On and off for a year, I’ve compiled a list of fun events for geeks to attend in DC, Maryland and Virginia. And that’s where it starts to get complicated.

The list has always been subjective to my tastes, so it’s tricky to tell if it’s something that every geek would like to attend, or just me. Plus, where do I draw the line? What’s “geeky” enough to make the list? I often worried that the things I wanted to attend, like a Japanese flower-arranging class and a craft festival, did not fit under the arbitrary definition of “geeky.” More importantly, I worried that the organizers of these events would find my labeling of them offensive.

So every month, I would agonize over the Washington Post Going Out Guide, the Japan-America Society, the DC Anime Club’s homepage and more, going through hundreds of events only to pick a meager five for the month. I hoped that after a while I could begin to crowdsource the events — and my Twitter followers have been especially helpful — but it’s no where near enough to sustain the guide without a lot of effort on my part.

It was time to admit that I’m just one woman and I can’t do this alone. It takes a team of people to cover the vastly geeky DC area. And now, I know just the team for the job.

Introducing DC Geeks

This is where I get to the good news! About a month ago, I was contacted by DC Geeks, a group that just launched an event site with the sole purpose of being a DC Geek Event Guide. I’m overjoyed to be passing the torch into their far more capable hands. Don’t be surprised if I write a column or two over at their site sometime soon, or if they take a stab at guest posting here.

Scooter, the site’s main organizer, has a lot of plans in store. He’s working on compiling a list of all the geekiest venues in DC as well as covering temporary events. The site will soon be home to interviews of local nerd personalities, useful geek resources, and something Scooter cryptically called the “Geek Olympics.” Definitely something to watch out for.

They’re currently seeking writers, so if you’re interested you can drop a line to Scooter at events@dc-geeks.com. Not a writer? They can always use event suggestions. I encouraged them to peruse the Geek Event Guide archives and I’ll be continuing to update them by filling out their event form.

And announcing… the newsletter

I wanted to add a new feature to Otaku Journalist to take the place of the Geek Event Guide. For me, the guide has been about connecting with you every month about things I think are exciting and worth discussing. But since most of you aren’t in DC to begin with, let’s take this to a global level. In the form of an e-newsletter.

If you sign up for the newsletter, I’ll send you an email around the 1st of every month with the coolest things I’ve managed to dredge up around the Internet. Think Otaku Links but bigger. Not only do I promise not to spam your inbox, I’m new to MailChimp so I don’t even know how!

So give it a try, will you?

This is the one year anniversary of my Geek Event Guide! This is what I wrote for March 2010. Luckily, some of these events are annual, so we’ll get to repeat some of the fun activities we did last year.

As always, if I’ve forgotten any or you’d like to add your own event to my list, let me know!

March 1-31 : Vote for Smithsonian’s Art of Videogames Exhibit.

OK, The Art of Video Games won’t be at the Smithsonian American Art Museum until March 2012. But all this month, you’ve got the chance to help them decide which games make it into the exhibit! I’m still voting myself: I can’t decide between Jet Set Radio Future and Psychonauts!

March 6 : Sushi Making Class.

The Japan-America Society has started offering cooking classes in Japanese cuisine. I was more excited about their March 12 Bento making class, but it’s already full! Hopefully they’ll add another session.

March 12, 26, 27 : DC Anime Club Events.

It’s a busy month for DC’s largest anime club. First, there’s BYOA (Bring your own anime) on the 12 and 26, in case you’ve found a series you just have to share. Next, there’s Animania at the Ballston FYE video store on the 27. They’ll be screening Evangelion 2:22 You Can [not] Advance.

March 18 – 20 : Zenkaikon.

Not technically in the area (it’s in King of Prussia, PA), but if you make a day trip it’ll be worth you while! I actually have yet to attend Zenkaikon, but the staff is fantastic (plenty of them moonlight at cons closer to DC) and the guest list is so star-studded it makes me wish I were going.

March 26 : National Cherry Blossom Festival.

This is definitely my favorite part about spring in DC. The main event – Sakura Matsuri – is in April, but there’s a lot going on this month too. Don’t miss paddleboating events under the blossoms, full service “river teas” by boat, or the opening ceremony!

In the nick of time, here’s the latest Geek Event Guide! As always, send me a comment to let me know what you’re attending or if I missed an event you think should be here.

February 4-7 : Mirrodin Besieged release. More info.

They launch Magic: The Gathering sets so often now that I can hardly keep track of them (I’m more of a kitchen table player myself.) However, my Magic-obsessed friends and boyfriend are on the edge of their seats, checking leaked cards and getting tattoos all for this release. If you remember playing the original Mirrodin set in 2003 (I do!) then you’ll want to check your local game store’s tournament times for the weekend.

February 5 : Found Footage Festival. More info.

My friend Mike let me know about this event, which he describes as an MST3K style roast of videos found at flea markets, garage sales, and the Salvation Army. If you like Rifftrax, you might want to stop by this Arlington screening. I’m going to make an effort myself!

February 6 : Chinese New Year Parade. More info.

If your interest in anime and games from Japan has led to a further appreciation of Asian culture, you might be interested in attending this Chinatown parade celebrating the Year of the Rabbit (are you a rabbit? I’m a tiger!) There will be live music, dancing, crafts, and exhibits of Asian culture.

February 12 : Video Game Day. More info.

I love posting events from the DC Anime Club because they’re always well organized and well advertising. Come down to the Martin Luther King Jr. Library for what is looking like a mini-convention, complete with vendors, card game and video game tournaments, an anime swap, and cosplay.

February 18-20 : Katsucon. More info.

Currently the area’s second-largest anime convention and currently rife with controversy, I would not miss Katsucon for anything. Whether it’s a model con or a train wreck, it’ll be anything but dull. Scenes from last year: Jesus freaks eyeing a Jesus cosplayer, a five star general dancing at the rave, several feet of snow surrounding the hotel. Who knows what craziness this year will hold?

Are you a public relations person who wants your event on this list? Contact me at tips at otakujournalist dot com.

It’s the start of a new year in the district, full of tons of new activities! This year, I resolve to attend more of them. How about you?

Janaury 10 : SFWA registration. More info.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards Weekend isn’t until May, but spots fill up quickly. It’s pricey, but if you want a chance to meet with notable sci-fi and fantasy writers, this is the place.

January 13-16 : MAGfest. More info.

The MAG part stands for Music And Gaming, so if you like either, this is a good bet. I’ve never been since I’m more of an anime convention attendee, but I’ll be there this year on Saturday the 15.

January 14-20 : Summer Wars. More info.

It happened so fast. First I was signing a petition to view Summer Wars in DC, and next thing I knew a date had been announced at the West End Cinema! If you liked his film, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, you won’t want to miss Mamoru Hosada’s latest.

January 29 : DC Anime Club’s YuGiOh Tournament. More info.

If you like YuGiOh or just want to hang out with fellow DC anime fans at NOVA Comics, you might want to stop by this event.

Please send suggestions for inclusions in the guide to tips@otakujournalist.com.

It’s December now, so that means holiday-themed events and nothing else, right? Wrong. There’s still a good selection of geeky ways to spend your time. Let me know if there’s anything I missed!

December 1-26 : A Wrinkle in Time. More info.

This was the book that made me a science fiction fan, back when I read it for the first time in elementary school. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was introduced to the genre this way. Throughout December, you can visit Bethesda’s Round House Theater and experience some serious geek nostalgia.

December 4 : Star Blazers marathon. More info.

The DC Anime Club took the idea of an anime marathon and took it one step further. Aside from watching all the Star Blazers you can handle, attendees will also be able to meet with Amy Howard Wilson, the voice actress of Nova, one of the main characters. As usual, this event takes place in the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library.

December 7,14,21,28 : Washington Pyschotronic Film Society. More info.

Why hadn’t I heard about this sooner? In their own words, the WPFS is “dedicated to the the appreciation and defense of: Independent, cutting-edge, student, experimental, anime, off-beat, underground, obscure, super-8, low-budget, classic, forgotten, must-see, and just about anything on film.” Movies every Tuesday. Plus, you go through a great DC bar, The Passenger, in order to access the theater!

December 11 : Peelander Z. More info.

If you haven’t already seen the “Japanese Action Comic Punk Band” at a local anime convention, you’re in luck. The band, which has been featured on Spike TV’s Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, will be right here in Arlington to give you a taste of their unique, cartoonish sound. This show is also very affordable at $12 per ticket.

December 1-31 : Party Crashers: Comic Book Culture Invades the Art World. More info.

I know this was on the November guide, but I don’t want you to forget it’s going on this month, too! One of my friends, Sean, suggested pairing this exhibit and the Peelander Z concert together for one awesome night. And since they’re both in Arlington, it’s a great idea.

Are you a public relations person who wants your event on this list? Contact me at tips at otakujournalist dot com.

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably heard about how I somehow forgot about this month’s Geek Event Guide until the middle of last week! Oops. Luckily, we’re still got more than twenty days left in the month, and plenty of geeky stuff to do around town. Here’s what I found and, as always, feel free to add anything I might have missed.

November 10 : King of Thorn. More info.

The Japanese Embassy is holding this screening of this 2010 anime film directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama. It’s about a high school student who gets cryogenically frozen to avoid a virus epidemic, and awakes a century later to find the world has become a strange dystopia. If you like apocalypse fiction, this might be for you.

November 12-14 : Anime USA. More info.

It’s finally here — the convention I’ve been talking about all year long. You know you want to come to DC’s most close-to-home convention. If you’re not interested in our amazing panels, screenings, dealer’s room, and guests, at least come to just say hi to me! I’ll be there all weekend long, conducting and filming interviews.

November 14 : Rashomon. More info.

Sometimes I put items on this list that have more to do with Japanese culture than with otakudom, but always because I see some overlap. Akira Kurasawa’s classic Samurai-era murder mystery is one of these events. The Freer Gallery will be showing this 1950 film in original Japanese with English subtitles.

November 19 : Party Crashers: Comic Book Culture Invades the Art World. More info.

Comic book art is frequently considered “low art,” but this show at the Arlington Arts Center purports to examine just how similar comic book art is to contemporary “high art.” There’s not much information listed about this event so I might have to attend just to figure it out!

November 20 : DC Anime Club Meeting. More info.

Wow, there is a lot going on at the DC Anime Club’s November meeting. There will be an anime swap, YuGiOh AND Magic: The Gathering tournaments, a cosplay photoshoot and a videogame meetup, all in the same day. It’s all mostly all at the same place and the same time, so read through the event descriptions and choose a few.

Are you a public relations person who wants your event on this list? Contact me at tips at otakujournalist dot com.

I always get so excited for the month ahead when I make this list! Would you like to join in on the fun? I just created an email especially for readers like you who want to send me tips — it’s tips AT otakujournalist.com. So are you hosting an event, or know of an event that I haven’t listed? Let me know, and I’ll add it to my list. And now, on to the events:

October 2 : Lolita Picnic. More info.

DC Anime Club is hosting a Lolita-themed picnic once more. I won’t be able to make it, but my blog post on the event might make you want to!

October 2 : They Might Be Giants. More info.

I’m so glad one of my favorite bands just happens to be nerdcore so I can post their concerts on this list. You read the “more info” correctly — TMBG is holding a FREE concert at the Kennedy Center this weekend. I usually can’t afford to set foot in there!

October 7, 14, 21, 28 : Roleplayer’s Weekly Open. More info.

When I moved to DC, I had no idea where I could find a weekly D&D group. Too bad I hadn’t heard of The DC RPG Meetup Group! Stop by any Thursday this month for their weekly open. You need to be a group member to attend, but that’s easy as the click of a button.

October 9-10 : Congress of Gamers. More info.

@NickFerris let me know about this tabletop, board, and card game convention in Rockville. Their website says it best: “And whereas in the course of human events games must be played…”

October 16 : Shoujo Day. More info.

Shoujo means just “girl” in Japanese, but DC Anime Club is using the word to refer to the vast world of shoujo-focused anime. While they run an all-day marathon of shoujo anime, they’ll also be running a raffle with otaku friendly prizes.

October 22-24 : Capclave. More info.

@RedneckOtaku reminded me about this fantastic Rockville science fiction literary convention. With some notable sci-fi author guests, a dealer’s room, and real science updates from NASA, this should be a sci-fi fan’s dream.

October 27 : Animazing. More info.

The last Wednesday of every month, the Japanese Embassy hosts an anime screening. Why didn’t I know about this? Last month was Paprika; this month is TBA. I’ll update this when we find out!

I know this can’t be all that’s going on. But whatever’s still out there must be a well kept secret, because I’ve checked every event site I know of for this. If you’ve got a submission to the list, let me know!

Another month, another D.C. event guide for nerds. I have to be honest with you guys — this gets harder every month. However, I think this is a service our area really needs, and I’m going to keep it up to the best of my abilities and, in fact, hope to expand it someday soon.

So without further ado, here’s the September 2010 Geek Event Guide:

September 4-26 : Maryland Renaissance Festival. More info.

I know, I posted this last month too, but I don’t want you to forget about it! There’s some really cool themed weekends going on including Magic Weekend (4-6) and Pirate Weekend (24-26)! I plan to attend this event myself this month — my first ever renaissance festival.

September 10-12 : Intervention. More info.

I was so happy to hear about this new Internet themed convention — our area can always use more geeky cons. Intervention’s inaugural weekend is looking promising with guests like Molly Crabapple and a schedule full of webcomic related programming. I’m just curious to see how it fares against the event below – also webcomic centered but several years older.

September 11-12 : Small Press Expo. More info.

Taking up just a few rooms of a Bethesda hotel, this small convention has an intimate feel. At the same time, it’s where you can meet all the brightest stars of the webcomics industry, from Jeph Jacques to Kate Beaton. I attended this event last year and wrote about it on my graduate school website.

September 18 : Martial Arts Demo by Jedi Guardians. More info.

The DC Anime Club hosts this unique martial arts demonstration by the Jedi Guardians, a group that calls itself “the premier lightsaber dueling group in  the Washington D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia area.” Can’t argue with that. The demo will be followed by a cosplay photo shoot for all costumed attendees.

September 25 : Otsukimi: Moon Viewing at the Textile Museum. More info.

Attend a traditional Japanaese moon viewing, complete with koto music, traditional dance, origami, and obento! For Japanophiles like me, everything about that last sentence was amazing. Co-hosted by the Textile Museum and the Japan-America Society, this event is expensive at $40 ($30 without a preordered obento) but it sounds like the real thing.

As usual, fill in any events I’ve missed in the comments!

Is it the dawning of a new month already? I didn’t get to go to HALF the events I wanted to see in July. If you went to any of the July events, get in touch — I’d love to hear how they were.

Luckily, August looks like an equally exciting month for geeks in the D.C. area:

August 2-5 : Imaginasia Workshop – Anime – Young Artist Residency. More info.

Want to learn how to draw anime from the best? For four days, the Sackler gallery is offering a one-day class taught by real live (but unnamed, boo) anime artists. Unlike most of the events I list, this costs money – $40 – but it sounds like it’s worth it.

August 2, 9, 16 : Star Trek Outdoor Film Festival. More info.

This Crystal City festival continues with three more Star Trek films: Insurrection, Nemesis, and Star Trek, the 2009 remake. If you can only make one date, I suggest the 9th, which doubles as Star Trek Trivia.

August 7 : D.C. Anime Club Swap Meet. More info.

Do you have any unwanted anime, manga, video games, wall scrolls, figures, cosplay clothes, or even con T-shirts lying around? Bring them to the one-hour swap meet and exchange them for new (to you) swag. There’s even an 18+ section. Not sure I’d want that stuff used, but that’s just me.

August 14 : Bit Gen Gamer Fest 5. More info.

It may be out in Baltimore, but this event is worth the drive. This music festival exclusively features artists and acts inspired by videogame music, including The OneUps, Entertainment System and Powerglove.

August 28 : Maryland Renaissance Festival. More info.

Did you know Maryland’s official state sport is jousting? Celebrate that and more at what is arguably the best Ren Faire in the tri-state area. This event goes through September, too.

As always, please help me fill in the blanks by submitting any events you think I’ve missed in the comments.

Remember this? I sort of dropped this feature for the past two months — it takes time and effort to find the best geeky events, something I didn’t have much to spare as I finished grad school! This month’s list is a bit heavy on theater since plenty of D.C. film festivals take place this month. As always, feel free to leave any events I might have missed in the comments.

July 5, 12, 19, 26 : Star Trek Outdoor Film Festival. More info.

Crystal City is holding “Eleven Weeks of Star Trek” for their annual Crystal Screen movie festival. Can you think of anything better than watching (in this order by week) Star Trek V, Star Trek VI, Star Trek Generations, or Star Trek First Contact projected outdoors? The event details also promise “fun Klingon activities!”

July 5 – 30 : One Man Lord of the Rings. More info.

The entirety of Tolkien’s trilogy, performed in one hour by one man. Yes, he plays multiple characters and yes, there is choreography. I would love to see how he pulls this off without looking like he’s nuts.

July 9 : Superheroes Who Are Super! More info.

Dramatic readings by your favorite classic comic book heroes. Put on by Save The Day Productions, the performance translates actual comic books to the stage through literal word-for-word readings, complete with wacky costumes and special effects. Expect a parody that also pays homage to its material.

July 10 : Do Not Kill Me, Killer Robots. More info.

Part of the Capitol Fringe Festival, this solo performance follows the apocalyptic story of the world’s last actor as he tries not to be murdered by killer robots. The play claims to have “major dork appeal” so I’m posting it here.

July 10 : Carrie Potter at the New Moon Prom. More info.

With a title like that, this Capitol Fringe Festival play sounds too crazy to miss. According to Landless Theatre Company, the show’s producer, it’s a “satirical sendup of everything geeky” which also includes an exploration of religion. Aside from Harry Potter and Twilight, you have to see it for yourself to see which other fandoms come into play.

July 10, 17 : Pre-release and release of the latest Magic the Gathering core set. More info.

What, you haven’t heard about Magic 2011? Sounds like you need to join the D.C. MTG meet-up group. You have to be a member to attend the event, but it’s easy to join and the group is very welcoming to new people. On the first date, there’ll be a draft, and on the second, a sealed and the ability to buy your own box of M11!

July 10 – 25 : Super Claudio Bros. The New Video Game Musical. More info.

This is the fourth event I’ve listed here that’s part of the Capitol Fringe Festival, so I guess the $15 tickets are worth it! In this musical comedy, follow the story of two plumbers, a princess, and… a platypus? I guess it’s not exactly canon.

July 24 : Animania. More info.

Transworld entertainment (the owners of FYE and Best Buy) hold an anime centered event (think anime trivia and cosplay) in their stores all over the country, but at the local event, in Hanover, Maryland, the company has a partnership with the DC Anime Club. Not much information on the site, so here you go: FYE at Arundel Mills Mall, Saturday July 24, 2010, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

So there you have it. I would love to do geek event guides for more cities than just my own some day. If there are any geeky bloggers in other cities who want to team up, let me know!