Name of the Fangirl: Helen
Fangirl’s Occupation: Writer
What is her fangirl interest?
TV shows and video games, some movies (“Star Wars”). Doctor Who, Firefly, Robotech, Babylon 5, and tons more. Also books.
Why did you decide to shine the spotlight on this fangirl?
I’m not the most rabid of fangirls, but I have been one for over three decades. I started watching reruns of “Star Trek” and “Lost in Space” with my dad as a small child, and discovered my own scifi favorites when “Battlestar Galactica” and “V” came on. “Doctor Who” became a lifetime favorite when I was 13. I was watching “Firefly” before it was cancelled, and I was a geek before being a geek was cool. I went into entertainment journalism so I could interview people from the shows I loved, and became the first female editorial staff member of Electronic Gaming Monthly in 1997. Today, I still write about sci-fi TV, upload video game news bits, and attend conventions. I’m pretty old-school.
How does this fangirl express her fandom?
Mostly through my chosen profession, journalism, but also through conventions and introducing my seven-year-old kid to my favorite shows. He gets to cosplay at Doctor Who conventions, thanks to me! Did I mention that when my husband and I got married in 2000, our wedding cake toppers were two action figures: Mulder and Scully?
What is her favorite quote or personal motto?
“This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple “I must,” then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your whole life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse. Then come close to Nature. Then, as if no one had ever tried before, try to say what you see and feel and love and lose…” Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
What is her favorite fangirl item that she cannot live without?
My TARDIS cookie jar…my Hufflepuff keychain (my husband says I belong in Hufflepuff because I’m so nice)…my Halo Kitty t-shirt…my Red Dwarf DVDs…and my Star Wars Xbox.
Where can we follow her online?
helenswindycityadventures.wordpress.com