It’s that time of year agin. I look at the calendar, and as I notice by the extreme heat when I go to the mailbox, it’s July in Florida. Today is July 24. That means Geek World Order has completed another lap around the sun. This time, it’s for the 15th time. As I say every year, it’s hard to believe we’ve made it here again. Of all the years I’ve done this the past year has certainly been among the more interesting ones.
Things certainly started off strong with the yearly commute to DragonCon. That went as awesome as trips to DragonCon usually do. I was able to add to my list of experiences though as I took over as the director of the GI Joe group photoshoot on that Sunday. The group shoots are a lot of fun, but running one is an entirely different thing. I did learn much about the process though and have a better understanding of it. I am looking forward to the shoot again and being more prepared for it than last year. It will be hard to top having GIJoe comic writer Larry Hama with us. That was arranged through a connection within The Finest Costume Club and really added to the experience. I enjoyed being able to have a conversation with Larry before the shoot. The whole shoot was a fantastic time and something I will keep in my memories for a long time.
From there, while convention appearances were light, I continued to build the YouTube channel. It has continued to grow and is on the path to reaching 500 subscribers. I have found a video schedule that works for me and I have maintained the weekly uploads for several years now. The outlet of video creation is always fun and I definitely want to continue to showcase the experiences I have. I want to do more spotlight vlogs on shops, restaurants and other experiences I have. You all will see things as I see them.
I had high hopes going into 2025 that this year was going to be a big one and in some ways it has. In other ways, life threw some curveballs at me. Perhaps the biggest of those was dealing with an injury. In February, I was at MegaCon. I had competed the first day of the convention, even hitting one of my goals of buying a Klingon bat’leth. When I was back at my hotel, I fell in the shower and broke my hip. Since then, I have gone though the process of recovery, physical therapy and now rebuilding. I have since been to Spooky Empire’s spring show and managed well enough. I am currently working on rebuilding and gaining strength for DragonCon. It has been a challenge at times, but I know perseverance will pay off. I am looking forward to some of the guests and seeing many friends again. I will be bringing costumes with me that aren’t complicated and will allow me to focus on the fun things going on.
While that has been a hindrance, life has not been all doom and gloom. This past year has been one of personal growth. In January, I started on one of my biggest projects ever and something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I began writing a book. As of the writing of this article, I have finished the first draft and have begun the editing process. So far, this has been a very cathartic process. Writing has been something I have done for a long time in various forms. As a kid, i wrote a lot of short stories and many of my teachers took notice. As the years raged on, I moved onto other thins and developed my creativity in other outlets. The inspiration of things such as NaNoWriMo put the idea in my head, but seeing some of my friends complete their first books and publish them really put the idea in the front of my mind. It was such an amazing experience to have their books in my hands. Specifically “Stopping Time” by LE Colvin and “Frontier Ranger” by Mixon Trammell. I knew at that point, I had to do it and see my work in print. I’m hoping to have the book released soon. The title of the book is “Flight of the Ironclaw.” Ideally, I’d like to have it published by my birthday.
This have certainly changed over the last 15 years. I am getting closer and closer to turning 40. Things were a lot different when I was waiting on my 25th birthday. I went through a lot. Humble site beginnings, enduring a year and half of unemployment, making wonderful friends and growing and learning through the last twelve years at my current job. I’ve learned skills at conventions and at my job that I have translated from one side to the other. I still remember the conversations with Dr. Vern that led me to create the site. It was at the music show Nerdapalooza. Years later, I am not very active with that music scene for a myriad of reason. It was an amazing weekend at the time though and I left that weekend and I just wanted to add a little bit to the geek scene that was around me. I had a hobby I first started with racecars and then moved into cosplay to turn it into my passion today in photography, still my defining art medium. That past and where it has led me to today all holds a special place in my heart. Fifteen years later, I’m still here, doing things my way. My successes are mine and I can hold my head high in what I have accomplished.
That all said, I also look to the future. This day always brings about reflection and renewed hope. That spark always reignites and I feel it more as this day approaches. I am definitely ready to get to more conventions, spend more days in the Disney parks, find cool shops to explore and live my life to its full geeky glory. I also get to share that with a very special woman in my life. It’s been quite amazing the past few months to share life with someone special. We’ve been sharing our hobbies and of course, I’ve been sharing my love of Star Trek with her. The future feels bright, opportunities feel near and all I know is that I am ready for the next year and what it may do for the site and my brand. Here’s to the past fifteen years and to many more ahead.
Live Long And Prosper
Randy Pence
