Happy Tolkien Tuesday, nerds, geeks, and all-around Lord of the Rings freaks. We're back for another round of this week's best Middle-Earth-based internet memes. I'll admit it. I wasn't a Lord of the Rings fan until fairly recently. I didn't grow up with it and I was rarely exposed to it. The closest I got to becoming a fan was through playing “The Lord of the Rings: Conquest.” Even then, it was just a game I played at my friend's house. The first real theatrical exposure to the series was thro…

Return of the memes

There are few things unanimously loved by audiences across the board as the Shrek film franchise. The first movie came out some 20 years ago, but it's aged with perfection. The jokes hold up, the characters are as charming as ever, and it's as fun as it was when I first saw it as a child. If I had to put on a movie to entertain a group comprised of a full range of generations, you know I'm choosing “Shrek 2." It's just impossible to hate the ogre and his crew. While the movies are still widely…

Fly, you fools!

One meme to rule them all

Boil 'em mash 'em stick 'em in a stew

One meme to rule them all

I remember the first time I ever played an Elder Scrolls game. My friend in grade school lent me his copy of Oblivion for Xbox. Just a few months before the release of Skyrim, I was curious about the hype, but not sold on the concept. I’m happy to say that I had a vicious stomach bug that night. So for the next days, when I stayed home from school, I got to experience the world of Cyrodiil completely uninterrupted. There’s a reason The Elder Scrolls franchise is so massively popular. I’m not go…

Roll for memes

These memes are a critical hit

As someone who lives in an urban area, with very little easy access to the natural world, it's therapeutic to imagine myself walking through a pine-scented, shaded forest, or picnicking in a sunny, pastoral field. Sure, sometimes these daydreams involve talking to woodland creatures or baking bread over an open fire. That's pretty unrealistic for a person who is A) not a Disney princess and B) has no idea how to make fire or bake bread. But that's what daydreaming is about. There's tons of cont…

Literature was my least favorite subject growing up. It felt like the teachers (and later, professors) had some elevated sense of self that required them to be dismissive of any analysis that was different than their own. While discussing the tired and antiquated Scarlet Letter , the woman would cock her head when I spoke, letting me know she “didn't follow” and “not quite sure I understand.” Weird flex, but okay. The low caliber of English literature teachers le me to pursue other related cour…

Memes are messages from the deep

As a lover of science fiction and fantasy , I am always hesitant - or unwilling - to choose a favorite of the genres. Both have many merits, and, like, why should I have to choose between them? I feel just as excited by clanging sword fights, magic spells, and pastoral views as I am about dystopian cyberpunk futures with blue lights and noir themes. And thanks to kindles, video games, and all the streaming services, I can enjoy both at any given moment from the comfort of my couch. Though I may…

Greetings, fellow mages and enthusiasts of the magical world. As a seasoned wizard, who definitely knows how to do spells and stuff, I am quite pleased to present my Internet friends with a collection of memes about my people. Y'know, wizards. Wizards have been a subject in popular culture for centuries, from the wise and powerful Gandalf (my boy) in J.R.R. Tolkien's " The Lord of the Rings" to Hermione Granger, everyone's favorite frizzy-haired brainiac of Harry Potter. This collection of meme…

A galaxy of memes far far away