Capital G

T.K. McNeil

Despite the occasional in-fighting and a few long-standing feuds (Punk versus Metal anyone?), many subcultures have more similarities than differences. Not too surprising considering most came about as a way to find an alternative to the banality and grind of “mainstream” culture. Two groups of travellers whose paths have crossed the most are the tribes of Goth and Geek.

Style

Cosplay is one area in which the twain to do meet. Mainstream characters such as Dr. Strange, John Constantine and Death (as according to Neil Gaiman) and more underground characters such as Eric Draven and Hopey Glass know no real distinction between the Geek and the Goth sets. Also, if one were to stand Romantigoth of the female persuasion along with one of her sisters in the Ren Faire world, aside from color scheme, the overall similarities are rather striking.

Comic Books

Long considered a strong-hold of the Geeky set comic books, in both single-issue and ‘graphic novel’ incarnation (the difference being one of length and binding rather than content) have had Goth-friendly content, if not always a Goth fan base, some titles actually predating the established origins of the Goth scene from the ashes of Original Punk in the late-1970s/early-1980s. The clearest overlap is the original series of The Crow created by James O’Barr. The stark black and white rendering of the series similar to that of Cerebus the Aarvark, the longest-running independent comic book in history with a monthly publishing schedule going from December of 1977 to March of 2004. The Crow is also a contemporary of the series Love and Rockets by Gilbert and Jamie Hernandez. An odd, random little series that was popular with Geeks, Punks and Goths alike, to the point that it gave the name to the band Daniel Ash and David J formed after the initial disintegration of Bauhaus following the departure of Peter Murphy in 1983.

One would also be gravely remiss not to mention that glorious, classic, “comic book for intellectuals” by the honorary Goth and self-confessed Geek Neil Gaiman. One of the best and most expansive stories to be printed in English in the 20^th century and the work that bridges the gap between Goth and Geek better than any since Lord Byron.

Music

While Geek culture was mostly founded as a literary subculture, based largely on the science fiction and fantasy stories of the 1950s, though with blips going back as far as the 1930s, Goth, at least in its current format (I am well aware of Byron and both Shelleys) grew out of a musical movement, tracing its origins back to the Death Rock branch of the Post-Punk tree before striking out on its own. Though even here, in Goth’s largely uncontested territory, there are elements of Geek. One of the earliest overlaps can be found in the English band The Smiths. Generally regarded as “Lonely Boy Music”, a euphemism for the stereotypical Geeky virgin, there are definite similarities in the guitar styles of Johnny Marr and The Cure’s Robert Smith, at times even using nearly identical models of hollow-body electric guitar: Marr a Gibson ES-355 and Smith a Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman and an Epiphone (subsidiary of Gibson) EA-250. There are also lyrical themes that appear in the work of The Smiths that would more than likely resonate in the Goth community. Songs like “Cemetery Gates” and “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable now”. The former of which is fairly heavy on references to the Romantic Poets. Not to mention a general sharing of priorities. While the Goth community has always been generally accepting of homosexuals, The Smiths are responsible for “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”, long considered a gay anthem. The similarities are such that there has actually been a, rather humorous, decades long dispute between Smith and Morrissey about which of them deserves the crown of Melancholy King of the 80s (aside from the fact that The Cure kept releasing albums into the 2000s).

A good deal less ambiguous is the work of Aurelio Voltaire. A fixture of the New York Goth scene since the early-1990s, the author, artist and, most of all, touring musician, likes a good dose of Geek with his Goth. A taste which he clearly demonstrated with his EP Banned on Vulcan and the title of the singles “Human

Nature” about Mr. Spock trying to dear with falling in love from the EP Heart-Shaped Wound and his distinctly sci-fi themed 2012 album Bi-Trektual. Outside of these diversions, even his usual body of work Aurelio Voltaire includes a goodly amount of rather esoteric musical elements mostly known to, shall we say, ‘enthusiasts’ of such. Particularly early-19^th century European cabaret, Bertolt Brecht being a clear spiritual ancestor for tracks such as “The Straight Razor Cabaret” and “The Cat House Tragedy” from the 2011 self-released album Riding A Black Unicorn Down the Side of An Erupting Volcano While Drinking from a Chalice Filled With the Laughter of Small Children. Which sounds like a particularly epic and complex RPG roll.

Role-Playing Games

Another bit of culture once associated with Geekdom going back to the early days of Dungeons and Dragons in 1974, the granddaddy of RPGs upon which all others are based both table-top and live-action, later decades saw the development of more distinctly dark titles such as Vampire the Masquerade and just about everything White Wolf has published, especially the MAGE titles. Both Vampire and MAGE, not to mention MAGIC: The Gathering, being popular with Geeks and Goths alike, many games, campaigns and tournaments being made up of both sets. Truly a triumph of cross-cultural communication and cohesion.