Grey Bard's Journal

2:03AM - Free Comic Book Day and The Avengers Movie Meetup! Tell EVERYONE!

AVENGERS MOVIE MEETUP

Saturday, May 5, Free Comic Book Day, save the date!

At 2pm on Saturday, a barnstorming tour of Free Comic Book Day in New York, hitting as many comic shops as possible to snag lots of free comic books before the movie will meet up outside the Forbidden Planet comic book store in Union Square.

At 4pm, I'll be waiting (free comic books in hand) outside AMC Empire 25 theater (located on 42nd street between 7th and 8th avenue) wearing a "Stark Industries" t-shirt, getting people together.

Buy tickets AHEAD OF TIME to the 4:20 (non-Imax, non-3D) showing of the Avengers at the AMC Empire 25 Theater. Do not expect to get tickets ten minutes before the show on opening Saturday, you will fail and it will be sad.

At 7pm, moviegoers and other Avengers fans who want to will meet up outside Dallas BBQ on 42nd street between 7th and 8th avenue. Not haute cuisine, but it has reasonably priced food including vegetarian options and alcoholic beverages for those who like that sort of thing.

It'll be AWESOME, tell your friends! Everyone's welcome! Come for one part or come for all. If you're interested, let me know! Comment, pm or email me at fitzrose @ email.msn.com.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

8:41PM - PSA: Your Chance To Let Comic Companies (and other geek businesses) Hear You

Don't mind filling out surveys? Want to stand up and be counted for your actual real geek interests and tastes instead of letting marketers continue to assume we're all Comic Book Store Guy? The Bonfire Agency decided that the best way to find out what we want is to, well, ask us. So they've started Fan Pan (fan panel), where if you join, occasionally they or various comic companies or advertisers (who will not have access to your name, email or identifying information and you won't get sent any ads) can ask fans questions about what they actually read, watch, buy and like. In return, sometimes these questionaires would come with things to rate which you then would get to read or watch. And sometimes you could also win fun prizes if you're into that.

Since I don't mind surveys, would love to see free previews, and definitely want to let marketers know more about what I (gosh, an actual real female geek and comic fan, wow, we EXIST) want to read and see more of, I'm onboard all the way.

The link is: www.bonfirefanpan.com Pass it on!

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

12:04AM - Fic: "Amnesia Doesn't Make You Gay" (Sherlock) humor, John/Sherlock, rated PG

Amnesia Doesn't Make You Gay (1251 words) by Grey_Bard and  jmtorres
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Lestrade (Sherlock Holmes)

Summary: "If it could be easily induced and temporary, I might quite like having amnesia," Sherlock mused. "What a challenge! What a mystery! Pity it's wasted on you, John."

(Contains absolutely no dub-con)
 

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

6:51AM - New York Avengers Movie Meetup Planning

Okay guys, I'm trying to plan a New York Avengers Movie fan get together. Generally, what I love to do is take advantage of Marvel's scheduling deal with Free Comic Book Day to plan a group Free Comic Book Day extravaganza the Saturday after that year's new Marvel movie comes out. Generally this involves hitting some New York comic shops, seeing a matinee for a specific showing at a specific time and going out for food or drinks afterward (this year, with reservations made ahead of time!).

But now I am getting the impression that some people REALLY want to see Avengers at the midnight showing and aren't interested in coming out at any other time. SO! Time for a poll! If you don't have an LJ account, just comment with your vote.

Poll #1835218 Avengers Meetup
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 1

When the Avengers should Assemble.

View Answers

Midnight show or GTFO!

0 (0.0%)

I would come to at least one part of a Saturday Avengers expedition (Movie, comic book day, food after)

1 (100.0%)

No midnight show for me! Saturday only.

0 (0.0%)

7:54PM - It's Game of Thrones Time aka the Tyrion Hour! ... I may have a type.

So last year I started a Game of Thrones and Song of Ice and Fire comm called Tyrionfans for, well, Tyrion fans, because as previously stated, I like 'em sneaky and short. (This is not an endorsement of the morality of all his actions, I just think Tyrion Lannister is an incredibly cool and entertaining character.)

Anyway,  the new season has begun, and the comm has started back up again with weekly episode discussions and a new - and to my knowledge complete - tagged and organized masterlist of Tyrion-centric fic on the internet. If these things interest you, come on over to tyrionfans on livejournal! You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

11:46PM

Want to see John Carter with a pile of fans? Cheesy pulpy Barsoom goodness!

I'm setting up an expedition to see the 6:30pm, Wednesday, March 14 show at Regal Cinemas Union Square. BUY YOUR TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME. Seriously, shows sell out and there is no other show without 3D until way too late. If you can't get in, I'm really sorry, but that's the showing we're going to.

Starting at 6pm or a little before, I will be in the Forbidden Planet comic book store across the street, looking at comics and meeting you guys as you show up. By 6:20, I (or another member of the group) will be standing outside the theater holding a sign marked "Barsoom". Please let me know if you're coming and I'll give you my cell number, but last minute impulse moviegoers are welcome too.

If you're coming, fill out the After-Movie Meetup poll to help decide where to meet up.

Be warned: You must be able to handle seeing a movie with slash fangirls.

Poll #1825763 John Carter Movie Madness!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

Are you coming to see the movie?

View Answers

I am coming!
1 (50.0%)
I am not coming.
0 (0.0%)
I will skip the movie, but meet up after!
0 (0.0%)
I am coming but skipping the meet up after
0 (0.0%)
I would like to go, but can't.
1 (50.0%)

After the movie I would like to go to:

View Answers

A sandwich and coffee shop (not Starbucks)

1 (50.0%)

A pub or bar that also serves food and coffee

0 (0.0%)

I am not going

1 (50.0%)

2:36PM - Return of the Cat Trailer! Pride and Prejudice and Kitties

In the tradition of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and the Meowmorphosis... I bring you Pride and Prejudice and Kitties!

Starring those darlings of the stage and screen, mosellegreen's Ling and Leo*.



(linked here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJYbjgh80qQ for the embed-avoidant)

Some of you may remember Mongor the Barbarian - a trailer starring my cat as Conan. This is like that, only with twice as many furry stars, and a plot!

* Yes, it's up on her account, but I vidded it. I was the director and producer, she was the cinematographer and casting director. You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

2:58PM - A Button That Turns EVERYTHING Into Rule 63 Genderswap

Do you love genderswap, particularly the kind that doesn't devolve into OMG Pregnancy, Makeup and Periods!!!! ? I do.

There's now an app for that. No really.

I'm not the kind of person who talks about "The Patriarchy" or, indeed, likes using Google Chrome, but the Jailbreak The Patriarchy plug in on Google Chrome will turn anything you want into a Rule 63 genderswap. It doesn't just change pronouns, it changes a bunch of gender related words, so "He loved his mother" becomes "She loved her father" and so on. The internet is now chock full of genderswapped femslash! Huzzah!

Let me know if it works for you!

Jailbreak the Patriarchy plug in address:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fiidcfoaaciclafodoficaofidfencgd?hl=en-US&gl=US#detail/fiidcfoaaciclafodoficaofidfencgd?hl=en-US&gl=US

(Using it, a friend's site now is advertises "Revolutionary Boy Utena" and "Watchwomen". ROCK ON. Now, let's see if I can get it to work on book length works on Project Gutenberg. Genderswapped classics? HELL YES.)

ETA: Just genderswapped Fairy Tales by the Sisters Grimm and saved the resulting file as an ebook. Best Thing Ever. On to the slash epics! Three cheers! You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

1:37AM - PSA for Avengers fans: Free Avengers Movie Prequel Comic!

So you know how most of us can't wait for more in this universe? Well, a little taste of it just got released free. Marvel just put out part one of a prequel comic called Fury's Big Week", and it's now available on the Marvel comics app and Comixology.

The other three installments won't be free ($0.99), but part one stands alone and features movieverse Nick Fury and Agent Coulson goodness. You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

11:04PM - Delivery of one Moselle Green accepted!

mosellegreen  has taken up residence in our bachelor apartments at 294L "Baker Street"*. The game's afoot!


*Not the actual street, obviously. You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

9:36PM - So apparently I live in Brooklyn now!

Last fall my longtime friend and fellow fan mosellegreen came to visit me for a week. It went so well, we decided to make the arrangement more permanent. I didn't want to announce it until it was definitely happening, but I've moved in to our new place in an entirely different borough and she's on the road here from Georgia with her two  (very annoyed) cats so I think it's safe to say it's happening!

I have a living room now. And will soon have two step-cats and a live-in Moselle Green in our shared bachelor apartment. I can't wait.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

Current mood: thrilled

10:34AM - ALERT ALERT New York Jeeves & Wooster and QI fans ALERT!

STEPHEN FRY IS DOING A FREE READING IN NEW YORK ON TUESDAY NIGHT!!!!!!!!


http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/75306

Let me know if you want to come! I'll come a little early and try to hold a place in line You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

11:25PM - Fic: "Noble Experiments" (Temeraire) Dragon fic, Gen, G-rated

Noble Experiments (2089 words) by Grey_Bard
Fandom: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Gen
Characters: Temeraire, Perscitia, Iskierka 
Notes: Written for Bard in the 2011 Yuletide Treasure rare fandom fic exchange. Availble here on AO3.

Summary: Dragons' rights and all that jazz. Or - scenes from the National Dragon's Suffrage Society visit to Chicago.


( Do you know, I believe the city was rather smaller, the last time I was here. ) You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

8:03PM - Make your own genuine, old-fashioned mead (Just like Thor)

Mead, when not the ridiculously oversweetened novelty item sold at some liquor stores, is wonderfully delicious and fairly easy to make. I just made a batch with no prior mead-making experience, and it already tastes great.

Mead was hugely popular in the Norse countries and Northern Europe up through the Rennaisance, and has been invented and re-invented anywhere there are bees. Which makes it perfect if you want to make a Thor-themed or historical alcoholic beverage to impress your friends!

The ingredients for one finished gallon of mead will set you back about $12-$15, which with about 5 standard wine bottles per gallon, works out to about $3 per bottle. Affordable!

(Based on this wonderful recipe)

Why this is different from most mead you buy at the store: Mead is made with honey, so most people expect it to be really sweet. Brewers, therefore, usually add sugar or a lot more honey to their mead once it's done brewing in order to live up to these expectations. This is sad, because it usually doesn't taste as good that way. (For example, Chaucer's Mead.)

Also, unlike wine or beer, there aren't vast mead lobbies pressuring the government to make rules about what you can and can't call mead. So a lot of what's sold as mead is white wine with some honey in it. (For example, Bunratty Meade.) They're often quite good, but they aren't mead and they don't taste like it. Read the ingredients!

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

7:56PM - A bunch of Avengers Movie-verse fic bits

So this year, I wrote some Avengers Movieverse fic. What a surprise, I know! Only I didn't get around to posting it all here so... here you go.

Hey Look, Watch This! (2519 words) by Grey_Bard
Fandom: Captain America (2011), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Rating: General Audiences

Summary: In this episode of Top Gear, we've got American superheroes in our reasonably priced car! And James May flies a car that doesn't exist yet.

Adventures in Thor-Sitting (708 words) by Grey_Bard
Fandom: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012)
Rating: General Audiences

Summary: Steve Rogers and Tony Stark contemplated the smashed, smoking remains of the Papaya Dog on Ninth Avenue. "I never thought I'd say this," said Iron Man, "but this must be what being a parent feels like." In front of what used to be the shop window, Thor brandished his hammer. "Defy the son of Odin, manlings?" he shouted.


I'll have what he's having (284 words) by Grey_Bard
Fandom: Thor (2011)
Relationships: Thor/Beer
Rating: General Audiences

Summary: Thor falls in love with a microbrewery. You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

9:58PM - Yuletide Letter

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Okay, first off, don't panic! Frankly, I'm fairly omnivorous. If you write it, I suspect I'll like it.

Personally, I am not into incest, statutory rape, non-canonical character betrayal* by a fellow hero or adultery. (Poly is not adultery, to my mind, nor is any sort of standing agreement.)

I love adventure, plot, humor, heroism and friendship alone or in any combination you can give me. Crossovers, AUs and fusions are awesome. Also? Aliens.

The fandoms here are not ranked in any kind of order. I'd be equally thrilled to see any of them in my inbox on Yuletide. The things I am asking for are not just rare, they're super-rare. One has never been ficced before, as far as I can tell, and the rest have something like two fics ever. Whatever you write will be hugely appreciated. Just by trying, you are making me very, very happy.

The Fandoms:( Hanna (2011), Temeraire - Naomi Novik, The Count of Monte-Cristo - Alexandre Dumas, Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Offenbach/Barbier )

Sincerely,

Grey Bard

*Character betrayal, to my mind, includes murder, attempted murder, rape, stealing your significant other, or in any other way behaving in an evil fashion toward a character or their loved ones. If it didn't happen in canon, I really super don't want to see it.

8:34PM - Live in New York? Want free salon services?

A close friend of mine is going to beauty school in Astoria, and needs people to demonstrate her skills on. Facials, manicures, haircuts and color touchups are 100% free. (Full hair color does require a small fee for the dye.)

You'd be doing her a huge favor and getting these services absolutely free! If you're interested, let me know, I'll put you in touch with her.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

12:10AM - Fannish GOOD feeling. Who's up for after-Thanksgiving "Thanksgiving"?

Today has been a rather grumpy day around fandom, for various reasons. So now is the perfect time to ask... who's up for Thanksgiving?

A dear friend of mine, while able to visit her mother for the holiday, is not going to really be able to fully celebrate it, since she'll spend most of it in a nursing home or on the bus. Meanwhile, I know a lot of people in town won't be able to visit relatives, or because they are visiting relatives, won't be able to spend the holiday with loved ones. And hey, maybe some of you just want a free meal or a chance to celebrate with fellow geeks. That's cool too.

So, here's my offer. Anyone want to do Thanksgiving some day (or evening) after Thanksgiving at my place? (I'm in Astoria) I'm a good cook, and I'm happy to accomodate vegans, vegetarians and the lactose intolerant, if warned ahead of time. Obviously there won't be a whole turkey, but a turkey breast would not be out of the question. And fannish entertainment would be on tap to avoid those awkward "Uh, uh oh look at the game!" moments. (Feel free to suggest fannish entertainment options you prefer. Otherwise you will be subjected to my ideas.)

No, you don't need to bring anything but yourself unless you feel inspired. Bringing yourself would be more than enough.

Interested? Let me know.

Are you interested in "Thanksgiving"

View Answers

Yes
0 (0.0%)
No
0 (0.0%)
Not sure
1 (50.0%)
Can't get to New York
1 (50.0%)

12:38AM - NYCC Avengers Meetup - Now with actual times and places!

Some people liked an at-con meetup, and some people liked an after-con meetup, so there will be both!

Meet-up #1: At the Publisher's Weekly table (table 27-26) at 3:00pm. People who want to can go on from that to attend the Marvel TV panel together at 3:45 (there may be some previews for EMH).

Meet-up #2: At 8pm for dinner at Mooncake (http://www.yelp.com/biz/mooncake-foods-new-york-2), which is located at 263 W 30th St (between 8th Ave & 7th Ave) . We have reservations for seven people, but can make room for a few more, if you want to bring a friend or didn't tell me earlier but still want to come. Mooncake is cheap but good Chinese fusion food, and has both vegetarian and non-dairy dishes.

IF YOU WANT TO COME TO MOONCAKE, PLEASE EMAIL OR PM ME. You don't need to, but it would make things easier.

If you're going to be at the con and want to meet up, but don't want to go to the Avengers Meetup, let me know! I'll be there all day both days.

Note: You must be able to get along with Captain America/Iron Man slashers to come, but all that's needed is an interest in the Avengers - any Avengers! Or even just a desire to hang out with some Avengers fangirls.

(I'm going to admit right here that most of this is quoted from a friend's post on the same meetup.) You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

10:53PM - Want to get in to New York Comic Con for free?

This coming weekend is New York Comic Con and I'm currently organizing volunteers to staff a booth. The deal would be two two-hour shifts in exchange for free entrance to the con on the day you work. 

Free snacks and water will be provided, and you can leave your bags at the booth when you go off to enjoy the show. I'm happy to schedule around your needs and con plans. 

The booth is for a comic book newsletter associated with a major magazine. Working the booth consists of asking people to take part in a free graphic novel raffle and explaining what the newsletter is if anyone asks.
 
It's actually fairly easy, and the table is manned in two-person groups, so you'll never be left to work the table on your own. Currently accepting volunteers for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you're interested, please let me know ASAP!

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)