therapeuticcode_icwmw7

Queer Comics Expo: Fierce and Fabulous Heroes Unite

June 23, 2014 · Discuss on the GT Forum

It’s pride month everyone! Which means lots of gays, lots of partying, lots of cultural events, and lots of LGBT blog posts. It just so happens that there’s been lots of awesome geeky queer things going on lately that I’ve been meaning to write about, so pride month here we come! (Even if it is almost over…)

June 8th I had the experience of volunteering at the first annual Queer Comics Expo at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. It was held as a part of the Queer Cultural Center’s National Queer Arts Festival. That’s a lot of queerness.

(Image via Cartoon Art Museum)

The event included appearances by artists such as Tyler Cohen, Alex Woolfson, Jon Macy, Agnes Czaja, and was headlined by Ed Luce (who’s book, Wuvable Oaf was just picked up by publisher Fantagraphics). Prism Comics, Northwest Press and Geeks OUT also all had booths with lots of queer friendly merchandise. It was a small event but definitely a good start for its first year, and it pulled a larger crowd than originally expected, with definite room for growth.

The expo also included some programming including one panel moderated by Northwest Press’ Zan Christensen which discussed where queer comics are headed, two life drawing sessions with models dressed as Cyclops and Mystique from X-Men, and a screening of DATING SUCKS: A Genderqueer Misadventure by Sam Berliner.

For the size of the event, I feel like it was the right amount of programming and offered unique experiences. Most conventions I’ve been to haven’t offered models for life drawing, how about you?

I had the chance to talk to the organizers, Nina Kester and Heather Plunkett. Both seemed excited about the number of attendees and the overall vibe of the event. Plunkett, who runs the Cartoon Art Museum’s bookstore said that everyone seemed happy to be there and so appreciative that someone would put on an event like this.

I have my own feelings about what makes inclusive events like this important, but I wanted to ask the organizers why they wanted to create a queer friendly comics event. Kester told me, “Look around. All of these people feel comfortable being who they are. Someone can ask a male model to do a pin up pose usually reserved for female models and no one judges. In fact the male model enjoyed the pin up pose better. We can just be us.”

Being able to feel safe in being who you are is important for mental health. Because of this, having a space where you can be queer and like comics is double important, due to being looked down upon from both sides. That being said, the number of people in this community are more than I would have guessed, which is awesome! More queer comic creators and more queer comic readers means more people to connect with each other and feel as if they aren’t alone. And connectedness is also another key to mental health.

From what I could tell everyone was happy with the event, attendees, exhibitors, volunteers and organizers alike. The event went off without a hitch with only 2 months of planning and 3 volunteers on site for the day. With a year to plan, and more creators asking about tables in the future, just imagine what they can do next year.

And they are definitely planning on a next year.

Minecraft: A new way to Sand Tray

May 19, 2014 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Wow! It has been a really long time since I’ve written a post. Sorry about that, everyone. The end of the semester, deep cleaning the apartment for visitors, and wedding planning managed to get in the way. But now I’m back, with 2 years of grad school under my belt, a less hazardous writing environment, some wedding details pinned down, and I am ready to talk geeky awesomeness!

This week one of my co-workers told me about a technique he’s trying out which he likes to call “Minecraft Sand Tray”. For those of you who have no idea what Sand Tray therapy is, I’ll give you a very basic rundown.

(Image via Cypress Holistic)

It’s a tray, filled with sand, which clients can use a variety of toys to play in. Usually through their play, a therapist is able to get a peek at the client’s inner world. The play ends up representing whatever issues are going on for them. Sand Tray is usually used with children, but sometimes teens and adults are open to it too.

(Image via Psychology Today)

The main mechanism that allows this to work is the openness and freedom given to the client. Usually therapists who use a sand tray have a large selection of toys for the client to use, so that they can play out any scenario they wish with any kind of representation they would like. Action figures, animals, houses, trees, rocks, strong characters, weak characters, and the list goes on. If you can imagine it, it can happen.

For those of you who don’t know Minecraft, the game incorporates this same freedom to explore. You can craft whatever you want out of 8-bit, pixelated blocks…as long as you have the materials. Some players are very elaborate and build realistic buildings. Others want to build the most ridiculous things they can think of.

(Image via Minecrafter Camp)

My coworker uses Minecraft with his client (a boy who enjoys the game), to explore what is important to him and the themes that comes up when he plays. He told me about a session in which his client did not want to kill one of the animals for food, but instead he wanted to keep it as a pet. So he built a home for it. He returned to playing during another session and his pet had died. He was sad about it, and dug a grave for it with a tombstone and everything. The boy even said that it was too dark there and put a torch next to the grave to keep it lit.

My coworker told me he was surprised because he personally never would have thought not to kill the animal for food, because it’s a mechanic of the game. His client, however, was very adamant about protecting the animal and making it a continuing part of his play.

I think it’s a brilliant idea, and a modern (less expensive) way to conduct Sand Tray type therapy. I don’t play Minecraft, and know little about it, but if I had a client who was interested, I would love to try this out. It would also allow my client to teach me something and be the expert, which is also empowering and healing.

For now, it’s time to start prepping for the next semester. No more 2 week hiatuses…I promise!

Wonder Con recap!

April 28, 2014 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Sorry for the lack of post last week. Wonder Con kicked my butt. I feel like I’ve been sleepwalking the past week.

(Image via Dark Horse Adaptations)

Speaking of Wonder Con, it was an action filled, jam packed weekend. I don’t have much information to report back, but hopefully my ramblings about the experience will do.

This was the first time I had been to Wonder Con since it was in San Francisco. It was really busy. More so than when it was up here in the Bay Area, I think, but I can’t be really sure since it’s a totally different space. Even Easter Sunday was packed! Definitely not San Diego sized, but that’s ok. Especially since I don’t do well in large crowds.

For the most part, I spent my time wandering around and catching up with Josué Cardona. It was great to talk to a colleague who not only tolerates or accepts my views on using nerdy interests in therapy, but who does it himself. He is my self-proclaimed #1 fan. I’m sure my fiance would take issue with that. Regardless, it is nice to know that my writing is appreciated. I definitely came home after spending the weekend chatting and planning with a renewed desire to write and dive head first into the geek world…just as soon as I’d had some time to sleep. Like a week. Or a month.

I did go to a few awesome panels during the con! The first was a panel on the Psychology of Cult TV. Josué, Dr. Travis Langley, Elizabeth Ann, and Dr. Janina Scarlet discussed how the shows that we love bring us together as a community and can actually help us. Whether we love Buffy, Dr. Who, Firefly, or Sherlock, we are able to connect with one or more of the characters and feel like we aren’t alone. They asked the audience if they had ever seen something on a show and felt as though they were going through the same thing. Many people raised their hands. In my opinion, the take away from the panel was that regardless of what show you like, if it makes you feel better, and gives you someone to connect with, don’t let someone make you feel bad for watching.

(Image via Prism Comics)

Saturday was a late night. I went to a panel called “Wild Queer Women of the Web”. Essentially it was a discussion about queer webcomics from a female perspective. The consensus among the panelists was that writing webcomics has an advantage over ink and paper publishing mainly because no one can tell you what you can and cannot make. Therapeutic Code and Geek Therapy got plugged, mainly because my fabulous fiance made the announcement that she will be collaborating with Josué on a comic in the future. The crowd (and even the panelists) seemed excited about the concept of Geek Therapy, so even if it was shameless, the plug was worth it!

During the day, we picked up a stuffed Herobear (which you can expect a post about later on), who I have decided needs to travel with me and take pictures everywhere. That way he can save geeks everywhere! He made a cameo at the webcomics panel, but the highlight of his night was hanging out with the fish at the Rainforest Cafe.

The last panel I went to was a look at Batgirl called “Batgirl Begins Again”. Dr. Travis Langely led a discussion with Gail Simone and Dr. Andrea Letamendi on Batgirl, her past, her present, and where she might go in the future. I loved the panel, and it made me want to go out and read more Batgirl comics. However, I took issue with how often the words “victim” and “victimization” were used.

It’s a pet peeve of mine, I understand, but there is a method to my madness. To me, the word victimization puts a judgement on the person involved, not the event. Survivors are those who have suffered through events and lived. Victims are those who have died. The words trauma and traumatization put the focus on the even, rather than the person involved, which allows for those who have been through a trauma to see themselves as a survivor.

Putting that aside, I thought it was an insightful look at how mental health can play an important role in comics. Gail Simone did her research, and I appreciate that. It’s a responsible move, and I hope that in the future more writers can be as forward thinking as her. I even heard her use the word trauma instead of victim a few times.

I hope my rundown of the weekend wasn’t too boring. The semester is ending and I will be back up to writing snuff soon! I have a lot of awesome things to write about as soon as I have time. In the meantime, I leave you with this awesome evil Delsin Rowe (from InFamous: Second Son) cosplay!

Games for Change is Changing Games

April 14, 2014 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Sometimes it can feel like the game industry pumps out the same old games over and over again. Games for Change was founded in 2004 to promote the development of games to impact education and social change. They are holding their 11th annual Games for Change Festival in New York this year, April 22-24 &26h.

(Image via Games for Change)

During the festival, there will be an awards ceremony held to honor the games and creators who have made influential games to promote positive social change and learning. These games usually have different game mechanics or play style, or include content that brings important issues to light. The categories include Most Significant Impact, Most Innovative, Best Gameplay, and Game of the Year.

(Image via Brain Pop)

Some of the nominees include Papers Please, The Mission US: A Cheyenne Odyssey, Start the Talk, Migrant Trail, Sound Self, Súbete al SITP, TyrAnt, and (my personal favorite) Gone Home.

Whether crowd-funded or supported by public and private funding, the finalists reflect the increasing diversity of forms, audiences and subject matter embraced by developers making games for change. To reach this stage, game developers from around the world were asked to submit their games for consideration by a blue-ribbon panel of judges featuring leaders of the gaming community, philanthropic sector, non-profits and education.

(Image via Game Engine Podcast)

I’m super bummed that I won’t be able to make it out to the East Coast to attend this awesome event. Games are a way for us to connect with difficult material in a less threatening way. They also provide us with a (sometimes sneaky) way of providing important information and educational experiences in a fun and interactive way. Kids are more likely to be engaged with the material if they are playing a game than if they have to read a text book or listen to lecture. The fact that there is a festival to celebrate these types of games is proof that there enough people out there who want to see these games made, and people who will buy them.

I encourage everyone who can to go to the Games for Change Festival. Everyone else should pay attention to the interwebz for what happens there…oh and go play some of the games!

Looking Ahead to WonderCon!

April 7, 2014 · Discuss on the GT Forum

WonderCon in Anaheim is only a couple weeks away! It’s running April 18-20, and I’m excited to be there. It’s the first time I’ll be attending this particular con since it moved from San Francisco.

There’s plenty to see and do, so I thought I’d throw out some of the panels that I’m looking forward to seeing (or that you should all go to and I can’t because of scheduling conflicts).

I’ll be wandering around all weekend, so I hope to see you there!

Friday

Comics Arts Conference – Beyond the Page

Friday April 18, 2014 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Room 210BCD

The influence of comics extends far beyond their paper. Victoria Minnich explores the value of comics as a research and education tool to visualize and personalize the operations of the southern California spiny lobster fishery, providing a case study of the possibilities for new media to generate collective meaning for a diverse and broad suite of audiences. Jeremy Johnson (University of Minnesota) explores the possibilities and limitations of graphic novels for the visually impaired and discusses the journey to create an “accessible” graphic narrative. In the process, he highlights the benefits of collaboration in the creation of narrative visualizations while raising an awareness of the accessibility of graphic novels. Renee Krusemark (Creighton University) builds on theories that reading graphic narratives involves both leadership and critical thinking, and uses The Walking Dead as a case study to explore how readers perceive leadership in comics and to discuss the potential of using comic books in the college classroom to address student critical thinking and leadership perceptions.

Saturday

(Image via BBC)

Psychology of Cult TV Shows

Saturday April 19, 2014 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Room 210A

Join a panel of therapists and scientists (mad or otherwise), Dr. Janina Scarlet (The Superhero Manual), Josué Cardona (Geek Therapy), Dr. Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight), and Elizabeth Ann (NerdLush), as well as some surprise guests in discussing the psychology behind TV shows such as Doctor Who, Sherlock, Firefly, Arrow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and others. Find out how TV shows might help us cope with painful experiences and geek out in discussing such fundamental questions as: With all the regenerations, what is the Doctor’s true identity? What makes Sherlock a better detective than London’s finest? What does psychology tell us about the demons that live inside us? With these questions and more, this panel is a must for loyal fans of these shows.

Wild Queer Women of the Web

Saturday April 19, 2014 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Room 210A

Often neglected in mainstream comics publishing, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women comics creators have found the freedom and opportunity to express themselves in the “anything goes” world of web comics. Online venues give artists a chance to experiment with different styles and personal stories with fewer commercial restraints. And women creators have used this new space to make their mark, bringing daring and revelatory LGBTQ stories to the public. Join Prism Comics and moderator Tara Madison Avery (Gooch, Dirtheads, Prism Comics board member) and panelists Emy Bittner (Trying Human), Dusty Jack and JadePrince (Mahou Shounen Fight, Skuttlebutt Ink), Nina Kester (Tapastic), Mari Naomi (Kiss and Tell, Anything That Loves), Shayna Why (Overshare Party), and others to be announced as they explore women’s comics on the web.

(Image via Jeremy Dahl)

The Psychology of Star Trek vs. Star Wars Episode III

Saturday April 19, 2014 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Room 213

Psychologists Dr. Andrea Letamendi (UnderTheMaskOnline.com) and Dr. Ali Mattu (BrainKnowsBetter.com) bring their popular, intergalactic sci-fi battle back to WonderCon Anaheim for round 3! These geeky psychologists step into the pop culture ring, this time with a focus on the character relationships from these two legendary franchises. Special panelists include actors Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and Catherine Taber (Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Join a side and cast your vote as they crown one as the winner! Impartially moderated by Brian Ward (The Arkham Sessions).

Sunday

Comic Arts Conference – The Cognition of Comics

Sunday April 20, 2014 11:30am – 12:30pm
Room 210BCD

What happens in people’s minds and brains when they read and create comics? Neil Cohn (University of California, San Diego) will present an overview of his new book, The Visual Language of Comics: An Introduction to the Structure and Cognition of Comics, which provides an extensive introduction to the cognitive science of comics comprehension. This discussion will cover the systematic components that make up unique and different panels, the grammar of sequential images and page layouts, cross-cultural differences in structure, and the newest neuroscience research on what the brain is doing while comprehending comics.

(Image via wn.com)

Comics Arts Conference – Batgirl Begins Again

Sunday April 20, 2014 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Room 210BCD

Barbara Gordon ranks among the world’s most famous superheroines, first as Batgirl (1967-1988) until rendered paraplegic in The Killing Joke, and then as Oracle, supreme computer hacker and Birds of Prey leader (1989-2011) until DC Comics’s New 52 relaunch made her ambulatory and Batgirl once again. Renowned Birds of Prey/Batgirl writer and WonderCon Anaheim special guest Gail Simone discusses this character’s real-world popularity and fictional trauma recovery with psychologists Dr. Andrea Letamendi (Under the Mask Online), the model for Barbara Gordon’s therapist, and Dr. Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight).

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Strong Heroes for Foster Youth

March 31, 2014 · Discuss on the GT Forum

All my client has been able to talk about for months is Captain America: the Winter Soldier. After having the chance to go to an advance screening of the movie last week, I can understand his excitement and all of the hype. His heart has been set on going to see it with me next month for his birthday, and I can say with confidence that he is going to get a lot out of it.

First off, I want to say that I am going to do my damnedest to make this post spoiler free. There were so many surprises (some very big ones, I might add), and I wouldn’t want to take that experience away from anyone. Half of the time I already knew what was going to happen, since my client decided to spoil some of the story for me. But hearing the gasps of shock in the theater was still great, and I had a knowing grin on my face the whole time.

Overall, I thought it was a fantastic movie. There was plenty of action, some humor, twists and turns, and just enough drama. The cast was super diverse for a movie about a blond haired, blue eyed, white guy. Lots of people of color and women kicking butt. Along those lines, I was impressed by the fact that it was an ensemble cast filled with big names, and it still managed to be a “Captain America” movie. (Side note: This gives me some hope for the Superman/Batman movie if DC decides to follow suit).

(via Design Bolts)

For me, one of the major themes of the film was feeling lost or out of place. In Winter Soldier, Cap is a man who has had some time to breathe after waking up 70 years later and jumping head first into the events of the Avengers movie. Now we find him trying to catch up on historical events, technological advances, and societal changes. He doesn’t know how to feel, what to think, or how to act. I think this is something that anyone feeling like they’ve been put into a completely new situation can relate to. I know that many of the foster youth that I have worked with talk about not being able to fit in and not knowing what to do with themselves.

Another issue that is discussed briefly but that tends to come up frequently is the issue of PTSD and loss. Cap comes across a veteran, now home from the Middle East, who lost his closest friend in a battle. This stirs up feelings about his own lost brothers in arms, particularly Bucky, who he grew up with. Survivors guilt, flashbacks, and support groups are all important topics presented in the movie. It’s a step in the right direction as far as portrayal of mental health issues goes.

(Image via Stitch Kingdom)

Personally, I can’t wait to take my client to go see Winter Soldier. There are not a lot of movies that I would go out of my way to see a second time around, but this one is definitely worth it. The excitement in his eyes alone will make it worth it. There are plenty of good messages for him to absorb while watching something that will have him on the edge of his seat. The movie covers issues of post traumatic growth in showing positive ways to move forward from trauma, trust issues and teamwork, not to mention personal morality and responsibility.

I also foresee a lot of conversation surrounding Captain America’s experience of being a soldier and the losses he has suffered on the ride home from the theater. This is one of the last sessions he and I will have together, and I’m hoping that he’ll be able to connect some of the themes of loss, coping, and strength from the movie. If not, at least he will have one more good experience with me to remember before we end our time together.

Captain America

(Image via Chevrolet)

Wow, I’m impressed that I managed to write that much without spoiling anything. I should stop now while I’m ahead. I will leave you with a reminder that you should stay all the way until the end of the credits (a.k.a. not just midway through the credits). Also, you should see it soon. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D will be tying in the events of the movie in the next few weeks, and (I’m assuming) there will be some spoiler-y type changes.

Now I feel the urge to go re-watch the first movie…and Avengers. Something else to add to my to do list! (As if I didn’t already have enough to do…)