LIFESTYLE REVIEW: GEEK CHIC DAILY LA

Coming to LA in Style, Commandeering Meltdown's Awesome Comic Art Gallery

By: Josh Moorhead

May 8, 2011

(Thursday, April 28, 2011 in Los Angeles, California) It happened sometime after Spider-Man opened in 2002 to roughly a bajillion dollars in one weekend (actually $114 million) -- a number, at the time, thought unthinkable and which remained unbroken for several years after. It pains me to say it, but I believe the distinction for highest opening weekend of all time goes to one of those Twilight thingamajigs. But that too is an extension of what I'm talking about, and it started a wee bit earlier, actually, with the relaunch of Star Wars, with the success of X-Men, with Frodo and the Hobbits' trek to Mt. Doom. It continues with the successful relaunch of Star Trek and the impending arrival of The Avengers.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the golden age of geek. Geek itself being something that might not even get ya beat up nowadays. Cool people can wear t-shirts with Captain America's sheild emblazoned on them, and it's all good in the hood. A Hulk tee at school probably wouldn't get ya beat up nowadays. By some bit of rebranding, by a dash of the hipster phenomenon and the mass acceptance of all things once nerd, heroes are cool again, and thousands of wedgies across the country go unmade.

As the unstoppable (at least until box office receipts stop pouring in) march of geeky pop culture pervades, new ways to celebrate the movement have cropped up with it. A few months back, I wrote about an exclusive and super expensive clothing line at Bloomingdale's. Now the saga continues in LA -- maybe the greatest spot for it -- with the launch of Geek Chic Daily's first regional website.

The brand and site is a treasure trove of all things nerd, some of which is trendy, some of which is probably still enough to get you beat up if that's still why you're into Battlestar. The site compiles everything from D&D (too far for me) to film reviews (now we're talkin'), to stuff you wouldn't have even thought of, like digital watches made out of wood. Yup. I know what I just said. Have a look. Subscribing to their newsletter will keep you abreast of not just news and products but cool geek-leaning happenings in and around LA which, if they're anything like the launch event at Hollywood's uber-shibby Meltdown Comics on Sunset, they won't at all be like sitting in your Mom's basement during the prom watching ST:TNG on VHS. No, that didn't happen to me -- I'm just imagining. I promise!

Anyway, Geek Chic came to LA in style, commandeering Meltdown's awesome comic art gallery (like that scene at the end of Unbreakable but without the terrorist plot twist) and their usually empty back lot. The gallery was transformed into a bar serving delectable VeeV acai liquor. It's like drinking that's good for you! You could then take that liquor and drink-and-not-really-drive by hopping on a motorcycle arcade game, or realize that, after drinking, you still suck at pinball by playing on a classic Spidey machine.

Outside in the lot, stomachs were satiated with free Pinkberry (try the new lychee flavor) that did not spoil a dinner of Farmer John's famous Dodger Dogs (a rare cross-pollination of geek and jock culture) and Grilled Cheese Truck grilled cheese. If you don't know the pleasures of the Grilled Cheese Truck, ya gotta get your LA on. Also, Pop Chips were served. They're like chips that aren't quite as bad for you!

Quarters were close, but mingling was solid, as tables were adorned with Connect Four or Dharma-labled plastic teddybears. Which also made me sad. Because Lost is dead. I'll mourn later...

Moving along, there was also beer afloat, which came in handy while trying to annihalate termintors in the Terminator: Salvation co-op shooting game. Nothing blows off steam, it turns out, like a robot apocalypse. Geek Chic, bless the buggers, didn't let anyone leave empty-handed either. On the way out, gift bags were given that contained some free comic books, stickers, a free magazine, and a stuffed Angry Bird. Heck yeah, a stuffed Angry Bird, and only minutes after I lamented, a little off my sober side, that all I wanted in the world was a stuffed Angry Bird. So thanks, Geek Chic!

Now if you're all pissed off that I got to experience this coolness, have no fear -- just go over to Geek Chic Daily LA and get yo'self some -- or drive down to Meltdown and hope that the Grilled Cheese Truck is still serving.

Also, yes, I met the biggest celeb I've ever bumped into there on the red carpet: MC Sith Lord himself...