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Top 5 Dr. Seuss Stories

Published on March 2, 2026August 13, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Today, March 2nd, is Dr. Seuss’s birthday. We’re celebrating by listing our Top 5 Dr. Seuss Stories, and that’s not just me, Kyra, saying that. I asked all the Geekly writers for their favorite Dr. Seuss stories; the higher on someone’s list a story goes, the more points it earns. I weighted the results, and the following is our Geekly Writers Top 5 Dr. Seuss Stories.

And yes. We legitimately had a three-way tie for fifth place. So, this ended up more like a Top 7 Dr. Seuss Stories.

Tied 5) The Butter Battle Book

The Butter Battle Book is an anti-war story. It chronicles the battle between the Yooks and Zooks. One butters their toast on one side, while the other butters their toast on the other. The two groups war, amassing weapons that can destroy the world. The Butter Battle Book is a fun way to just say no to war. And it points out the idiotic reasons why some wars begin.

Tied 5) The Zax

Take away the war angle, and The Zax has a similar message to The Butter Battle Book: stubbornness and how it destroys lives. The Zax live in the Prairie of Prax. Two varieties exist, North-Going Zaxes and South-Going Zaxes. When the two meet, their stubbornness causes them to refuse going in any other direction. Eventually, the world passes them by.

Tied 5) The Cat in the Hat

To say The Cat in the Hat is iconic would be an understatement. The Cat in the Hat is so iconic that it’s become an icon for Random House Books. Despite that, The Cat in the Hat lands in a three-way tie for fifth on this list. While The Cat in the Hat may be one of the first books most of us read (the book was kept to 225 unique words so new readers could learn them), we preferred the messages behind other Dr. Seuss stories more.

4) Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

The great thing about a list like this is that some of you are thinking, Oh! The Places You’ll Go! is way too far down this list, while others are rolling their eyes. Surely, some of you heard excerpts from Oh! The Places You’ll Go! in a graduation or two or twenty. Yes. Oh! The Places You’ll Go! leans into sappiness, but it’s also the final story published during Dr. Seuss’s lifetime. I like thinking of this book as Oh! The Places You’ve Taken Us!

3) The Sneetches

While The Sneetches holds a great message of discrimination and acceptance, we may be biased toward The Sneetches because I portrayed Sylvester McMonkey McBean (The Fix-it-up Chappie) in a Children’s Theater rendition of The Sneetches. Does McBean teach the Sneetches (a race of alien creatures where some have stars on their bellies and others don’t) a lesson? Or did my former character want to make a quick buck erasing and adding stars to gullible Sneetches? You decide.

2) What Was I Scared Of

What Was I Scared Of? is the strangest inclusion on this list. Some of our writers rated What Was I Scared Of? as their number one Dr. Seuss story, while other writers (myself included) didn’t even include the story on their list. Oddly enough, What Was I Scared Of?’s message works with The Sneetches’ (that’s maybe why they were included in the same collection). What Was I Scared Of? centers on the fear of something one doesn’t know. That fear can lead to discrimination. I like how the pale green pants with nobody inside them only want to be friends.

1) The Lorax

Who doesn’t love Truffula Trees, Brown Bar-ba-loots in their Bar-ba-loot suits, Swomee-Swans, and Humming-Fishes? We sure do. The Lorax didn’t quite claim the top spot on every one of our writers’ lists, but it came close. This classic tale of environmentalism warns of what will happen if we don’t take care of our planet. But The Lorax offers hope and an actionable request. The Once-ler gives the unnamed, young child a Truffula seed. He asks the child to plant the Truffula seed and treat the land better than the Once-ler. Hopefully, there’s still time for us to plant Truffula Trees before we no longer have Brown Bar-ba-loots in their Bar-ba-loot suits.

That’s our list of the Top 5 Dr. Seuss Stories. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Plenty of stories made our lists (including mine) that didn’t manage to crack the Top 5. Wait! I just checked. I had the most stories on my list to not make the cut. I demand a recount. Let us know your favorite Dr. Seuss Stories in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Green Lantern Villains

Published on February 28, 2026August 5, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! We haven’t done a Top 5 Villains list for a superhero or superhero group since Black Panther late August of last year. Looks like we’re overdue for another list, and since Lanterns is releasing on HBO Max, let’s count down the Top 5 Green Lantern Villains. Green Lantern is almost on Superman’s level in his number of overpowered villains. Heck, some of these Green Lantern villains have their own Corps of Henchmen ready to take down the Emerald Knight. Let’s see who made our list of Top 5 Green Lantern Villains.

5) Larfleeze

Larfleeze might not make a lot of people’s lists of Top 5 Green Lantern Villains because he’s often depicted as comic relief, but Larfleeze’s origin is anything but comical. Deep within the Vega System, Larfleeze of Okaara protects the DC Universe’s only Orange Lantern Power Battery. Fueled by greed, Larfleeze has a desire to take as much power as he can. Larfleeze would kill anyone he believed was trying to steal his Power Batter, and then copy his victims’ image, stealing their identities and have them join his Orange Corps as construct ghosts.

Larfleeze is the embodiment of greed, the emotional power that feeds orange. Under the Orange Light of Greed’s sway, Larfleeze is driven to possess everything.

4) Atrocitus

Another one of Geoff Johns’s creations, Atrocitus represents a different Lantern Corps Spectrum: Red’s Wrath. The murderous Atrocitus and his Red Lantern Corps may be the most feared force in the known, extraterrestrial DC Universe.

The Manhunters killed everyone Atrocitus knew. He became an intergalactic terrorist, wanting to kill the Guardians of the Universe. After numerous bloodthirsty missions, Atrocitus formed his Red Lantern Corps to go toe to toe with the Green Lantern Corps. At his core, Atrocitus executes an extreme form of justice. Too bad his form of justice comes with enough blood to paint the universe.

3) Nekron

Nekron is a demon who is DC Comic’s embodiment of Death. Nekron has power over the souls of everyone who has ever died. He uses these souls to perform godlike abilities like strength, durability, and energy projection. Never content with his deathly realm, Nekron seeks control over the rest of the DC Universe.

Nekron’s right-hand agent, Black Hand, almost made this list, too. Consider Black an honorable mention for Green Lantern’s Top 5 Villains. The two of them concocted the events of “Blackest Night.” They co-created the Black Lantern Corps of death. Using the bodies of formerly dead heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman, Nekron attempted to eliminate all life.

2) Parallax

Yellow’s fear runs counter to Green’s will, so spoiler alert, our top two spots belong to Yellow’s portion of the Emotional Spectrum. Parallax is the embodiment of terror. It derives its power from the yellow light of fear, typically presenting itself as a serpentine creature that acts as a parasite in a host’s mind. The most famous instance of a Parallax infection was Hal Jordan.

That’s right. Parallax turned Hal Jordan into a villain. Jordan adopted Parallax as his villainous persona. While under Parallax’s control, Hal Jordan massacred the rest of the Green Lantern Corps and destroyed his home, Coast City. But Jordan is far from Parallax’s only vessels. It’s taken possession of heroes like Kyle Rayner and The Flash. Whenever Parallax takes control of a hero, its malevolent spirit and power turn the poor soul into one of the DC Universe’s most powerful villains.

1) Sinestro

While Parallax takes temporary control over its host, Sinestro shows how the yellow light of fear can corrupt even the greatest Green Lanterns, completely and forever. When Hal Jordan first joined the Green Lantern Corps, Thaal Sinestro was his mentor. The two developed a bond, but that bond was shattered when Hal discovered Sinestro kept his sector (of the universe) in line through tyranny.

Jordan got Sinestro booted from the Green Lantern, and the Korugarian never forgave Hal, the Green Lantern Corps, or the Guardians of the Universe. Since his dismissal, Sinestro has been one of the DC Universe’s most enduring antagonists. He’s a card-carrying member of the Legion of Doom and the founder of the Sinestro Corps, who also harnesses the yellow light of fear. While he may occasionally commit acts of valor, Sinestro’s hatred, anger, and desire for power define him. We had to go with Sinestro for the top spot. Sometimes one of a character’s original villains are the best.

There are plenty of other Green Lantern Villains we could’ve added to this list. Who would you include? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1999

Published on December 13, 2025July 12, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 Tabletop Game List throughout the years. Today we’re gonna party like it’s 1999. 1999 finishes the decade strong with another major collectible card game release, and Reiner Knizia dominance. Oh! Did Knizia ever own tabletop games in 1999? We’ll get to the games in a bit, but first, let’s review our list’s criteria.

1: Cultural relevance plays as much of a factor as overall quality. A game might make a list that doesn’t hold up to others of its type, but you must admit the game is everywhere.

2: Only one game from a franchise makes the list. This will become more of an issue the closer we get to games with expansions.

3: Longevity plays a role, too. A game doesn’t have to fly off the shelves today, but it had to have some widespread appeal for a decent time.

**5: Schotten Totten (1999)**

Get ready to hear Reiner Knizia’s name a lot on this list. Schotten Totten is the first Knizia design. In Schotten Totten, players take on the role of Scottish clan leaders. Nine boundary stones lie between you and your opponent. In front of each, you build poker-like formations of three cards on a side. Whoever plays the higher-ranking formation wins the stone. But you may use powers to claim a stone before your opponent has played all three of their cards. Successfully claim five stones, or any three adjacent stones, and you win.

Schotten Totten has received multiple reprints. Its game mechanisms have been reimplemented by many games. There’s even a Schotten Totten 2. Few designers could top Knizia in 1999.

**4: Lost Cities (1999)**

Lost Cities is another Knizia design. Lost Cities also continues Kosmos’ excellent two-player game series. Kahuna (another game from this series) made our 1998 list. I love Lost Cities’ theme. Players mount archaeological expeditions to different sites represented by the cards’ colored suits. Lost Cities incorporates a push-your-luck mechanism, as you can choose to continue an expedition (with the possibility of busting) or you can return to base with what you have (and play it safe). Many games have copied Lost Cities’ formula. Including Knizia himself.

While Lost Cities wasn’t considered for the Spiel des Jahres (German game of the year), Keltis, which reimplemented Lost Cities’ gameplay, took home the Spiel des Jahres in 2008. To this day, I prefer to play Lost Cities to Keltis. Lost Cities has staying power.

**3: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (1999)**

Speaking of staying power, Yu-Gi-Oh! has that in spades. While new collectible card games (CCGs) continued to be released in the mid to late Nineties, few grabbed hold of the gaming community or stayed longer than a handful of sets. Heck! Even some of the CCGs that made previous lists in this series struggled to make it to ten sets. Yu-Gi-Oh! doesn’t have that issue.

You could argue that Yu-Gi-Oh! at the three spot is a little low. I’ll give you that. What started as the middle ground between Pokémon the card game and Magic: The Gathering has grown into its own dominant brand. From a cultural relevance standpoint, Yu-Gi-Oh! may take 1999’s number one spot.

**2: Tikal (1999)**

Tikal earned 1999’s Spiel des Jahres. This Walfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling co-design is a brilliant game. Tikal claims our second spot on this list, but I can see someone switching 1 and 2. Tikal deserved the Spiel des Jahres; I just think another game has more relevance today. Tikal is the first of Kramer and Kiesling’s Mask Trilogy of games: Tikal (1999), Java (2000), and Mexica (2002). Tikal is a game of exploration within the Central American jungles in search of lost temples and treasure.

Players send their team of explorers into the jungle, unearthing more and more of the terrain. Along the way, you’ll find temples that hold secrets and treasure. Players try to score points for occupying temples and holding treasure. I’ve played the Tikal mobile app, and it’s a good implementation of the game. If you like the idea of exploring the jungle, check out Tikal.

1: Ra (1999)

Three! Reiner Knizia has three games on the Top 5 1999 Tabletop Games List, and his auction game Ra takes our top spot. Ra highlights what makes Knizia games excellent. Take one simple concept (in this case, auctions) and do it better than most designs. Ra is an auction and set-collection game with an Ancient Egyptian theme. Players purchase lots of tiles through bidding. While every player can win three lots during an epoch (round), tension builds because an epoch can end before every player obtains three lots. The various tiles either give immediate points, prevent negative points (for not having certain types at game’s end), or give points after the final round. Ra is easy to learn and quick to play.

While overlooked for 1999’s Spiel des Jahres, Ra has proven it has longevity. Ra received a reprint in 2023. This year (2025), Ra was inducted into the BoardGameGeek Hall of Fame. My only guess as to why Ra wasn’t considered for the Spiel des Jahres (yes, Ra wasn’t even considered) is that the committee grew tired of seeing Knizia’s name. To date, Reiner Knizia is the most prolific board game designer in history. I can’t blame the Spiel des Jahres committee for getting Knizia fatigue. I played a few new-to-me board games this year. I thought, wow, that game was great, who’s the designer? Reiner Knizia. Of course. Keep them coming, Knizia.

Did we get the list mostly correct? Let us know which games you’d add in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1998

Published on November 22, 2025July 12, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 Tabletop Games throughout the years. 1998 saw the continued dominance of collectible card games (CCGs). Fewer CCGs were released this year, but established ones kept board game stores afloat. 1998 had a lot of great board games, but many of them didn’t have the same staying power as previous years in this series. There may be more than one forgotten gem on today’s list. We’ll get to the games in a minute, but first, let’s look at our criteria.

1: Cultural relevance plays as much of a factor as overall quality. A game might make a list that doesn’t hold up to others of its type, but you must admit the game is everywhere.

2: Only one game from a franchise makes the list. This will become more of an issue the closer we get to games with expansions.

3: Longevity plays a role, too. A game doesn’t have to fly off the shelves today, but it had to have some widespread appeal for a decent time.

**5: Kahuna (1998)**

Kahuna fits the bill of a forgotten gem. This two-player game has players assume the role of ancient sorcerers of the Pacific. You compete for dominance of an archipelago consisting of twelve small islands. Players use cards to place bridges between islands and remove opponent’s bridges. If you get the majority of bridges around an island, place one of your marker stones on it and remove any of your opponent’s bridges to that island. This could, in turn, cause your opponent to lose a bridge majority on an adjacent island.

Kahuna plays in three rounds. A round ends when all cards from the face-down deck and the three face-up cards have been used. Kahuna is a fast-paced area control/majority game. It’s one of the better two-player games from this era, but Kahuna’s status as a two-player only game may have prevented it from seeing wider gameplay. Still, Kahuna was a finalist for the Spiel des Jahres (the German game of the year).

**4: Elfenland (1998)**

We go from a Spiel des Jahre finalist to 1998’s Spiel des Jahre winner, Elfenland. Elfenland is a redesign of the original White Wind game Elfenroads. The game is set in an elvish world. Players begin in the Elf capital, draw one face down movement tile, and are dealt eight transport cards and a secret “home” city card that they must reach at the end of the fourth round or lose points for each city space away from “home” they are at the end of the game.

Elfenland’s designer, Alan R. Moon (Ticket to Ride), has a knack for route-building games. Elfenland marks the first time Moon has made one of these lists. I may have just spoiled the game, but this won’t be the last time we’ll see Moon on one of these lists. Elfenland shares some similarities with Moon’s more popular Ticket to Ride. Elfenland is another forgotten gem.

**3: Guillotine (1998)**

Guillotine is yet another forgotten gem, and its theme is one of the most macabre and interesting of 1998. Players take the role of executioners during the French Revolution. In Guillotine, you’re doing your best to manipulate the execution line and score as many points, claiming the lives of nobles, clergy, and former military as you can. Off with their heads!

If you like Gallow’s humor, you’ll love Guillotine. I say this a lot, but this will not be the last Paul Peterson design to make one of these lists. Peterson has a knack for taking traditional card games in strange and exciting directions. Guillotine is bloody fun.

**2: Cranium (1998)**

Cranium marks the first mass market board game (a game one can find in department stores) to make one of these lists in several years. While it may have faded in popularity, Cranium took elements from various party games and formed what it claims is “the whole-brain” game. Cranium identifies four main party quiz game elements and gave them names: Creative Cat, Data Head, Word Worm, and Star Performer.

Creative Cat involves sculpting and drawing. Data Head is trivia. Word Worm has players unscrambling words, challenging them to spell a word, and guess definitions. And Star Performer includes whistling songs, impersonating a celebrity, or acting out a clue. Cranium managed to assemble as many party quiz game elements into one game as one can. In fact, I still don’t think a party quiz game has managed to include as many elements as Cranium’s into a single game design.

**1: Through the Desert (1998)**

Reiner Knizia takes another top spot on one of these lists with Through the Desert. Through the Desert is one of those games players remember fondly and hold in high regard. But I rarely see anyone playing Through the Desert, making it yet another forgotten gem on this list. I’d argue Cranium, despite its status as a mass market board game, is another forgotten gem. This entire list is made up of forgotten gems. Getting back to Through the Desert, it takes inspiration from the classic game of Go. Through the Desert also completes Knizia’s tile-laying trilogy of games: Tigris & Euphrates (1997), Samurai (1998), and Through the Desert (1998).

In Through the Desert, players attempt to score the most points by snaking caravan routes through the desert, trying to reach oases and blocking off sections of the desert. Two to five players control a tribe of nomads vying for control of the desert. Strategy is key in building your tribe’s caravans. There are multiple paths to gain points, but Through the Desert manages to keep its cognitive load low, meaning it’s easy to learn but difficult to master. Through the Desert is deserving of its Spiel des Jahres recommended status.

Did we get the list mostly correct? Let us know which games you’d add in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Skye’s Halloween Favorite Movies

Published on October 31, 2025October 28, 2025 by Kyra4 Comments

Hooray! It’s that day again. Happy Halloween! To honor Spooky Season, I’d like to discuss my favorite movies to watch for Halloween. We all have our go-tos for holiday movies. What are some of your favorite Halloween movies? You may find some of your favorites among my list. With all that said, let me walk you through my favorite Halloween movies.

5) Coraline (2009)

While Coraline doesn’t take place during Spooky Season, the themes and tone are a perfect fit. This’ll be a common thread among many of my picks. I first saw Coraline as a kid with my family soon after it was released, and I didn’t fully understand it. In fact, my main takeaway was “Huh…that was weird.” Despite being a chronically terrified child (so much so, I couldn’t bear to look at horror movie DVD covers), Coraline didn’t scare me. Now that I’m older–and a very weird person–Coraline is one of my ideal Halloween movies. Given my love of stop-motion animation and the freakish imagery its creepy movement creates, Coraline remains a solid Spooky Season film.

**4) Beetlejuice (1988)**

I’m glad I didn’t have Beetlejuice growing up. Considering how impressionable I was as a kid and the adult content it contains, Beetlejuice would’ve rubbed off on me in all the wrong ways. I first watched it 3 years ago when I was feeling desperate to find a new classic Halloween film. As you can see, I found one. Beetlejuice scratched all the right itches, and now, I’m happy to say it’s joined the list of movies I watch during Halloween. Beetlejuice is a beautiful blend of contradictions. It doesn’t always make sense, but I forgive it since that’s part of the joke. While Beetlejuice is funny, it can also be dramatic, heartfelt, and creepy. Some of the effects are outstanding while others are laughably terrible, and I’d expect nothing less from Tim Burton.

**3) The Thing (1982)**

I love monster movies. Just check out my Halloween movie post from last year. I’m also a die-hard practical effects lover. Enter The Thing. The Thing is one of the quintessential monster films for any monster fan. It gives us outstanding scenes of ooey-gooey transformations, while not boring us with slow moments. Like other classic sci-fi monster flicks (like Alien), it’s the slow, quiet moments that add to the scare factor. The Thing is, first and foremost, a survival film. Each of the men at the Antarctic research base is well-qualified and competent, unlike several other horror film protagonists. You want to see them make it out alive. Unfortunately, they’re dealing with something that’s way beyond their understanding.

**2) Trick ‘r Treat (1986)**

Trick ‘r’ Treat is a favorite of mine, given how much it’s covered in Halloween. It has a lot of personality, but I enjoy how it respects Halloween. Despite being an adult film, Trick ‘r’ Treat manages to speak to my inner child with its aesthetic and emphasis on classic Halloween traditions. While watching Trick ‘r’ Treat, I can’t help but look back on the years I walked door-to-door in a costume and getting wasted on candy. Ah, those were the days. Also, the protagonist, Sam, reflects my attitude towards folks who don’t enjoy Halloween. You’d better watch out.

**1) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)**

Could any other movie claim the top spot? The Nightmare Before Christmas has long been my #1 Halloween movie. In fact, it’s the movie I always watch on Halloween itself. While I was lukewarm towards Nightmare Before Christmas as a kid, as I’ve gotten older, I absolutely love it. Nightmare Before Christmas was the movie that got me interested in the art of stop-motion and fascinated me with its fantastic yet relatable story and characters. By now, I’ve seen this movie so many times that I can practically recite it from memory. Sometimes I feel like Jack and am desperate to find a new Halloween movie to add to my Spooky Season tradition (like I mentioned earlier with Beetlejuice). But I’ll never stop watching The Nightmare Before Christmas around Halloween. It was and remains my #1 Spooky Season movie.

Those are my picks for Halloween movies. I hope you had as much fun as I did on this road of spooks, nostalgia, and holiday cheer. What are your favorite movies to watch around Spooky Season? I can’t wait to hear from y’all in the comments, and I hope you have a fabulous Halloween.

Famous Black Cats in Media

Published on October 27, 2025June 21, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Black Cat Day, Geekly Gang! That’s right. Today is Black Cat Day. I didn’t know a day like this exists. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re celebrating Black Cat Day by listing five famous (and popular) black cats in media. Oh, it’s about to get spooky up in here.

5) Pluto (“The Black Cat”)

We’ll start this list with the titular feline in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat.” Often read as the companion piece to “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Black Cat’s” point of view character gets spooked by Pluto, walling him beside his deceased wife. Poe may have had some unresolved issues.

Originally published in 1845, “The Black Cat,” like many of Poe’s works, has stood the test of time. Loose adaptations have cropped up over time. More recently, the Black Cat returned in Netflix’s Fall of the House of Usher, and Wednesday (another Netflix offering) makes more than one reference to this short story. Not bad for a black cat with only one eye.

4) Salem Saberhagen (Sabrina: The Teenage Witch)

Many 90s kids know Salem Saberhagen from Sabrina: The Teenage Witch. Salem is a 500-year-old witch serving a 100-year sentence for attempting to take over the world. Salem’s old self gives off mad supervillain vibes. Getting transformed into a powerless American shorthair robbed him of a modicum of his sassiness.

Salem serves as a mentor for Sabrina as she navigates her life as a teenage witch. Sympathetic and often self-serving, fans of Sabrina: The Teenage Witch know that Salem’s the real star. Yas, Queen!

3) Luna (Sailor Moon)

Luna (from Sailor Moon) stands out from many of the other black cats on this list. The crescent moon on her forehead makes her visually stand out, but her serious nature runs counter to many other black cats in anime, who are usually sarcastic or silly or both. Luna assembles the Sailor Senshi on Earth. She’s Usagi’s mentor, and her serious nature plays well against Usagi’s childish nature. Someone needs to be the grown-up. Who cares if the grown-up is a cat?

2) Thackery Binx (Hocus Pocus)

Thackery Binx was a 17th-century boy who was transformed into an immortal cat by the evil (but fabulous) Sanderson sisters. Binx spends eternity guarding the witches’ house, ensuring no one lights the black flame candle. Fast-forward to modern-day when Binx befriends Max, Dani, and Allison. The three kids light the candle. This alerts the sisters, so Binx does what he can to help his friends defeat the witches. In the end, Binx’s soul leaves the cat’s body and reunites with his sister. This is such a great moment. Can someone pass the tissues?

1) Jiji (Kiki’s Delivery Service)

This cat’s story isn’t as bittersweet as Binx’s. I promise. I love the scene where Jiji finds a black cat mug, points to it, and says, “Hey, Kiki, it’s me!” Jiji is by far the cutest black cat on this list. Add the fact that he’s voiced by the late, great Phil Hartman, and you have a character who can’t be beat. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a fantastic Studio Ghibli film. The Jiji character highlights what makes Phil Hartman great as a voice actor. Jiji stole the show with his sarcastic wit and endearing nature, quickly becoming one of the film’s most beloved characters.

At the end of the film, Jiji stops talking, which remains a mystery for fans. According to Hayao Miyazaki, the film’s director, the young witch and her pet lose their ability to communicate because Kiki grows up and doesn’t need her “other self” to rely on anymore. Okay. This story is bittersweet. I did it again. I’m not crying. You’re crying.

That’s our list of famous black cats in media. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Slasher Film Villains

Published on October 11, 2025July 2, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

It’s Monday the 13th. OoooOOoooo! Happy Spooky Season, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re continuing our Halloween coverage with slash films. Grease your chainsaws. Sharpen your machetes. It’s time to discuss the five best slasher film villains of all time. All time!

5) Art the Clown (Terrifier Franchise)

Art the Clown is a demented killer clown mime who kills people on Halloween nights. He carries a multitude of crude weapons and mutilates his victims in gruesome ways. Art the Clown’s manner of killing–which includes lots of kills and gore–cause his movies to verge on torture porn (popularized by the Saw franchise), but the Terrifier films maintain their slasher film status because of Art the Clown at their center.

Art the Clown has appeared in three movies and two shorts, and in a short time span, he’s become a horror icon. He’s easily the best slasher villain of the past decade. Given enough time, Art the Clown could climb this list, but I’m not so sure. The names above him are horror mainstays. Still, Art the Clown and the movies that feature him are more hardcore than most slasher killers throughout the years. He causes a glorious mess with every kill.

4) Candyman (Candyman Franchise)

Candyman, or Daniel Robitaille, is as much an urban legend or myth as he is a slasher villain. This is only one way he stands out. He’s tragic backstory goes beyond slasher movie tropes. Rooted in themes of racial violence and injustice, Candyman’s origin adds a layer of empathy, making his vengeful actions terrifying and, in an odd way, justified. His phrase, “Be my victim,” adds to the sense of dread and serves as a reminder of buried societal traumas.

The Candyman series had me scared to say his name five times. The first Candyman film remains the best. Tony Todd (rest in peace) gave Candyman a sense of purpose and grace that separated him from any slasher villain of his era. The second film went deeper into Candyman’s lore, while the fourth movie, produced by Jordan Peele, brought back the iconic killer while honoring the Black culture within the story. I love the Candyman series. Its villain just misses out on our top three, but the top three are horror movie royalty.

3) Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise)

Freddy Krueger’s ability to invade dreams sets him apart from other slasher movie villains. He transforms the safe haven of sleep into a terrifying killing ground. With his burned face, razor-sharp blades, and sinister laugh, Freddy taps into primal fears. He is the boogie man under the bed, in the bed, above the bed, hiding in the closet, and so much more. But Freddy isn’t all horror. He adds enough dark humor and charisma to make him repulsive and magnetic.

There’s no escape from Freddy. He follows victims into their most vulnerable state. Created by Wes Craven, Freddy Krueger will haunt the audience’s dreams long after his movies end. I’m haunted by the children’s song that serves as Freddy’s preamble. One, two, Freddy’s coming for you. Three, four, better lock your door. Five, six, grab your crucifix. Seven, Eight, gonna stay up late. Nine, ten, never sleep again. Try singing that right before you go to bed. You may just stay up an extra hour or two or five.

2) Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th Franchise)

At the end of the first Friday the 13th movie, and after his mother died, Jason rose from the depths of Camp Crystal Lake to become the franchise’s new villain. He machetes his way through the camp and into the audience’s hearts with his bloody kills. Jason is a killing artist. He became more flamboyant through the years. He’s been killed and reanimated more times than a comic book hero, which actually matches his demeanor of an unstoppable zombie-like killer.

Interestingly, Jason is the more sympathetic character in his big crossover movie with Freddy Krueger, despite Jason being an unfeeling killing machine in his solo movies. Few slasher villains are more prolific than Jason. We can only think of one other slasher villain who tops his kill count and takes the number one spot as the true face of evil.

1) Michael Myers (Halloween Franchise)

Black Christmas may have come first, but Halloween’s Michael Myers is the first name and face people think of when they think of a slasher villain. There’s something about a bleached William Shatner mask. Michael Myers completes the slasher villain big three of Michael, Jason, and Freddy. Michael Myers doesn’t claim our haunting number one spot because he’s physically imposing. He’s the shape of evil. He’s the one who began killing when he was a child and never stopped.

John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween didn’t create the slasher subgenre. The genre bloomed in the wake of Michael Myers’ butcher knife. This horrifying classic had a simple premise. A silent serial killer stalks a quiet town. After decades of movies (and more on the way, we’re sure), Michael Myers petrifies audiences. Michael’s theme music is the stuff of legend. As soon as I wrote this post’s title, it played in my head. Not going to lie, I played the song. Pure movie magic.

That’s our list of the top five slasher film villains. Did we get the list right? Who would you add or take away? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, we hope you’re having a great day.

5 Great Video Game Dances

Published on October 6, 2025June 25, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Today marks the beginning of Dance Week, so we’ll kick off this dance off with five great video game dances. Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. I didn’t know Dance Week existed, but I’m here for it. Video games have featured so many dances. There are even entire games, like Dance, Dance Revolution and Just Dance, that are about dancing. Some of those video games could make this list, but I prefer dances from video games that don’t feature dancing, so we may get more than one dance from a role-playing game. Let’s get to the list.

Honorable Mention: The Sheppard Shuffle (Mass Effect Series)

We begin this list with one honorable mention, the Sheppard Shuffle. This dance isn’t exactly good, let alone great, but it is iconic. The Mass Effect series is an all-time great Sci-Fi video game series, and the game’s protagonist, Sheppard, is at the game’s center, but it’s not for their dancing ability. Sheppard’s dance move (they only have one), the Sheppard Shuffle, is so half-baked that the Citadel DLC makes fun of it. Still, the Sheppard Shuffle is seared into my brain.

5) Celebrate Chaos (Sonic: The Hedgehog Series)

Sonic: The Hedgehog was always the “cool” video game mascot. Shortly after his release, he developed a dance, a simple two-step with some flair, every time he obtained an objective. Over the years, Sonic became more brooding. Goofiness was no longer “cool,” but no matter what phase the blue ball of lightning has taken, he finds a way to incorporate that little two-step dance.

4) Waltz for the Moon (Final Fantasy VIII)

Ah! I love the Waltz for the Moon from Final Fantasy VIII. This iconic scene is what got me hyped for FFVIII. It featured in almost every teaser or trailer for the game. This dance did a great job introducing the main characters, and it’s gorgeous. Even after several video game generations, the graphics hold up well. The fireworks peaking through the moon roof take my breath away. On a personal note, my favorite track from Mannheim Steamroller’s 1984 Christmas album is “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella,” and whenever I hear that song, Waltz for the Moon dances in my head.

3) Poison Dance (Fortnite)

We could’ve included any number of dances from Fortnite–I swear this battle royale doubles as a dancing game–but we landed on the Poison Dance. Originally, this dance was featured in the sitcom Scrubs. Fortnite pays homage to this dance by including it as an emote. You get extra points if you use the Poison Dance emote while playing with a Poison Ivy skin in Fortnite. That girl is poison. On second thought, a Poison Ivy skin may be too on the nose.

2) Crash Dance (Crash Bandicoot Series)

Similar to Sonic: The Hedgehog, Crash Bandicoot was the mascot (for a time) for the cooler and newer gaming system (PlayStation), so of course, he was going to incorporate a special dance every time he finished an objective. But Crash has never taken himself too seriously. Throughout the Crash Bandicoot series, he pelvic thrusts, shuffles until his back is to the player, and then coyly turns and smiles. He’s even gotten his teammates to join in the fun.

1) Friday Night (Yakuza 0)

Any song from Yakuza 0’s disco minigame prompts Kiryu to do his hilarious entry on the stage before recycling through the same move again and again during his dance, but “Friday Night” is by far this minigame’s best song. “Friday Night” is the one song I jam out to while trying to complete this challenging disco minigame. Seriously! Yakuza 0’s disco minigame is so difficult, I feel like I learned the dance in real life. Now, watch me break a hip.

Happy Dance Week, Geekly Gang! We hope you enjoyed this list of five great video game dances. What are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1997

Published on September 8, 2025September 12, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

1997 was another stellar year for tabletop games. There were so many games to choose from that we have an honorable mention for the first time in a couple of yearly lists. Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Top 5 Tabletop Games throughout the years; today’s list is the top five board games of 1997. We’ll talk about 1997’s board game list soon, but let’s review the ground rules for which games make these lists before we begin.

1: Cultural relevance plays as much of a factor as overall quality. A game might make a list that doesn’t hold up to others of its type, but you must admit the game is everywhere.

2: Only one game from a franchise makes the list. This will become more of an issue the closer we get to games with expansions.

3: Longevity plays a role, too. A game doesn’t have to fly off the shelves today, but it had to have some widespread appeal for a decent time.

**Honorable Mention: Mississippi Queen (1997)**

Yep. 1997’s winner of the Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year) just misses our list. Mississippi Queen puts gamers in the role of a paddlewheeler captain in a race down the Mississippi River in 1871. Mississippi Queen won numerous awards, not just the Spiel, and it’s a stellar game, but the other games that made this list have had longer staying power. Still, Mississippi Queen is a satisfying racing game.

**5: Tigris and Euphrates (1997)**

The incomparable Reiner Knizia makes another one of these lists with Tigris and Euphrates. Many gamers may balk at this game being this low. Tigris and Euphrates is often dubbed a “gamer’s game.” It centers on a clash between neighboring dynasties along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Funny, both of the first games we’re talking about are named after famous rivers. Anyway, Tigris and Euphrates offers tactical and strategic objectives, where immediate (tactical) goals are more realistic at larger but smaller player counts allow for long-term planning.

Tigris and Euphrates features drawing tiles from a bag. Players may redraw tiles if they don’t like the ones they drew by spending an action point (players have two action points per turn). After drawing tiles, players will place tiles and leaders onto the board, creating and expanding regions and kingdoms. During the game, players collect points in each of the four tile colors, prompting players to balance the tile types they play. Tigris and Euphrates has a lot more conflict than most German games during this time. It’s a classic.

**4: For Sale (1997)**

For Sale is a fast-paced auction card game about real estate. It’s played in two phases. During the first phase, players bid for several buildings. After all the properties are purchased, the second phase begins, and players sell their buildings for the highest profit. For Sale is one of those easy-to-teach, easy-to-learn, and difficult-to-master card games.

In short, For Sale may be the opposite of Tigris and Euphrates. Both are stellar games, but I’m giving For Sale the slight nod for its accessibility.

**3: GIPF (1997)**

GIPF is the first abstract strategy game to make one of these lists in several posts. GIPF was recommended for the Spiel des Jahres in 1998. It has plenty of accolades, but GIPF makes this list because it began a series of abstract strategy board games by designer Kris Burm named the GIPF Project. TZAAR, ZERTZ, DVONN, YINSH, PUNCT, LYNGK, and MATRX GIPF are great games that use various game mechanisms. But we’re talking about GIPF, the game of pushing.

GIPF takes a board that looks like it could belong in Chinese Checkers. Players introduce a new piece (disc) on the hexagonal game board and push their piece in a straight line. GIPF involves no luck. It’s a straight-up brain burner, and it reintroduced the gaming community to abstract strategy games akin to Go or Othello.

**2: Bohnanza (1997)**

Uwe Rosenberg makes his first appearance on one of these lists with Bohnanza. The game’s title is a pun on the German word Bohne (for bean) and the English word bonanza (for an exceptionally large and rich mineral deposit). Players plant bean cards and then harvest them to earn coins. Each player begins with a random hand of bean cards, and each card has a number on it corresponding to the number of that type of beans in the deck. Modern card game darling, Flip 7, may have borrowed that idea from Bohnanza. Cards with fewer copies in the deck are more difficult to collect, but players don’t need as many copies of the cards to harvest (or make a set).

Bohnanza features trading and can get political. Get ready to make your case. More so than any other game on this list—so far—I’ve seen Bohnanza played in game shops and board game cafés.

**1: Twilight Imperium (1997)**

Twilight Imperium is a board game space opera. Twilight Imperium is the closest thing to a board game version of Star Wars. Twilight Imperium is a classic 4X board game: explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. You choose how your civilization will settle the cosmos. Twilight Imperium is not for the faint of heart. Games run a minimum of five hours. This is one of the reasons why I’ve only observed games of Twilight Imperium. There’s a lot going on, but if you want to control every move of an intergalactic kingdom, few games do as good a job of capturing that vibe as Twilight Imperium.

You can even dive into Twilight Imperium’s world with its novel series published by Aconyte Books or play the tabletop role-playing game spinoff. Twilight Imperium is a game that some board gamers play exclusively. And there may be a good reason for that. As recently as last year (2024), Nerdist and Polygon dubbed Twilight Imperium as one of the greatest board games ever made. Twilight Imperium easily tops our 1997 list of tabletop games.

Did we get the list mostly correct? Let us know which games you’d add in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Tied 5) The Butter Battle Book

Tied 5) The Zax

Tied 5) The Cat in the Hat

4) Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

3) The Sneetches

2) What Was I Scared Of

1) The Lorax

5) Larfleeze

4) Atrocitus

3) Nekron

2) Parallax

1) Sinestro

5) Geralt of Rivia and Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)

4) Chloe and Rachel (Life is Strange)

3) Cody and May (It Takes Two)

2) Mario and Princess Peach (Super Mario Series)

1) Link and Zelda (The Legend of Zelda Series)

5: Schotten Totten (1999)

4: Lost Cities (1999)

3: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (1999)

2: Tikal (1999)

1: Ra (1999)

5: Kahuna (1998)

4: Elfenland (1998)

3: Guillotine (1998)

2: Cranium (1998)

1: Through the Desert (1998)

5) Coraline (2009)

4) Beetlejuice (1988)

3) The Thing (1982)

2) Trick ‘r Treat (1986)

1) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

5) Pluto (“The Black Cat”)

4) Salem Saberhagen (Sabrina: The Teenage Witch)

3) Luna (Sailor Moon)

2) Thackery Binx (Hocus Pocus)

1) Jiji (Kiki’s Delivery Service)

5) Art the Clown (Terrifier Franchise)

4) Candyman (Candyman Franchise)

3) Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise)

2) Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th Franchise)

1) Michael Myers (Halloween Franchise)

Honorable Mention: The Sheppard Shuffle (Mass Effect Series)

5) Celebrate Chaos (Sonic: The Hedgehog Series)

4) Waltz for the Moon (Final Fantasy VIII)

3) Poison Dance (Fortnite)

2) Crash Dance (Crash Bandicoot Series)

1) Friday Night (Yakuza 0)

Honorable Mention: Mississippi Queen (1997)

5: Tigris and Euphrates (1997)

4: For Sale (1997)

3: GIPF (1997)

2: Bohnanza (1997)

1: Twilight Imperium (1997)

**5: Schotten Totten (1999)**

**4: Lost Cities (1999)**

**3: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (1999)**

**2: Tikal (1999)**

**5: Kahuna (1998)**

**4: Elfenland (1998)**

**3: Guillotine (1998)**

**2: Cranium (1998)**

**1: Through the Desert (1998)**

**4) Beetlejuice (1988)**

**3) The Thing (1982)**

**2) Trick ‘r Treat (1986)**

**1) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)**

**Honorable Mention: Mississippi Queen (1997)**

**5: Tigris and Euphrates (1997)**

**4: For Sale (1997)**

**3: GIPF (1997)**

**2: Bohnanza (1997)**

**1: Twilight Imperium (1997)**