By T.W. Worn — Seasons Greeting and readings, everyone! The air has gone cold. Massacred trees fill the houses adorned with totems of emotional and metaphysical value. Candles are being lit, people are filling their glasses with thick, spicy milk, and a fat demigod is breaking and entering into strangers houses, leaving lavish gifts. Or, if you are lucky, fuel to keep your house warm as the universe tears apart and rebuilds itself. All the holiday festivities we have grown to love and appreciate are once again making their rounds, signaling the end of the year. An arbitrary measurement of an inconceivable passing of time. Our lives slowly drip away back into the abyss. When this "End of the Year" occurs, people tend to compile lists of their favorite things from the last 31536000 seconds. More often than not, those lists tend to be a compilation of a specific medium. Movies, Music, Television Shows, Books, Comic Books (like ours here,) but I am a human of many tastes. I can't just name my top ten books or movies of the year because I am lucky if I enjoy more than one or two examples of any specific medium! So instead, I am going to list off my "Top Ten Things (That Are Not Comics But Still Tangential To Nerd Culture) That I Really Enjoyed In No Particular Order."

Number One: Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House Of Fun

While some readers may be familiar with the Australia-based comedy group, many people will be getting their introduction to Aunty Donna through their new Netflix show Aunty Donna's Big Ol House of Fun. Blending absurdism and other forms of alternative comedy, Aunty Donna knocks it out of the park with fantastic sketches never overstaying their welcome. My favorite sketch, in which the boys are trying to figure out what to have for a midnight snack, swifty shifts from awkward to sinister, and then back to awkward. Like a manic Stella, or a more obtuse Mr. Show, the wacky premises and punchlines brought more than enough laughs to such a difficult year.. Every episode is a treat, and I would recommend any fan of comedy to give it a gander. You can find it on Netflix.

Number Two: Visions of Bodies Being Burned by Clipping

While there were many fantastic albums that dropped this year, my favorite was easily the horror inspired album by the hip hop trio Clipping. While many people would consider the group to be a blend of avant-garde, noise, experimental, and hip hop, the group still makes a name for themselves in the rap scene. Like any other piece of horror media, V.O.B.B.B. is fantastic at building tension. On top of this, the album makes fantastic throwbacks to the histories of both rap and horror cinema. The song '96 Neve Campbell, in which the group pays respect to one of the most important Scream Queens (no pun intended) of the last 30 years, is easily one of my favorite tracks off of the album. If you want to spook yourself to bring in the new year, or just want to explore artists you have never heard before, Visions of Bodies Being Burned by Clipping should be added to everyone's playlists. You can find it on most music streaming services.

Number Three: The Wizard and The Bruiser Podcast

Every subculture has a podcast. This is a fact we need to come to terms with. 40k has Lorehammer. Organ players have Hot Pipes. Dungeons and Dragons has so many podcasts, you could fill a compendium with titles and it would sit on your shelf like every other module or adventure you bought but your party refuses to play. But what if you just want a grab bag of nerd culture niblets to snack on while you drive to work? Enter the comedy writer and Wizard Jake Young and his Twitch-streaming, lizardman Bruiser Holden McNeely. The two fit incredibly deep dives into nerd history into hour long episodes (some tend to run a bit longer or split into 2 episodes,) bringing you fun facts and personal stories with their subject matter. Adult Swim, Sonic the Hedgehog, Alan Moore, and Twin Peaks are just a few of the things they have dedicated episodes to, showing that every nerd can find an episode to listen to regardless of their nerdy subculture or taste. What makes them stand apart from other podcasts is how they are willing to draw attention to the darker aspects of a piece, a perfect example being their Ren & Stimpy episode. Not only do they do a fantastic job discussing the show, they also explain the issues and allegations against John Kay with the seriousness it needs. While the show has been out for a couple of years now, they have definitely hit their stride within the last year and I look forward to seeing where they go. You can find their podcast on Spotify.

Number Four: Devolution by Max Brooks

Max Brooks is famous for giving us one of the freshest takes on zombies since 28 Days Later with his book World War Z, and this year he knocked it out of the park again with his book Devolution. But this time, he takes a whack at my friend and favorite cryptid: sasquatch. Clever, engaging, and suspenseful, Devolution is easily one of the most exciting books to come out in a while. I was immediately sucked in, finishing the book in a single day. Normally, I treat reading like a good wine; cracking it out around Christmas to make my friends think I have more class than I actually do. But Brooks was able to keep me on the edge of my seat the entire read. If you enjoy cryptids, survival-horror, or witty satire, I would encourage you to give this book a read. I would also encourage you to check out the audiobook edition performed by Judy Greer and additional cast if you want more of a radio drama experience. You can find this at your local or an online bookstore.

Number Five: Self-Surgery by Mrs. Piss

Mrs. Piss, composed of Jess Gowrie and Chelsea Wolfe, gave the world their debut studio album Self-Surgery, one of the hardest and most unique metal albums I have heard this year. Unlike much of Wolfe's solo works, this album blasts out of the gate on the first track and takes no pit stops until its end. Sitting just under 20 minutes, Self-Surgery is beautiful but quick, but as are most things I love. Dark, moody, and sharp, a fan of either Wolfe or Gowrie will be more than surprised to see what type of music the two of them make together. I would encourage all of my metal heads to check it out as soon as they can. You can find it on many streaming services.

Number Six: How To With John Wilson

A documentary series unlike anything I have seen before, How To With John Wilson is a bizarre combination of Nathan For You and Man With A Movie Camera. I finished this show in a single sitting, and could not break away because of how enthralled I was. In three hours, I laughed, cried, and reflected on the world around me. This show is nothing less than a masterpiece, and refuses to spoil anything about the show. Please, everyone, watch this show so we can get a second season. You can stream it on HBO Max.

Number Seven: The Sandman Audio Adaptation

Of all of the superhero comic book adaptations to come out in the last few years, The Sandman Audio Adaptation easily takes the cake. I absolutely love Neil Gaiman's work, and The Sandman is known for being one of the major players in the 80s/90s adult-oriented pivot of hero comics. I was worried that a lot would be lost in translation, but Gaiman's narration more than makes up for it in the adaptation. The episode with John Dee, Doctor Destiny, using the dream ruby to cause havoc in a diner is even more sinister than its comic book counterpart! Everything about this show is fantastic. The voice cast are phenomenal, incorporating the likes of James McAvoy, Kat Dennings, and Toronto Egerton. I would easily put this show on part with the Doctor Who radio drama. You can find it on Audible.

Number Eight: Jack Stauber's OPAL

For those of you who do not know who Jack Stauber is, you probably know some of his work. Especially if you spend any time on tiktok or Reddit. Musician, artist, animator, and overall weird Stauber returned to Adult Swim with another Rock Opera. But unlike his other quirky romps, OPAL has a uniquely sinister quality to it. Every aspect of this short film made my eyes quiver in disgust and intrigue. It took me minutes to reflect on what I had just seen. This is another thing I would hate to spoil. You can watch it here (https://youtu.be/-1pVLJl_snc) for free.

Number Nine: Number Nine

Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine.

Number Ten: King In Black.

That comic is rad as hell, I did a review of it here if you are curious. It is awesome. Listen to some SLEEP or Sunn0))) when you read it.

Now before I end transmission, I do have an honorable mention, but I just want to say how thankful I am for the team here at Comics Bookcase. Working with everyone here is fantastic, and it is a wonderful time exploring their tastes in comics. I also want to thank you readers. It has been a tough year, but with all of the self-isolation comes time to enjoy art, and hopefully this list points you in some fun directions. As much as I love comics, I also love turning people onto works of art that really speak to me. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and that next year at least brings you one positive thing to keep you going. Now I unfortunately need to go. Santa has breached the hull of my deep sea utility vehicle, and I owe Baby New Year a lot of money. Good night, everyone.

Honorable Mention: The Travis Scott Meal

I didn't eat it, nor do I listen to Travis Scott's music, but this was such a weird cross promotion I just have to appreciate it. I mean, a hamburger collaboration? A Burger Colab. Think about it, how insane is that? Fast Food x Hip Hop? I. I can't wrap my head around it. The more I think about it the less sense it makes. It feels almost Lynchian. Or a scene in a really dry satire. It's like mundane cyberpunk. It's a bizarre, Lovecraftian concept words can't describe. It's the next level up from the Denny's tumblr page. I can't tell if it was a tone deaf concept, or the next level of marketing. It's an abstract shape I have never seen before. Like trying to describe a color by tasting it. It exists but every part of my inner caveman brain says it shouldn't exist. But it does. It was real. It happened. The doors are open. Who knows what unspeakable shape will spill through next.