Best Movies: It’s been a rather bland year for theatrical releases, I think, with only The Hobbit and Skyfall breaking the monotony for me.
Best TV Shows: Admittedly I’ve been watching very little TV this year, due mostly to my recent move to Japan, so my favourite shows were those which I already liked and had returned with new seasons such as Mad Men, Downton Abbey, Suits, and Game of Thrones.
Best Books (fiction): Again, what with moving to a non-English speaking country and having very little in the way of baggage allowance, my reading has largely been limited by what I could borrow. That said, there are plenty of books I’d like to catch up on when I can, including Robin Hobb’s City of Dragons and J.K Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy.
Best Books (non-fiction): See above.
Best Songs: I’ll skip the more obscure releases and just go straight from the mainstream singles, otherwise we’ll be here all night. Wide Awake (Katy Perry), Lights (Ellie Goulding), and Somebody That I Used to Know (Goyte feat. Kimbra). Otherwise, any songs released this year by whoever I’m picking for best album (see below).
Best Albums: Unsurprisingly, I’ve been listening to a lot of Japanese music lately, and 2012 saw the release of Superfly’s Force, the best full studio album (Japanese or otherwise) I’ve listened to in a very long time. That said, I’m aware that Lacuna Coil, Our Lady Peace, Eve 6, Smile Empty Soul, Three Days Grace, and Green Day likewise all released new albums this year which I’d like to check out at some point.
Best Blu-ray/DVD Release: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1… Just kidding. I’ll go with Dark Shadows (not many people liked it, but I did), In Time (I had no idea Justin Timberlake could act until this one), The Dark Knight Rises (obviously), and just for fun, Puss in Boots.
Thing that you were most excited about in 2012?: Game of Thrones Season 2.
Thing that disappointed you most in 2012?: The fact that I have to wait another year for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. It’s ridiculous that it’s taken this long for the sequel to one of the best films to have been released this side of the millennium.
Thing that you’re most looking forward to in 2013?: You have to ask? Game of Thrones Season 3.
Christy Gibbs writes the column, “Otaku Lounge” for Forces of Geek
Andrez Bergen
@andreziffy | https://www.beatport.com/artist/little-nobody/69970 | Andrez’s Amazon Page
Best Movies: The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Rust and Bone, The Master, Django Unchained, A Letter to Momo, Evangelion 3.0, Dead Sushi.
Best TV Shows: Smile PreCure!, Sekai no Hate Made ItteQ, Kamen Rider Wizard
Best Songs: UFO Original Soundtrack by Si Begg
Best Albums: Wicker & Steel by Perc
Best Comic Books / Graphic Novels: Michael Grills’ Runnin’ With a Gun and Denver Brubaker’s Tales of a Checkered Man (both online).
Best Blu-ray/DVD Release: Captain America and The Dark Knight Rises
Things that you were most excited about in 2012?: The Avengers movie and the publication of my novel One Hundred Years of Vicissitude.
Thing that disappointed you most in 2012?: The Avengers — I loved it (it’s one of my best movies of the year, above), and yet…
Things that you’re most looking forward to in 2013?: Star Trek into Darkness and publishing my next novel Who is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa?
Andrez Bergen writes the Forces of Geek column, “Flash in Japan”
Jessie Lynn
@rustbeltjessie | rustbeltjessie.com | rustbeltjessie.tumblr.com
Best Movies: n/a (Not because I don’t like movies, but because I have seen literally zero movies that came out in 2012.)
Best Books (fiction): Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version by Philip Pullman, Heroines by Kate Zambreno, The Sea Is My Brother by Jack Kerouac
Best Books (non-fiction): City of the Big Shoulders: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry edited by Ryan G. Van Cleave, Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone by Johnny Ramone, Spit and Passion by Cristy C. Road
Best Songs: “Where Seagulls Dare” (Arms Aloft), “Death to My Hometown” (Bruce Springsteen), “Dead Man’s Boots” (Firewater ), “Did Your Broken Heart Make You Who You Are?” (Franz Nicolay), “Bad Genes” (Heavy Cream), “Ramblin’ Gal” (Hurray for the Riff Raff), “The Nights of Wine and Roses” (Japandroids), “No Sir, I’m Not a Christian” (Terry Malts)
Best Albums: Arms Aloft – Sawdust City, Dan Vapid and the Cheats – s/t, Firewater – International Orange, Franz Nicolay – Do the Struggle, Heavy Cream – Super Treatment, Hurray for the Riff Raff – Look Out Mama, Japandroids – Celebration Rock, Terry Malts – Killing Time, Tim Barry – 40 Miler, Tooth Soup – Casting Off Curses. And honorable mentions to three releases that aren’t truly albums – Angel Haze’s Classick mix tape/EP, the new Daycare Swindlers 7″, and Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros: The Hellcat Years digital box set.
Best Comic Books / Graphic Novels Zines: Flying Into the Chandelier by Brandt Schmitz, Freaky Is As Freaky Do, The Fury #20 by Mark Novotny, Ghost Lungs #1 by Em Rose, Raw Deal #13 by Joey Alone, Waiting for October
Thing that you were most excited about in 2012?: Chicago Zine Fest
Thing that disappointed you most in 2012?: The Adicts kicking the World/Inferno Friendship Society off their tour
Thing that you’re most looking forward to in 2013?: The possibility of the Nelson Algren documentary finally coming out!
Jessie Lynn writes “Mix Tapes From The Midwest” for Forces of Geek.
Jim Zub
@jimzub | https://www.jimzub.com | https://www.skullkickers.com
Best Movies: The Muppets, Marvel’s The Avengers, Cabin in the Woods
Best TV Shows: Downton Abbey, The Walking Dead
Best Video Game: Journey, Pinball Arcade, Elder Sign: Omens
Best Comic Books / Graphic Novels: Locke & Key, Batman, Amazing Spider-Man
Thing that you were most excited about in 2012?: Great new creator-owned comics
Thing that disappointed you most in 2012?: The argument of print vs digital and indy vs mainstream. Just make great comics and do what’s best for you.
Thing that you’re most looking forward to in 2013?: Even more great new creator-owned comics
Jim Zub writes his own “Skullkickers” for Image Comics and “Birds of Prey” for DC Entertainment
Bill Machon
@billmachon | https://www.attackontrack.com
Best Movies: John Carter, The Avengers
Best TV Shows: Game of Thrones, American Horror Story
Best Albums:
Best Comic Books / Graphic Novels: Hellraiser, Star Trek
Best Podcasts: The Gamma Quadrant, The Basketball Jones
Best Albums: Sweet Heart Sweet Light (Spiritualized), Beams (Matthew Dear), Six Cups of Rebel (Lindstrom)
Best Blu-ray/DVD Release: Game of Thrones: Season 1, Star Trek: TNG Seasons 1 & 2, John Carter
Thing that you were most excited about in 2012?: Disney’s purchase of LucasFilm and Star Wars Episode VII announcement
Thing that you’re most looking forward to in 2013?: Star Trek Into Darkness, More Star Trek: TNG Blu-rays, Star Wars: Episode VII news and rumors
Bill Machon writes “Welcome to the Future” for Forces of Geek
Gavin Hignight
@gavinhignight | www.gavinhignight.com
Best Movies: The Avengers, Argo, Skyfall, Cabin in the Woods, Sinister
Best TV Shows: The Walking Dead, Tron Uprising, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Best Video Game: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Best Songs: Millionaire Mother Medley (Hanni El Khatib)
Best Albums: Observator (The Raveonettes)
Best Blu-ray/DVD Release: The Walking Dead: Season 2 Limited Edition Zombie Head Blu-ray Set
Thing that you were most excited about in 2012?: GI Joe Club Oktober Guard Action Figure Set
Thing that disappointed you most in 2012?: The Dark Knight Rises, Dark Shadows
Thing that you’re most looking forward to in 2013?: Star Trek Into Darkness
Gavin Hignight is a former contributor to Forces of Geek
Seth Levi
Best TV Shows: Breaking Bad, Veep
Best Books (non-fiction): The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro
Best Blu-ray/DVD Release: Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures
Thing that you were most excited about in 2012?: Prometheus
Thing that disappointed you most in 2012?: Prometheus
Seth Levi writes “Maximum Pixels” for Forces of Geek
Josh Latta
@joshlatta | https://lattaland.com/
Best Movies: Killing Them Softly: What a crying shame this movie went over with a thud. From the jarring opening sequence to the hilarious last line. This movie was like heroin to me; totally awesome. Marley: Look, I’m not really a Bob Marley fan, but one cannot deny he lived quite an interesting life. Just think of how good he woulda been if it weren’t for the Jah bullshit.
Best TV Shows: Boardwalk Empire: Proof that TV is better than movies. Comedy Bang Bang: Proof that TV is better than podcasts.
Best Books (non-fiction): The Dark Side Of Disney by Leonard Kinsey. Kinsey gives us all of the tips, tricks, scams, and stories that’d have Walt rolling in his cryogenic grave. I love a good scam, especially at a beloved theme park. Life After Death by Damien Echols SPOILER ALERT Damien talks about how he killed those kids and got away with it too, dude. Just kidding.
Best Songs: The Clouds Are Lies (The Brian Jonestown Massacre) I dunno about anything else. I hate rap.
Best Albums: The Smiths box set reissues. Duh! As if I ever listen to anything but The Smiths.
Best Comic Books / Graphic Novels: Crime World by David King, Big Deal Comics & Stories #11 by Patrick Dean, Battle Zoo by Brad McGinty and Uncle Scrooge: Only A Poor Old Man. Carl Barks makes me almost believe in God. Almost. He’s the perfect cartoonist in every way. I mourn for him daily.
Best Blu-ray/DVD Release: The Avengers. The closest a super hero movie ever came to being perfect. You got Thor and Hulk punching each other through walls n’ junk, flying aircraft carriers and jokes that actually hit for once. My one complaint? Man, those aliens sure looked generic, especially on Blu-ray.
Thing that you were most excited about in 2012? Doing a poster for the last great rock band, White Denim, The release of Rashy Rabbit Vol. 1. My enemies being one year closer to death.
Thing that disappointed you most in 2012? My ever-growing debt. The sales of Rashy Rabbit Vol. 1. The fact I’m still engaged to be engaged. I gotta get a ring on that girl’s finger before she wises up.
Thing that you’re most looking forward to in 2013? Funny you should ask, the next Rashy Rabbit adventure. It’s my best one yet, natch.
Cartoonist Josh Latta is the creator of “Rashy Rabbit” and dear friend of Forces of Geek
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