What Is “Geeks With Issues?”

“Geeks With Issues” was born in 2003 as a college radio program at Westfield State University’s 89.5 WSKB-FM. Co-founded by Matthew “Tuck” Tucker, the program’s origins were as an actual play of a custom role-playing game, but the periods of chatter about pop culture began to dominate the show. Deciding these discussions were a feature instead of a bug, the show was rebranded, and the panel reformed into a team of four. The program was passed down from student to student over a decade and became one of the longest consecutively running student shows on the station.

When Tuck left WSU and started work at Pittsfield Community Television, the itch to recreate Geeks With Issues began. Working with a team of friends, GwI was reborn as a community television program. The program, which was one of the first pop culture discussion shows available on the internet, lasted for five years before the pressures of starting young families made it impossible to also manage a bi-weekly television program. During that time, the Geeks attended New York Comic Con several times, hosted a wide array of guests, and completed three successful “Battle Against Dysentery” Oregon Trail fundraisers to get presents for kids for Christmas.

Now that many of the Geeks’ families are a little older, the Basement Of Dreams beacons. Joined by Combat Geek Trevor Flagg, and Bandleader Geek Tony Lee Thomas, the story of the Geeks With Issues continues!