Jewelry for nerds, an action-figure Twitter feed, and a video game that’s worth the effort
@suekichiii action-figure Twitter account
— すえきち (@suekichiii) January 2, 2017
I’m late to the party on this one, but I’ve become obsessed with this Japanese Twitter account called @suekichiii. It’s full of little four-panel comics made using high-end action figures, the kind with lots of articulation and even switchable heads with different facial expressions. Using those figures, some photo effects, and a handful of miniature sets and props, suekichiii is able to create clever little one-gag stories and, more impressively, a handful of charming recurring characters. Most of the feed revolves around the continuing adventures of Freddie Mercury and Bruce Lee, imagined here as buddy-comedy BFFs. Freddie is the straight man and Bruce is the mischievous asshole who never stops busting his chops. They get up to plenty of general chicanery, but some of their funniest outings feature guest spots from the likes of Rambo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Deadpool, Michael Jackson, Freddy Krueger, and a family of monkeys. It’s amazing to see how much simple, clever comedy suekichiii is able to accomplish with such a limited palette, and in the endless parade of misery that is Twitter nowadays, these posts are a much-needed bit of levity that never fails to brighten my day. [Matt Gerardi]
RockLove’s classy, nerdy jewelry
I’m usually happy to wear my Star Trek fandom on my sleeve, lapels, back, or even slung over my shoulder. But sometimes I want a dressier option, or just something that I’m not going to stain or knock off my jacket in a clumsy move. That’s where RockLove Jewelry comes in. They sell lots of fine, nerdy accessories, including these gorgeous Vikings-inspired earrings. You can even shop by fandom and pick up something like this Penny Dreadful snake ring or a Hobbit acorn pendant (just don’t show it to Thorin). You might already be familiar with some of RockLove’s Star Trek jewelry; I know I’ve seen ads for this Enterprise ring. But I’ve gone with this 50th-anniversary-inspired silver necklace with blue topaz pendant, which is in the shape of the insignia. It’s beautiful yet subtle, thereby allowing me to pass through Babylon Five fan territory without incident. [Danette Chavez]
XCOM: Enemy Unknown video game
For a person who semi-regularly writes about video games professionally, I am very bad at video games. When the going gets tough, I get quitting. My core beef with hard games is that there rarely seems to be an aesthetic purpose to the difficulty; it exists instead as a mere challenge that supplements the game’s truer purpose of making its player feel powerful. I don’t have much stomach for power-fantasy video games anymore, which is why XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a 2012 game that is available on pretty much every system imaginable, including your phone, is the rare difficult game I adore. It is a multilayered strategic gauntlet of punishing, board-game style complexity, showing how difficulty should exist in games in much the way that, say, Tarantino illustrates the power of violence in film. XCOM: Enemy Unknown has a massive expansion, a well-regarded sequel, and a suite of mods that stretch it out to almost infinite playability, but the core experience of leading a group of cherished, battle-hardened soldiers into battle against powerful alien forces remains evergreen. That a game of such cerebral and emotional delights is wrapped in a hammy, cable-television sci-fi exterior only adds to its charm. [Clayton Purdom]