by Ariyanna

If you play video games or watch much YouTube, you may have already heard of him. If not, read more to find out why he is one of the fastest rising YouTube stars to date. 

His initial jump shot to fame came with his Five Nights at Freddy's - Let's Play series which is how I was quickly initiated in the Markiplier fangirl group or Markiplites as we are known on Tumblr. 

His fan base has grown faster than a speeding bullet train and is still going. At current count, his Youtube Channel has reached nearly 10 million subscribers with millions watching the videos that he posts daily. Due to this, he is now reaching out to his community of fans to bring awareness of to a variety of charities and causes. 

If you want to see for yourself what all the fuss is about check out his Youtube Channel and be prepared for thrills and chills from jumping out of you chair from a rush of adrenaline and terror to falling on the floor laughing at his antics.

https://www.youtube.com/user/MarkiplierGAME

Gratuitous FanGirl Photos:

As we scramble to make a schedule to see ALL THE THINGS at DragonCon this year, and there are some AMAZING GUESTS on the list, we can't help but dream about who we would like to see most in future years...

Lauren:
Obviously, any of the 'New Who' Doctors - especially David Tennant. [swoon] Also, the cast of Supernatural. I've seen them each year at Nerd HQ and at SDCC online, but I'd super love to see them in person - and have The Impalas play a concert!

Jen:
Christopher Eccleston would be my top pick, but he doesn't do conventions :( Actually that's probably for the best, I'd be at risk for a restraining order if he did... I'm also a huge Lee Pace fan - can we start a petition to bring him to DragonCon 2016? ;)

Heather:
I second David Tennant, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Osiric Chau (poor poor Kevin), John Cho (with a sword please), Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch (2 fandoms overlapping) - Omg...I almost forgot Tatiana Maslany and Jordan Gavaris

Lauren:
YES! Orphan Black PANEL!!!

Lindsey:
I totally agree about Supernatural and Orphan Black - both casts seem to be really fun in panels and truly enjoy their fans (and I heart Misha Collins.) Also, Bill Nye has the childhood nostalgia and science street cred that might make him the perfect panel host.

Kristin Bell in a panel with Felicia Day or some other geeky ladies would be fantastic---- a girls only panel that wasn't about "how hot you looked in this show" and was empowering.

Ariyanna:
My list covers a broad spectrum. I second Bill Nye, obviously the new Doctors, Kim Harrison who is my favorite author, Markiplier and other YouTuber geeky celebs.

Maria:
Gary Oldman has been my dream guest for many years. I've been a fan since Bram Stoker's Dracula. His roles in the Dark Knight trilogy and the Harry Potter films make him the ultimate geeky guest! He's done a few cons on the west coast in recent years, and apparently he's very interactive with fans. His panel would be intriguing; think of all the iconic roles he could discuss!

Brooke:
I second a 10th Doctor Who cast panel as a winner. Maybe even better than that would be the Firefly cast. I'd be dead. And lastly, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart together would blow congoers' minds.

Well, this pick opened the floodgates of wild dream-moment speculation... we will spare you the details.

Who is your dream guest for DragonCon?

As we prepare our minds, bodies and suitcases for Dragon Con, we reflect on our favorite panels and/or convention guests we've each seen (so far!)

Jen:
Ah, so many great memories! Hands down, my favorite Con guest of all time was Wil Wheaton. He came to DragonCon in 2012, and told a story about meeting William Shatner that literally made me laugh until I cried.

Heather:
_One of the funniest moments I ever remember is when Christopher Judge came to DragonCon and learned about Furries -

Lindsey:
The Mythbusters two years ago, agreeing to use a terminally ill cancer kid's ashes in an experiment. It was his Make-a-Wish and was a great segway to conversions about space travel & the afterlife, etc.

Lauren:
No one gives better panel than John Barrowman. Also, I never miss the "An hour with Jim Butcher" panel - he's my favorite author, so I'm biased - but his panels are always super funny and a great insight and tease into his books and writing process.

Heather:
That does remind me - I always attend a panel for Sherrilyn Kenyon. I look for the panel where it is just her, instead of with several other authors.

Lindsey:
Warehouse 13 had a phenomenal panel after they learned they were cancelled, they told secrets and leaked footage. They said, "what are they gonna do, fire us?" The lead actors cried and gave out hugs, etc.

Ariyanna:
My two favorite panels were last year. Sylvester McCoy had a bum leg and was riding all over the room on a scooter, going right up to guests taking their questions and just being silly in general. 

We can't all be as cool as Felicia Day, but we can embrace our weird and help support a great cause!

In the wake of her New York Times Best Selling book You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), Day is selling this fantastic shirt with proceeds going to the non-profit anti-cyberbullying charity Stomp Out Bullying!  

Click here to get yours today - these shirts are only available for a limited time, and you don't want to miss out!

by Lauren

Next, there is the CW's warhorse, Supernatural, which just wrapped its 10th season - a feat reached by only an handful of genre shows in history. They had their 200th episode earlier this season and destroyed all with a musical episode so fantastic that it will live in infamy for all time. I know in my heart the show, and the Winchesters, are nearing their final battles - but I will be with them to the very end.

An outstanding surprise is new series iZombie, what has won me over with its wit, humor and shocking plot twists (I'm still not over Episode 10, Patriot Brains). Our editor, Lindsey, described it as the Orphan Black of network TV with regards to OMG moments. Even though it came late to the TV party, it is closing out the CW regular season with a bang.

Today isn't just Memorial Day or Geek Pride Day. It's also Towel Day: a day to celebrate the life and works of the wonderful Douglas Adams.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

How are you spending your Geek Pride Day?!??

In honor of World Turtle Day, we're bringing you Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles personality quizzes and some nostalgia in all it's cheesy goodness.

Leonardo: Leo types are serious, respectful, and often assume leadership roles. Leonardo types assume responsibility not just for their actions, but for the actions of others as well. They believe in working together and they have indomitable hope that things will work out if the team tries hard enough.

Raphael:  Raphs are loners, often by choice.  They are bold and fearless, are often sarcastic and they feel “above” the system. Very confident in their opinions, Raph types are the most independent. Often times, Raph types drift from group to group with little attachment to anyone.

Donatello:  Donatello is the  introspective thinking type. Don can be funny at times, but he is the brains of the team. Even though he is introspective, he isn't afraid of putting his ideas into action.

Michelangelo:  Mike is an extroverted party dude. Mikes thrive upon unity. They try to make everyone happy and they see the good in everyone. Mike has to have others to define himself. Without a team, a Mike is alone and has no one to help define his personality.



Want to take some TMNT Personality Quizzes?  Here are a few fun ones:

by Lauren

She first came to my attention as Sibylla in Ridley Scott's underrated epic, Kingdom of Heaven. She was an outstanding female lead (it would be a disservice to merely call her a Bond Girl) in Casino Royal - I liked her way better than Daniel Craig at the time, and she was the only good thing about Showtime's short lived Camelot. She absolutely killed it as Morgan - I seriously only watched the show for her and rooted gleefully for the villain the whole time.

No matter who she is playing, she commits so completely that you literally can't take your eyes off her is she's in a scene. Her ethereal, porcelain features and smoky voice makes her a perfect fit for mysterious or magical characters. Her poise gives her command.

A show like Penny Dreadful could easily be campy or fall flat, but behind Green's captivating performance as Vanessa Ives you can't help but be drawn in to the dark and creepy Victorian world. I will watch just about anything she is in.

Next year she will be playing the titular lead in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiars, directed by Tim Burton (who she worked with previously in Dark Shadows.) It is an adaptation of the popular YA novel by Ransom Riggs - making it a 'must see' for me!

Are you a fan on Eva Green? What is your favorite role she's played?