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Dear Geek's Girl,
I am a girl in my late twenties and I am just starting to get into geek culture... I am still a little wary with some of the movies and games. What are some of your favorite movies or comic books that I can start off with?
--GeekCurious
Finally! An easy question to answer! Easy because I've struggled with the same question myself in the past.
GC, I should first commend you on your decision. The first step--going geek--is always the hardest. I can understand where your wariness comes from. If your previous idea of exposing yourself to pop culture involved watching episodes of "The Jersey Shore," jumping headfirst into geek pop culture may seem a little overwhelming and hard to process. But I can assure you, once you've eased into some of the creativity in the geek world, you will have nothing to fear. (Except for Cthulhu. Fear him. And then cuddle him.)
I'll cut to the chase. First thing I want you to do is go to your Netflix queue and add the following:
Batman Begins
Geeks and non-geeks alike go ga-ga over this film. While it is a "superhero" flick (although Batman has no superpowers, he was known to run in leagues with those who did, namely Superman), it won't slap you in the face with the genre. Unlike Adam Wests' cheesy 60s TV series and Tim Burton's late-80s caricature, Batman Begins is more of an entertaining action/drama with realistic, modern sensibilities. In other words, it's a comfortable way to familiarize yourself with contemporary superhero movies.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Books 1, 2 and 3
This is a Nickelodeon television series made loosely in the style of Japanese animation. It's the perfect introduction to the world of anime, but even more so, it's a wonderfully written story with striking imagery and compelling narrative. It's hard to explain what the show is about, but basically it's the story of a couple of kids trying to save the world. Except it's a "war-torn world of elemental magic"...intrigued?
Tron
Although this film was made in 1982 (before you were born, most likely), it still holds up today. And lucky for us all, Disney's flashy sequel (http://disney.go.com/tron/) is due out in the near future. The original stars Jeff Bridges and some other actors you'll recognize from the 80s. It's a great lesson in the evolution of computer-generated effects in film, and 100% pure fun.
---
After you've finished updating your Netflix queue, I want you to run out to the nearest comic book shop. Spend a few un-rushed minutes walking around, absorbing the atmosphere, exploring and observing. Then, find the following graphic novel series:
Y: The Last Man
This is probably the most compelling story I've ever read. Imagine that one day, every living thing that has a Y chromosome suddenly drops dead. Everything, except for one man, and his pet monkey. This series of comic books follows the travels of this man, Yorick, and his monkey, Ampersand, across s a planet full of confused, angry, terrified women. Although the premise is far-fetched, it manages to provide a fairly realistic idea of what would occur if this actually happened!
Fables
In this comic book series, your favorite fairy tale characters hole up in an underground NYC society after being kicked out of their fabled homelands. A blend of gritty modern drama and old-school fantasy makes this series both fascinating and unique.
Scott Pilgrim
I'm sure you've either already seen or at least heard of the new movie "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." Well, believe it or not, it was based on a successful comic book series that came first! It's the story of Scott Pilgrim, the ultimate hipster hero. It's kind of a wild and crazy ride from start to finish that spices up average 20-something life with the vintage video game memes from their childhood, and modern superhero hype. It's hilarious, even if you don't understand all the references. I'd also recommend seeing the film, if you haven't yet.
Go on, give geek a try!
If you are an aspiring geek by association, a geek in need of love or dating advice, or just interested in schooling me on proper usage of geek jargon, feel free to email me This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I will get back to you right here on www.itsgeektime.com!
