Who Am I?

At the Penny-Arcade Expo two years ago I was interviewed for a film. The problem is they can’t get my name right! Oh the injustice!

My name is Andrew Bub, and I’m the GamerDad. Why do I feel the need to remind you of that? Well, it’s a long story but an entertaining one. The fact is I’m going to be in a documentary film! A cool little grassroots production that (finally) brings Hip-Hop, the Penny-Arcade Expo, Nerds, and me, Andrew Bub of GamerDad.com, together. And you thought dads weren’t “cool.” See? I’m down. I’m fly. I dig me some of that hippity-hop!

Some of you might remember that I had the honor of visiting, working, and participating in what’s now become America’s largest videogame convention (now that E3 has been shrunk). I’m talking of course about the Penny-Arcade Expo. Sprung fully formed from the brains of two of gaming’s wilder and more fearless pundits, and organized around the core audience of the popular comic strip Penny-Arcade (highly recommended for adults, but not very kid safe) they created, PAX. It is something to behold. It began small, and 2006 marked its third year where it swelled to roughly 19,000 people. In 2007 it moves to the Seattle Convention Center and will very likely break last year’s record.

Anyway, on to the point: At PAX I met the crew of Vaguely Qualified Productions. They’re making a documentary, called “Nerdcore Rising” about gaming hip-hop pioneer MC Frontalot. Yeah, videogame rap – what will the kids come up with next? Here’s a teaser that gives you a good idea of what PAX is all about and … hey! It features me! Look for me at the 4:00 mark. Or just watch the whole thing. It’s very good, it tells you a lot about PAX, and it features a lot of cute nerds. Or as I call them: “future GamerParents.”

Did you see me? Yeah, it’s brief, but it’s nice to be included. The problem is… I’m not Brian Johnson. Seems these ladies looked me up on Google at exactly the wrong moment. The moment when Microsoft’s X-Box.com challenged my GamerDad Trademark with a column called “GamerDad” penned by a writer named, you guessed it, Brian Johnson. Microsoft blinked during that squabble, and Brian now writes a column called XBox Dad.

But now, once again, Brian is being associated with my Mark (only this time he’s unaware and blameless – I still wonder why he never contacted me over that other thing. Integrity – it’s hard to come by).

So there’s my pretty face, there’s my website name, and there’s the words: Brian and Johnson. So I contacted them. Turns out it was an innocent mistake and no ill-will was intended. The girls were very embarrassed. They promised to correct it, especially in the final film, and I was mollified. Weeks passed and I got a note from Negin saying they’ve posted a corrections video and, as a bonus, they used a bit more footage of me. Specifically me talking about GamerDad! Yay, everyone wins, right? Here’s the correction video (I’m at the 2:24 mark).

Hey they got it right! Then again, maybe not…. While Bubb is a more common spelling, I take great pride in being the most famous Bub on the Internet (try it on Google) aside from maybe, just maybe, Bub the Zombie from Romero’s Day of the Dead.

Hey, they are called “Vaguely Qualified Productions” aren’t they? And this is partially my fault. Do you think I’ll ever run out of Business Cards at a convention again? No, no I won’t. Good luck with your movie ladies! Let me know when it’s finished and I’ll give you some more free press.

Yeah, I’d be your friend.
Assuming you get my name right, that is.

-Andrew S. Bub
GamerDad

PS: The movie is out! I’ll have to check it out. More on this later!

Tags: GamerDad 101