Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and the whole Mills clan is gathering at my parents’ house for a big meal, good times and probably some television. We don’t have any real traditions for the holiday. It’s just a big, fun get together, where my father, brother and I chat about all the movies and TV shows we’ve seen, the comics we’ve read and the video games we play.

Though there may be a few comments about when grandchildren might show up to share in those same activities.

This takes me back

Whenever my family gets together, we invariably talk about all the geeky things we love to do. We never discuss politics, religion, world events or anything of the like. Why bother? All politicians are shifty and corrupt. All organized religions are shifty and corrupt. And world events aren’t nearly as interesting as Big Hero 6. So for the holiday this year, I’ve decided to share with you all the 6 geeky, pop culturey things I’m thankful for this season!

Join me after the jump! And please share your own in the comments!

6. The Marvel Cinematic Universe

My dream team

I am thankful for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Everything from the first Iron Man to Guardians of the Galaxy has fulfilled every superhero wish I could possibly have, and I couldn’t be happier! I’m still old enough to remember a time when superheroes were still on the fringes. Sure, we had some great cartoons in the 90s, but we also had that crappy Captain America movie where Red Skull was Italian, and Network TV seriously considered that one brain dead Justice League pilot.

So I am very thankful that comic book superheroes are the kings and queens of pop culture right now! I love that the entire world is gearing up for the Avengers sequel, which is still written and directed by Joss freakin’ Whedon! I love that Ant-Man is going to get a movie next year! I love that everybody’s excited for the Captain Marvel movie!

And the very real possibility that Kamala Khan might show up at some point

Say what you want about there being upwards of 40 superhero movies between now and 2020, I’m going to watch them all. You better believe there might be more than a few more midnight release lines for this comic book geek!

5. Over the Garden Wall

This gets my full recommendation!

My brother introduced me to Over the Garden Wall earlier this month, and I couldn’t be more thankful. It’s a short cartoon mini-series from the Cartoon Network about a pair of brothers, one nervous and square, the other adventurous and outgoing, as they travel ‘beyond the garden wall’ to a world filled with witches, monsters and talking steamboat frogs. It’s a cartoon along the lines of Adventure Time and Bee and PuppyCat in that it’s kind of cute and a little weird, but Over the Garden Wall is grounded in real feelings of loss, fear, abandonment and more. This is a serious cartoon, but at times it can be adorable.

This takes me way back

I’m not only thankful that my brother introduced me to Over the Garden Wall, but I’m thankful that such cartoons even exist. The world of animation gives us so many good and wonderful cartoons these days. It’s a great time to be a fan of cartoons!

4. Steam

Welcome to my Steam page!

Everybody uses Steam these days, right? If you don’t know, Steam is a PC-based video game catalogue that allows you to download full-sized video games from the Internet and store them in an easy-to-access library. Steam also helps set up any DLC purchases, game mods and co-op gaming, which I love so much. And their catalogue of games is deep, which means when the various super sales they have come around each year, I can often pick up old games I love on the cheap. I got to go back and play Fallout 3 for less than $10, and I bought the entire Commandoes series for less than $5. I’ve almost completely given up my X-Box thanks to Steam.

So I am thankful that there exists a nifty, helpful video game tool that allows me to play both old and new games for cheap and with all my gaming friends!

3. The constant proliferation of the Ninja Turtles

This cartoon is a gem

The universe has decided that my favorite cartoon from my childhood – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – will exist in some form or another from the 80s until the end of time. There are always new cartoons, new movies, new comics, new action figures; it’s wonderful. Sure, not everything is very good, but so what? Something new will be along eventually. Leonardo will always be around to kick butt (and I can always buy his new action figure). There will always be new versions of Wingnut, Screwloose, Bebop and Rocksteady to enjoy. And maybe someday I’ll be able to share the Ninja Turtles with my kids. As great as it would be for the world to come up with new ideas, I love the Ninja Turtles enough that I’ll ride that nostalgia for as long as the universe will allow.

2. That World of Warcraft saves my characters no matter how many times I quit

Sadly, not one of my characters

I honestly think that World of Warcraft is probably my favorite video game of all time. It’s one of the purest role-playing games out there, taking full advantage of the breadth and glory of one of my all-time favorite fictional worlds. My father, my brother and I all played the original Warcraft games back in the 90s. They were a family favorite! And now, whenever I want, I can plop down $15 and buy a whole month back in the land of Azeroth! I bought WoW back when it first came out 10 years ago, while I was in college, and no matter how many times I cancel my subscription or re-subscribe, my same characters will be there waiting for me.

Me and this guy have been through a lot

I can still remember creating Dackard the Priest my senior year, to play alongside my roommate Joe. And even though they don’t have to, Blizzard, the company behind WoW, keeps all of your characters saved in their databanks until you come back. So this month, with some vacation time on my hands, I plopped down that $15 bucks and am back questing with Dackard, Tannenbaum, Shonson, Sespi and all the rest of my own personal Warcraft cast. And since WoW keeps growing with new patches and expansions, there’s always something new to do with them. I’m not just loading up an old saved game where everything is maxed out. Warcraft keeps growing, and every once and awhile, my gang and I get the chance to try and catch up.

1. Readers like you!

This is how I picture my readers

If I may get sappy for a moment…I love you guys and gals! It’s a total blast to write this blog and interact with you readers, who are some of the geekiest people I know! You come, you view, you comment, you like, you share; it’s a ton of fun and I am super thankful that, after three years of writing this thing, I still get so many new people checking out my personal ramblings! It’s a testament to the awesomeness of the Internet and to the coolness of geeks like us that even a schmuck like me can whip up a comic book blog and people actually read it!

So to everyone I say: Have a Happy, Geeky Thanksgiving!

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And feel free to tell me what you’re thankful for in the comments!

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