The stereotype of pop culture geeks is that they live primarily in the digital realm—watching movies on Netflix, playing games on their phones, getting into heated arguments with everyone on Twitter.
But a growing group of DIY geeks show their love of pop culture with needle and thread, brush or woodworking materials.
GeekCraft Expo Midwest returns to Madison this weekend, starting at 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday at the Madison Masonic Temple, 301 Wisconsin Ave. Admission is free.
Forty Midwest artisans will be selling furniture, clothing, purses, art and more, celebrating all kinds of nerd culture, from Marvel's greatest superheroes to that weird old TV show you thought no one else liked .
“GeekCraft encourages you to celebrate whatever your geek is,” said Karen Corbeill, co-founder The Bodgery, a maker in Madison and now the local organizer of GeekCraft Expo Midwest. “Don't be ashamed of the things you love, share them with the world.”
Handcrafted items are a longstanding tradition at science fiction conventions. GeekCraft founder and director Daniel Way is a comic book writer who has worked on many titles for Marvel, including Deadpool and Wolverine. When he was signing comics at conventions, he was drawn to all the interesting things for sale in the convention's “Artists Alley.”
“There's so much they put into them, and there's no justifiable reason to do it,” Way said. “That's where the geeky part takes over.”
Way, who left writing for Marvel to work on his own creator-owned comics, and Kimberly Matsuzaki, formerly of video game company Ubisoft, felt that the idea of an event dedicated solely to handmade geek crafts owned by artists would be a good idea.
A Michigan native, Way said he felt Madison would have the right mix of elements for such a launch. He said he knew he was in the right place when he walked into a bar in Madison and couldn't order a Corona. Only Wisconsin beers were on tap.
“We were trying to find that spot that had the mojo, right?” he said. “Go geeky mojo. And there was Madison. He just has this really cool thing about him. To make GeekCraft Expo work, we need people making geeky things. And just as importantly we need a community to support it.”
GeekCraft Expo Midwest started in the spring of 2016 with about a dozen vendors, but more than 2,000 people showed up. Madison's fairs have become so popular that GeekCraft added another edition in the fall.
While the other 16 GeekCraft Expos across the country are defined by the cities they are located in, GeekCraft Expo Midwest is the only one defined by a region, drawing crafters from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
Way said many licensed products related to movies and TV shows are usually made cheaply because companies have spent so much to secure the license that they don't have much money left over to actually create a high-quality product.
But the artisans' love of pop culture translates into durable, high-quality products, Way said.
Joshua Snyder-Hill creates pop culture gifts like these Spider-Man patches.
For example, Joshua Snyder-Hill was a banker who grew up in a family of embroiderers and quilters, but never worked in textiles himself. But on casual Fridays, he started showing up for work in pop culture-themed ties. This eventually led him to start making ties himself.
“You don't usually get a horror tie or an Atari tie,” Snyder-Hill said. “It just blew up from there.”
Through his website, Mr. Shames, Snyder-Hill makes and sells everything from a Pennywise hat to a Mogwai tie to a set of Bates Motel hand towels. This weekend will be Snyder-Hill's first appearance at Madison GeekCraft, but he said he enjoys seeing what his fellow crafters are up to.
“It used to amaze me how many unique things you could get,” he said. “There's a real authenticity to learning what they do and how they do it.”
Get a pair of Wonder Woman potholders courtesy of bluetiedesign at GeekCraft Expo Midwest this weekend.
Beth Schofield of Minneapolis blueties designs has been combining her love of pop culture with her lifelong passion for sewing for years, being heavily involved in the cosplay/costume community. One downside: At some point, there wasn't much room on her walls for all the art and merchandise she wanted.
So he turned to making practical items that served a purpose in the home while also professing a love of pop culture.
“That's when it made me realize that I personally wanted practical, silly things for my everyday life,” he said. “It really started when I made a set of Mario coin block containers as a gift for a friend, since I knew she loved Mario and would be going out on her own soon.”
Corbeill said The Bodgery will host special maker events for young visitors to make their own superhero masks or gloves. She said GeekCraft was a great place to get a new pop culture friend along with this pair of Wonder Woman earrings.
“It's so exciting to meet a new person and be able to discuss your favorite movie, episode or book with someone who loves something as much as you do,” Corbeill said. “GeekCraft is a great place for that. It's not just a place to shop. GeekCraft is a place where you can make friends and feel welcome.”
