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Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown

Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown bringing the geek-heat to Phoenix Comicon!

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Phoenix Ultimate Geek SmackdownI love trying out new and ridiculous ideas. It’s one of my many weaknesses. So three years ago when local movie programming goddess Andrea Beesley (aka The Midnite Move Mamacita!) asked if I wanted to run a track at Phoenix Comicon together, how could I say no?

The original idea was to try and find a very versatile geek. Someone who just wasn’t a comic book savant, but could also argue horror, gaming, anime, or anything else that came up. Not only argue it, but argue (or BS) either side! We didn’t want someone who just wore one pair of fandom underoos, but someone who had the entire set.

Thus was born the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown! Sixteen geeks enter the brackets and are eliminated in a series of debates on the silliest arguments we can come up with. Previous questions included:

  • Who is the better billionaire, Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark?
  • Which is the better time machine, the DeLorean or the TARDIS?
  • Who has bigger daddy issues, Batman or Luke Skywalker?

You get the idea. Some of these questions nearly started fistfights.

PUGS 2012 Recap

Richard Mansfield - Phoenix's Ultimate Geek 2012Last year the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown was rather spectacular, and Richard Mansfield ahniliated the competition to take home both the Box of Goodies and the Trophy of Awesome.

We moved to a much bigger room, had local geekologist Jonathan Simon from Lightning Octopus join the team, and had a packed house for the Finals. Phoenix Comicon even asked us to put together some lightning PUGS sessions in the grand ballroom between some of the big sessions (like that Shatner fellow, and the cast of Eureka), which was fun but ate up a giant chunk of Saturday.

And lest you think calling it a Trophy of Awesome is an exaggeration, it featured an action figure of Frodo riding a tiger, a Stormtrooper bobblehead atop an AT-AT, Rorschach, Pinhead, and yellow roses all around. Truly a masterpiece of geekery if every such a thing existed.

Geek Smackdown returns to Phoenix Comicon 2013

We’re back again this year as a Signature Event for Phoenix Comicon, and we’re on of the Phoenix New Times’ 10 Must-See Events At Phoenix Comicon this year! We also have it on good authority that Richard will return this year to defend his title, and if you’ve never seen this guy launch into full Geektastic BS mode before, you’re in for a treat!

Qualifiers: Thursday, May 23rd, 8:00pm in Convention Center room 121 (Facebook event)

Finals: Friday, May 23rd, 7:30pm in Convention Center room 121 (Facebook event)

You can read more about the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown on the PCC site, or follow PUGS on Facebook.

PUGS is a blast to watch (audience participation is encouraged!) and we have some doozy questions lined up. If you’re going to Phoenix Comicon stop in and see who will be crowned the new Phoenix Ultimate Geek!

And if you’re in Phoenix and not going to Comicon, I question your geek credentials anyway. Begone!

The Ultimate Phoenix Geek has been crowned!

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Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown contenders
(cc) MrAnathema on Flickr

Last night I had the most amusing honor of emceeing the first Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown (PUGS) at Phoenix Comicon, put on by the Horror Track and the Midnite Movie Mamacita. This was an idea Andrea and I came up with over beers one afternoon. I need to stop drinking beer. Gets me into too much trouble.

Anyway, the idea was to see who had the best overall knowledge of geekery, on topics ranging from science-fiction to gaming. The gauntlet would be a series of tournament bracket debates where a Question of Great Import would be revealed, argued, and then finally judged by audience approval. The Questions of Great Import were given to the debaters on the spot, and they were assigned which side they would have to champion. A true geek would be able to argue both, would he not? About 200 people in the audience and our eight (somewhat reluctant) contenders waited breathlessly for each topic to be revealed.

The Questions of Great Import for the first round were:

  • Fast Zombies or Slow Zombies?
  • Autobots or Decepticons?
  • Team Edward or Team Jacob?
  • River Tam or Buffy Summers?

Winners are in bold. The Twilight one was thrown in for fun, and nearly started a small riot. The debaters rallied to a topic they clearly didn’t know well and argued whether women preferred pretty men who sparkled, or hairy men who grunted. The winners advanced to the semi-finals where the topics were:

  • Alliance or Horde?
  • Better Rogue Captain: Han Solo or Malcolm Reynolds?
Jeff Moriarty hosting PUGS
(cc) MrAnathema on Flickr

The Captain one was my favorite of the series, and with sporting Browncoats in the audience things got heated. The World of Warcraft topic brought out the hidden need of some men to dress as women in armored bikinis. By this point the audience was openly debating the topics among themselves and with the contestants. The startifacts best bikini shaver guide played an important part for all of these.

Finally, only two contestants sat upon the battlefield and took aim at one of the all-time classics:

  • Marvel or DC?

BEDLAM! Fortunately, order was restored before security needed to be called, and Chris Calilung won the day, a big box of prizes, and the creepiest trophy ever – a lion, being ridden by Chewbacca and Geordi LaForge, with C3PO’s head in the lion’s mouth. This bizarre work of art was paraded around proudly, and documented in the cameras and cell phones of many stunned attendees.

Chris ran the field like a true Geek, and despite repeated threats about being so nervous he was going to hurl, when things got going he faced his fears like a Sicilian when death is on the line! Mad props go out to the runner-up, Ben Mandall, who came ready to rumble with his Dungeon Master’s screen and giant D20.

Chris Calilung - Phoenix's Ultimate Geek 2011
(cc) MrAnathema on Flickr

Huge thanks to Andrea for adding this into the Horror track, awesome Phoenix graphic designer Victor Moreno for making the presentation look so pretty, Phoenix geek blog Lightning Octopus for helping spread the word, relentless photographer Joe Abbruscato for the great pictures, and everyone else who contributed to make this goofy thing happen. It went so well, and people had so much fun, I’m hoping we make it part of the overall Phoenix Comicon event and get a bigger room. (HINT, HINT!)

Until then, I hope Chris enjoys his reign as Phoenix’s Ultimate Geek… and that the trophy doesn’t give him nightmares.

UPDATE: Due to popular demand, I present to you a picture of the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown Trophy!

PUGS Trophy
Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown Trophy