Cover from Mo Starkey! derstand that. How could something that is such I came across a thing called Speak Out a big part of someone’s life not be fit for sharing? With Your Geek Out. You can find out more I’ve always believed that one has to be honest to about it at speakoutwithyourgeekout.com. It who they are and live it, own it. was an interesting concept: that I really wanted M Crasdan, back when she was still M to find a way to be a part of. I did a post on my Lloyd, put it best when talking about The Drink LJ, but here’s a thing that is a littlle more philo- Tank - ‘You’ve got a chance to share something sophical. with the world. It has to be what you love, and it I’m pretty sure everyone will agree that I may as well be the truth.” something that is beyond the performance that don’t hide anything about my geeking. If you know That might serve as the mission state- is usually wrestling. It’s something that MEANS me, you know that I’m a fan of SciFi, of comics, ment for everything that I do. I have no trouble something, even if the world in which it means of movies, of wrestling. There is not a subject I admitting to my enthusiasms and I feel deeply something is silly or wrong or strange. I never can think of that doesn’t have a story from the about somethings that others may find trivial. really understood why that moment was so im- history of Pro Wrestling that will be applicable Every watched a wrestling retirement ceremo- portant, so visceral... that is until David Cake said to the current situation. I’ve proven this in work ny? The guys always end up coming back, but the “The Drink Tank” and James and I had to go up meetings for years. Same goes for comics. I once most legendary moment I’ve ever witnessed on on that stage. It was something that wasn’t just explained several economic concepts using Bat- tape was of Dick Beyer, better known as The “Hey, we won!”, it was something bigger, at least man, Superman, Spiderman and The Flash story Destroyer, having his retirement ceremony for to me, and I had to give into it. If I had tried arcs as the basis. It seriously impressed Emerson All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1993. It was entirely to be all stoic, it wouldn’t have worked, but it College’s president who was in the room at the in Japanese, I had no idea what they were say- also would have been the single most dishonest time. I grew up in the 1980s and 90s, a time ing, but Beyer stood, in his mask and trunks, thing I had ever done, and this is ME we’re talk- when The Geek inherited the Earth. I never had in the center of the ring with three spotlights ing about! I had to give in, I had to be true to the experience that so many had of being ost- on him, not at all moving. The ring announcer what I was feeling in that moment. ricized for loving stuff. I’ve heard stories about said a few things and he didn’t even wave. The And to me, that is the key to Geekery. people whose years of school were hellish be- crowd cheered him huge, the other wrestlers Understanding that it’s OK to feel something cause they were mocked. I never had that. Even with the promotion filled the ringside area and deeply in situations where others might not un- the cool kids in our school were geeks. Silicon up the ramp and every one of them had that ‘I’m derstand the connection. Folks don’t understand Valley in the 1980s and 90s was Valhalla for a not gonna cry, but I SO want to’ look on their how a wrestling match can make you cry, how teenager. Great movie theatres, four exceptional face. It was an amazing scene, and the first time I a comic book can make you understand your game stores, comic shoppes everywhere, and watched it, tears were rolling down my face. The entire childhood, how a stupid teen comedy can even the jock bullies could tell you that the guy fiftieth time I’ve watched it (it’s on a tape with make you so angry you throw a shoe at your with the weird lips flying the Millenium Falcon one of my all-time favorite matches), I still mist- TV. This is the Geek Thing that I love the most: with Lando in Jedi was called NibNum. up. It’s magic, that moment, and it would be so the passion. The fire. Go to a Comic Shop on a I live my geek. I hear stories about old easy to just say let it pass by, even fast-forward to Wednesday and soak in New Comics Day. GO time fans, folks like Harry Warner, who knew the Kobashi-Stan Hensen match that’s about 15 to the opneing night of the latest Marvel flick. folks for years outside of fandom who had no more minutes in, but there’s something in there You’ll feel it. You’ll get the passion, and it is a idea they were a part of fandom. I just don’t un- that I can’t deny, it’s a moment, a magic moment, beautiful thing. Speak Out With Your Geek Out - eSport by John Coxon I was torn, when it came to the time to as a spectator sport. This is something that a lot order to create an army. You then proceed to use write this article. No matter what segment of of people haven’t even heard of, much less been this army to crush your enemies beneath your geekdom I move in, I am still a huge geek by any- tempted to try out! Whereas most people have feet/totally suck (delete as applicable). There are one’s standards. I am involved in so many geeky at least heard of Dungeons and Dragons, or have three races: Terran (the human race; think Space pies that there’s always something that will make rolled a dice in a board game, or saw a furry on Marines and you’re there); Protoss (the ineffable anyone look at me and say, “you did what?!” An that episode of CSI that was on a few weeks ago, and superior alien race; elves in space) and Zerg excellent example of this is the fact that I once e-sport hasn’t really achieved the same profile (bugs that can evolve from one lifeform into a spent over $100 on a towel. In normal society, in public as a lot of other pursuits, which is a variety of others; if you’ve seen Starship Troop- that’s totally insane; in SF fandom, it attracts shame, in my opinion. ers you’re set). It’s incredibly good fun, and the raised eyebrows, waved hands and questions; So, e-sport, then. The game that got me campaign lasts around ten hours. The multiplayer even in Hitchhiker’s Guide fandom, it’s not con- into e-sport was a real-time strategy (RTS), game adds to that, with Blizzard’s ability to match suit- sidered an entirely rational step to take. So, be- by Blizzard called StarCraft II. You may have heard able opponents ensuring online play is challeng- lieve me when I say I struggled to decide which of it, or its predecessor; you’ve almost certainly ing, yet accessible and (importantly) fun. part of my geek to embrace in this article. heard of the MMORPG by the same company, SC2, as the game is known by its fans, However, I eventually settled on one that World of Warcraft. At this point it seems sen- is the 2010 sequel to a game that came out in a lot of people in a lot of different areas of the sible to answer a question: what is StarCraft 1998. It is played by hundreds of professionals pantheon of fandoms and hobbies would regard II? You start out with a base and some work- from all the corners of the world, with major as somewhat odd: e-sport. As is usual with the ers that can be used to harvest minerals. From tournaments being played in South Korea (the prefix ‘e-’, it stands for electronic; however, in this those minerals, you can build more workers, get GSL), the United States of America (MLG and case we’re discussing the playing of videogames more minerals, and begin to make buildings in the NASL) and Sweden (DreamHack). But all this comes out of the popularity of StarCraft, can be used to duck out of enemy fire, whereas seem real easy. However, I didn’t get into watch- the first game in the franchise. Hugely popular in the long range and devastation of a Terran Siege ing StarCraft II by playing the game; I got into South Korea as a televised sport, StarCraft rep- Tank can hold a position very effectively. Differ- playing the game because I’d watched the sport, resents a cheap form of entertainment that ev- ent players bring their own style to each of the so it isn’t a prerequisite. The commentators, too, eryone can pick up and play; a form of entertain- armies, creating a cacophony of strategies that it can be the deciding factor in whether you enjoy ment that can easily be broadcast, or streamed is incredible to see come up against each other.