you may not see girls in this photo, but trust me, they were there
A few weeks ago, literary workshop space 826 NYC threw a fundraising event with a hell of a high concept; Dungeons and Dragons....with girls. And while there's always been at least one girl in attendance during any RPG session I've ever embarked on, I can imagine that many DnD aficionados, through little to no fault of their own, have never had the chance to quest with an adventurer of the double-X persuasion. And that is an innuendo as well.
The organizers insured some female attendance by making registration free for girls, and it worked; about a third of the crowd were ladies, it was just like the inclusive nerd paradise I've always dreamed of. A lady-type even won the grand prize of the night; a luxurious golden crown. For the record, I was the first one to die at my table, due to my gonzo warrior playing style.
A few more pictures from the night, including the crowned winner....
It was a strictly 21 and over affair (maybe not that strictly), so the basement-food classics (doritos, pizza and candy) were paired with cans of Bud and bottles of Stella. The alcohol was also a brilliant stratagem on the part of the organizers, because in true 826 NYC fashion, cheats could be bought for "donations" to the charity pot. The more empties that accumulated on our table, the more our party was willing to shell out bucks for the chance to roll do-overs.
Here's our party facing four goblins...this is after I tried to steal from jewels from the eyes of a statue. Now, I personally know you don't do that, but does my character? No. Hence, goblins. That's just how I "roll". (--dies--)*
The winner was the player who had accumulated the most experience points by midnight; and here she is; Tracey, the Monarch of DnD Night! I was at a table with one of her friends (also a girl, and one of the more impressively committed RPers at my table), who took this photo after the big night. That crown was heavy and metallic, not some chintzy plastic thing. Shiny...
Do you make documentary films? 99% of the people I know do, and I myself am the errant one percent. Well, whether you make docs, like docs, or simply want to eat free barbecue and get maxed out on Rockstar at the open bar, this open-to-the-public indie film schmoozefest is the place to be. The question you have to ask yourself is this; is your fear of networking greater than your desire for free food and booze? Did I mention the open bar also includes beer and vodka? Shit!
Free Comic Book Day and a crazy clip show, after the jump... Saturday, May 3
Happy Free Comic Book Day! It's the comic geek's only national holiday. Highlights include free offerings from Hellboy, All Star Superman, Tiny Titans, Maintenance, and my personal favorite, OWLY! Go ahead, laugh. That book's cuteness transcends all barriers, even cynicism.
The internet has cut every living person's attention span in half, so perhaps the future of social entertainment (ie something that doesn't take place in front of your computer screen) is the Clip Party. Four solid hours of rare, culty, and otherwise captivating video clips, including old timey commercials, music videos from the likes of Joy Division, Desmond Dekker and Little Richard, and a sure-to-be-hilarious PSA titled "I Can't Believe It..." about sexually transmitted diseases. The future is curatorial. Come see what's on display.
Hey Gnerd readers! We're thinking of making Weekanerd a weekend feature only. We'll still have daily event listings on the right-hand sidebar, but we'll only do write-ups for Friday through Sunday. Is that cool with you? Let us know at tips@geekanerdblog.com.
"Circuit Bending" sounds kind of dirty, but it's not. It's the act of modifying electronic toys (getcha minds outta the gutta) to create all sorts of crazy audio, from symphonic melodies to R2D2esque doots and dweets. Tonight's concert includes seven performers from around the globe, plus Free Singha beer from 7pm to 7:30, which is important cause it seems like you might want to be just a leeetle bit altered in your perceptions to fully appreciate the festivities. Check out the website for full listings, including workshops on Saturday in case you want to bend some circuits of your own. If you know what I mean.
Mario Kart Wii and 2001 with the weirdest bunch of guests ever, after the jump...
FREE, 2pm @ Nintendo World Store, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan
Test drive the new game, see if those Wii Wheels are worth the cheap plastic their molded from, and get ready to learn how to do blue sparks all over again. Jason Priestly will be making a personal appearance, apparently he owns something called the Rubicon Race Team and well...I guess that's not keeping him too busy. All I want to know is if these guys will be there...
$25, 3pm @ Pace University, 3 Spruce Street, Manhattan
Before there was GLaDOS, there was HAL. Wait, 25 dollars?! Oh right, it's part of the Tribeca Film Festival. So in addition to the screening, you get a panel afterwards with this ragtag bunch: Buzz Aldrin(!), Contact screenwriter Ann Druyan, MIT Professor Marvin Minsky, Matthew Modine and Ira Flatow. Jeesh! Sounds like the cast of some nerd's fever dream.
$5, 11pm @ The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, 307 w. 26th, Manhattan
mc chris doesn't like being called nerdcore, and I think that's fine, because -core is surely the most pretentious of all suffixes. mc will perform his new album for the first time at this show, so if you're a fan of, erm, raps about predominately nerdy subject matter (good), you'll want to be able to say, "I was there."
Free trash talking and a Guitar Hero tournie, after the jump...
FREE! 7:30 @ Union Hall, 702 Union Street, Brooklyn
Billed as a "useless lecture series", this monthly event is less expensive than Grad School and almost as likely to get you a job. Four nerds will talk about their experiences in waste managements, and no that's not a euphemism for the mafia. Expect to see some freegans wearing clothes made out of bottlecaps, and hope they play this song at least once:
FREE! 7pm @ The Apple Store Soho, 103 Prince Street, Manhattan
Hey remember that game people used to play before Rock Band? Me neither. JUST KIDDING, Guitar Hero will always be Geekanerd's first love as far as pretend-guitar games go. Entrance to this tournie is first come first served, the prize is a gift card for five free songs at the iTunes Store. Wait, what? Are you serious? Apple, you can't shell out more than $5 dollars in prize money for your own in-store events? This is a bad sign people, dump your stock ASAP...
No Thursday this week! Know something good happening on April 10th? Leave it in the comments or use the email link in the sidebar.
Planet of the Apes Various showtimes @ Ziegfeld Theatre, 141 West 54th Street, Manhattan
Sure, you could see the original movie, or you can just watch the video below, a screen adaptation of Stop The Planet of the Apes: I Want To Get Off...
The Ruins preview, Jonathan Lethem talks Omega, and crazy comic strip brilliance, after the jump... Tuesday, April 1
The Ruins has a terrible poster. You'd think in this, the age of amputation pron, they could come up with a slightly creepier image than a person with leaves and twigs on their neck. Of course a bad ad campaign doesn't necessarily correlate to a bad film - April Fools! It almost always does. But seriously, from 6 - 8, there will be Ruins swag and free screening passes for a preview on April 3rd. Although the most worthwhile thing you will likely get out of the evening is the drink special; $2 Margaritas!
If any comic on the stands deserves a Q&A it's this one; perhaps the creative team will help to decode a bit of the symbolism and straight-faced absurdity that characterizes this book. The talk starts at 7pm, with signing to follow, so bring yer books!
7pm @ Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House, 58 West 10th Street, Manhattan
I was really excited when I saw this. Ben Katchor writes comics that get published in a number of places, including a San Francisco free weekly paper that I used to read. I LOVED reading his comic, but looking at his website, I have no idea which of his many comics I was reading- they all seem to be about hotels in one form or another. That may not sound exciting, but trust me, they're absurd and hilarious and the artwork is stunning. If you need to be convinced, check out this episode of Hotel and Farm about sleeping on beds of lettuce.
The future of American politics is MySpace? Are all the candidates trying to launch indie rock music careers? Winograd and Hais will lecture on how much the intra-net has effected the current campaigns, and will sign copies of their new book. How I long for the day Americans can use Wii votes for elections, and the long silent reclusive nerd voice will be heard.
Science Fiction Lounge, John Woo Anime, and Russian Animation... Tuesday, March 25,
A weird 1920s Russian sci-fi movie with a live sound track by a "first class improviser's quartet". Hit the link to hear samples of the musicians. 10 bucks plus a $10 drink min, reservations are recommended.
7pm (Doors at 6:15) @ The ImaginAsian, 239 East 59th Street, Manhattan
The original Appleseed movie was fun in a confusing, kind of boring way. But at the New York Anime Festival I saw a clip of the opening scene of this "upgraded" version of the film, produced by John Woo, and let's just say it featured flying birds and people shooting guns with two hands. IMPORTANT: RSVP at that link ASAP, you're supposed to do it by 12pm on Monday.
Check out that animation - Miro, right? Budovskiy will talk about the past, present, and possibly future of Russian Animation. Though as far as I'm concerned, this is the last word in Russian animation...
I'm not going to lie. I saw Hard Boiled in high school, and I thought it was kind of boring. But I'm not an action connoisseur, and I do appreciate the status this film holds among many film geeks, in particular fans of Hong Kong ultraviolence. And even if you don't have a particular affinity for Hard Boiled, this screening has a pretty awesome gimmick - the film will run on three screens simultaneously, one showing the new, remastered DVD edition and the other two running the rickety old version. This is like porn for spec nerds. Plus it's totally free, oh except for a $10 drink minimum, but dude, it's St. Patrick's Day.
Real life teleporters, and Greg Pak, after the jump ... Tuesday, March 18,
6pm @ The New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St. at Barclay St., 40th fl, Manhattan
For all our advances in this modern world, iPhones and DSes just don't make up for the glaring lack of teleporters, time travel, and invisible planes. Theoretical Physics expert Michio Kaku will lecture on issues discussed in his book, Physics of the Impossible, and will hopefully give us all reason to believe that the stuff seen on Star Trek may someday make it into real life. Also I want a Portal Gun. RSVP is required on the website, tickets are $25 for nonmembers, $15 for students, and $10 for members.
6pm @ Jim Hanley's Universe, 4 West 33rd St., Manhattan
Got some Hulk-related fanboy questions for Greg Pak? Want to strike up a Socratic dialogue about Action Philosophers with author Fred Van Lente? Too bad, cause this discussion and signing is all about their work on Incredible Hercules, and how the book comes together from script to finished art. But you can probably sneak in some geeky questions about their other stuff too. Just make sure you bring a copy of Incredible Hercules #115 to get signed, so you don't look like a dick!
Film critic J. Hoberman is celebrating his 30th year at the Village Voice, so BAM is showcasing a number of films he memorably reviewed, or just plain liked a lot. Hoberman will introduce this screening of Eraserhead, who called it a "piece of post-nuclear guignol" in his original 1977 review.
Comic bloggers, Lost, and gym class flashbacks after the jump... Tuesday, March 11
Comic bloggers on parade! If you have any questions about where the comic industry is headed (or the comic blogging industry), this is the place to get your voice heard. Tickets are, as always, a mere $5.
7pm @ Some Gym in Manhattan (you need to RSVP for the address)
Dodgeball may generally be associated with positive memories for geekanerds, but you're all grown up now and surely decades of playing first person shooters have sharpened up your hand eye co-ordination. Registration is $15, which guarantees you at least two games. Winners get two pitches and free Pizza at the Boss Tweed after party. Losers get to feel bad about themselves. The website says it's co-ed, friendly, and 22 and over. Thursday, March 13
6:30 @ Professor Thom's, 219 2nd Avenue, Manhattan
Free jello shots whenever someone says "oceanic 6" or punches Ben. I don't even like Lost, and I know that's awesome. I passed by this place last week, they've got the show on a bunch of huge screens and the volume is cranked, if you're concerned about missing some valuable info in a public setting.
7:30 @ The New Museum Theater, 235 Bowery, Manhattan
Improv Everywhere is gently subversive organization responsible for the No Pants Subway Ride and recent internet video sensation, Frozen Grand Central Station. In their seven year history, the group has executed over seventy missions full of frivolity and good natured mischief. They're like the bizzaro version of Anonymous. This event is $8, and will include screenings of some of their past missions and a talk with founder Charlie Todd (ATTEND THE TALE). You should show up with no pants on, I bet they'd think that was hilarious.
Serious brawls and bogus journeys after the jump... Saturday, March 8
This is actually the grande finale of a four-state tour, and the winner of NYC's qualifying round will go directly into the finals, battling it out with winners from across the nation. Full rules are on the official page, but basically 256 people can sign up, and registration starts at 3pm....so if you want to play you better plan on making a day out of it. Brawls are one-on-one, which is total bullshit, but whatever. The grand prize is a crystal-coated Wii (oh America/Japan and your embarrassing decadence), a home theater system, and of course the game. There are three other prize packs, again, check the link.
7pm@ Hugs Drive-In Theater, 108 North 6th Street, Brooklyn
The myspace page is cryptic, but apparently this is free and you get free popcorn too. Presumably you don't need a car, but what do I know. I'll tell you what I do know...
I'm telling you people, low-fi recreations....they're reaching critical mass. This production promises to recreate live on stage, scene by scene, the entirety of Spielberg's finest work of cinema. How will they do it? Much paper mache is said to be involved, and probably no small amount of theatrical ingenuity. This event has been talked up quite a bit from the Village Voice to the NYTimes, so I know I'm getting there early.
UPDATE 3/4/08: If you missed this, we've got a full report.
Your chance to meet a whole bunch of comic creators, after the jump... Tuesday, March 4
Midnight @ Midtown Comics West, 200 W 40th Street, Manhattan
If you really want to stalk Peter David, you actually have two event options; at 8pm at Comic Book Club, Peter will talk nerd shop with the lads from The Stack, so if you go to that first you can have something to talk to him about during those all important 20 seconds when he's signing your copy of Dark Tower (or any of the other great books he's writing, for that matter).
7pm @ Housing Works Cafe, 126 Crosby Street, Manhattan
French comic-book creators Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian, the duo responsible for the award winning comic anthology Get A Life, will talk about "the global graphic novel", which sounds very grandiose and probably has something to do with Tin Tin.
Wow, so many comic artists are doing events this week! They must all be in town to see the Jurassic Park show. Adapted from the book Three Days as the Crow Flies, '85 is a graphic novel about NYC in a tumultuous time, with lots of drug addicts, artists, and other off-the-grid grittiness.
All Day @Jim Hanley's Universe, both locations in Manhattan and Staten Island
Happy birthday Superman! Please note this is not some sort of lame publishing date sort of birthday, but Kal El's actual birthday, as cited by editor Julie Schwartz. Given that today is leap year, Kryptonian days are different than earth days, and a number of other crazy factors, this birthday thing is much more complicated than it seems, you can read about it here but it honestly it was too much even for me. THE POINT IS: 50% off all Superman merch at Jim Hanley's. This probably opens them up to lots of nerd arguments like, "Absolute Dark Knight: Hard Cover Edition is totally about Superman! He's in it, isn't he? He's an essential component of the story, he's in the last act!"
David Bowie sketch party and King Kong, after the jump... Saturday, March 1
I hope you aren't sick of hearing about these David Bowie themed events, because I'm not sick of writing them. Dr. Sketchy's offers life-drawing sessions with a heavy emphasis on sexiness and geekiness, two things you so rarely see together. This month's event will feature the lovely Madame Rosebud in a variety of David Bowie guises, which promises to be all sorts of androgynous fun. Table reservations are all booked, so show up early ($10 at the door) if you want to grab a spot on the floor.
This is the absolute place to be this weekend if you have any interest in King Kong whatsoever. Come to the 1pm show to enter the Fay Wray Scream-Alike contest for a chance to win a year's Film Forum membership, a King Kong 2-Disc Collectors Edition DVD, a trip to the top of the Empire State Building, and a chance to scream on the Today's Show! I promise you that is the most you will ever win for your ability to scream like a girl. Hit the link for a list of very respectable celebrity judges and more neat prizes.
$27, 6:30pm @ The Times Center, 41st St b/w 7th + 8th, Manhattan
Advanced tickets are sold out, but there's going to be some available at the door at 5:30pm. Now if you couldn't tell from the heading this talk is supposed to be about theater or somesuch nonsense, but don't let them get away with that. Rise up and demand Cox and McShane improvise a William Stryker / Al Swearengen showdown.
Comic talk and drunken video gaming after the jump...
$5, 8pm @ The People's Improv Theater, 154 W 29th St, Manhattan
Just about the only big weekly event in NYC that's unabashedly, unironically geekanerdy. Oh, and it's funny. This week's edition features Cable/Deadpool creators Fabian Nicieza, Reilly Brown, and Nicole Boose.
You're gonna buy new comics today anyway (aren't you?), so you might as well get a 20% discount on them! Yeah yeah, I couldn't find anything better going on today.
These guys have Rock Band, two Wiis, a PS2, N64, NES, Atari and a buncha big screens. Sounds like a load of casual gaming fun, and word is free tequila may be flowing...
8pm @The Bleecker Street Theater, 45 Bleecker St, Manhattan
Not entirely unlike the Cut & Paste Design Tournament, an Art Battle is an exhibition of work that artists create right there in the gallery. It'll be like one of these cheesy speed-painting videos, but much slower and more artsy.
Movies movies movies after the jump... Saturday, February 23
@ The Museum of Modern Art (Titus Theater 1), 11 W. 53rd St, Manhattan
If you're still trying to get your Oscar betting picks together, this film might deliver some insight on what it has historically taken to win the big ones, having won Best Picture, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Director, and Screenplay in 1975.
Sunday, February 24
The 2008 Oscars
8pm @ Various Places
There aremanyOscarparties around the city, but none I thought looked particularly interesting or geeky, and all of which are expensive. It's a living room sort of event anyway.
6:30pm @ Museum of Modern Art (Titus Theater 2), 11 W. 53rd Street, Manhattan
Boy this sounds horrible. Shitty cell phone video quality blown up to fill a theater-sized screen? If you say so, MOMA! I can't help but be curious. One entry is called "They Can Shoot Me But They Can't Kill Me And Neither Can You" and that sounds really good.
Ain't no party like a toy trading party cause a toy trading party don't stop! Get the Dunnies you need for your collection in a more socially gratifying environment than eBay. Plus eBay buyers usually won't accept original artwork or other toys as payment, and chances are some of the cool cats at this trading party will.
7pm @ The Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, Manhattan
Animated war propaganda is as entertaining as it is unsettling, as anyone who's watched Walt Disney Treasures - On the Front Lines will attest. As a sheltered American, I've rarely had the chance to see propaganda from other countries, and this sample of animated shorts from 1930-40s Japan promises a very different brand of ambiguity-free emotional manipulation. These films will be presented with recently created music and live narration, and the program includes titles such as Momotaro's Sky Adventure and Sankichi the Monkey: The Storm Troopers. $10, $4.50 for students.
This year's crop of Oscar Short Docs and Michel Gondry invites you to (re)make art, after the jump... Saturday, February 16
Do you want to make a lo-fi recreation of your favorite movie, but you need the process to be within a carefully structured environment? You're in luck! As part of a new exhibit of Michel's Gondry's art/promotion for Be Kind Rewind, Gondry will be making over the Deitch gallery in the image of the video store from his film, complete with a backlot with ready-made sets and video equipment so attendees can (re)make their own movies. The videos will then be exhibited in the gallery, so this is your shot at fame, people. Commercial New York Art World Fame! Sunday, February 17
5pm@ The Museum of Modern Art (Titus Theater 1), 11 W. 53rd St, Manhattan
The bane of every Oscar Pool is the Documentary Shorts category. Usually an educated guess amounts to looking up the synopsizes and trying to pick something about the holocaust. But thanks to MOMA, you can now watch the four nominees yourself and either vote your heart or gauge for yourself what those squares in the academy will like. $10 or $6 for students.
Just a reminder on this wet n' sloppy Wednesday to get down to the Union Square Virgin Megastore tonight at 6:30pm for some serious Rock Band action. It's not too late to sign up to compete, either, so give the store a call at 212-598-4666, it's FREE! The method of judging is a mystery, but First Place will get a $500 Virgin gift card and there are other prizes from Dreamauthentics (they make arcade cabinets!), Sprint (they make phones!), MTV Games (they make Rock Band!), Logitech (they make mice!), and EA Games (they ALSO make Rock Band!). Anyway, we'll be there so prepare to be schooled by some Geekanerds.
I finally saw Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, and it was lots of nasty fun. I love it when a plan comes apart. Film historian Foster Hirsch will moderate a conversation with Sidney Lumet, who has a directed a whopping forty-four features in his fifty year career, and I guarantee you've heard of at least ten. A limited number of tickets will be available at the box office on the day of, call (212) 727-8110 for details.
Nerd trivia, Rock Band tournie, and old timey anime after the jump... Tuesday, February 12
8pm @ Black Rabbit Bar, 91 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn
The website says this is "the world's nerdiest trivia night". I think the world's nerdiest trivia night is not being held in a bar, but in a tenth grader's basement. But enough about me and my sordid past. Timmy Williams of ubiquitous The Whitest Kidz U Know hosts with pseudo-celeb Amiee Carlson. Smarties win shots and a there's a $25 bar tab for the winner.
6:30pm @ Virgin Megastore Union Square, 52 East 14th Street, Manhattan
What's it take to win these things? Skill? Showmanship? Pink and red valentine's day themed costumes? I don't know, but you can win a $500 Virgin gift if you figure it out. Sign up ahead of time at NYC Virgin Megastores, it's free.
you may not see girls in this photo, but trust me, they were there
It was a strictly 21 and over affair (maybe not that strictly), so the basement-food classics (doritos, pizza and candy) were paired with cans of Bud and bottles of Stella. The alcohol was also a brilliant stratagem on the part of the organizers, because in true 826 NYC fashion, cheats could be bought for "donations" to the charity pot. The more empties that accumulated on our table, the more our party was willing to shell out bucks for the chance to roll do-overs.
Here's our party facing four goblins...this is after I tried to steal from jewels from the eyes of a statue. Now, I personally know you don't do that, but does my character? No. Hence, goblins. That's just how I "roll". (--dies--)*
The winner was the player who had accumulated the most experience points by midnight; and here she is; Tracey, the Monarch of DnD Night! I was at a table with one of her friends (also a girl, and one of the more impressively committed RPers at my table), who took this photo after the big night. That crown was heavy and metallic, not some chintzy plastic thing. Shiny...
