Origins of Video Geeks

Today we are going to move on from comics and explore a new geek activity. We are going to explore video games.

Video games have come a long way in a relatively short time. The first video screen game was Tennis for Two developed by William Higinbotham in 1958. This game was played on on oscilloscope and it was vaguely reminiscent of the actual game of tennis.

The graphics are awesome...

From there arcade games developed like Pong and Spacewar. In 1975 Atari released their home version of Pong and video gaming exploded from there. A more in-depth history can be found here if you are interested.

Today, video games are everywhere. With the advent of the smart phone we can have full length games in our pockets at all times.

This beast sucked away my life for several days.

So we're going to explore the realm of gaming for a little while on my geek blog. But its important to remember while your playing something like this:

Screen shot of Guild Wars 2 released last month.

That it all stemmed from something like this:

Video games: Preserving Geek virginity since 1958.

The post I will hate myself for...

Sigh....

So today I am going to embarrass myself by posting the most ridiculous video made of me from Comic Con.

It happened as I was browsing around taking pictures of random booths, I took a shot of the interestingly decorated 42 Flavors booth.

Needless to say I was intrigued by by a monster Strawberry.

After taking my shots one of the workers of the booth tried to shoo me inside. I wasn't exactly interested but she promised a free T-shirt and I'm a sucker for anything I don't have to pay for.

Once inside I found myself face to face with a man named Carl, who apparently drank five or six too many Redbulls. Carl threw me in front of a green screen and began excitedly shouting at me to run, jump and do other odd things in front of this screen. Normally I would not participate in things like this, but Carl seemed like his heart was exploding as he was commanding me and who was I to deny a dying man's wish?

So here is the result of my green screen experience.

....Yeah....

I immediately typed in my email address and was promptly ejected from the booth, a little dazed and confused. I didn't even get my free T-Shirt... A pox on you Carl...

Anyways, I didn't even really find out what the booth was about until getting my video email and exploring their website.

Turns out Flavor Monsters is a information campaign from the TRUTH organization against youth smoking. I guess the whole point is that even though tobacco can't be sold as candy, there are still candy-like flavored tobaccos that appeal to young people. The are 42 distinct flavors, hence the 42 monsters.

It is an interesting campaign, and they even have a free game for iOS or Android to fight the monsters and learn more about TRUTH's mission.

But really, this post was to show you I'm willing to embarrass myself for you people. I hope you're happy.

That's it for today nerds. Go try out the Flavor Monsters game. Maybe it will help when the zombie apocalypse comes.

Costuming the Con

Today we are going to examine a sub-culture of Comic Con: The Cos-Players.

You may have noticed in my video from the last post some fully costumed people wandering around the con. Cos-play or costume play is a big draw for some people at comic con. People dress up as their favorite characters from comics, movies, TV shows.

And people go all out. The amount of dedication some people spend on these costumes is unreal, and they definitely deserve to be noted.

Two Sand People from Star Wars

These Sand-People had the most elaborate and beautiful costumes I saw. Everything on them was so perfect and realistic. I attempted to ask them about their costumes, but completely in character they simply grunted wildly at me and raised their sticks.

The Doctor and Madame de Pompadour from Dr. Who episode 2.4 "The Girl in the Fireplace"

Derek Jones and Samantha Kingston dress as the Doctor and Madame de Pompadour above we a little more human about questions (though they did keep their accents while I spoke with them).

When I asked about why they dress up Jones said, "We love the characters. Its our own little tribute to them in a place its acceptable. It feels like Halloween."

"It's just a great way to make new friends," says Kingston. "People will just come up to you to take pictures and talk. It makes you feel like a celebrity at the Con."

There weren't a huge number of people dressed up while I was at the Con. Jones said the big costume party was happening Saturday night at a big party. Sadly, with my one-day pass and lack of funds I had to make due just snapping pics of the ones there that day.

Take a look at the costumed people after the cut.

A Geek Goes to Comic Con

Howdy friends!

Today I will share with you my trip to the Wizard World Ohio Comic Con 2012 in Columbus Ohio. Watch this short video to get a brief overview of my trip to nerd Mecca.

Note: I apologize for the lack of video quality. My camera kicked the bucket when I tried to use it on the trip so its all cell phone footage. Hopefully all future videos will be better.

That's it for today folks. Stay tuned for more Comic Con recaps.

Bazinga.

Quest for Comics Part 2: JC Comics and Cards

Our quest for local comic book stores continues today as we make the journey to JC Comics and Cards in Cuyahoga Falls.

JC Comics is located in a nice little strip at 2609 State Rd, sandwiched between a Movie Exchange, a used toy store and a used record shop. Between the three stores there’s enough recycled entertainment items to make even the most cynical hipster happy.

JC’s has the same general feel as Kenmore and most other comic book stores have. They have a sizable collection of comics and graphic novels, including a rather large $0.25 comic crate for the more frugal geeks.

However, while Kenmore excelled in nerdy games, JC’s has an abundance of toys, stuffed animals and action figures. The entire left wall is lined with everything from X-men Figurines to Pokemon Plushies.

I wanted that big Squirtle so bad, but alas I am in college (aka poor).

I managed to stop by as they were stocking so the two employees didn’t have a chance to chat, but even preoccupied, JC was happy to directed my exactly to what I was trying to find. Without missing a beat he talked me through to the exact corner, and shelf to get exactly what I wanted.

It was Y - The Last Man Volume 2 if you were wondering.

Overall JC Comics and Games had a nice feel to it and the employees were definitely helpful and pleasant. They don’t have a website to search beforehand, but their collection is quite good, so you’ll definitely find some nice loot there.

JC Comics and Cards

• (330) 929-1929

2609 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223

 Mon-Sat 11-7,

Sun 12-5

Alright, Nerd-Quest completed. I’m off to the Ohio Wizard World Comic Convention. Join me next week to see if I was attacked by cos-players.

Geek Long and Prosper.

Checking out Kenmore Komics

Hello fellow nerdlings.

Last time, we talked briefly about how to satisfy your comic book itch digitally and through the mail. These are excellent and convenient methods to get your fix, but there is a certain feel you can only get a comic book store.

Browsing the stacks for a hidden gem. Paging through new volumes to explore. Actual social interaction with other humans.

These are things you can’t quite get online. So today I bring you a piece on one of your local comic stores.

Kenmore Komics andGames is located at 1020 Kenmore Blvd. in Akron. Inside you’ll find a great selection of both recent and out-of-print comic books for sale.

In addition, they have wide range of board games, card games, role-playing manuals and gaming miniatures to purchase.

Owner John Buntin Jr. proudly states that he’s been selling and buying comic books for 25 years. While it hasn’t been easy, John has managed to keep his business running.

“There used to be 16 comic book stores in Akron, now there’s just 2 of us,” John says. “Its hardest on the collectors who want to sell. With I’ve been buying collections for so long, I already have most of what people want to sell, especially after all those others ones closed and their stuff cycled around.”

And John certainly has an impressive selection. I spent a half-hour perusing the comics he has stacked for purchase and didn’t even get through a quarter of them. From Avengers to X-men he’s got quite the collection.

There are hundreds of comics available to browse through.

Single comics run about $3-$5 for new series. Older series vary depending on the rarity of the issue you’re looking for. Despite the intention to not spend that much, I bought a hardcover collection of X-Men comics and a card game which ran me about $40. Nerd fun don't come cheap.

Munchkin will most likely be the focus of a later blog posting.

Kenmore Komics and Games is definitely a place worth checking out. John was very pleasant, the store was clean, and there was no creepy guy in the corner giggling as he looked at comics with scantily clad women on the cover. What more can you ask for?

Actual cover of Emma Frost #1. I know what I said about tights, 

but really, does this count as clothing? What is keeping it on?

Kenmore Komics & Games

1020 Kenmore Boulevard

Akron, Ohio  44314

330-745-5530

Hours of Operation

Monday, Thursday  12 pm - 6 pm

Wednesday, Friday 12 pm - 7 pm

Saturday  11 am - 5 pm

Closed Tuesday & Sunday

Check out their website if you’d like to learn a little more or browse their collection of back-order comics.

And that’s all for me today. I’m gonna go spend some quality time with the Children of the Atom. (It’s an X-men reference. You’re on my blog: You aren’t allowed to judge me.)

Geek-ing Out to Comics

So today on NEOHGeek Blog we are discussing one of the oldest nerd hobbies: Comic Books.

The American Comic has a long history, growing from newspaper strips in the late 1890s, to comic books in the 1920s, to the multitude of comic series available today. A pretty thorough history of comics can be found at ComicArt.com, if you’re interested in learning some more of the details.

Now you can find comics for just about all interests from science fiction (Dr. Who), to folklore (FABLES), to everyday, average life (Archie).

Now, it isn’t that I don’t appreciate a good chuckle at poor Archie’s relationship woes, but my true geeky giddiness only really sparks when there are tights involved.

Where's the fun when there's no skin-tight spandex?

The modern Superhero comic got its jumpstart with the launch of Superman in 1938. From there all kinds of hero books got their start, like Batman, who popped up in the murder mystery Detective Comics #27 in 1939 and Captain America who started fighting Nazis in 1941. I could blog for days with even my casual knowledge of the history of these characters so, if you’re interested, I’ll let you click the links and read about them from the experts.

The non-nerd world today most likely recognizes comic book heroes from the string of superhero movies released in recent years (Avengers, Batman Begins, Spiderman 1, 2, 3 and 1-again) and with Avengers breaking box office records and The Dark Knight winning Oscars, even the most un-geeky individual can probably maintain a conversation about them.

At least we've moved passed this atrocity

But where do the comics themselves fit these days?

The traditional comic book store still exists (we’ll explore the local comic store scene later this week), but it has actually become a lot easier to get your hands on comics.

Dozens of websites exist where you can get new and classic comics delivered right to you. My Comic Shop has the newest issues and auctions to obtain those hard-to-find editions and Midtown Comics is a great place for free shipping if you’re buying a lot, just to name a few.

Amazon and eBay have great selections too, for those of you that worry about your popular friends finding geekiness in your web-history.

But, perhaps the best benefit of modern convenience is digital comics. While collectors and traditionalists may turn up their noses at a paper-less comic, going green does have the added benefit on instant downloads and lack of physical evidence.

Most of the big names in comics (Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse) have digital stores to download comics to your computer, phone or tablet. You can even get many on the same day the paper edition comes out in stores.

Well, that’s it for today folks. Check back later this week for more posts on comics.

And remember, there’s no danger of releasing your inner geek. Well… at least after high school… most adults don’t give swirlies.