This Post Will Knock Your Socks Off!

I have a problem. A serious problem. I mean, it's one thing to be a passionate Trekkie, or to know every word to Hamilton. But when you're spending hundreds of dollars on footwear, when you own over 400 pairs of socks, when you start considering how you're going to rearrange your bedroom so you a can find more storage for your socks? Those are signs that you've got a problem.

So step into my world for a moment, check out my collection, and see what delighteth my sole. (Get it? I said sole instead of soul. Get it?!)

Marvel

This is by far my largest collection.
It's fitting though, since the MCU is by far the best thing to happen to movies in recent history!

How awesome is Groot!? And Rocket! 

Spiderman. Deadpool. Tacos. Perfection.

How about that Eye of Agamotto, though!

DC Comics

If you really want to screw with a timeline, call on Flash.

Sigh, DC Comics. You'll never be Marvel.
But at least you've got Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman!

My family all wore my Batman socks when we went to see The Lego Batman Movie. It's what we do...

  

Star Wars

When you wear Star Wars socks, you feel like you're traveling on air. That's because you're a Skywalker! 😂

Whenever my kids' school has a Star Wars theme day (which seems to happen, like, three times a year now?), my kids fight over these two pairs of socks. 

Harry Potter

Yes, I have both Gryffindor socks and Slytherin socks.
I'm actually a Ravenclaw, but I identify as a Slytherin.
(At least I'm not a Hufflepuff!)

Aren't these the coolest socks? And yes, I have socks with ties on them, AND a tie with socks on it.
And yes, you may bow down to me now.

Disney

When I went to Disney World a few years ago, I made sure to wear a different pair of socks each day at the park. Sometimes more than one pair. Because I'm just that cool.

"What's this? What's this? There's color everywhere!"

Movies

Among my favorites here: E.T. (randomly given to me by a student), Ghostbusters (because slime), and Fight Club (because yay pink socks!) And did you notice that the Die Hard socks have non-slip "glass" pieces in the foot? Too cool.  

Television

Yes, they're in the order they premiered on TV.
And yes, my bestest buddy and I both own matching Golden Girls socks!

Still crying about Glenn...

I find it oddly appropriate that I have exactly six pairs of Friends socks.
And considering these were socks from my dearest friend, it's very fitting!

Cartoons

I think SpongeBob SquarePants has some of the best mix of highbrow and lowbrow humor out there. Besides Simpsons, of course!

And I especially love my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles socks because I was wearing them in an epic picture when I bought a car.

These are some of the cartoons that are appropriate for children: Transformers, Pokemon, Rugrats, CatDog... (Notice how Toothless has a mechanical tail fin!)

...and some cartoons that are maybe not so appropriate for children: Archer, South Park, Rick and Morty. Indeed, show me what you got!

Hanna-Barbera cartoons

Warner Bros. (How awesome is Space Jam?!)

Video Games

I wasn't a fan of the Sonic movie, but I sure love playing Sonic games!

I wear as many of these socks as I can on March 10. Why? Because MAR10 is MARIO day!

And My Personal Favorite...

Yes, that's me. And yes, my sister is a way cooler gift giver than your sister.

Okay, so there you have it. And I'm not ashamed to say that this is just a fraction of my sock collection! (Okay, yes, I'm kind of ashamed to say it...)

Best Board Games of 10 Franchises

Board games have replaced video games in the thing that franchises tack their names onto for a cheap cash grab. Rather than making a Dark Alliance clone with Superman or a Age of Empires knock-off with Star Wars now they just make endless versions of Monopoly. However, from the bog of board game cash grabs some true gems have surfaced that not only enhance their franchise but enhance the board game scene in general to a whole new level.

Without further ado, here are some of them. 

The Walking Dead: The Board Game

Fair warning: Most of these are going to be "Insert Franchise Here-The Board Game", but don't let the lack of creativity in the title fool you: This is The Walking Dead. Based off the original comic of the same name, you have to find survivors, supplies and a safe place to live while the zombie hoards close in around you. There's a feeling of tension when you are facing a challenge with a zombie and have to decide weather to use a bullet to win the challenge and potentially attract a zombie Mardi Gras to you or lose a valuable ally to the hoard. 

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle

I've argued for years that nobody wants to be Harry Potter, they just want to be in the wizarding world as a wizard... wizarding... This game puts a hairline fracture in my theory though as you get to be the titular wizard and his friends taking on the challenges from the books year by year until the ultimate confrontation with ol' Rhinoplasty himself. This is a deck building game that gets incrementally harder as you advance, making this game a must-have for board game enthusiasts and Potterheads alike. 

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

Based on the books (Don't worry-nudity not included) players get to take on the heads of the various lords of Westeros as they struggle for control of the Iron Throne. Playing like an advanced form of Risk, power and politics are huge roles in the turn-by-turn gameplay, keeping the victor a surprise till the very end. Remember when you play the game of thrones you win or you die. 

Rick & Morty: Meeseeks Box o' Fun Dice and Dares

Making a board game based on the wacky adventures of Rick and Morty would probably be impossible, so instead you get a box where the wackiness is brought into our world through insane dares with the help of the friendly Meeseeks. The game is best played late at night with VERY good friends and under the promise that anything that happens in the Meeseeks box, stays in the Meeseeks box. I'm Mr.Meeseeks look at me! 

Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

Fun fact: Before the movies Marvel was a massive comic book franchise populated by literally hundreds of characters and thousands of volumes. To reenact this we have Legendary, a game with literally millions of possibilities for scenarios. Choose your favorite heroes and villains from Marvel's vast catalog (Usually from having to purchase expansions), pick a scenario and off you go. Wanna recreate the Dark Phoenix Saga with the original X-Men that participated? Go for it. Wanna engineer a scenario where Kingpin is hosting a Kree invasion and Devil Dinosaur and Bucky have teamed up to stop him? Sure, why not? You can literally make whatever game you want. Literally. 

Star Wars: Rebellion

Interesting thing about board games with existing franchises: It seems that the pulling back on the characters and giving players the experience of the characters world is more fun than actually being the characters themselves and trying to have their adventures. Rebellion could have a complete makeover with different characters and pieces and it would still feel like Star Wars because the basic struggle is there. One side plays the Empire with the goal of hunting down and destroying the rebels and the other plays the rebels with the goal of hiding from the empire long enough for the galaxy to make the Empire give up. The films themselves are referenced and used as the assets but the players choices drive the game. Sick of the rebels gathering supplies from Tattooine? Use the Death Star to blow it up. There is nothing in gaming more satisfying than using the Death Star to take out a world, and I recommend it to anyone who's having a bad day. 

DC Deck Building Game

Of all the games on this list this one requires the most qualifying statements. DC Deck Building is the best as long as you play co-op. The base game is good mechanically. It's fun, fast paced, and easy to get into for anyone who isn't into board games BUT the DC ascetic doesn't add anything to the game.In co-op mode, where the players are trying to stop a group of villains, the game takes on its super hero identity and lets the players feel more like a group of heroes taking down a dastardly fiend (Or a group of villains taking out the Justice League if you buy my favorite expansion) and the game really takes on its shine. Pick it up if you love DC and board games but don't expect to get a happy marriage until you team up with others. Sadly, despite the qualifications, this is still the best DC board game ever made. 

Firefly: The Game

Joss Whedon's magnum opus is done justice in this magnificent board game. This is another where the concept is more important than playing through the actual adventures from the TV show. Each player gets their own ship and crew and have to travel the 'verse to try and make a living without getting hit up by the Alliance or the dreaded Reavers. Do you take the easy routes with the steady pay and low risk, or do you try to cross the system with a ship full of fugitives for one big pay off? The choice is yours. Also there's space ships. 

Lords of Waterdeep

Based in the Forgotten Realms, which is based in Dungeons and Dragons (Follow that? Good.), Lords of Waterdeep takes the fantasy adventurer concept to a new level by making the adventurers little colored blocks. The players, representing the titular lords, hire groups and send them on adventures for their own glory, making the players the quest givers rather than quest takers. Wealth is then used to improve the city and hire better adventurers. The whole thing is an interesting twist on the genre and yet still feels like a Dungeons and Dragons game with adventures and twists abound. 

Star Trek Deck Building Game: Next Generation

It was hard to choose between this and Star Trek Catan but in the end it was either a reprint of an excellent game or a flawed but unique game that had more Star Trek flavoring to it and this is definitely in the latter. Players take the roles of Starfleet captains, building their decks to defend the Federation from threats. The game is a bit more slow than most deck building games but after a while becomes quite intuitive. Now the best part of this game is the co-op modes, where you can either take on the Klingons, the Romulans or (my favorite) the Borg, each with unique challenges and each are a ton of fun to play. 

Have you played any of these? 

Joe

Joe's top ten best Geek romances

Hay, guess what tomorrow is? Valentine’s day! And while you’re either getting ready to take your sweetheart out on the town or stay home, eat a carton of Ben and Jerry’s and cry, this list ought to put you in the right mood to do either on this fake holiday invented by girlfriends in order to get chocolate. So here it is, Joe’s top ten romances in geekdom. Enjoy!

10: Mario, Peach, Link, and Zelda from Nintendo

This is just on the list so I don’t have to hear about it later. I put both couples in the same place because it’s the same relationship. Every year or so Link and Mario trek across an increasingly visually appealing landscape to save their respective princesses from the bad guys. It says something to devotion when these characters are willing to go through the same thing over and over again for the women they love, though it could just be a sign of insanity.

9: Wash and Zoey from Firefly

I know some people are going to be disappointed that Mal and Inara aren’t on this list, but unfortunately the brevity of Firefly made it so that they’re attraction never really developed past a spark. Wash and Zoey on the other hand got some time to develop their love for each other. Like Roger and Jessica, they seem completely mismatched, but also like the cartoons they’re completely devoted to each other at the end of the day, even to the point of risking their lives with each other. In my saddest deaths post I discussed where there relationship end up, and to me it only cements them in my heart as one of the cutest, and saddest, couples.

8: Batman and Catwoman

The Batman story has too many writers and too many interpretations, putting Catwoman on any given day as a villain, a friendly ally, flirtatious tease, to true love for the Caped Crusader. Generally though, they have a certain bad-girl-good-guy chemistry that’s just irresistible  They've rescued each other more than they've battled at this point, and you always know whenever Batman and Catwoman team up the furs going to fly.

7: Homer and Marge Simpson

Say what you will about the Simpsons, at the end of the day they showed how a marriage can endure anything. These high school sweethearts married after Marge got pregnant with Bart, but they've shown that these two would've ended up together no matter what. No matter what ridiculous situation Homer gets into, his biggest concern is always to try and make Marge happy, and when she isn't he’ll move heaven and earth to put a smile on her face again. Marge has defended her husband dozens of times to her cynical sisters, saying that despite his flaws he really is a good man, and Homer would give Marge the world if he could. Although the show has gone through controversy and arguably isn't currently working with its best material, at least you can say it showed us a beautiful example of true love.

6: Tony Stark and Pepper Potts from the Marvel Universe films

Okay, I admit it, I don’t know a whole ton about Marvel. I’d do something from the X-Men, but honestly even Scott and Jean’s relationship seems a bit weird, and I can’t really say anything about Rogue and Gambit since theirs is problematic at best, but I love what Robert Downy Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow have done with the characters. These two aren't the cheesy super hero one-rescues-another model. Pepper is more than capable of staying out of trouble, and serves as a voice of reason to the millionaire playboy. I like how their romance has room to bloom in the films, and how in the Avengers Pepper is the one Tony calls when he’s not sure he’ll make it. Marvel has worked hard at making their super hero films great, and this relationship is proof.

5: Snow and Charming from Once Upon a Time

I've talked about this one before too, but I just had to mention them. These two go through one nightmare after another for each other, and they always end up together. This is another relationship that’s nice to see develop, especially when they start out enemies. I also love that no matter how hard the evil queen Regina tries, she can never keep these two lovebirds separated for long, proving that love truly is the greatest magic of all.

4: Rick and Lori Grimes from The Walking Dead

Before the first walker ate somebody, their relationship admittedly had problems. But considering what Rick goes through just to find his wife and child, I’d say there’s definitely devotion going on here. Weather in the comic books or the TV show, their reunion brings tears to my eyes, as they are both so relieved that the other isn’t dead. Rick is even able to forgive Lori of her indiscretions, and does everything he can to keep her safe throughout the zombie apocalypse.

3: Roger and Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Say what you will about this saucy redhead and her silly rabbit of a husband, but this relationship was probably one of the best parts of the movie. Both Roger and Jessica go to any lengths to protect the other from harm, including posing for “dirty” pictures and holding a judge at gunpoint. One of my favorite lines is when Jessica is asked what she sees in that guy, referring to the wanna-be Looney Tune, only to answer “he makes me laugh”. Let’s face it, sometimes that’s all you need.

2: Han Solo and Princess Leja from Star Wars

I love these two! They start off hating each other, in fact Han didn't even want to rescue her at first, and they end up together. First off, I love how that annoying Luke Skywalker didn't get the girl, and second, I love how this relationship doesn't even develop into romance until halfway through the second film. These days in movies it’s enough time to fall in love, get married, and have an obnoxious kid get kidnapped. The now famous “I love you” “I know” line is epic, and shows their relationship to a tee, with Han knowing flat out that it was just a matter of time before they got together. I also love how, like Batman and Catwoman, they take turns rescuing each other, showing that there is now weak link in this chain.

1: Severus Snape and Lily Potter from Harry Potter

An unusual pick I know, but let me explain: I've mentioned several times that I like it when the relationship has time to develop, and this thing had seven books (or 8 movies) to develop, completely unknown until almost the very end of the story, where every one of Snape’s wicked and hurtful actions are all explained in one concept: he’s heartbroken. It’s not the romance that happened; it’s the fact that it didn't that makes me love this one the most. Snape is a good guy, just as good as Dumbledore or Harry, but being the happy good guy isn't his thing. He’s bitter and angry at the world for letting the love of his life go with his worst enemy, and then forcing him to teach and prepare their son to fight the man that took his beloved’s life away. Then he dies, so he can save Lily’s son, the son of the man he hates and the woman he loves, and fulfills his destiny. Now that’s romantic! 

-JOE

The Walking Dead

**Disclaimer: The Walking Dead contains contents not suitable for younger viewers, including gore, adult language and content. This post will have none of those things.***

Like most twenty-somethings today I love zombies. I love their cute dead eyes, the adorable way they shuffle mindlessly, and all the pretty colors their skin turns as it rots off their bodies. With my love of zombies I also have a love for the Walking Dead franchise, evidenced by the fact that I own most of the comics, the video game, and two seasons of the show. With Halloween next week I thought I'd share my fandom for my beloved undead and talk about the critically acclaimed Walking Dead.

As my friendly disclaimer stated above, the Walking Dead is a horror story set in the zombie apocalypse that is chuck full of scary gore and people swearing, but honestly I'm pretty sure if a bishop saw a zombie shambling towards him he'd let loose some sailor language. Let me just get it out of the way that I know this is not a clean franchise, it's not family friendly, and it does nothing to invite the Spirit, but I find it worth talking about anyway because of the caliber of characters put into this thing, as well as the human element stunningly portrayed between the ewey gooey bits.

Where most zombie stories is based solely around the ultra violence, Walking Dead actually focuses on the people trying to survive the horrors, namely Rick Grimes, a small town sheriff with some big responsibilities. After being thrown into a coma before the first guy crawls out of the ground, he wakes up in an abandoned hospital to find everyone dead and the world taken over by zombies. After finding his hat and a clean pair of underpants he sets out to find the only thing worth caring about at that point, his family. After some misadventures involving a horse, a tank and some particularly angry zombies, he manages to find his lost kin. His main goal after that is keeping is wife Lorie and son Carl safe, as well as the ragtag group of survivors they've picked up along the way. He ends up the group's leader and has to make tough decisions about where to stay, who to trust, and how to find food, all while running from the remnants of humanity. To make matters even more complicated, Lorie finds herself pregnant  and with no doctors and on the run from zombies, the fact that the father's identity is a mystery becomes the least of her problems.

There's been an effort in recent years to humanize the monsters, hence vampires are reluctant of drinking human blood and Frankenstein's last incarnation could play a flute, but there really is very little way to humanize zombies any further than they already are, so Walking Dead just humanizes the humans, moving away from the stock characters and into three dimensional people. Despite being the constant hero, Rick is in constant doubt of himself and his decisions, and often he makes the wrong decision just because he has no clue what to do. He's not running around with a chainsaw and winning, he's running around with a little boy and a cowboy hat and trying to keep both out of harm. It's a human struggle story that's incredibly well told, otherwise why would it have a billion comic books and be going into it's third season? Check it out if you're brave enough and it sounds like your thing.
-JOE