I didn’t used to be a nerd. Ok. Well, I was, but that wasn’t the point.

Where did it start? Tough question.

Was it growing up in a house with an engineer, one who watched Start Trek: The Next Generation?

Was it getting that awesome Enterprise D Bridge and Transporter playsets? So that my action figures could give orders and be transported as needed, with all the necessary sound effects powered by four C batteries?

Was it winning 3rd place in a youth coustume contest at a Star Trek Convention?

Was it a bit disturbing that so far all I’ve discussed is Star Trek? Yeah, I thought so too.

It’s funny, really. I mean for all I’ve discussed so far, Star Trek plays little role in my current nerdly existence. No, really. I mean, in all of it’s heart wrenching honesty, even my long love of video games is beginning to place second to another old love. This old flame has become my new affair, and has returned in a terribly violent, passionate manner. Who is this new old love? Oh, as I’m sure many of you must already know…

It’s comic books.

Comic books? Did I just say that? I didn’t mean it. I meant graphic novels. I mean the legitimate, literature type. I’m talking Persepolis, and Maus, oooh and that new one, Shadow of No Towers. Y’know really modern classics n’stuff. Certainly not that no good trash, y’know, the funny-books, ones with no story telling merit. I mean, you’d never catch me with any of that Daredevil, or um, Captain America or shitty X-men picture-books. You believe me right? Sure you do.

Ahhhhh, you caught me. I give it up. Allthough, I had read the ones listed above, I’m in love with superhero comic books. What is it about them? Patrick raised the excellent point of their escapist value. I mean, the sheer idea that a dude can y’know, have super powers and be a total badass, and the fact that I can by reading these books, live vicariously through these figures. It’s a lot like the action figures I had when I was a kid. Except now the dialogue is a great deal better, and I gotta be honest, the plot lines too. Let’s face it: my imagination? Yeah, not the smartest writer.

Guy saves girl? Still a totally not passe story line.

Guy is a total motha’-fucka’ who don’t give a shit what happens, long as he get’s what needs doin’ done? Yeah. Totally normal.

Guy’s first name is “Guy”? Totally legit.

Comics have introduced me to a bunch of new names for charachters that I can rip off. So keep an eye out for any new scripts I release. If anyone is named Matthew, Scott, Bobby, Warren, Hank, Jamie or Thor. Yeah. Call me on that. ‘Cause I gotta learn my lessons.

Here’s the real question though. What’s nerdier? There are are a great deal of categories to choose from. Yes comics are nerdy, but so are video games, and fantasy and sci-fi novels, and let’s not fuckin’ forget the slippery slope of table top RPGs as they lead to Dungeons and Dragons, and god for-fucking-bid, LARP.

Video games are fun, and at my height of being into them, I was playing fighting games, which took me across the country on very nerdly buisness of meeting people, to play a video game with them. But there are also those who spend oh so many hours playing relatively solitary games. I’m torn about the nerdiness of mmorpgs. I’ve never played them extensively, but my one flirtation with WOW lead to a total 10 day trial clock of just a bit over 72 hours of playing. Here’s the thing though. It can lead to highly anti-social behavior in flesh-space terms, but super social in cyber-space. I’m not sure.

Again, I run into this problem with table-tops and other role playing situations. I mean, I’m not LARPING, or playin’ Dungeons and Dragons. As both of which, besides being, y’know, REALLY fuckin’ nerdy , are still fairly social activities. I don’t know anyone who [FUCKING] Larps all by themeselves. They’re nerdy, but thank god you’re not doing them all by one’s self?

Returning to this issue of comics; my comic book reading has been primarily social, but that’s the problem. I had gotten back into it through a social connection (Brandon) but now it’s spread further than I could imagine. I’m pushing comics on everyone, slowly abosrbing them into my web of illustrated imaginations and machinations. Hell, my Capoeira instructor reads comics. And this is the problem. I’m slowly but surely surrounding myself with people who read comics. More and more, casual chats with friends slip to the matter of comics, even when I’m arround others who I know for fact do not partake of our super powered pills. Is this a problem? I’m not sure. Perhaps eventually an odd discussion could miscolor a first impression. Not a big deal. I can hide this. It’s not like comics are that HUGE part of my life. . . . I could quit reading them at any time. . .
Ok so they are. And I probobly can’t. Shut up. I hate you. Wanna hit the store on wednesday? I heard the new Astonishing and Civil War come in. Awesome. Totally awesome.

Oh, and Joel, or anyone else who knows how, if you wanna cut this baby down to size, cut it after the “tough question” bit. I used to have an excerpt thing for the CP, and I don’t know how to use word press quite yet. That and I’m a big blabber mouth. Blabbablabbablabba.