The 2011 Grabby Awards

The Graboid is a regular feature of CHUD, a game played between us and the Chewers, where we “grab” a still from a movie and invite the readers to try to guess from which film it came. It has both its regular (i.e. rabid) and its casual players as well. We keep track of who has amassed the most successful guesses and we compile them for this year-end tally below. On Christmas, we completed the year-long competition with a massive grabfest called Armagrabbon. It was a Christmas filled with triumph, heartache, and giant worms adorning Chewers’ trophy cases. The results from the year of Graboid are below.  And a big thanks to everybody who made it another fun year of grabbin’.

LE NOUVEAU GRAND POOBAH

When I took over doing the Graboid some 2.5 years ago, the first entry was Road House.  And the first Grabber was Manny Fraker.  Since then, he’s taken down 92 of the things, an all-time record.  This includes a ridiculous 71 this year alone.  Manny was like a dog with a bone…or rather maybe, a sabretooth with a hunk of meat.  He wasn’t letting that bitch go…unless it was to eat the guy trying to take it away from him.  Manny killed 18 Graboids at Armagrabbon, and were it not for some flimsy excuse like spending time with his family on Christmas, we fully suspect there would have been more.

By the sheer number of worm carcasses buried in this guy’s back yard, Manny is the undisputed greatest Graboid hunter of them all and thus the exalted high Grand Poobah for 2011.  Manny, your brilliance dazzles us like a diamond in the sun, and to that brilliance we must all kneel before you like you were Zod. ‘Cause you are the Graboid-killing Kryptonian.

THE HOLIDAY KILLER

Jexxon was the 2011 Silver Medalist with 55 total Graboids. That’s more than the Grand Poobah bagged last year, which shows you the level of competition this past 12 months.  Right before the holiday season kicked off, Jexxon had an impressive total of 21 Graboids.  Come Thanksgrabbing and Armagrabbon, though, he kicked it up a notch or two and scored an insane 31 Graboids, including a record 23 on Armagrabbon.  Not only was he making it a couple of bad holidays for the worms, but for the competition as well.  Jexxon, you’re the Grinch of Graboid killin’.  Well done.

FEAR HIMSELF

Teitr was the runner-up in 2010.  At last year’s Grabbies, I called him the Scariest Dude in the Game.  The guy could appear out of nowhere and just snatch a Graboid out of thin air or grind out the answer with the best of them.  He wasn’t around quite as much this year, but he was never far away and still bagged 26 worm trophies for the den, including 8 at Armagrabbon.  Teitr, say it loud: “I’m Bronze and I’m Proud!”  More importantly, you’re still a scary dude at this game.  When Graboids see you, they run…er slither away.

CAPONE

RCA has taken down 23 Graboids this year, all from the Windy City.  He’s just like Scarface Al: if he saw a Graboid he didn’t like, he made it disappear.

POOBAH EMERITUS

The two-time defending Grand Poobah has been busy this year off making movies rather than bagging worms.  Of course, that didn’t stop him from showing up at Armagrabbon and snagging 15 of the subterranean bastards.  Up until very very recently, Walter (aka Rich) was the all time leader in Graboids killed.  The new Grand Poobah had to work his ass off to catch this guy and take the crown.  But there’s little doubt to those of us who play the game regularly that Rich is the Professor of Graboid.  You have earned your worm-killing tenure, sir.

THE GREAT WHITE

The guy’s handle may be Hammerhead, but it doesn’t do him justice when it comes to Graboid killin’.  He bagged 17 of them this year.  There’s a reason Graboids don’t go in the ocean…

ART…MAJOR

Art Decade bagged 11 Graboids.  Yo, that’s major.

CRAZY EIGHTS

DanODwyer and Clarence Boddicker both snagged eight worms.  Graboids, leave.

00-SEVEN

Ratty took seven Graboids.  He found that the second was much easier than the first.

REPEAT OFFENDERS

The following took down between 2 and 5 Graboids.

The 99%

These guys all killed one.  Then they retreated to their tents and smoked some weed.