365 T-shirts - the reasoning

This blog should be sub-titled: a journal of my life in geek.

I get my geek on with things about which I am geeky: comic books, Baseball, Ultimate, science fiction, my favorite bands, books I have read and loved, and Jungian psychology to name some of the most frequently traversed subjects.

I began this project simply as a way to count my T-shirts. I own a lot of T-shirts. But how many do I have? Do I have 365? We shall find out.

When I started this blog, I thought about how each T-shirt means something to me. I bought it for a reason, after all. I set myself the task to post an entry about a new T-shirt every day as a way to simply write something every day, a warm up for writing fiction, which is my passion. Writing is like exercise. Warm ups are good for exercise. But after completing a month of blogging about T-shirts, I have learned that this blog serves as a journal; it documents my life in geek, sort of a tour of my interests in pop culture. The blog serves as a tool for self-inventory, for assessment and analysis of self and the origins of self, for stepping through the process of individuation in catalogues, lists, and ranks.

The blog also made me aware that I have some serious gaps in my T-shirt ownership, and I am in the process of collecting some new T-shirts for several of the great popular culture icons that I truly love. Stay tuned.

I was also a bit surprised that people checked out my blog and continue to check it, read it, and even comment on it. I am very appreciative of this readership. Please feel free to share your thoughts in my comments section. I will respond.

Also, please note that I have moved the original introductory text to the side bar. And now, I present to you the most recent entry of 365 T-shirts: a journal of my life in geek. Thank you for reading.
(Second Update - 1310.24. First Update - 1306.05 Originally Posted - 1304.25.)

Sunday, June 2, 2013

T-shirt #73: Battlestar Galactica

T-shirt #73: Battlestar Galactica

Yesterday, I shared my fifth Star Trek post and a variety of thoughts that add up to one incontrovertible conclusion: Star Trek makes me happy.

And though Star Trek wins out in my heart as my favorite SF TV show, this is simply due its longevity, its origins in my childhood, and the sheer volume of its stories.

And yet, I would argue that the revised version of Battlestar Galactica is better. And though I acknowledge the excellence of many SF TV shows, such as The PrisonerSpace 1999, Babylon Five, Firefly, and Stargate, (Sorry, I am not a Doctor Who fan), I would argue that the updated Battlestar Galactica is better than all of them.


In fact, I think I could make a compelling argument that Battlestar Galactica (BSG) is one of the best action/drama TV shows of all time....yes, OF THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF TELEVISION.

Battlestar Galactica aired on the Sci-Fi Channel from 2003-2009. A remake of the original 1978 television series, the new BSG saga comprised 75 episodes over four seasons. Battlestar Galactica earned great critical acclaim and awards and inclusion in the Time Magazine Best 100 TV shows of all time. The Time Magazine list is not ranked and includes all TV shows, which seems an unfair comparison to put Battlestar Galactica in the same list as The Abbott and Costello Show or ABC's Wide World of Sports.

Battlestar Galactica would surely make my top five favorite all-time TV shows, though I hesitate to make a top five list that is not separated by genre. Certainly, Star Trek, Lost, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer would make this list. Though I love A Charlie Brown Christmas, (which is in Time's list), I would not include one-shot programs in a favorite all time list. Comedies and reality TV shows (I do love Survivor) would be relegated to separate lists for their respective genres. And, really, I would not rate a show like Battlestar Galactica next to shows like Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, or Felicity, which really fall into another category entirely.

Why was Battlestar Galactica so good? Pathos. The show featured razor's edge tension and cathartic pathos unlike any other SF or "fantastic" TV show of its kind. The acting was superb. The writing was superb. The visual and sound effects won Emmys. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell rocked the park. It's full of surprises and mysteries and intricacies of plot, character, and long term story building (as certain elements of the show's finale are set up in the show's original mini-series).

But at first? If you know the 1970s program, there are adjustments to make. Starbuck is a woman?? WHAT?? Cylons are human-looking??? HUH? Stick with it. Because the punch it packs is unlike anything I have ever experienced in episodic TV. In the end, for its overall excellence, I would rank it above both Lost, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I loved dearly, but which had flaws that BSG lacked.

A promotional image for BSG modeled on the Last Supper painting.
Battlestar Galactica fandom is still alive and well.

Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica.com, Richard Hatch inspired site dedicated to showcasing the BSG Universe and Promoting Battlestar Galactica.

Galacticon Three was held earlier this year (2013).

A prequel episode aired online in 2012: Blood and Chrome.


More Battlestar Galactica fandom:

Battlestar Fan Club

There's fan fiction, fan gear, and more that's just a Google click away.

But, really, if you have not watched this TV show, get started. Even non-SF fans should love it.

In closing, an image of the DRADIS (the defense system, like "radar," for the Battlestars) created by my friend Ryan Walters for my birthday a few years back.

ENJOY!

- chris tower - 1306.02 - 11:53