’86, Baby!

Ever since season 4 of Stranger Things dropped back in late May, I – and most of the world, apparently – have succumbed to the charm of Eddie Munson/Joseph Quinn (because let’s face it, most of Eddie’s charm comes from Joseph’s performance.) I’ve never been invested in Stranger Things – I’m more than a casual viewer, but I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan, and especially with the long gap between season 3 and season 4, my interest had dipped. When season 4 came out, I watched it just to see where the story went. Little did I know I would become obsessed with a character and the actor on a level I haven’t been since Richard Armitage as John Thornton in North & South. I guess the character resonates with me so much because I was pretty much Eddie in high school – I was that combo of nerd and metalhead (I listened to nu-metal, but still), and I was an outsider who reveled in that status because I didn’t feel like I belonged. And yes, his death hit hard (I’m sorry if that’s a spoiler for you, but honestly, unless you’ve been living under a rock…) I rarely cry at movies or TV shows, yet I was pretty much in a daze for an entire weekend after the finale because I was so upset.

So for my birthday, I thought I’d treat myself to a Hellfire T-shirt. The outfit is super simple – it’s not an Eddie cosplay (I’ve never been interested in cosplaying; I prefer to take inspiration from a look and put my own spin on it), but I guess you can say the distressed jeans and the sneakers are a nod to Eddie’s iconic look, and the whole thing is definitely an homage to the character anyway. Eddie, this is for you.

(I actually am an ’86 baby, so it’s perfect)