David Willis is a huge dork. He’s not the sort of dork you try to avoid with impunity because every conversation will include Battlestar Galactica references. Those are the dorks for whom I advocate a “pro-wedgie” policy. I’ve never met the guy, but judging from the tone of his blog Willis seems more mellow and reasonable … a stealth dork if you will. Or, more accurately, an “adorable dork.”
He is, however, the sort of guy who seems to possess a frightfully encyclopedic knowledge of nostalgic ’80s toys — and this accrues him a couple of new titles. He is the King Dork of Action Figures. In the post-Sandler era, he is known as a “man-child.” A huge, unrepentant Man-Child … capital M, capital C, and everything in bold.
What worries me most, though, is that I’m just like him.
Let’s take a look at the parallels. Willis is infatuated with Transformers and G.I. Joes and cheerfully posts about them on his blog. At my blog (Rooktopia), I have Arcee and Ratchet on the banner, and I post my own Transformers reviews. Willis frequents the Comics Curmudgeon and even donated a “Finger Quotin’” Margo T-shirt design. I also love to read that blog, and I even contributed a far less significant accomplishment when my own “Milford Matrix” YouTube posted. Willis probably spends too much time arguing on internet message boards, blogging, and updating Wikipedia. Son of a gun, me too.
The evidence points out that a) all dorks, while feeling like outcasts with a unique hobby and thus championing individualism, gravitate toward the same obsessions just like everyone else, or b) David Willis is my twin brother.
Then of course, there’s c): I actually am David Willis, and when I take of my mask I sort of forget my alternate personality like Edward Norton in “Fight Club.” This seems rather unlikely … but it does explain why, sometimes, there’s a new Transformer inexplicably occupying my bookshelves when I wake up.
It also explains why David Willis’ webcomic seems specifically catered for me. Today’s Webcomic Overlook reviews the dramatic saga of a group of toy store employees: Shortpacked! Willis also does a smaller Shortpacked strip for the Toy News International site. I’ve heard good things about this strip. To keep this review simple, though, I’m limiting this review to the one on Willis’ main site.
