Club Jade

James and I were able to grab a quick interview on with Ashley Eckstein at the con! It would be hard not to be impressed by the strides that the company has made in so short a time. They had a great product that was literally all over the con, from all the t-shirts that were near-ubiquitous on female attendees to the limited edition Empire Strikes Back necklace, even down to the (reusable!) shopping bags. As I said in the video, it’s something we’ve been wanting for years, and I won’t lie: I got a little choked up. I can’t wait to see what’s coming: Thank you so much, Ashley!

Ashley Eckstein is getting some ink for Her Universe in the most unlikely of places: ESPN! I don’t doubt being married to an MLB player helps widen the field of interest, but let’s not forget we’re the only fandom with a noteworthy gender disparity. (Sports-loving ladies can see the Alyssa Milano line that Ashley mentions as an inspiration at Fandalia.)

Not the lawsuit you’re looking for… Lucasfilm has backed down from their legal threat against Wicked Lasers, which makes a (you have to admit) very lightsaber-looking laser. But elsewhere in the world, the march continues…

Horrors of the audition tapes. Sylvester Stallone auditioned for Han Solo? Sounds like he didn’t get far enough for tapes, but that’s probably a good thing.

Presented without commentary. Are Jedi Knights Libertarian or Socialist?

Ashley Eckstein will be joined by our Star Wars peeps Mary Franklin and Bonnie Burton, artists Cat Staggs and Katie Cook, writer/producer Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica, Buffy The Vampire Slayer,) author Melinda Snodgrass and the Syfy Channel’s Director of Development, Erika Kennair. The panel, ‘Her Universe: Shining the Spotlight on Female Fans – the Past, Present and Future of Science Fiction Through Female Eyes’ will take place Saturday evening.

I don’t hate the word – certainly there are worse things to be called – but I don’t like the term ‘fangirl.’

Mainly because of the associations it brings up for me: Screeching, squeeing, inappropriate, out of control and usually prepubescent. The prototypical example:

I know, that’s well before even I was born, and it might as well be the dark ages for most of you. Nowadays, we call them Twilight fans.

(I kid.)

(Sort of.)

So, please: Don’t call me a fangirl. I am female. I am a fan. But I don’t screech, I don’t approach actors with fandom crap that they’d probably prefer not to know about, and it takes something near to an act of god to make me squee.

And I’d rather not be called a Sister of the Force, either. This is not a silly homebrew internet roleplay. We are not all 12, and we certainly don’t need any more reason to be treated like mythological beasts. And hell, Star Wars fandom on the whole has done pretty well without a label. I say we keep that tradition.

Head over to the Her Universe Shop to purchase items from Ashley Eckstein’s new line geared towards female fans! So far there are only six tees and two hoodies available, but more is on the way.

The Bechdel Test or Mo Movie Measure (misnamed as it may be) is a simple formula that tests three simple things in a movie: a) if there are (named) female characters and b) that they talk to each other about c) something other than a man.

Most movies fail this by a mile, including the lions share of the Star Wars saga.

I believe The Phantom Menace (Shmi and Padme) and Attack of the Clones (Padme and Queen Jamillia, Padme and Beru) may be the only Star Wars movies that pass the Bechdel test… Though perhaps barely, Anakin being a topic (but not a romantic one) in all three conversations I’m thinking of. Thoughts?

The reaction to the the announcement of Ashley Eckstein’s upcoming Her Universe line has been overwhelmingly positive, to the shock of no one with an XX chromosome.

The line will launch with not only t-shirts, but also a sweatshirt, some long-sleeved tees, hats, and two necklaces, Eckstein said on last week’s Forcecast. “The female fans have always been there, but it’s really changed over the past decade,” she said, adding: “A lot of the top blogs and sites are now written by women.” (NO WAI.)

Former fan club president Dan Madsen is also involved – He’s been answering questions on Rebelscum’s forums. He revealed the list of conventions the Her Universe folks will be hitting up – all the majors: San Diego Comic Con, Celebration V, Chicago Comic Con, Dragon*Con and New York Comic Con.

Sizing has been a hot issue, and in a FAQ posted yesterday, Eckstein says that the first line will be avaliable in sizes XS-XXL – and they are pursuing plus size. The cost may be a bit more than folks expect, though, with t-shirts in the $30-$35 range.

Artists Katie Cook and Cat Staggs are already on board, but get your vote in on the Her Universe Facebook page.

The voice of Ahsoka Tano has teamed up with The Araca Group to make Star Wars stuff geared towards women. This seems to be a bit more than just a simple line of t-shirts – according to the press release, Eckstein and company have entered into a multi-year agreement with Lucas Licensing for “apparel and accessories.” Intriguing, no?

Pretty exciting – and LONG overdue. Not seeped in pink, either!

For more, stay tuned, follow HerUniverse on Twitter and Facebook, or head over to tomorrow night’s Forcecast, where Eckstein will take live calls.

Steve Sansweet’s Facebook pick of the week has some hints about something that many of us have been grumbling about for a while:

Despite such occasional breakthroughs, female fans have long complained about the lack of stylish Star Wars clothing made for them—whether for young girls who have recently come to the saga through the weekly Star Wars: The Clone Wars series or the previous generation of women who have their own disposable income and want to show off their Geek Chic. For all the ladies, your wish is about to be granted in a very cool way. Stay tuned to your local Star Wars news channels for a major announcement any day now!

LFL’s current offerings are pretty varied, so I have faith they won’t make it all pink or anything. (Here’s a suggestion.)

UPDATE: Ashley Eckstein launches Her Universe, a Star Wars merchandise line for female fans.

Today’s dedication is to all the lady gamers. (The original.)