies who make off the rack corsets will offer corsetry they suggest is suitable for waist training, but rest assured, no matter how often you wear one of them, they will not be anywhere near as effective as one made just for you and your waist training regimen. So. Now you know most of the basics, here are a few more things to know. Youll want to make sure the corset youre getting has steel bones. Acrylic bones do not a corset make! Theyre not made to produce
any sort of waist reduction and will crease and fold after wearing them for a short period of time. In order to be considered an actual authentic corset, it needs to have steel boning. This boning can be flat, spiral or a combination of the two. Spiral boning is a little easier to bend and move in, flat boning is a little more restrictive. As an example: I have an overbust with flat steel bones and an identical one with spiral steel. The flat boned one keeps me from bending at the waist, so I find myself squatting or asking people to pick things up off the ground for me quite a lot. In the spiral boned corset, I dont experience this at all. Spiral steel bones are also a bit more effective for creating dramatic waist reduction, so if you have been waist training and want a corset you can wear out, youll want to look for spiral boning. Corsets are lined with heavy fabric that will wick at least a little moisture away from your body and help your corset hold its shape the way its supposed to. Usually cotton coutil or duck are used on the layer closest to your skin, a waist tape will usually be visible on the inside (although some corsetieres use an extra layer on top of waist tape), there will be at least one additional layer between that one and the outer layer usually made of the same thing the inner layer is. The outermost layer is the one everyone will see, so this can be poly brocade, leather, pvc, cotton, silk...really whatever your corsetiere offers. There are corsetieres who will offer options with lining, these
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will be fitted over the core layers and may make your new corset a bit more comfortable if you have sensitive skin and cant wear sturdier fabrics. Corset laces should start at the top and bottom and meet in the middle. So when you tighten, you pull from the middle and tie the laces together in the middle. Dont tie your laces around your corsetthis can weaken your busk (if you have one) and cause undesirable bending of your boning. Your laces should be very long, I have been known to just tie them in a long bow and let them hang or tie them up and tuck them into the top. Lacing should be a sturdy thick lace, not a ribbon or a cord. It should have the sort of strength and structure of a good thick boot lace. If you dont like the color or want to change out the cord for any other reason, please make sure you buy a corset lace to replace it, anything else could end up breaking while its tightened. Tightening your corset is not as scary a proposition as it may sound. Firstly, remember that the first few times you pull those laces tight, they may not move smoothly through the grommets in the back of your corset. This is normal, similar to thick tennis shoe laces for their first few wears. The easiest way Ive found to tighten on my own (and I have a bit of a shoulder injury, so its very difficult for me to reach back there and pull those cords) is to pull either top or bottom closed first. So start at the top and pull pull pull until its just as tight as I think itll go...
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then go from the bottom to the middle, pull pull pull. Then pull those ends once more just to even everything out and tie. This works really well when youre all alone with a new-ish corset. If youve used it a while and the cords pull through the grommets freely, you can hook the laces on a door handle (not a plain old round one, the kind that are like a long handlethe kind the raptors learned how to open in Jurassic Park) and walk away until youre tight laced. Then hold those cords and walk back to unhook yourself and tie. I CANT BREATHE! This is one of the most common things heard from the mouths of new corset wearers the first time they are tight laced. Well yeah, you probably cant. Everything in your chest and stomach area is being squeezed and your body is kind of saying, hey wait, this...no stop oh my goodness I dont have space to function! First rule: dont start breathing quickly. Youll hyperventilate. Second rule: think about how youre breathing. Your breaths should be coming from your diaphragm, not your chest (band and vocal types know what Im talking about here). Third rule: if you still feel like you cant breathe, loosen up a little until you get the hang of diaphragm breaths. Put your corset on early, and give yourself about an inch of breathing room, then go finish getting ready. Get your makeup on, wig, shoes, drive to where youre going...all of that. Then when youre ready to make your appearance, finish tight lacing. You dont want to do this forever,
just the first couple of times you put it on, maximum, to get used to diaphragm breathing. Its not terribly difficult to get the hang of. If youre wearing an off the rack overbust corset, its always a good idea to put a pair of pasties on underneath. Not only for comfort (canvas/coutil/cotton duck is not all that comfortable on nipples, lets be honest) but just in case something slips if you have to bend over or reach for something. Wardrobe malfunction isnt as big a concern if youre wearing a custom sized overbust, but its something to think about more from a comfort standpoint. Above all else, if youre buying a corset, you should be able to speak to the seller and get a good feel for what they know and how they can guide you through the process. A good corsetiere (even if they only sell off the rack) knows the limitations and capabilities of their product and can tell you what to expect through the process. If you take your waist measurement and its 24, a good corsetiere would be able to say they dont believe a size 20 corset would be very comfortable due to your lack of body fat and inability to squish as much as someone larger. A good corsetiere can recommend styles, colors and shapes based on what youre looking for your corset to do. Above all, dont be afraid to ask questions. A good corset is an investment, and you want to make sure you get return on that investment in the form of wear and use. WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
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Geeky Flicks
january
Texas Chainsaw 3D :R Genre: Horror Leatherface terrorizes a young woman who has come to Texas to claim an inheritance: a mansion with a terrifying secret in the basement. Dan Yeager, Alexandra Deddario. Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters PG-13 Genre: Fantasy/Horror The fabled siblings are given a grown-up spin as bounty hunters specializing in witches. Jeremy Janssen.
January - March 2013 march
All Superheroes Must Die Jan 4, Limited Release : NR Genre: Indie A group of abducted young superheroes, their powers stripped by work together to defeat his game, and save the city. Jason Trost.
Jack the Giant Slayer NR Genre: Fantasy The tenuous truce between humans and giants is strained as a farmer leads a group into the giants kingdom to rescue a princess. Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGreggor.
Oz the Great and Powerful NR Genre: Fantasy A stage magician is carried via tornado to a magical land whose inhabitants hail him as a Real Wizard, while three witches each have their own plan for him. James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams.
Carrie R Genre: Horror. A quiet high school girl unleashes her newfound who bully her. Julianne Moore, Chlo Grace Moretz.
february
PG-13 Genre: Thriller Mysterious girl Lena comes to a small Southern town. Together with local boy Ethan, they discovers secrets about the town, their families, and themselves. Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum, Alice Englert.
The Sorcerer and the White Snake Feb. 8, Limited PG-13 Genre: Fantasy Ancinent Chinese legend in which an herbalist falls in love with a thousand year old White Snake disguised as a woman. A sorcerer Li, Shengyi Huang.
Escape from Planet Earth NR Genre: Animated Bold astronaut Scorch Supernova is a dangerous alien planet. Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba.
The Croods NR Genre: Animated A prehistoric family sets out on Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone.
Genre: Framed for treason, the Joe team is terminated. Cobra and their own government to save the Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Ray Park.
NR
The Host NR Genre: Sci-Fi over human hosts. One invader bonds with her host, and together they set out to free the humans from enslavement. Saoirse Ronan, Dianne Kruger, William Hurt.
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LEFT D20 TO RIGHT Relm, Terra, Lenna, Rydia, Celes GIRLS: MAGAZINE WINTER 2012-13 38
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Princess Lenna
MODELED BY: Mizuhana Cosplay
Charlotte Tycoon
FINAL FANTASY V
I began my Amano journey with Princess Lenna Charlotte Tycoon. I made this costume initially for Anime Boston 2008, and then re-wore it with updates for Animazement 2010. The costume is a mess of gold and copper, with thousands of hand strung beads sewn to the skirt. It also features copper wiring stripped from an abandoned house. This costume took the most work to interpret from the original sketch. The Lenna concept art is so completely different from how she appears in the game. The design granted me tons of wiggle room and what resulted was an amalgamation of the feelings I have for the character and my personal style.
A Cosplay Fantasy of Final Fantasy

BY: Chiki
Rydia of Mist
FINAL FANTASY IV MODELED BY: Anna Panda Rydia was my second venture into Final Fantasy costuming. The original costume was completed for Animazement 2011 and re-worn with updates for Anime Weekend Atlanta 2011. I think gathering supplies for this costume took longer than making it. I was so inspired by all the different fabrics and materials I gathered that I found myself overwhelmed by the possibilities, and I could not decide which direction to go. The answer came to me when I was sorting through a box of old costumes. There sat a hand-made kimono that had last been worn by a dear friend of mine who had passed away. From there the costume took a life of its own, stemming from the sleeves of the kimono and building from there. Now this costume is a homage to a lost friendship, which seems fitting for the character. WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
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f we view cosplayers as artists (and I do), then they must have their own style. My cosplay signature over the years has become Final Fantasy Amano Concept Art. In 2008, upon completing my first Amano inspired costume of Princess Lenna Charlotte Tycoon from Final Fantasy V, I found my cosplay voice. Amanos concept art for the Final Fantasy games tends to be very organic and not incredibly detailed. Its easy to interpret how youd like, which is D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE WINTER 2012-13
perfect for a cosplayer like me who hates to be limited by the confines of being accurate. Plus, theres gold! Lots and lots of gold! The Saturday that Hurricane Sandy struck the coast of North Carolina, my fellow North Carolina D20 Girls and I ventured out heavily weighed down with pale makeup, glitter, and beads to model each of my creations. I dont think Ive had a prouder moment in my life than when these amazing photos got back to me.
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Celes Chere
FINAL FANTASY VI MODELED BY: Geneviefe dEstelle Celes Chere was never in my costuming plans; it was only after re-discovering artwork of her character that I decided to create the costume. This costume is the least detailed of the lot but possibly the most beloved amongst my friends. Its funny how unplanned things tend to go the best.
Relm Arrownry
FINAL FANTASY VI MODELED BY: Chiki Relm was an exercise in cosplay supply recycling. I have a terrible time throwing away any craft supplies I may find a use for some day, so after four other heavily detailed Final Fantasy costumes and a plethora of costumes from other series, I had accumulated quite the stash of supplies. Relm was born from recycled bits of a Black Canary costume, thrift store fabric finds, scraps from Steam Punk Sailor Venus and leftovers from all the Final Fantasy costumes that preceded it. I only purchased two things for this costume: the wig and the painters pallet. I felt like I was cosplaying green.
Terra Branford
FINAL FANTASY VI MODELED BY: Maka Lee Terra Branford is the fourth in the lineup and the most planned out costume of the bunch. The fabric was purchased 5 months prior to the construction of this costume for Katsucon 2012, then it sat unceremoniously in a pile of forgotten materials for months before being hastily constructed a week before the convention. Yes, I have a problem. Despite that, this costume turned out beautifully and I am very proud of it. This Terra design incorporates aspects from both Amanos concept art and Sakizous illustration art. The end result is a mixture of the two designs and my favorite cosplay of the five.
PHOTOS BY: N3 Photography MAKEUP BY: Geneviefe dEstelle COSTUMES BY: Chiki Cosplay
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D20 GIRLS OUT AND ABOUT
Sarah Tanner
Alyssa
Little Alice & Apocalypse Sue
Fire Trinket & Little Alice
NC Girls
Dolly & Shiloh WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
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DiY
MAK
l o P E I ZOMB
N MA W O R U E YO
SHR U M Y R O LEST
e n i r u g i F y a l C r e ym
By: Moriette
OOM
Step 6 Bake the charm! Place it into the oven. Hint - Sculpey bakes at 275 C per 1/4 Careful! Its always better to underbake than overbake.
Materials Polymer Clay (Sculpey, Primo, etc) | Markers (Prismacolor, Sharpie, etc)
Step 1 Prepare the clay
Step 7 Drawing it in! Step 2 Shape the clay
Youll need 3 colors: Yellow, Brown, White
Using your ngers, mold the base of othe mushroom with white clay. Using the palm of your hand press until you have the cap of the mushroom.
On Cap: Use brown to detail the marking in. On Base: Draw in eyes and mouth with black. :} On Tag: Write in the red character using red. Extra: Use light blue to ll in the eyes.
Step 3 Align the two pieces

And SQUISH
Complete!
Flatten the yellow clay into a rectangle.
Step 4 Shape the Tag
Step 5 All together now...

Press the tag into the mushroom.
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Love Songs
Honorable Mention
Wizard Love MeekaKitty Lumos Flies All Caps Nerd Girl (Sweet Version) The Four Eyes Hot Girl in the Comic Shop Tripod Geek Like Me The Wonderstrucks
Roy Allysons List

Elephant Lovesong Medly - Moulin Rouge Dare You to Move - Switchfoot Falling Slowly - Once Halls - Colton and Zara To Be With You - Slim Man
Nightmare Marzipans List

Music of the Night - Phantom of the Opera On My Own - Les Miserables Granger Danger - A Very Potter Musical Hallelujah - Lenord Cohen You Make My Dreams Come True - Hall and Oates
Graciebloves List
Parachute (Acoustic) Ingrid Michaelson Antonia Motion City Soundtrack The Book of Love The Magnetic Fields Past Lives Ke$ha Pretty Little Girl Blink 182
Leah Roses List

Were In This Together Nine Inch Nails My Favorite Book - Stars, Lovesong - The Cure, Until the End of the World - Apoptygma Berzerk The More You Ruv Someone - Avenue Q.
Boo! Valentines Day! Boo!

Love Like Woe The Ready Set Down with Love Michael Buble with Holly Palmer Single Natasha Bedingfield Love Hurts Nazareth The Morning Sad Veruca Salt
The Breakup List

Breathe Again Sara Bareilles Cry Kelly Clarkson Jar of Hearts Christina Perri Shake it Off - Florence and the Machine I Almost Do Taylor Swift
Moriettes List
Tong Hua (Fairy Tale) - Guang Liang Say U Love Me - Jason and Lara Why Did I Fall In Love With You - DBSK Flower - Back-On Haru Haru - Big Bang
Movie/TV
Anyone Else But You Mouldy Peaches (Juno) Storybook Love Mark Knopfler (The Princess Bride) A Thousand Years Christina Perri (Twilight) Laundry Day Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible) The Power of Love Huey Lewis and The News (Back to the Future)
Mixtress Mandys List

Come What May - Moulin Rouge Cant Fight This Feeling REO Speedwagon When You Say You Love Me - Josh Groban A Walk Through Hell - Say Anything Your Song - Ewan McGregor
Nerdy Crushes
Nerd Girl MC Chris Hey Molly Mike Lombardo Chemical Love Charlie McDonnell Here Comes My Baby Sons of Admirals My Universe Revolves Around You - Danny Tieger WoW Is A Feeling Pure Pwnage Do You Want to Date My Avatar The Guild
Sairins List
Far Away - Nickleback La Vie en Rose - (Louis Armstrongs version) Purple Rain - Prince Save Me - Queen Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
Video Games
Navis Song (Hey, Listen!) Meekakitty Mario Kart Love Song Sam Hart Pokemon Love Song HelloIamDanica Still Alive GLaDOS & Jonathan Coulton Somewhere Beyond the Sea Bobby Darin (Bioshock)
Illustrations By: Washue WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
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y r i a AF
d d e W
BY KARA PESZNECKER
e l a T ing
W
hen girls say they want a fairy tale wedding, they usually dont mean it literally, but I am not a typical girl. I had never spent years dreaming of my ideal wedding. I didnt have the perfect dress picked out. I hadnt been
what food would be served. about what I wanted. The one thing that I did know is that my husband-elect and I were unashamed geeky, gamer, fantasy-loving metalheads and we wanted a wedding that and brought all of our family and friends together in a fun way. D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE WINTER 2012-13 WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE
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My husband Gary and I love any excuse to dress up. I remember on our first date he informed me that he enjoyed LARPing. I have to admit that was an avenue of nerddom that I had never traveled down before, but when he told me costumes were involved I was in. This made our decision to have a themed wedding quite natural, and from that point on my vision for our wedding was Bilbo Bagginss Birthday. We asked all our friends and family to be inspired by their favorite fantasy or fairy-tale characters and come in costume. We encouraged costumes across all genres medieval, viking, steampunk, Disney we really werent picky about how they dressed up as long they gave it some effort and had fun with it. In our save the dates we included a list appropriate costumes ideas that included knights, fairies, pirates, damsels in distress, princes and princesses, hobbits, elves, dragon hunters, men in tights, your 15th level Elven Wizard/ Cleric, your cousins 67th level Resto Druid, etc. I am very happy to say we saw pretty much every single one of those ideas represented and so much more. The wedding itself was held at Eagle Fern Park in Estacada, Oregon in an old open-air A-frame structure, complete with moss and surrounded by large evergreens and lush vegetation. It truly felt like we had stepped into Middle Earth until of course some park- goers thought it would be
okay to fire up their motorcycles and reve them loudly during our ceremony. The situation was resolved quite quickly when they were confronted by my husbands uncle (dressed in traditional Scottish garb and, armed with a large sword) and his cousin (dressed as Thor, wielding Mjlnir) asked them to leave. During our vows, we promised to love each other until death or undeath did we part, as our subtle nod to the zombie apocalypse. In place of a unity candle our fathers built us a treasure chest that we filled with letters from our mothers, gifts, and a bottle of his uncles special home-brewed mead. The chest was then locked with two antique padlocks to which we each hold a key. We will open the chest on our 5th anniversary and share in our treasure. For me, the highlight of the ceremony was our processional music. Gary and
I met at an Epica concert where they played a symphonic metal version of the Imperial March. Even before we knew each other we shared in that special moment and I am pretty sure we both shed a tear of joy. For the wedding I found a live recorded version of the song and managed to keep it a secret from Gary to play as we walked down the aisle together for the first time as husband and wife. During the reception we kept the fantasy feeling alive by playing traditional celtic and folk music along with folk metal and dancing to some epic power metal. Our first dance was to Blind Guardians The Maiden and the Minstrel Knight that is based on the story of Tristan and Isolde. Our cake topper was two fairies standing on a bridge that had a waterfall going down into a pond on a sheet cake that had
a mermaid bathing in it while a white dragon kept watch. I cut the cake with a dagger strapped to my boot. We drank mead out of custom painted drinking horns and my Maid of Honor told everyone that Gary was not my first long-haired love, but that in fact that honor in fact belongs to Legolas, who still stands in my living room today. Toward the end of the ceremony my mom informed me that my brothers best friend had arrived and that I might want to take a look at our gift table. There, on the table, was a big beautiful Captain America shield, which I fully intend on using in a cosplay in the near future. We couldnt pass up the opportunity for a photo-op so my husband stole his cousins Thor helmet and hammer and posed for our final picture before driving off into the sunset to our heavy metal after party.
Photography By: http://www.craigmitchelldyer.com
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June 21 2012
Bridgett & Peter

My Jewish-pagan doctor who wedding
M
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y husband and I are huge nerds. We watch things, we read things and we create things that are worthy of the nerddom name. So when we decided to get married we had many ideas! Some of the more exciting thoughts were of a Klingon or Betazoid wedding. Lots of things were vetoed until finally we decided that our main nerd flare would be Doctor Who!
I grew up watching the show and was able to introduce it to my husband. The doctor helped us bond on many levels. Once we decided on a theme we had to think of everything else. My colors were white, blue, black, and pale pearlescent. We had it at a local camp ground because I wanted to be closer to the earth. My bridesmaids dresses were royal blue with white poke dots while his grooms men were all different doctors! We had the first, the fourth, the eleventh, and my husband was the tenth. My something blue was my knee high royal blue convers with Bad wolf on the side! Our chuppah was blue to represent the TARDIS
and once our ceremony was finished we ran off stage to the theme song! I could not have asked for a more perfect day. I had the perfect balance of family, fun, and nerddom.
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CHIKI
WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS D20 Girls RockMAGAZINE - Featuring CHIKI
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CHIKI
NC D20 Girls Manager
Chiki began her life immersed in a costuming world. She learned to sew at age 10 and grew up in Opera costume shops with her aunt, now the costume shop manager for the Barter Theater. When she was not backstage, she also participated onstage performing for Sarasota opera, Chautauqua opera, school productions, and Community Theater. She began her venture into Cosplay in 2001 when she was in 8th grade.
Since then shes attended over 25 conventions and has made over 45 costumes. Some of her favorite characters to cosplay are Sailor Venus from Sailor Moon, Super Girl, Rarity from My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic, and ladies from Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI. When she isnt behind a sewing machine, Chiki works as a professional photographer and obsesses over the Fallout series of video games, Buffy the
Vampire Slayer, and manages her state of North Carolina for the D20 Girls project. A love of cosplay and a need to find a community within the often cruel cosplay world led her to the D20 Girls Project. As a state manager she and her girls enjoy attending conventions, coordinating photo shoots, and hanging out. She is very proud of how close the girls in her state have become as friends.
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CHIKI
WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS D20 Girls RockMAGAZINE - Featuring CHIKI
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DESTELLE GENEVIEFVE
Article By: Chiki
ELIZABETH
TURNER
MS/NC D20 Girl
If there was a major for being a better geek Elizabeth is well on her way to earning a Masters degree in it. As a graduate student studying Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill, Elizabeth applies her knowledge to the little things in nerdom, like effectively researching characters she cosplays and finding the best ways to search ebay for the perfect touches to add to her Lolita coordinates. She has turned a passion for geek culture into a lifestyle. Elizabeth began cosplaying at age 16: Elizabeth Swan was the first character she chose, from there she expanded into further costuming endevors that led her to participation in SCA. Historical Fashion costuming is her first love, but she returned to her geek roots by her junior year in college when she got involved with the 501st/ Rebel Legion and began attending conventions. Her schooling brought her from her from Mississippi to D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE WINTER 2012-13 DESTELLE GENEVIEFVE D20 Girls Rock - Featuring DESTELLE GENEVIEFVE
North Carolina all the while remaining an active D20 Girl. She now is an integral part of the NC Girls and spends much time cosplaying, going to conventions and plotting adventures with her fellow girls. Shes especially proficient in sharing her knowledge and talents with others through panels she leads at conventions on a variety of topics including: Lolita, Theater Makeup, and the Plight of the Nerd Girl in Society. Im a fairly balanced geek as far as fandoms coming from a variety of fields Turner explains, my first fandoms were Harry Potter, Tolkien, and Avatar the Last Airbender. My current fandoms are DC, BBC, and I have rediscovered a love for Tolkien. Id been out of the fandom for a while but the new movie got me back in. Teen Titans and Birds of Prey are my favorite DC comics though I tend to like independent stories like Sandman and Preacher more
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than superhero ones. Proving a love for table top gaming, she has been playing Dungeons and Dragons since she was 14: My first character somehow managed to be really overpowered in Charisma skills so even though I was only a level 1, I managed to disguise myself as the pirate captain whose camp we were infiltrating, steal his plans, and then let the party set fire to the galley (which had all highly flammable booze in it). The DM was all wtf is even happening? Best part of that campaign? It was an official part of my lit class that year. The teachers assistant was the Dungeon Master. If D20 was a college course, wed say she gets an A+!
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D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE WINTER 2012-13 D20 Girls Rock - Featuring DESTELLE GENEVIEFVE DESTELLE GENEVIEFVE
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DOLLY
WINTER 2012-13 D20 Rock GIRLS -MAGAZINE D20 Girls Featuring Dolly
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DOLLY
The name is Dolly! I work very hard in the world we live in and enjoy every moment life shares with me. I often use the word Hun way too much, and smile when the time just isnt right. I take things to heart and my emotions are pure. I consider myself witty yet laugh at almost every pun. I am a five foot small Puerto Rican girl with nothing but a geeky mind to lead me through. I am a gamer Girls played with Barbies, yet I played with Mario. Girls did their hair, while I found Cloud his wig. I have always been on a personal level with my video games. From Survival horror, to Rpgs, I am a gamer girl; from head to toe you can see it. I have tattoos of the PlayStation buttons and Nobuo Uematsus real signature, but this isnt just an image. This isnt just a hobby. Its my life. I not only play video games with friends and family, but Im working in school right now to become a gaming producer and I plan to make it to the top. I WILL bring gaming to the next level with all the gamer girls in this generation. I want to show the world that being a gamer girl is not only about being beautiful with the things you love, but making a difference in the world within it. I am an anime fan My first boyfriend was Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho. We had a really solid relationship, with him fighting yokai and all, until I became overly obsessed with the anime Marmalade Boy. It was all uphill from there. The art is what caught my attention at first; I became so passionate about drawing the features of characters and giving them their own lives. It then became all about the music. How magical the melodies worked to continue a story. It came together when I noticed the sheer brilliance of an anime plot line. Call me crazy for falling in love with Cartoons, (which we will not call them ever again!) but they are the gripping stone of my creativity. Without the lessons learned from anime heroes, I would never be the woman I am today. I am a manga freak 489490..491Oh, well I should probably stop counting the manga and manhwa on my wall. These are my collectors items. They are the pieces of my childhood and gripping tales of my years to come. Every character, word, and image running through the pages of these books is truly incredible. You have never experienced an out of world enlightenment until you have turned the pages of a manga or manhwa. I am a cosplayer Finding beauty in a character is an amazing feeling. Being able
New Jersey D20 Girl

to show off their beauty, inside and out is phenomenal! I have been cosplaying for a little over two years now. As I am new to the game, I have gone through several gorgeous costumes. My line up so far has been: Lilth from Darkstalkers, Yoko from Gurren Lagann, Lumiere from Kiddy Grade, Garnet from Final Fantasy IX, Shadow Bolt from My Little Pony, C.C from Code Geass, Pleinair from the Disgaea series, Gijinka Goldeen from the Pokemon series and Dollface from Twisted Metal. I am me I have never let being a geeky girl slow me down, and yes, it was hard at first. I was bullied for loving what I did. I was harassed for being in touch with a character or story from any platform of geeky wonder. That never once pushed my passion for them away. The world isnt perfect. But its there for us, doing the best it can. And thats what makes it so damn beautiful. This is a quote spoken by Roy Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist and his words ring true. Like the world, I am not perfect, and that to me is the ultimate beauty. I am a strong geeky girl and truly proud of it. Now, I am a D20 girl pushing women to be proud of who they are, too. To be proud of what they love and voice it to the world!
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DOLLY
WINTER 2012-13 D20 Rock GIRLS -MAGAZINE D20 Girls Featuring Dolly
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K AT H E R I N E
AS Harley Quinn FROM Batman
ELIZABETH COLEMAN
ALLISON THOMAS
NATSUO COSPLAY
As Megurine Luka FROM Vocaloid
I actually purchased this costume from Calssara cosplay
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K AT H E R I N E
ELIZABETH COLEMAN
AS Sailor Venus FROM Sailor Moon
TRINITY
FANNIN
As Natsu FROM Fairy Tale
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Bentpic5
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TRINITY
FANNIN
AS Erza FROM Fairy Tale PHOTOGRAPHY BY Bentpic5
ALLISON THOMAS
NATSUO COSPLAY
As Yuki Cross FROM Vampire Knight PHOTOGRAPHY BY Tony Teresi www.t3-photo.com
I hand made this whole costume myself. The jacket is lined and the scythe is made by carving polystyrene foam.
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best nerdy gift.

Corey I got a Catwoman pimp chalice, a Batman pint glass with a cape, a black Batman logo glass and a wonder woman shot glass with a cape.
Michelle Death Star Infuser Dr Who Apisode Plushie Dr Who K9
Trinity I got a Tardis mini fridge!!!! Katrina A Super nintendo.
Alyssa Dr Who - Exterminate
News, reviews, convention coverage...
www.gamersnewspaper.com
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WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE

Andres Santamaria (order #4247202)

38 A Cosplay Fantasy of Final Fantasy

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Letter From the Editor:

Illustrations By: Washue

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TIPS FOR NERDS OF ALL FLAVORS

Nerd Girls of the Future

No such thing as perfect:

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CosIT Photography Cerulean Photography

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GENEVIEFE DESTELLE MISS MINA CHIKI MAKA LEE

KIT KATT TOMIE

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NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

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Tara To start my Kitchen Superheroes line! Wonder Woman aprons, ladies!

Nightmare Marzipan Open my lolita and geek chic Etsy shop!

Sarah To sew more costumes, my machine has been so lonely lately.

Your one-stop nerd shop

We take custom commissions! WINTER 2012-13 D20 GIRLS MAGAZINE

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Pigtails for Peace

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Share the Love

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From Goldielocks to GoldiBlox,

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Evan Bremer: A Voice In the Making

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Modern Corsetry Terminology:

How to Measure for a Corset:

Drawing By: Moriette

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So you want to buy a corset.