Comic books. Science fiction. Horror. Video games. These are just some of the things I am extremely passionate about. When it comes to these specific interests they are all interconnected. My interests in each goes beyond just their core or base medium as well. I have an interest in comic book video games, toys, action figures, props, movies and more. Same with science fiction and horror. These are my primary overlapping interest though and I kinda see them all as interconnected equally.
Naturally when it comes to video games my interest runs deeper than just the games themselves or even the hardware systems they run on. It also extends into computers in more ways than I can accurately explain. Now these are not my only interest or hobbies but they are by far the most prolific in my liufe. This isn’t about me pin-pointing where these interest came from nor entirely how they intersect. Rather I just wanted to kinda ramble about them for a bit and see where my thoughts go.
Video games I have written about extensively. Despite my disparaging comments in recent times regarding Nintendo and Xbox, I actually don’t have any die hard loyalty, nor disloyalty for that matter, to any company or platform. When it comes to video games my interests are far from complete, to be sure, but they are quite extensive. I am interested in console games, handheld games, computer games, PC games, arcade games and even plug n play TV games. Frankly there are very few video game related products I don’t have at least a passing interest in, if not a down right obsession. This includes movies, comic books, cartoons and toys based on video games. Just like comic books, my interests in video games runs quite deep indeed.
Then there is science fiction. While this one is very similar to the others, it’s also the most unique in some respects. Obviously a significant portion of the video games and comic books I am interest easily fall under the sci fi umbrella in some capacity. When it comes to science fiction movies and TV shows, however, this is where things get complicated.
I have close to zero interest in Star Trek TV shows. I have a much stronger affinity for Star Trek novels and comic books and a slightly stronger interest in some of the films than the shows but overall my interest in Star Trek is rather shallow. I do have a considerably stronger interest in Star Trek toys, vehicles and memorabelia than I do the shows themselves, including video games ironically. I don’t fully know what my aversion to the shows are when I actually am more than fascinated by the mythos itself. I think it comes down to finding most episodes I’ve seen to be rather boring, whereas the anciliarry media is not as boring, especially the novels. While I fall asleep at nearly every attempt to watch more than a single eepisode of any Star Trek tv show, I can get deeply engrossed in the novels without batting an eye. So I know it isn’t the aesthetic or the mythology I am averse. Whatever.
Star Wars is an entirely different beast. Although if I am being completely honest, despite most Star Wars TV shows only coming into existence in the past decade, I guess I similarly have a low interest in Star Wars TV as I do Star Trek. Especially the animated stuff. I did enjoy the first few episodes of the Mandilorian then lost interest rather suddenly. The rest of the Disney+ Star Wars has just flown by me without even registering on my radar. However litereally everything else related to Star Wars, with exceedingly few exceptions, I have an extremely strong interest. Comics, video games, toys, action figures, vehicles, playsets, Lego, Micro Machines, minis, books novels, kids books, story books, computer games and software, role play toys and props, costumes, etc. If I am being completely honest, outside of a severe drought in interest regarding the TV shows, nearly everything else even marginally Star Wars related I am all in. Especially toys, video games and novels.
Now that I think about it I think I am beginning to realize that it’s science fiction TV in general that I have a lacking of interest in. I was passively interest in Doctor Who briefly during the 10th Doctor’s stint then I sort of lost interest rather suddenly. Other than that, I would say there are very few science fiction TV shows I do find interesting. Again, despite a strong lack of interest in, or damn near aversion to, animation in many regards, I think I am more drawn to science fiction cartoons than live action shows, ironically. I am not quite sure why this is. Again it isn’t for lack of interest. By all acounts I should be obsessed with Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, etc. TV shows, yet I more often than not, find them to be boring at best or disinteresting most of the time. Something I never really considered.
Movies on the other hand. Well let’s just say that, again, with a few exceptions, I am very strongly drawn to sci fi films. Not every single sci fi film, mind you, but easily more sci fi movies find their way into my lexicon than nearly any other genre, especially when you take sci fi/horror and sci fi/comedy into account. I mean things like Back to the Future and Men in Back. Naturally I have a fairly strong interest, unhealthily some might say, in comic book based movies and those more often than not are some sort of sci fi or at the very least sci fi adhacent. So I absolutely have an extremely strong interest in science ficiton as a genre and even a concept. It’s just the TV shows I guess I find less compelling for, some reason.
When it comes to comic books I would like to say my interest are quite varied. While I do, as with many comic book fans, fall deeply into the superhero rabit hole, for sure, I also enjoy a large number of non-superhero comics as well. Things like DuckTales, Donald Duck, Archie, Sonic, Scooby Doo, Simpsons, Garfield, Transformers, Star Wars, Star Trek, horror comics, fairy tales, D&D, and frankly too many to list here. Yeah I will admit my comic book consumption does include probably more Marvel and DC superhero fare than anything else, to be sure, but I think my overall interest in comics as a medium is fairly robuts. I even like some romance type comics.
Now this is where I think my previous assumptions are going to fall apart. While science fiction TV in general tends to bore me, comic book based TV shows, live action and animated, quite often get me very excited. I have enjoyed dozens of comic book based shows ranging from Transformers, GI Joe, TMNT, X-Men, Batman, Gotham, The CW DCverse, Riverdale, Lois and Clark the New Adventures of Superman, etc. I think the opposite is true when it comes to tv shows, even animated ones, based on my favorite comics are concerned. I find myself very deeply invested in nearly every comic book based show I dive into. There are, obviously exceptions, but I would say that when it comes to TV shows, if it is based on a comic book property I am interested in, I guess I am more likely to give it a chance than any other science fiction property, for some reason. Of course I watch more sitcoms than anything so it is what it is.
Then there are toys and action figures. Again, on the surface it would be obvious that I have a strong interest in toys, action figures, props and collectibles from movies, video games, sci fi and horror stuff I am already interested in. While this is certainly true, in fact, I also find myself deeply interest in dozens of toys and action figure properties and lines that don’t have any first appearance in those other mediums. For example while yes I am fascinated and deeply interest in collection toys from TMNT, Marvel and DC comics properties, I am also interested in He-Man, Barbie, Monster High, Simpsons, Street Sharks, Skeleton Warriors,. Neca, Funco Pops, and far, far more toylines than I could ever accurately list here. But it goes beyond dolls, action figures, vehicles and playsets. I am also interested in Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Lego, plushies, dolls, stuffed animals, Lite Brite, Easy Bake oven, yoyo, Mr. Potato Head, Simon, board games, card games, Speak N Spell, Etch A Sketch, and many others. I’m even interest in basic stuff like Play Doh, Slinkee, squirt guns and even generic random toys like plastic guns, phones, and the like.
Going a step further there is horror. Like science fiction, my interest goes beyond just horror as a setting or genre. Also, like comic books, for whatever reason I can easy find myself getting deeply invested in horror TV far easier than sci fi, which is really mind boggling to me because I really do love sci fi. Horror is one of the most prolific though. Like the above stuff, my interest go far beyond just movies and TV shows. I am also fascinated by horror toys, action figures, props and collectibles. Physical copies of movies on VHS, DVD, LaserDisc, VCD, etc., are also something I am strongly interested in. I am also deeply drawn to horror comics, video games, novels, novellas, short stories, etc. Probaly more than maybe anything else if I am being totally honest. In my collection of over 1000 physical DVD’s, over 350 of them abslutely fall into the horror camp. I am not even talking about controversial stuff people argue whether counts as horror or not like The Terminator, Jurassic Park or Silence of the Lambs. I mean legit, undisputed horror stuff like the classic Universal Monsters, the 80s slasher icons Freddy, Jason and Michael, obscure stuff like 976-Evil or Lady in White, etc. Yet I also find myself consuming vast quantities of horror TV. Loads of stuff like Stranger Things, Scream, True Blood, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight Zone, Chucky, Ash vs the Evil Dead, American Horror Story, Lovecraft Country, Scream Queens, and loads more. I guess I am far more likely to become deeply commited to a horror TV show than probably any other type of TV except maybe sitcoms. I can’t state enough how much I enjoy sitcoms. I guess that is a topic for another day.
When I look at the things I spend the vast majority of my time, energy and resources on, these things here are the ones that monopolize my life more than all others. Yes these are also extremely connected and related to each other which makes sense as if you like one, it’s not hard to get into the others as they’re so similar in many respects. I guess at the end of the day I am a die hard nerd. I am okay with that.
Stephanie Bri 