This is it.
The final chapter. Happy New Year to all.
Keep geekin’.
Movies: Inception, Machete
Television: Community, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men, Louie, FlashForward, The League
Music: Kanye West – My Dark Twisted Fantasy, Cee-Lo Green – The Lady Killer
Comic Books: The Boys, Walking Dead
Viral Video: Baracka Flacka Flames – Head of The State
Favorite websites: Itsthereal.com, dallaspenn.com, hypemen.tumblr.com, SModcast; Jordan, Jesse Go! And anything written by Crystal Durant
Celebrity crushes: Female emcee Jean Grae (not a celebrity per se, but a definite fake girlfriend. please don’t tell my real girlfriend. thanks), Scarlett Johansson, Christina Hendricks (even though these last two seem like copouts)
Biggest disappointment of 2010? That I still haven’t finished David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Seeing the remaining members of Death perform at Lincoln Center
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? The possible reunion of The Libertines. Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch My Throne
Movies: The Social Network, 127 Hours, The King’s Speech, True Grit, Easy A, Black Swan
Television: The Walking Dead
Music: Airplanes by B.O.B. (w/ Haley Williams), Love The Way You Lie by Eminem (w/ Rihanna)
Video Game: Mass Effect 2
Celebrity crush: Emma Stone
Biggest disappointment of 2010? In two words — Tron: Legacy
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Upgrading my flip-phone, jumping on the smartphone bandwagon. If only I left my apartment enough to make it a worthwhile investment.
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? The Walking Dead returns in October 2011
Movies: Toy Story 3 was an early contender for BEST of the year–I laughed, I cried–but then the guy making the next Wolverine flick got Princess Amidalla and the voice of Family Guy Stewie’s sister to act out the ballet version of Fight Club, and I was blown away. Black Swan is no chick flick, but it is definitely the best thing I saw on screen in 2010.
Television: Community was a mine field of geeky fun in 2010, while Dexter and Mad Men continued their reign as the best prime time programming for your cable dollar. But there was one TV event that trumped everything else in 2010 to be the BEST: The Lost finale may not have scratched every itch for series diehards, but it was a powerful 2 hours that gave just enough closure for me to let it go off into the light. Thank the Internets for leaking the even-more-satisfying 12-minute epilogue!
Books: My buddy Peat released the second book in his badass bestselling Demon Cycle series, The Desert Spear, in which the demonic hordes take new and horrible steps against mankind, while the Painted Man’s old friend Jardir decides he is going to Deliver humanity from the demons whether they want him to or not. But the BEST thing I’ve read all year, also on Mr. Brett’s recommendation, has been George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, starting with Game of Thrones. GoT is getting the HBO treatment, so expect another mention of the series in the TV section of FOG!’s Best of 2011!
Music: I have had the Neon Trees’ Animals stuck in my head for the past 6 months, though I don’t always like it. Meanwhile, I welcome Florence and The Machine’s Dog Days Are Done to my ears every time.
Comic Books: The Amazing Spider-Man had a great year, as the rotating creative team worked double-time trying to wash the bad taste of One More Day away for good via great artwork, strong character development, and smart storytelling. The Grim Hunt was the BEST of the series in 2010.
Video Game: I have a 3-year-old daughter and a 30-something wife, so the top video game in my house right now is Just Dance for the Wii.
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: I just got a Blu-rayer, so I’m only getting started…but Scott Pilgrim vs The World was the reason I wanted one. If the Internet weren’t so sneaky in leaking its features, I’d also have Lost: Season 6 on my shelf so I could see the 12-minute epilogue there. But the BEST blu-rays of the year have been all of the ones marked down to realistic affordable prices. Keep those babies under $20, and we’re in business.
Viral Videos: There have been some real winners this year, but the BEST of 2010 would have to be a toss-up between Talking to Your Kids About Star Wars and Nicolas Cage Losing His Shit. Honorary mention goes to Every Single Arnold Schwarzenegger Scream Super Cut.
Music Videoes: Weezer’s Memories manages to walk a dangerous tightrope over a sea of cheese to give a nostalgia-freak like me the perfect anthem. But for geek-friendly ambition, alone, My Chemical Romance’s comic book movie-in progress, featuring the heroic Killjoys vs an evil Grant Morrison, via Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) and Sing have been the BEST of 2010.
Favorite websites: Besides ForcesofGeek.com and ComicsCure.blogspot.com, of course, Buzzfeed.com is usually my first stop when I open a browser.
Celebrity crush: I think this lady is purdy. I like em classy.
Biggest disappointment of 2010? The U.S. government. From the Dems’ inability to sell any big issue they put forth, to the Republicans’ deliberate refusal to play nice, it was the year of face palms every time I turned on the news. Jon Stewart and Bil Maher certainly made the most of it, but I’d rather have a functioning system of government and thriving socient than a few good late-night laughs.
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? The launch of Comics Cure has definitely been the high point for me, and I’m hoping to develop the movement even further in 2011. Also, getting a pass from a second blast of radiation after scanning clear of any cancer was pretty cool.
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? Aside from growing Comics Cure and not having cancer, I’m waiting with nerdy anticipation for Green Lantern on the big screen and Game of Thrones on the small one.
Movies: Shutter Island, How To Train Your Dragon
Television: Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Walking Dead
Books: Shit My Dad Says, Making Of The Empire Strikes Back
Album/Songs:“Paradise City” remake on Slash’s self-titled album
Viral Videos: Red Letter Media’s “The Phantom Menace” Review
Favorite web sites: FOG! & Kurtsshirts.com
Biggest disappointments of 2010? Being told footage of Heath Ledger’s Joker was going to be used in the new Batman movie, then finding out it wasn’t happening.
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Sold over 50 custom Hobbes dolls! Oh, and bought my first house!
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? More of the previous mentioned TV series, more news about the ALIEN prequel with Giger’s involvement.
Movies: Monsters, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Television: Doctor Who
Books: Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor, This Crooked Way by James Enge, Haunted Legends Edited by E. Datlow & N. Mamatas
Music: Geniune Negro Jig – The Caroline Chocolate Drops, Deadmalls & Nightfalls – Frontier Ruckus, Dear Companion – Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore, The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart, Provenance – Maya Beiser, The Fool – Warpaint
Comic Books: S.H.I.E.L.D., X’ed Out
Favorite web sites: io9, Apex Book Company blog
Movies: Exit Through the Gift Shop, Kick-Ass, Machete, Scott Pilgrim
Television: Community, Eastbound and Down, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret
Books: Nightmare USA, Framed Ink, Emigre no. 70, *A Short History of Nearly Everything, Cinema Sewer volume 2
Comic Books: Lemon Styles, Blammo #6, Wally Gropius, Wormdye, Donna Matrix #1, Krazy Kat: A Celebration of Sundays
Viral Videos: The Key to Reserva (Scorcese/Hitchcock)
Music Videos: OK Go – This Too Shall Pass – Rube Goldberg Machine
Biggest disappointment of 2010? Iron Man 2
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Afrodisiac, Rambo 3.5
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? Double Take, Problem Solverz
Movie: Despicable Me
Television: The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s Dumbest
Book: The Autobiography of Mark Twain
Favorite web sites: www.snopes.com, www.coldhardfootballfacts.com, www.newsoftheweird.com, www.plaidstallions.com
Celebrity crush: Can’t say: the wife would kill me
Biggest disappointment of 2010? Republican obstructionism in Congress
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Reconnecting with an old college friend, Being promenantly featured in a video on CT Public Access Channel 14
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? Fatherhood
Movie: Kick-Ass
Television: 30 Rock, Community
Book: Mad Skills
Music: Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach “On Melancholy Hill”
Comic Book: King of RPGs
Video Game: Farmville
DVD/Blu-ray Release: Avatar
Viral Video: Jinja Ail
Music Video: Jinja Ail
Favorite web site: Forces of Geek
Celebrity crush: Louie C.K.
Biggest disappointments of 2010? True Grit, Tron: Legacy
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Writing a short story (“The Mexican Bus”), a play (“Santa’s Inferno”), and a novel (“Mad Skills”).
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? Ridley Scott’s return to the Alien saga he created.
Movie: Toy Story 3
Television: Breaking Bad, The Venture Bros.
Book: Kraken by China Mieville
Video Games: God of War 3, Super Mario Galaxy 2
Viral Video: Conan the Barbarian the Musical
Music Video: “Miracles” by Insane Clown Posse
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Having my first book published
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? Star Wars on Blu-ray, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Movies: Metropolis (re-release w/ 25 minutes of lost footage found in Argentina), Inception
Television: Walking Dead, Mad MenBooks: (NON-FICTION): How to Wreck a Nice Beach: The Vocoder from World War II to
Hip-Hop, The Machine Speaks by Dave Tompkins, Cheetah Chrome: From the Front Lines of Punk Rock by Cheetah Chrome. (FICTION): Geosynchron by David Louis Edelman, Whargoul by Dave Brockie
Music: Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones: The Complete Sessions, The Joy Formidable – A Balloon Called Moaning
Comic Books: Parker: The Outfit by Darwyn Cooke, Bodyworld by Dash Shaw
Video Games: Red Dead Redemption, Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: Videodrome (Criterion Collection) Blu-ray, Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series DVD
Viral Videos: Gary Numan Plays ‘Cars’ With Actual Cars for DieHard Batteries, まる – Maru the Cat
Music Videos: Goldfrapp – Alive, Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer – Chap Hop History
Favorite web sites: https://engramstudio.com/craptracker (free web-based chiptune instrument), https://popcandy.usatoday.com (Whitney Matheson’s Pop Candy culture blog)
Celebrity crushes: Debbie Harry (always) and all the girls from Tron
Biggest disappointments of 2010? No Thor trailer before Tron, the FDA ruins Four Loko for everyone
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Gloriously beautiful relaunch of www.isotopecomics.com, got JH Williams III and I backstage to hang out with Blondie
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? Reading 1000s of comic books, Roland SH-09 + Moog Filtatron + Korg Prophecy + Roland GAIA SH-01 + Zoom H4n
Movie: Toy Story 3
Television: HUB reruns of Doogie Howser and The Wonder Years
Book: Reissue of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
DVD/Blu-ray Release: Back To The Future 25th Anniversary Trilogy
Viral Video: Saved By The Bell reunion
Favorite web site: lolslater.tumblr.comCelebrity crush: Mark-Paul Gosselaar
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Live “I’m Remembering” showWhat are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? More nostalgery!
Movies: True Grit, The A-Team, Harry Potter, Scott Pilgrim,Toy Story 3, Inception, The Social Network
Television: Breaking Bad, Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother, Community, Treme, Men of a Certain Age
Books: The Making of the Empire Strikes Back, The Big Short, The Lonely Polygamist
Video Games: Fallout: New Vegas, NCAA Football 11, Starcraft 2 – Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption
Favorite web site: www.forcesofgeek.com!
Celebrity crush: Alison Bree
Biggest disappointments of 2010? Dexter Season 5, Iron Man 2
What accomplishment were you most proud of in 2010? Graduating college
What are you most looking forward to geeking out over in 2011? Breaking Bad Season 4.
