Continue reading »]]>

It’s been awhile since I’ve made a Win Files post. I have amassed a collection of things that make you go squee. Here is a sampling.

First up is from my most treasured Internet gem, Squishable.com: The Squishable Android! In June, the lovely folks at Squishable.com auctioned one of these adorable guys for the Child’s Play Charity. Just when I thought I couldn’t love these guys any more, they go and do that. Maybe if I’m a very good girl, Santa will leave me one under the tree when they go on sale in December. (HINT HINT)

This second example of pure win comes from artist James Hance in the form of Wookie the Chew. I love love love the original, classic, timeless artwork from Winnie the Pooh by E.H. Shepard (and many times imitable stories by A.A. Milne). The way he has merged Star Wars with Winnie the Pooh tugs at my nerdy heartstrings making me ridiculously happy. Prints are available at the link provided. He also has t-shirts and released a book this past Wednesday, September 1. I’m pretty sure Santa will have to beat me to the punch for getting “Most Likely Lose It Again, Anyway” in t-shirt form. WANT!

Last, but not least, another example of win from the fine folks at Think Geek, App Magnets. As Motorola Droid user, and recently indoctrinated member of the Cult of Android, I can’t help but poke a little fun at my iPhone using brethren. As appears to be the theme of today’s Wins, the magnets are simply a-dork-able. As testament to their awesomeness, they are currently out of stock. Think Geek has long been a purveyor of fine nerdy goods and I enjoy recommending them to many to fulfill multiple and sundry nerd-ly needs.

Continue reading »]]>

or “How after 12 years I came closer to completing my oldest collection and won the con at the same time”.

I started collecting Sandman comics around 1998 or so. This was back in the days when huge swaths of the San Diego Comic-Con floor was nothing but booth after booth of comic books. I would plop down with a box of $1 comics and a list written down on notebook paper and carefully pluck out the little treasures.

As we all know, SDCC is nothing like those halcyon days any more. Where there were once 10-15 booths of cheap back issues of non-superhero comics, there are now 2. Walking into Baltimore Comic-Con was like coming home. Comic shop owners dominated the floor. $1 comics. $5 graphic novels. Action figures, artists, independent comics publishers, and web comics. It was beautiful. My nerd heart wept.

We stopped in many booths looking for a comic that has eluded us since July: Blackhawk #133, the first appearance of Lady Blackhawk. (Still haven’t found it) In one booth, I started flipping through a box of comics entitled “Misc. Vertigo”. In it, I found the Death Mini Comic, “Death Talks About Life”. A 6-page pamphlet distributed in the 90s informing people about safe sex, STDs, and condoms with a guest appearance from John Constantine. I kept flipping through the box and Trey and I opted to split up so he could keep looking for Blackhawk. This booth wasn’t done with me, yet.

I found the Sandman back issues and the front of the stack had issue #3. My eyes got big as saucers. The front part of my collection was the most naked. The first 8 issues of Sandman were always out of my price range as a young’un. I am now a grown up with a scandalous amount of disposable income. I stumbled upon the box of comic book treasures. Literally. I pulled all the low number issues missing from my list rather gleefully.

Tucked in the wrong place, out of order, was Sandman #8 — the first appearance of Death. My breath caught in my chest. I stared at in disbelief for a few seconds. I had found it. My first thought was, “Trey is NEVER going to believe this!” My second thought was, “He missed me finding it! Sad! I wish he was here.” No matter what else happened, though, I could go home happy.

I purchased my huge stack of Sandman back issues and asked the booth owner if he had copies of Sandman #1 and #2. He stepped down to a box of comics on the floor and plucked issue #1 effortlessly from the box and handed it to me. His asking price was half what I was used to seeing when I started my collection, it was a no-brainer. I had successfully found the mini-comic, the first appearances of Death and Dream in one place. Full on triple nerdgasm, all the way, across the con. (To borrow a SUPER tired meme)

Out of a 75-issue run of a seminal series of comics, I am only missing 4 issues. I am on nerdy cloud 9.

Continue reading »]]>

From The Win Files will be a list of nifty things or links that I just find completely and utterly awesome. Welcome to the first installment.

I Am Comic Sans, a short imagined monologue from an oft-maligned font found on every personal computer from here to Timbuktu. If you have delicate sensibilities regarding foul language, this here be your warning.

I have the uncontrollable urge to place a tiny little 100×100 preview graphic of the awesome in the next link but I can’t bring myself to preview it and cheapen the full reveal. While I was very proud of my own wedding invitations, I would have been just as happy with these and take no personal insult in declaring them the Best. Wedding Invitations. Ever. Serious nerd points with this one. Serious. Like whoa.

Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame is working on a documentary about people who <3 Comic-Con. My husband and I are going to Comic-Con this year for 2 days of our honeymoon. I’m trying to decide if I’m going to be outgoing enough to send in a submission for the documentary. How much will I kick myself if I miss out on it?