A moment of geekdom at the Minority.

"I know it seems odd given, you know, the guy is already half animal," says Hugh Jackman, who revives the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, due in theaters May 1, 2009. "But with all the success of the X-Men, you feel the pressure to keep pushing it further."

Jackman, also a producer on the film, says he never expected the story of mutants trying to fit in "to catch on the way it did." (Since the first film hit screens in 2000, the X-Men franchise has taken in more than $1.1 billion worldwide.) "But I became a fan of Wolverine like everyone else. That's why I keep holding on to the character."

Wolverine will be a prequel to the X-Men saga. It will center on the origins of the superhero with animal-like reflexes, an alloy skeletal system and the ability to heal from virtually any wound. He also could use a friend.

Time for a sad little confession. Before I was the worldy, erudite, intellectual juggernaut known as the blogger Gryphen, I was a shy fourteen year old who quietly collected comic books.

I loved comic books! I especially loved the X-Men. And I super especially loved the always unpredictable Wolverine.

I still own the first X-men comic that Wolverine appeared in, Giant sized X-men #1 printed in 1975. I was smitten with the Canadian scrapper from the first moment I laid eyes on him.

Now I tell you this not to make you question your judgement in choosing to occasionally listen to my viewpoints on the important political or social issues of the day. Or to somehow humanize myself in your eyes (Look I have skeletons in my closet too!). No I confess this to you because I pride myself on being open and honest in all aspects of my life. I firmly believe that almost EVERYBODY has some hidden geek in them as well.

Do you collect Hummel figurines? Geek. Or own the whole box set from the Star Trek television series? Geek. Or do you collect stamps, butterflys, electric trains, baseball cards, or salt and pepper shakers from every state in the union. Geek, geek, geek, geek, and geek!

So in outing my own geeky past I hope to send a message to my hundreds of visitors (on a good day), that you can stop being ashamed of your strange little obsessions, and come to understand that there is a little geek in all of us.

Man I can hardly wait to see that Wolverine movie!