Eight Nerdy Things to Do This January in Metro Phoenix

Want to start off 2023 in the geekiest way possible? You can do so by attending a release party for a new locally produced graphic novel, solving mysteries at a museum, watching indie films, or guessing how Valley magicians pull off their tricks.

This month will also feature a blockbuster local wrestling event, a visit by the ufologists of the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens show, and the official kickoff to con season.

Read on and get ready to geek out.

Mystery in the Museum: The Gateway Enigma

So you’ve bested Baba Is You, conquered every escape room in town, and can solve Wordle in two guesses or less. Sounds like you’re the sort of brainiac that Mystery in the Museum: The Gateway Enigma is geared towards. Head over to Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 East Second Street, a 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 13, and put your puzzle-solving skills to good use investigating a mysterious portal that’s popped up inside and caused the curator to vanish. Bring along friends and fellow puzzle geeks to follow clues and unravel its secrets (we’re guessing neither GLaDOS nor Rick Sanchez are involved). Tickets are $25 per person or $45 for two.

Superhero Saturday

Besides a preference for spandex and secret identities, many superheroes are big into lending a helping hand to their city. True to form, famous caped crusaders (or their cosplay equivalents, at least) will be in attendance at Superhero Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 14, at 2200 North Central Avenue. The charity event put on by the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association benefits the Childhelp Children’s Center of Phoenix and will include appearances by numerous costumed do-gooders, as well as The Wonder Years actor Jason Hervey, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Dennis Gardeck, and comic book artists like Jim Cheung (Marvel’s Young Avengers) and Jim Krueger (DC’s Justice). It’s free to attend but a $15 VIP ticket will get you five entries into a prize raffle, preferred parking, and first crack at meeting guests. Visit the Superhero Saturday website for more info.

United Wrestling Network’s Red Carpet Rumble

Attention wrestling geeks of the Valley: Can’t afford a trip to Texas to attend the WWE’s annual Royal Rumble later this month? No sweat. The United Wrestling Network will offer the next best thing when it stages its Red Carpet Rumble pay-per-view on Saturday, January 14, at Bell Bank Park, 1 Legacy Drive in Mesa. Joey Janela, Colt Cabana, Peter Avalon, and other famed independent wrestlers from across the U.S. will compete in eight different matches, including a 30-participant over-the-top battle royal. All Elite Wrestling star Eddie Kingston will also battle Danny Limelight in a bout for the UWN World Championship. Bell time is 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $15.

Chandler International Film Festival 2023

Good news for movie buffs: this year’s Chandler International Film Festival will take place over nine days, which means more opportunities to attend any of its numerous events and screenings. More than 120 films (including documentaries, indie flicks, and shorts) will be shown during the festival, which runs from Saturday, January 21, to Sunday, January 29, at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas, 1 West Chandler Boulevard. This year’s festival will also celebrate 110 years of cinema in India with films like 2021’s Last Film Show being featured. There will also be filmmaking and industry workshops, celebrity appearances, meet and greets, Q&A sessions, and parties. Tickets are $15 per screening or $220 for an all-access pass. The complete schedule is available here.

Ryan Beyer Experience Tour: A Night of Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem

You don’t have to believe in magic to enjoy the sleights-of-hand being performed during this show on Sunday, January 22, at Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 West Rio Salado Parkway. Emceed by magician and entertainer Ryan Beyer, prestidigitators from around Arizona will attempt to amaze and enthrall with their trickery, including mentalist Dave Johnson, comedian John Fitzsimmons, close-up magician Gabe Limm, and Tucson’s aptly named Valerie Spell. Just don’t expect to see any rabbits being pulled out of hats, though. The abracadabra artistry starts at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $25 to $45 and VIP tickets are $60.

Ancient Aliens Live: Project Earth

The History Channel series Ancient Aliens may never prove definitively that otherworldly astronauts visited Earth eons ago, but (much like its internet-famous ufologist Giorgio A. Tsoukalos and his gravity-defying hair) it’s always an entertaining watch. We’re expecting the program’s touring live show, which comes to the Orpheum Theatre, 203 West Adams Street, on Wednesday, January 25, and Thursday, January 26, to be much the same. The 90-minute-long experience will involve Tsoukalos, author David Childress, mythologist William Henry, scientist Travis S. Taylor, and UFO investigator Nick Pope discussing little green men and various out-of-this-world subject matter. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. each night and tickets are $47 to $67.

Dog Years Release Party

As Art Spiegelman’s critically acclaimed Maus proved more than three decades ago, graphic novels can be used as allegorical illustrations (no pun intended) of society’s ills. With this in mind, local writer Jeff Kronenfeld and artist Russ Kazmierczak Jr. created Dog Years, a 32-page graphic novel that explores the U.S. prison system, casting anthropomorphic dogs as inmates “to symbolize their dehumanization by the criminal justice system.” The two will celebrate the release of Dog Years at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, at Changing Hands Bookstore, 300 West Camelback Road. It’s free to attend and Kazmierczak will create “canine convict portraits” of anyone who purchases copies of the graphic novel, which are $10 each.

Tempe FanCon

Tempe FanCon ain’t the biggest geek gathering in the Valley (as it lasts a mere six hours), but what it lacks in size, the annual extravaganza outside the Tempe Public Library, 3500 South Rural Road, makes up for with its enthusiasm and intent. Aimed at celebrating comic books as a tool for fostering literacy and how libraries serve as gateways to geekdom, the event also salutes pop culture, video games, cosplay, and similar subject matter. As such, there are readings by authors and storytime sessions in addition to vendors, artist appearances, and cosplay contests for both humans and pets. This year’s con runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 28. Admission is free.