comics

5 Geeky Deals to Help You Cope With the Holidays

December 2, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Thanksgiving and Black Friday (it’s a weekend now?) are over and we have all had a taste of our crazy families and crazy sales. With that over and done with, we can now move on to look forward to the holidays…which leads us to more time dealing with our crazy families…and more crazy sales.

Because today is Cyber Monday I thought I would bring you all a short list of awesome deals to help the nerds in our lives (or ourselves) escape from the anxiety provoking days to come.

1. Steam Autumn Sale

(Image via Steam)

For your gamer friends, the Steam Autumn Sale is going on until tomorrow, with new deals every day. There’s a little something for everyone, with many popular games dropping in price by 60%. The Skyrim Legendary Edition is only $35.99 and Civilization 5 is $7.49.

Personally, I’ve been playing Borderlands 2 like crazy with my roommate, and wanted to make sure my fiance could join in on the fun. So I bought it for her for Hannukah ($7.49)….and the DLC for myself for dirt cheap.

Playing games is a great way to escape into another reality…one in which the holidays may not exist. Yay Steam Sale!

2. Comixology

(Image via Comixology)

Comic loving geeks will love this deal, especially if they are of the DC fan variety! Comixology brought us comics on our phones and tablets, so of course they would get in on the Cyber Monday train! Their deal for the day is New 52 graphic novels collections for $4.99. I may have to take this time to get into Superman or catch up on some Batman lore.

I wonder how they would deal with being trampled at a Black Friday Sale…

3. Legend of Korra Blu-ray

(Image via Amazon)

Amazon has had some amazing deals for Black Friday, and they’re keeping it steady with Cyber Monday. Just shop around for a bit if you’re looking for ideas. The one thing I wanted to bring your attention is the Legend of Korra Book One Blu-ray set.

I was upset when I missed out on the premiere of the show, so I was excited to see that I now have a chance to catch up…for under $20! Bam! That went on my Amazon wishlist fast.

I love to binge watch shows in order to distract myself from anxiety provoking things. Dealing with others’ problems can help you relax…and become more ready to tackle your own.

4. X-Box Live Gold Membership

Larger Front

(Image via Best Buy)

Normally a year X-Box Live subscription costs $79.99. Best Buy has dropped the price for Cyber Monday to $59.99, making it that much easier to play online with friends, or call strangers names. Better you fight with them, than your family, right?

5. iBUYPOWER Desktop and Laptop Deals

(Image via iBUYPOWER)

iBUYPOWER makes some insanely good gaming towers and laptops. I used to have a desktop, which lasted me until I didn’t have room for it anymore. It was easily upgradable, and high powered.

Currently, I use one of their laptops (which I am using to write this post!) and I’m glad I chose them. I can handle most games at high quality, and the ones I can’t still look beautiful. On top of that, many of their models include features such as a fingerprint scanner.

What does this have to do with deals? On any given day, they have great deals (my laptop came with a free memory upgrade, laptop case, gaming mouse, and gaming headset). For Cyber Monday, I feel as though they’ve pulled out the stops.

Many models are at reduced price, but the free upgrades are killer. Upgrade a 1 terrabyte hard drive to 2 terrabytes for free. Free gaming headset. Free upgrade to Blu-ray reader from a DVDRW drive. Oh, and did I mention free shipping on laptops?

Hopefully your friends and family will understand not seeing you for a month because of your new toy.

The holidays can be tricky. They bring out the best and the worst of us. Luckily, nerds have plenty of outlets to distract themselves. I hope this list helps you find something new to use to de-stress.

Something Terrible is Anything But

October 31, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

There are so many things I could say about “Something Terrible” by Dean Trippe, but I honestly have no idea where to start.

I suppose I can start with how I found out about this intensely moving comic. While I was at NYCC, I passed a booth that had a print with just about every comic book character (or geeky character, for that matter). The art was amazing, I took some time to study it and then moved on. It was called “You’ll Be Safe Here”.

I got lost in trying to find my favorite characters, and you can probably see why.

Fast forward to the past week or so. I’ve seen Dean Trippe’s name come up a billion times in the geek therapy world on my twitter feed, so I decide to check him out. And I see the same print I saw at NYCC. I had no idea that it was part of a larger story. I just thought that it was a stand alone illustration.

The result of that search ended up in me spending one of the most well spent dollars (his entire comic is only 99 cents) I have ever spent. I would have spent more!

The art is beautifully simple. It is so crisp and simple, which really draws you into the story. The storytelling is brilliant. Trippe’s ability to convey so much emotion with so few words is an accomplishment to be proud of. I can barely tell such an emotionally loaded story coherently using words.

Maybe that’s part of the reason why it works. The words don’t get in the way.

By now (or maybe a bunch of paragraphs ago), you’re probably wondering what the story is about. Trippe tells his life story in just a few panels, but the message is strong. Essentially, the story is about his having been molested as a child, and how Batman saved his life.

Batman, through watching the movies and reading the comics, became Trippe’s personal hero. Trippe also became Batman. He became a trauma survivor who was able to do something with his life.

Unfortunately, Trippe grew up believing that because he was abused, there was something terrible inside of him. That he would someday become an abuser himself. I can’t imagine living through life constantly worrying about harming a child. Especially my own.

In the end, Batman helps him see the truth about himself, and he is able to build a positive relationship with his son.

Something Terrible is the epitome of geek therapy. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will keep it as vague as possible. Trippe was able to heal a major wound due to superheroes and comics. It helped him to heal and become the man he is. It helped him to become the incredible cartoonist he is.

In the process of writing the comic, he was able to change his narrative. He re-wrote his story to help him feel better about what happened to him. Trippe did something on his own that many people do in therapy, with or without the comics.

Dean Trippe is a brave man to put his story out for all the world to see. His story shows the power that one childhood (or lifelong) passion can have, and the healing properties it can possess.

I’m sure that resonates with some, if not all, of us with a geeky obsession.

If you’d like to buy Something Terrible, you can do so here! (And you should buy it. You won’t regret it!)

Buzzkill – A True Dark Horse of a Hero

October 21, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

During NYCC, I had the chance to sit down and interview the creators of Buzzkill (published by Dark Horse). Buzzkill is a story about a superhero who gains his powers from drinking and doing drugs. It’s ruined his life and he’s decided that he needs to quit and take his life back. The villains in his world, however, have other plans…

After reading the first issue, I knew I had to talk to these guys. This is such a different take on a topic that hits home for a lot of people. So I managed to get myself squeezed into Donny Cates (writer) and Geoff Shaw’s (artist) busy convention schedule. Donny and Geoff were a pleasure to talk to. They were open and candid about their hero, how he can help others, and what’s in store for him later on. The results of said conversation follow:

The Idea

When I asked how they came up with the idea, Cates said that his co-writer (Mark Reznicek) was in a band and had been surrounded by a lot of addiction. Reznicek presented the idea of a superhero that gains his powers from using drugs and alcohol to Cates, who agreed whole-heartedly that this story should be told.

Cates was going through the loss of his friend to addiction at this time, and was able to use the creation of this book to help him heal. He told me “It was like therapy for me, to try and deal with how I lost my friend.”

His process for dealing with his loss reminds me of types of narrative therapy in which the client is helped to re-write the story. While the story is about his friend (Cates says that the main character is based off of his late friend) and not about his own struggles, writing this book has allowed him to change the narrative of his friend’s story.

(Image via NerdSpan)

Cates says the striking difference between his friend and the main character of Buzzkill (“Ruben”) is that “Ruben” asked for help, whereas his friend did not.

Another major distinction between the two? Cates’ friend did not have superpowers. “Ruben” does, however, and Cates has said that they represent the sins of his past, or the sins that he committed while in his addiction.

As if the aftermath of his life falling apart wasn’t enough!

Serious Humor

The tone of this book seemed to be a constant balancing act. On the one hand, the hero could be portrayed as a drunken village idiot. On the other, the story could be so dark and serious that it would depress anyone who read it. I asked Cates and Shaw about the tone and how they managed to pull it off.

First off, Cates wanted me to know that the goal of creating Buzzkill was “to bring honesty and truth to something that has historically been used as a trope and a tool in popular fiction.” He went on to say “Making an alcoholic or an addict or anyone who is mentally unstable in any fashion the villain or a punchline is, I think, an inherently dishonest choice. It’s not something that they are conscious of or can control by themselves.”

Obviously, Cates wanted the story to be respectful of his friend and of others like him. There is humor in the story in order to make it easier to swallow and keep readers engaged.

They both expressed that it was fun to work on the book. Cates said “the life of an addict is incredibly bizarre and surreal at times.” (which must make it easy for them to throw in things like a teleporting goat and a gorilla with a bow tie).

(Image via InsertGeekHere)

Shaw told me he feels that without the humor to make the story lighter, the book would have fallen flat because it would have come off preachy or made it too serious to read.

I mean, that makes sense. We use humor as an ice breaker when meeting a new person to break the tension. It helps us calm our anxieties and make tough information easier to digest. It’s also a defense mechanism (one of the more adaptive ones to boot).

Cates made it clear that humor was used to enhance the story, but that “the joke is never on him,” the main character. Cates also stated that he would love for anyone who is going through addiction or who has someone they love going through addiction to know immediately that they are not being made fun of.

From what I’ve read of the story, I think they’ve nailed the balance between humor and seriousness.

A Hero’s Struggle

When I brought up the idea of geek therapy, Cates was excited. He thought that it was great, and that Buzzkill would fit right in. One of the best parts about writing this book, according to him, is hearing from community centers and rehab programs about how the book has affected their members.

Cates is hopeful that those struggling with addiction can relate to the character he had written. He emphasized that he is not an expert, although he has had some experience surrounding addiction.

When I asked about how relatable the story is, Cates said “This is an exploration of one person’s journey. It is not indicative of everyone’s journey, and we are not, by any stretch of the imagination, role models.”

With that said, Shaw, the artist, added “There is a universality to addiction, and cutting something that you have lived with and needed for so long, out of your life. Can you cut it out completely? Everyone can connect with that on some level.”

(Image via Idle Hands)

So the story represents everyone, and no one, all at the same time. I think those are some of the best stories for others to relate to. Stories that everyone can find some small piece of themselves in, but not those stories that are so close they might be scary to look at.

Reading a story that is not completely representative, but close enough allows us to distance ourselves from our own issues and see them through the character’s eyes.

Buzzkill seems to be one of these stories, and will be added to my catalog of comics to use with clients.

What the Future Holds

When I asked about what’s next for our hero, I was given a general break down of the books.

Issue 1 is mostly talking. Issue 2 is the most hardcore, with some action packed fight scenes. Cates and Shaw stated that issue 3 is the funniest. Then they started talking about the ending.

Cates said that no one is going to see the ending coming. That “people are either going to love it or really [fracking] hate it.” He said that it is not written necessarily for the readers, but for the main character. His story needed an honest ending, even though it may not be what people want.

(Image via EntertinmentFuse)

I’m looking forward to reading more and finding out what this huge surprise ending is.

Oh, and finding the Dr. Who joke that Cates and Shaw told me is going to show up in issue 3 (which probably has to do with that bow tie wearing gorilla I mentioned).

NYCC – A Mental Health Professional’s Take (Part 1)

October 17, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

I’ve had a few days to recover from New York Comic Con (NYCC)…and I’m still on the mend. It was exhausting, my feet are still sore and swollen, my voice is still working its way back to normal. But as with most conventions I’ve attended, I feel as though it was worth it.

At least at this point my mind is able to make sense of things and I can provide you with a post that isn’t gibberish. With that said, let’s get down to the nitty gritty!

The overall feel of the con was very different from San Diego (which is the only con of this size that I have personal experience to compare it to). San Diego is taken over by geeks, so much so that the restaurants and hotels change their names and decor for parties and events.

This is definitely not the case in New York. Walking to the Javits Center, I overheard a girl on the phone asking her friend “is there some comic thing in New York this weekend? I just saw some power rangers walking by.” Cosplayers had to walk down the street to dirty looks and insults from those on the street. And while these things happen at other conventions as well, I feel that they are less blatant and less common other places.

Once inside the Javits Center, it was like being swept into a sea of people. For someone like myself, who does not handle crowds well, it was a bit overwhelming at times. My initial thought when I noticed my anxiety was “Why do we (geeks), as a community of mostly introverts, do this to ourselves?”

The answer: because comics! (or video games, or awesome celebrities, or awesome movies/T.V. shows). Our fandom overrides our sensibilities.

The next big thing I noticed was how diverse the crowd was. Women, people of color and gays, oh my! Everyone was out having a good time, breaking the straight white male stereotype. I don’t think I’ve seen so many different types of people at a major convention before, and it was refreshing. NYCC has said that they believe 35% of their attendees were women…from what I saw, I’d guess more.

Everyone loves cosplay. It allows people to be creative and express themselves in a safe space. I personally love seeing the twists people put on their favorite characters (I don’t have a picture, but I saw a steam punk Darth Vader that was beautifully crafted). One of the many things I thought was interesting was the diversity of the cosplay at NYCC.

There was quite a bit of crossplay throughout the convention. A female Mario, a male Catwoman, a female Green Lantern, a female Dr. Who and companion (adorable I might add) were some of those I can remember. Not crossplay, but definitely in the same vein was this perfect Afrian-American Rita Repulsa:

I feel like it’s a good sign that minorities are feeling more comfortable in spaces like these and are also comfortable making their voices heard.

I missed every panel I wanted to go to. The LGBT and Allies panel, the Mary Sue’s Representation panel, and the Women of Marvel panel. These panels were huge hits and, for the most part, had to turn people away.

On the one hand, it’s amazing to know that these panels are in demand and that so many people want to hear about a different perspective. On the other hand…I didn’t get to go to any panels (but yay for those of you who did!).

Comics as a medium (as well as just about anything nerdy i.e. video games, movies, T.V.) allows us free reign of our imaginations. If the next generation of creators (those who are sitting in these panels) learn that they can create what they want, anything can happen. The sky is the limit, if they can learn to break the mold. Panels like these are important in changing how we look at the status quo and how it can be altered.

I would have loved to have been there when Kelly Sue DeConnick said that progress is being made, but that it isn’t done. Because its not. Giving young women and girls hope of breaking into comics and not being scared because it’s a “boys club” is huge. I think DeConnick (and the rest of the panel) did just that.

There are so many other things about the convention I want to tell you, but I feel like I need to do some more reading comics…er…recuperating.

My coverage of NYCC will continue next week. You can look forward to my interview with the creators of Buzzkill. I’ll also cover all the awesome real life superheroes I found on the show floor. These people are doing amazing work doing nerdy things to help those in need.

For now, I leave you with this adorable picture of Bumblebee and a little Power Ranger:

Capturing the Inner Mind Through Comics: Marbles by Ellen Forney

October 7, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

Ever want to know what it’s like to be bipolar? Yeah, probably not, but now that I’ve mentioned it, I bet you’re curious.

One thing about being in school and learning about all the things that can possibly go wrong in the brain is that it makes you wonder what it’s like to be in that person’s skin. Or at least it makes me wonder.

Art is one of the ways that we can get closer to someone’s experience. It has a way of communicating emotion and thought in a way that just words can’t. Comics make it even easier, being able to use language but emphasize it in just the right way as to make the creator’s world come to life.

(Image via MarblesbyEllenForney.com)

Recently I had the chance to read Marbles by Ellen Forney. Her art style makes the book an easy read that is also pleasing to the eye. The book is very informative and presents the information in an easy to digest way, but it is also a doorway into her struggle with being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. At times it feels like you’re right there with her.

She brings in drawings from her sketchbook when she was first diagnosed with bipolar as well as snippets from therapy sessions with her psychiatrist to really capture her experience. Her ups and downs, her struggle with being an artist on medication, her “coming out” as bipolar to her friends and family are all captured beautifully in her art.

(Image via JS Online)

As a clinician, it really helps to have an insider’s view into the experience of a disorder (I don’t like pathologizing people, but for the ease of communication, I use the word disorder here). Only having my own internal experience, it can be hard to put myself in a client’s shoes. Yes, there are autobiographical books out there about almost every condition you can think of. However, there is something about seeing it graphically that makes the story really sink in. For this reason I appreciate cartoonists like Ellen Forney, Darryl Cunningham (Psychiatric Tales), Allie Brosh (Hyperbole and a Half) and Alison Bechdel (Fun Home, Are You My Mother?) who are brave enough to put their story out there for everyone to see.

Marbles is a book anyone interested in understanding the bipolar experience should pick up. Any clinician working with someone who is bipolar should read this book, in order to better understand their clients. It could also be helpful for friends or family members who have someone who is bipolar in their lives, especially if they are having a difficult time understanding their loved one’s behavior.

(Image via The Guardian)

Forney makes it clear that her experience is her own, and that there are many different types of bipolar disorder, and that each person’s experience is different. She had it easy in someways, in others, it was like her world fell apart.

The bottom line is, you should read this book if you have had contact with, or plan on working with, someone who is bipolar. Even if you aren’t somehow connected to someone who is bipolar Forney’s “Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo & Me” her book is worth every page.

It will give you a rare glimpse into a world that can be particularly difficult to understand.

Countdown to Identity Crisis

September 12, 2013 · Discuss on the GT Forum

As I listened to my professor lecture on human development, I had flashes back to different panels and discussions I’d heard at conventions. Everything seemed to click, and I had an “aha!” moment.

She was lecturing on Erikson’s stages of development, and came to the stage of Identity vs. Role Confusion. Essentially, during adolescence we all come to a place where we are figuring out who we are and how we fit into the world. If we don’t figure it out, or at least have some grasp on who we want to become, role confusion (also called an identity crisis) can arise and cause problems throughout life (if they are never resolved).

So how do I get from listening to teenage issues to thinking about the conventions I went to?

What my professor said that really got my mind going was that role confusion can happen without anything being wrong with the individual. Finding your identity also has to do with how you fit into society and who society expects you to be. So if you don’t find yourself represented in society somehow, you have a hard time figuring out how you fit into the world and then end up with an identity crisis on your hands!

That brought me back to the Gays in Comics panel at San Diego Comic Con. During the panel, many of the panelists mentioned that gays (and people of color…and women…) were underrepresented in comics. That they felt like there was no one they could look up to in comic books and say “They’re like me!”

During the Q&A session, a guy came up and said that he was new to comics, and said that he thought that there was more diversity in comics today. The panelists’ responses? “We can tell you’re new to comics!” It was lighthearted though, and they admitted things were changing, but that they needed to continue to change.

(Image via Comics Beat)

After that panel, I remember thinking “Okay, I get that there aren’t enough gay/women/people of color in comics (or in media in general), but to say that you can’t see yourself in any of the characters out there is a bit much.” I find ways to relate to characters I love whether they are male or female, gay or straight, young or old, blond or redhead, good or evil. There is something to relate to in their experience of the world. This being said, it does make it easier to relate to a character when they look like you or have a similar culture or background as you. It also feels good to feel acknowledged and seen.

Then I remembered how at GaymerX, everyone was talking about how safe and inclusive it felt to be in a hotel conference area filled with people like them who had the same interests. One of the big topics was how the video game industry tends to ignore gays and focus on their “straight white male” demographic. It came up at multiple panels, and the discussion usually led to how women are also ignored, or if they are represented, they are overly sexualized to appeal to men. Women are rarely given a lead role, and queer characters are even more rarely written into games at all.

While I was browsing the interwebs, I found out that Assassin’s Creed is launching a new game for consoles with a woman of color as the lead role! This is amazing. From what I’ve read, originally it was just going to be a side piece of DLC (downloadable content), but the audience spoke and now they are creating a full game coming out next year.

(Image via Giant Bomb)

When the people (and their wallets) speak, the companies will listen.

Bringing it all back to the development concept: I wonder, if any given minority were represented more in comics, games and other media (much of which adolescents are glued to) would they be less likely to have issues later on in life? Would it give them more confidence in who they are? Make them feel more secure and valued? Help them find their role in society? It’s something to consider.

Something else to consider is an important topic brought up at both conventions. Things have been moving forward. It is exciting that there is a female lead (who is also bi-racial and not scantily clad!) in Assassin’s Creed. It’s exciting that Assassin’s Creed III had a Native American lead. It’s exciting that Batwoman (who is a lesbian) has her own comic book. It’s exciting that Kevin Keller (who is gay) went into the military and got married. While all these things are true, they’re very rare (and it took me a while to think of a few of them).

(Image via Geek Style Guide)

While these things are exciting, they shouldn’t be. In geek culture, a culture that traditionally has been looked down on by others in society, these milestones should just be another day in the life. When things like this aren’t exciting anymore, that’s when we know things have changed.

Media is often how we explore societal themes in the world around us. When there is a diverse population represented across a variety of roles, it will be much easier for us to identify with the characters in our media of choice. When it’s easier for people to identify with a greater diversity of roles in society as represented in media, it’s easier for to understand how society views us in relation to how we view ourselves. Identity crisis averted!

(Being a teenager will probably still suck…just less so!)