When it comes to Sporcle, curators truly do know best. In this blog series, some of the great curators of Sporcle share their expert opinions on curating, top-notch quizzes, up-and-coming Sporclers, and a wee bit of trivia.
This week we feature BanjoZebra, curator for the United States subcategory.
How did you first get involved with Sporcle?
In school, one of my good friends had told me about Sporcle, this crazy new quiz site he had found. I was instantly hooked! For a while, a group of us would rush to finish our homework in class so that we could go play Sporcle together. For about three years, I played Sporcle nonstop, and after a considerable hiatus, I returned in full force in 2017.
Why did you decide to be a curator for your subcategory?
Prior to my hiatus, I had been curator for Halloween, Logo, and Blitz, so when I came back years later I knew I’d want to return to curatorship as well. When I was scrolling through the list of curators, I saw a shiny open spot for the brand new United States category. It was love at first sight. As a US citizen, I’d say I’m pretty confident in my knowledge of the country.
What’s your favorite trivia fact having to do with your subcategory?
Ready for a 100% useless fact? Missouri is the only state that borders the same number of states as it has letters in its name. You’d think there would be more than one, but Missouri stands alone.
What are some of your favorite published quizzes from your subcategory?
Wow, there are so many great ones. I’m a big fan of sproutcm’s Risky Map Clicking series for sure. USA Map: Capitals Not Welcome is a fun one that is definitely harder than it initially seems. And of course, there’s the tried-and-true US States, which has become more of a typing challenge for me at this point. (50 states in 45 seconds isn’t half bad, right?)
What are some of your favorite contributed quizzes from your subcategory?
Google Earth: US States is one I chose as a Curator Pick that was absolutely fascinating and enjoyable. It’s incredible how some states (Iowa, for example) have borders that can be made out almost entirely from their rivers. I also really enjoyed Circled US Cities. Man, I guess I just have a thing for map-related quizzes.
What are your favorite quizzes from an entirely different category?
I’m a sucker for logo quizzes, whether that’s Restaurant Logos Close-Up or just the classic Corporate Logos. I’m also a huge fan of all of bhenderson79’s Visual Word Ladder quizzes. They are just so fantastically creative and visually appealing.
Which Sporcle Group do you frequent most often?
You’ll often see me in Find the Star and Twenty Questions (where you can subject yourself to figuring out things like ROYGBIV, a left turn lane, or John Landis Mason, the namesake of the Mason jar).
How can Sporclers in your subcategory best contact you?
Feel free to message me on Sporcle at any time!
Are there any Sporclers whose quizzes you think merit more attention than they get?
MTwhiz makes some really great quizzes and has a noticeably high ratio of Editor and Curator Picks. Also, xyz_ has made a ton of super high-quality quizzes (many of which are Geography-related) and deserves a lot of credit.
Haiku or favorite Dad Joke (or both):
What’s the leading cause of dry skin?
Towels.
