LootCrate takes a look back

This month's LootCrate theme was rewind. It was jam packed with all the nostalgic things nerds of a certain age loved back in the day in all their pixelated, low-res glory. I am a sucker for all things retro myself and this month didn't disappoint. I really like that the crate themes have broadened a little bit and gotten away from being quite so gaming heavy. I also appreciated that more of the items in this month's crate were really usable. 

This month included an exclusive tee featuring Voltron. The blue-on-black is subtle and has kind of a Tron-esque vibe that I love. I'm definitely going to be getting some serious mileage out of this one.

I really like that there are more usable items in this month's box. The 8-bit sunglasses probably won't replace my daily wearers, but they'll be fun for specific outfits and they're UVA rated so they're not just for costume. Probably my favorite item this month though is the Space Invaders tie from Black Tie Geek. I'm already working to put together a work outfit to feature it but it would also make a great headband for those who are not so necktie-inclined. The comic notebook is a small blank book pre-divided into panels for at-home comic artists. It even includes a small stencil for all the thought bubbles and sound effects.

Next up is this little guy, a 10-doh! figure by Squid Kids Ink. Its a little anthropomorphized NES cartridge. He's even got his own little zapper. Each one of these little guys features a parody of a classic Nintendo title. 

Last, but certainly not least this month's comic was Marvel Star Wars #1. This is Marvel's first Star Wars comic since 1987 and it was a great opening effort. The story takes place after the events of Episode IV and features Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker sabotaging an imperial weapons depot. The art is outstanding and the storyline seems promising. I will definitely be picking up the other books in this arc.

All in all, this month was probably my favorite crate so far. If you're interested in a subscription or more information on LootCrate visit them here.

Bless me geek gods for I have sinned

I committed one of the ultimate sins of fandom today, especially as a fangirl. In the world of GamerGate, fake geek girl accusations and gatekeeping, it's important to spread the love and understanding within the fandom(s). But unfortunately that's exactly what I didn't do today. So here's the story and then I'll talk about why this is problematic. 

So I have a coworker who is a big fan of radio contests. She enters any and every contest she becomes aware of and frequently wins free tickets to concerts, sporting events and other conventions. Today she announced to me, the office's resident geek, that she was trying to win tickets to this weekend's "Wizard World thingy." For those who don't know, Wizard World puts on comic conventions across the country. Now this is where things went sideways. Rather than congratulate her on her interest in the nerdier side of life, I bristled. I felt, still feel, that entering to win tickets to something which you don't really want is silly and robs someone who really wants to go but can't afford to the chance to enjoy something they love. So anyway, I asked her why she'd want to go. "For the people watching," she replied cheerily. "Why," I asked, pressing further, hoping to make her either look or feel like an asshole, "so that you can point and laugh?" "So I can see all the people in their costumes, and they had a meet and greet with Bruce Campbell." "You don't even like comics," I snarked. "I sort of do," she replied. My next inclination was to administer a quiz, but another coworker interrupted and that, mercifully, was the end of it.

Now I feel that my behavior was problematic. Gatekeeping is a major problem in nerd culture. Because nerds tend to see ourselves as underdogs because of exclusion and bullying that they have experienced in the past, we tend to be very protective of the things we care about.* We tend to feel compelled to keep people out of the fandom who may not seem worthy. I'm not sure if this due to a fear that someone who might be mean or threatening may get in to the sanctum sanctorum or to the comforting feeling of superiority or power that being on the inside affords. I myself have thrive on the drunken power of knowing more than others. It feels damn good. I felt a mixture those feelings today; superiority, judgement, and most of all, butthurt. How dare she invade a space that has been mine! She was not worthy! *waves flaming sword of judgement* Worthiness has nothing to do with it. We should all be accepting of those who show interest in the thing that we like. Were you born with an encyclopedic knowledge of Star Wars? I think not. I'm sure there was some kind person, maybe a parent or and older sibling or friend who invited you in, answered your questions and was patient with you. We all could be that person for someone else. We should also learn to understand that a member of another fandom may feel just as strongly about their fandom as we do about ours, rather than judging him or her based on the fandom's relative popularity to others. We should be trying to grow nerd culture so that other people don't have to go through the feelings of being left out or being the only one who likes x or y. I let down the side today, I'm sorry guys. 

tl;dr Gatekeeping is bad...mmkay?

*I am making broad generalizations about nerd culture based on my own experience, I am aware that these vary greatly on the individual level. Bear with me.

Thoughts on Dragon Age: Inquisition

So my New Year's resolution was to write more, which I have to say I am failing at miserably. Though to be fair I have had a plague of a cold for a week now which has left me doing little besides sleeping, catching up on Legend of Korra and playing Dragon Age. I just hit the 40 hour mark so I figure I'm maybe half to two-thirds of the way through this play through. I'm definitely not what you'd call a completionist on an inaugural play though. This time I'm just soaking in the plot, getting comfortable with the combat system and falling in love with the characters.
Inquisition is my first Dragon Age game, which is weird for me because Bioware is my favorite studio. Mass Effect is my favorite game of all time followed by Mass Effect 3, 2 and Knights of the Old Republic. I played the demo for Dragon Age II back when but I felt lost playing it. The lore was too intense for a demo and the combat was too button-mashy. I never picked up DA2 and when presented with the choice of purchasing either it or DA:O I chose to sink back into Mass Effect again. But the hype was so epic for Inquisition that I was drawn in. I hadn't been gaming much lately and I wanted to revisit that obsessed fangirl feeling that Bioware games have always brought me, so I picked it up. Holy shit did it not disappoint. I'm hooked.
Inquisition is so pretty, even on the Xbox360. Thedas feels huge and there's so much to do, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and lost! DAI is easy to role play in. Wandering around the Hinterlands after the opening of the game feels so real. Its so big and there are huge mountains and forts and rivers and every few minutes some farmer or refugee is asking for a favor. You feel what the inquisitor feels, lost and put upon. I found myself talking out loud to my tv a lot, especially when I found the first dragon. There was a lot of screaming and running away. Then I sang the running away song from Monty Python while Solas slightly disapproved.  But now, this far in, my inquisitor feels like she's beginning to surround herself with friends, building a support system and coming into her own as a hero and as a person. I feel like she's definitely got her favorites; Dorian and Cassandra are her besties. And then there's Cullen *sigh* Cullen is my inquisitor's love interest and the scenes they have together are absolutely adorable. Their romance blossoms slowly as they fumble over each other like the big dorks they are. He's like a romance novel hero: strong and handsome, sensitive and haunted, capable and perfect. If only he was real. *ugly sobbing*
Quite simply, Inquisition feels as close to a perfect game as my mind is able to imagine. It is as big as Skyrim but it is filled with fully realized, fleshed out characters that are so engaging you'll wish they were really your friends. I have so many feels about this game but I feel like I should wait for a spoiler post when I've actually finished. If you haven't already, buy it, on any platform and play it as much as your can, you won't be sorry.

Oh Cullen you sexy beast <3