How to Handle Toxic Fandom

If anyone is on social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram, you should be mildly aware of recent events and statements involving outraged or toxic fans. From Star Wars to Doctor Who, there are fans who are displeased with the new work being done with franchise movies and books.

It's common for people to not like something. Maybe it's a character, a plot, or even the overall story and concept. It happens and we'll all feel that way at some point in time about a series or franchise that we love. However, our love for something can become toxic. There is a clear difference between disliking Doctor Who because you didn't like the story vs. not liking Doctor Who because the new doctor is a woman. 

The problem starts with how we express that frustration. The internet allows our voice to reach a vast amount of people across the world instantly. It can connect us with the world, but with this comes a level of responsibility. 

Unlike other countries, the United States offers its citizens the freedom of speech. It's a special protection, a right given by the constitution to prevent the government from silencing the voice of the people. It really is an empowering thought to know that we can say anything without repercussions from the government. That said, it's only a government protection and it can lead people to feel they are free to say anything to anyone.

People who subscribe to the toxic end of the fandom spectrum will ridicule and discredit people that work hard bringing new stories to life. People like Kelly Marie Tran being shamed and harassed for her work on Star Wars Episode 8 is beyond disheartening.

Blaming an actor for the "poor" work they did, which in most actor's cases is following the groundwork set by someone else, is not appropriate, constructive, or helpful to anyone.

This topic hits home for me as a creator. I love writing stories and creating new worlds. I have a passion for it. I want to share it with people, readers like you, and I can only hope everyone enjoys it. I would be a bit saddened if people took any of my stories and created a toxic environment for other's trying and/or continuing to experience the work. 

TOXIC FANDOM AND YOU!

So, how do we handle toxic fandom? On the internet, it's not easy. People are anonymous and often just want to express themselves anyway they feel fit. Ignoring the toxic fans and blocking them out can be as easy as unfollowing or muting on Twitter (not sure how it works on other platforms).

Another great method is simply being positive. Show support to the creators and collaborators, whether that is buying a copy of the book or movie, giving a positive review, or even sharing their content with others, it all makes a difference. 

If all else fails, I think it would be best if we followed Adam Roger's example over at Wired and abide by the three tenants of Nerd: 

THREE TENANTS OF NERD:

1. A nerd must not harm another nerd, or through inaction allow a nerd to come to harm.

2. Nerds must cooperate with other nerds, except where such cooperation would violate the previous tenet.

3. Nerds must protect the existence of nerddom, except where such protection violates the first two tenets.

Sometimes the best rules come in threes. 

-J.J.

May the Fourth Be With You - Star Wars Day

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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...May 4th would not be celebrated. Instead, a war would break out among the stars with an entire galaxy's fate resting in the hands of Anakin Skywalker...and then Luke Skywalker...and then Rey Skywalker. Okay, Rey isn't a Skywalker...for now.

I absolutely love Star Wars Day! It's a great day to remember an incredible franchise that shaped culture and was a force for change in movies, literature, and scientific advancements. As a kid, my imagination would soar like an X-Wing, dodging the blaster fire of reality, to escape in a world of adventure. 

There is a special feeling attached to Star Wars that has been incredibly difficult to explain, at least for me. Star Wars captivates you in ways you can't describe as a kid and that feeling just sticks with you as you age. If you're new to Star Wars, I can't guarantee the "feels" would be there for you considering the wide assortment of science fiction options on the market today. It's an experience you have at a young age that really influences you. You feel like you can be Jedi, a smuggler, a princess, a hero. 

Now I don't want to really go too much into what you SHOULD be doing today. It's pretty obvious. You can do anything to show of your love for Star Wars. However, I have a recommendation if you want to be a Star Wars hero in real life.

Each year, Star Wars: Force for Change helps raise money for charities around the world that help children with healthcare and/or education. This year, they are teaming up with UNICEF Kid Power and Starlight Children's Foundation.

If you want to donate, I will provide links below to the Force For Change along with the individual foundations mentioned.

If you can't donate, but still want to help, I have a challenge for you! Well, they do actually...

#ROARFORCHANGE

Roar For Change is a global challenge that supports UNICEF. All you have to do is share your own version of Chewbacca's roar on any social media platform with #RoarForChange. You can do this anytime between now and May 25th and for every post, like, or share, Star Wars: Force for Change will donate $1 to UNICEF. I would turn Star Wars Day into a weekend and bust out a cool post. 

To learn more about the initiatives, click on the buttons below:

Take the Pledge

Donate

Take the Challenge

I hope you all have a great Star Wars Day and make sure to celebrate! And now, to leave you with a song that has been stuck in my head for days. May the force be with you. -J.J.

Star Wars Celebration 2017 - Highlights

The Force is with a couple thousand people in Orlando as the Star Wars Celebration is under way. Starting yesterday and racing through the weekend, this celebration is about all things Star Wars and I for one couldn’t be happier. I won’t be able to talk about all of it, so I recommend either streaming it or searching on their website for way more information. If you’re looking for highlights, continue on.

On Thursday, they had meet & greets and autograph signings with legendary Star Wars actors ranging from rogue Jeremy Bulloch and suave Billy Dee Williams to the emotionally fragile Hayden Christensen. I give Hayden crap, but I actually like him in Star Wars and Jumper. Probably an unpopular opinion, but its mine and you can't have it...maybe.

They look like great friends!

In addition, panels looked at the 40 years of Star Wars, discussed behind the scenes, collectibles, and incredible stories. Fandom was also on display with a large amount of groups holding their meetups such as costume & cosplay experts like the 501st Legion and Mandalorian Mercs. The day also included a touching tribute to the late, great Carrie Fisher.

On Friday, it was much bigger. We received a first look at the new The Last Jedi poster and more importantly, THE LAST JEDI TEASER TRAILER! I had to avoid all social media until I was able to enjoy the trailer on a screen bigger than my cell phone.

To me, it will be tough to top this. Even with an author round-table of the Star Wars books and Del Rey. The Last Jedi was probably the most anticipated teaser trailer of the year (at least in my mind) and it brings a lot of different thoughts and feelings to this amazing universe. Mostly positive and a lot of questions. Here's looking at you Mr. Hamil!

On Saturday, a sneak peak of Star Wars Rebels: Season 4 will be shown, but there is something cooler than that coming out that day. Star Wars Battlefront 2 will also be premiered! I already saw the teaser, but it will be exciting to hear more about the game and how they improved it. Hoping we can play as clone troopers and droidekas!

Video ends at 30 seconds. Probably leaked...just saying.

On Sunday, the big end to the event will be the closing ceremony, which I hope includes a special surprise that nobody expects. I don’t see that enough in big events like these. Part of me is wondering if it could be some early footage of the Han Solo movie (obviously nowhere near done).

If a five-day event filled with passionate fans and amazing panels/speakers isn’t enough to convince you that this Star Wars Celebration was awesome, nothing will. That’s okay though, I appreciate the honesty.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments about what you would like to see, saw, and/or enjoyed about the Star Wars Celebration coverage. Remember, you can watch it live on their YouTube channel.

-J.J.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - What Does It Mean?

As many of you may know, the Star Wars movie had its title released this week, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," but many people are trying to figure out what it means. Conspiracy theories are everywhere, some realizing that the title (when combined with the seventh movie) spells out a sentence.

I don't personally like going too deep down the rabbit hole when it comes to speculation of new movies, but it did get me thinking: "Who is the Last Jedi?"

Who could it be?

The first answer that probably comes to mind is Luke. Its pretty obvious that he could possibly be the last remaining Jedi, but I think there is more to it. If we recall back to the last movie, it was said in passing that Luke trained others to become Jedi (Kylo Ren being one of them). This implies the idea that there are, in fact, other Jedi roaming the galaxy. Obviously it was short-lived due to his self-committed exile, but it still leaves a few. The movie is most likely going to focus on Rey's training to become a Jedi with the help of Luke and ultimately Luke's demise. It would make sense based on the title. Still, I think there may be other Jedi still waiting in the wind, afraid to stand against the enemy at large.

We may not know how many Jedi, if any, are left, but here is a few that I would like to see in the movie. Keep in mind, the ones on this list are have nothing to do with the Jedi's Luke may have trained.

Strikes fear in the eyes of his enemies...especially Boba.

Pulling a Bindo isn't what you think it is...Mace wouldn't have done that is all I am saying.

1. Mace Windu - I know what you're thinking, "He died when 'unlimited power' threw him half across the city of Coruscant." Probably, but I would like to believe that it didn't kill him. Instead, he survived. His force mastery - along with a little luck - helped Mace survive the fall and he put himself into exile like most Jedi. In his hiding and with the pain of being betrayed by Anakin, I think Mace would essentially become a Gray Jedi. For those who are unfamiliar with a Gray Jedi, a gray Jedi is a Jedi who has walked the line between the light and dark side of the force, but didn't fall to the dark side or follow the Jedi Code. To get a better understanding of it, I recommend playing the game, "Knights of the Old Republic KOTOR." In the game, you meet a gray Jedi by the name of Jolee Bindo, who is basically a crazy old man in the woods and he prefers to stay that way. He didn't believe the Order was doing the right thing and followed his own path, similar to Robin Hood. I feel like Mace would take a similar role with the betrayal of Anakin against the Order and the lack of Jedi remaining. A pessimism and anger would probably overwhelm him in his solitude, but he would stay steady when approached by simple people. It would be cool to see Mace show up while Rey, Finn, and Poe are on some sort of adventure. Once again, I know this is unlikely, but I think it would be pretty cool to see him as the last Jedi.
2. Ben Solo - So, this is where it gets complicated. Kylo Ren isn't considered a Jedi. A follower of Snoke, he is simply a Knight of Ren, which is a Sith alternative in this new universe. Now this is my brother's theory, but I think its pretty cool: Rey is trained by Luke, Kylo is trained by Snoke, both are dealing with opposite internal issues. Rey is dealing with anger and abandonment while Kylo is dealing with the guilt of killing his father and the inevitable pull of the light side on his mind and heart. Both are trained and again confront each other, but this time their respective masters each try to convince the other of their wrong doings. Snoke pulls at Rey's sense of anger and abandonment and Luke's pulls at Kylo's guilt. At this point, they switch. Rey betrays Luke, killing him, and joins Snoke. Kylo, on the other hand, goes to Luke's side and turns his back on the New Order and becomes Ben Solo. And Finn is heartbroken that his girl straight up left for the less attractive bad boy. Gosh, I feel really bad for Finn if that's true.

1. Rey - In the case that Luke trains Rey - with some resistance along the way - she will become the last Jedi and Luke is more than likely killed by either Snoke, Kylo, or a combination of them both. Or heart attack, but I think that would be a touchy subject (RIP Carrie Fisher). Regardless, she would be, in theory, the last Jedi. Hurrah!

*I know Rey defaulted to one again, I can't figure out how to fix it like a normal person. Maybe she is the last Jedi after all? #Squarespaceknows!

So, these are my ideas on what the last jedi title could have in store for us. Most of these scenarios seem unlikely as I feel Rian Johnson is going to blow us away with something nobody thought of and that makes me excited!

Anyways, those are my thoughts, but I would like to hear what you guys think. Who do you think is the last Jedi? Is Mace Windu alive? Does Ben Solo leave the New Order? Find out this December on DragonBallz!

I barely remember this show and feel bad about it...

In all seriousness, leave a comment on what you think. I would love to hear it!

My Favorite Superhero

Everyone was introduced to the comic book world in a different way. Some grew up going to comic book stores, browsing the history-filled collections and waiting patiently for the next edition to be dropped off. Some watched the amazing adventures on TV and sought them out during birthdays and holidays. Others read them quietly in the corner of the grocery store, waiting for their mother to retrieve them from the monotonous drag of shopping. I was in the last camp.

My brother and I would tuck ourselves in the corner, away from the busy shoppers, and seek out gaming magazines. On occasion, we would be lucky to find a Dark Horse comic book and read the latest Star Wars adventure. Now, that was my first actual comic book experience, but it got me wondering who I would consider to be my favorite superhero. I know, my mind works in weird ways.

I don't think I could say who my single favorite superhero is outright because I like so many of them. But, if I had to say just one, I would probably say Wolverine.

I feel like Wolverine was the model for every Gears of War character...#Probably

Beast and Dr. Harold Winston are practically the same...minus the blue.

I remember watching, not reading, Wolverine on Saturday morning cartoons. My brother and I would wake up early (like 6 or 7am), sneak down our creaky stairs, grab a box of dry cereal, and start watching our favorite shows. It was the usually suspects of the 90s/2000s: Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Digimon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sherlock Holmes, Gargoyles, and X-Men. Are any of these shows still on the air? I have no idea. Pokemon and TMNT have to be right?

Anyways, I always liked seeing X-Men because of Wolverine. Being a small kid, I liked having a superhero I could kind of relate with. Having never reached the average males height, Wolverine remained special because his size. He was small, but strong. He was hardworking and had the coolest costume. Plus, who else can shot claws out of their hands!

As I have gotten older, I started to enjoy all the superheroes more and more (especially Deadpool) and it made the idea of having one favorite superhero quite unrealistic. So, if anyone asks me who my favorite superhero is a month, year, or several years from now, I would probably say I don't have one. Yet, deep down, I think it will always be Wolverine.

Or Spiderman...he was cool too!

Here's looking at you kid!

What is your favorite superhero? Leave a comment below and tell me what your favorite superhero(es) is/are. - J.J.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - "Review"

On Saturday, December 19th at 10am, my brother and I relaxed in reclining leather seats and watched a story from a galaxy far far away! Below, I will be giving a short review and general thoughts on this film (and I can already say its pretty positive). Keep in mind readers who haven't watched it yet that I will be having some major spoilers beyond this point, so if you want to keep it a surprise, avert you eyes away now.

When i sat down and watched the LucasFilm logo flash on the screen, I was excited and ready to be transported into another world. And transported at hyper-speed I was!

Immediately after, I was surprised by the lack of one classic Star Wars staple: the story crawl.

Every Star Wars film had the crawl; it was as iconic as the opening theme that blasted my eardrums with joy. Instead, Rogue One jumped right into the story. I already had an inkling that this was going to happen (stupid media rumors), so I wasn't to thrown off by the possibility. Also, it made sense. This is really just another story within Star Wars, not the main story line we all have fallen in love with. Still, lets talk about the story.

THE STORY

I actually enjoyed the story immensely and was refresehed by the new direction of the film. It had much more of a "war" focus and felt grittier than other Star Wars films. Below I will recap the story, but if you care not to read it, feel free to skip ahead:

The face of a James Bond villian...

The story jumps us to an imperial ship landing on the home planet of Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones), daughter of Galen Erso (played by Mads Mikkelsen). The imperials were sent to retrieve Galen, who was responsible for creating the super laser for the Death Star. Galen, realizing his inability to refuse, sent his wife and daughter to hide and wait for a rebellion friend, Saw Gerrera (played by lazy eye master, Forest Whitaker). However, the escape plan goes off course as the Jyn's mother doubles back to defend her husband. She confronts the imperial soldiers, lead by Orson Krennic (played by Ben Mendelsohn) and is killed in a gunfight. The group takes Galen and searches for Jyn. Unable to find her, they leave. After an unspecified amount of time, Saw Gerrera arrives and takes Jyn to safety. Then we fast forward.

One is not like the other...because one of them is evil.

Years later, see a rebel spy, Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) find information about a potential weapon called a planet killer (a.k.a. Death Star) and its creators. It leads to them finding and extracting Jyn from Imperial capture. While Jyn was being extracted, she reacted like any normal rebellious fighter, she rebelled.

Busting out and was able to smell fresh oxygen until a reprogrammed imperial droid by the name of K-2S0 (played by the lovable Alan Tudyk), "congratulated" her for being rescued. The rebels gave her an offer she couldn't refuse, help them find Galen and they would let her free. Cassian, K-2S0, and Jyn then headed off to the planet of Jedha to find a imperial deserter and friend of Galen Erso, Bodhi Rook (played by the multi-talented actor and rapper, Riz Ahmed). What made this really interesting is although Jyn was looking to get her father back, Cassian was under orders to kill Galen once he was found.

The group arrived on Jedha and were soon in the middle of a rebel attack on the Imperial controlled planet that was harvesting crystals to power the Death Star. After an insane battle, they are soon surrounded by Imperial forces. It wasn't until a blind warrior, Chirrut Imwe (played by Ip Man and martial art master, Donnie Yen), and his gun totting heavy sidekick, Baze Malbus (played by Jiang Wen) that they were able to escape the Imperial forces. That didn't stop them from being captured by a splinter rebel forces group. They were taken to their leader, who just so happened to be, Saw Gerrera.

Saw Gerrera gives Jyn a holo message from her father where he explains that he created a flaw in the Death Star (the one we are all familiar with) and that the plans needed to be given to the rebels right away if they were to have any chance to defeat it. It was at the end of message that the Empire planned to test the power of the Death Star on the Jedha. Not utilizing its full potential, they focused the attack solely on the city of Jedha. The rebel group, including their new friends and deserter pilot all left the planet just in time to escape the devastating effects of the Death Star's blast.

With the help of the former imperial pilot, they go to Galen's base of operations and hope to extract him (or in Cassian's case, kill him). As they try to fly under the radar on the stormy planet, they crash land outside of the landing area. Cassian and Bohdi leave the ship to find Galen, Cassian hoping to assassinate Galen without Jyn knowing. However, the wise words of blind Chirrut cause Jyn to go after her father. The

The attempt goes array after Rebel ship are dispatched to the base and attack. The attack leaves Galen dead and the extraction plan ruined. They regroup at Yavin 4 and talk with the rebellion council to encourage an attack at Scarif to retrieve the Death Star plans. Although his had split support, ultimately the council decided against it. Cassian, trusting Jyn, gathers a small group of rebel fighters and take a stolen Imperial ship named Rogue One to the Scarif.

If the most enjoyable character is the largest, this is completely accurate...but they need to make Donnie Yen bigger.

Cassian, K-2S0, and Jyn steal imperial uniforms and infiltrate the main archival tower while therest of the rebels caused a distraction. It was an epic 300 like battle where you knew that escape was impossible. Cassian and Jyn get inside and find the plans, labeled Stardust. Unable to go back to upload after K-2S0's sacrifice, they climbed the archive tower to the top relay dish. As they climbed , they were attacked by Orson and his Death troopers. Cassian is shot and Jyn climbs solo. Jyn gets to the top and puts the plans into the relay system. Unable to send, she re-positions the relay dish. Once she finished, she heads back to send the plans to the rebel forces. A TIE fighter comes out of nowhere and shoots the bridge and tosses Jyn back. She climbs back up and heads for the console when, you guessed it, Orson arrives holds her at blaster point. He gives his claim to victory when Cassian, you guessed it again, shots Orson. Jyn sends the plans to the rebel forces and the rebel forces that could retreat fled.

The Death Star arrives at the Scarif and destroys the base, killing all the remain rebels, including Cassian and Jyn.

Gosh, that was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be and I didn't mention the imperial side. Anyways, the story blends perfectly with Episode 4, leaving right were we start in Episode 4. The ending scene with Darth Vader laying waste to rebels was something straight out of a sci-fi horror story. It was awesome! What was also awesome were all the new characters.

CHARACTERS

Cassian Andor and K-2S0 looking at amazed at life...or the impending doom rolling toward them.

It was great to see some brand new faces and it really showed off the universe with the casting choices. In film, diversity has been made into a somewhat controversial topic of discussion, but necessary. Some argue diversity is needed (which I agree), but not at the cost of changing original stories with per-determined characters (sort of agree, sort of don't agree). What is great about Star Wars and most sci-fi stories is that having diverse cast is actually needed to create a better story. It doesn't feel forced or pandering to a certain crowd, it just feels normal. Each character had something interesting to bring to the story and each was truly unique. From Cassian's order focused spy life, to a Chirrut's force focused ability to overcome his blindness, it was great to see.

Blind Ip Man in a galaxy far, far, away...

Of all the characters, my two favorite would have to be K-2S0 and Chirrut. K-2S0 was once again another lovable droid, but with a fun sense of humor. He was one part C-3PO, one part Boba Fett, all hilarity. His humor is on full display on Jedha and again on Scarif when he dispatches Storm troopers.

Chirrut was nearly the opposite of K-2S0. Not to say he didn't have a great line on Jedha ("Why are you putting a bag on my head, I'm blind!"), but overall he was mostly a stoic, wise force believer. In Rogue One, they really put focus on the Force as a belief or spirituality instead of a actual power. His character was also one bad dude! Defeating a handful of storm troopers with only his staff is beyond awesome!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Don't Mess with the Moff!

My last thought that I want to mention is the use of CGI in the movie. I was quite surprised when I saw Peter Cushing return from the grave to reprise his role as Grand Moff Tarkin. We first saw the technology used first in Gladiator and later a more refined version in Fast & Furious and Marvel's Captain America: Civil War. Then later in the movie we see Princess Leia, who hadn't aged a day since Episode 4 in the 1970s. The technology was quite incredible and as much as they used Grand Moff Tarkin in the movie was quite a testament to the improvements made. I could definitely see this be used to continue aging actors careers in long running franchises in a few years. Rogue One was a great movie and although it had a few short comings with the writing (like sassy Vader), I felt it was still a great addition to the Star Wars universe.

Well, I was really long winded today...I am sorry about that. If you enjoyed it, let me know and I can do more movie "reviews" like this in the future. I am fully aware that this wasn't really a review and more of a synopsis with a few things I liked sprinkled in, but I enjoyed writing it to share with you the awesomeness of the movie.

I also want to thank everyone for signing up to the newsletter. I hope to have some awesome content come your way for the New Year. Also, finally shout out to Josh for winning the Lootcrate giveaway! I hope you enjoy the cool nerd merch!

May the Force be with You and enjoy the holiday season! -J.J.

Star Wars and Super Heroes

I know the holiday season isn't over, but the end of 2016 is coming and I realized I never really introduced myself. I mean sure, you read my bio, but lets be honest when we say it isn't the most interesting thing in the world. Silence has more interesting things to say.

Now, I don't want to go into my whole life story (maybe for a different day), but I wanted to get back to the roots of this blog that strictly focused on geek/nerd culture. As everyone surely knows, the new Star Wars film, ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story, is going to be out Friday and I wanted to share my own experience with Star Wars.

I'm drooling...its so pretty...

I have been a fan of Star Wars since I was a kid, watching the episodes four through six. Then I watched episode one at least 10 times, mostly to watch the Darth Maul fight scene. Regardless, in all of the films there was this sense of adventure and wonder that no other movie franchise has been able to capture. The spinoff games and TV shows only fueled my passions for Star Wars further, staying up late to play Jedi Outcast on the Gamecube until the game either frozen and lagged to the point unplayable.

Star Wars also got me into comic books, which opened up a fascinating new world of exploration filled with super heroes, mutants, and monsters. if you think about it, Star Wars was is kind of like a gateway drug of nerd culture, except without the dangerous side effects.

In short, I am super excited for another Star Wars movie and I look forward to many more!

Now to the second part of the title, Super Heroes. I recently re-discovered the ultimate recreations of impossible super hero battles through a group called, Bat in the Sun.

Super Power Beat Down is the name of the show that goes through a mismatch of super hero battles and recreates the potential outcomes based on people's votes (much like the battle above). I wanted to share that since I just got done re-watching a few of them.

Also, one last reminder that the Lootcrate giveaway ends Friday, December 16th. Make sure to signup for my newsletter for a chance to be the lucky winner.

NOTE: We have had some issues signing up. I believe I fixed all the issues, but If you have any, please tweet at me or send me an email through the contact page.