New Nerd Talk!!! Nerd Talk is where some of the Nerds here at SWN (with special guest this week, Chris 51 from Area 51 Tattoo shop and A&E’s Epic Ink (FB page HERE) and JLO from School of Comics) answer questions from you, the fans, about Nerd culture … this week we talk about our favorite vehicles from a show and/or movie. Also check out our last Nerd Talk HERE where we talk about what movie scared us so bad we still have nightmares. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE, we have some video Nerd Talks up right now and we will continue to do our video toy reviews here in the future. Thanks for reading and if you got a question to ask the Nerds you can email us at Snarfkris@somewhatnerdy.com and make sure to comment with your own answers in the comment section below or on the FB page HERE. First up we will start with our special guests!!!
Chris 51
After pondering this for some time I came to the realization that this is a very difficult question, and one that cannot simply be solved with a singular answer. That would be unfair to the geek in me, and a proverbial bitch-slap in the face to geeks everywhere. So, I have separated my answer in to two distinct parameters.
For a gasoline-powered vehicle, the obvious best choice ever is the time-traveling Delorian. Although it is mainly powered by plutonium and the flux capacitor, it still requires good old gas to go. Is it wrong that the main reason I want to travel back in time would be to hit the toy racks In the late 1970’s and 1980’s and fit as many Star Wars, GI Joe, He-Man and football card packs I could into the vehicle? But, and I do mean a big BUT, for pure coolness factor and everyday logical drivability, I would want the A-Team van. Nothing oozes cool and bad-assery like sliding open that side door, swiveling in your bucket captain seat and leaping out to save the day….or buy chocolate milk on your way home from work!
For a futuristic space-powered vehicle, I am picking the Romulan Warbird. Allow me to explain before you burst in to a wtf moment. My initial reaction was the Millennium Falcon, but upon further daydreaming I realized that it is kind of a hunk of junk; always breaking down and not making that initial jump to hyperspace when most needed. The smuggling compartments are a bonus, but it is also big and clumsy. Then I thought U.S. Enterprise D. But immediately my loyalty to the federation was dismantled by the thought of cloaking technology available on the Klingon Bird of Prey. Then my comfort came in to question and realized that life on those cold metal bunks in Klingon quarters just wouldn’t do. That brings us to the Romulan Warbird. It has all the amenities of the Enterprise but also has cloaking technology, best of both worlds. Comfortable beds, carpeted hallways, superior fire power, stealth attacking capabilities, probably some good restaurants and intelligent activities, and much less machoness and drama than on a Klingon vessel. If a crew was included in the vehicle decision I definitely have to go with Serenity. Having two of the hottest females on board supersedes any problem with the ship’s capabilities. You have Kaylee, The cutest (and probably horniest) mechanic in space, and Inara, who is just hot as all hell and guaranteed puts-out. Then honorable leadership in Captain Reynolds, immeasurable protection with Jane and you could play dinosaurs with Wash. So I guess my final answer is the Romulan Warbird with the Firefly crew.
Now that you have read my long-winded answer you probably regret asking me in the first place hahaha. But, anyone true to the geek religion would debate a single answer and nerdfully (and skillfully) categorize their responses based on logic, technology and coolness factors, and that just can’t be done with a single vehicle selection.
JLO
So the guys at SWN hit me up to pick my favorite comic book/pop culture ride. This is by no means an easy task. As any learned nerd knows……..there are many many many strong contenders for what could qualify as ones most favorite ride. But! For the sake of argument and to put to rest any other would be competition I submit to you……..
…….Captain Americas Super Duper All American Badassery Modified Motorcycle of Awesomeness for your consideration.
Its functions include:
A round windshield made of “Jet-Age plastics”…….aka…..his SHIELD son! Pow! His windshield is HIS SHIELD! Epic win! But wait! There is more!!!!!
A rocket thrust for that super cool smokey fast start out of his van!
A jet boost for increased speed!
A setting to allow the bike to be ridden in stealth mode! It’s soooo quiet for beating up villains!
AND!!!!! It has a hang glider structure to allow our rider/hero to vanquish his enemies from above!
Or escape tricky situations!
So…….Unless you support communism, I think we can all agree that short of being Mal and owning the Serenity :D
This is about as good as it gets to the ultimate comic book/ pop culture ride!
Derf
When we were asked what was our favorite vehicle from a movie or TV show, it was no contest in my eyes. I have always been a fan of the Speeder Bike. ever since I was a child and saw Return of the Jedi for the first time, I have been hooked on the Speeder Bike. i mean, my obsession is so bad, that every time there is a new Speeder Bike or Biker Scout toy on the market, I have to get it. I am even a fan of the modifications you can find in the games or the prequels. True, the Speeder Bike from the Return of the Jedi is my favorite, I will not turn down any Speeder Bike.
Imagine a world where Speeder Bikes are possible. How cool would that be? A fast vehicle that doesn’t need a paved road and could be stored almost anywhere. If I owned a real speeder, I can guarantee you I would ride it every day. My helmet would be that of an Imperial Scout, and my colors would be that of the 501st. Man, that would be awesome. I know my response is not as wordy as some of my fellow NERDs, but maybe that is due to the simple fact that there is nothing you can say to get me to change my mind. I think favorite vehicle and a Speeder pops in immediately.
Billiam
I’ve been looking forward to this Nerd Talk topic ever since it was first suggested. I knew what my favorite vehicle was going to be right away. I didn’t even have to think twice. I ask my friends this question just to hear what they would say and I never got an answer. The most I got was my friend Glenn saying “wow, that’s a tough one.” Maybe it’s because I was an 80’s kid and we had more awesome vehicles than 90’s kids did. But whatever the reason the answer came to me just as quickly as if someone asked me what 2+2 was. From January 22nd 1984 until the final episode aired on March 29th 1986 there was a TV show about a supersonic battle helicopter named Airworlf.
Come on! Look at that! What’s not to love? Airwolf, like I said above, is a supersonic stealth helicopter with a missile launcher and two machine guns and it blew up the bad guys every week for the better part of 3 years! If a show like this was made now I’d probably hate it because it was the same thing every week, just like NCIS or CSI. However I liked this show before I was a story snob and honestly I watched the show to see an awesome helicopter. Each episode was the same. Airwolf flew around, there was some bad guy that couldn’t be defeated right away until the very end when Stringfellow Hawk (yes, you read that right) was able to pilot Airwolf into an advantageous position where he could get a lock and fire missiles and thus blowing up the enemy.
Nothing captured my youthful imagination more than Airwolf and I have fond memories of my parents recording Each episode so I could pop the tape in and watch it any time. I still have the tapes in my closet even though they’re probably not good anymore. I just can’t bring myself to get rid of them. Maybe someday soon I’ll dust off my VCR and see if the tapes still hold the old grainy episodes of my favorite childhood show.
Critter
Sometimes, a vehicle is just as memorable as the character that drives it. Would Batman really be as cool if he was driving a Geo Metro? Probably not. So yes, the vehicle is important and that vehicle for me is Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters.
Ghostbusters was my favorite movie growing up and still is to this day, so it only makes sense that the super awesome 59’ Cadi ambulance/hearse is also my dream car. So I’m 30 years old now and I have the means to buy a new car, and access to ways to get money and land myself in crippling debt to buy a car that is clearly out of my price range. But even still, I just want that old car with the red fins and all that random ghost catching crap on top. Not that buying that old Cadillac would be cheap and restoring it to a functioning car may be just as expensive as buying a new BMW or some other lame expensive car that isn’t used in catching ghosts, but who cares, it’s the freaking Ecto-1! The beauty about having it is not only satisfying a life long dream of owning this iconic car, but I can probably make money by charging people for making appearances at events with it, just as long as they weren’t actually expecting He-Man. Or I can even do selfless things like raising money for charities with it. Not to mention, my nerd side (which is a pretty big side) would be just so happy to have it.
So may Gozer help me if I ever get the balls to go into major financial debt to buy that car and turn it into Ecto-1.
D-Day
Favorite vehicle??? Hmmmmm that is tough because there are just so many choices! This means looking at all the many different universes, galaxies, tv shows, movies, etc. and picking just one! Nope I’m a rebel and I’m going to (unfortunately) narrow it down to three from three different categories which are tv, movie, and comics.
First would be from the comics and for me that is Ghost Rider’s Motorcycle. Why? Well, basically because it’s badass and the ultimate iron horse with fire!!!! I don’t have to list all kinds of reasons or stats. I mean who wouldn’t want a motor cycle like that?!?!?! It would be awesome!
Second would be a vehicle from a tv show. This is a bit tougher choice because it is difficult to narrow things down to one (I mean who wouldn’t love to have a Tardis??), but I’m feeling nostalgic and so my choice is gonna go back a ways. Therefore, I pick the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard. Yes, it’s American Muscle at its finest, with a recognizable paint job, running from the cops and jumping stuff to get away! This awesome 69 Dodge Charger is from a show that I grew up watching and almost anyone who is a fan has tried a hood slide at least once in their life or maybe dreamed of making that impossible jump over some cop cars! I know this isn’t some sort of cool fantasy vehicle like a space ship or something, but get behind the wheel of the General and you are guaranteed an adventure that you’ll always survive! Hammer down the gas pedal, run from the sheriff (without the worry of tickets), jump stuff, and like the song says, “Straightnin’ the curves, Flatnin the hills”
For my third choice, I’ll reach out there a bit and pick something that’s not a car (aka Delorean from Back to the Future) or some other type of modern-day vehicle. Gahhh, again how am I supposed to pick just one? Well, I guess I’ll pick from one the most loved galaxies and choose a Star Wars vehicle from far, far away! (See what I did there haha) I choose the X-wing Fighter! This sucker is just awesome! It is defiantly a great choice with its multiple engine design (speed), hyper drive (light speed), s foil capability, torpedo launcher, robot copilot, and the ability to destroy a Death Star! They can go anywhere and take on anything (kind of the General Lee of space) it’s a great multi role fighter with awesome capabilities. I could list so many facts or whatever, but it comes down to the fact that X-wings look mean / cool and it’s just one of those ships that are made to be awesome!
Snarfkris
Really there is only one answer and everybody in the Nerd crew got it wrong … everybody!
The Millennium Falcon is the be all, end all spaceship/vehicle in all Nerdom. What kid or full-blown adult didn’t wish they were sitting next to Chewy and Han flying thru the asteroid field? What human didn’t wish they had the flight controls in their hands as you lead a suicide run on the Death Star? There is a reason we call shotgun in a car “Chewy” because we all wish we could sit in the Falcon with Han. It’s not called “Number One” or “Egon” or “Wash” … its called “Chewy.” Its not a hunk of junk, it has it where it counts! ;)
Ben
Clear the way fellow nerds, we’re riding through. This wasn’t hard to answer for me at all, I had mine as soon as I heard the question. First though let’s think about what makes a good Nerdy and fictional mode of transportation. Of course there is style, it’s gotta look like a badass. Secondly, and almost equally important, is firepower. It also has to BE a badass. Lastly, and most important, is how many bathrooms it has. This is why I have chosen the most deadly military machine to date as my best Nerd vehicle ever, the EM-50 Urban Assault vehicle. This badboy not only includes all the space-age amenities of a 1973 GMC Motorhome it also has the artillery needed to score hot MPs while crashing through the border of a militant dictatorship with ease. Prototyped by the US military and field tested by Bill Murray and Harold Ramis the EM-50 is the pinnacle of recreational warfare. The Urban Assault vehicle, or UA as Colin Powell calls it, is fully loaded with retractable machine guns, communications array, rockets and of course 8 track player. When waging war or just taking your kids to Wally World the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle is the only way to travel.
Raz
The Horror guy went for a vehicle from a Horror film, you can’t be shocked. I’ll be the first to admit that I know nothing about cars, I haven’t even got a driving licence! But films and tv shows are filled with iconic and amazing vehicles such as the Batmobile, The Black Beauty, The DeLorean, Ghostbusters Car and so many more. Now as little as I know about cars this was still a hard choice, I forgot how man vehicles I’ve loved throughout the years, such as the ones I mentioned. Since I was a child I wanted a Batmobile and also the Jurassic Park 4×4 but in the end I had to go for “Christine”.
Upon reading about it I’ve found out it’s a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere, not the usual type of cars we see here in the UK and I think that’s what part of it appeals to me is, it’s different and looks very comfortable. Plus it wouldn’t matter that I can’t drive, I could hop in, put on some music, relax and let ‘Christine’ drive for me. Of-course it would have it’s drawbacks like I’d go insane and never be able to have a relationship ever again………
