On Wednesday, Aug. 28, nomandsland.blog will celebrate its two-year anniversary. It’s still just a baby blog, but it’s had an exciting life so far and, like any proud parent, I have big hopes and dreams for its future. In honor of the occasion, we have an exciting giveaway planned. Keep an eye on our Instagram account, @lavendervroman, for more details.

I realized this might be a good time to reintroduce No Man’s Land and myself for the sake of new followers, or old and loyal followers who can’t quite remember or maybe always wondered what this blog is all about. So here goes …

My name is Lavender Vroman. I’m a lifelong Southern California resident and irrepressible geek raised by parents who loved The Lord of the Rings and books and art of all kinds and took us to Disneyland at least once a year. (I miss those days when you could just casually walk from the parking lot to the park entrance.)

My main fandoms are Star Wars. And Star Wars. And Star Wars.

Ok, also Harry Potter (I’m Slytherdor, if you must know).

I love many, many more geeky franchises and characters as well, including Studio Ghibli, LOTR, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Orphan Black, The Expanse, Stranger Things, Saga, Paper Girls, Marvel, Disney, Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain Marvel, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ’80s sci-fi … too many things to list, really.

I didn’t start reading comic books in earnest until this year and now I’m hooked. And if you follow me on social media at all, you’ll know I have other passions, including geek fashion, travel, food, books, classic lit, classic movies, Ray Bradbury, and Jane Austen.

In my professional life, I’m a former journalist who worked at a newspaper for a decade and a half. I was a copy editor, then a film critic and reporter, and finally worked my way up to editor of the entertainment section. For a long time, it was the best job in the world, allowing me to stroll out of the office in the middle of the afternoon with a cheery, “I’m going to the movies!”

After leaving the paper, I fulfilled a long-deferred dream of starting my own blog, lavendervroman.com, for which I wrote about a variety of entertainment and movie-related subjects and lots of Star Wars content. (Lots and lots!)

Increasingly, though, I was becoming passionate about feminism, especially feminism as it relates to fangirls and women in entertainment, and other issues affecting women in geek culture, where the loudest voices are often male voices.

Then, in June 2017, DC’s Wonder Woman movie hit theaters, smashing stereotypes and breaking box office records, and something clicked. I finally believed I belonged in the geek community, that I had something to say, and that my deep appreciation for my fellow fangirls could be put to good use.

Nomansland.blog was named after the iconic movie moment when a glorious Gal Gadot climbs up out of the trenches and onto a World War I battlefield with power and grace. The website was launched in the spirit of Wonder Woman but has by no means been limited to the topic of the Amazon warrior. (Our fiery Amazon logo was designed by illustrator and children’s book author Mai Kemble.)

The purpose of No Man’s Land remains to showcase, amplify, and celebrate the voices of women and other marginalized people in geek culture and fandoms. The highlight of the blog is our weekly Wednesday interview series featuring women who are pursuing their geeky passions in interesting and inspiring ways. I’ve interviewed a different fangirl virtually every week for two years and I have yet to grow bored with hearing their fascinating stories and perspectives.

The blog is also a forum for fun stuff, like geek fashion and Halloween costume ideas, reviews of the latest Marvel movies, and visits to conventions and other geeky attractions. We’re not afraid to get serious, though, as we explore issues of representation, feminism, politics, and culture.

Looking forward, I’m hoping to expand the content of the blog and create more opportunities for dialogue around specific topics of interest to women and other marginalized geeks.

My readers and followers are #squadgoals and have made this blogging adventure a joy, so I hope you’ll all continue to join me.

The best way to do that is to subscribe to nomansland.blog and follow me on Instagram and Twitter, @lavendervroman.