World Class Nerd

A Geeky and Nerdy Podcast that covers a broad range of genres and fandoms. We don't Specialize, we Entertain.

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

Why is every image I see from #WotC and the new edition of D&D full of smiling, happy, bands of comrades baking or working in the garden, or flouncing about in sunlit field full of flowers?

Where is the drama? Where is the conflict? Where is the mystery? Or intrigue? Or the intensity of struggle?

Sorry. It all looks so bland and uninteresting.

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@TheVallyD Very much the same experience for me in all respects!

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@RmbaileyRob @eroc0303 Those look fantastic!

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@laj_gc Looks great!

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@Kristinartz It existed. But maybe shouldn’t have.

[NOBUNAGA🇯🇵🏯_夏樹蒼依 @japan_nobunaga]

USA. A backyard. The sun was going down, and a man named Dale stood before a black iron drum, feeding it wood, the way you feed a fire that must not die before morning.

"Brisket," he said. "Gonna be a long one. You're welcome to keep me company."

Keep him company. He said it the way a man mentions the weather. But I heard the truth beneath the words, the way you hear a temple bell beneath the wind. He was not inviting me to a meal. He was asking me to stand a vigil. To hold the sacred fire through the dark with him, two men against the whole of the night, so that something worthy could be born by dawn. My heart rose like a banner going up a pole.

I bowed, deep enough that he would feel the weight of what I was accepting. He nodded back and adjusted a vent.

He gestured at a folding chair. "Sit if you want, man. Gonna be a while."

I did not sit. A sentinel does not sit while the fire still lives. He looked at me a moment, then nodded slowly, the way you nod at a thing you have decided not to worry about. I took that nod as the first honor of the night.

Where I come from, when a thing of great worth is being made, you do not leave it. You stand the whole night beside it. You do not fill the silence with talk, because the silence itself is the labor.

So I stood. I said nothing. He said nothing. We watched the smoke leave the drum and climb into the purple sky, and for the first time in this loud and generous country, I felt completely understood.

After an hour, without looking at me, he pressed a cold can into my hand. I received it in both palms and bowed my head a fraction, the way one receives a canteen passed down the line between sentries who both know the night is far from over. I did not drink quickly. One does not drink quickly on watch.

A neighbor wandered over with a beer, saw me standing at attention beside the drum, and asked Dale, low, if I was doing alright.

"He's good," Dale said. "He's keeping me company."

He had vouched for me. Before his own people. I would have walked into the fire for him right then.

After two hours, he spoke. Once.

"Smell that bark setting up?"

I closed my eyes and breathed in, and I will tell you honestly, my chest went tight. Because it did. It smelled like patience. It smelled like a thing no king and no army could hurry, however mighty. "I do," I said, and I said it like an oath.

We did not speak again for a long while. A dog came and lay across both our feet, choosing neither of us, guarding the both of us. The stars came out over the fence and the cheap string lights and the plastic chairs, and I thought, with my whole heart, that there are grand temples in this world holding less holiness than this tired man's backyard.

Near midnight his wife leaned out the door. "Dale, you two have been standing there four hours. You know you can sit down, right?"

"We're good, hon," Dale said.

We're good. Four words. He had spoken for the both of us, claimed me as his brother of the watch, and waved away all comfort in a single breath, and he did it without once taking his eyes off the fire. I have heard generals give long speeches that carried less.

A fire kept alone is only a chore. A fire kept together is an oath.

When the meat was finished, near dawn, he cut the very first slice and laid it in my hands. The guest. The man who had done nothing but stand beside him and honor the work.

I have eaten at tables that cost a season's wages, served by men trained from boyhood. None of it ever fed me the way that one slice did, handed over by a weary man at sunrise who had decided, hours before and without a single word, that I was worth keeping the watch with.

I do not know Dale's family name. I would stand the whole night for him again tomorrow, and count myself honored.

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@tanpukunokami An incredible fusion of 3 different cultures, resulting in something completely unique. Love this story!

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@meeplewich @fabiaschi @Monkey7771 Oh! Love it. It's about time to dust this one off again.

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@james_xond Yup. I remember it well, but can't for the life of me find any practical benefit to the experience. Not that i think it's wrong, just can't define anything I got from it.

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@TimothyImholt No lies detected. Wish I still had mine. It was a gift from my dad.

[Ralph Bakshi @ralphbakshi]

Have a great #frazetta friday!

[Joseph Mallozzi 🏴‍☠️ @BaronDestructo]

In a word" "Wow."

Stargate fans continue to amaze.  It's been two weeks since the show's cancellation was announced and they’re still as energized and active as ever, lighting up social media with their love for the franchise.

And I keep being asked: Will it make a difference? My answer is "Yes" and "Don't know"...

It reminds me of when Dark Matter was cancelled back in 2017 and the fan backlash was so intense that Syfy reportedly called an emergency meeting to discuss damage control.  They considered making a public statement to quell the fan furor but, ultimately, elected to remain silent.  And, eventually, the storm subsided.  

Eventually.  

But this time…this feels different.  The Dark Matter fandom was small but organized and very angry.  The Stargate fandom, on the other hand, is remarkably large, incredibly well organized, and - if the last two weeks are any indication - possibly even angrier.

I'm on the outside on this so I can't tell you what The Powers That Be are thinking but based on pure conjecture...

Have they noticed the fan response? Oh, safe to assume they have definitely noticed.

Have they been surprised by the scale and ferocity of the fan response? I'm going to assume yes. The fan pushback has been worldwide and intense.

Are they thinking "If we could harness this type of fan engagement to help launch a new show, it would be a huge asset!"? Again, given the sustained enthusiasm and global reach - I'm sure it has crossed their minds.

Are they thinking "Fandom passion can be a double-edged sword. I wonder if there have been examples of other genre shows whose performances have suffered due to intense fan response?" This one's a little trickier. The data scrapers and algorithms monitor vocal/negative sentiment, but how much weight executive leadership places on analogous data is always up for debate.

But will it all make a difference in the end? So far, yes, it has already made a difference, for many of the reasons outlined above.

So will it make a difference for the future of Stargate? I honestly don't know. From a marketing standpoint, this is a public relations coup waiting to happen. Acknowledge that the fans made a difference - and recognize that the excitement they've shown over the past two weeks won't stop at a relaunch. It will carry every episode. They've proven this series is theirs, and they won't let it fail. They will be the core of the new Stargate, a core that will only grow as they introduce the series to friends, family, and complete strangers, just as they have always done.

But that's just me. In the end, I'm just the guy who helps create the world, the words, the characters on the page. I'm the one who helps bring them to life with an amazing cast and crew so that you can visit with them and make them a part of your lives. I'm not the guy making the decisions.

One thing seems certain: the execs have taken notice. Now we'll see what they do with that knowledge.

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@sakebu_cheese_ We would love to have you in Tennessee. Cost of living is going up here as more people discover it, but still an amazing place to live!

[Gweon @akfldh1346]

Joust

[塗装狂人卍/Paintmad Manji @tumazuma_paint]

９９％

[誉 @homare_works]

マスターズ・オブ・ユニバース面白かったのでヒーマン描いてみました！
アナログで仕上げてます。
#ヒーマン
#マスターズ・オブ・ユニバース

[SHINN UCHIDA @mangalivepaint]

香港のとある場所に描きました

[きなこもち @KTM91108712]

WULFGAR
The Boneripper
完成、、！

#bigchild
#miniaturepainting
#ミニチュアペイント

[World Class Nerd @WorldClassNerd1]

@KTM91108712 Gorgeous!

[Robert Patrick 🇺🇸 @robertpatrickT2]

A lot of folks have asked why I jumped into the #SaveStargate campaign.

Truth is, this was never about how many episodes I appeared in.

It was about supporting friends, standing behind a cast and crew I respect and recognizing one of the most passionate fan communities out there. The Stargate universe has meant a great deal to a lot of people for a very long time.

When people care that deeply about something and work that hard to keep it alive, I’m happy to lend my voice.

Some things are worth getting loud about.

LFG #SaveStargate @rachel_luttrell @JoeFlanigan

https://t.co/z5KiNikIJ2