Posted by Tucked away in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of GeoCities–despite having nothing to do with politics outside of its name–is a blog entitled ‘The Pokemon Pentagon.’ Last updated in 1999, The Pokemon Pentagon centered around its namesake, providing updates on the newest Pokemon media while simultaneously sharing tips and cheat codes. The site aims to appeal to the most avid Pokemon fans, heralding itself as the place “where even the masters come to find out everything Pokemon” on its homepage.
Although largely unfinished, The Pokemon Pentagon framed itself as a definitive source of information on the Nintendo franchise. Under the “Site updates” portion of the GeoCity, which contains details on recently completed and upcoming updates for TPP, are the tabs “Game,” “TV,” “Media,” and “Comics.” Each folder contains a handful of screencaps from its corresponding medium supplemented with commentary from the website’s creator.
But behind the walls of black and yellow text discussing Pokemon Blue and Pokemon: The Indigo League lies something arguably more interesting: a profile of the GeoCity’s creator.
The Pokemon Pentagon seems to offer more insight into the life of its originator than into the franchise itself. While oftentimes, GeoCities creators opted to mask their identities and host their blogs anonymously, one visit to TPP’s “All about me” section presents a strikingly thorough depiction of its host.
Tom VanDeven–The Pokemon Pentagon’s creator–exemplifies the Circuit of Culture’s lens of identity by demonstrating his background and interests. Reading through the “All about me” tab, the website’s visitors can discover Tom’s passion for popular culture through his love of Pokemon and South Park. Hailing from Tilbury, Ontario, Tom reveals that he attends the Victor Lauriston (K-8 elementary) School of Chatham; he even humorously describes his teacher. But beyond that, there is a glimpse into a more personal side of Tom.
Perusing The Pokemon Pentagon, Tom’s character shines through in each section. His love of music is illustrated through his keyboard covers of Pokemon songs, his helpful inclinations are present in his “FAQ” responses, and his insecurities are showcased through his constant self-reassuring language–the hallmark of a stereotypically nerdy young boy coming of age in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Viewing the plethora of tabs on the TPP sidebar, it is clear that Tom’s GeoCity was created with collaboration in mind. From the ICQ contact information in “All about me” to the “E-mail me” tab to the “Message Board” to the option to “Sign/view my guestbook,” The Pokemon Pentagon was designed to be highly interactive with its viewers.
The consumption aspect of The Pokemon Pentagon is most apparent in its interconnection with other Pokemon-themed GeoCities. Tom actively participated in different contests in the Pokemon community, boasting his GeoCity’s achievements in the “Awards I’ve Won” section–including the “Abra’s Pokemon Webpage Award,” “Ryan’s Pokemon Page Silver Award,” and “Pikablu’s Nice Site Award.” Tom also hosted his own contests within the Pokemon sphere, awarding the “Arcanine’s Contest Prize Award” to Ryan Marotta of ‘Snorlax’s Pokemon Page,’ whose name is now immortalized with a plaque on TPP’s “Contest Winner!” tab.
One GeoCity, however, was linked more closely to The Pokemon Pentagon than its contest-winning counterparts–Amy Chu’s Pokemon Galaxi. On their respective GeoCities, Tom and Amy claimed to be “affiliates” of each others’ sites, exhibiting an early example of online friendship by linking their websites on each others’ banners and leaving friendly comments in one another’s guestbooks.
The Pokemon Pentagon presents itself not just as a source of Pokemon information but as a community in which fans can bond their shared passion for the franchise. Though juvenile at times, TPP fostered a welcoming and synergetic space for Pokemon enthusiasts–new and seasoned alike–to chat.
References:
Cultural History of the Internet 