- Bavarian Illuminati pin.
- Humpback Whale (ref: Star Trek IV)
- Watchmen Smiley pin (rubberized blood had peeled off.)
- Batman painter's cap!
- Batman button!
- Batman pin!
- Romulan Warbird Insignia pin.
- Klingon Empire Insignia pin.
- Sad eyes. I really didn't like having my picture taken.
- Afraid to smile, because it would show off my fucked up teeth.
- Because the Swatches on both my wrists and one ankle weren't enough, here's one attached to my fucking jacket.
- If you don't remember Zinka, you're lucky. If you do, you may recall these handy little things that ensured your Zinka was never farther away than the band of your watch.
- Boingo concert T-shirt. At least *one* thing here isn't completely humiliating.
- The Hard Rock Cafe! It's were all the cool people go . . . right? I mean, I'm cool because I have this on my denim jacket, right?
- One of these things is not like the other: Felix the Cat.
I was a total dork in the 80s
Just in case there was any doubt lingering about what a fucking geektard I was when I was a teenager, I present this photo, recovered from the garage this weekend.
I have not scanned the back side of this, which declares, "Hey Mon! Be excellent to each other!" and features a badly-drawn attempt to recreate the Batman insignia.
I'm not sure what's worse: that I thought this was cool, or that someone who should have known better let me print this on a postcard to be sent out to just about anyone who sent a letter asking for an autographed picture.
Goddamn was I awkward.
WilWheaton
Comments and faves
Brian Sullivan, gl3n, eclecticlibrarian, Dan Coulter, and 157 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Miss Matilda (56 months ago | reply)
at least you were a cute dork!
icedsoul photography .:teymur madjderey (56 months ago | reply)
hahaha. awesome picture!
I should have a pic somewhat very close to that of myself... hope I'll find it!
good ol' times :-)
Adventurer Josh (56 months ago | reply)
Wow. So you also did the "jean jacket with pins" bit too? Trust me you were not half as dorky as I was. Mine was covered with Marvel Comic buttons and some Batman. You could barely make out that I was wearing a jean jacket.
TedsBlog (56 months ago | reply)
So, uh, how did you feel about Batman during the 80's Wil? ;)
I was going through some old boxes from High School and ran across a few of my Swatches. Neon green and pink on a black background? Really, Ted?
Jamie McKelvie (56 months ago | reply)
I'd mock, but I am pretty certain at the same time I was wearing mismatched neon socks.
davidgano (56 months ago | reply)
Are you SURE you wanna post this picture?
Well, at least you aren't wearing parachute pants, as I was at that time.
--
Seen on my Flickr home page. (?)
davidgano (56 months ago | reply)
...or are you?
superpixel (56 months ago | reply)
We were all part of the same nightmare, it's OK.
nwc_orca (56 months ago | reply)
That's beyond awesome. Got enough to send out extras? LOL
nwc_orca (56 months ago | reply)
Haha! My 3 year old just saw this pic and said "Hey! He has a Batman hat! I guess he likes Batman..." :)
Cat Juggling (56 months ago | reply)
Denim Jacket covered w/ buttons = Pure 80's cool! No really!
I remember mine had a big Levi's 501graphic on the back.
Dragonhide (56 months ago | reply)
Love the nice touch of hanging your swatch off your jacket :)
erikleung (56 months ago | reply)
NICE!
kroo2u (56 months ago | reply)
I think most of us hang our heads in shame when we see photos from the 80's of ourselves. I think that must have been the ubergeek decade. :)
WomanNchns (56 months ago | reply)
yes, BUT! you were in a KICK-ASS movie called "Stand By Me"... that overtakes any type "dork-tum". :)
crystal_secretin (56 months ago | reply)
Aw....widdle wil!
That's adorable.
noromdiam (56 months ago | reply)
Thanks for sharing. Knowing that you were a total nerd in the 80's only makes you cooler in the 00's.
Awen Photography (56 months ago | reply)
Wow! lookin' good kid!
HockeyBrad (56 months ago | reply)
No, you were 80's-cool. So, same thing.
At the time though, this is really quite the shot. Better than most of mine. The fact that you put it on a postcard disturbs me, but hey, I was never an actor. (thankfully?) :)
EOS Boy [deleted] (56 months ago | reply)
Why do you think I don't post pictures of myself from the 70s? I was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy more dorky than you.
Thanks for sharing, though.
Cjb Photography [deleted] (56 months ago | reply)
Nice photo. Yes you did look a real nerd then! LOL
Andy Caster (56 months ago | reply)
Wil...we were all dorks in the '80's...that time in history seemed to make it easier.
Thanks for sharing!
You rule!
bpende (56 months ago | reply)
Yeah, we were all dorks in the 80s. As proof, I post this photo I took with my now wife. I used so much hair gel that I had my coiffe up in wings on the side...
The Spinosaurus (56 months ago | reply)
Had you been wearing a Hypercolor t-shirt, everything would've been fine.
kreg.steppe (56 months ago | reply)
zeema999 (56 months ago | reply)
Dorky deliciousness! Yes, I had the denim jacket with buttons too...but my flare consisted of heavy metal band buttons, primarily Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Stryper and Twisted Sister...woot!
PortugePunk (56 months ago | reply)
whatevs, man. i still wanted to be as cool as you, so you weren't THAT bad!
JasonLiebig (56 months ago | reply)
Had that same Klingon insignia pin, on the same place on my denim jacket back then... though I lacked the Swatches. ;-)
CodyR (56 months ago | reply)
the 80's was a particularly bad decade. few survived.
mrdjjames (56 months ago | reply)
Wil, I saw some dorks the other day at the mall. I was so glad to see there are still dorks. From the impression you get on TV all kids look like Abercrombie models. Thank God for Dorks like us!
mimi~ (56 months ago | reply)
No need to be bitter. You were just like everybody else... making your way through the most awkward years - on TV no less. Only you're brave enough to prove it by showing a photo to the world. Most of us try to just block that stuff out.
Good jorb!
A2 Lebowsky (56 months ago | reply)
It was a hard time for must of us teens. I wish I could get a hold on a picture of my husbands denim jacket, he covered the back with safety pins. What I find more scary is that some of the younger generation is starting to reproduce the looks.... what are they thinking!
Kim+5 (56 months ago | reply)
I think I had a picture like this on my bedroom wall.
ahanson1983 (56 months ago | reply)
Awe! I want to hug this Wil and tell him it's okay!
eyduck (56 months ago | reply)
As I look at all the teenies trying to recreate the 80's look, I kind of fell in love with this t-shirt...
mebrett (56 months ago | reply)
"Party on, Dudes."
I don't think there are many people who don't look back at pictures of themselves in the 1980s and say "What was I thinking?!" They were ... interesting times for fashion.
B_A_Dxxx88 (56 months ago | reply)
I have more recent photos which would put this one to shame.
MookieLuv (56 months ago | reply)
"Be excellent"....what a snapshot of an era! Totally Swatch-tastic. Thanks for sharing.
jwill9311 (56 months ago | reply)
can i still get one of those autographed?
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Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)
amusings (56 months ago | reply)
Wil, honey...
we all did something this specacularly geeky.
and i love you for it, in all your uber geekiness.
Okay, mon?
bonniegrrl (56 months ago | reply)
You were no dork! You were a pre-Hipster! Dang a Swatch!? That's beyond rad!
lemonkey (56 months ago | reply)
Nice pieces of flair :D
xtinaknox [deleted] (56 months ago | reply)
best celebrity ever!
timohmeyer (56 months ago | reply)
Damn, you had a Bavarian Illuminati pin ... there's a 80s-dork in everyone of us.
Pattywack77 (56 months ago | reply)
Aw, I thought it was/is cute.
The Elder Dan (56 months ago | reply)
I, too, had a Bavarian Illuminati pin in the 80s. Also, Watchmen smiley and Boingo shirt. All the other stuff... you're on your own, man.
Cherie Priest (56 months ago | reply)
As my husband put it, "Batman hat, Batman button, Batman pin....not seeing the problem here ...."
Caillean (56 months ago | reply)
For what it's worth, we were all tremendous dorks in the 80s. Also, I had the exact same swatch, and I'm not at all ashamed to admit it.
kc_bkwrm (56 months ago | reply)
OMG! Teen Beat flashbacks from the 80s!!! There were plenty of pics of you in our lockers back then. ::blushes::
Just Say KB (56 months ago | reply)
Fun shot dude.