It’s Never Been Cooler To Be Uncool

Graphic Clément Liu

Since the advent of hipster culture, every 20-year-old with a trust fund and a tank top let the world know that mainstream culture sucks. Add in a dash of Michael Cera and sprinkle of awesome Marvel movies and bam! Nerds suddenly, and somewhat awkwardly, found themselves at the top of the social totem pole—well, sort of.

The point is, today’s nerds aren’t exclusively basement-dwelling agoraphobics with big glasses and bad skin. They could be dedicated gamers making six-figure salaries doing what they love (page 4). Or they could be a cute girl, drawing web comics about Star Wars and Wonder Woman (page 8). They could even be a sick DJ playing to a packed venue using nothing but a hacked GameBoy and a laptop (page 7).

So, the two nerdiest editors at The Link decided it was time to give some of those subcultures a shout-out. Whether you’re one of us—or a total n00b—this issue is for anyone curious about nerd culture and technology in Montreal.

Enjoy, get your geek on and if something really pisses you off, don’t be afraid to get on our website and start a flame war. For those outsiders who still look at us as if we’re some strange new breed of animal, get used to our newfound popularity. It isn’t going away anytime soon. ­