Culture on My Mind – Classic Concentration

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Classic Concentration
January 19, 2026

Almost as a rule, members of Generation X talk about watching The Price is Right when they stayed home from school. That show was engaging and energetic, and acted as a feel-good balm when you really felt like crap. On those sick days, The Price is Right was one popular option. Another was Classic Concentration.

Classic Concentration was a memory puzzle game that ran from 1987 to 1991 and was hosted by Alex Trebek of Jeopardy! fame. The game board had twenty-five tiles in a five-by-five grid. Behind each tile was a prize, and if two matching tiles were found, part of a giant rebus puzzle was exposed. If a contestant correctly guessed the puzzle, every prize they found was theirs to keep.

As a kid, I loved rebus puzzles. The format is centuries old with roots around the world. They use pictures, symbols, and letters to spell out phrases. For example, this one from the November 3, 1987 episode spells out “Alex Trebek” – A + legs is Alex, and T + rib + peck sounds like Trebek.

Concentration has existed on television screens since 1958. The first version was hosted by Hugh Downs (then an announcer for Tonight Starring Jack Paar and later host of newsmagazine show 20/20 with Barbara Walters) and debuted on August 25, 1958. After 15 seasons, it became the longest-running game show on NBC and held the record for longest continuous daytime run on network television until The Price is Right sprinted right past it. The show bridged the black-and-white to color television eras, and eventually Downs was replaced by Bob Clayton in 1968. Ed McMahon served a brief stint as the show’s host, but audience reaction and declining ratings brought Clayton back.

The initial run of Concentration was cancelled in March of 1973 after The Price is Right (launched in September 1972 as The New Price is Right) pulled away more than half of the audience.

Concentration returned in a new form in September 1973 and ran for five years. This version was made for syndication and was hosted by Jack Narz with Johnny Olson as the show’s announcer. Ironically, Olson was the announcer for The Price is Right from that show’s debut until his death in October 1985. This version of Concentration was cancelled in September 1978 after ratings fell and stations either dropped it or moved it to non-prime time slots.

The show was revived again as Classic Concentration in 1987. Alex Trebek was selected as the host, giving him two game shows on the air at one time alongside Jeopardy!. Diana Taylor was the prize model, but she was soon replaced by Marjorie Goodson (producer Mark Goodson’s daughter) who stayed with the show until it ended in 1991. Long-time Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions announcer Gene Wood was hired for this show as well.

The five-by-five grid hid up to three Wild cards and (later on) four Take! cards. A Wild card could be used to make a prize match. If two Wilds were matched, the contestant earned a $500 bonus, and another $500 was awarded if all three were matched in one turn. The Take! cards were green (first debuted in 1987) and red (introduced in 1988, though they were originally lavender until viewers complained about the color on their screens), and matching them gave a contestant the power to take a prize from their opponent.

If time ran short, all remaining prizes, Wild cards, and Take! cards were removed from play as the puzzle was revealed one square at a time. The first player to buzz-in with the correct solution won, but if a player guessed wrong, they were locked out until the other player guessed. If both were incorrect and the puzzle was fully revealed, Trebek would start to describe it until someone guessed correctly.

This gameplay continued in a best-of-three format. The champion played a bonus round where they could win one of eight cars displayed on the soundstage. The bonus round was played on a three-by-five grid where the player matched car models in 35 seconds. One car did not have a match, and if it was the last one standing after every match was made, the player won the car. In 1990, the time limit was changed to add five seconds every time a champion returned to the bonus round until they won.

Aside from the rebus puzzles, the appeal was Alex Trebek – I loved Jeopardy! – and the pure late-’80s neon and palm tree visuals. I stumbled across some episodes on YouTube recently and the nostalgia was amazing. You can tell how much fun Trebek had on this show, especially as he settled into the hosting duties and loosened up in comparison to his Jeopardy! role. It was a fast and loose game show that focused more on having fun and immersing itself in the ’80s vibe.

You can find episodes scattered across YouTube, though no one has the full 1,090 episodes on hand.

The Price is Right is the juggernaut of daytime game shows, but Classic Concentration will always have a warm spot in my heart as an artifact of my childhood.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Star Trek at 60: Physical Appearances in the 24th Century

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Star Trek at 60: Physical Appearances in the 24th Century
January 15, 2026

In May 2007, Patrick Stewart shared an anecdote about a bald man being cast as a Star Trek captain.

The interview clip can be found on the BBC’s YouTube channel.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – The 2025 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar

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 Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The 2025 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar
January 12, 2026

My family has been doing the LEGO advent calendars since 2015 and I chronicle the daily builds on Instagram. Each of the annual box sets has been spotlighted on this site. This year, we continued our tradition of building the Star Wars calendars. The joy of this calendar is seeing how LEGO interprets ships and locales from the nearly 60 years of adventures in the galaxy far, far away.

The box contained 24 windows with a single LEGO build in each. This year, the designers changed their approach by making the entire box themed around droids. It was an intriguing idea but came with some significant drawbacks.

Days 1 through 8

The calendar started strong with a minifig from The Rise of Skywalker in Babu Frik. The next two days also made sense with a workbench (that included a clear pedestal for Frik to sit on) and C-3PO (from the moment in Rise when he was reprogrammed to speak Sith). I think the calendar stumbled a bit here with a pit droid that should have been later in the lineup and a chair that has little value in a droid-centered box. The maintenance droid (modeled after the typical GNK gonk droid), R7-A7, and the buzz droid were great thematic choices.

Days 9 through 16

I can’t fault the calendar for including a tool rack as it calls back to the traditional weapons rack filler build of years past. The festive Jawa and BD-72 were great minifig additions, and the B2EMO and treadwell builds were wonderful as well. This block stumbled with the spare parts container, which again is challenging for kids and play factor. 

I’m on the fence about the Jawa service vehicle and the crane. These two days referenced an obscure part of two previous LEGO sets: 75059 (Sandcrawler) and 75198 (Tatooine Battle Pack). While they are on theme, this combination is pretty much an exclusive callback for collectors. It maintains some playability, however, by making the vehicle first and then the crane for lifting an astromech by its dome. (I also had no idea what it was until I opened up Jay’s Brick Blog.)

Day 17 through 24

The builds were a lot better in the last third, including the traditional battle droid, another super battle droid minifig, and nice builds for three other droids. The parts bin and the barrel were necessities to fill out the Babu Frik workshop, but I can only imagine the disappointment for kids when they crack open a barrel and shovel on the penultimate day. Traditionally, these calendars save a multipart build for the last two or three days to build up the anticipation. This year… barrel.

I did enjoy the final build for the BB-8 snowman, but the tree was lackluster.

Final Thoughts

This calendar was a step back from the usual and missed some potential in a universe chock full of droids. I wish the development team had considered a droideka (destroyer droid) build or something similar from The Clone Wars. One of the most famous droids is the interrogation droid from A New Hope. Deeper in the lore is the TX-20 tactical droid from the 2011 Mace Windu Starfighter set. Even a simple repaint of a battle droid as one of R2-D2’s droid squad from the Clone Wars Citadel trilogy would be a nice change of pace.

Looking ahead to 2026, we have The Mandalorian and Grogu coming to theaters in May. While that may be too soon to include new minfigs, some miniature builds from the movie would be a nice addition. It’s also the tenth anniversary of Rogue One, so maybe they could include something to honor the film and its characters? Personally, I’m all for Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus.

2026 is also the tenth anniversary of “Twilight of the Apprentice” from Star Wars: Rebels, and I’m always down for more Ahsoka Tano merchandising. I’ve been wanting a minifig with her in a holiday sweater for a while. 

Dialing even further back, Shadows of the Empire was the hit release of 1996. Some mini builds of the Outrider or other elements could be fun. One decade earlier, the Droids comic series started in 1986. The Droids and Ewoks cartoon shows were also running at the time, and the Star Tours promotional campaign was in full swing. A StarSpeeder craft build or an R-3X build could be fun nods to the era.

Finally, 2026 is the tenth anniversary of Carrie Fisher’s passing. A tribute might be fitting. Maybe Boussh to tie in Shadows of the Empire?

As I said last year, if you’re looking for a fun interactive gift leading up to the holiday season, I wholeheartedly recommend the LEGO Star Wars advent calendar. Even at its weakest, we have a blast each year and people love following along with us on Facebook and Instagram.

They tend to hit store shelves around Labor Day or shortly thereafter. LEGO’s suggested retail price is $45 USD. Some of the big box store knock that down a little, but I have found the best deal at Costco near the end of September or into October.

If you want to follow along next year, I look forward to it.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Summer and Autumn 2025 Edition)

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Summer and Autumn 2025 Edition)
January 5, 2026

Narrative Diversions is a look at the various pop culture things I’ve been watching, reading, and playing over the last few months. This edition covers July 2025 through December 2025.

Since this edition is behind due to my work schedule, most of the descriptions will be shorter.

Movies

Superman (2025) – PG-13
I loved this new interpretation of Superman, and this was one of two summer films I made a point to see in theaters. We didn’t get the origin story again, which is good because it saved some screentime for the rest of this iteration’s introduction. I like how the world is used to superheroes – metahumans, in this universe – and has its own proto-Justice League. I also like that Lois Lane is intelligent and knows who Clark Kent is while the story also nods to special eyeglasses that hide Clark’s alter-ego. This version is a bright spot of counterprogramming to the decade of desaturated moodiness started by Zack Snyder, and I especially liked the addition of Krypto’s chaos.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) – PG-13
The second of two summer films I made a point to see in theaters, this finally hit the spots for me that previous versions of the Fantastic Four did not. This team feels like a family and the film emphasizes a sense of scientific exploration and wonder. There wasn’t a dull moment in this film for me and I’m eager to see how Marvel’s First Family integrates with the rest of the MCU.

Lilo & Stitch (2025) – PG
This is effectively a rehash of the 2002 animated hit, but that’s okay with me since this version has its own wonderful chemistry and vibe. I like how they revised the ending to utilize more of Lilo’s chosen family while allowing Nani to follow her dreams. Nothing will replace the original Lilo & Stitch, but this reinterpretation is a good companion piece.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) – PG
This was a great finale for a family story that has run for 15 years. It perfectly sets the stage for everyone to continue on after the final curtain, and no one is lacking for resolution. This goodbye almost makes me want to watch the whole story all over again.

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) – PG-13
This seventh installment in the 30-year-old franchise is fun for what it is, but we need to be clear: The first one remains the best with all of its wonder and awe mixed with the running and screaming. The rest are just ridiculous monster movies. Especially this one.

Rebirth does a decent job of dealing with the narrative hole left by Fallen Kingdom and Dominion introducing dinosaurs to the rest of the world, but I can’t help being sad about extinction being an inevitability. In that regard, Rebirth wins by inspiring empathy for a batch of computer-generated monsters. (Yes, I said monsters, since the majority of what we saw in this film were hybrids made by genetic engineers who pretended to be scientists. Perhaps the next Jurassic Park/World can get back to using real dinos instead of InGen’s bastardized creature features.)

A Minecraft Movie (2025) – PG
Back in the early 2010s, Minecraft crossed my radar and I bought the Beta version with the understanding that I would retain access in perpetuity. Over the years I have invested countless hours in what is basically digital LEGOs, riding the wave of updates while building worlds on my own and on shared servers. Because of that, I was intrigued by a feature film adaptation of the game.

This movie was okay at the start, but I felt continual disappointment as it spiraled over its 100-minute runtime. The anchors dragging it down were the combined over-the-top scenery-chewing performances from Jack Black and Jason Momoa. Having one of these actors would have probably been fine, but their combined energy overwhelmed the exploration of the world and the wonder the fish-out-of-water “normies” should have had. Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, and Danielle Brooks were lost in the tidal wave created by Black and Momoa trying to one-up each other.

All of that said, it is apparent that I am not the target audience for this movie. It seems to have worked well for that audience since a sequel is slated for July 2027.

The Christmas Contract (2018) – TV-PG
While this is a clichéd holiday movie, the story and the cast made it fun. The chemistry kept the energy high and the love story was believable without becoming too saccharine. It’s definitely a good start to the holiday season.

The Painter (2024) – R
It’s a by-the-numbers action flick, but what sets this one apart is how it feels like a feature-length pilot movie for a failed ’80s/’90s television series. It’s just run of the mill and nothing special, and follows the trend of secret agents hiding in single word occupations like The Accountant and The Beekeeper.

Red One (2024) – PG-13
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and JK Simmons (as Santa!), this one’s an action flick that has fun with winter holiday mythology. It’s touching and heartwarming in all the right places for the Christmas season and had us laughing a few times throughout.

Merv (2025) – PG [Amazon]
This one has Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, and an adorable dog. Sadly, none of it really gels over the hour and forty-five minute runtime. It becomes a paint-by-the-numbers rom-com with a few too many rejections the later half leading to a happy ending that feels like it only happened because the script ran out of pages. It needed more dog and less formula.

Karate Kid: Legends (2025) – PG-13
The sixth Karate Kid flick has heart but it gets lost in a story muddled with out of place (and tonally inconsistent) graphic overlays and a huge lack of character development. It tries to be too flashy and could have spent much more time making the audience care more about the players. The choreography is amazing and has Jackie Chan’s fingerprints all over it. I’m also enjoying this Ralph Macchio rebirth era, though neither him nor Chan were used enough.

Bugonia (2025) – R
We didn’t finish this one. We gave it about 20 minutes and gave up. In that time, Emma Stone’s character was hardly introduced while the script pounded us over the head with the two brothers who were Fox News/Alex Jones conspiracy theory testicle tanning supplement pounding caricatures. It was enough to turn it off.

Last Chance for Christmas (2015) – PG
At ninety minutes, this sappy TV movie ran 30 minutes too long. It passed the time, but I spent most of it surfing my phone while my wife snuggled up and fell asleep. There are better sappy Christmas movies in the world.

The Substance (2024) – R
Two-thirds of this movie was a great Twilight Zone-style satire of Hollywood’s aging and beauty problems. Most of the elements were pushing this toward a top-tier award-winning takedown of the industry, including having Demi Moore – a sexagenarian actress herself – in a starring role next to Margaret Qualley. The film was written and directed by a woman and deliberately shot in the male gaze, spending a lot of screen time exploitatively focused on Moore’s and Qualley’s bodies, both naked and clothed. The satire side of this body horror film nailed it until the last half-hour.

The problem is when the movie didn’t know when to end. The titular Substance creates a younger clone of the recipient and requires the two bodies to switch consciousness every seven days. In a major miss, the clones don’t share a mind or experiences, so the point of the younger one thriving in the spotlight doesn’t really do anything for the older one, thus rejecting the overall premise. The catch is how the clone has to extract a stabilizer from the original in order to survive, and overextraction causes the original host to rapidly age. There comes a point where the original confronts the clone and the clone begins to fall apart. The Twilight Zone inspiration would have ended this film with the clone collapsing into a pile of good and fading away, much like many stars in Hollywood. Instead, it went on a B-movie monster tangent that wasted all of the film’s good will to that point.

Watch the first 90 minutes or so with its brilliant satire mixed with crazy body horror, then make believe the movie ends there.

Nobody (2021) – R
Nobody 2 (2025) – R
I’m lumping both of these together since we watched them back-to-back on New Years Eve. They follow the typical retired-badass-gets-called-back-to-service trope, though this pair melds a ton of humor with the over-the-top outrageous action. They’re both easily rewatchable, especially for Christopher Lloyd.

Television

 

Family Law – Season 4 [CW]
This show continues to entertain as it balances good character drama and timely stories about family legal cases. That’s where this show’s strength lies in what would otherwise be a standard legal procedural show. Quite honestly, the finale is a great place to leave the show should it not return for the fifth season.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 3 [Paramount+]
I really enjoy this show, but Season 3 felt rushed and incomplete in too many places, particularly with the episode “What is Starfleet?”, which left a lot of potential on the table. Aside from that, the season arc and the Captain Batel’s story were good in my opinion.

Where Strange New Worlds could improve (but won’t given how the fourth and fifth seasons are complete, including the series finale) is by investing in longer and more frequent seasons. The characters in most of this era of Star Trek could use more room to breathe and develop, and these 10-episode seasons make me long for the 24-episode seasons of the 1990s. Combine longer seasons with innovative storytelling and this team could really win me over.

Wednesday – Season 2 [Netflix]
My track record with Tim Burton’s work is spotty, but this show continues to win me over. Season Two improves upon Season One while building on the themes and tensions. It is very entertaining, and I’m looking forward to Season Three in 2027.

2027!? I really need this industry to move faster.

Upload – Season 4 [Amazon]
This final season of Upload exposed the cracks that developed over time as the writers seemingly lost track of the plot. It got more zany and wacky, leaving the metaphors running beneath muddy and confusing. The ending was touchy and emotional, but totally unnecessary in the end. The epilogue offers some balm for the burn, but it is ultimately too little.

Aside from the writing issues, this show suffered from irregular season lengths and releases. The first season premiered in 2020 with ten episodes. The second season was in 2022 but only ran for seven episodes. The third season was eight episodes split over two release windows in 2023 with a change to sequential episode releases instead of the established burst style. The final season was a paltry four episodes this year.

This show deserved much better.

 

The Buccaneers – Season 2 [Apple TV]
Speaking of shows that deserve better, the second outing for this show was a mess. So much of the season hinged on the main character trying to resolve the quandary from last season, and instead of embracing open communication, the season ends with characters nuke everything.

I wonder how many of these narrative choices are driven by how the source material is an unfinished novel, but it’s a similar situation to The Minecraft Movie: The show is getting a third season. I don’t know if I’ll be willing to tune in for it, though.

School Spirits – Seasons 1 and 2 [Paramount+]
This show came recommended by friends after they watched it and those friends were right. This supernatural mystery was a fun rollercoaster ride. Peyton List performs better here than in Cobra Kai, and it’s a tribute to the working material. That story plays well with high school tropes and a murder mystery that throws a natural twist to keep the show moving. I’m looking forward to the third season when it eventually premieres.

Murderbot – Season 1 [Apple TV]
A friend of mine recommended this one well before a track director at Dragon Con asked if I’d seen it. When she asked, it got bumped up in my queue, and it was well worth the watch. I don’t want to say too much here, but the second season is pretty much an immediate watch when it comes.

Airwolf – Season 4 (1987)
When Airwolf ended in 1986, the studio tried to get enough episodes for syndication by firing the cast and moving production to Canada. The fourth season was written in advance and left no room for character development. Money was saved by using stock footage and clips from the previous 55 episodes as well as selling the helicopter and using a mock-up for close-ups. In comparison to the original three seasons, Season Four is an insult. On its own, the season is inoffensive and sterile. It has some chemistry, but otherwise served as life support until the series had enough cachet to reach syndication.

Only invest 24 hours into it if you’re interested in historical television oddities. Otherwise, you’re not missing a thing.

 

Ironheart – Season 1 [Disney+]
I enjoyed this season (miniseries?) that followed up on the armored heroes in the MCU. I was especially impressed with the discussions of PTSD and trauma, as well as the fact that the lead was more of a grey character than an outright hero. I want to see more of RiRi in future Marvel work.

Outlander: Blood of my Blood – Season 1 [Starz]
This was a good prequel for the original Outlander show, and I’m ready for the next season of it and the parent show, especially considering how they’re obviously tying them together as the legacy continues. The big drawback was how rape and assault figured so much into this season, and hopefully they dial it down as the show progresses.

Books

 

Star Trek: Resistance – J. M. Dillard
On the plus side, this novel kicked off the Next Generation series of novels after the dismal Star Trek: Nemesis. On the down side, it wasn’t energetic and relied on yet another appearance by the Borg. It’s not one I plan to revisit.

Star Trek: Picard – Firewall – David Mack
In comparison, this novel detailing Seven’s story between the end of Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard was a delight. David Mack captured her character and the conflict as she attempted to grow beyond the shadow of Kathryn Janeway and Voyager‘s legacy. It’s a very good tale of self-growth and identity. Highly recommended.

Star Trek: Shadows of the Sith – Adam Christopher
Nestled in the era between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, this fun adventure sheds light on Rey’s origins and the events of Rise of Skywalker. It’s a neat cat-and-mouse chase and it became hard to put down as Lando and Luke team up to figure out a mystery.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – Tom King, Bilquis Evely
When the Supergirl follow-up to Superman was announced, I decided to pick this one up since it is apparently the inspiration for the upcoming film. I really like how modern interpretations of Supergirl have differentiated her from her cousin by looking at her guilt and trauma from Krypton’s destruction. I also like that this story is told by a third-person narrator who helped push Supergirl through the story. Speaking from experience, sometimes working through trauma means getting a push from someone else. I will admit, however, that I looked up the ending while I was reading it because I really needed to know if the dog survived.

Supergirl (2005-2011)
Volume 1: The Girl of Steel – Jeph Loeb, Joe Kelly, Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund
Volume 2: Breaking the Chain – Joe Kelly, Ian Churchill, Alé Garza, Norm Rapmund
Volume 3: Ghosts of Krypton – Kelley Puckett, Drew Johnson, Ron Randall
Volume 4: Daughter of New Krypton – Sterling Gates, Jamal Igle, Keith Champagne, Jon Sibal
Volume 5: The Hunt for Reactron – Sterling Gates, Greg Rucka, Jamal Igle

Supergirl (New 52: 2011-2015)
Volume 1: Last Daughter of Krypton – Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Mahmud Asrar
Volume 2: Girl in the World – Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Mahmud Asrar
Volume 3: Sanctuary – Mike Johnson, Mahmud Asrar
Volume 4: Out of the Past – Michael Alan Nelson, Scott Lobdell, Diogenes Neves, Mike Hawthorne
Volume 5: Red Daughter of Krypton – Tony Bedard, Yildiray Cinar, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy
Volume 6: Crucible – K. Perkins, Mike Johnson, Tony Bedard, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy

Supergirl (Rebirth: 2016-2020)
Volume 1: Reign of the Cyborg Supermen – Steve Orlando, Brian Ching, Emanuela Lupacchino
Volume 2: Escape from the Phantom Zone – Steve Orlando, Brian Ching, Matias Bergara
Volume 3: Girl of No Tomorrow – Steve Orlando, Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, Steve Pugh
Volume 1: The Killers of Krypton – Marc Andreyko, Kevin Maguire
Volume 2: Sins of the Circle – Marc Andreyko, Kevin Maguire, Eduardo Pansica
Volume 3: Infectious – Jody Houser, Marc Andreyko, Robert Venditti, Rachael Stott, Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, Laura Braga
Volume 4: Plain Sight – Steve Orlando, Jody Houser, Vita Ayala, Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques

After reading Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, I found myself down a rabbit hole of the titles Kindle Unlimited has to offer. I have bundled them all together for ease of discussion, especially since these runs make it clear that writers often have no idea what to do with Supergirl. Her adventures take her all over the place, trying on new identities and situations like a clothing store fitting room with the hope that at least one of them will fit right.

I think of all these titles, the New 52 fit well with Woman of Tomorrow‘s intro to her PTSD, but it still wandered a lot. I really resonated with the Red Lantern storyline, though. The Rebirth line was much more fun to read, including the Batgirl stories and tying Kara back into her high school identity, but I’d leave the Infectious thread on the side of the road.

One of the problems with these collections is trying to follow crossover events. Those often pick up in the middle of an event without context or after the event is over without the background to understand what happened.

One of the other problems I had was costumes, which was plainly evident in the 2005-2011 run. In these collections, Supergirl is a teenager. She left Krypton before Kal-El, but ended up in a bit of time dilation so she arrived on Earth decades after her cousin. Where Superman is roughly in his thirties, Supergirl is still an adolescent.

The creators behind the 2005-2011 run put that teenage girl in very suggestive and provocative costumes and poses, favoring long-sleeved bralette tops and super short skirts that left little to the imagination. The look improved slightly when they gave her shorts under her skirt, but it still came across as fantasy fulfillment.

The New 52 improved a bit, favoring full torso coverage with a bikini bottom. Thankfully, that evolved into full leg coverings as well. The Rebirth era got back to skirts as it tried to echo the concurrently-airing Supergirl TV show.

I’m not a puritan or a prude. I’m fully aware of the sexually-provocative history of comic book heroine costumes, including the Power Girl boob window which was justified by the character stating – I’m paraphrasing – “I wear it because I can.” But those other characters have been defined or portrayed as adults. Again, the Supergirl in these runs is a teenager, and I have a problem with sexually exploiting teenagers.

I’m also more used to the television and film versions of Supergirl, which are usually more tastefully costumed. From Helen Slater’s version in the skirt (which is echoed by Milly Alcock’s portrayal) and the animated crop top iteration to Laura Vandervoort and Melissa Benoist’s portrayals that mixed and matched from skirts, jackets, and pants, all of them have been tasteful.

Anyway, enough about that.

Regarding the books, they were an enjoyable read but an overall mixed bag. The character and her associated titles would be better served with a cohesive vision and tone.

Wonder Woman (1987-1992)
Volume 1 – George Pérez, Len Wein, Bruce Patterson
Volume 2 – George Pérez, Len Wein, Bob McLeod
Volume 3 – George Pérez, Chris Marrinan, Will Blyberg
Volume 4 – George Pérez, Mindy Newell, Chris Marrinan
Volume 5 – George Pérez, Mindy Newell, Jill Thompson
Volume 6 – George Pérez, Jill Thompson, Cynthia Martin, Romeo Tanghal

Wonder Woman (Rebirth: 2016-2018)
Volume 1: The Lies – Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, Laura Martin
Volume 2: Year One – Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Volume 3: The Truth – Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, Laura Martin
Volume 4: Godwatch – Greg Rucka, Bilquis Evely, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Volume 5: Heart of the Amazon – Shea Fontana, Mirka Andolfo, David Messina
Volume 6: Children of the Gods – James Robinson, Carlo Pagulayan, Sergio Davila, Emanuela Lupacchino
Volume 7: Amazons Attacked – James Robinson, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Volume 8: Dark Gods – James Robinson, Stephen Segovia, Jesus Merino

The Supergirl rabbit hole led me to a Wonder Woman rabbit hole, and this one was enjoyable all around. The George Pérez run was wonderful, obviously inspired by the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series and focused on the character’s core of love and justice. I have wanted to read that run since I saw Pérez speak at Dragon Con, and I’m glad I finally took the plunge.

The Rebirth line was also great even though it was darker. It’s obviously inspired by the Gal Gadot version from the Synderverse, which was a highlight of that darker DC interpretation (Wonder Woman 1984 excluded, because yikes!). In particular, the throughline of The Lies, Year One, and The Truth was a fascinating way to introduce this character.

He Who Fights with Monsters: Book One – Shirtaloon (Travis Deverell)
He Who Fights with Monsters: Book Two – Shirtaloon (Travis Deverell)

Speaking of rabbit holes…

Some time ago, Brice and Eric mentioned this LitRPG story they were reading on Royal Road. It’s about a man from our world who wakes up naked, in the middle of a hedge maze, in what is effectively a sword-and-sorcery RPG video game. The author has plans for something like sixteen books and twelve of them are completed and on Kindle Unlimited. He apparently started writing them because his doctoral thesis was boring.

The books are fun even though the main character is vastly over-powered. The conflict there comes when he has to function as part of a team to grow. The stories flow like a long-running comic book title because of the serial fiction nature, though the books themselves are pretty well edited. The author had to take a break due to serious health issues, but he’s planning to jump back in as soon as he can.

Stage

 

 

 

Back to the Future: The Musical – Broadway in Atlanta
Kimberly Akimbo – Broadway in Atlanta
The Outsiders – Broadway in Atlanta

We took in three shows as our Broadway in Atlanta series started again. I liked Kimberly Akimbo and The Outsiders more than Back to the Future, though all of them have been entertaining and fun. The Outsiders is based on the 1983 film, which was in turn based on the 1967 novel. Kimberly Akimbo is a bit more original and much more touching, though every character is written with dubious motivations.

The rest of our season includes Hell’s Kitchen, The Sound of Music, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Monty Python’s Spamalot. I’m looking forward to it.

Games

None. I haven’t had a lot of spare time for video games lately. Related to that, though, my brother Nick is streaming periodically on Twitch if you want to take a look. He’s just starting out with game streaming and has been playing WWE 2K25 and RoboCop: Rogue City.

You can find him on Twitch as OldNick999.

Next Time

I’m going to try being more timely with these in 2026. Best of intentions and all. Until then, stay safe and warm. See you all again soon.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

Narrative Diversions sources poster art from various places, including The Movie Database (TMDB), Memory Alpha, Memory Beta, TARDIS Wiki, and publisher, distributor, and reseller websites. TMDB’s contents are available with a non-exclusive license for personal and non-commercial use. Fandom wiki materials are available with a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported).

Many thanks to the fans who create and share their passion for entertainment and storytelling.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – 2025

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
2025
December 31, 2025

It has been a rough year.

I was at a yule party a week or so ago. It was a grand time with good food, great discussions, and the meeting of a few new friends. It also held a few moments of reflection as a small group of us gathered around the table as the night wound down. We each held lit candles and reflected on the year behind and our hopes for the year to come. One of the common threads was how tough this year has been, and I imagine it’s the same for many of you, so I’m taking time to talk about it here.

A major portion of our year was dedicated to Eric. He was a friend of the family – to my wife and her brother, he was effectively family – and he was visiting Atlanta for treatment for his aplastic anemia. I met him about 20 years ago and he was a much different man, often competitive and often baffled by my refusal to be the same. I’ve never been one for “keeping up” with my neighbors. He asked for us specifically when he came to town and soon ended up spending most of the year in the hospital as his disease progressed. We visited him at least weekly – often several times a week – as he worked toward getting his numbers in order for a much needed bone marrow transplant. His transplant came with complications that landed him in the ICU, and he decided his fight was over on November 28.

It’s been hard because our family was so close to him. Even more so since he was only 48. But I’m glad he had to courage and the agency to make his own call. It’s been said that the depths of grief echo the heights of love we had for someone. As mentioned in Doctor Who, “Goodbyes only hurt, because what came before was so special.” I hope 2026 brings healing light to those who loved Eric so dearly.

2025 was also tough as a U.S. veteran. It’s no secret that I dislike the current administration and what they’re doing to the country. (If that’s a surprise to you and it upsets you, perhaps this isn’t the site for you.) It’s been painful to watch the established norms, traditions, and laws torn apart as they have. I see the pain and fear in the eyes of people I care about, and it hurts. The tide is changing – nothing in our government is swift – and I hope 2026 heralds a return to the true roots of a democratic republic, including ever-important protections for the most vulnerable.

This year also marked the end of my run against COVID-19. I had dodged the virus since the pandemic started in January 2020 due to pre-existing medical conditions in my household. I came home from Dragon Con 2025 with the illness, ending my streak at 68 months, and luckily it was a mild case compared to the severe one my wife had a couple of years ago. I’m lucky and privileged enough to get the Paxlovid prescription, and thankfully there was a rebate for it that eventually refunded my purchase price. That process was an administrative nightmare that was hard to navigate in the midst of fatigue and mental fog.

It’s been a rough year in broad strokes, often feeling like we’re in a boxcar on a speeding freight train moving from junction to challenging junction. The year wasn’t all bad, though.

I published a piece about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in a collection called Outside In Can Live With It: 171 New Perspectives on 171 Star Trek DS9 Stories by 171 Writers. I also was accepted for another publication that’s due in 2026, this one containing stories inspired by jukebox hits of the 1980s. My work with ATB Publishing and New Legend Productions has sparked the writing fire again, and I’m keeping my eyes open for more opportunities.

I published 36 times (as of this writing) on this site, which isn’t my strongest effort but remains an outlet when I have bandwidth. It also powers a resolution to find more time in the coming year and maybe find another series to review. I have some Doctor Who episodes left to cover and have been doing a lot of cosmetic work in the background to tidy this place up.

I took time out to celebrate the major milestones for my wife and I. We met up with friends and painted pottery for our birthdays. I went in with a vision and I made it happen, and it was a relaxing day with good people and flowing creativity. A co-worker of mine told me a few years ago that he could have saved his marriage if he’d taken more time for the important things, and I’ve strived to follow that advice.

I have made major strides at work. I led two important projects – one included a couple of site visits, and the second is a first-of-a-kind project that will continue into 2026 – and was invited to a major conference in the summer. I’m investing in myself next year by pursuing a professional certification I have been putting off for a long time.

I have been investing in my well-being with Pilates classes. My wife and I started nearly three years ago after looking for exercise routines that wouldn’t exacerbate our injuries. In that time, we’ve challenged ourselves and improved ourselves, moving up to Level 2 classes this year. The changes I have seen are remarkable. Our studio measures milestones by number of classes attended, and we’ll hit 500 sometime in 2026.

Finally, I have started back into my study of Spanish. I took six years of Spanish classes in junior high and high school, but those gears have rusted from disuse in the ensuing decades. My wife decided that she wanted to learn Spanish since her junior high studies didn’t turn out well due to abusive teachers, so we both started using Duolingo. The goal is one lesson a day – she’s learning quickly and I’m knocking the rust off – and we’re at 59 days straight as of Christmas Day.

In 2026, I’m challenging myself to re-focus and take time for the important things. I hesitate to call it a resolution, but it is a bit of getting back to basics. Making strides to put positive energy back into the universe and conquer the world with kindness.

I hope you can do the same. See you in the new year.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Drew Struzan

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Drew Struzan
November 24, 2025

Drew Struzan was an huge part of my childhood and geek upbringing. His artwork graced album covers, book covers, collectibles, and over 150 movie posters from the 1970s through the 2010s. His airbrush technique was a favorite of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and was developed during his years working on B-movies.

He died at home on October 13, 2025, at the age of 78 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

His early career included album covers for a ton of musical artists. In 1975, he designed the cover for Main Course, the Bee Gees album that introduced the now-iconic logo and a new direction for their overall sound, including hits like “Jive Talkin'” and “Nights on Broadway.”

Struzan maintained a list of his album covers on his website. One that isn’t listed there is George Carlin’s Toledo Window Box from 1974, on which Struzan illustrated the famous marijuana T-shirt.

It is impossible for me to describe Struzan’s works from stem to stern. The man worked for around five decades and created hundreds of pieces of art, many of which intersected with my pop culture interests through my childhood and into adulthood. Instead, I’m celebrating his legacy with a bunch of my favorite pieces over the years.

The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition is most likely when I really started paying attention to Drew Struzan’s work. In 1996, I had started my first job working custodial part-time in an elementary school. Since my parents introduced me to the original Star Wars trilogy, I paid for tickets to each of the opening night of each special edition film. There were four posters for that set of releases: One for each film and one for the overall trilogy. Struzan’s art graced the individual film posters and were designed as a combined tribute to the trilogy.

According to his entry about the Special Edition triptych:

With the theatrical release of the Star Wars special editions, Struzan created the three-panel triptych poster in 3 weeks, working day and night through the Holidays starting in December ’96 and finishing in January ’97. He did not paint it as one picture but as three individual pieces of art. Each one was produced as a single poster for the staggered premiers of each of the three films. It was not until later that people began to discover that set side by side in the proper order the three posters became one image.

Upon seeing this George Lucas had gotten new favorites for his opus. Thereafter when drew painted the Episodes I, II and III poster art he did so to match the design concepts of the Triptych to make a complete series to hang all together. Hang together, which they do, all six, at George Lucas’ screening room at Skywalker Ranch.

It was those prequel posters that solidified my love of Struzan’s style. Admittedly, I’m a bit biased given my love of Star Wars, but the saga’s cinematic resurgence from 1996 to 2005 was a bit part of my life. Like the 1996 releases, I caught The Phantom Menace on opening weekend with my family after months of watching the trailers after my friend burned them onto a CD for me. I took my girlfriend (soon to be fiancée) to the premiere of Attack of the Clones and my wife to Revenge of the Sith. The posters were a visual sequel to the Special Edition posters, and amped up my excitement for the prequels.

From one of Struzan’s pages about The Phantom Menace‘s artwork:

Drew speaking with George Lucas director and writer of the Star Wars Epic Drew: “Why do you use illustration to advertise and represent your projects? Computer manipulated photographs dominate the advertising of so many studios, but you continue to loyally choose illustration….”

George Lucas: “The kind of movies I make are more fanciful in nature, more mythical in nature. To market my films, I like to move one step away from photo- realism to something that’s a little grander, a little more glorious, and something a bit more romantic than what you get with just simple photographs.”

From his page about Attack of the Clones:

A war? For drew, this was the first time an art director got in the way of a design and concept for a Star Wars poster. George Lucas had always just left it to drew to conceive his posters for Star Wars. He, the “art director” decided he wanted the main characters to mimic the pose from the 1965 film Dr. Zhivago. Not unusual this was for an art director to make aesthetic decisions but it was the first time while working with Lucasfilm and George Lucas. Drew made the best of it as he always had and made a striking poster regardless.

Drew won the war.

Finally, from one of his pages about Revenge of the Sith:

For drew this film ended a 28 year journey through a fantasy of joy, opportunity, fulfillment and an altogether lifetime experience of unbelievable blessings. This was truly epic!

The computer age left many an artist without work but George was always loyal. He remains loyal to the art of illustration, loyal to his own creation and the artwork that represented it and loyal to the artist that came to be recognized as ‘The’ Star Wars artist. Revenge of the Sith was truly the bow on top of a wondrous life with the ‘man’, George Lucas.

Notably, his work for this film was modified from his original.

In his role as “the Star Wars artist,” Struzan crafted artwork for at least eight film posters, forty comic and novel covers, and various other projects for the franchise. He did a lot of gorgeous work, including the crazy Jedi Prince series of young reader books, the Corellian trilogy, the Han Solo trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, and more. Of his work, my favorite three are The Truce at Bakura, The Courtship of Princess Leia, and Shield of Lies from the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy.

Memorably, The Courtship of Princess Leia was the first book where I bought both the hardcover and paperback versions because the hardcover artwork was so gorgeous. I didn’t like the paperback as much, but I wanted to keep the hardcover as pristine as possible.

The wedding dress artwork moved to paperback when the book was reprinted under the Legends banner. Sadly, the new Kindle cover does nothing for me.

Drew Struzan also lent his hand to the Indiana Jones series, from the movies to the novels, rides, games, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. He started with the Raiders of the Lost Ark foreign poster, but I’m more fond of his work for the domestic posters advertising Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

In researching for this post, I also found an unused painting for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull that was commissioned by George Lucas and abandoned for the advertising campaign. It’s dark and mysterious, and matches the opening half (or so) of the movie.

Struzan’s relationship with George Lucas continued with the two editions of The Creative Impulse, the books that chronicled the first twenty and twenty-five years of Lucasfilm’s history. Both covers are highlighted on Struzan’s website – first and second editions – and the write-up for the first edition showcases George Lucas’s note of appreciation for Struzan’s work:

The original painting arrived today, and I just wanted to tell you how thrilled I am with it. It turned out even more beautifully than I had anticipated. Everyone who has seen it thinks it’s great. I know how much hard work goes into a project of this nature, and I truly appreciate your talent as an artist.

Warmest regards,

George Lucas

To celebrate the Star Wars 30th anniversary, Struzan collaborated with the United States Postal Service to issue commemorative stamps featuring various characters and vehicles from the (at the time) six-movie saga.

He also helped to celebrate the 1991 release of The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration, a collection of music from the epic combination of filmmaker and composer.

Composer John Williams and director Steven Spielberg have long had one of the most symbiotic relationships in Hollywood. They’ve helped each other become the best known, most successful, and most powerful men in their respective fields. Spielberg has hired Williams to score nearly every movie he’s ever made.

This original artwork graced the cover of their collaborative collection.

His art graced the posters for both Hook and *batteries not included, two fun and uplifting fantasy films. Hook (from 1991) was directed by Spielberg while *batteries not included (from 1987) was conceived by Spielberg for his Amazing Stories television anthology series, directed by Matthew Robbins, and produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment.

In 1985, 1989, and 1990, the Back to the Future trilogy was released. All three were directed by Robert Zemeckis, and the first chapter’s reception blew the door wide open for the entire story to be told. The posters were designed to play off each other, and Struzan considered the art to be like the story: One unified vision.

From his website:

As the movie is one story in three parts, so the classic artwork cannot be seperated [sic]. They remain one.

An American Tail, Adventures in Babysitting, and the Disney library were big parts of my experience in the ’80s and ’90s. An American Tail is a beautiful Don Bluth film about Jewish immigrants and served as a good primer for me about the topic in the mid-’80s. Adventures in Babysitting was a fun romp with a great lead actress in Elisabeth Shue. It also introduced me to Anthony Rapp and Vincent D’Onofrio, and still ranks highly among my favorite teen comedies. Angels in the Outfield was just a fun fantasy romp with lot of names and faces I recognized from across TV and film.

One of the standout titles from the era is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, which showcased Struzan’s art on the CD soundtrack. He shared an fascinating tale about the artwork:

The original art was created for the cover of the CD but once Michael Eisner (Pres. of Disney) saw it, he said he wished he had used this art as the poster for the movie.

Three iconic pieces in Struzan’s catalog include Blade Runner, The Thing, and The Green Mile. 

For Blade Runner, Struzan wrote:

I began working on this piece of art way back in 1982 when I was commissioned by the Studio to explore concepts for the poster. I did one color comprehensive originally and from that made a few alterations as requested by the Studio. In the end, they did not use my design so I never painted the finished illustration.

In 2001, when Ridley Scott was thinking of releasing a new director’s version of the film, I was asked if my original sketch from ’82 could be used on the cover. It turned out that this was Ridley’s favorite artwork for his film. I went through the usual artist angst, rather than use a comprehensive for the cover, better to use finished art and if I’m going to paint the finish should it be the 20-year-old design or should it be updated. I decided on the latter.

The DVD was produced at long last and this is now the cover (2007).

For The Thing, he created that image of an Antarctic explorer erupting in a rainbow prism of light. The movie sticks with you, but that poster is what I think of when I hear the title.

Finally, for The Green Mile, Struzan lent his hand to the director’s special edition DVD release, and that work much better reflects the fantastic and haunting spirit of the film itself.

Drew Struzan touched upon Star Trek as well, and while his work there wasn’t as influential for me, one title stands out. In 1994, a Star Trek: The Next Generation video game was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Genesis. The former version was called Future’s Past and the latter was Echoes from the Past, but I only owned the Nintendo version. It showcased puzzle solving and strategy with the Romulans as the antagonists. The cover art for the Super Nintendo version showcased the Enterprise-D and the show’s core seven characters in Struzan’s elegant style. I invested a lot of hours in that game.

There are plenty of “honorable mentions” among the decades of Struzan’s work, including the Star Trek 25th anniversary prints, the TV Guide covers, and his work for the early Harry Potter film posters. There’s just so much he did to enhance and celebrate aspects of pop culture across the spectrum.

In the end, no matter what pieces we each admire, the pure and simple truth is that the landscape is richer for his talent and sadder for his passing. Drew Struzan was a master who touched the hearts of fans and franchises with his brilliant and fantastic work. I will forever be grateful for his talents and mark on our lives.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Dragon Con Report 2025 #11: Dragon Cults

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Dragon Con Report 2025 #11: Dragon Cults
November 5, 2025

One of the ways that I like to prep for Dragon Con is by listening to the Dragon Con Report podcast.  Brought to you by the ESO Network, the podcast is a monthly discussion on all things Dragon Con that counts down to the big event over Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.

The show is hosted by Michael Gordon, Jennifer Schleusner, and Channing Sherman, and it delivers news, notes, tips, and tricks for newbies and veterans alike. The Dragon Con Newbies community has a great relationship with the show and the network.

In the eleventh episode for 2025, the hosts are starting a new series in preparation for Dragon Con’s 40th anniversary. That’s right, it’s history time with some discussions on the various con cults. From carpet celebrations to shrines for cardboard cutouts, this con has some wacky ways to build communities. Start your journey with this introductory episode.

The show can be found in video form on YouTube and in audio on the official website and wherever fine podcasts are fed. The Dragon Con Report channels can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can catch their shows live on those platforms or on demand on their website.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – The Quest for Sunshine Preservation (Autumn 2025 Edition)

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Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The Quest for Sunshine Preservation
(Autumn 2025 Edition)
November 3, 2025

It’s that time once again.

Daylight saving time is the practice of advancing clocks by one hour in warmer seasons to make darkness fall at a later clock time. It is utilized in several countries around the world and the concept has caused controversy since the earliest proposals. To this day it affects the sleep patterns and productivity of those who practice it.

Many countries and territories abolished the practice after years of practice. The European Union conducted a survey in 2018 and determined that 84 percent of respondents did not want to adjust clocks twice a year. The EU was supposed to stop daylight saving time in 2021 but later asked for a more detailed assessment first.

The United States cannot abolish daylight saving time without federal approval. The practice was established in 1918 with the Standard Time Act and modified in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act (which itself has been revised several times). The government has attempted to abolish routine time changes several times, most recently with the Sunshine Protection Act. The legislation has been introduced multiple times and has died before being passed each time.

For more information (and some humor to brighten your day), check out this 2011 video from CGP Grey.

 

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Dragon Con Report 2025 #10: 2025 Dragon Con Debrief

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Dragon Con Report 2025 #10: 2025 Dragon Con Debrief
October 27, 2025

One of the ways that I like to prep for Dragon Con is by listening to the Dragon Con Report podcast.  Brought to you by the ESO Network, the podcast is a monthly discussion on all things Dragon Con that counts down to the big event over Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.

The show is hosted by Michael Gordon, Jennifer Schleusner, and Channing Sherman, and it delivers news, notes, tips, and tricks for newbies and veterans alike. The Dragon Con Newbies community has a great relationship with the show and the network.

In the tenth episode for 2025, the hosts look back on Dragon Con 2025 and discuss the highs and lows from the event. Con may be over, but there’s always time to think about next year, the things you’d love to do again, and the things that need some improvement.

The show can be found in video form on YouTube and in audio on the official website and wherever fine podcasts are fed. The Dragon Con Report channels can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can catch their shows live on those platforms or on demand on their website.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Debrief: Dragon Con 2025

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Debrief: Dragon Con 2025
Atlanta, GA – August 28 through September 1, 2025

Dragon Con 2025 has come to an end. Despite being a busier year, it seemed a lot lower key and easier to manage than in previous years.

Attendance was reported at 75,000, up 3,000 from last year. That attendance number was capped by badge sales, and traffic management felt much better this year. Those 75,000 fans did a lot of good charity work this year. NAMI Georgia will be receiving at least $320,000, and new convention record. The blood drive was very successful as well, earning about 10,600 blood components from more than 3,950 donors.

I left the con physically exhausted and both creatively and emotionally energized. Sadly, I wasn’t able to capitalize on the energy after contracting COVID immediately following the con. Luckily it was a minor case and none of my friends or family picked it up from me, but it was still two weeks spent confined to my house with a lot of resting and sleeping. Work picked up significantly as well since con, hence this after-action report being so late. Such is life.

On to the discussion!

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