I came across a piece Sci-Fi Romance author Kaye Manro has written about her identity as a 'geek girl;' where she's invited other SFR writers to do the same, and used characters Deadpool-obsessed psychotic Dr. Ella Whitby and my own Ruby Kaye a.k.a. Geek-Girl to illustrate the feature.
For those not familiar with Dr. Whitby: In the current ongoing Deadpool series, Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool: the Merc with a Mouth was committed to a psychiatric institution after trying to get himself killed (something nigh-impossible because of his super-charged healing factor) so he could be with the love of his life, the female embodiment of Death--and Whitby was assigned to treat him. It gradually emerged that Whitby--in her own way--was as nutty as Deadpool, had been storing dismembered & discarded parts of his body (since replaced by his healing factor) in her fridge, dressing up in a Deadpool costume and killing people in his name--all for love.
When Wade told Whitby he was in love with someone else, she killed herself. And Deadpool's currently dealing with the body parts she had in storage, as they merged and took on their own consciousness--becoming Evil Deadpool!
Whitby wasn't a good role model for geek girls, but my Geek-Girl's image, however, has come to be regarded as a positive one.
For those not familiar with GG, here's the skinny on her:
When hot college chick, 'Little Miss Popular' Ruby Kaye lands a pair of super-tech glasses invented by brainiac college geek Trevor Goldstein in a game of Strip Poker, she's granted flight, super-strength, and--due to a flaw in the glasses' programming--super-klutziness.
That's the high concept. Something I had to field when the book came out was the argument that being a geek girl was about more than just wearing glasses and being klutzy. All I'll say about this is that the effects of the glasses aren't all immediately manifested. ;)
When we meet Ruby, she's got guys queueing up, but her circle of friends, or rather, clique--headed by the über-bitchy Karin Carpenter, are somewhat superficial--and they don't care for the transformation Ruby's tech-glasses bring about in her. Ruby, and her one true friend, Summer, however--are very excited about the powers they bring her!
I'm gratified that people dig Geek-Girl's look, I'm often coming across images of her randomly on people's Facebooks, and the first edition of Geek-Girl #0 went down pretty well. Illustrated by Sally Stone-Thompson--who also did the gorgeous cover, the #0 issue introduces Ruby to her powers, and we get to meet Karin, Summer and the rest of her clique--and a mysterious, and bizarre, villain.
There's a new edition of Geek-Girl #0 out now, which is available here, where you'll also find a Preview; and you can check out a Review of the book here! :)
