The Guild: Graphic Novel – Reflection
As a prequel to the award-winning web series, I believe it did it great justice. There was plenty of story to go around, and a lot of Codex’s origins had been revealed. I was very pleased with the story, and could easily picture the actors reciting the lines from the strips. Day did a wonderful job in terms of integrating the graphic novel with the web series. I ABSOLUTELY recommend this read to anyone that wants to understand why people play video games, those that question faithfulness in relationships, and especially those that study social interaction among humans. Whether or not it is surveyed and accurately researched, it is in my belief that this was a well-created reflection of real-life experiences.
That being said, I was nearly on the verge of tears after reading Felicia Day’s “The Guild”.
I honestly felt connected to a greater entity – something I’m known to have a hard time with. I realized that despite all the obstacles I’ve had laid out in front of me, from relationships, to bursts of internal conflict, I was not alone. Felicia Day helped me accept that, simply by writing a somewhat parallel graphic novel about it.
There were times when I nodded in agreement to the context that Day had laid out. Other times, I had no choice but to vocalize the word “YES!” as my eyes lit up and I recalled past experiences in my life that reflected that of the story. I felt understood. The development of Cyd was driven at a wonderful pace, and the twists and turns of her life were not so unrealistic. Well, being a pyromaniac was probably a more internally-centered reflection, but other than that, the build-up of confidence she mustered was driven by very real obstacles. It really went to show that online interaction with people has its definite pluses. I know from personal experiences, that my own interactions with the online gaming community has honestly saved my life.
If it were not for those people that I have met, and maintained relations with, I would not be where I am today, and possibly for that matter, alive. They have gotten me through many hard times, not only as an escape, but a reminder that I was never alone. In reading “The Guild”, I was strongly reminded of that.
Despite the fact that I may be ridiculed and shunned for expressing my geeky interests, I know for a fact that there are others out there like me. Others that feel somewhat neglected, and too different than the rest of the world. They may be living wonderful lives, or they may be grasping for life itself, but regardless, remember that you are not alone. Jump online and say “Hi” to your guildies, jump on a forum and watch a season of “The Guild”, or have a chat around a table and lose yourselves as you roll some dice to open a door. Do whatever it is that makes you happy to be who you are, because life will always throw lemons at you, and you don’t have enough cooking skill to make lemonade… but you can juggle pretty damn well.
“I feel so much shame,
I get dissed for saying that I game.
No one understands,
Why I’m living in a fantasy land.”
- Felicia Day in “Game On”, (Now on iTunes! 
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So, thank you, Felicia Day, for expressing this outlet, and making known its powers to the public. Thank you for reminding me that I’m part of something bigger than myself – one of our basic human necessities. And thank you, to my guildies of the past. Without you, I honestly may not even be writing this. You guys have done so much for me, and you may not even notice. I hope our Facebook interactions can be more lively.
