Online shopping has opened up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to representing your favorite fandoms. You can now find unique pieces from all over the world in just a few clicks! The smaller, more obscure items that you have always wanted can now be purchased in minutes. That is pretty darn cool if you ask me.
Wearable representations of your interests can help spark conversations with fellow fans and give people a better understanding of who you are. If a Doctor Who dress makes you happy then why the heck not show it off? I say rock your fandoms.
I know, now you want to go buy tons of awesome nerdy pieces but don’t know where to start. Well, I have you covered. Enjoy this list of awesome nerdy shops! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Her Universe
photo courtesy of Her Universe
Founded by Ashley Eckstein in 2009, Her Universe started with the mission to create stylish, fashion-forward merchandise for female sci-fi fans. Their clothing is adorable and features many different worlds and characters. No longer do you have to visit the men’s section to find awesome Star Wars shirts. Her Universe has them. Not a shirt and jeans kind of chick? Sport your interests in the form of a Captain America dress! They have some of the cutest geek-related dresses that I have ever found. Celebrate your inner-nerd while rocking a flattering fit and flair dress or super cool jewelry. Sounds perfect to me!
Jordandené
photo courtesy of Jordandené
Combining nerdy interests with awesome handmade goods is what Jordandené is all about. Their first product, the geek chic apron, was intended to make mundane household tasks a little more tolerable. Now they sell everything from tank tops, t-shirts, baby onesies, to awesome tote bags. Their shirts feature memorable quotes from all different fandoms. This shop has a little something for every fan in your life. I wouldn’t blame you if you bought yourself a gift.
ThinkGeek
photo courtesy of ThinkGeek
Started in 1999, ThinkGeek has been on a mission to create a world where people are given the freedom to fully embrace their inner geek. They started with clever t-shirts and unusual gifts and have grown into the spectacular shop we see today. Their site now includes toys, tech gadgets, home and office items (my kryptonite), and so much more! If you’ve seen someone with a really cool nerdy product and wondered where you could get your own, check ThinkGeek. They have stuff from Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and so much more. This online store is a great place to find a fun gift for your Game of Thrones obsessed friend or your Whovian girlfriend. Want to nerd up your apartment? They have a set of R2-D2 measuring cups to fulfill your need. If you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the time. I will warn you that you should wait until payday. Otherwise you will be pineing for far too long.
SuperHero Stuff
photo courtesy of SuperHero Stuff
Founded way back in 1999, SuperHeroStuff.com started in a basement in Portland, Oregon. Since then, they’ve grown into an online shop with a wide variety of superhero merchandise. Love superhero goodies? Well, this site has them: T-shirts; car accessories; pajamas; and so much more! I mean, you can even buy your own cape. While I agree with the wonderful movie, The Incredibles, on capes (too dangerous in the field), I wouldn’t mind having one to wear around the apartment.
Etsy
photo courtesy of PocketSizedObserver on Etsy
You may already know about Etsy but I felt like it needed to be on this list. Etsy was founded in 2005 in an apartment in Brooklyn, New York. The creators wanted to fill a need for a space where makers and artists could sell their handmade and vintage goods as well as craft supplies. It now has over 20.8M active buyers and 32M item for sale. What is awesome about Etsy is that it has some of the most unique items ever! Almost anything you can think of can be found on Etsy. It is a black hole for spending. You will always find more and more things to buy. It gets dangerous. Simply search your favorite fandom and wondrous treasures will appear before your eyes. The added bonus is that by purchasing unique pieces on Etsy, you support small businesses and entrepreneurs. And that is a pretty awesome thing.
Now go forth and find your new favorite trinket! Know of an awesome shop that wasn’t mentioned? Share it in the comments!
Hilary Joyner
Contributor
@cutiecameras
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It is the day, or maybe week, after you have attended a convention where you walked away with a ton of swag (yay!). You’ve had time to come to terms with the money you spent and are now super excited to show off all of your goodies. Here is the trouble: how do you properly display your pieces while still making your space feel “adult-ish” and maintaining their beauty? AHH! It is okay, don’t stress out. I am here to help you pimp out your space! Do people still say that? Who cares! Let’s get started!
Art prints
Sure they gave you that beautiful art print inside a snuggly clear bag but that doesn’t look too classy on the wall. I suggest framing that little guy. I know you just dropped a ton of money, so spending even more makes your stomach dance. Fear not! I buy most of my frames from Michael’s. They have affordable prices, frequent sales, AND lots of coupons! First hunt around to see if your print will fit into a standard frame and if it doesn’t, get an estimate for custom framing. Everything looks better in a frame. Trust me on this one. Even movie posters feel like adult pieces of art when framed.
Figurines
I personally have a huge problem with buying too many figurines. They take up space on your desk and before you know it you are swimming in adorable little people (or creatures) that just stare at you while you try to be productive (but really are watching Netflix). They aren’t watching you, even though it may feel that way. Buy a cute little shelf, like this, to display them on instead!! That way they are off of your precious counter space and you no longer pay attention to their judgy eyes after a marathon of Supernatural. Ikea has some great shelves at affordable prices.
Photos
Did you snap a ton of awesome photos at the convention? Awesome! You have a few ways you can remember those memories. First, you could make super cute magnets with PicStick! Photos on your fridge are the best! For a traditional route, get them printed! You have many options when it comes to getting photo prints made but my favorite it Shutterfly. They offer a ton of options so you can get exactly what you want. After you have your prints, pick up some frames to make those bad boys super fancy.
Small random things that don’t really fit in anything
I always end up collecting too many business cards, cute tiny stickers, and more while at conventions. I always feel like I can’t get rid of them but want to do more than just throw them in a box and forget about them. My solution? Buy a photo album with sticky pages. Add any super cool wristbands, adorable business cards, or cute person’s phone number in there *wink*. The great part about these sticky pages is that you can put in whatever little loose odds and ends you can’t part with. All in the same spot! Did I blow your mind?
Or, if you bought items like say, a stuffed animal, then you may want a fancier way of showing them off. Try using a cart! It looks nice, draws attention to your treasures, and is mobile! Switch up the look of a room almost immediately by moving your cart. Alright, now I definitely blew your mind.
Have some handy tips and tricks for enjoying your latest purchases? Tell us about them!
Hillary Joyner
Contributor
@cameracuties
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There is a giant misconception about Tumblr.
Okay, perhaps misconception isn’t quite the word I’m looking for, but too often I hear about the “weeaboos” or the “pillow humping/emotional teenagers” who seemingly populate the site. This leads me to think that perhaps the population doesn’t quite know how to USE Tumblr.
In case this particular part of the internet has so far escaped your attentions, allow me to fill you in briefly.
Tumblr is a blogging platform, where you can create your own blog about whatever you wish, which CAN run the gamut from boy bands to comics to romantic musings to hardcore porn. It is whatever you want it to be. Not into any of those things? The fantastic thing about Tumblr, is all (or none) of this can show up in your feed. Tumblr experiences are based on who you follow. Your feed is not clogged with hormone ridden teenagers if you don’t follow them.
Tumblr looks like this in my brain.
My own personal Tumblr is mainly stuff I reblog from comic artists, comic writers, quotes I find inspiring, news stories I feel need to be read by everyone, feminist op/eds, random things from my fellow Valkyries & friends, and yeah, the odd porn gif in the wee hours of the morning, because those are the types of blogs I chose to follow.
Other people see these things IF they follow me, otherwise, my blog remains on a tiny bit of kinda undiscovered internet.
Random screencap from my feed.
Logging into my blog is a vastly unique experience to me, and it’s one that has helped me grow as a person. Prior to joining Tumblr, I was very much unaware of how my way of thinking was clouded by misogyny, and how completely oblivious I was to many social issues. I have Tumblr to thank for this “awakening” although at times it’s like almost everything has some underlying homophobic or transphobic or racist or misogynist, and it definitely makes me want to help make changes in the world.
This is not to say there aren’t negative sides to Tumblr. As always, this is the fucking internet, and everyone has a voice, so you do come across your trolls, your extreme social justice “warriors”, your sexist asshats who want you to show your tits, but thankfully, there is a block button, and the opportunity to surround yourself with positive blogs that pertain to your interests.
If you haven’t given Tumblr a try, you should. It’s a fun, and sometimes enlightening experience that sucks all your time aw
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Harry Potter. Avengers. Doctor Who. Sherlock. Long ago, the four fandoms lived together in harmony and then everything changed when I discovered Supernatural. Only Tumblr, master of all fandoms, could help me and as I fell further and further into gifs, I became obsessed. Months passed and I fell in love with the series and its stars, Jensen and Jared. Although I’ve finished all eight seasons, I have to wait with everyone else. I believe Supernatural can save the world.
If you had told me six months ago that I would be balls deep in a CW show, I would have punched your face. A bad Buffy rip-off with very attractive male leads? Hard pass. At the urging of several friends (none of whom knew each other, all of whose opinions I respected), I begrudgingly began the series, seven seasons of which were available on Netflix.
The words that launched millions of fans into this fandom struck me hard, and although I didn’t know it yet, behind my rolled eyes and scoffs at their cheesy lines, I was irrevocably smitten with the show. It wasn’t long until I was in tears over an episode, and black Impalas caused my breath to hitch. Perhaps you’re like me and have only heard mentions of the show. What’s it about, you wonder? Dean (Jensen Ackles) and his brother Sam (Jared Padalecki) are the sons of a respected hunter, John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who specializes in the supernatural. When John goes missing while tracking down an entity which killed their mother, the boys head out to follow his trail, slaying monsters and creatures along the way.
With this foolproof recipe for every episode, the show explores the at first strained relationship between the brothers, allowing us to become emotionally attached to them as the story arcs intertwine into one pleasantly satisfying backbone. Later seasons introduce new characters, such as fan favorite Castiel (Misha Collins), a rebellious angel, scruffy father figure Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver), and the King of Hell, played by a man you may have seen in many other shows (Mark Shephard),
Later seasons also disposed of the standard “themed bad guy/Winchesters save the day” in favor of more in depth stories, some spanning several episodes, particularly when the angels become key players. Episode titles also evolved from generic one worded phrases like “Wendigo,” “Scarecrow,” or “Bugs,” to hilarious pop culture sentences such as “Are you there, God? It’s me, Dean Winchester,” and “Live free or Twi-Hard.”
Now, gents, you might have hesitated on watching this show due to thoughts of it pandering to its female audience. Shirtless scenes are few, far between, and, sorrowfully, brief. As far as the cast being a sausage fest, well, I haven’t even mentioned the gorgeous ladies of Supernatural.
Fellow hunter Jo Harvelle
The demon, Ruby (version 1.0)
The demon, Ruby (version 2.0)
The demon, Meg (version 2.0)
Friend to the Winchesters, Charlie
In my attempt to embrace being part of the fandom, I lost track of myself and didn’t write for weeks at a time. I went hours glued to Netflix. Meals were scavenged in the few seconds the title card appeared on screen. I became active in Tumblr, reblogging gifs faster than I’m proud to admit. I joined the legions of fans screaming of feels upon hearing the first measures of Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son” and I am currently looking at the Jensen Ackles sticker on my Tardis patterned notebook. Judge me not, fellow geeks, for I assure you, should you give Supernatural a fair chance (season 2 for me was where I really started watching with interest), you may find yourself longingly wishing to attend a Supernatural convention, and you may not. As with all shows, there are extreme portions of the fandom, and I plead with you to not be scared off by them; they’re mostly harmless.
I finished the most recent season about a month ago and to get my fix, to cure my lust for more, I scoured YouTube for interviews and convention footage of the stars, feeling like a puppy begging for scraps, hints, anything about what may lie ahead. LITERALLY, I HAVE SPENT HOURS ON YOUTUBE. I am not hyperbolizing. Thankfully the gods have blessed us with a 5-minute long sneak peek and a 1-minute promotional commercial and that has sated the beast that resides in my heart. For now.
I leave you now with this, a peek at the hilarious moments of Supernatural, for not only will the show pluck at those heartstrings, it will tickle that funny bone.
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Those who know me know I refer to my field of interests as multiclassing. I enjoy sporting events as well as comic cons. I like talking about the merits of strategy in sports as much as I do strategies for Final Fantasy boss fights. I even enjoy arguing about the greatness of sports players as well as the greatness of all of the different Doctors. I think it’s good to be a well rounded sort of guy that way.
I naturally then subscribe to a host of different things on social media, and some of them are Doctor Who related (I even tried lobbying BBC to make me the brown doctor to no avail). So last month I saw what I considered to be a nice and funny post listing similarities between a Doctor Who Convention and the Super Bowl (that’s American Football for our ex-US friends) and found it wonderful. These were the points, according to the post, listed that both types events provided:
- Lots of fans traveling from all over to gather together and celebrate something that they love watching on TV
- Sometimes they dress up as their favorite characters
- A good place to make friends and have fun
- Usually you come home with lots of merchandise and souvenirs
- If you’re lucky, you might even get to meet one of the stars and get an autograph
How great is that? Sports and traditional geekery coming together to recognize the similarities between everyone. And you know me kids, I like bringing people together. I’ve even written on the topic of how we’re all the same, like how fantasy football and World of Warcraft share a lot. So this post made me really happy.
Until, that is, I started reading the comments. I know, I know, I should have just applied the YouTube comments rule and ignored them but once I started getting into them, I had a big problem reading some of them that were dripping in what can only be described as the old-school “geek vs sports” mentality. Something struck me as odd though – opposite of traditional convention, the venom was coming from the geeks to be hurled at the sports fans on the page. Unsolicited, and with a vengeance. Dozens of people posted about how these events could not possibly be the same because “football is for losers,” or that sci fi / doctor fans are “much smarter people,” or that football doesn’t “require thought” and fans of sports are somehow dumber. The vast majority of what I’ll call “partisan” commentary was against sports fans. I only spotted a couple actually insulting sci-fi fans, and those “insults” really didn’t get much harsher than “it’s not real.”
Seriously?
A fandom and community that might have been used to judgment over their lifetime is now slinging the judgment at others? And I might add, in an unsolicited manner? It was rough getting through it and feeling like these folks were trying to recreate a version of high school were the stereotypical geeks had the social upper hand. Or that maybe they were slinging this venom because that’s what their fandom dictates they do. Either way, it really upset me. For those who claim that Doctor who is about acceptance and people being themselves, they sure didn’t play the part. So why are traditional geeks, one of the groups I do identify with, taking this route? Are these the same people that reveled in Simon Pegg’s recent definition of “geek” that can now be found all over the internet? Are we so “open and accepting” to shun everyone that doesn’t identify with us? It’s spooky, and I don’t like it.
And I’m going to be the one to say it – all this reverse judging? Not ok guys. “Ew, dumb jock” and “Ugh, stupid nerd” ended in high school. Fans of both express their fandom, and the stereotype that sports fans have the IQ of a walnut is just as over-generalized as the one about nerds living in a basement doing their thing with anime/sci-fi/computers 24/7. If you’re a “nerd” judging others then you’ve become the very people who pestered you when you were/are young, if that’s your motivation here.
Both events and both “camps” have community as a big part of their fandom, and conversations on “who was the greatest running back/wide receiver” happen just as frequently as “who was the best doctor/companion.”
Now I think I have a unique perspective here. I’m a big geek in the traditional sense. I’m wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt typing this right now. I have this Saturday’s Doctor Who episode set to record because I’m not going to be around. I spend my downtime gaming. I launched my Final Fantasy career with the original on the NES when I was 8. On the other hand, I love football, and I do my best to watch every Eagles game during the season, regardless of how they’re doing. I try to get out and play golf as often as I can when the weather’s nice. Back in high school I did quiz bowl and debate after my advanced programming classes, but still played Ultimate Frisbee after school and was friends with the guys on the football team. You can say I have a foot in both camps as it were, and I do understand both sides of the coin.
Which is why I say to everyone, with love, that it’s time to grow the hell up. I understand that everyone is passionate about what they love and develop fierce loyalties. And we gravitate to people who share those passions and find a sense of community. But why does that mean that every other community is somehow inferior or less intelligent or somehow worse than yours? I just don’t get it, not these days anyway. According to these Whovian purists, has my INT stat taken a hit because I have a mind for sports as well?
According to my social media feeds, yeah. And that’s sad. I can guarantee you that once football season starts and posts/tweets about the NFL start ramping up in a couple months, so will the tweets and posts from those who feel intellectually superior, making damn sure that you know they’re too intellectually superior to watch sports. You will also, however, find that the reverse is not true at all. How do I know? because I’ve seen it every season since I’ve been on Twitter.
So are there really fan-based geek outcasts anymore? The folks I play fantasy football with are the same people who I used to raid with. “Sports geeks” as I call some of my friends know every stat and every event, both major and minor, in their arena of sports interests. They’re also some of the sharpest minds I’ve met.
So back to what I was talking about before in regards to Simon Pegg’s geek redefinition:
“Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating.”
Is there anyone here that disagrees? He put into words how I’ve always felt. And there’s a place and room for a lot of different types of folks at my table.
To those who feel like the negative facebook commenters, did I betray you? Have I gone astray from your fierce Whovian fandom? Then in the words of the Doctor himself:
Please, point a gun at me if it helps you relax.
Tushar Nene
Staff Writer
@tusharnene
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In my hurry to write an article worth reading on this lazy Sunday, I received a text from my co-worker, on one of the few shows I recommended she watch: WB’s 1999 hit Roswell. Who hasn’t seen Roswell? Well, apparently, tons of people under 25.
When there isn’t a new episode of Doctor Who, Sherlock (hang in there!), Supernatural, Game of Thrones, Merlin (I’m so, so sorry), what are we to do? Sure, we can browse Tumblr until the sun comes up, literally, but let’s be real, we all want something new to obsess over. Where can we find completed/ended shows that will instill those feelings of angst, those heart aching moments of pure sadness? IN THE PAST, OF COURSE. Without further ado, here are three shows you can find to fill in your void (all puns intended).
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – I am almost pained to find out there are people who have not seen this. I keep in mind they are but young people, so it wasn’t part of their after school experience like it was for me. BTVS revolves around Buffy Summers, the latest in a line of young women known as “Vampire Slayers” or simply “Slayers.” Slayers are “called” to battle against vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness. Like earlier Slayers, Buffy is aided by a Watcher, who guides, teaches, and trains her. She encounters love (of a particularly forbidden nature) and loss throughout the show, and it’s one that will hopefully grow on you. Buffy has seven seasons and can be found in its entirety on Netflix. Its spin-off, Angel, is also available in its entirety for further viewing. If you’re a fan of Supernatural, this might be the best one for you to try.
2. Firefly – After Han Solo, yet before Captain Jack Harkness, there was another charming man with a gun/blaster who captained the Firefly-class ship, Serenity. While Malcom Reynolds and his crew of eight only get one season in which to invade our hearts, it’s a ride filled with every feeling imaginable. I can’t really talk much about it because I’ll start to feel my eyes tear up and yet again, shake my fist as I swear at invisible Fox Network executives. This show is also the only one on this list which has a nickname for its fans: Browncoats.
1. Roswell – Roswell is one of those shows that was far lesser known than big names like Buffy or Firefly, but for those of us who like the stomach churning agony of Doctor Who, you need not look further. Roswell is told from Liz’s point of view, a regular human girl who happens to live in Roswell, NM, where virtually nothing interesting happens until an argument between customers in her parents’ cafe gets ugly and Liz is shot. A classmate runs to her side and curiously heals her with his alien powers…I won’t say more than that, but I will warn you that there are only three seasons, so it’s a short watch, but will leave you yearning for more which will never come. This is where Colin Hanks and Katherine Heigl got their start, and main stars, Shiri Appleby and Jason Behr WILL become your OTP.
Hopefully, if you’re in a rut and browsing Netflix instant one night, you’ll try out one of these series and find something new to obsess and love! Maybe you’ll try all three and be like me. Or more likely, you’re rolling your eyes at my inherent fangirl and will try none.
Leia Calderon
@ladyvader99
Editor
ladyvader99@gmail.com
Aquaman is the Embodiment of “Fine”
REVIEW | The Punisher Season 2
Sub Cultured Heads to PAX South 2019!
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
