Great news everyone! Ana, Not The Geek Next Door, has returned!
Hey everyone!
It’s your geek girl Ana here. Long time no talk, eh? Well, I’ve been traversing the world digging up new stories and experiences to share with you all. Ok, not really, I moved back to Orlando, FL and have been adjusting to life with comic shops again! It’s been great; I forgot how much weekly subscriptions drain the wallet in these tough times. And to think I wasted money on that Batman R.I.P. trash – well, we’ll save that for another issue.
Today, I have something even better. I spoke with the beautiful and talented Margie Cox. Don’t know who she is? Google “Wonder Woman” and you might get a taste of what she’s all about. She’s an amazing costumer, but an even more spectacular human being.
She’s put together a calendar for 2009 featuring some of the sexiest girls on the convention scene. But it’s not about the Ts and As for Margie, there’s something else that got this project off the ground.
ANA: What is the Geek Girls Charity Calendar all about?
MARGIE: I have been so blessed by God to have such an amazing amount of support with Geek Girls Charity Calendar! All the profits made from this calendar are going to help support the kids of BASE Camp. After visiting the kids (With the Justice League close to Christmas :)), I think we just all fell in love with them and the awesome people who run it.
They are some of the coolest kids ever!
ANA: They are! I’ve had the chance to see them in action! I know you’re not affiliated with BASE Camp, but could you tell us a bit more about the organization?
BASE Camp is an amazing charity, because it allows kids with cancer to just focus on being kids for weekend. In a way, it gives them a break. They also get to meet kids that are going through the same thing. Cancer is scary for adults, but as many kids as I see with it, I just don’t know if I will ever be comfortable seeing children have to go through that pain. I think when kids meet other kids who’ve been through cancer and beaten it, it gives them hope. Of all the treatments for cancer, I think hope is the most important.
I think we’ve all been touched by this disease. I hate that it’s taken away my best friend and Grandfather, but I’ve also seen how kind and wonderful people can be because of it. I wish I could bring back everyone’s loved ones, but I thank God for having met the amazing people I’m met and become closer too working on this project. I am so honored to work with such an amazing group of people and also to help such a deserving group of kids.
ANA: Now, you got to visit BASE Camp with Heroes Alliance, a group many people in the convention scene in Florida are pretty familiar with. What you guys do and how people can sign up and make a difference in their part of the world?
MARGIE: Heroes Alliance is a group of costumers that I am proud to be a part. We have an awesome time going to cons and also doing charity and community events. We visit sick kids in hospitals, Give Kids the World…It’s really very rewarding and I have met some amazing people doing this. For costumers interested, we just have to run a background check because we do so much work with children.
ANA: Who is Margie Cox and who is Margie the Wonder Woman?
MARGIE: Margie Cox is probably an acquired taste for most. I’m kind of loud but always well intentioned. I thought that my grandfather was the coolest person on the planet, so I really patterned the way I approach things after him. I approach the world joyfully and I try to approach others with a lot of humility and love. I don’t make any apologies for who I am and I never bother with political correctness–just honesty. That’s me.
Margie the Wonder Woman is the girl who gets in costume and visits kids in hospitals and goes to cons. It’s really an amazing experience. She’s a character that means so much to so many people of different ages, nations, and creeds. I think I’ll always feel like a kid in mom’s heels when I put on the armor, but as much as I love my life, it is infinitely cooler to be Wonder Woman, even if you can only do it for a few hours. I get hugged so much and stopped for pictures as Wonder Woman. I just don’t want it to end when I’m wearing the uniform.
ANA: Not only are you a talented seamstress, but you look great in your costumes. You also pick characters that many people overlook (Soranik Natu, for instance). What do you look for when you pick a character?
MARGIE: I do characters that I find interesting. I love the Green Lanterns. Putting on that costume makes me want to face-push a Manhunter or something. I just feel good doing certain characters.
ANA: What was one of your most challenging costumes?
MARGIE: My most challenging costume from a seamstress point of view was Elektra. That corset was so difficult and so much of it was trial and error.
From a safety point of view, my most challenging costume was Wonder Woman. I almost lost a few fingers to the armor process. I held the jumpy piece of metal while my friend TJ moved around my fingers with a jig saw. That was not for the faint of heart.
ANA: Any future costumes you’re working on?
MARGIE: I’ve got supplies for so many costumes stockpiled in my closet. I think I may have a new one for MegaCon, but it’s so difficult for me to fit new costumes into the line-up as I have several signature costumes.
ANA: All this and you’re a published writer! Any work loyal fans can expect to see on the shelves in the future?
MARGIE: I graduated from USF with a degree in English and a specialty in Creative Writing. I’m working on so many writing projects right now. I actually have a Batman Novel that I’m almost done with. I have a few Southern Regional stories that I have in mind. I also have a few indy comics that I’m working on. I spend almost 10 hours a day writing. I think I’m starting to get good at it :).
ANA: What do you think about Batman R.I.P.?
MARGIE: Batman RIP was so bad that I quit reading it after a few issues and it also made me kick a few puppies. Morrison really tries to sell you a plot driven story and feed you shock value in the absence of writing a solid character driven story. I think he’s banking on writing toward a less literate readership, but most comic readers are very insightful. It’s a little degrading as a reader when a writer tries to force feed you something with the characters you love. I should really go to Morrison’s house and break all of his pencils and pee on his keyboard. I could leave him a note “Okay, is what you have to write so good that you would be willing to touch something that I have peed on to write it? If your answer is no, you should think about it more before asking me to read it. Thanks. Sorry. I did not enjoy breaking your pencils nor peeing on your keyboard, but I enjoyed your butchery of The Dark Knight even less. You’re Welcome.”
ANA: You know, I couldn’t agree more. I just… hope no one gets any ideas about you urinating on keyboards! Margie Cox certainly is an enigma!
What conventions are you planning on attending for 2009?
MARGIE: For 2009, I will go to MegaCon and DragonCon for sure.
Don’t forget, you can order your copy of the 2009 Geek Girls Calendar by going to Margie’s MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/margiec1022 or on my website http://anaaesthetic.com.
Oh, and did I mention I’m miss October? ;D
See you all next week!
