2019’s most-read Nerdvana content

Fantasy roleplaying games. Star Wars. Nintendo classics. Doctor Who.

These are a few of our favorite things. Yours, too, judging from a look at the most popular posts on Nerdvana for 2019.

We’ve been refocusing a bit on these very topics lately, so it comes as no surprise that’s what’s driving our traffic. Although the comic book store owner’s arrest on suspicion of murder kinda came out of nowhere, we’ve covered hard news like this before and will doubtless do so again.

Let’s take a quick look back at the year’s most-read content, starting at the top:

1. Aug. 24: Rick Loomis, influential game designer and publisher, dies – This is a sad one, of course, but I’m glad we were able to draw some attention to the fundraiser for Rick’s family. The Scottsdale man was a true pioneer in tabletop roleplaying and card games and will be missed by many after his 2019 passing.
2. Nov. 14: Mesa comic shop owner charged with murder, aggravated assault – See above. We’re still checking on the status of this case, BTW.
3. Aug. 25: Castlevania screenwriter teases Season 2 Blu-ray, ‘radical’ new approach for Season 3 – The Netflix animated series based on the classic NES game is popular with you discerning guys and gals.
4. July 23: Where is the Star Wars Resistance Blu-ray? – DVD, but no Blu-ray? Disney+ also came along in 2019 to shake things up in this regard.
5. June 23: D&D Essentials Kit an evolution and expansion of 5E Starter Set – not necessarily a replacement – A lot of you were interested in this new 2019 introductory set for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Roll for initiative!
6. Aug. 9: EXCLUSIVE: Big Finish’s Doctor Who Short Trips ‘Decline of the Ancient Mariner’ cover revealed! – Big Finish Productions gave us the scoop on this ’70s-style Doctor Who audio adventure.
7. Aug. 27: Xbox Game Pass: 14-day free trial – There’s still time to snag this deal (and throw a few pennies our way to help fund the site).
8. Jan. 31: Game over: Nintendo Wii Shop Channel closes for good – We covered this one since the long goodbye for Nintendo’s pioneering online service was announced, right up until The End in early 2019.
9. Nov. 7: David Bradley’s First Doctor returns to Skaro in new Doctor Who audio production – The original Doctor is seeing a lot of action these days, with new adventures starring the people who played their actors in a 50th anniversary docu-drama …
10. July 31: The Hunger Games prequel: 5 things we know about the book and movie so far – Readers were hungry for this pitch submission about a new Suzanne Collins book set in the dystopian future world of Panem.

Another always-popular page on our site is our Arizona Convention Calendar & News Page; don’t forget to check out that and our general event calendar, and submit anything that’s missing!

Thanks for your support in another amazing year! With 2019 fading fast, let’s make it a great 2020!

Don’t miss the latest from Nerdvana:

• Images from that mind-bending Doctor Who revealJanuary 27, 2020
  Jodie Whittaker, meet Jo Martin!
• Atari Hotels with video game theme coming to Phoenix, other citiesJanuary 27, 2020
  Atari Hotels are coming, with the first video game-themed project planned for Phoenix, Arizona.
• Critical Role fan art collection coming from Dark HorseJanuary 27, 2020
  The Critical Role fantasy roleplaying game campaign that inspired an upcoming official D&D sourcebook is also getting a compilation of fan art.
• Star Trek: Picard begins to open up the universe beyond The Next GenerationJanuary 26, 2020
  Will Star Trek: Picard be able to navigate the delicate neutral zone between fan service and creating something entirely new? There's a chance.
• Star Wars Resistance final season coming to Disney+ on Feb. 25January 25, 2020
  Disney+ subscribers won't have to wait long to watch the second and final season of Star Wars Resistance.
• Disney+ releases descriptions of first 2 chapters in Clone Wars’ final seasonJanuary 25, 2020
  Star Wars: The Clone Wars' final season is so close, there are now descriptions for the first two episodes.
• Weekly Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales comics start April 2020January 25, 2020
  Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales comic books coming in April 2020.
• Spider-Man: Homecoming scribes, directors of Game Night, now writing D&D movieJanuary 24, 2020
  The new Dungeons & Dragons movie will be written by the team who penned 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming and directed Game Night.
• Space cat Felicette statue unveiled at French universityJanuary 24, 2020
  A bronze Felicette statue memorializing the first feline astronaut now stands at a French university.
• The Gentlemen – Charismatically entertainingJanuary 23, 2020
  If you are a fan of Guy Ritchie’s eccentric brand of British gangster films, then you are going to have a lot of fun with the filmmaker’s latest effort, The Gentlemen.

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