NERD!!!

Remember the days when 'nerd' was an insult? Sure, some people still use it as an insult, but the identity of 'nerd' has been heavily embraced in more recent years, and I am loving it!

Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop games don't receive quite the same bad rep thanks in part to Stranger Things, and the MCU has helped bring comic books and comic book characters into the spotlight. Even The Force Awakens film brought some fanfare attention back to Star Wars. Anime and manga have continued to grow in popularity too. I can barely wear a My Hero Academia hoodie out in public without receiving at least one compliment on it, if not multiple. All in all, it's a good time to be a nerd.

I wanted to make sure to incorporate my nerdiness into Wasp Queen, specifically in Makana's character. Her Hufflepuff blanket, Doctor Who poster, Star Wars and DC figures, and more all pay homage to my own nerdiness. I quote from movies and TV shows constantly, so much so that I don't even realize I'm doing it. So, I wanted to squeak that into Makana's dialogue, not only because it's realistic, but because so many other nerds out there can relate. How many times have you quoted a line from Firefly or mentioned a character from Metal Gear only to get a blank stare? Yeah, it's awkward, but we nerds sometimes can't help it.

And on that note, I wanted to bring up the topic of obsession. A lot of people obsess about things. From food to shoes, from the amount of Instagram likes and TikTok views. Maybe my obsession with video games, anime, and much more is a little unconventional. But since so many people obsess about things, we nerds really aren't that different. One thing that's always amazed me, is the amount of comradery that exists in the geek community. People will stop me in the store to ask me which is my favorite anime character from a specific TV show, and coworkers will ask me what my Hogwarts house is. Wearing fandom clothes and accessories is a great way to shout out to the world that you're a proud nerd, and it will often attract other nerds to you like a homing beacon.

All that to say I'm glad that we've taken back insults like 'nerd' and 'geek' and turned them into positive things. My boss once told me, "Joy, you're so weird!" Of course, I promptly replied, "Yes, I am. But all the best people are crazy." That's a throwback to Melanie Martinez's song Mad Hatter, which is referencing a quote from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: You're mad. Bonkers. Off my head. But I'll tell you a secret...all of the best people are.

So, yes. Our obsession with video games, TV shows, comic books, anime, and much more does make us a bit bonkers, just like it makes Makana. But don

't worry. You're in good company.

"We're all mad here." - Cheshire Cat