Spawn Banned by Geeks In Central Fla.

    ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Vulcans, Gryffindors, wizards and hobbits are just a few of the characters that customers run into at the Cloak & Blaster bar in east Orlando.

If you’re not sure what those are, you might feel out of place there - just as Cloak & Blaster regulars might feel during Monday Night Football at a sports bar.

       Whether in the back of comic-book shops or in their own buildings, entrepreneurs are opening niche spaces catering to video game fans, role-playing gamers and comic-book aficionados.

Bar owners say they are responding to a demand in the marketplace: a gathering spot for people who love geeky things, whether sci-fi movies, video games or Japanese anime.

Other geek bars include comic-book haven Geek Easy in Winter Park, card-game hangout Sidequest near University of Central Florida and the Offworld Lounge at Artegon Marketplace.

The hangouts host tabletop gaming nights, Super Smash Bros. tournaments and even cosplay karaoke, where fans dress up like their favorite characters and belt out tunes.

But mostly, owners and patrons say, geek bars are a place where people of similar interests can gather.

Florida Geek Scene blogger Scott Schlazer of Ocoee said geek bars aren’t unique to Orlando, but the area has become a hotspot in recent years. There are at least four dedicated geek bars, two video-game bars and even an I-Drive attraction called Drip: Underground Bar, which turns itself into a vampire lair during October. 

Culled from:Washingtontimes.com