Nerd Rock

Music's been on my mind lately. I'm not sure why, just has. So with that in mind let's talk about the musical genre that melds together two of my passions: nerd rock. When did nerd rock begin? Who knows? I would theorize that it evolved from new wave in the late 70's. There are plenty of bands who garner the label of nerd (or geek) rock; Devo, Weezer, They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, but I'm going to focus on three of my favorite bands who's nerd/geek focus is more distinct. Let's get started:

KIRBY KRACKLE- In my view there is none better than Kirby Krackle, a Seattle based band that revolves around the nucleus of front man Kyle Stevens and his co-writer Jim Demonakos. They write songs about the things we all love: comics, games, and the occasional awkwardness of stumbling through geek life. They're currently at work on their fourth album. If you've not heard them, check them out PRONTO! Visit www.kirbykracklemusic.com.
MY FAV NUMBERS: "Ring Capacity", "Going Home", and "Zombie Apocalypse"

FIVE YEAR MISSION- Awwww Indiana's finest entry into the nerd rock world. Their mission... to write a song about each of the Star Trek: The Original Series episodes. CLASSIC! They've done Year One and Year One, plus a special Trouble With Tribbles EP. Catchy and melodic, you'll find 5YM songs rattling around in your cranium when you least expect it! You can find them at www.fiveyearmission.net.
MY FAV NUMBERS: "The Cage", "Miri", and "Tomorrow Is Yesterday"

THE DOUBLECLICKS- Nerdy, folk music... need I say more? The Doubleclicks are composed of Portland sisters Angela and Aubrey Webber. They describe their music as "snarky, geeky, and sweet". What's not to like? The Doubleclicks are going places, so jump on the band wagon now so you can say you "dug them when"! You can check them out at www.thedoubleclicks.com
MY FAV NUMBERS: "This Fantasy World", "Internet National Anthem", and "Spock Impersonator"

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics have always produced some of my favorite comic books. Their characters are incredible and well developed. I love the fact that Marvel was the first to give superheroes flaws and everyday problems. Who doesn't love reading a comic with these incredible characters with special powers, but that you can relate to in some way?

However, recently Marvel Comics has lost something. Their characters are still wonderful, and their movies are amazing. Their comic books, however, have failed to grab my attention and keep it.

I believe this is because Marvel Comics needs to SIMPLIFY! The sheer number of titles they have is often overwhelming. The fact many of those titles are released every other week is daunting. As a comic retailer, it's very difficult to try to sell a new new reader on some of the Marvel titles. I often have customers come in who have an interest in, let's say, the X-Men. There are well over a dozen X-Men titles we carry regularly, FOUR of those focusing primarily on Wolverine. We don't ever carry EVERY X-Men title available!

Most customers move on to something else. They want something they can latch on to. It's one reason the Walking Dead comic is so popular. If a reader wants to read Walking Dead, there's only one book. It's simple and easy to get on board. If you need to catch up you buy a trade paperback. Start with number 1, and work up. Simple.

When Marvel announced their NOW movement, I was hoping they'd simplify. Trim down the number of titles they have. Establish focus for their books and characters. More is not always better. Does the world really need four Wolverine titles? Sure, he's a great character but that's overkill.

So if I had one wish for Marvel it's that they would simplify. Give us one book for each major character. Give us one book for each team. Take each book back to once a month. Make smaller characters support players, or feature them in the occasional mini-series.

Take note Marvel... DC's doing many things correctly. It's alright if you do them correctly also!

My Favs

One of the questions I get asked on an almost daily basis is what comic books I read. I love to answer this question because it allows me to ramble on about comics, which I always enjoy doing. It's an ever evolving list; if you ask me in two weeks it may be completely different! Here are my current favorites for comic books, in alphabetical order:

GREEN LANTERN - I'm a huge Green Lantern fan, and the latest books in the family (Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern New Guardians, and Red Lanterns) are wonderful. The current arc "Wrath of the First Lantern" is enjoyable and has me hooked. With Robert Venditti and Justin Jordan (two of my favorite writers) taking over writing duties on GL and New Guardians, I'm very excited!

HAWKEYE - This is the one Marvel book that I anticipate each month. I love the art style, and the writing my Matt Fraction is spectacular- this book has a wonderful sense of humor. I love the fact that it seems outside the Avengers universe in a way... so far, you don't see Cap or Thor popping in. It's a book about a normal guy... who's REALLY good with a bow!

SAGA - I cannot say enough about this book. Every month I am giddy with anticipation for it's arrival in the shop. It is a spectacular book with amazing writing and art. The story flows and hooks you. If you are not reading this book, then you are not living properly!

STAR WARS - Yes, I know it's only two issues in... but it's STAR WARS! To make matters even better, it's set between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, so it has the characters we know and love when they were wide-eyed rebels. Makes me feel 10 years old again when I read it! 

X-O MANOWAR - A personal favorite for years, X-O has always been one of my favorite books and Aric is one of my favorite characters. I read it in the 90's and love the new series going now. Anybody who knows me at all knows I am fanatical about Valiant Comics, and X-O is my fav.

There's my fab five. There are many other books I read which are wonderful as well: Doctor Who (IDW), Justice League of America (DC), Uncanny X-Men (Marvel), Harbinger (Valiant), The Answer (Dark Horse), Revival (Image),  Game of Thrones (Dynamite), and many more! Don't be afraid to try something new... you never know what you'll fall in love with!

Valentine's Day

Allow me to spew sappy today, for it is the holiday of love... Valentine's Day!

I'm going to discuss my wonderful wife Monica :)

I am blessed to have such an amazing wife. Want to know what she gave me today as a gift? A sonic screwdriver (if you don't know that's from Doctor Who, CATCH UP!). How cool is she?

Monica tolerates all my geekiness... no, she EMBRACES it! I'm constantly babbling about comic books, Doctor Who, or Star Wars. I'm always writing my own stuff, or creating crazy vodcast ideas with our kids. I may have addictions to Reese's cups and t-shirts, along with a man-crush on Nathan Fillion. Our home is constantly breaking into lively discussions of "who would beat who in a fight", usually started by me.

Monica loves and supports every minute of it!

When I told her I wanted to write comics, she said "go for it". When I told her I wanted to open my own comic book shop, she said "where do we start"? When I say "let's watch Blade Runner tonight (for the HUNDREDTH time!)" she says "I'll get the popcorn".

She's supported every one of my quirks, and because of her I'm a better man!

This May is our tenth anniversary. We are going to renew our vows, and we wanted to do something cool and unique. I suggested a "violet lantern" event (after all, it's the power of love!). She thought it was great!

She's incredible!

Happy Valentine's Day Monica Christian... thank you for everything you are and for being the better half of me.

The Super Bowl... for geeks!

So this past Sunday was the Super Bowl... well, for the majority of the world that is. The Super Bowl for geeks, the event that we've all been counting down to, occurs this NEXT Sunday, February 10th. Instantly 99% of you know what I'm talking about... the return of THE WALKING DEAD!

It seems like it's been an eternity since the mid-season finale. Here we are though... mere days from the return of our beloved show. Time for zombies and the gang to get it on again. Anybody have predictions for the second half of the season? I don't, but I do have WISHES for the remaining episodes and I'm going to lay them out right here. I'm not going by anything but my pure desires here: feel free to agree or disagree. I'd love to hear your wishes for the remainder of the season.

So here we go... Dave's wishes for the remainder of season three of the Walking Dead:

1- For the love of all geekdom... toughen up Michonne. I've not been as happy as I'd like to be with her character on the show. Comic readers know how tough she can REALLY be... let's see more of THAT on the show!

2- While we're on character tweaks, while I LOVE David Morrissey as the Governor, the character needs to creep it up more! They've touched on it, they've hinted at it, they've shown glimpses... but that's not enough! He's need to be in our faces, nasty and creepy!

3- Kill Andrea. There I said it. I'm tired of her character. Tired of her whining. Tired of her riding the fence. Let's be done with her. Matter of fact, let's take care of two birds with one stone... have Michonne do it and help with #1 also!

4- Don't kill Daryl! I know, it's a crazy idea to kill off the most popular character on the show isn't it? Don't count it out though. Hopefully it doesn't happen... I don't think we've seen the best of the Daryl character yet!

5- Finally... DO NOT BRING BACK LORI! I know it's unlikely, but who knows? I've read many speculations online, claiming she's not truly dead. Again, I hope not... she's gone, let her stay gone. Her death adds to the Rick and Carl characters. Her death makes baby Judith all the more special. Keep it that way. Don't change this aspect: keep Lori as we remember her... the final meal of a very gorged walker!

There it is. My hopes for the rest of the season, for what it's worth. More than anything, I hope Walking Dead continues to be a highly entertaining show that maintains it's high profile success!

How about some background?

Everybody always comes into my comic shop and asks, "How long you been into comics?" or "How'd you get into comics?". Well my friends, it's a long strange trip so let me catch you up.

I've been reading comics virtually my entire life. Honestly. As long as I can remember. I was introduced to comics through my grandmother. I would visit her every weekend as a child, and our adventures included her weekly trips to three destinations: the grocery store, the drug store, and garage sales. At every stop my grandmother would search the books they had. She was a reader... an AVID reader. Of course at that time (the 1980's) right next to the books in almost all grocery and drug stores was a rack of comics.

They hooked me instantly. These wild, bright, colorful books featuring these amazing characters grabbed me and they've never let go. My grandmother would typically buy me a comic or two at the grocery and drug stores. It was like Sophie's choice trying to decide which one's to buy.

Probably around my 8th birthday in 1983 (and many subsequent birthdays after) I would ask for and receive subscriptions to two of my favorite titles: GI Joe and Transformers. I was a sucker for the licensed properties with the cool cartoons and toys. I bought every book that plugged a product: Thundercats, Masters of the Universe, Silverhawks... it didn't matter. I would buy anything that appeared in comic book form. I remember owning TV and movie tie-in comics. I remember owning comics of the Kool-Aid Man and books plugging Atari and Radio Shack. Add to that the regular ingestion of superheroes I received through my favorite characters' books (Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Captain America were my big four) and I was a comic book addict.

Garage sales would provide the largest hauls. Boxes of discarded books were my treasure. I was able to sample several titles and genres through these finds. Add to that the fact that I would snatch up ALL compilations of Peanuts comic strips and I usually came home happy.

So whenever you come into my shop and buy your favorite comic, or get into a discussion with me on the awesomeness of Valiant Comics, or read one of my geeky posts online, just remember I owe it all to my grandmother, God rest her soul. She fed my reading addiction and encouraged me to write and draw. She always supported me while giving me constructive criticism and advice. She was a role model for how to live life and enjoy every minute of it. I still smile when I remember my near 70 year old grandmother sitting in her favorite chair in her living room, reading one of my comic books. She was living proof that you may grow old, but you never have to grow up.

The Nerdist

So I got to see Chris Hardwick (aka The Nerdist) last night doing stand-up in Bloomington, Indiana. Marvelous show! Chris was funny to no end. It doesn't hurt that he was a bit enthralled when he discovered I owned a comic book shop. I love the fact that being a geek has become the "in' thing, and given the sold-out shows the Nerdist was doing, geekdom is bigger than ever.

Of course, that's easy to see isn't it? Never before has society been so saturated with geek and pop culture. Everywhere you look there's shirts, toys, games, shows, movies... it seems endless! While mainstream media still has little idea what our culture is like (we're not introverted, single 40-somethings living with our parents!) the attention is nice, isn't it?

Stay the course my geek friends. Through patience we will change the stigma we've carried as a burden for 30+ years. We're a passionate community, maybe even more of a family, and we'll see it through.

Like them or not, gentlemen like Chris Hardwick, Kevin Smith, and Nathon Fillion will help lead the revolt. It's time. The geek shall inherit the Earth!