A Geeky Mother’s Day Q&A with Sam and Nancy Maggs

We at Quirk Books have the distinct pleasure of being book midwives to Sam Maggs' The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy. And as we got to know the fantastic author behind all the geeky gal wisdom, we also got to know her biggest fan — her mom, Nancy! Sam and Nancy are huge supporters of one another online and off, and it's been amazing to watch them take conventions like C2E2 by storm. With Nancy as her mom, it's no surprise to us that Sam is the kick-butt feminista she is today. So this Mother's Day, we wanted to chat with these excellent ladies on what being an unstoppable mother/daughter duo is all about! 

What's the best part of being a geeky mother/daughter team?
 

Nancy: Having someone to share all this wonderful stuff with!  We love the same things and it's great to be able to fangirl over comics and movies and TV. We travel well together so going to conventions is great fun.

Sam: You always have someone to geek out with! I always have someone to talk about the latest episode of Agent Carter or the newest issue of Bitch Planet with, and I definitely always have a con buddy.

Has your OTP ever been the other's NOTP?
 

Nancy: Nope. The ultimate OTP for us has always been Jack O'Neill & Sam Carter!

Sam: Sam and Jack forever.

What's your favorite geeky memory together?
 

Nancy: The first Stargate convention we went to when Sam was seventeen.  We were getting a photo-op with Cliff Simon who played Ba'al on the show. Sam went first, and I went next and told him I was Sam's mom. He looked shocked for a second and then said, "Mom?  I thought you were sisters!" Well, I wanted to have that printed on a T-shirt! Definitely a trip highlight!

Sam: Going to see Serenity in theatres on opening day! She pulled me out of school (because I was in the 12th grade at the time) in the middle of the day, because she knows what's truly important in life.

What are some of the coolest geeky franchises you've introduced to one another?
 

Nancy: I've always loved to read. I started out with historical romances, and then one summer Sam handed me a Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers trade and I've been hooked ever since!  I hit my local comic book store every Wednesday for the latest. There are so many fantastic female-led comics!

For Sam, I was a huge fan of Richard Dean Anderson (still am) and started watching Stargate SG-1 when it first aired, so I'd say that's the franchise I introduced her to and that started our love of going to conventions together.

Sam: I definitely got my mom into comics; she was shocked at how many awesome comics for ladies there are out there, and now I think her pull list is bigger than mine! I also recently finally convinced her to read Tamora Pierce's books, which are my all-time faves. She's gotten me into a lot of different TV shows that I might not have checked out otherwise, like Life on Mars!

What are some favorite activities you like to do together?
 

Nancy: Conventions and more conventions; concerts, movies and the occasional spa day!

Sam: Conventions and concerts for sure! We're really good at standing in lines.

What are the best ways to foster a geeky mom/daughter bond?
 

Nancy: My best advice – don't just be a parent, be a friend to your daughter. Be open to sharing her interests and just do stuff together. Let her know you're there for her no matter what!  Tell her every day that you love her and you're proud of everything she's accomplished.  And remember you can be a geek and a fangirl at any age.  Like the litany says – I'm a fangirl, a feminist, and a force to be reckoned with!

Sam: Just realize that your mom is a normal girl just like you and probably wants to freak out about Jason Momoa's biceps or Ms. Marvel's latest villain as much as you do!