Reflecting on that time, every once in a while, a memory will pop into my head and I’ll recall a band I had the privilege of seeing before they became huge. One such band was The Locust. I remember seeing them at Michigan Fest and it was one of my more memorable experiences in punk. There was a lot of hype around The Locust and the crowd went wild: people had placards, there were some costumes, and everything erupted. I remember the chandelier getting smashed by garbage (captured on video). It was one

I saw The Locust at least a couple more times in this era, but they weren’t a band I listened to or really sought out. Some years later I remember being surprised to learn from a friend outside of hardcore that The Locust was well-known. I’m sure at the time I probably had some pithy response about how they were better when I saw them. Now, I just cherish the memory.

I don’t remember how I came across the book, but it’s been on my mind since I read the first volume a few years ago. It’s a graphic novel that tells the intertwined story of a group of teenagers growing up in the 1990s who discover the world of online computer bulletin board systems (BBSes). The kids all come from different but challenging backgrounds and find refuge in the world of the mysterious “Evol BBS”.

I was able to relate quite a bit to the stories in the book. In the 1990s, finding out about computer BBSes felt like a lifeline. Much like the characters in the book, BBSes provided me with a group of friends with shared interests (so hard to find in the real world). It was invigorating to find a digital community of folks who were interested in computers, underground music, and teenage rebellion.Some of my BBS friends would become my punk rock friends. Like the characters in Incredible Doom, I often found the lines between the digital and offline worlds blurring.

Aesthetically, the book is a joy to look at with a stark black, blue, and white color palette for its illustrations. The pages in between the sections feature ascii and ansi characters, which is quite evocative of the era. The art is a perfect accompaniment to the bittersweet story that it tells. 

I recently read volume two and found it just as engaging as the first volume. It focused more on the fissures in the community that folks were building around Evol BBS and their collective living situation, which was a nice progression. Often these seeming teen utopias had their own internal challenges, so it’s nice to see the characters struggle with them, even if it did occasionally feel rather bleak. It also introduced a touring band and underground music shows, which again mirrored my experience.

I’d definitely recommend Incredible Doom to anyone with nostalgia for the 1990s and the (mostly) pre-Internet era. If you grew up in that period with similar experiences, it will no doubt prompt a lot of reflection.

I forget where I first encountered it, but there has been some recent studies that suggest our musical tastes later in life are heavily shaped by what one is exposed to in high school.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised then that when I contemplated this question, I was immediately taken back to the alternative rock that constituted my gateway into the broader underground scene. I don’t think these songs really need any introduction. They are three absolutely perfect alternative pop rock songs.

The Breeders – Cannonball

Liz Phair – Supernova

Nirvana – Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam

My top 5 were:

1. Axe of the Blood God – A video game podcast covering RPGs, a genre that I’ve only recently started discovering.

2. The Back Page Podcast – Another video game podcast. I really enjoy their console draft episodes. It’s been helpful filling in gaps for years when I wasn’t playing games.

3. Hard Fork – A general technology news podcast. It’s been a lot of AI talk this year but is a good way to keep up with the broader world of technology.

4. Bandsplain – A music podcast with the last season covering grunge bands. I listened to most of that season along with other episodes on artists who’s work I am familiar with (example: Operation Ivy). Extra credit should go to this one for the longest episode, a 4 hour and 53 minute discussion on Alice in Chains!

5. Syntax – A web development podcast. The fact that my top 5 isn’t all web dev stuff is an improvement over the past.

That’s the top 5 out of 76 different shows. I think that’s more diversity in topics than I have had it the past. I tend to listen to podcasts when I’m doing chores: dishes, weeding the garden, etc.

Thanks to all the folks who put work into these podcasts.

The only time I really stood a chance was when we would play more action-oriented RPGs like Soul Blazer for SNES. I even remember borrowing his copy of Crystalis for NES and having the patience to play through the entire game, which anyone who plays it would know is no small feat due to its difficulty. In fact, it may be the one time I was able to impress my RPG-loving friend.

Fast-forward a few decades and I hadn’t played another RPG since that era. It was no doubt a mixture of being scarred and bored from those early experiences, as well as a general dislike of fantasy. Something about castles, dragons, gold, and other traditional RPG tropes never really captured me.

One night on a whim I decided to try EarthBound on the Switch Online service. I had read and heard a lot of people speak fondly of the game, so I thought I’d give it a try. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit! I thought I wouldn’t enjoy the turn-based combat, but really, it was kind of a nice change of pace from the more technical action combat that is more in vogue in modern games. The setting was also more interesting to me than traditional RPGs, trading Medeival fantasy for a parody of the 1990s United States. 

After finishing EarthBound, I decided to try another RPG that I had been hearing about, Persona 5 Royal. In a vague sense, its focus on teenagers in a more contemporary time sounded reminiscent of EarthBound. Moreover, its design and attention to detail — even the menu screens look amazing — made it intriguing. I ended up being blown away by Persona 5 Royal. My experience with RPGs was limited, but could there be more modern RPGs that were this fun and told interesting stories? As an adult who plays video games only occasionally, it took me about a year of playing Persona 5 Royal to finish it, but I eventually did. Sure, I missed some things, but overall it was one of my favorite gaming experiences.

Having enjoyed two RPGs, I found my mind was open to additional experiences. I played and enjoyed the Super Mario RPG remake, a game that I dismissed out of hand when I was a kid (turn-based Mario, yuck! I could be playing Mortal Kombat on Genesis eyeroll). I have started and not yet finished Ys VIII, granted it is an action RPG, but it definitely the kind of game I would have been hesitant to pick up in the past. Most recently, I have been playing and enjoying Dragon Quest III HD-2D, a remake of an NES game with a very traditional feel.

I’m glad that I finally gave RPGs a chance, it’s been fun discovering a whole world of games that I never tried. Now my main problem is that catching up on all the great stories I have missed seems like an insurmountable task.