About Joanna

Joanna lives in California with her family, two cats, and extensive book collection. She spends her time alternately between various creative artistic pursuits and has a passion for wildlife and conservation. She still hasn’t decided what she’s going to be when she grows up, though she suspects she will probably be herself. Her novel, YA sci-fi time travel story THREADWALKERS, was published in 2017. You can find her other ramblings at joannavolavka.com or by following her on twitter @joannavolavka which is mostly cat photos and retweets of the geek culture variety. Need to get in touch? Email joanna@geekgirlpenpals.com
IGGPPC Director, +5 Charisma Editor
16 03, 2021

Meet Ash Evans and her Mewnicorns

By |2021-03-16T22:48:29+00:00March 16th, 2021|Art, Interviews|0 Comments

Ash Evans is an artist who specializes in colorful fantasy art, including original paintings, pins, and her signature Mewnicorns, adorable rainbow plush unicorn kitties! I was super excited to find out she's running a Kickstarter for the next phase of the mewnicorn plush-- a pastel rainbow cat! Keep reading to get to know Ash and be sure to check out the mewnicorn campaign!

1 03, 2021

Meet Robyn Smith, Creator of The Saddest Angriest Black Girl in Town

By |2021-03-01T20:53:35+00:00March 1st, 2021|Comics, Interviews|1 Comment

The Saddest Angriest Black Girl in Town is a comic "dedicated to exploring the intersection of Blackness and mental health." I had the opportunity to chat a little with Robyn about her art, her inspiration, and her geek loves.

30 11, 2020

Creator Spotlight: Stationery Orbit Podcast + Giveaway!

By |2020-11-30T20:34:24+00:00November 30th, 2020|Giveaways, Interviews|0 Comments

I recently had an opportunity to chat with a fellow podcaster and snail mail enthusiast John of The Stationery Orbit! We talked all things snail mail, stationery, and the things we geek out about! You can check out the podcast episode here (Episode 14 of The Stationery Orbit). To keep the conversation going (as pen pals are wont to do), I asked John if we could keep chatting here. 

28 09, 2020

Review: Save Yourselves! (2020)

By |2020-09-25T23:22:33+00:00September 28th, 2020|Reviews, TV & Movies|0 Comments

Save Yourselves! (2020) is a film that walks the line between absurdist humor and horror in such a way that it can be both about surviving an alien invasion and escaping from the technological trap that is 21st century life. With relatable characters and the perfect amount of tension, this is a must-watch film in a year where so many of us exist at the intersection of physical isolation and digital dependence. 

4 09, 2020

Podcast Review: Roll For It

By |2020-09-03T20:48:48+00:00September 4th, 2020|Gaming, Reviews|0 Comments

The classic tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) Dungeons and Dragons is experiencing something of a renaissance lately, seemingly exploding on social media and in pop culture. No longer relegated to the dark corners of basements, D&D is now a pretty common part of conversation in many places online. Along with this rise in popularity, there is an appetite for fun content from fans-- and what better way to scratch the TTRPG itch than with a podcast? If you want a fun dose of D&D in your earbuds, check out Roll For It!

2 08, 2020

IGGPPCamp 2020: DIY Camp Zines

By |2021-08-06T19:08:40+00:00August 2nd, 2020|IGGPPCamp 2020, IGGPPCamp Crafts, Tutorials & DIY|0 Comments

Looking for a way to record all of your camp memories in one handy place? Want to have a pocket-size piece of camp joy to keep? Have we got the activity for you! Here are your DIY camp zines, all ready for you to print and customize! 

31 07, 2020

IGGPPCamp 2020: Constellation String Board Craft

By |2021-08-06T19:08:43+00:00July 31st, 2020|IGGPPCamp 2020, IGGPPCamp Crafts, Tutorials & DIY|1 Comment

Have you ever wanted to bring a little piece of the night sky indoors so you could look at it all of the time? Well, stars are billions of miles away do that's not going to happen, but what we CAN do is create a lovely piece of custom string board art based on our favorite constellations! 

6 03, 2020

Movie Review: Onward (2020)

By |2020-03-06T18:37:26+00:00March 6th, 2020|Reviews, TV & Movies|0 Comments

Onward (2020), the latest original offering from Disney Pixar Studios, is a charming tale of brotherly love set in a classic roadtrip film style and is laden with dungeons and dragons references (in the best possible way). It's got adventure, magic, humor, and is an all-around fun and heart-warming film. 

8 02, 2020

Movie Review: Birds of Prey (2020)

By |2020-02-08T20:11:28+00:00February 8th, 2020|Reviews, TV & Movies|0 Comments

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020) is one of the most fun flicks I've seen in a theater in a long time. This is a kick-ass, violent technicolor stream of strong women overcoming their abuse cycles to come together and win the day. It's well-conceived, well-written, and executed far better than many comic-book team-ups before it. 

20 10, 2019

Halloween Party 2019: Ginger Naps (An IGGPPCamp Ghost Story)

By |2019-10-03T17:14:36+00:00October 20th, 2019|Halloween Party 2019|0 Comments

This year at IGGPPCamp, everyone was invited to submit a ghost story based on prompts. (You can check out the winning entries here, here, and here if you want a trio good, creepy tales!) But there's one last story to tell. Enjoy. :)

24 07, 2019

Movie Review: The Lion King (2019)

By |2019-07-24T05:29:52+00:00July 24th, 2019|Reviews, TV & Movies|0 Comments

Disney's remake of The Lion King hit theaters this week to mixed reviews. As someone who grew up loving the original film, I wanted to see for myself whether the remake would reach the level of the original. I'm here to tell you the good, the bad, and whether (in my opinion) this film even needed to be made. 

20 07, 2019

Her Universe Fashion Show unleashes the Power of Fashion at 6th annual event

By |2019-07-20T00:47:58+00:00July 20th, 2019|Conventions/Events, Fashion|0 Comments

This year's Her Universe Fashion Show was all about the Power of Fashion, inspired by the hit animated series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Twenty-four designs took the runway, all inspired by the powerful characters so many love and admire. Here are some highlights of the show, along with the winners!