Meet one of the feminists paving the way for women in Canadian geek culture.

Sam Maggs is visiting Whitehorse for YukomiCon, the territory’s largest gathering for all things geeky.

She is the author of The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy and Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors and Trailblazers Who Changed History.

She was also named “Awesome Geek Feminist of the Year” by Women Write About Comics, is an assistant writer for BioWare and has written for Marie Claire and PC Gamer.

Maggs said she was originally drawn to comics because it is where she found strong women in fiction.

“Growing up, it’s where I saw awesome, strong, female protagonists,” she said in an interview with the Star.

She noted that in comics, there has been less resistance to women taking on prominent leadership roles.

“I guess people need the fantastical to imagine these things,” she said.

And as a writer, Maggs noted comics are a great way to tell stories that might be “too out there” to tell through non-genre literature.

She said while women haven’t traditionally felt welcome in spaces where comics are discussed, like conventions and comics stores, that is starting to change.

“With social media, we’ve been able to form our own inclusive communities,” she explained.

And a shift in geek culture has led to a greater diversity of representation in comics.

“It lends itself to so many new and interesting ideas that we haven’t seen before,” Maggs said. “That just makes comics more interesting for everyone, I think.”

While Maggs said she has faced negativity as a woman in the geek community, her experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

“I think we spend a lot of time talking about the negatives,” she said,

“The positives outweigh the negatives by exorbitant amounts that I would so much rather talk about that.”

Through the community, she said she has made friends, received career opportunities and been able to express herself creatively.

Maggs said there is something for everyone in comics and games, and encourages people to visit conventions to see what the geek community is all about.

She noted that even Marvel comics run the gamut from Captain America to one of her favourite superheroes, Squirrel Girl.

“Any girl can find someone with the same interests online and form a friendship online,” Maggs said. “There is nothing nerds love more than sharing the things they’re into.”

She said her favourite part of any convention is seeing all the local art and jewelry.

“I have way too many prints in my house now but I totally don’t regret it,” she laughed.

You can catch Maggs hosting a Q&A session at YukomiCon Saturday from noon to one.

And on Sunday from 11 a.m. until noon, she will be part of the panel “Building the Comic Fempire” with one of YukomiCon’s founding directors, Caitlin Beaulieu.

They will discuss women and femme creators in the comics industry and the challenges they face.

“I’m really excited to be on this panel; I think it’s going to be an interesting conversation of how comics are trending now,” Maggs said.

YukomiCon begins today, and is on until Sunday at the Yukon Convention Centre.

Tickets and more information about the event can be found on www.yukonicom.com.