Geeklings, a very Happy Fourth of July to you all! I hope this day is finding you off of work, with the sun on your face, a cold drink in your hand, burgers and dogs on the grill, and a fresh pile of comics at the ready to be read. That’s right, this Fourth of July just so happens to fall on New Comic Book Day making it the best possible America birthday ever. If you’re sitting there wondering just what comics you should be reading today then I got you covered. All you have to do is click this link right here to head over to Fan Fest News to see my latest Pull List column. Really happy with this piece plus there are a ton of awesome books to be read. Give it a read, will ya?

With today being a holiday and all I’m sure a number of you are wondering, “what’s the best I Am Geek way to celebrate the Fourth of July?” What? There had to be at least three of you who were thinking that. Two and a half? It doesn’t matter. There was someone out there thinking it, could have just been me, and I’m happy to report that I’m here to help you celebrate July Fourth in the geekiest way possible.

So, sit back, grab a sparkler, put on your American flag-themed bathing suit, turn up James Brown’s “Living In America”, and get ready for the I Am Geek way to celebrate the Fourth of July.

1. Independence Day- Yes, this is an obvious choice, but no it doesn’t make it any less awesome. What is more American than watching Will Smith save the planet by kicking alien ass? Oh, that’s right, Jeff Goldblum’s amazing hacking skills. This should be at the top of all your lists.

2. Fireworks- Yep, another classic but who doesn’t love a good fireworks display with their Fourth? If you really want to spice it up why don’t you create a playlist to share with all your friends while you’re watching the sky blow up with color? Pick some real randoms on their and just vibe out for a few.

3. Captain America #1– What better day to start a brand new Captain America series than on the Fourth of July? If you’re looking to get into Captain America comics then this is the issue for you, my friends. A fresh start for new readers. I don’t know if we’ll get Cap punching Hitler in the face but I’m sure we’ll get plenty of those America feels.

4. Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest- Now, this one is only if you can stomach it… pun intended. The Nathan’s Hot Dog contest is an American classic and equally impresses and disgusts its viewers every year. I mean, that’s a lot of hot dogs and eating them doesn’t even look remotely enjoyable. I never once thought of dipping my hot dog in water. Mustard? Sure! Water? Never. Then again, I never really imagined eating seventy-four hot dogs either… well, that’s a lie.

5. Rocky IV– Rocky single handly ends the Cold War… with boxing. The movie is one big montage. This isn’t a tough sell people.

That’s just a few things you can do Geeklings. I left off watching Jaws or any of the Purge movies (including the latest First Purge). I also left off dressing up like Uncle Sam or listening to a number of songs with America in the title (“American Girl”, “Rocking in the USA”, “Coming to America”…). These are just a few suggestions to make sure you get your pop culture fix in on the Fourth. How you choose to celebrate is up to you. In fact, if you’ve got some different pop culture rituals, by all means, feel free to share them in the comments or you can find me on the Twitter @iamgeek32. In the meantime, everyone please have a safe and happy holiday and I’ll see you all back here tomorrow!