November 15, 2019 - The 8th edition of Reboot Infogamer, powered by A1 is underway in Zagreb, one of the largest gaming exhibitions in Europe. And there no are prizes for guessing which is the brightest and most innovative stand this year, as Here Be Dragons strike again. 

Being a parent in any era is a scary experience, as kids grow and change so quickly. Just keeping up with this is a huge challenge, and trying to understand what interests them and makes them tick requires patience and understanding. 

But, man, being a parent in the Gen Z era is another level altogether. Although I pride myself on being relatively switched on (heck, we just started a Gen Z intern programme at TCN), in truth I have little clue about the role models and YouTubers who are idolised by my daughters. Just how little I knew became obvious when my girls met my best friend in Zagreb, the owner of geek merch store, Here Be Dragons. Let's call him J. 

J is a few years younger than me, but not that many, but in terms of mental age, he is arguably younger than even my kids. What was incredible to observe during their first meeting was just how in tune he was with their thinking, daily life and topics of conversation. Fortnite, Funko Pops and a whole host of other things I had never heard of. Apart from a pang of jealousy at this connection, I also resolved to do better and to try and enter their world a little more. And I made the mistake of telling my kids this. 

"Well, Dad, you could take us to Infogamer when it comes to Zagreb. And can I tell my cousins in Zagreb you will take them too?" And with no idea even what Infogamer was, I found myself making those parental promises that you forget about as soon as they are made. 

Months passed, then J called one day. I was on speakerphone in the living room, and he told me about this cool stand he was building for Infogamer, Giant tetris walls made of styrofoam and painted with star glow UV paint. 

"The kids would love it, you have to come," said J. The kids took over the conversation, cousins were informed, and that was the end of my planned lazy weekend at home with my wife. To Reboot Infogamer we shall go tomorrow. And so should you. 

According to the official website - This year's show will take place on a massive exhibition space of 21.000 m2 in eight halls of Zagreb Fair and it will attract more than 85 thousand visitors from all over Europe. During six days Reboot InfoGamer 2019 brings the most spectacular gaming show for you to experience.

I can't really tell you more about Reboot Infogamer in general than the original website, but I can tell you a little more about the Here Be Dragons tetris stand, which started off as a simple plan and quickly got complicated and took over four days to build. Apparently, most companies delegate their stands to two convention rental companies, and so most of the stands look very similar. The Dragons team - not for the first time - wanted to do something a little different, and so began what is sure to be one of the most popular stands at the fair. For not only do they have the coolest stand, they are also the Kings of Merch. 

In addition to fabulous cosplay stars such as Poisoned Muffin, above, the Dragons stand will be featuring some of the top merch out there. As the official licenced merch distributors for the likes of Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, not only is the merch authentic, it is also the very best on the market. There are original Potter scarves, Funko Pops galore, the coolest notebooks for school.  

And even the chance to pick up a t-shirt or two to make Dad at least a little bit as cool as J.  Here Be Dragons is moving aggressively into the apparel market, with more than 150 designs, with different shirts on sale each day, as the team do a little market testing to see which designs are most popular ahead of the Christmas rush. And the designs are VERY creative. 

A key element of the Dragons offer is the Build a Bag option, which is similar to a mystery box, but with more of a guarantee of what you will get inside. The lovely Ivana invites you to a tour of the stand and a more detailed explanation in the video below.

This is the first time Here Be Dragons will have their own stand, having supported book stores with product at previous editions, but it looks pretty impressive. They are also partnering with a company called Bikini Scooters, who have the coolest electric scooters which the kids can test drive.  

The Here Be Dragons team are a little bit crazy to be sure, but how refreshing to see a young company not only putting customer service at the heart of what they do, but also putting customer enjoyment ahead of profit.  

The opening of their mega-popular geek merch store on Tkalca, with the entire street blocked by fans who had come to pay homage.  

Some previous examples - The Enchanted Village at Fuliranje at Advent in Zagreb.  

Drinks and a barbecue to keep the visitors happy after a huge turnout on their warehouse sale on Savska. 

I have no idea what tomorrow will bring apart from three things - very happy kids, a better connection and understanding of my kids, and - if only for a brief moment - I will feel like a cool Dad and uncle. 

Why not come and feel a little cool yourself? 

More information on Reboot Infogamer, including ticket prices and entrance times on the official website.

To follow the latest madness from Here Be Dragons, follow them on Facebook.  

April 25, 2019 - A rather unusual take on Harry Potter by a Catholic chaplain in Croatia has led to a contest by leading geek shop Here Be Dragons in Zagreb.

I am really not sure where to start with this one. Perhaps at the beginning, or at least somewhere before the present. 

The relationship between Croatia and the Catholic Church has always been close, and with a billion kuna a year allocated in the national budget for the church, it is a relationship which is not uncontroversial. 

And not unusual. 

The year is 2017, and the Health Minister of Croatia gave an unusual endorsement of health professionals, declaring that 'one priest is worth more than 20 surgeons.' Health Minister Milan Kujundzic continues in his position today. 

There have been some rather unusual stories about statements from Catholic priests and chaplains since, but today, a new angle, as Croatian media reported earlier today, university student chaplain Damir Stojic offered his thoughts on how Harry Potter undermines faith and should not be allowed in schools.

Leading geek merch shop, Here Be Dragons, whose Enchanted Village at Fuliranje has been one of the hits of Advent in Zagreb in recent years, was quick to respond. The geek store, which has outlets in Zagreb and Split as well as online, announced a contest, with a Draco Malfoy wand as the prize. 

The challenge? To post a comment below the link to the article about the chaplain's comments. The winner is the post with the most likes. 

Think you are in with a chance? Post your comment. 

The story has posted a host of other memes and threads, including this photo of the prominent Erste Banka promotional campaign - Our Country Needs People Who Believe in Themselves, which has been changed to Our Country Needs People Who Believe in Jesus. 

December 20, 2018 - Here Be Dragons Strike Again! Kandžija i Gole žene Live Tonight! Another great addition to Fuliranje at Advent in Zagreb from the ultimate geek shop.

One small store in Zagreb, one giant step for Zagreb entertainment.

It is just over a year since the ultimate geek shop in Croatia burst onto the scene in Zagreb. 

Previously online and with a store in Diocletian's Palace in Split, the opening of Here Be Dragons in Tkalca brought the famous tourist strip in the capital to a standstill. 

And the Here Be Dragons debut at Advent in Zagreb in 2017 was not less spectacular, with its superb Enchanted Village even featuring the original throne from Game of Thrones. And with a free sit-down and photo-op for anyone interested. 

Last year's village reappeared with a graffiti facelift, as some of Croatia's top street artists combined for the ultimate Stan Lee tribute a couple of weeks ago. 

Which brings us to tonight, the latest free bonanza at the geek store which dared to dream - the legendary Kandžija i Gole žene will be taking Fuliranje by storm. 

Entrance is free, so why not spend the entrance money on a Harry Potter souvenir for a loved one. 

To read more about the Here Be Dragons phenomenon in Zagreb, follow the dedicated TCN page. 

Follow the ultimate geek shop in Croatia on Facebook. 

December 2, 2018 - Advent in Zagreb's most innovative stand does it again! A street art tribute to Stan Lee at Fuliranje by Here Be Dragons. 

There was a time in the not-too-distant past that Advent celebrations did not really exist in Croatia. The tourism season was all about the three months of sun and beach on the coast and that was it. 

Then came Advent in Zagreb, which started from very humble beginnings a decade ago, only to be voted the very best Christmas market in Europe for the last three years in a row. 

And then came Fuliranje, a fun section of Advent in Zagreb, where all the cool people tended to hang out with their innovative stands. Out with the boring old mulled wine and sausages and in with a little flair. 

And then one day, about a year ago to the day, Croatia's ultimate geek shop, Here Be Dragons, joined the Fuliranje team, putting up a fantasy Enchanted Village, which included - among other things - the original throne from THAT HBO series. 

One year later, what would those geeks get up to at Fuliranje 2018? Well, it is only Day Two, but what a fun afternoon and evening, as the Here Be Dragons team hosted the first-ever Fuliranje street art tribute. And a tribute to none other than the great maestro and recently departed Stan Lee.  

Legendary street artists Modul Osam, Chez 186 and Sarme answered the call to pay tribute to the superhero legend. Hundreds turned up to watch them in action from the announced 16:00 start, and 8 hours later, this year's Enchanted Village has been transformed.  

Using a combination of spray paints including UV, for use under black light, several thousand onlookers throughout the day took photos of the artists and posed with the life-sized Marvel characters.  As the sun went down, the exteriors of houses were swept with massive, LED wash lights typically used in major concerts and theatre production. Several large wood fire pits were lit, and some guests even brought marshmallows to roast over the fire. 

And this is only Day 2 of the Here Be Dragons presence at this year's Fuliranje... Check out more photos from today's action below.

To follow the latest crazy stuff from Here Be Dragons at Fuliranje, click here.

For more on Advent in Zagreb, follow the TCN dedicated page. 

December 1, 2018 - Advent in Zagreb is back, and so too is Fuliranje's most innovative team - don't miss the Here Be Dragons street art tribute to Stan Lee tomorrow. 

Inspiration comes to people in different ways, but I guess if you have five superheroes standing in your living room and their creator had recently died AND you had a stand at Europe's best Christmas market, the idea of combining all three might come to most of us mere mortals. 

Of course, not all of us have the kind of lifestyle or geekiness that would result in five superheroes standing in our living room. 

Welcome to a sneak peak into the private world of Croatia's geekiest and - dare we say it - one of its more successful stores, Here Be Dragons. 

We have reported on these geeks a little over the last year or so. How they crowded out Tkalca opening their new store earlier this year. 

Or how they took Advent in Zagreb by storm last year with their Enchanted Village, going the extra mile and even bringing an original throne from THAT HBO series. 

It was too much to expect the geeks to take this December off, and Here Be Dragons are back at Fuliranje with an improved enchanted village and lots more fun and games over the next few weeks. 

Starting tomorrow, as the geeks themselves explain:

"Here Be Dragons, Croatia’s premier geek shop, invites you to join us for the opening of our latest installation and retail outlet at Fuliranje on Strossmayer Square. Many of you came to our Enchanted Village last year which featured The Iron Throne from Game of Thrones and was powered by HBO GO. This year we're excited to announce an all-new presentation which opens with a street art tribute to the late Stan Lee, legendary creator of Marvel Comics, and characters such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk and so many more.

"Our advent celebration will kick off with our opening party on Sunday, December 2nd and will feature the works of three of Croatia’s most talented street artists, Miro Modul Osam, Chez 186, and Sarme. The event begins at 4pm, at which time you’ll be invited to watch our team of amazing artists transform Here Be Dragon’s village with UV-painted graffiti murals in homage to Lee and his Marvel Universe.

"We’re excited for Fuliranje 2018 and can’t wait to see you there throughout this year’s epic advent celebration.

For more on Here Be Dragons, follow them on Facebook. 

For more on Advent in Zagreb, click here.

Something new for Harry Potter fans in Zagreb on July 31, 2018. 

Another season is upon us. Where will you be getting your Game of Thrones fix this summer in Split? TCN pays a visit to Here Be Dragons, a souvenir shop with a difference. 

A busier than usual Friday night on Zagreb's famous Tkalciceva streets on April 27, 2018, as the Here Be Dragons geek shop opened at Number 34. It drew quite a crowd. 

A great new fantasy shopping addition to the Croatian capital, as Here Be Dragons announces its opening party on Friday, April 27, 2018.

April 8, 2018 - Craving some magic in your life? Head to Zadar: Harry Potter Week returns with another edition later in April