TOP 22 BLOG POSTS OF 2022

Before 2022 fades into 2023, we're taking a look back at the most popular posts on ageekdaddy.com based upon our blog stats during this year. Entertainment, lifestyle and travels were favorite topics that this Geek Daddy will look to continue delving into for 2023. Drum roll please! The top 22 blog posts of 2022:

22) TAD THE LOST EXPLORER & THE EMERALD TABLET

This comedic spoof of the Indiana Jones / Alan Quartermain style adventure movies of the 1980s, is a popular franchise in Spain but the family-friendly animated films are not widely known in the United States. We shared a movie night experience watching the digital release of the newest film in the TAD THE LOST EXPLORER franchise. Following publishing this post, I received a lot of tweets on our @Geekdad248 Twitter account thanking me for introducing this movie to our audience. Many had never heard of this franchise before and were thrilled to discover it. Are you following us on Twitter? A lot of people are geeked when they see through their Twitter feed we've added a new post to the blog.

21) UNCHARTED FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

My family had to solve a treasure hunt to unlock the digital code for an UNCHARTED movie night. Another treasure hunter movie post that was popular on the blog in 2022. There are a lot of people who grew up dreaming of being adventurous explorers after watching the 1980s flicks Raiders of the Lost Ark and King Solomon's Mines. UNCHARTED also generated a lot of interest from it being a movie adaption of a popular video game series. And then there were some like my daughter who wanted to see Tom Holland and my wife wanting to see Mark Wahlberg star in the film. There was a lot of interest in this film; do you think it lived up to expectations?

20) TRICK OR TREAT SCOOBY DOO

Posts about family movie nights and home video releases of motion pictures are always hot topics when it comes to a Geek Daddy's blog posts. Scooby Dooby Doo! There are a lot of people who love Scooby Doo and were geeked about this announcement that a new animated movie featuring the scaredy cat dog and his mystery solving teenager friends was being released for Halloween.

19) METAL & MONSTERS

Our announcement that Gibson Guitars YouTube channel was producing a series focused on heavy metal music and horror movies struck a lot of cords. This free to view video series highlights artists that have made a lot of people scream. The first episode featured actor Robert Englund, who played Freddy Krueger, and the band Dokken that performed songs for the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. I've really enjoyed the METAL & MONSTERS shows on Gibson TV!

18) NEW WAVE TOYS 1943 REPLICADE

The popularity of this post shows there is a lot of nostalgia for classic arcade-style video games. I bought a playable sixth scale reproduction of one of my favorite games to play at the arcade by my house as a middle school tween. Here is my review of New Wave Toys 1943 Replicade. 

17) STAR WARS SMUGGLERS RUN

What sci-fi geek hasn't dreamed of flying the Millenium Falcon on a space adventure? We made that dream come true for this Geek Daddy with a visit to Walt Disney World to ride the Star Wars Smugglers Run attraction and share the experience in this post. Hit it Chewie! 

16) MY DAY AS A FIREFIGHTER 

In the last year I've transitioned from maintaining my own law practice to becoming a city attorney. One of the most interesting things I did on the job this year was had an opportunity to spend a day training with the fire department to get a better understanding of their operations. 

15) ADVENTURES ON THE GORGE

I've always wanted to go whitewater rafting and finally checked that off my travel bucket list by going on a Father's Day road trip with my son to West Virginia's New River Gorge. It was a wet, wild adventure on the gorge! 

14) LESSONS LEARNED BY A BEGINNER MINIATURE PAINTER

2022 was a year when I jumped into the tabletop gaming hobby and with that came learning how to start painting the game pieces to enhance the playing experiences. I shared some tips learned from trial and error from someone who lacks good hand-eye coordination and artistic abilities yet still finds painting miniatures a fun and relaxing activity.

13) DOCTOR STRANGE ADVANCE SCREENING

Marvel Studios invited me to attend an advance screening of DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS and bring some ageekdaddy.com fans along with me. Free movie tickets have a way of increasing traffic to a blog!

12) MARVEL UNITED MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

Marvel United a tabletop game, which is a co-production of CMON and Spinmaster Games, is a family favorite for game nights in our household. In anticipation of the theatrical release of DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS we played a game of Marvel United themed around what we thought at the time the movie might be about. We were wrong about the movie plot; but it was still a fantastic game night! We also played a Marvel United game themed around the Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk Disney+ shows that was a popular post but just narrowly missed out on making the Top 22 list.

11) ALBUS DUMBLEDORE PROP REPLICA WAND

We must have a lot of Harry Potter fans reading the blog because this review of the Noble Collection's prop replica of the wand utilized by Jude Law in filming Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore generated lots of attention. While the movie may have been a flop plenty of people were interested in getting their hands on Albus Dumbledore's wand.

10) MAGICAL MOTHERS DAY GIFT IDEAS

Appreciate so many people were interested in my advice on gifts that special women in their lives would be geeked to get for Mothers Day. This collection of replica jewelry featured in Harry Potter movies featured some magical pieces that would be sure to delight fans of the books and films.

9) WHAT IS ROLE OF KIT HARINGTON IN ETERNALS

A discussion about Kit Harington's role in Eternals and future Marvel Cinematic Universe movies generated a lot of buzz. Always enjoy chatting about comic books and superhero themed movies on the blog, Instagram and Twitter. 

8) JURASSIC WORLD FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

What is better than a movie studio hosting a movie night for my family to enjoy by providing us a free copy of a new home video release to watch? When they give us free movies to give away to our ageekdaddy.com audience as well. We had a lot of interest in the free digital movie codes this Geek Daddy had to give out!

7) BABY YODA GOLDFISH SNACKS

My kids love Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Snacks and the Disney+ Mandalorian television show. So, they were geeked when we discovered Star Wars: Mandalorian Goldfish Snacks! The Force was with this blog post!

6) DR SQUATCH STAR WARS SOAPS

DR SQUATCH produces soaps made with natural ingredients and excludes harsh chemicals and artificial ingredients in making its products. To help market their products they often partner with popular entertainment brands to create cool custom soaps. My review of their Star Wars themed soaps must have created a disturbance in the Force because it was in the Top 10 of most viewed ageekdaddy.com posts in 2022.

5) THE CHILD HOT TOYS LIFE SIZED FIGURE

Baby Yoda was HOT when it comes to our ageekdaddy.com audience! Grogu cracked the Top 10 of most popular blog posts in 2022 three times! Hot Toys is known for creating awesome replica creations of Star Wars characters and this review of their life-sized figure of this hit character from the Mandalorian tv show was a standout post.

4) JADA TOYS BATMOBILE

I was so geeked to review this diecast replica of the Batmobile from THE BATMAN movie! Jada Toys did an outstanding job producing this 1:18 scale replica of the car from the film. It was like there was a Bat Signal directing Caped Crusader fans to the blog to read this post.

3) MUPPETS MAYHEM

There must be a lot of pent-up demand for more Muppets shows because my announcement that Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band were getting their own Disney+ show was one of the blog's most viewed posts of the year. Rock on Electric Mayhem!

2) LOADED BOARDS 2022 SKATEBOARD LINEUP

I have to admit this was a surprise when viewing the annual stats; but our overview of the new skateboards released by LOADED BOARDS in 2022 had double the unique visitors and reader views of almost any other blog post we published this year. Wow! I really wasn't expecting that. 

Wish they had provided some product for my kids to show off for them and they would have really rocked it this year! They earned their free media on this post though because there obviously was an interest in their products! Yes, we do writeups on products that I buy with my own money or we are just sent press releases on; not everything is provided free to us or has a sponsorship fee connected to it that is published on ageekdaddy.com. This blog is all about sharing experiences and interesting news with our readers that I am geeked about and believe you will be too. 

1) DODOS RIDING DINOS

Our top blog post of 2022 is my review of DODOS RIDING DINOS. A game that I spent my own money on to buy through a Kickstarter campaign. This is a family favorite for playing on game nights! Who doesn't love board games and dinosaurs?! This is a product we promoted just from the pure joy I had from playing it with my kids and the honest review obviously captured attention. Congrats Draco Studios and Detestable Games for having our most viewed blog post of 2022!

I just bought an expansion pack that should be arriving in 2023. Do you think they may be able to repeat this feat again next year? Good luck!

THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who has visited ageekdaddy.com this year. I appreciate you and hope you enjoy the content we share. We'll be back in 2023 with more content focused on entertainment news, family experiences, travel features, men's lifestyle and more. Happy New Year!

FOUR SUPERB BENEFITS OF SHARING HOBBIES WITH YOUR KID

From sports to collectibles to video games and beyond, there is an unlimited number of hobbies that you can choose from. As a parent, you also want to encourage your child to show an interest in the things you love, but this isn’t always easy. Some kids may not care about what you love, or they’d much rather hang out with friends or spend an evening in front of the TV. While this is understandable, it also means you’re both missing out on something special. So, what are the benefits of sharing hobbies with your kids? 

You Can Build a Bond

Building a strong bond between you and your child is something any parent dreams of achieving. In most cases, the bond is already there, but if you want to make more memories, sharing hobbies is a great solution. As much as family dinners or car rides to school will stick with them, the experiences they have with you when they score their first goal or win their first online game are even better, and you’ll be there for every success, so they know you've always supported them. 

You Can Meet New People Together 

 Meeting new people can be tricky as an adult, and if your child has struggled to make friends at school or around the neighborhood, a shared hobby can expand both of your circles. Wherever you go, a local club or activity gives you the chance to get to know someone different, or even build a friendship with someone who was previously a peripheral figure in your life. This is also great for teaching your child vital social skills and can help them get out of the house more and build friendships with kids their age. 

You Can Explore Something New 

There are so many hobbies to choose from that it can feel overwhelming. While most people are drawn to traditional hobbies like sports, others may prefer to look further afield. There are still a lot of hobbies you can get into, such as scale models, trading cards, or mini model painting. You don’t even need to commit to a specific hobby right now. Instead, try a few hobbies together and see which one you enjoy the most. 

It Can Build Their Confidence 

Confidence can be tricky for kids at any age, which is why trying new hobbies can be such a significant factor in their life. If your child is naturally shy, they may need evidence that they are more capable than they assume, so helping them improve their skills through different sports (such as boxing or MMA) or music will help them feel better about themselves. Once they master their skills, they will never worry about not being good enough ever again. 

Getting On Your Hobby Horse 

Sharing hobbies with your child brings plenty of benefits to your home and will do wonders for your relationship. They will learn an array of skills and even build other friendships that will stay with them forever. If you want to make the most of your child’s childhood, introducing them to your favorite hobbies is an excellent place to start.

MS MARVEL AND SHE-HULK MARVEL UNITED GAME NIGHT

Excited about the upcoming Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk live action series coming to the Disney+ streaming service, my daughter and I had some game night fun this weekend with these new leading ladies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Carnage is on a rampage in New York City and it is up to Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk to foil the villain's master plan in this game of MARVEL UNITED. It won't be easy as this alien symbiote has a number of offspring to battle before you can go head to head with him. Plus he is continuously transforming more people around the City into dangerous clones of himself that speed up the time frame of his master plan coming to fruition.

Why is Carnage trying to infiltrate the labs of Stark Industries and Oscorp while flooding New York City with an army of monstrous Symbiotic clones? Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk leap into action to battle this evil threat! They don't have much time though ... if Carnage completes ten turns he WINS and that timeline speeds up as he assimilates innocent bystanders as hosts for the Symbiote organisms that make up his alien army. There is no time to waste in stopping Carnage!

Carnage belongs to a race of amorphous extraterrestrial organisms known as Symbiotes, which form a symbiotic bond with their hosts and give them super-human abilities. Carnage has no regard for life and a desire to promote total chaos. Yet he can be methodological and meticulous in his plots to become the dominate lifeform on the planet. 

Ms. Marvel is a leading character in Marvel's development of a diverse lineup of superheroes appealing and relatable to new generations of young fans. This Pakistani-American hero has the power to shapeshift being able to transform her body to do feats such as elongating her limbs or enlarging her fists. Ms. Marvel often teams up with Squirrel Girl and America Chavez to create an amazing trio of girl power that can give any bad guy a run for their money!

After getting a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner, Jennifer Walters gained all the powers of the Hulk without losing her personal consciousness or sense of conscious in fighting for justice as the She-Hulk. She is a combination of brains and brawn! In addition to her solo crime fighting endeavors, She-Hulk has also been a part of the Avengers and Fantastic Four superhero teams.

Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk have a lot to take on in a limited amount of time. Before the can even tackle Carnage head on, this super duo must clear threats from four locations and either defeat nine Symbiotes or rescue nine bystanders. Plus, in this MARVEL UNITED game scenario the heroes must also defeat three of Carnage's henchmen in combat before unlocking the big boss char acter for a final showdown. 

We focused on the tackling the henchmen and clearing location threats as our first priority. She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel tore through the henchmen and unlocked three of the four locals trying to move forward to battle one-on-one with Carnage. Unfortunately, Carnage was able to capture numerous people off of New York's streets adding them to his alien army and speeding up the completion of his master plan by giving him some extra jumps ahead on the Spawn Track further reducing the number of turns She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel had to work with. BAM! The villain was victorious this game night.

Doah! Unfortunately, you can't win every game; but it is fun trying! Win or lose it is always a good time playing MARVEL UNITED during a family game night. Looking forward to a rematch against Carnage and watching the Disney+ Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk tv shows.

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LESSONS LEARNED BY A BEGINNING MINIATURE PAINTER

During the pandemic, I dipped my toes into the hobby of tabletop gaming. The wargaming and roleplaying that people were sharing on social media of Warhammer 40,000, Star Wars Legion, and Zombicide among other games captured my attention. Plus, the images of the miniature playing pieces for these games were amazing!

So, I started off my involvement with the hobby last year by buying a brand new game called Marvel United that was being introduced through a Kickstarter campaign. I've had such an entertaining experience with Marvel United that I've also bought some Zombicide games and am going back and forth about maybe investing in some Blood Bowl teams. Here are a few lessons learned from my beginner experience in tabletop gaming and miniature painting that I hope may be helpful to other people just getting into the hobby who may stumble upon this.

LESSON 1 -- MINIATURES ARE UNPAINTED

Miniature figures, game pieces, and scenery for tabletop game are unpainted. Those stellar images you see of incredible looking miniatures that are posted online didn't look like that coming out of the box. Someone put effort into decorating the miniature to look that way! When you get that same miniature it will be a one color piece of plastic that looks just like it did when coming out of the production mold. 

Also be prepared that the miniatures for many games don't come assembled. That means you need to snap out parts from panels and put together pieces with crazy glue. Then you may need to sand out rough spots and imperfections. Finally, it is time to paint! 

If you don't want to deal with the assembly aspect of miniatures, the figures and game pieces from CMON tend not to need to be put together. There was no assembly required for the Chibi style figures that come with the Marvel United game. Understanding what you are getting before making a purchase is important because the miniatures used in wargaming and roleplay games can be a considerable investment. You don't want to buy boxes of miniatures then be too overwhelmed to prepare them for actually playing with.

LESSON 2 -- PAINTING MINIATURES TAKES TIME AND TALENT

The miniatures you paint right off the bat are going to look nothing like the jaw-dropping displays of awesomeness that are posted on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Still, anyone who puts some time and effort will still be able to do a decent job painting miniatures. You don't need to impress the world if you are happy with decorating your own miniatures for your own gameplay. It is about having fun when it comes down to it. Remember that!

It isn't just about picking up a paint brush and slapping some paint on a miniature. There are different techniques for coloring, shading, washing, glossing and more that make a huge difference in making miniatures stand out. Take some time to watch YouTube video tutorials to get great tips and suggestions for miniature painting. Do a search with "the name of your game + miniature painting" and you are sure to find some great videos to watch. I've learned quite a bit about improving the look of my miniatures through watching these types of videos.

I'm not very artistically gifted or talented, but the more I've painted I keep find myself getting a little bit better every time. Stick with it and keep going and over time you are sure to continually improve. Don't give up! Remember too as long as you are satisfied that is good enough. If at some point you just aren't satisfied with how your miniatures are looking, you can always check around with local hobby shops for skilled painters who will decorate your figures for you on commission. 

LESSON 3 -- PRIME BEFORE PAINTING

Don't just start painting your miniatures! The paint won't bind to the plastic and will easily flake off as it dries. Spray a coating of primer on the miniatures before you paint.

A lot of paint supply companies offer some expensive primer options. I've found a can of flat coat grey Rust-oleum from the hardware store works just fine. With as expensive as this hobby can be that is a nice way to do some cost-cutting without sacrificing quality. 

Varnishing is also recommended to avoid the paint chipping from your finished miniatures. I just keep my miniatures around the house for family game nights and haven't notice a need for that extra protection. If you are taking your miniatures places to play games at friends' homes or game conventions and tournaments it may be wise to safeguard them with a coat of varnish. Note varnish will dull the overall brightness of the color of your miniature so be prepared for that before giving a coating.

LESSON 4 -- PAINT CAN BE EXPENSIVE

Wow! Paint is expensive! And it is hard to know what you actually need when just starting out.

I purchased a starter kit from Army Painter to have myself a base set to work with. The paint does a decent job but if you want to kick your details up a notch it would be wise to buy some more expensive Citadel paints for highlights. Citadel Colour is pricey but if you use it to provide contrasts to your base coat it can compliment Army Painter while keeping your paint budget reasonable.

Just be prepared for sticker shock when it comes to buying paint. For glazing or creating colors you can also water down paints or mix them together so you can get what you need without buying a bottle for every color under the rainbow. You can find online guides that will help you create a spectrum of colors from combing a few basic ones. Whether you are just creative or are trying to save money there are a variety of ways that being a mixologist can benefit you.

I've found good paint selection and prices at gamenerdz.com. This online hobby store has discounted pricing, free shipping on orders over $75, doesn't charge sales tax and has a loyalty rewards program that can provide additional savings. Well worth checking out!

LESSON 5 -- BRUSH SIZE MATTERS

When I bought my first tabletop games, I just picked up a bundle of #1 sized brushes for painting miniatures. Figured a basic brush size should do just fine. That was a mistake! The brush was too big for highlights all the different aspects that I wanted to stand out in the miniature. 

Brushes actually go down from sizes 0 to 00000. 0x5 is actually my preferred size for miniature painting now. When you want to have intricate details stand out with different colors and shading these 0-sized brushes really let you pinpoint aspects of the miniature.

Size matters! For larger models of big creatures, buildings and vehicles you can go all the way up to a 6-size brush. For miniatures that don't have bigger expanses of space to cover a 1-size brush can be just fine too. You don't want to overload 0-size brushes with paints so if you can mix in some larger brushes too that extends the life of your more delicate brushes.

The main point of this lesson is to keep in mind there is a variety of brush sizes and make sure you have an understanding of that before you start painting. I was seeing other people working on details that I just couldn't do with a 1-size brush and realized that going to a smaller size would improve on what could be done.

LESSON 6 -- DON'T WORRY ABOUT LOOKING SILLY

A big problem I had with painting miniatures was that my eyes weren't focusing in well enough to see all the details of a figure. I bought a set of wearable VISION AID magnifying glasses and it has done wonders on the quality of my work. It has done wonders with my hand-eye coordination and has been a wonderful purchase. It has a number of lenses ranging from 1.0x magnification to 3.5x. Plus, it has a light built-in that is directed at what I am looking at and is rechargeable with a usb cord. 

My wife and kids laugh at me when I wear my VISION AID; but I don't care because it is so helpful when I'm using it. The difference in my miniature painting from before and after using VISON AID is like night and day. I don't care if I look silly wearing these magnifying glasses. This has been a great purchase and I am so glad I bought one. It earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval because I love using them!

LESSON 7 -- CREATE A DEDICATED WORK SPACE

At first, I would bring my games, miniatures and paints out and then pack everything up and put it back in the closet. Large gaps of time would go by between my paint sessions because it was such a pain to set up and take down everything every time. Once I designated a dedicated space in a corner of my basement as a hobby studio my time spent miniature painting became much more consistent.

It wasn't complicated to make a space. I just set up a card table and purchased a brush/paint stand on Etsy. The items I bought from SnarkySayings have worked out great. Check them out if you are looking for some miniature painting storage solutions. They earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval for quality products and customer service!

SHARE YOUR HOBBY TIPS

There you have it! Some lessons a beginner in the tabletop gaming and miniature painting hobby learned through trial and error. If you are just getting into the hobby, I hope you found these tips useful. Have tips and lessons learned of your own to share? Please let the rest of us know about your experiences by leaving a comment here at ageekdaddy.com so we can all get better with help from each other.