Everyone, welcome back!

This is such a surreal thing for me. Many years ago, a small team of dedicated nerd lovers started an epic quest to create a website designed to bring all of nerdom together under one roof. It was such a fun and amazing experience that brought me not only joy but granted me the outlet I’ve always wanted in order to talk about my nerdy passions in a way I never envisioned before. We discussed everything from retro games, anime/manga, wrestling, tv shows, movies, comic cons, and so much more than we ever considered under the umbrella of nerd culture! It was a place where I felt like I could truly be myself. That place was called 101 Militia Gaming.

Over time, as life continuously became more hectic, it was increasingly more difficult to focus on the website and do what was needed to maintain the positive, nerdy environment that we set out to create. Articles and updates came fewer and far between, and eventually, the passion just completely died altogether. As a result, we were forced to take an extended absence, allowing the website to fade away into the darkest reaches of the internet. It wasn’t easy letting it go, but I knew at the time that it was the right move, and I still stand by that. I can’t imagine doing anything that I can’t put 100% of myself into.

That break wasn’t all about sitting around for me. Me and my wife expanded our family with two more kids, and I was able to use that time to work on my writing career, publishing four books during that time! I’m quite dedicated if you haven’t noticed. I even worked my way up the chain to become a part owner in a local coffee company, which is a huge achievement in my coffee career! However, as time went on, I started feeling like something was missing in my life. I felt like I wasn’t being my authentic self because I simply wasn’t allowing myself to enjoy nerdy things. That’s not how I want to live my life, and that’s not the lesson I want to teach my kids. I want them to see that their dad did what he loved to do and that it is OKAY for them to pursue their passions just as I did. And that has led us here, to the moment I’ve been waiting on for so long.

One day, I just so happened to want to feel a little nostalgia and checked in on the stats for 101 Militia Gaming, and what I discovered frankly shocked me. The old website that we haven’t updated in YEARS was still getting hundreds of reads a week from articles that were 2-3 years old. That lit a fire in me. That was a wake-up call that not only were the articles we wrote still relevant, but there was a dedicated following still around the 101. I started thinking, “Maybe it’s time?” And sure enough, it was. I talked with one of the old founders, and she agreed that it was time to bring it back, but under a new name. Thus, it was born.

Welcome to The Pixel Parlor.

Though it is following in the footsteps of the 101, The Pixel Parlor is going to be something that 101 Militia Gaming just couldn’t be. I don’t want to reveal everything just yet right up front, but there’s a few highlights to list out!

* All inclusive Nerd Culture.
* Video Game and Manga re-selling.
* Crossovers with other nerd culture websites and groups.
* Unique merchandise such as painted mini arcade cabinets and anime inspired merchandise.
* Nerdy inspired coffee stuff.
* Giveaways
* Much, much more!

Now, I don’t know what the future may hold, but I know what I would like it to look like, and The Pixel Parlor is going to be a big part of that. Here’s to many years of good gaming, good community, good anime, and good nerdy culture!

– John

Welcome back, Nerds!

I am absolutely thrilled to be back in the saddle (couch) writing for you! As John said, life has certainly been life-ing these past few years, so it was necessary to take a little-ish hiatus to regroup and bring back our nerdom to be the best version of itself possible! And trust me when I say that this rebrand has opened an entire dimension of exciting ventures in the near future.

From bringing you articles covering a wide scope of interests and discoveries to soon providing gaming tournaments, merchandise, and much more, The Pixel Parlor is being designed to bring you not only a digital save slot, but soon a physical spot.

Thank you so much for riding this journey with us for all these years and being so incredibly patient as we rebuild our beloved little website to bring you the best of the present and future! ♡

– Mandy

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