Geek & Sundry

Coming April 2^nd – All the geeky media you could ever need, all under one roof!

That’s right, I’m back once again this month! This time with a somewhat less moody blog for you all, and no – it’s still not the one I had intended to write this month. I will get to that though! Honest!

Anyway – as I’m sure a lot of you will remember, part of what I wanted to do with my blog here on Tonyo Teams was to introduce you guys to some cool stuff on the internet that you might not necessarily know about. Last time it was the awesomeness that is Loading Ready Run, and this month I want to fill you guys in on a new media channel coming to the internet next month called ‘Geek & Sundry’.

What the heck is this Geek & Sundry of which you speak? I hear you all asking. Well I’ll tell you (or at least explain as best I can). Geek & Sundry is a premium youtube channel coming April 2^nd with a lineup of six new original series showcasing the best in indie geek culture. And with Felicia Day and the producers of web series ‘The Guild’ at the helm, along with the likes of Wil Wheaton, Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt, and Dark Horse Comics involved in proceedings it’s sure to be one heck of an awesome shindig.

…And if you aren’t familiar with any of the previously mentioned names then I am VERY disappointed in each and every one of you.

What can we expect from this awesomeness then? I hear you all asking (and seriously, some of you need to stop shouting. It’s really hurting my ears…). For this, I’ll reference the website itself (www.geekandsundry.com) …

* The Flog (Premiering April 2nd, new episodes every Monday)

Join Geek Goddess Felicia Day in a whimsical vlog show, as she explores quirky new hobbies and shares experiences that connect her with her favorite people – her fans – in person as well as across the web.

Executive Producers: Felicia Day, Kim Evey, Sheri Bryant, Sean Becker

    * Dark Horse Motion Comics (Premiering April 2nd, new episodes every Wednesday)

America’s largest indie comic-book publisher Dark Horse Comics brings some of their much-loved franchises such as Hellboy, The Goon and The Umbrella Academy onto the screen in a unique presentation for their web series.  Combining never-before-seen motion graphic techniques and compelling storytelling, fans of these iconic characters will devour each episode.

Producer: Mike Richardson. Director: Eric Bruhwiler

Executive Producers: Felicia Day, Kim Evey, Sheri Bryant

    * TableTop (Premiering April 2nd, new episodes every other Friday)

Think “Celebrity Poker” meets “Dinner for Five” and you’re ready to experience the quick-witted camaraderie that pairs notable celebs with must-play tabletop games.  Hosted by actor, co-creator and fan favorite Wil Wheaton, this lively show brings together notable geek celebrities from Film, TV and YouTube to showcase the best in tabletop gaming from Settlers of Catan to card games like Fluxx and even RPGs like Dragon Age.

Executive Producers: Felicia Day, Kim Evey, Sheri Bryant, Wil Wheaton

    * The Guild Season 5 (Airing April 10th, episodes every Tuesday)

The widely popular award-winning web series that’s topped 150 million views comes to YouTube!    Chronicling the adventures of online gamers Cyd Sherman (Codex), Vincent Caso (Bladezz), Jeff Lewis (Vork), Amy Okuda (Tink), Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo) and Robin Thorsen (Clara), the fifth season follows the gang to a fan convention with new discoveries and celebrity encounters.  Plus every Thursday check out never-before-seen behind the scenes content.

Executive Producers: Felicia Day, Kim Evey.  Director: Sean Becker

    * Sword & Laser (Premiering April 13th, new episodes every other Friday)

Popular book club podcast, Sword & Laser, comes to life with an irreverent show hosted by Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt.  The show features interviews with top authors, reviews of the hottest science fiction and fantasy books, discussion of the essential news of the week, and lots of participation from the vibrant Sword & Laser community.

                  Created by Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt

Executive Producers: Felicia Day, Kim Evey, Sheri Bryant

    * Written By A Kid (Premiering July 18th, new episodes every Wednesday)

Original sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories by real kids are transformed into stunning shorts by some of today’s coolest directors. These original live-action and animated pieces truly capture the madness and magic of the 4-to-9-year old mindset.

Directors include Dane Boedigheimer (Annoying Orange), Rhett & Link (IFC’s Commercial Kings) and Daniel Strange (Between Two Ferns with Zach Galfianakis)

 Executive Producers: Felicia Day, Kim Evey, Sheri Bryant

    * Learning Town (Coming Fall 2012)

In this smart, offbeat musical, nerd music duo Paul & Storm blend vocal harmonies with comedic scenarios as they are tasked with reviving the flagging educational show of their childhoods. In the face of adversity from villainous hipsters, cantankerous ghosts and flammable puppets, Learning Town is one show that has to been seen to be believed.

                   Created by Paul & Storm and Josh Cagan.

                   Executive Producers: Felicia Day, Kim Evey, Sheri Bryant

Is that enough awesomeness for you? Well is it? ….No? Well…tough….it’ll have to be!

There are a couple of shows that I’m personally looking forward to – TableTop, since I’m a huge Magic The Gathering and roleplaying nerd, and Sword & Laser, mostly due to my love for the Fantasy genre but partly because I find Veronica Belmont to be utterly hilarious.

I am slightly confused about one thing though. I’ve been something of a fan of The Guild for a while now and I was under the impression that Season 5 was already available online. And yet it’ll be airing on youtube from April 10^th. Have I missed something here? Am I being dense? (Wouldn’t be the first time…).

Anyway! For more information on Geek & Sundry make sure to check out their website – www.geekandsundry.com and subscribe to their youtube channel.

Need more incentive to check them out? Check out their trailer!

That’ll be all from me for this month. My birthday is coming up this week and despite not really being able to do much due to being broke til the day AFTER my birthday (sods law – don’t you just love it?) I’m determined to have something of a chilled week. Catch you all in April!

- Rick xo

The Question Of ‘What Now?’

I sit here alone in my bedroom turn pseudo-office, staring idly out through my window at the grey world outside. It’s a typical March day – looks as though it could rain any second and yet likely won’t. As if some divine force is up there toying with the people of this particular part of the world. I find myself with some time to kill before I venture out to see some of the people who choose to be around me…and I feel inclined to write my blog for the month.

Yet it isn’t the blog I’d intended to write. That will likely come next month now. No, instead I have decided to write something a tad more personal. A piece in which I drop the bullshit façade I tend to put on for a moment and put the self I keep hidden away in my own private world out there for the world to see.

This blog has been inspired in part by the blog of one Ms. Allison Mack, known to many for her portrayal of Chloe Sullivan in Smallville. I’ll likely make reference to the blog post in question later but in the meantime I want to get this under way.

I had actually begun writing this last night as I lay in bed unable to sleep but after rambling on for nearly a page and a half I thought perhaps it would be best if I started from scratch. Even now my thoughts are a chaotic jumble but hopefully I’ll manage to put them into some kind of order.

You know, it’s actually kind of ironic that this blog should be inspired by the writings of Ms. Mack. During the twilight days of Smallville I found myself empathizing more and more with the character of Chloe. As a result I came to a particularly startling revelation regarding myself. I’ve spent so many years allowing myself to be defined by other people or influenced by their points of view that I find myself feeling as though I’ve lost my sense of self somewhere along the way. That essential part of myself that allowed me to face the world with a “You know what world? I can take you on!” attitude and that drew people to me. I’ve spent so many years wearing so many different “hats” – be it the student hat, the son/grandson hat, the supervisor hat – that now that I find myself at a point in my life where I’m able to just be me….I guess I’m not entirely sure as to how to be just me.

The same is true of my work situation. I’ve been working in the same job for so long now that I find it defines the choices that I make when searching for new employ. What’s more, it even defines how I’m viewed by the people I’m applying to. You’d be surprised by just how many people have commented on my list of entirely creative qualifications only to then ask me (essentially), “So…why exactly are you applying to work with us?”. They don’t seem to take notice of the fact that I’ve dedicated nearly seven years of my life to the same job or that I moved up the ranks from volunteer to my current position within the first twelve months of that. No no.

Today I find myself once again back at square one. No passing go, no collecting the shiny new job that could have solved a number of your problems. The universe is apparently not done with testing you yet! I have found myself back at this point far too often over the course of the last few years and yet each time I seem to end up posing the same question to myself, “What now?”.

I’m sure a lot of you who’re reading this (I hope someone is at least!) are in similar positions. You find yourself being cut off at every corner. You want to find employ (or in the case of those like myself, different employ) and yet everywhere you turn everyone seems to be looking for experienced professionals without having the foresight to think that they could perhaps benefit more from hiring the inexperienced and allowing them to gain experience. You feel disheartened, scared and alone. You wonder ‘What do I have to offer now? What am I doing wrong?’ and that ever persistent question of “What now?’.

I wish I had some definite answer or some winning formula that could give you all guaranteed results but I don’t.

As it turns out, I’m more insecure about this particular area of my life than I had thought. With no safety net to catch me if I fall and no one there to gently nudge me in the right direction I find myself wondering if I’ll ever be good enough. There’s no road map for life and I know that the path taken is half the journey but still I find myself lacking the strength of spirit to struggle on despite my own inhibitions. How does one latch onto hope when everything feels so hopeless?

And yet, despite my feelings of self-pity, the words of Ms. Macks blog did resonate with me as I read them. They made me stop and realize that, “You know what? Maybe it isn’t so hopeless after all!”.

While retail may be the path I need to walk down for the moment to get that green stuff coming in, my heart will always belong to the fields of creativity. I want more than anything to tell the story of me to the world, whatever that story may be, and be the change I wish to see. And while I wish I had something of an ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ figure in my life to guide me, I know that the greatest test of my strength of spirit will be to figure this all out for myself.

Yet perhaps the real question here isn’t ‘What now? ‘but rather ‘What do I do with this?’. Despite my gilded cage, I have some level of freedom. I’m also not exactly short on time either. I’m a creative individual who’s at his happiest weaving words or wandering the path less travelled with camera in hand. Perhaps the cosmos is simply trying to beat me over the head with the realization that I have the time to explore and rebuild my sense of self.

I know that sooner or later this jumbled mess of thoughts and possibilities will transform themselves into something tangible. I also know that it will require me to work my ass off but I know that I am not alone. And I hope all of you reading this know the same.

For those who might be curious, the blog in question can be found here — http://www.allisonmack.com/2012/03/15/what-now and should Ms. Mack ever read this, all I can say is this – Thank you. And hopefully you don’t mind my making reference to your blog like this!

- Rick xo