march 2012

$4.99

Dungeons & Dragons

Super fashion finds

mass effect 3

drive

Lets talk Comics!

hero kuffs

You want to

pass that exam,

dont you?

entertainment

style

comics

entertainment

gadgets

videogames

geeked out gives you the energy to obtAin thAt 4.0

iNfused with the brAin power of 1,000 geeks.

play Dungeons and Dragons along with many other table top games. MYTH: People who play D&D are virgins.

Written by: Kandice Smith

The truth behind the myths!
Dungeons and Dragons has been a big name in table top gaming since 1974 and since then it has been getting a lot of hype. Millions of people gather around a table with anything from a bag to a bucket of countless dice for a few hours a week to play out their fantasies. Being the go to name of table top game Dungeons and Dragons has earned itself a reputation and not all of it good. So it is about time another person in yet another magazine tells you what is myth and what is fact in this ever so popular debate topic. MYTH: D&D is the devils way to corrupt out children and turn them into blood thirsty murderers. It uses several brain washing techniques i n c l u d i n g isolating the player from support groups like family and church and full surrender and submission to the occult leader or DM. Because of this the devil can creep into the childs soul and while the child thinks he is just playing a game he is actually conjuring real demons. In 1990 an active D&D player, Chris Pritchard was convicted of murder in second degree of his step-father. It is obvious that the devil made him do it and the only way the devil could have gotten to him was through playing D&D. FACT: It is just a game. Given the fact that most of the book involves ideas based off of real magic it does tend to scare people. But there are no actual rituals preformed that would summon said demon, no blood sacrifices or even a mundane material sacrifice to any spirit let alone Lucifer. Even though there has been a murder in the midst of the gamers does NOT mean that it is an evil thing. If murder made something evil then a lot of things would involved in all of these things as there is in D&D. MYTH: D&D is a male exclusive group. Weve all seen the episodes on TV that berate the game. There are always a bunch of men who get together who have never talked to a woman in their lives to play the game. There may be the occasional mix up, a designated black guy here a Hispanic there but never in the mix will you see a woman. The female gender is just not pulled towards the call of Dungeons and Dragons. Neither are gays, cross dressers or transsexuals. Only men, usually extremely over weight or widely under weight with an insatiable craving for sickly sweet sodas and Cheetos, play the game. These men are all straight men who crave womanly attention. FACT: D&D is gender (and otherwise) inclusive. Many a D&D group has the female gamer. Women arent repelled by the idea of playing table top games with a few friends and there are even women exclusive groups. You can even chance upon an overtly flamboyant gay man or the over zealous butch chick with fifteen thousand piercings. People of all walks of life, gender and sexuality

I mean seriously, who would want to sleep with them? Gamers never leave their house and are always cramped up in their basement caves. When they do their skin is practically iridescent in day light. They almost never seek out companionship outside that of fantasy games and when they do they are awkward and just weird out a girl who is out of their league. FACT: That is a big misconception. Playing D&D does not lower your odds on getting laid. Being a large community not only can the average gamer get a little action he/she/they can also enjoy a good time with someone of common interests. Thing is, if you dont get out of the house you lower your odds a considerable amount, that is only minutely connected with playing D&D. MYTH: Playing D&D makes you want to commit suicide. In 1979 an avid D&D player, James Egbert III attempted suicide via over dose in utility tunnels beneath the campus of Michigan State University. Having failed he hid at a friends house for a month before being found by a private investigator hired by his mother. The following year Egbert succeeded in killing himself by a bullet in the head. Bobby, a young and active young boy, was found hanging by a home made noose by his mother, Beatrice, in 2001. After the body was removed the mother investigated and found that Bobby had made a make shift stool out of books, Dungeons and Dragons books in fact, proving that D&D kills. FACT: The suicide rate is actually LOWER in the gaming community. Twelve years after the release of the game there was a study. Of the 4 million people who were

playing at that time 125 people of that community had died only half of which were suicides. Those 62.5 deaths happened over a course of twelve years amounting to an average of 5.2 suicidal deaths a year. This is far lower than the average suicide rate of other communities being an average of 12.8 deaths out of every 100,000 people MYTH: People who play D&D are nerds. You see them all the time wearing their thick rimmed glasses with the bit of scotch tape in the middle to keep them together. Their untidy, greasy hair frames a face covered in pimples and they covet their latest pocket protector. They hide away from everyone not saying much and when they do its to answer a question in their annoying nasally voice that is akin to the screech of nails on a chalk board. When they arent answering a question and are actually talking they are going on and on about their obsession, usually computers or D&D. FACT: This myth actually holds a little bit of gumption. But before you think that youll suddenly sprout glasses, a bad hair cut and develop and nasally voice as soon as you consider playing let us break down what a nerd is beyond that lovely visual. Provided by a few dictionaries the definition of a nerd is summed down to an intellectual yet socially impaired person who just might be obsessive. Those who play D&D are usually intellectual because the entire game is filled with word math problems. Its all about problem solving. Whether you want to woo the bar maid to get a free drink or to get past the fire breathing dragon to rescue the half minded dwarf who got himself locked in a box its all about problem solving. So who are generally at problem solving? Thats right, intellectual people, or nerds. A socially impaired person will usually try to shy away from talking in large groups. So why would

a bunch of them get together to play a game that involves a lot of communication. Its not all I attack the darkness with magic missile either. A good group usually involves voice acting, a bunch of monologing and the usual explanation of motive. On top of that they need to discuss tactics and the person playing the archer will often say Youre in my line of sight, move or Im going to shoot you in the back. Also most socially impaired people dont often say that they want something, most D&D players are not shy to shout at the top of their lungs that they want a specific magic item from the loot of said dwarf locked in a box. On the obsessive part I must admit that many a gamer cant help but want to play the game more often once a good campaign is started. A few do go over board, but that is not to paint the picture of the whole community. So needless to say there are many arguments for and against playing the game. I can not say you wont become an unattractive, nerdy virgin male satanist who is several pounds overweight and will eventually kill yourself, but I can say that the likely hood is very slim. Playing dungeons and dragons will not make you the most popular person in the world because of how it is looked down on, but it will not make you anything else. Everything that people do and become are from their own choices outside of D&D. If the calling to roll the dice interests you find a local group and dont fear becoming or having anything of the fore-said happening to you. Letting little myths and misconceptions stop you from playing only makes you miss out on an amazing the game that is still sweeping the nation after thirty-eight years.

be forbidden including, but not exclusive to; Love, work, child raising, owning property, being hungry etc. But all these things are not evil. There is as much a devil

nerdculture 3

Designed by Fashionista: Bekah Singleton

Solange Azagury-Partridge Star 18-karat gold stud earrings Daria Long Resin Hard Case Clutch Yves Saint Laurent Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils Bold Felt-Tip Eyeliner Pen Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick True Red Ender Legard Corsetry Carmen underwired stretch silk-satin bodice Sequin Gathered Skirt Forzieri Womens Red Fitted Leather Jacket Citrine By The Stones Wonder Woman Cuff, Gold Yves Rocher - Canyon Red lipstick Pave Pyramid Stretch Bracelet Hampton Tunic Top Bandage Pull Over Skirt Anna Sui 80 Denier Solid Microfiber Tights Therapy Sam Bow Waist Belt Proenza Schouler PS1 Medium Bag Bordello by Pleaser Womens Teeze-06 Platform Pump Orange satin knot headband Deborah Lippmann Glitter Nail Polish Superman Belt Buckle

Declor Aromessence Slim Effect Draining Contouring Serum Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick True Red Genuine Leather Flower Brooch Pin Diba Doloris Sandal DKNY Red Draped S/S Jersey Dress Tights for Every Occasion in Light Grey Mid Green Collared Mini Duffle Coat from Select Fashion Park Avenue Clutch St. Patricks Day Makeup

let us be your one stop shop for your superhero needs.

nerdculture 5

with Charlie Stolz

Wolverine & The X-Men # 1 - 5 Review Writer: Jason Aaron Artists: Chris Bachalo & Nick Bradshaw Publisher: Marvel Comics

Justice League # 1-6 Review Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Jim Lee Publisher: DC Comics

One of two books spinning out of last falls X - Men - Schism event, Wolverine and the X-Men has Logan and a crew of X-Men old and new (Iceman, Beast, Kitty Pryde) leaving the West Coast (Where theyd been located since about 2007 or so) and returning to Westchester to found the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. When I heard that they were splitting the teams, I looked forward to it.Wolverine as a Headmaster? Sold. Of course, that goes about as well as youd expect. From day one. Well, it goes horribly for them, fantastic for the readers. If you thought the Hellfire Club was boring, you were pretty much right. Until they were replaced by children. Comics dont have enough malevolent children. We also get Brood, a staple since the 70s. The students are also interesting, from Broo (A tiny, sentient Brood) to a kid version of Apocalypse. What Aaron and his team of artists (Chris Bachalo for issues 1-3) and Nick Bradshaw (4-6) do is weave a tale thats just as much about the new possibilities for the X-Men as it is a celebration of fifty years of things that came before.Its the best the X-Men have been since the Morrison or Whedon days, and is consistently one of the best books on the stands.

The first book in DC Comics New 52 Relaunch, this title had a lot riding on it, and it needed a blockbuster creative team, and on that note, it succeeds. On a few other levels not so much. Issue #1 pairs Green Lantern and Batman against an Apokoliptian Parademon, which starts a recruitment drive over the next five issues, eventually gaining the members Aquaman, Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman and Cyborg, Over five issues. This culminates in a battle against Darkseid, who seems a little less threatening in this incarnation. The problem with using Darkseid as the first threat to the league makes it seem like everything after wont be as interesting. While the art is fantastic, I found the story to be a little lacking, falling victim to the decompression that seems to infect modern comics, telling a four issue story over six. Things used to be simple, it didnt take six issues to form a team. But aside from that, it was an alright arc that didnt even end with the team named officially. That seems to be one of the problems with the current relaunch, a focus on art over story, which is something indicative of the 90s comic book market. I dont know if you read comics in the 90s, but a return to that form is a fairly scary trend. nerdculture 7

nerdculture 6

Reviewed by: Lia Capria

Drive is a really really good crime drama. Now, I think that no one in the world can nail a crime drama as well as Martin Scorsese. Hes the king, period. And Drive isnt as good as one of his movies, but its somewhere in the same realm. Its a big deal for me to say that anything can even approach Marty as far as crime dramas are concerned so just take my word for it and go see it. Ryan Gosling called this film A John Hughes movie with head smashing in it. Its funny how people are never accurate when they assess their own work. As a massive John Hughes fan, I can tell you it is absolutely nothing like that. I was thinking more David Lynch. The film has a kind of dreamy, moody quality that suggests maybe Goslings character will wake up and realize this as all been a dream or a crazy mans hallucination. It also uses music EXTREMELY effectively, that

Holy shit, go really rocked. I not just saying in love I am

see this movie. It swear to God I am this because of how with Ryan Gosling.

was one of my favorite aspects of the film and I am now obsessed with the soundtrack. Drive really went places I did not expect it to go. I thought I had it figured out. I got used to the tone and feel of it, I was like, I get this movie and it defied me. I LOVE WHEN THAT HAPPENS. My friend and I literally kept grabbing each other and almost screaming. I was so into it. If I could criticize something it would probably be that I really wanted to know more about Goslings characters backstory, but I think its good they dont spell everything out for us. Very slowly, as the film goes on, we see him do things and see how he uses words (what he says and more importantly, doesnt say) that definitely clue us in to who this person really is under his visage. I dont want to say anything more, but my friend and I had a pretty deep discussion about why he is the way that he is based on the clues given.

It was one of those films where, after the first ten minutes or so, youre so thrilled because the beginning rocked so much and you just absolutely cant wait to see what comes next. After the first big sequence, I just wanted to scream out FUCK YEAH cause I was so excited. I mean, as a movie buff, I live for that stuff. This kept up until the film was about 3/4 of the way done. They lost me a little bit before the climax occured. I thought they focused too much on secondary characters for a minute, the scenes dragged on a little long. Other than that, I really cant think of anything else in this movie that I would have changed. It was perfectly measured. It holds back at the right times and gives you everything at the right times. That is so rare! Think about it, really, and youll see what I mean. I would recommend Drive to everyone. Go see it. Now.

an interview with tony of hero kuffs

Tell us a bit about yourself. Im 26 years old from Battle Creek, Michigan. I love all things nerdy. Be it comics, Video Games, Movies its all good. I live in Farmington Hills Now, with my Fianc and our 7 kids [animals]. Apart from creating things, what do you do? I work full time for Gamestop. Other than that I play guitar and do some drawing while figuring out what else I can put on leather. What would be the title of your memoir? Nerds In Leather (Not The Combo Youd Think). Where does your inspiration come from? All things nerdy. Comics, video games, movies Everyone has a symbol. Something that describes them. I just make it so you can wear your favorites. What does handmade mean to you? Handmade means something that took time. Something that took effort. That someone put their heart and soul into to make an item that has never existed before, or if it has theres never been one like it because this one is unique. Who has been most influential in your craft? My father. He has been doing leather craft for over 30 years. I remember when I was little and I just that it was the coolest thing in the world. My dad could take the most intricate pictures and carve them into this surface and paint them to look just like real life. He didnt just paint a canvas, his work was almost three dimensional. Like a whole world frozen in time right there in this picture. It was amazing being able to run your hand over it and feel every curve and bump of every carve he had done. When did you know you were an artist/maker? I never did. To this day I still think I have worlds to go in improving my style and technique. I think I could still be so much better so I dont really count myself as an artist quite yet. How would you describe your creative process? At first I either find a design or have someone message me on my etsy account. From there, if its a message I take the design they want or have messaged me and I see how fine and intricate the carving is. When we have reached an agreement on the design itself I carefully trace it on to 3 millimeter drafting paper. I then wet the leather down where the design will be and tape the design down. I use a tracing tool to transfer the design over to the leather, and then I carve it in using an extremely sharp swivel knife. A swivel knife it basically a blade set into a post with a rest for your finger. There is a swivel set into the middle so you can accurately carve circles and curves as you need to. After then I stamp down the surrounding leather and widen my carve lines for paint. Put in some holes for the snaps, stain, and paint. A good coat of weather proofing and theres a finished product. If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be? Funny you should ask. We just had this discussion last night. If I could look into the creative mind of ANYONE, it would be Tim Burton. The desire to pick his brain is overwhelming. He creates, designs, AND sculpts all of his own original works. He amazes me.

What handmade possession do you most cherish? I have two. I have a leather wrist band my father made me in Highschool that I absolutely love. And there are several drawings that my fianc did for me at the beginning of our relationship that hang by our bed. Things I could never live without. How do you get out of your creative ruts? I kill a lot of things in video games. Seriously. A ton. Or spend some time with my favorite Lady. She seems to always know what to say or do to get me going again. I dont know what Id do without her as a part of my business. Where would you like to be in ten years? Still doing my work, but full time.

Happily married with a nice house somewhere where I can have a proper workshop for all my tools and space to actually work on my projects.

Take a look at more of Tonys work for Hero Kuffs at

herokuffs.etsy.com.

Dont hide your super identity, wear it on your wrist!

early impressions with Charlie Stolz.

Two words: Holy.Crap. For people like me (the PS3 crowd), Mass Effect finally graced us last year, and it was glorious. We got it, and we got it good. Now, we didnt have ALL the things from one carrying over, but we got to give it a shot. And oh,how good it was. The interesting thing is that we were all told that every decision would matter. People lived, people died. And if they died, they would not be there in the next game. I shudder to think about how different my game would already be if Id been less anal retentive about my squad. (Looking at you, Garrus ol Buddy.) I can only wonder how Ill blubber if one of my favorites dies. For the sake of the story,Im sure. You cant have an entire squad of badasses survive forever. Hell, the way things are going, who knows how the Galaxy will? Yes, as weve been seeing in all the ads, the long heralded Reaper threat has come to Earth. And putting it lightly, we are fucked. Unless you can go cruise the galaxy, and try to bring allies from across the stars, which Im assuming is the crux of the game. Sure, you could go in all half-cocked (i.e, all human), but wed be slaughtered. So,All the species. All their ships. it is commanded, and youre off. I was worried that the game had suddenly gotten linear, but it finally opened up and its glorious. Having not played ME1, I dont know how that was, but this plays very similar to ME2, with some new powers/abilities/squad members thrown in. So its all good. Theyve replaced the mining (a very banal to some, enjoyable to me) aspect of 2 with something slightly more simplified, but with an added element of possibly gaining a Reapers attention ... and thats just too frightening for me to think of right now. All sorts of things that I have yet to understand add up to some sort of figure that determines how ready for the endgame you are. So I didnt lose anything banal without gaining something more intricate. All in all, it seems that a wide group of players will be playing out a thousand different stories right now, leading to what will probably only be five or six different endings. Maybe less. Depends on who you let die, I suppose.

Videogames shouldnt make me care about the lives of virtual squad mates. But its the Law of Epics that sacrifices will be made.
No, Im not crying.

herokuffs.etsy .com