Five Franchises that Don't Get Enough Love

 Yes they have fans, but you don't hear that much from them. 

Yes they have merch but it's few and far between.

Yes there's fanart but it's not as popular on Deviantart. 

These franchises need far more love than they get, and they're going to get some here. 

5: Young Justice

The more grown up Teen Titans show was a victim of bad marketing. Meant to be a toy selling scheme for kids, the show's overarching storyline and more adult issues didn't hit well with kids, however older DC fans loved the show. Without the coveted toy market cornered, the show was cancelled on a cliffhanger only to be brought back on DC's not defunct streaming service. All three seasons now have a home on HBO Now, so hopefully it'll get more fans discovering this lost DC treasure. 

4: Gargoyles

I may be wrong about a stable streaming service giving a show new life, as it didn't work for Gargoyles. The show was a hit back in the 90's, but it's received little buzz since showing up on Disney Plus. The show is relatively dark compared to most of Disney's fair, but the story is engaging and the characters are far deeper than cartoon characters today. This is worth a rewatch and some more fan love from the geek community. 

3: Superman the Animated Series 

(A lot of DC on this list...)

After the much beloved Batman the Animated Series, Superman got his own show in the same universe. The cartoon breathed life back into the beloved Man of Steel, but sadly it's not talked about even close as much as Batman's is. Superman the Animated Series needs a good rewatch, though that will be hard to do since it's not currently available on any streaming service. 

2: Once Upon A Time

Okay so this one gets plenty of love from this blog, but overall....

Yes, this show was overdramatic. Yes it was complicated as it tied every fairy tale and Disney movie into one giant mass, but it was incredibly fun and the acting was on point. You can actually identify with the characters and their magical issues. Every episode, as absurd as it is, makes you want to say "....One more episode." Check it out again, let yourself into the world, and let it be either a guilty pleasure or an indulgence into pure dramatic fun. 

1: Daria

The voice of disillusioned teenagers, Daria was the show that gave us permission to question the world around us when we were told to just obey and go along. Daria was an MTV exclusive back in the day, so I get why not a lot of people have seen it, but now that it's on Amazon Prime, maybe this show can get the attention it deserves. If you don't have Prime, the box set is sold for a reasonable price and is worth every penny. Check it out and let the misenthropic teenage girl inside out for a few hours. She might thank you for it. 

-JOE

Ten TV shows that need to come back

I was watching one of my favorite internet people yesterday (Click here to check out the video)

and he was talking about ten franchises he’d like to see rebooted. This idea was intriguing to me, considering most of my favorite TV shows are now off the air as well as anything like them. Now I’m not saying these things should be dragged out like the Simpson’s was, I’m just saying that seeing a newer, modern version would probably be better than most of the nonsense flooding the airwaves right now. So I’m going to offer my list (In no particular order) of the top 10 TV shows I’d like to see come back.

10: Star Trek

Yeah yeah I know JJ Abrams is doing a fantastic job with Star Trek in film, but where’s the TV series? Star Trek is more than high-budget graphics and seeing Chris Pine take off his pants, it’s about adventures in space, meeting interesting societies, and boldly going where no one has gone before. Abrams did us a favor in giving us an alternate timeline to work with, so why isn’t anyone working with it?

9: Gargoyles

Does anyone remember this show? It had half the cast of Star Trek: TNG doing voices for it and was Disney’s answer to Batman (We’ll get

to him in a sec.). This cartoon did something most cartoons these days are afraid to do: It gave kids the credit that they could take complex storylines and characters without them needing to be watered down. Gargoyles was a fun, unique show with a great premise with some of my favorite characters growing up. This thing would look so great today!

8: Firefly

Duh.

7: Justice League universe

It started with Batman: The Animated Series, then went into Superman, then Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, with offshoots Static Shock and Batman Beyond to round it off. I know Universe got a bit wonky near the end, especially when it served only to show off obscure DC characte

rs people stopped caring about around the time the Berlin wall fell, but for a minute we had a massive cartoon universe with all the DC characters running around being awesome. What have we got now? DC is releasing YET ANOTHER Batman cartoon. DC, face facts: You’re not going to make anything better than Batman TAS, stop trying to remake him and focus on the rest of your universe.

6: Daria

I have a special place in my heart for Daria. She was kind of the voice of my generation: A disenfranchised youth who just wanted to escape the nonsense of high school and get on with real life.

Daria is one of my first inspirations to become a writer, and her witty sarcasm got me through a lot of hard times in school. I’d love to see her view of the world now, with social media, blogging, and super advanced cell phones… Though I may feel guilty if I end up disappointing my hero.

5: The Andy Griffith Show

Here’s an oldie: A small town cop helping the citizens get out of wacky adventures. If they can’t bring back Andy Griffith, I’d like to see at least SOMETHING come up that’s wholesome for the family to watch. We had Touched By An Angel for a while, but even that got painfully cheesy at times. Right now we have Once Upon A Time, but that thing can make Days of Our Lives look like a simple storyline. What happened to TV you can just watch with your family without a flowchart on hand to understand what’s going on?

4: Ghostbusters

The Ghostbusters cartoon used the movie as a jumping off point to launch into what I feel is the only logical step for the franchise: Having the Ghostbusters go through wacky adventures with ghosts. The show was well written and the dialogue captured the heart of the original four, plus I can’t argue with a show that would shamelessly have someone riding a roller coaster in order to fight Cthuhlu. This cartoon was just beyond awesome and is something else I’d love to see rendered with a touch of the modern.

3: A GOOD Anime

Is there any good anime on right now? When I do flip through the channels I seem to keep finding the latest version of Yu-Gi-Oh! and some knock-off of the same. Where’s Cowboy Bebop? Where’s Fullmetal Alchemist? Whatever happened to that gal who was always with the guy with cat ears? Sure it’s premise was dumb but at least the animation was above par.

2: MST3K

I know Mystery Science Theater 3000 has found new life online supplying audio commentaries to the

masses, but why don’t these people still have a show? MST3K to me was one of the funniest things on TV, and I know that if they brought it back and put it on a channel you don’t have to pay more than your house for, it would get more laughs than How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory or Two and A Half Men combined. In one night. Compared to each of their entire runs.

1: Muppets

The Muppets got their start on TV, first on Sesame Street then on The Muppet Show for several years, and both were delightful. Youtube some of the old skits from the Muppet Show if you don’t know what I mean and I guarantee you’ll fall in love. The Muppets last movie, The Muppets, is about the Muppets returning to their roots, and I think a return to TV would be the next logical step, and I guarantee a massive fan turnout if the trailers featured “Pigs in Space”. 

Top Ten Hottest Modest Women of Geekdom

So what do the writers of Mormon Geeks talk about, in between hands of Magic the Gathering and arguing over who would win in a fight between Iron Man and Starscream? Girls. We talk about women. So today we want to celebrate women. Not just any women, if you want to see which cartoon heroine had the most cleavage showing there are plenty of websites for that. We're celebrating the top 10 Hottest Modest Women. It's those ladies that are truly ladies, who wouldn't be caught dead in anything skin tight or revealing more skin than a tanning convention. These are women of class and substance that just make our hearts flutter. So for your enjoyment, here's who Stephen, Andrew, T.J., and I thought were the top 10 Hottest Modest Women of Geekdom. 

FYI: This list is in no particular order. 

10: Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises: 

Now there are many incarnations of Catwoman. Not all of them are modest. But I gotta say, Anne Hathaway makes a sleek, hot Catwoman in the promo pics of the The Dark Knight Rises. Personally, Catwoman is probably my favorite Batman antagonist. She definitely can bewitch me. But when I compare Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar, Lee Merriweather, and Michelle Pfeiffer against Anne Hathaway, I really do see Anne pulling off the vixen quite well. She's got the soothing voice to play the victim-turned-villain. She's got the curves to fit that mostly-tight suit she wears. As much as Catwoman has been my favorite, this is my favorite physical version. Now if the acting holds out. -T.J.

9: Arwen from Lord of the Rings

Arwen is a beautiful half-elf from the Lord of the Rings series. Few people can say that over 2700 years of age, they are still looking as good as they were hundreds of years younger. Her story is equally beautiful. After meeting Aragorn, she decides to sacrifice her own immortality because of her love for him. Her skin is fair and clear. Her raven hair is worn long and loose. At one point, she wears a beautiful gossamer gown that's absolutely gorgeous. –Andrew

8: Jane Lane from Daria: 

Sarcastic, witty, and opinionated, Jane made the perfect best friend to Daria. Not as anti-social as her friend, Jane was willing to give school activities a shot, even if it was just so she could have another chance to make fun of her peers. Her artistic spirit constantly had her exploring new mediums of expression, and she found some handy uses for a hot glue gun. Also unlike Daria, Jane was never afraid to date, but always kept her standards and would never drop them for a boy. Snarky and sarcastic, Jane is definitely a girl you want to have your number. -Joe

7:Felicia Day (Actress - The Guild, Dragon Age: Redemption)

            Alright, I cheated.  All of the women on this list are characters.  None of them are the actors themselves.  But for Felicia, I couldn’t find one of her characters I found particularly attractive while being modest.  Codex is mostly modest but not someone I’m terribly attracted to.  Tallis’s costume isn’t particularly modest or immodest but you would only wear it if you were going to a halloween party or killing someone.  Felicia Day, on the other hand, mostly wears modest clothes in her everyday life and for photoshoots.  She may show off her shoulders here and there but is a comparatively modest celebrity.  What makes her so attractive is her compassion and her authenticity.  When you have this much inner and outer beauty, why show off your skin?-Stephen

6: Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (book or movies Parts 1 and 2)

Smart witch with bewitching looks. What else could you want? I mean, she's a strong independent woman that doesn't looks at every situation with a cool head. With all the knowledge gained as the perfect student, she is able to fight with the Dark Lord and his minions. Hermione vs Bellatrix is just awesome. Plus, we're talking about one of the most loyal people to fight against evil. Even though the love of her life was being a douchebag, she stuck up for what was right and helped out her friend. And in the end, she still got the guy she wanted. This proves to me that Hermione has some great worth as a person. Now, as much as Hermione in the books is defined as frumpy and frizzy, Emma Watson does an awesome job at putting life to the character and has her own sense of moral and values that seem to parallel Hermione's quite well. -T.J.

5:  Quistis, from Final Fantasy VIII:

Quistis became an instructor when she was only 17 years old. Later, she is released from her teaching position and starts a friendship with her former students. Smart, calm, and knowledgeable, Questis weilds her chain whip and battle and uses a form of magic that lets her imitate the special abilities of the monsters from her world. Between her teacher's uniform and her battle gear, Quistis dresses modestly and tastefully. She makes glasses look attractive and pulls off wearing leather without turning into some kind of sex symbol. -Andrew

4: Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 

Willow started the series as that girl in high school who you just can't help but love. She was sweet, kinda innocent, a little bit awkward and a lotta bit nerdy. She always tried to see the positive things no matter how dark things got. She also has the most significant story arch throughout the series, going from quiet computer geek with a crush on her best friend to an extremely powerful lesbian witch, all while maintaining a level of class and taste. She never had an inappropriate outfit, even during her wicked witch period. She was sweet, cute, and fun to hang out with.

3: Annie Edison (Community):

            Annie Edison (played by Alison Brie) of the tv series Community, is--in my opinion--the hottest girl on this list.  Annie is more modest than most Provo girls.  Her personality is pretty neurotic but very sweet and loyal.  Her character may not be on a spaceship or be involved in the supernatural.  What makes Annie so geektastic is her compliance to the characters Troy and Abed in the show.  She’s not only 100% willing to join in their geeky shenanigans but understands them.  She also really knows how to step into a D&D character quite well.  Oh, Annie Edison, if you were a real girl and mormon, I’d so marry you!-Stephen

2: Belle from Beauty and the Beast

Yes, I know she's animated. But we're talking about a beautiful book nerd before it was a popular thing. She wasn't the type of person to flaunt her beauty. She was subtle. If Belle was in a modern day high school, she would not be a cheerleader. She probably wouldn't even be in the popular crowd. I'd bet good money that she'd be a flute player in the orchestra, the one that all the other guys are trying to date and she's saying no to because she has values and morals. Come on, that just made her more attractive. Regardless, we're talking about someone who wasn't just beautiful on the outside, she defined beauty on the inside. We're also talking of one of the few princesses that took time to know her prince before falling in love with him. Before Belle, you have Snow White (love at first sight), Sleeping Beauty (love at first sight), Cinderella (love at first sight), and Ariel (love at first sight). Belle really got to know the beast and was able to fall in love with him because she didn't care about appearances. Someone who looks at the inside of a person is more valuable than someone who looks at appearances alone. (Of course, no matter how I look at it, I'm still most easily compared to LeFou.) -T.J.

1: Kaywinnit “Kaylee” Frye (Firefly, Serenity)

            Deep in space on a firefly class ship known as Serenity is a female mechanic named Kaylee.  Kaylee is an optimistic, bubbly, and fun young woman.  Though she is quite a sensual character she never once ever wears revealing clothing.  What makes her so attractive is not only her personality but how she respects herself.  She wears the practical greasy mechanic jumpsuit despite being a girly girl.  Simon, her love interest, says “I just said that you're pretty. Even when you're covered in engine grease, you're--No, especially, especially when you're covered in engine grease.”  Way to go for being modest and for being yourself Kaylee!-Stephen

Some special mention goes out for some ladies who didn't make the list: Katness Everdeen, Harley Quinn, Black Widow, Seven of Nine, Judzia Dax, and Barbra Gordon. Sorry ladies, maybe next time. 

-Us

Daria - Good Clean Fun

So once upon a time, in the days where MTV was more than just a place to showcase reality TV and bimbos on parade, there was an extremely popular show called Bevis and Butthead. The show's crude humor was all the rave with teenage and college boys. Now when someone pitches a spin-off, it's expected that the spin-off will be essentially the same thing, (i.e. Angel) or at least with one of the main characters (i.e. Frasier). Bevis and Butthead's spin off, though, is about a minor character and has nothing to do or even references it's original work. Daria is so far removed from Bevis and Butthead it actually surprises people that they're related at all, and that's probably the best idea the writing staff had, besides the brilliant storylines, dialogue, characters, story arcs, and the overall show.

Daria follows the life of Daria Morgendorffer, a high school student trying to survive her teen years with a level head and a sharp tongue. Described in one episode as the "Anti-Teen", Daria is not interested in looks, clothes, boys or popularity, but is instead interested in viewing the world through sarcasm colored glasses. The show centers around her and her best friend Jane being forced through the ridiculous hoops of high school and life while looking at it through the perspective of the outsider, and as outlandish as most of the other characters are, there's a piece of truth to be found in every episode.

If that description wasn't enough to separate it from Bevis and Butthead, the fact that the show is pretty much clean should seal the deal. For the most part the jokes focus more on observational humor, sarcasm, and play on words.

On the rare times when they have a more "dirty" joke it's always done in good taste and without crudeness. The storylines are never about who's sleeping with who or who wants to sleep with who, in fact the only time sex is addressed is in one of the last episodes, tastefully done, and, spoiler alert, they end up not having sex! Imagine a story about teenagers that don't sleep together!

So what are the stories like? Well one example is one of my favorite episodes, "I Don't", Daria and her family attend the wedding of her cousin. Daria, who can never catch a break, has to be in the brides maids line even though her dress doesn't hang properly and can't be tailored to do so. As the festivities continue, Daria's mother get's drunk and picks a fight with her aunt, the pastor gets into a fist fight with Daria's sister's escort, and Daria and her favorite aunt have to flee the carnage. Once they're safely at a local bowling alley, Daria asks if life is just going to be one endless line of stupidity forever, and her aunt tells her that though it can feel that way, it doesn't mean you have to put up with it.

Another classic is the episode "Arts and Crass". Daria and Jane are forced to join a school poster contest, with the theme of student life in the new millennium. Jane paints a beautiful picture of a teenage girl staring into a mirror and Daria couples it with a poem about bulimia. The concept wasn't to offend, but to show that the main stream pretty high school girl shouldn't necessarily be the ideal one should look to or expect. The school administration love the poster but hate the poem, so they steal it, change the poem and display it. Daria and Jane then sneak into the presentation to deface their own work. This actually creates one of my favorite scenes in the series. Jane's brother, Trent, drives the girls to the school for their heist.

Trent: Okay, I'm going to sit here with my gas on the pedal for when you guys come back out.
Jane: Trent, go pull over there and turn the car off in case you fall asleep.
Trent: Plan B. Cool.

So the girls get in trouble and inevitable their parents are called. Daria's mother, who originally opposed the poster almost as much as the administration, is called first and in a very awesome scene of mother bear/attack attorney where she tells the principal exactly how illegal what she did was, and how if she doesn't want legal repercussions to let the girls go. It's an awesome scene and I highly recommend it.

Most cartoons made for adults are just that-adult. But they're only adult in the sense that they are stuffed full of sexual references and crude humor. Daria proved that adult comedy could just simply mean a bit more of a high-brow approach to things, as well as taking a realistic look at the stupidity that life is sometimes made up of. This is definitely one to check out if you have the chance.

-JOE