2023 Reading and Viewing Stats First Quarter

The first three months of 2023 have moved along and there has been some really great content to devour! The following are my reading and viewing stats and note below that I have included the book, movie, and T.V. Series titles that I have consumed at the bottom. I will give a comparison to 2022 and 2021 in the second quarter (June) report to check my progress or regression from past years. Until then, I am looking forward to the Disney+ shows coming out and some theater shows like Guardians of the Galaxy, Air, and Indiana Jones. Every day, I look at the stack of books next to my recliner. I am currently reading the second Dragonlance book, Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Next up is Shadows of the Sith by Adam Christopher, book three of the Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore and I will probably get a few Y.A. books in there too.

Holy Cow! I haven't read a graphic novel in 2023, yet? That's going to change in the second quarter! Anyway, here you go, my first quarter of 2023 Reading and Viewing Stats!

Movies Watched: 5

Rewatch: 1

First Time: 4

TV series (streamed):
Episodes: 45
Rewatch: 16
First time: 29

Books read: 4
Graphic Novels:
Fiction: 3
Nonfiction: 1
Pages read: 1404

Books abandoned: 0
Graphic Novels:
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Pages read:

Audiobooks: 0
Fiction:
Nonfiction:

Short Stories: 0
Pages read:

Comic books read: 23
Digital: 2
Print: 21

Book Titles:
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs
The Loop by Ben Oliver
Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves by Jaleigh Johnson

Movies:
Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Super Mario Bros.
Murder Mystery 2

Series:
The Bad Batch Season 2
The Crown
The Book of Boba Fett
Mandalorian season 2
Tales of the Jedi
Mandalorian season 3

Plan 99: Tech's Sacrifice - a reflection

Note: I wrote this immediately after I finished watching Episode 16 of The Bad Batch after clearing my eyes.  

I don't know what I expected would become of Clone Force 99.  Did I think they would find themselves retiring on a tropical island on Scarif or opening a hunting lodge on Endor?  I don't know.  After Episode 13, Pabu, I actually thought the tropical island might become a reality.  Heck, in episode 16, Plan 99, it was a dream just steps away.  

The final two episodes of The Bad Batch season two, The Summit and Plan 99, left me emotionally drained and feeling quite miserable.  I suppose this is just good storytelling.  This truly feels like that moment when we finish the last page of a book and immediately miss the characters.  

I found a connection to all the characters in the Bad Batch, but Tech is a character I seem to have the strongest connection.  Season two has strengthened those connections as many of the episodes seem to place a focus on him and his difficulties understanding human behavior and emotional connection.  This is shown in his growing relationship with Phee Genoa.  She challenges him to see things through different eyes, and it seems to be catching on when we see him pause to look after Phee before they leave on their final mission.  We can almost see the gears turning in his head as he wrestles with the logical and emotional side of relationships.  Tech has also become more connected with Omega in season two as well.  He is seen teaching her the art of flying the Maurader with so much patience and understanding.  He seems to also be taking on the role of the teacher in other areas as well allowing Hunter to become more the father.  In the final, heart-wrenching episode when Tech, in his dire situation, declares Plan 99, it holds much weight because of the growth and relationships we see Tech build.   

This dire situation is when Tech hangs by a single cable as the Imperial forces hammer the cable runner Clone Force 99 is in hanging over the deep, foggy chasm.  Tech finds himself in this position as he goes to restore power to the cable car by running along the cable cog back to the last tower where the power was shorted out by Saw Guerrera's terrorist bombing of  Tarkin's Imperial Base.  There is a lot going on here that adds to the tension of the scene.  As Tech hangs, it becomes clear that if he doesn't release the crumbling cable car that is holding back the rest of the car Clone Force 99 is on, everyone will perish.   They don't have time as Imperial fighters are coming around for another run to blast the car off the cables.  Tech declares a code they apparently were given, Plan 99.  When that becomes clear to Wrecker and Omega, they yell desperately for him not to follow through.  In fact, Wrecker orders Tech not to follow Plan 99.  Tech says, "When have we ever followed orders?"  He fires his pistol to break the final cable holding the damaged section of the car, including himself, away causing him to fall to his end.  

Source: The Bad Batch Episode 16 Disney Plus

This image and moment are frozen in my mind.  

I couldn't believe that someone or something wouldn't swoop in to save Tech and the Bad Batch.  How could this happen?  I honestly thought somehow that Saw  Guerrera's team might be the ones to come to the rescue. No one came, no solutions were presented, Tech made his sacrifice to save his friends.

I.was.stunned.  

How is it that animation can have such an impact?  These are characters drawn in a fictional story played out on a screen!  Isn't animation storytelling just stories that are presented like Saturday morning cartoons of my childhood?  When and how did animation start to hit me so hard emotionally?  Not just in Tech's instance, but over and over again: Ahsoka walking away from the Jedi Order, Maul's final ending at the blade of Obi-wan Kenobi on Tattooine, and Kanan's sacrifice.  

It seems that the format isn't as important to the message as the message itself.  Sure, the animation draws and colors the pictures and that has a visual impact on us, but the story is the key.  Whether it is animation, live action, pictures on a page, words in a book, or orally shared, what makes the emotional connections and draws the reader or viewer is simply the story.  An amazingly well-written story with compelling characters and meaningful conflict can make the listener, reader, or viewer sink into and buy into the story.  

Understandingly, everything falls apart for the Bad Batch after this event.  One might ask was Tech's sacrifice in vain?  The Bad Batch is eventually captured after betrayal from Sid. Right before this betrayal, Hunter and Omega talk about life on Pabu.  They talk about hanging up the weapons and adventure, so Omega can be a child and Hunter can rest and be a father.  The season ends with Omega in the hands of the Empire, and the remaining Bad Batch members (Hunter, Wrecker, Echo) fiercely resolved to fight to get Omega back.  

Happily ever after?  Probably not for Clone Force 99. I don't know what I expected of the Bad Batch. 

Update: We learned at the Star Wars Celebration Europe Bad Batch panel, that there will be a third and final season of the Bad Batch. Stay Tuned! 
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Gary Con XV Reflections

I returned from a weekend in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin recently where I attended the gaming convention Gary Con.  This is a convention that was started in honor of D&D creator and developer Gary Gygax.  The convention was started by his son Luke as a way to remember his father.  

It is the most unique convention that I attend as it is a convention that players attend to simply play games.  They don't go hunting for rare or most recent games from the companies that sell them.  Gary Con attendees just...play games!  Yes, there is a pretty cool expo hall that is fun to walk through to purchase game supplies, books, coffee, dice, or other gaming treasures like candles and art.  But, the expo is more of a nice short diversion from gaming.  It's true.  For example, this year the day we arrived I played a Kickstarter card game themed after Call of Cthulu (10:00am).  Then, I moved on to the expo to see some acquaintances and moved over to a Dungeons and Dragons Onslaught demo game (11:00).  I grabbed a bite to eat, then moved to a 5-hour game of Paizo's Star Finder (14:00).  When that wrapped up, I had ten minutes to make it over to another gaming room to play Spell Jammer (19:00).  Everything wrapped up roughly at 23:00.  That is a pretty typical day for most.  It is exhausting but exhilarating all at the same time.   

Both years I have attended Gary Con, I have gone with my friend, colleague, and podcast partner Dan Reem.  While last year we spent a lot of time exploring this convention together to figure out where everyone goes during the day, this year we hardly saw each other during the day.  Also, joining us this

year was our friend and colleague, and member of our staff Dungeons and Dragons games, Marcus Kugler.  We would see each other in passing and even had some pretty hilarious text conversations during the games, but I most looked forward to the end of the day when we got to recap our experiences.  If you are interested in the details of those, you can catch those on our podcast Teachers in the Dungeon.  Our podcast can be found on most podcast catchers such as Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and more.  If you don't care to listen, that is fine, but you will have to take my word for it that the recaps were a blast. 

The celebrity sightings were pretty cool.  Celebrities at a gaming conference?  Yep, if you haven't paid attention, Role Playing Games (RPG's) like Dungeons and Dragons are in vogue in celebrity circles.  Unfortunately, I missed most of them, but my friend Dan sat at a table next to Vince Vaughn who actually turned and made a comment on how Dan's game was Diplomacy, but it didn't seem like things were very diplomatic.  I would expect no less of a funny comment from that guy.  Dan also caught Joe Manganiello judging a cosplay contest with Luke Gygax.  Dan also saw influencer Jay Foster the Viking

Jay Foster the Viking DM

GM who is a professional Dungeon Master, actor, and manager of the Instagram page @swoleinitiative  He even got to snap a photo with him (right).  I think I must be blind; I missed them all even though Dan said I literally brushed elbows with Joe Manganiello in the hall.  I did see the one celebrity I was looking for, however.  I twice saw Dragonlance author Margaret Weis, and I even got to say hi to her.  I will take that any day of the week.  

I think what I will always remember about the 2023 Gary Con experience is the presentation that Dan and I gave.  We applied and were accepted to make a presentation about our RPG Summer Camp.  Our audience was limited with our friend Marcus and friend and host of the Rebel Base Card podcast, Greg McLaughlin in the audience with a few other guests, but the conversation about teaching and working with kids and Dungeons and Dragons was awesome!  We all learned from each other as the questions and conversations were rich.  We made friends, connected to continue the conversation, and walked away knowing more than that which we came.  

While these weren't the only memories in which I brought home, they are some of the most memorable.  I value the vendors I met in the expo hall, the conversations that I had with my friend Greg, the DM's and GM's who led the games I played, the fun of watching my friend Marcus experience his first Gary Con, the Gino's East deep dish pizza, the six inches of snow on Saturday, and more.  Will I return?  Does a Barbarian scream in rage as she slams her battle axe upon an enemy?  You bet!    

Free Comic Book Day

A couple months ago in 2022, right as the holiday season was kicking off, an email slipped into my inbox and quietly slid down and out of sight.  The email was from the Free Comic Book Day organization.  They announced the full line-up of the Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) books!  

First, FCBD will happen on the traditional first Saturday of May which in 2023 is May 6.  It is a great kick-off to the summer season books that are about to hit the shelves and some titles are teased for a fall release.  Either way, it is always a ton of fun to swing by your local Comic Book store and pick up these free books (make a purchase too and support those shop owners!).  It is a tradition that on that day, I rush home and plop down with those books and devour them.  No one bothers me.  I think it was heard one year my wife saying to my children, "Don't bother your father, he is reading those comic books again."  

Anyway, you can check out the full announcement and updates to Free Comic Book day right here.  

Here are a few books that look like fun: 

Spider-Man and Venom?  Yes, please!  

Star Wars the High Republic  I am so interested in this High Republic era that I can't wait for each new story.  This book published by Dark Horse Comics is no different.  

Archie Horror Presents The Cursed Library  Okay, as a librarian, I might be obligated to read a comic that is set in a library, but tell me this cover doesn't just draw you in!  Plus, it is Archie!  

Investi Gators All Tide Up  This is a fun book and any comic book that grabs the attention of my daughter who loves silly things; that's a win!  

Red Sonja, So there is a Conan the Barbarian FCBD 2023 special by Titan Comics which I plan to pick up, but Red Sonja is my pick for adventure this May.  

Top 5 Topps Bunt Cards of 2022

Another year of Topps Bunt digital card trading in 2022 brought out some really cool and fun sets.  This is a Top 5 list of some of my favorite cards and sets.  I digitally own all of the cards shown, but I may not own the complete sets.  Here we go!  

5.  Topps Original Artwork 22, Juan Soto, Rare, 13,111 card count

Original art always stands out to me, and while there isn't anything particularly fancy about these cards themselves, I really like the simple nature of them.  The focus is very much on the players.  I also like that this variant of the set only has five cards.   

4.  Halloween Collection 22, Javy Baez, Uncommon, 64.626 card count

While I don't always collect all of them, I do enjoy the holiday sets that come out.  This Halloween collection stands out.  It is very colorful and has a real, spooky feel.  A lot of variants and subsets came with collecting cards from this set.  To quote my digital card-collecting friend and host of the Rebel Base Card podcast, Greg McLaughlin, "this set has lots of tasty nuggets."  I think what he meant is with all the uncommon, rare, and super rare variants, there were a lot of insert cards to collect, and once you got deep into cracking packs, the odds were that something would be popping out often.  I have four copies of this Javy Baez card, so I am trading for any uncommon 2022 card I don't have if you are in need of this card.  I highly recommend checking out the cards in this set.  They are full of spooky baseball fun.  

3. MLB at Field of Dreams 22, Wilson Contreras, Uncommon, 31,286 card count

The Field of Dreams games that the MLB has played in Dyersville, Iowa at the sight of the filming of the iconic film Field of Dreams the last two seasons have been very successful and brought lots of attention.  When Topps Bunt brought out a set of the two teams who played there in 2022, I knew I would have to pick up this set of 50 cards, because my beloved Chicago Cubs played and are highlighted in the set along with their opponent the Cincinnati Reds.  I love the classic look of the border and font with a different player from each team highlighted on the card with a cornfield in the background.  So cool.  I have all but 3 cards in this set with lots of dupes.  I would love to fill this set if you have the cards I need. 

2. Topps Now 22, Aaron Judge, Uncommon, 18,024 card count

This is one of my favorite sets.  I don't collect them all, in fact, I don't come anywhere close to collecting all of these daily sets of the season and off-season.  I generally collect when players of my teams (Cubs and Tigers) appear on the Topps Now cards, or I will chase them when I feel something significant has happened like a No-Hitter or something.  So, when Aaron Judge belted home run 62, that seemed appropriate.  These cards always have sharp images of the highlights of the prior day's games.  

1. Topps 206 22, Anthony Rizzo, Uncommon 42,530 card count

This set topps my list (pun intended).  I really enjoy when Bunt creators use throwback borders and card styles.  These mini-cards from way before my time are cool when they show players of today.  This set had 4 series in 2022, and I didn't get nearly enough of these cards.  I am very willing to trade dupes of these cards for cards of this set that I didn't get which is a pretty significant number.  

2022 Reading and Viewing Stats Final

 

The year 2022 is now history, so it is time to face the music and check my 2022 Reading and Viewing Stats.  I had a feeling all year that I was way behind in all categories, and now that I look back at the two years, yes indeed, I was behind in all but one category.  

First, I watched more streaming shows in 2022 than in 2021, 111 vs. 86.  I think there is just a whole lot more content that I want to watch.  A feature in this year's stats list is the titles of all the books, movies, and TV shows that I watched (see bottom of the list).  While Disney+ shows dominate my viewing, there are several Netflix shows on this list and a Prime Video series.  Some of the series I started this year, will end up being on the 2023 list, because I did not finish the series such as Wednesday, Light and Magic, Willow, and Limitless.  

I look back on the year, and I am not sure what happened to my time.  Okay, I have some ideas why my stats might be lower.  First, my family introduced me to Spotify.  Let's just say that, if you didn't know, I love music.  I think I spent a lot more time this year just listening to music.  I spent much of 2022 listening to artists that I enjoyed as a teen or in college like The Cure, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, The Kinks, and the Dave Matthews Band, just to name a few.  

Another reason my reading and viewing stats may be lower is that I have brought on some new projects in my life.  2022 was my first full year of becoming a podcaster with Teachers in the Dungeon, so I have spent more time reading articles, D&D rule books, writing, and so forth.  I also went back to coaching Speech Team at the school in which I teach.  I also returned to organizing a large community event at our school, STEAM into Star Wars.  No excuses, but these things take time.  I also have been playing more games with my family, friends, and students.  

One weird observation is that in both years I read exactly 100 digital Marvel Comics on Marvel Unlimited.  That is so strange.  I am glad to see that though because it totally justifies the cost of the platform.  It averages out to less than a dollar per comic read.  That doesn't include the dozens of times that I reference a comic, title, author, or artist using the app.  

Well, enough yapping, here are the stats: 

2022 2021

Movies watched: 21 Movies Watched: 31
Rewatch: 13 Rewatch: 16
First time: 8 First time: 15

TV series (streamed): TV series (streamed):
Episodes: 111 Episodes: 86
Rewatch: 25 Rewatch: 40
First time: 86 First Time: 46

Books read: 13 Books read: 21
Graphic Novels: 4 Graphic Novels: 6
Fiction: 8 Fiction: 12
Nonfiction: Nonfiction: 3
Pages read: 2,895 Pages read: 4,195

Books abandoned: Books abandoned:
Graphic Novels: 1 Graphic Novels:
Fiction: 2 Fiction:
Nonfiction: Nonfiction:
Pages read: Pages read:

Audiobooks: 1 Audiobooks: 3
Fiction: 1 Fiction: 3
Nonfiction: Nonfiction:

Short Stories: Short Stories: 8
Pages read: Pages Read: 244

Comic books read: 142 Comic Books read: 164
Digital: 42 Digital: 64
Print: 100 Print: 100

2022 Book Titles:
Critical Role Vox Machina Origins Vol. 1 1/2
Legend of Zelda vol. 3 1/2
Legend of Zelda vol. 4 1/3
Legend of Zelda vol. 5 1/28
In Sylvan Shadows Book 2 Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore
Catfishing on the CatNet 3/13
The Inheritance Games 4/20
Star Wars: Queen's Hope
Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim
Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen
Starlight Enclave by R.A. Salvatore (audio) 8/7/22
Dragons of Deceit by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman
Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide 11/6
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman 12/27

2022 Movies:
Back to the Future 1/1
Back to the Future II 1/1
Back to the Future III 1/1
Encanto 1/8, 1/29
Hamilton 1/8
The Courier 4/9
Westside Story 4/17
Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange
Star Wars A New Hope 6/17
Thor: Love and Thunder 7/9
Sing 2 7/16
Werewolf By Night 10/29
Wakanda Forever 11/10
Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special 11/27
The Art of Dungeons and Dragons 11/27
Elf 12/19
It's a Wonderful Life 11/23
Home Alone 11/23
Elf 12/23
A Christmas Story 12/25
Cruela 12/31

2022 Series:
Book Of Boba Fett
Daredevil
The World According to Jeff Goldblum
National Geographic: Welcome to Earth
Hawkeye
Moon Knight
Stranger Things Season 3
Thundermans
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ms. Marvel
The Wizard of Paws
Stranger Things Season 4
She-Hulk
Light and Magic
Andor
Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
Willow
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth
Wednesday

If you recall, I started this recording process at the beginning of 2021 after seeing @eyeoncanon post that he does a similar annual recording of things he has read.  I am really happy to see some historical data now, and I look forward to continuing the recording process to see what kind of consumer of reading and viewing am I.  Will my stats go back up in 2023?  Will they go down or stay similar?  I have no idea, but you better believe, I will be giving you my quarterly updates as the year progresses.