April 17, 2013: Geek Cred!

“You are geek,” Akemi informed me.

Me?  A geek?  Surely she was mistaken.  I’ve never played World of Warcraft.  I’m not technologically savvy.  And my facebook timeline isn’t one endless stream of Dr. Who-related updates.  But, upon further reflection, I can see how certain of my interests, past and present, could lead the dispassionate observer to conclude as much.

Geek?  Pseudo-geek?  Misunderstood innocent?  You decide…

COMICS!

Like many kids, I grew up reading comic books.  Unlike many adults, however, I continue to read them.  Sure, my tastes may have changed, but still, every Wednesday I’m like a kid in a, er, comic shop.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

I may have never played World of Warcraft, but I was a huge gamer when it came to its predecessor, THE role-playing game of the 80′s, D&D.  While my charming goblin thief, Delfoss Draco, ran roughshod over unwary NPC’s, my parents fretted over all that time wasted (and classes unwittingly missed).  My best friend’s folks, similarly frustrated, responded by locking up his Dungeon Master Guide and player stats in the family safe.

SCIENCE FICTION (LITERATURE)

I was introduced to the classics by my mother who sought to foster my love for books at an early age.  While my elementary school classmates were playing hockey, I was home reading Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke.

SCIFI TELEVISION

Sure, looking back now the productions were mighty cheesy, but there’s something endearing about those old scifi shows that cause me to stop and watch every time I’m channel surfing.  Brain and brain. What is brain?

SF FILM

Yes, I was a huge fan of SF films, especially the grandaddy of them all – Star Wars – which I must have seen about twenty times as a kid. When I wasn’t going to the movies, I was staying at home, catching the Saturday creature double feature that spotlighted the very best (and worst) in Hollywood scifi.  Anyone remember Battle Beyond the Stars?  The Green Slime?  Gamera?

ANIME

What started as a practical exercise – a desire to learn Japanese AND identify some potential live-action t.v. properties – turned into a expensive, time-consuming hobby.  My anime library now boasts over 3000 titles.

COLLECTIBLES

My crawlspace is packed full of toys, action figures and, of course, a staggering number of supervillain statues.

Hmm.  Now that I think about it, yes, I do have some Geek Cred – certainly enough to help me get by in the event I need to go undercover among them.

P.S. Luis811 – I’m not ducking your questions.  It all comes down to timing – when I decide to do a mailbag and how far back through the comments section I decide to go.  But to answer your last question: Yes, I have seen Phantasm.  And the ending did scare me as a kid.  But