Tag: The Guild

10 More Songs Every Nerd Needs – Gaming Edition

Aug. 09 Editorials 2 comments

We are back with 10 more songs every nerd needs on their MP3 player. Thanks for all of the suggestions in our comments here and on Facebook. Some will be featured here today, and some will show up in later lists, so make sure to keep them coming!

Games. Everybody plays them. Board, card, tabletop, or video, games have been, and continue to be one of the main ways we as humans socialize with each other. They are how we can compete with one another in a friendly atmosphere. If you win, you claim victory, if you lose…well it’s just a game and you can try again next time. From Angry Birds to Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons to Monopoly, games are an integral part of people’s lives, but much more to the nerd crowd. We elevate our game play to a sort of worship. So here are my picks for 10 songs that could be the hymns that accompany that worship.

 

#10. Angry Birds theme by Pomplamoose

Since 2008, musicians Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn have been thrilling youtube viewers with both their phenomenal covers of other performer’s work as well as their own original songs, becoming a true internet sensation, selling over 100,000 singles the following year.

#9. The Geeks Will Inherit the Earth by I Fight Dragons

While not about a specific game itself, Chicago based I Fight Dragons use chip sounds from various early Nintendo systems to create a unique sound that goes perfectly with their solid rock chops. Their debut full-length album, Kaboom!, can be found on their website.

#8. Dovahkiin by Brandon Strader

This amazing metal cover of Sons of Skyrim from the Elder Scrolls IV:Skyrim soundtrack comes from Ocremix favorite Brandon Strader. It takes the opening theme, adds a metal flair to it, while not losing the spirit of the original. Make sure to check his site out for some more of his amazing remixes.

#7.  Bulbasaur by MC117

Using the Flobot’s Handlebars as its basis, Bulbasaur tells the story of a young Pokemon trainer and his favorite Pokemon. MC117‘s tribute to Pokemon trainers everywhere can be found on the free CD, Nerdcore Now Vol. 1.

#6. Pac-Man Fever by Buckner & Garcia

This tribute to old-school gaming, when it was just “gaming” was this writer’s first experience with nerd music. The song’s first line, “I’ve got a pocket full of quarters and I’m headed to the arcade” perfectly describes my every weekend in the early 80′s.

#5. Roll a D6 by Connor Anderson and Zac Smith

Covering Far East Movement’s Like a g6, Roll a D6 is a love song to Dungeons and Dragons, and a pretty spiffy video reminiscent of The Gamers to boot. Check out the official fan page here.

#4. Space Asshole by Chris Remo

When it comes down to it, the protagonist of Red Faction: Guerrilla is kind of prick. These guys are just trying to earn a living, and here comes this guy, tearing down their workplace, blowing stuff up, and if extremely unlucky, getting their heads bashed in. This song tells the story of one of the survivors.

#3. Game On by The Guild

In this Bollywood inspired tune, the crew from The Guild answers the eternal question, “Should I game tonight?” with a resounding “Yes!”

#2. OG – Original Gamer by MC Lars

MC Lars (accompanied by MC Frontalot) tells the story of an orphan, who was raised by his dad to be a world champion video gamer. It isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

#1. Up, Up, Down, Down by Kirby Krackle

Kirby Krackle is quickly becoming one of our favorites here at Word of the Nerd. Up,Up,Down,Down tells the story of a young man chasing his dream gamer girl, and what happens when he finally catches her. With its catchy tune, and a twist rivaling an early M. Night Shyamalan movie, it is easy to see why it is this week’s number one pick.

Honorable Mentions:

Still Alive by Jonathon Coulton

This end tune for Portal quickly became one of the biggest hits of the nerd world. Why it wasn’t included: If you don’t have this on your mp3 player already, a story like this isn’t likely to give you reason to put it there.

Pinkie Pie in Skyrim by Gamer385

So Gamer385 has devised some really interesting mods for Skyrim, the most interesting is the one he uses to turn your character into your favorite pony. Why it wasn’t included: Well, it’s not really a song about gaming, is it?

Disagree with any of the choices? Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments below and your pick could end up on a future list!

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10 Songs Every Nerd Needs on Their Mp3 Player

Jul. 25 Editorials 8 comments

There are good songs. There are great songs. Then, there are nerd songs. Songs that, no matter their origin, exemplify the nerd way of life. Whatever the style of the music, the songs listed here all fit the bill. These 10 songs represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to nerd/geek music, and include both some well known works, and some less well known.

 

All of them have one thing in common, they bring out the inner nerd in all of us, and isn’t that what life is all about?

 

10. Ultimate Showdown by Lemon Demon

Any song that can take as many different characters and pitch them into a death match has to be on this list. Originally posted to YouTube in 2008, some of the references are a little dated, but, for the most part, this song stands the test of time.

9. It Is Dark by MC Frontalot

A greater portion of my early PC gaming was dedicated to the fantastic text-based games by Infocom. Apparently MC Frontalot spent his fair share of time playing Zork as well, as evidenced by this ode to the bane of all adventurers everywhere.

8. All Along the Watchtower by Bear McCreary

From the moment we first heard this version of  ”All Along the Watchtower” from the season three finale of Battlestar Galactica, Bear McCreary’s almost haunting arrangement of the Jimi Hendrix tune became ingrained in our consciousnesses. The piece was then used throughout season four of the show, becoming one of the main musical themes of the series.

7. Jimmy Olsen’s Blues by The Spin Doctors

After this minor hit became popular, Jimmy Olsen, as drawn by Jon Bogdanove, took to wearing Spin Doctors tee shirts occasionally.

6. Magic Dance by David Bowie, From Labyrinth

If you can’t dance along with this song, you have no soul. Ok, that might be going a bit far, but it certainly is a very catchy tune, from an incredible movie. Throw in choreography by Gates McFadden and what is there not to love about this?

5. The New Dork – Entrepreneur State of Mind By Grasshopper.com

A nifty little parody of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind, dedicated to all the “dorks” who are driving the new media of today.

4. Why Does the Sun Shine by They Might Be Giants

With lyrics swiped almost word for word from a 1951 textbook titled “Stars: A Guide to the Constellations, Sun, Moon, Planets and Other Features of the Heavens” written by professors Herbert Zim and Robert Baker, this cover of a 1959 song provides a science lesson you can jam out to.

3. White & Nerdy by “Weird Al” Yankovic

Weird Al’s brilliant parody of Ridin’ Dirty by Chamillionaire (Remember him? Me neither.) touches every aspect of nerd culture from Trek to Renfests. With a video featuring cameos by Seth Green and Donnie Osmond, this song is a must for any nerd’s collection.

2. Re: Your Brains by Jonathan Coulton

Honestly, you should have EVERY song by Jonathan Coulton on your mp3 player, but that would make this a very, very long list. JoCo’s unique take on the upcoming zombie apocalypse will have you singing along while protecting your loved ones from the oncoming horde.

1. I’m the One That’s Cool by The Guild

It should surprise nobody that Felicia Day and the rest of the cast over at The Guild were a bit of the nerdy side growing up. Well, they aren’t now, and this song is an anthem to nerds everywhere, and for future generations needing reassurance that things will get better.

Disagree with any of the choices? Was your favorite not included? Let us know in the comments below and maybe your favorite will appear in a future list here at Word of The Nerd Online.

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C2E2 Wrap Up Coverage

Apr. 23 Comic Books, Cosplay no comments

Chicago and C2E2, what can I say?  It is only the fourth con I have ever been to and as I always say, each con has its own unique personality.  C2E2 held a little special meaning for me because it was the first time I got to meet my partner here at Word Of The Nerd, Jason Padua face to face.  We vowed to tag team C2E2 until it begged for mercy and in the end, the match was a draw.

Although C2E2 is a relatively young event, I will say that the staff did a remarkable job.  As one of the larger cons I’ve been to, everything was spread out nicely and the convention floor itself was laid out very well with plenty of room to walk around.  The event staff was extremely helpful and friendly and even though I walked until I had blisters on my feet, I had an amazing time.

I’m use to just walking around aimlessly through the cons I’ve been to with little regard for anything around me but vendors and cosplayers.  This year though, we had a purpose, to meet and greet as many artists, writers, publishers and the like as we possibly could.  Jason and I walked the floor for hours each day shaking hands, giving out business cards and talking up Word Of The Nerd as much as we could.  We met a ton of friendly and interesting folks and even got to meet some of our personal heroes.

One of my personal favorites I was excited to meet was Alex Milne from IDW.  Alex is the artistic genius behind many of IDW’s Transformers series.  Not only did I get to meet him, chat a while about my favorite Transformers comics, but I also got two terrific prints signed.

A short wait in line got us over to see Scott Snyder, writer of DC Comics’ Batman.  Scott was very cool and very gracious.  He even invited us back to chat with him, which unfortunately we never got the chance to do.  George Perez, Jamie Tyndall, Dan DiDio and Amy Okuda also took time out to meet us and hear us talk up the site.

Two particular things really stood out for me and ultimately made my weekend.  One was that I got to meet several girls from Suicide Girls, including my favorite Radeo.  She and the other girls were extremely sweet, friendly and smelled incredible.  I even made Radeo blush a little when I told her she was my favorite.

But the ultimate fan experience for me was getting to meet Birds of Prey and Batgirl writer Gail Simone.  Not only did we get to meet and chat with her a bit, her assistant also arranged a brief interview with Gail.  She took 15 minutes out of her signing schedule to chat with Jason about her career and maybe just a spoiler or two about upcoming events in Batgirl.

So as I sit in the airport awaiting my flight home, I am somewhat sad to be saying goodbye to Chicago and C2E2.  I picked up several books you can look forward to reviews of soon, got some prints and comics signed, picked up tons of free swag, took photos you’ll be able to see in our gallery soon, ate some authentic Chicago deep dish pizza and basically had the time of my life.

So from a true fan and an even truer nerd, thanks to my partner and friend Jason Padua, Scott Snyder, Alex Milne, Rachel Deering, George Perez, Dan Didio, Amy Okuda, Radeo and The Suicide Girls, Gail Simone, Geoff Johns, writers, artists, vendors, reps and especially to the folks who organized and put on C2E2 for a truly wonderful experience.  We made a lot of new contacts for the website and a lot of potential new content that will be coming your way soon.

 

 

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Cryptozoic Presents Felicia Day And Joe Hill At WonderCon

Mar. 17 Press Release no comments

Hey all you Wondercon attendees!  The Cryptozoic booth (#549) has some great stuff going on today!

At 11 AM today, Joe Hill and IDW Publishing’s chief creative officer, Chris Ryall will join Cryptozoic’s chief creative officer Cory Jones for a game of the new Locke & Key game! And, one lucky fan will be selected via a raffle to join the game and go head to head with these three guys! Immediately following at 12 noon everyone’s favorite geek girl Felicia Day will be visiting Cryptozoic to open packs of the new trading cards for The Guild produced by Cryptozoic.
Get on over there if you have the chance!

 

Cryptozoic has the following to say about these products.

Lock & Key: The Game

Locke & Key: The Game brings players into the mystical adventures of the New York Times best selling series, through a brand new gaming experience that captures all the psychological twists and frightening turns of the brand. Locke & Key: The Game features art directly from the awarding winning comic series, including specially designed cards for each of the series magical keys.

Locke & Key: The Game boasts enthralling competition for three to six players, and includes 150 strength cards, 19 challenge cards, 15 specially designed key cards based on the powerful keys in the series, plus one 3D stand-up, an initiative marker and a comprehensive rulebook.  Players compete to acquire strength cards and key cards to overcome the various challenges on the path towards victory. Players can mix and match these cards to create powerful combinations and new strategies as they decide whether to compete or cooperate with the other players to overcome the supernatural challenges of Keyhouse.

The original comic series Locke & Key is created and written by acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Horns, Heart-Shaped Box) and features astounding artwork from Eisner nominated Gabriel Rodriguez. Entering its fifth volume in summer 2012, Locke & Key tells the tale the Locke family and Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion. The mystery of Keyhouse is the magical keys and fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all.

The Guid Season 1 – 3 Trading Cards

The Guild Seasons 1-3 Trading Cards showcase moments from the first three seasons and features a 63 card base set along with feature autographs and memorabilia from the award-winning web series.

The Guild is an independent comedy web series that started in the late summer of 2007 and features episodes that follow the Guild members’ lives online and offline. The Guild has won numerous awards, including the SXSW, YouTube and Yahoo Web Series Awards in 2008, and 3 Streamy Awards in 2009: Best Comedy Web Series, Best Ensemble, and Best Actress for Felicia Day

The Guild Seasons 1-3 Trading Cards will be available in five card packs for $3.50 and a full 24-pack display for $84.00. The Guild Seasons 1-3 Trading Card Binder will be available for $30.00 and includes three exclusive comic book cover cards not available in packs.

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Rise Of The Foxy Fawkes!

Feb. 03 Comic Books, Press Release, Previews no comments

Hear ye, hear ye, lords and ladies! Attention, attention all ye faithful Guildies! What wonders await thee over the not so distant horizon? Pray read the following herald and find out!

*ahem* Had enough of the Olde English? Fair enough, then. For the sake of the sanity of all of you who are actually taking the time to read this humble piece of mine, the remainder shall be written in the vernacular ;)

Just when you thought that The Guild comics could not get any better, Guild creator–a multi-talanted and genuinely wonderful person–Felicia Day has partnered up with none other than Wil Wheaton (geek extraordinaire and general, all-round nice guy) to create a one-shot centered around none other than Wheaton’s recurring character in The Guild web-series–the dashing and chronically douchey Fawkes!

You remember him don’t you? The sexy, bad-boy gamer to which Felicia Day’s character of Cyd is chronically drawn? Like Batman and Catwoman, there is a genuine attraction between the two, and yet they can never truly be together because they go together like caramel and anchovies.

But don’t go thinking that this one-shot installment is going to be along the same lines as the other one-shots in the series.

Unlike the other Guild comics (distributed by the comic book powerhouse, Dark Horse Comics) which were origin pieces–basically a behind the scenes, getting-to-know-you with the various characters that constitute the Knights of Good–this particular installment actually takes place within the timeline of the series that we all know and love.

Due to come out on May 23rd of this year, this installment promises to be an amazing addition to the awesomeness that is The Guild.

Set after season 4 of the show, this issue reveals how Fawkes deals with his split from Codex and navigates the aggressive personalities of the Axis, and follows his journey to his surprising state when he returns in season 5!

Seriously…was anyone else surprised by Fawkes’ sudden appearance in Season 5? I sure as heck didn’t see it coming, and that made it all the more pleasant of a surprise. That’s right, I’m not ashamed to admit that I was openly looking for Fawkes all throughout Season 5. Why? Because he’s an awesome character as well the perfect foil for Cyd.

Now, what makes this particular one-shot exceptionally worthy of waiting in line for on May 23rd? Oh, nothing…except for the tiny fact that this is the first time in which we will finally get to see Fawkes’ in-game character! Seriously, how awesome is that? We also get more of a prolonged peek into the workings of the Axis of Anarchy whereas during the web-series, it was more of a passing glance.

One thing I can say is that this is a much more Axis of Anarchy centered story than we’ve ever seen before, even for the show.

Now, I don’t know about you, my fellow fans…but I have been dying to see Fawkes’ in-game character since he was first introduced into the series. After all, anyone who can control the likes of his rowdy (and that’s putting it very mildly) guild members has to be a complete and total badass, both out of game as well as in the game…but mostly in-game, right? After all, in the face of so aggressive a crowd, dominance is the key to ensuring that you remain on top. Simply put, you need to be meaner and and more sly than those over which you hold dominion.

Suffice to say, I’m uber excited about this!

Not just because this installment promises a furthering of The Guild comics (while I do understand why there’s such a long gap between their releases, that doesn’t make the wait between the issues any easier to endure), but because  for all his faults, Fawkes is a very complicated character that was only briefly touched upon in the series. You never really got a chance to see just what it is that makes him tick. What prompts him to be a complete and total douchebag (the scene in which he gets his jacket back from Cyd), one minute and then turn around and do something completely sincere (helping Cyd get to the creator of The Game) in the next? See what I mean? He’s a complicated character.

But all of that aside, one simply can’t deny that Fawkes is a sexy character who is both deserving of attention as well as long.  You don’t believe me? Take a look at the picture (that was actually painted by a fan and presented to Felicia at a Con) below. Seriously…who can resist a man in a kilt? I know I can’t…but that’s probably my Scottish blood talking ;)

Believe me now?

Good! I knew you would ;)

Have you hugged your nerd today?

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