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love-takes-work · 5 years

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Steven Universe Podcast: The Fantasy of Steven Universe

This is an outline of the Steven Universe Podcast regarding “The Fantasy of Steven Universe”: an issue of the podcast in which the creators and writers discuss a multitude of deep issues, along with some Q&A from both fans and insiders. No volume number or episode number was given for this one. The official description:

It's the last new podcast episode of the season and we asked the cast and Cartoon Network Executive team to submit questions to Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar and former Executive Producer Ian Jones-Quartey! They tackle everything from design to wormholes to escapism to advice to your younger self and dreaming big. Then former writers Matt Burnett and Ben Levin sit down with Rebecca to discuss lessons learned, achieving goals, and what they hope people take away from the show. And finally, Kat Morris and Joe Johnston return to answer a last batch of Fan Q&A!

This is a long podcast with a long summary, so as usual I will give you a bulleted list of highlights, followed by a detailed summary.

Highlights:

Many of the show’s themes and important elements were there right from the beginning--all the way back to the pilot.

Rebecca Sugar comments that she didn’t really learn how to have fun until 2016.

Figuring out how to pace the show out and reveal each piece of information at the right time so it could support another later revelation was very exciting to the writers. They had the pieces laid out like a puzzle on their table.

Mostly self-contained episodes still gave the audience a piece of information or represented growth for a character. The less “plotty” episodes helped keep the energy up.

The Crewniverse knew that their titles were sometimes trollish, but Ben was honestly surprised that people expected apocalyptic happenings for “Last One Out of Beach City.” It was just a Less Than Jake reference.

Rebecca really enjoyed getting the chance to “damsel” Greg for the Zoo arc; she really wanted to use a lot of princess tropes, even that one.

Viewers should take away from the show messages of compassion, self-love leading to ability to connect with others, ability to understand and listen to others, and opportunities to see themselves as well as to see others.

Rebecca has drawn all of Fluorite’s component Gems, but all she’ll say is “they’re fun.”

Lars and Lion are not immortal, but they will live for a very long time and have slowed-down lifespans. Kat Morris says Lars may have no sense of taste; that if he eats it’s just for sustenance.

Lars has all the same powers as Lion. He can indeed do a sonic blast and make portals and walk on water. They weren’t able to work this into an episode we’ve seen, but Rebecca assures us that Lars will discover his abilities and it will be “really funny.”

The Crew had specific voice actors they wanted for the Diamonds. They got who they wanted cast by writing excited letters. Susan Egan’s was particularly weird because she had to play Tiny Floating Whale first.

Blue Diamond was the most difficult Diamond to design because her hair was hard to decide on. Rebecca’s influences for her were Martha Graham’s “Lamentation” dance and Fruma Sarah’s ghost from Fiddler on the Roof.

Yellow Diamond was mostly directly inspired by Patti LuPone’s performance as Evita.

White Diamond was influenced by many old-timey vibes, including Hedy Lamarr in Ziegfeld Girl and the artistry of Nell Brinkley. She had heavy eyelashes and fingernails--lots of design elements they did not incorporate into other characters, so she could adhere to old, “stifling” beauty standards.

Rebecca was disappointed that reveals of Pink’s full jester-like outfit got out before we saw it in the show. Her hair was originally higher in early designs, which contributed to her mural having spikier hair.

Greg is based almost entirely on Tom Scharpling; Rebecca was comforted by his voice when she had upheavals in her life. There’s also a little bit of inspiration from various Crewniverse dads in him.

Another Gem could have a hybrid child like Steven only if they had enough power to do it and the complete commitment to the idea that Pink had.

Steven and his “Gem self” are not really separable and can’t exist independently of each other. His Gem half will not remain if his organic half dies. They are one being. He will likely have a very long life because of his Gem powers, but (though the Crew agrees this is grim), he will probably die before the Gems do.

The Jade Fusion won’t be in trouble anymore once the Jades come out of their bubbles; in Era 3, the act they were punished for is no longer disallowed. However, the trauma of being isolated and then punished as soon as they felt it was safe to fuse may require some healing. Rebecca assures us they should be able to have the opportunity to heal and be okay.

Obsidian definitely has future vision powers. In fact, they’re expanded to the point that the noise is difficult to interpret; very powerful, but difficult to get anything useful with them.

Pearl became a more maternal character because of her voice actor, Deedee Magno Hall, being “such a mom.”

Zach Callison as Steven was so genuine and professional to work with, and the vibe in the booth with regard to him was closely mirrored in the show.

Sometimes Deedee’s or Michaela’s ways of interacting with Zach would influence how Pearl or Amethyst would interact with Steven.

People would give lots of space and reverence to Estelle when she was reading her lines, which parallels how the other characters treat Garnet.

Only Steven can take anyone or anything through the pink space connected to Lars’s hair and Lion’s mane, but yes, Steven could take Lars through Lion’s mane, and if he stuck his head out, there’d be infinite Larses sticking out of infinite Lars’s hair until he pulled his head back in.

Designing new characters requires lots of back and forth and hundreds of drawings. Rebecca asks “why,” not “what”--why are you including something in a character’s design? If it doesn’t contribute to who they are, why is it there?

Influences on the show that may have been missed by some fans include G.I. Joe the animated series, Future Boy Conan, and Mr. Bug Goes to Town.

In response to Deedee requesting a fusion between Pearl and any of Rebecca’s childhood favorite cartoons, she suggests maybe either Bart or Detective Conan, then says she’ll have to think about it and get back to Deedee.

Advice Rebecca Sugar might have given her younger self was that it would be okay and she’d get to tell the story she wanted to tell--but also that she should eat, drink water, and exercise.

One profound thing Rebecca learned while working on the show was that she can be out and bisexual regardless of who she’s with, and that it DOES matter.

One profound thing Ian learned while working on the show was that the story you want to tell doesn’t have to be constrained by the medium--and your fantasy story isn’t necessarily someone else’s fantasy. You can tell your story.

The detailed summary is below!

[Archive of Steven Universe Podcast Summaries]

McKenzie kicks the podcast into gear and starts by asking Rebecca Sugar, Matt Burnett, and Ben Levin about the intentions for the show: what did they think it was going to be, and did it end up being that?

Ben shares an anecdote about how their agent seemed to have thought Steven Universe was based on Rebecca's comic Pug Davis, but then they saw the animatic and it was completely different from what the agent described. Matt felt that the themes and certain important elements of the show were already there from the animatic at the beginning. They were excited to see the show even if they might not end up getting to work on it, and they could tell just from the pilot that there was a lot of mythology to be unearthed. One of Ben's expectations that did not pan out was that he thought there would be more dungeon crawling episodes, but that was not the reality because . . . it turns out episodes like that are really difficult to do.

As for Rebecca, she says she had many goals for the show, and one thing she likes to do with projects is make them about something she hasn't truly figured out yet. The big thing for Steven Universe in Rebecca's mind was the issue of gendered cartoons for children. She felt uncomfortable growing up, because socially she was expected to like what girls like but her favorite things were "for boys," while "girl" cartoons did NOT appeal to her. She felt guilty and weird about it, and so with her cartoon she wanted to attack that at first, use and scramble the language others had used to put her in that position. As she worked on Steven Universe more, she realized that some of the things she wasn't allowed to love as a kid were things she DID love. Learning to understand herself better allowed her to build a better relationship with the symbols and elements of children's cartoons that she could have authentic feelings about. She feels she learned a lot.

Next, McKenzie wants to know which episodes were the most fun to write (or throw ideas around for).

Rebecca quips that she did not learn to have fun until 2016.

Ben says he and Matt had fun though. Their job was to take Rebecca's ideas and figure out how to squeeze her thoughts into 11 minutes. Ben thought it was important to reveal something new about a focus character in each episode. Rebecca thought it was exciting to pace out what to reveal when; she says all the elements were on the table "like a giant puzzle." They had to carefully place when we would understand each thing as the audience before they could do something that built on it. She felt it was "like painting a picture across time." You couldn't do something like "Change Your Mind" at the beginning--you needed all those pieces to get it at all.

Putting yourself in the audience's mind as a writer is important, Ben says. Infodumping doesn't work, and laying the groundwork before you start a story isn't the best way to make a story meaningful. Matt thinks the big story payoffs at the end of season 5 were discussed in the first two weeks of planning, and they all thought it would be so cool to finally get there.

The things that were the most fun were actually the deviations from those stories, though they kept with the themes. The "random idea" episodes that felt more like one-offs were responsible for keeping the energy up, according to Matt. "Steven and the Stevens," for instance, was pretty self-contained (and needed a diagram to keep it together). Rebecca points out that "self-contained" episodes were mostly the goal, but you'd still see a change in the character or get an important piece of information in each one. Steven is LITERALLY not the same character anymore after "Steven and the Stevens."

Weaving the "infodump" stuff into Steven's personal growth was important for the type of story they were writing. They also joke about how certain episode titles were very trollish, like "Last One Out of Beach City" and "Rising Tides, Crashing Skies." (Both of those were definitely NOT "apocalyptic" at all.) They were aware that titles could send a message, but Ben was actually really surprised at the expectations surrounding "Last One Out of Beach City" because for him it was just a Less Than Jake reference. ^___^

They also enjoyed getting to do whole new environments with mini-worldbuilding, like the human zoo. The zoo arc comes up and Rebecca remarks on how much she enjoyed "damseling Greg." She really wanted to do pretty much every princess trope in some way, even that one, and she just loved having the opportunity to have Blue carry Greg away "just like Peach."

McKenzie next asks the group what's something they want people who have watched the whole show so far to come away with at this point.

Ben says he's not sure about others, but he feels the show lets us take home messages of being in touch with your genuine feelings and expressing what they are. Matt agrees with Ben about how the show helps viewers learn to see others' perspectives. They hope people had the opportunity to see themselves represented on the show, and that some people got the opportunity to see representations of people they'd never seen before--and that those people who were newly exposed to folks they'd never thought about before would learn to be more compassionate.

Rebecca wants people to come away with the notion that they must learn to love themselves. That it is close to impossible to connect with others if you haven't learned how to love yourself. Kids deserve to be able to express themselves as long as they aren't destroying themselves or others in the process. She thinks sometimes kids are sent destructive messages about how it isn't okay to be themselves, and that people they trust might be shutting them down, but this show is a message to say it's wrong of them to do that and they deserve the freedom to be who they are and say so. Being allowed to talk about how you feel shouldn't be some kind of fantasy. It should be reality.

The next segment of the podcast involves Kat Morris and Joe Johnston answering fan questions with Rebecca Sugar!

Q: Has there been any thought as to what Fluorite's Gem components are?

A: Joe just immediately says "NO" and Kat teases him, but Rebecca speaks up and says of course she has drawn them all. She gave it to Colin and then says "I don't know where it went." The only thing Rebecca is willing to say about it is "they're fun."

Q: Are Lars and Lion immortal now? Or is their aging process just extremely slowed down?

A: Kat agrees that their aging process is just slow. About as slow as Lars's heartbeat in "Lars' Head." Kat points out that she and Joe have disagreements about what Lars's life is like. She thinks Lars probably lost his sense of taste and only just eats occasionally to sustain his body. Rebecca says "they'll live a really, really long time," and Kat says "longer than they'll want to."

Q: Can Lars do the Lion roar warp thing, or does he have his own power?

A: Kat says he can! They tried to write stories around it but never quite did it. Kat jokes that he can do it if maybe he gets tickled or something. Joe says he can make a warp and he can make a sonic blast with his voice. When they discuss whether he's figured that out yet, Rebecca replies that he WILL figure it out at some point, and when he does, "it'll be REALLY funny. Don't worry about it." They speculate that maybe that's how Lars was getting around doing space pirate stuff (infiltrating the Citrine asteroid and the Cosmic Jubilee), but there's also the fact that he doesn't have a Gem and can't be scanned. They also specify that Lars can indeed walk on water.

Q: Does Lion have the ability to sense Steven somehow? Or did he find Watermelon Steven some other way?

A: Rebecca claims they're in tune, but you can't really pinpoint whether it's magic or whether it's just that animal sense some pets have.

Q: How did you pick the Diamonds' voice actresses?

A: Kat says, "begging?" Rebecca says they knew who they wanted and they agree they wrote passionate letters. Rebecca tells the story of bringing Susan Egan in to do Rose's voice for the first time, but the first time you hear her voice was coming out of the Tiny Floating Whale. Susan did the little "ooo!" noise for it as well as the one line that's spoken in "Rose's Room." She had to explain that Rose was very important later, but for now she just wanted Susan to come voice the whale.

Q: Which Diamond was the most difficult to design? Which was the most fun to design?

A: Rebecca says Blue was the most difficult to design. They took a long time deciding on her hair and what would be "inhuman" about her, and there was a lot of trial and error involved. They actually revealed her cloaked form in "The Answer" before they figured out her hair. Rebecca feels that White might have been the most fun because they had to incorporate so many influences. They're all really influenced by tons of things though: for instance, Blue is influenced by a Martha Graham dance ("Lamentation") and the ghost (Fruma Sarah in a dream) from Fiddler on the Roof.

Yellow is very inspired by Patti LuPone in Evita.

White is inspired by Nell Brinkley and Hedy Lamarr (in Ziegfeld Girl)--the aesthetic of the time, really.

White has many design elements that other characters don't have. The heavy eyelashes, the fingernails, the "perfect thigh gap"--she's supposed to be very different from the others, with "beauty standards" that you haven't seen on other characters, meant to be read as stifling and old. She's even on an actual pedestal with shoes that are actual pedestals.

For Pink, Rebecca describes it as "kind of devastating" that even though we'd gotten the first reveal of Pink when she punched a mirror in Stevonnie's dream and was "contorted with rage," the audience got to see her on a model sheet with her full outfit "looking like a little clown" and people kind of got it instantly. Designs for the Diamonds go back to 2014, though Pink's hair was a little different and "looks like a Truffula tree" according to Rebecca. (Joe says that's why her mural looked spikier, because the early hair designs for Pink were higher.) Rebecca was really excited when they nailed down Pink's hair to look like Steven's hair. Rebecca was excited but Kat was scared.

Q: What inspired you to make Greg?

A: Tom Scharpling! Rebecca used to always listen to Tom's radio show (The Best Show) toward the end of college and she based Greg's character on him. She says Tom is currently doing a thing where he's reviewing every episode of Friends. She felt that during a tumultuous time in her life, moving from New York to LA and being apart from Ian, Tom's voice was a constant and a comfort. On his show, Tom is "more cynical" than Greg, but she describes him as only being mean to meanness, and that even when he's mean it's a "force for good in the world." Being angry is fine as long as you're directing it at other things that are mean, helping to cancel them out. She finds Tom inspiring, and thinks Greg is sort of the result of that cancelled-out meanness. Rebecca also adds that Greg has a lot of her own father in him, and she believes the other Crewniverse folks probably pull in elements of their own dads to write him.

Q: Would another half-Gem/half-human fusion like Steven be possible for another Gem besides Pink Diamond?

A: Pink Diamond couldn't fuse with humans--Steven's unique that way. Pink obviously created Steven (not through fusion), but now Steven is the result of that process and he exists sort of as a bridge. He can fuse with humans because of his humanity, not because of his Gem. He would actually be able to pull other humans into his Fusions with Gems, but he'd have to be there to preserve that connection.

Joe interprets the question a little differently, saying he thinks they're asking whether another hybrid might be possible, and Rebecca says it'd be possible only for a Gem as committed to it as Rose was. She specifies that Rose obviously had the immense power of a Diamond as well as that dedication, so if some other Gem that had a similar level of power and a similar interest in creating an organic child wanted to do it, okay, they could.

Q: If Steven were to die of old age, what would happen to his Gem half?

A: Joe hates this question. Rebecca agrees "that's so grim." She says that Steven is Steven, and he is NOT Steven when he's broken into two pieces. There isn't one without the other. Kat thinks Steven wouldn't die unless he chose to (and might do that if everyone he cared about was gone). Joe apparently hates existential questions and Rebecca sort of comforts him saying the Gems will live and live and live, and that Steven will probably die before them so he won't have to be stranded alive with no friends left.

Q: Is the Jade Fusion from "Together Alone" okay?

A: Yes, she's fine! Rebecca says she got poofed like many other characters have been before, and probably bubbled for what they were doing, but in Era 3 what they were doing is no longer wrong. They will emerge and be allowed to be themselves. Rebecca says, though, that there's also a question of whether they're okay as a person, and that what they went through is really hard to go through. She felt so isolated all that time, and then as soon as they got the courage to emerge in front of other people for the first time they were punished for it, so in that sense she's really kinda not okay. She will have opportunities to heal from her traumas, though, and her future is bright.

Q: Does Obsidian have future vision powers?

A: Rebecca says "Yes" decisively. The others chime in to agree. Rebecca says Obsidian's powers are overwhelming and difficult to handle all at once, though with many components they also have support handling it. The future vision Obsidian experiences is so overwhelming it's almost worthless because it's like noise--it's expanded and cacophonous.

Next, Ian and Rebecca are answering questions submitted by the cast and Crewniverse!

Q (from Zach Callison): What aspects of the characters are inspired by the voice actors?

A: Rebecca says the biggest one is how Pearl became more maternal because of Deedee's influence. She's "such a mom."

The interaction of the cast in the room worked its way into the characters' interaction. She also says Steven's growth from childish to mature for his age came from Zach growing up with him. She describes him as professional, insightful, thoughtful--enough such that adults could take cues from him or aspire to be like him. Ian thinks Zach was really interested in the process and very open to learning from other actors. Steven as an empathetic character was enhanced by Zach's genuine personality. Others who worked with him would be inspired and excited by him, which worked for the authenticity of Steven's vibe too.

Rebecca also noticed that sometimes Michaela or Deedee would cheer Zach up or egg him on, and the way they did those things differently also informed the characters of Amethyst and Pearl when they'd be in similar situations with Steven. They also noticed that if Estelle was there for a recording, everyone would stop and give her space to do her thing, which turned out to be very appropriate for how the others act with Garnet sometimes.

Q (from Matthew Moy): Can Lars go through Lion's mane and vice versa? Would they just fall right back out if they entered?

A: Rebecca points out that she actually answered this recently on the Reddit AMA! First, she wants folks to remember that Steven is the only one who can bring anyone or anything through mane space. Yes, Steven could take Lars into Lion's mane and go over to Lars's tree, but if Lars were to stick his head through the grass there, Lars's head would come out of his own hair. But this would cause infinite Larses to come out of infinite Lars's Heads, until he pulled his head back out.

Q (from Estelle): When you come up with new characters, how much time do you spend revamping the look of each?

A: It's a lot of time. Hundreds of drawings. Ian describes a process of coming up with early characters who didn't have a spot in the story yet, and they'd come up with random looks for them, and then they'd narrow down what specifically that character would need when they learned where they would go. Elements that mean something are retained and elements that do not mean anything will be swapped out. Boarders and designers would all take a crack at the design afterwards. Rebecca says that by the time boarding is happening, they need the character's "shape language" to be nailed down. Rebecca also mentions that many designs just get shelved if they're not really working, like some of the designs for Sardonyx did from before Rebecca realized Sardonyx would be a bombastic nerd, not a stoic and imposing presence. Even after they discovered that, though, the tooth gap was a later addition. Rebecca finds it helpful to ask "why" instead of "what" in design. Why is someone designed the way they are? Everyone will work together to create a design that blends form and function. She usually starts with rough sketches that they'll build off of as a starting point.

Q (from Michaela Dietz): With all the references to other shows (Gurren Lagann, Adventure Time, Revolutionary Girl Utena, etc.), what's a reference fans may have missed?

A: Since they pull from SO many places, it's hard to say, but Ian points out Future Boy Conan (Rebecca identifies a scene where the Quartzes run through Pink Diamond's body as a particular scene that's similar), and Rebecca says the rainbow worm from the Kyanite Colony is inspired by Orbitty (from the 80s Jetsons) and other ugly aliens from the time that were influenced by E.T. Rebecca points out Mr. Bug Goes to Town, an obscure film that nobody really watched because it came out on D-Day. Then Ian mentions the G.I. Joe animated series, how they referenced "It's all a fake-a-roo!" from that. And "Frybo" was a reference to The Thing.

Q (from Deedee Magno Hall): If Pearl could fuse with one of Rebecca's childhood cartoon favorites, who would it be, what would their weapon be, and can we see a drawing?

A: Rebecca says this is REALLY hard because she liked so many cartoons, but she just throws out Bart. Their Fusion would have a skateboard with spikes on the front. Maybe the Fusion would be named Part or Bearl. Or maybe Detective Conan; the Fusion would have all those gadgets. She decided she'd have to keep thinking about it and she'll give Deedee an answer.

Q (from Conrad Montgomery): If you could go back in time to give yourself a bit of advice as you started on "Gem Glow" and the rest of the series, what would it be?

A: Rebecca says she would tell herself to drink more water and exercise, and don't forget to eat. She thinks maybe she would tell herself it was going to be okay, because she didn't know that at the time. She says it may have been helpful at the beginning if she could have known she'd get to finish the story she wanted to tell. She was always anxious that her show would be yanked and she wouldn't get to finish what she'd dreamed up, but she did. She also feels like she was so young at 25 to be doing what she was doing, and maybe she'd like to just turn herself into a 31-year-old.

Ian thinks the show became what it was because of what they were learning along the way, though. If you really could tell people ahead of time what the things they're making are going to turn out like, you don't get to understand the process of something coming back wrong and learning how to deal with that. They feel that created a lot of what was good about the show, the debates and discussions. Rebecca is not sure she would have just said "trust yourself" because sometimes she trusted her team and was grateful for it.

Q (from Rob Sorcher): What is the one most profound thing you learned about yourself as a result of making the series?

A: Rebecca says she didn't understand she could be bisexual and be out. She thought declaring your orientation was about who you were with, not about who YOU were. So even though she was telling stories that spoke to feelings she'd had about partners or potential partners who were NOT Ian, she didn't realize she could claim that and care about that, mostly due to the fact that she'd been repeatedly and strongly told it did not matter. But it does matter. How you feel about yourself and how you experience attraction is a relevant and important thing to be able to embrace. She felt like she was "insane, all the time" because she wasn't supposed to talk about it or was told it wasn't interesting. She was floored when people she had connections with still wanted to be friends with her after she started talking about it, and being open about this aspect of herself has made being alive much easier.

If something matters to you, it matters, period. In terms of cartoons, the incredibly gender-segregated way they were doled out to kids in the 80s and 90s had an effect on Rebecca, and for a long time she didn't know why she so desperately wanted to "scramble" that. She finally found ways to discuss how uncomfortable she was being told that she had to be a woman when she was not. She realized through making her cartoon that though she had plenty of wells to pull from, this particular well was one she hadn't been able to speak about, so she did it through this medium and chose this as one of her stories. It's certainly not the only one she has to tell. She reiterates that she is bisexual and nonbinary, and though the language for that might change in the future, "that's what's going on" with her.

Ian's "profound thing" was that he realized you can share a message without being limited by the expected confines of your medium. For example, he knows that if he claims to be making a science fiction/fantasy cartoon, people will have preconceived notions of what that means, but maybe for some people, a major fantasy is just being told it's okay to be who they are, or living in a world where being who they are is okay. You don't have to worry about whether your reasons for making this art will satisfy someone else's reasons for watching it. Rebecca agrees, and says other people's "escapist" fantasies seemed really one-dimensional to her, never satisfying what SHE would like to escape to, but she realized she'd been holding contempt for escapism in general because of that, which dissolved when she was able to explore hers. There is a place for her, there is a dream she can have, and she no longer resented other people for having theirs. Sometimes a fantasy is about even getting to dream in the first place instead of just being fed these ideas of what you're supposed to want.

Everyone should get to have a dream and say it out loud.

[Archive of Steven Universe Podcast Summaries]

#steven universe #steven universe podcast #long post #mckenzie atwood #rebecca sugar #ian jones-quartey #kat morris #ben levin #matt burnett #joe johnston #myblog

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araeph · 5 years

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I have much respect to Aaron 3hasz and his writing but I also try not to idealize him too much. I think he has professed this too and emphasized he was open to the fan's criticism What he has going for him is his professionalism and this is something I saw lacking with Bryk3. They seemed to take it real personal. All I could think about when watching The Legend of K0rra was that it needed the 3hasz' touch but Aaron has called it 'daring and beautiful' I mean, canon Korrasam! was but the rest...?

Aaron Ehasz Praise: A Retrospective

There arethree aspects to the idealization of Aaron Ehasz that I’d like to cover sopeople understand their origins and intent.

1. Context.Pre-TDP fan essays that praise both Ehaszs unabashedly should be read inthe context of the time at which they were written. As things stand today, it’seasy to equate paeans to their writing prowess with starry-eyed hero worship, butthe original goal was most likely to raise awareness of their contributions toA:TLA at a time when their work was still relatively unknown andunacknowledged. Fans were used to seeing article after article praising DiMartinoand Konietzko specifically for things such as the writing of Zuko’s redemptionarc without any mention of the people who, you know, actually wrote it. Thusat the time, it was important to emphasize the positives to an audience thatmight not otherwise be convinced of their impact on one of the most pivotal TVshows in Western animation.

2. Korra.The “golden age” of Bryke-critical, Ehasz-zealous meta was created between theyears 2014-2017, when LOK was winding down in an increasingly unspectacular wayand finished off with a divided fanbase. Avatar fans, who again, were used toseeing Bryke as the personification of the A:TLA series, began to realize thatthere were some ingredients missing from LOK in the form of lost creative talent.There was a palpable sense that we had bought into the series in good faith andhad wasted time and money on a product that could easily have been much better.Thus the anti-Bryke meta of those years doubled as a release valve for Korraresentment, and when fans were done venting, they wanted answers. The meta becamea treasure hunt for “where it all went wrong.”

The discoveryof the pivotal Ehasz contributions was something you could hold up to the lightand go “Aha!” It became a shorthand for all the behind-the-scenes people whodidn’t get enough credit for A:TLA and whose involvement was just beginning tobe rediscovered by the fanbase. By contrast, Ehasz is in a much different placein his career at the moment than Bryke were at the end of Korra. It hasn’tbeen that long since his name started to take off, and fans don’t have theluxury of looking back critically over the whole narrative arc of a show thathe helmed. I myself find it difficult to critique works in progress, becausethere’s always the chance of significant changes down the line that will fixthose problems, especially with a creator so receptive to fan criticism, asyou’ve remarked.

3. Community.It is worth noting how much of a relief it was for fans to find an executiveproducer who genuinely appreciated all fan content regardless of whether itadhered to his specific “vision” of what the show entailed, who respected thefans and recognized the outpouring of story-driven love for what it was. Foryears, sections of the Avatar fandom had been openly mocked by thecreators, who even let their contempt for parts of the fanbase bleed into their canon work.To these fans, it is still such a gift to find a creator who activelycultivates a respectful and appreciative fandom that the desire to reciprocatewith only praise and adulation is a strong one. Basically, “You have our backso we have yours.”

Fans areenthusiastic, and taking things to extremes for the media they love is, forbetter or for worse, what they do best. What I find encouraging is that I’veseen multiple discussions where Ehasz’s work or responses to fan questions arecriticized in front of his fans, and those fans’ responses are consistentlyrespectful, thoughtful, and polite. (Not so with all too many of Bryke’s fans, whoseresponses were often accompanied by an influx of hate and/or personal threats.)Additionally, Ehasz doesn’t seem like the type to let fan hype go to his headdue to the professionalism you mentioned, so the chances of him making amistake like, say, trying to write an entire seasonwith only two people are low.

“TheDragon Prince” is still young, but already it is getting easier to see whichparts of A:TLA Ehasz was responsible for, both good and bad. Aaron Ehasz isbeing recognized more and has taken on more of an executive role, so there willeventually be a corresponding increase in criticism. And, unlike “Legend ofKorra,” this time it might actually matter.

(I’m going to save the topic his praise for Korra and combine it withanother ask later.)

#aaron ehasz #anti-bryke #anti-lok #fandom #atla critism

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comixology · 5 years

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For Immediate Release

ComiXology Originals and Comicraft Announce Season Two Of The Hit Series Elephantmen and Ask For Mercy

Elephantmen 2261 Season Two: The Pentalion Job#1 debuts today Ask For Mercy: Ask For Budgie One-Shot debuts May 8th with Ask For Mercy Season Two: The Center Of Everything That Is debuting this summer

Elephantmen 2261 Season One: The Death of Shorty is now available in print for the first time via Amazon.com Print-on-Demand with Ask For Mercy Season One: The Key To Forever available in print May 8th

All comiXology Originals titles are available exclusively on Kindle and comiXology and are included in Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited and comiXology Unlimited

May 1, 2019 – New York, NY – ComiXology, Amazon’s premier digital comics service, and Comicraft announced today Season Two of the hit comiXology Originals series Elephantmen and Ask For Mercy, with Elephantmen 2261 Season Two: The Pentalion Job #1 out today, and Ask For Mercy Season Two: Ask For Budgie One-Shot debuting May 8th, and Ask For Mercy Season Two: The Center Of Everything That Is #1 debuting this summer. Elephantmen is written by Richard Starkings with art by Axel Medellin and covers by Boo Cook while Ask For Mercy is written by Richard Starkings with art by Abigail Jill Harding – both series were part of the creator-owned comiXology Originals launch last June. Elephantmen 2261 Season Two: The Pentalion Job #1 is digitally available to read now for members of Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited, with Ask For Mercy Season Two: Ask For Budgie One-Shot also available for members upon release, May 8th.

Today, Elephantmen 2261 Season Two: The Pentalion Job #1 kicks off the next adventure of the long running pulp science fiction series featuring the human/animal hybrid Elephantmen.Weapons of the war between Africa and China’s transgenics have surfaced and are being transported from the East Coast to the West Coast to be delivered to the Museum of Tolerance. In the vein of a Western heist, this new 4-issue miniseries follows ex-con Burba on a mission to steal three Pentalions (giant robotic exo-suits) before they reach their intended destination. The finale of this story will be the 100th issue of Elephantmen and with issue #1 artist Axel Medelin surpasses the 1,000 page mark!

And starting May 8th, the new season of Ask For Mercy kicks off with Ask for Mercy Season Two: Ask For Budgie One-Shot – spotlighting the breakout star of Season One, posing the questions: who is he and where did he come from? Following that, Ask For Mercy continues this summer with Ask For Mercy Season Two: The Center Of Everything That Is – a 5-issue miniseries in which Kasa takes Mercy, Ratmir and Budgie on an adventure where the course of history is at stake! Summoned by Lakota shaman, Medicine Bear, Mercy and her band of monsters discover that Ikto’mi, the Spider-trickster, is interfering with the lives of the people of the Black Hills and the American soldiers intent on driving the Indians out! “Ask For Mercy wasn’t just Comicraft‘s first title for comiXology Originals, it was the first comic book series for my young collaborator, Abigail Jill Harding,” says writer Richard Starkings. “Her artwork went from strength to strength and, now that we’ve completed season one, we can’t wait for readers to see what we’re putting our band of monsters through in season two, set in North America in 1876! Demon Buffaloes! Spider-tricksters and the US Cavalry!” "I've known Richard for years and am a huge fan of his work across the comics industry,” says Chip Mosher, comiXology’s Head of Content. “Richard's excitement and passion since we launched comiXology Originals with both Elephantmen 2261 and Ask For Mercy was integral to the launch and success of comiXology Originals. It's great to have Comicraft back for more!"

Additionally, Elephantmen 2261 Season One: The Death of Shorty – collecting the 5-issue whodunnit miniseries, where Hip Flask and Jack Farrell are drawn into the curious death of an Elephantman known to his friends as “Shorty”– is available today for the first time in print from Amazon.com print-on-demand, and digitally for members of Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited, and for sale on comiXology and Kindle.

“Just a year ago, the idea of seeing Elephantmen 2261 Season One: The Death Of Shorty printed ‘on demand’ was both exciting and nerve-wracking!” says writer Richard Starkings. “Now that I have a copy in my hands, I’m just astounded by the Amazon Print on Demand’s quality and turnaround time! I’m very happy to be back with comiXology Originals for Season Two — alongside Ask For Mercy, Comicraft is building a whole library of titles for comiXology Originals!”

Ask For Mercy Season One: The Key To Forever – a World War II fantasy horror story in which Mercy is snatched from her own place and time to join a team of Monster Hunters who are actually Monsters themselves, and together they have to take on a Pantheon of Hideous Creatures summoned to our world by Nazi evil – will also be available print-on-demand via Amazon.com, for members of Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited, and for sale on comiXology and Kindle, starting May 8th.

ComiXology Originals offer new, exclusive comic book content across Amazon’s subscription services of Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited. Prime Reading offers Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of over a thousand top Kindle books, magazines, short works, comic books, children’s books, and more – all at no additional cost. Kindle Unlimited offers over 1 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and select current issues of popular magazines for just $9.99 a month with a 30-day free trial for new members at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. ComiXology Unlimited offers over 20,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a 30-day free trial for new members at comixology.com/unlimited.

For more updates on comiXology Originals, check out http://comixologyoriginals.com and follow comiXology on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About the Elephantmen Creative Team Richard Starkings is the creator/writer of ELEPHANTMEN; co-creator, with Abigail Jill Harding, of ASK FOR MERCY! and co-creator, with Tyler Shainline and Shaky Kane, of THE BEEF. In the course of a distinguished career in comic books, Richard edited a line of original titles for Marvel UK in the 80s, founded the COMICRAFT design and lettering studio in the 90s and established the foremost source for comic book lettering fonts at comicbookfonts.com. He has worked as a lettering artist on just about every mainstream comic book you might care to mention, including BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, and has written comic strips for THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS, ZOIDS, TRANSFORMERS and DOCTOR WHO. With Comicraft’s Secret Weapon, John Roshell, Richard created the indispensable guide, COMIC BOOK LETTERING THE COMICRAFT WAY as well as the Artist Retrospectives TIM SALE: BLACK AND WHITE and J SCOTT CAMPBELL: TIME CAPSULE. Richard loves Yorkshire Tea, Cadbury’s Flake and Lori Perkins, but not necessarily in that order.

Axel Medellin has been creating art for the ELEPHANTMEN series since 2010 and is probably meeting a deadline right now. Nevertheless, he has somehow managed to fit in drawing and coloring other comics for HEAVY METAL, Zenescope, Boom! Studios and Image Comics’ FIFTY GIRLS FIFTY with Frank Cho. Boo Cook studied illustration at Art college in Cambridge where he felt he was learning a lot as his artistic imagination was beaten out of him — which caused him to retreat to play drums for five years while he spray-painted the unspeakable parts of ceramic beagles at a factory in Scotland. In the year 2000AD he approached the British comics weekly 2000AD with his portfolio and was soon drawing notable characters such as Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, ABC Warriors, Harry Kipling, Asylum and, most recently, BLUNT for the Judge Dredd Megazine. Boo has also illustrated strips for Titans Doctor Who line and covers for various Marvel books including WOLVERINE. Boo is a talented musician and frequently performs with his bands, Forktail and Motherbox.

About the Ask For Mercy Creative Team Richard Starkings is the creator/writer of ELEPHANTMEN; co-creator, with Abigail Jill Harding, of ASK FOR MERCY! and co-creator, with Tyler Shainline and Shaky Kane, of THE BEEF. In the course of a distinguished career in comic books, Richard edited a line of original titles for Marvel UK in the 80s, founded the COMICRAFT design and lettering studio in the 90s and established the foremost source for comic book lettering fonts at comicbookfonts.com. He has worked as a lettering artist on just about every mainstream comic book you might care to mention, including BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, and has written comic strips for THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS, ZOIDS, TRANSFORMERS and DOCTOR WHO. With Comicraft’s Secret Weapon, John Roshell, Richard created the indispensable guide, COMIC BOOK LETTERING THE COMICRAFT WAY as well as the Artist Retrospectives TIM SALE: BLACK AND WHITE and J SCOTT CAMPBELL: TIME CAPSULE. Richard loves Yorkshire Tea, Cadbury’s Flake and Lori Perkins, but not necessarily in that order.

Abigail Jill Harding is a young English illustrator and comic book artist from Yorkshire, whose first professional comics work appeared in ELEPHANTMEN #72, written by Richard Starkings whom she met at a signing at Travelling Man in York. Abigail graduated from York College with a BA honours in 3D Art and Design in 2015 but continued to concentrate on her illustration work and did small comic projects. Abigail had been showcasing her mixed-media skills at the yearly Leeds Comics Arts Festival, Thought Bubble and it was the short strip she contributed to the festival’s 2015 print anthology that caught Richard’s eye. Since then she has done cover work for Titan Comics. Abigail is currently illustrating ASK FOR MERCY, a comiXology Originals title which she dreamed up with Richard Starkings while they were visiting The Royal Armouries in Leeds.

About comiXology ComiXology, an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is a revolutionary, cloud-based digital comics service. With content from over 125 publishers as well as thousands of independent creators from around the world, comiXology provides an unrivaled library of comic books, graphic novels, manga and bandes dessinées. The company’s first-in-class innovations include the exclusive Guided View technology which provides an immersive and cinematic reading experience and a new monthly subscription service. ComiXology is based in New York City, with operations in Seattle and Los Angeles. For more information, visit comixology.com and follow the company on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

About Amazon Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

To request a review copy, art or interview, Contact: Pamela Mullin Horvath, Publicity Director, Superfan Promotions LLC [email protected]

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youknowmymethods · 5 years

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Content Creator Interview #10

We’re back after a not-quite-as long-as-Sherlock hiatus to bring you @theleftpill‘s interview with @kstewmanipulation, well known amongst Sherlolly shippers for her beautiful photo manipulations, and her distinct romantic - even dreamlike - style. Together they chat about inspiration, @kstewmanipulation ’s favourite pieces, and what it is about Sherlock and Sherlolly that’s so compelling.

kstewmanipulation: Hello theleftpill! I also wish you a very happy New Year! Let it be full of wonderful and amazing moments. Thank you for your questions, I'm so excited. So come on!

theleftpill: What are your inspirations? Do you pull only from the show, or do you find inspiration in your day to day life?

kstewmanipulation: If we're talking about Sherlock, I'm inspired only by the relationship between the characters and the connections that are built in the show. Also I'm often inspired by music: when I hear a particular song, there becomes an image in my head with my favourite characters and then I transfer it all into a digital version.

theleftpill: Do you work professionally in graphics? How did you learn photomanipulation?

kstewmanipulation: I'm a designer, so I can say: Yes, I work professionally.

I learned photomanipulation during the constant practice. Working, working and working. But even now I don't always like the end result.

theleftpill: How did you develop your trademark look: the glowing auras, the silvery outlines?

kstewmanipulation: It was a very long search, but it's also a very popular technique in works of digital photographers. In addition, this technique makes it possible to create more realistic and voluminous works. Glare creates light, and light helps create volume, it's simple.

theleftpill: How do you choose when to add text? How do you decide how to incorporate it within the image?

kstewmanipulation: I'm adding a text when I realize that it's impossible not to add it. I do it 'cause I want people to see what I put in a particular image. You need text when you need to enhance the perception.

theleftpill: Most of your work is the Sherlolly ship; what draws you to this pairing? To the characters?

kstewmanipulation: Many people have already written a lot about this couple. A lot of analysis, theories and other things. I don't want to write about the same things again. I love them for the same things that all of the Sherlolly fans do for. I'll only say that I'm very impressed with how the writers built their line of relations in the show.

theleftpill: Do you ship them yourself, or do you just enjoy creating for that ship?

kstewmanipulation: I'm a huge fan of them. I almost never do works with pairings that don't inspire me, that I'm not interested in.

theleftpill: Do you create the images with a story in mind, a full narrative, or are they just a moment in time?

kstewmanipulation: More often it is a thoughtful moment of time. But sometimes there is the whole story that I wanted to reflect in the work. For example, here are two works which main idea can be safely used by someone to write a fanfic:

http://kstewmanipulation.tumblr.com/post/179956510018

http://kstewmanipulation.tumblr.com/post/179144947428

I've lined up a whole chain of events and the development of relations between the characters. There's another work in this collection that I've not posted in my blog yet, and I really don't know why. Or Molly's images in Sherlock's Mind Palace. There's a story for them too, but everyone sees his own something and that's fine. This is why pictures are created: to make us see in them our own stories.

theleftpill: The “…passion…” series: what inspired that? What sparked the visual look of it?

kstewmanipulation: I've been wanting to do something passionate with this couple. Passionate, but not vulgar and frank. And then I came across the images from the promo for the play "Romeo and Juliet" with Lily James and Richard Madden and the whole puzzle came together for me into a single picture.

theleftpill: Do you have a favourite work of yours? Is there one you wish you could do over?

kstewmanipulation: It's always hard to choose something best from your own works. But for me the most beloved ones are those that I made immediately after the end of the Season 4 of the show. When all the people were still under the impression of what they saw and discovered.

I like to fantasize about how Molly and Sherlock might have met after that fateful call from Sherrinford. And I have a lot of works on this subject. But I think the favourite one is the one I did as the cover for the Russian-language fanfic of Eleanor White ( @lady-elora ), just about this meeting. Here it is:

http://kstewmanipulation.tumblr.com/post/169741195788/kstewmanipulation-the-final-problem

I gave a lot of energy and emotions to this work, so it's dear to me. Also I advise you to see the post, which also marked my favourite works and explained why exactly:

http://kstewmanipulation.tumblr.com/post/165115224643/tagged-by-elennemigo-thank-you-dear-repost

theleftpill: What do you find so motivating or inspiring about the show Sherlock? When did you first start watching? What keeps you interested in the show?

kstewmanipulation: I started watching Sherlock from the very beginning of its translation on the TV. Thanks to God, it had been shown in our country at the same time as in GB. (Thanks to our channel-owners for buying the rights to the show). First, like all of the people maybe, I was interested in the unusual portrayal of Sherlock, then in his relationships with John and others. But the more I watched the series, the more I felt involved in what was left behind the scenes. All of those little things between our favourite couple.

And the most inspiring thing in the series for me is how characters changed and developed. Sherlock, John, Molly, Mycroft. It's a pleasure to watch the characters open up to us. There's a very very good development of the characters in this show indeed. And I love all the characters very much. Not only Sherlock and Molly, but also John... no matter how controversial he was in the last season... and Mycroft, who turned out to be able to suffer and love.

As Sherlock said, "We're all just human", and that's fine.

theleftpill: What do you like about the fandom? What keeps you motivated to create for this fandom?

kstewmanipulation: Personalities. I'm inspired by personalities and relationships between them. By the development of their characters. In this respect, the show is brilliant, honestly.

Questions from other bloggers:

@writingwife-83 asked: I’m curious, are there any other forms of art you enjoy creating as well as photo manips? Like drawing or painting? And thank you for all your amazing contributions to the ship! Your photo manips for Sherlolly are some of the best I’ve ever seen, and so inspiring!

kstewmanipulation: Thank you for such a question! I draw in real life with acrylic and pastel. Artistic creativity is both my profession and hobby. If you are interested in it you can see my Instagram, all of my works are there: https://www.instagram.com/olyatwin/

In digital art, I sometimes do manipulation for some other fandoms or just on a free theme.

@ohaine asked: What’s your starting point for a piece? Do you begin with a definite idea, or do you wait until you find inspiration in an image?

kstewmanipulation: I always start with an idea. They are constantly in my head - all the things I want to show the world. And only after I decide what an idea I want to implement, I begin to search for suitable material. But sometimes the opposite happens: first you find some image that inspires you, and the story begins to build around it. It always happens in different ways.

Thank you for your interest in my creativity! It's very nice when it finds a response in someone's minds and hearts.

Next week, Friday 03 May 2019, @likingthistoomuch puts @ohaine (eek!!) under the spotlight.

#content creator interviews #Sherlock #sherlolly #theleftpill #kstewmanipulation

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syftkogtech · 5 years

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Slinger Francisco ORTT CMT OBE, better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a Trinidadian calypso vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist.

The Interview ...

Mighty Sparrow: the king of calypso on freedom, Windrush and oral sex

He inspired Bob Marley’s political awakening, survived a coma, and has sung about everything from sex workers to Khrushchev. And at 83, the calypso great still wants to turn the news into song

~ Vivien Goldman

https://youtu.be/PhxQmzR0Yzc

Can you put on the TV news?” asks Slinger Francisco, AKA Mighty Sparrow. While the photographer sets up in my living room in Queens, New York City, the 83-year-old calypso originator scrutinises the screen, where the US midterm elections offer gold to this instinctive satirist.

Watching Sparrow watch the news, eyes narrowed in concentration, is a reminder of the decades of conflict he has processed into poetry – from the impact of US naval withdrawal on Trinidad sex workers, on the infectious 1956 song Jean and Dinah, to the space age and cold war on 1963’s Kennedy and Khrushchev. More recently, he has hymned a pre-presidential Barack Obama, and railed against Russian oligarchs on

. “If you have time to look at the news,” Sparrow observes, “you see where most of those songs’ inspiration comes from. There’s no question about it.” The concept of fake news is anathema to him. “Certain people are telling the audience: ‘Don’t believe what you see, don’t believe what you hear or what you read.’ But I do believe.”

Rather like today’s verbal argy-bargies between rappers such as Drake and Pusha T, early 20th-century calypsonians also elevated barbed banter into a showbiz art called

, and locals would gleefully look forward to calypsonians’ response to every scandal and row. The rivalry between Sparrow, Lord Kitchener and Lord Melody, for example, gripped the calypso fans known as Bad Johns and Saga Girls, edgy dressers who danced the reel and quadrille in the carnival tents and were Sparrow’s constituents. “We used to put on a show!” he chuckles.

According to the Trinidadian writer and broadcaster Isaac Fergusson, “Even politicians were afraid of Sparrow and what he would reveal about them in a song. Until he came along, most calypsonians were semi-professional. People paid them with rum and food – a treat, rather than a salary. They survived on the gratitude of the people. Sparrow changed all that. He wore a suit like a businessman and insisted on being paid. He could be demanding, but musicians loved to play with him, because he treated them the best.”

Despite conflicts with the establishment behind Trinidad’s fabled carnival (

1957’s Carnival Boycott

documented his strike for fairer pay for male calypsonians), Sparrow is nevertheless an eight-time winner of each of the carnival’s Road March and Calypso Monarch awards, and is often dubbed Calypso King of the World.

The lyrical sting of calypso and the instrument associated with it, the steel pan, may be pop’s most embedded form of resistance. Starting in 1740, the legal banning of the African-style drum (made of wood and animal skin) under slavery and colonialism encouraged the invention of the steel pan. Hammering industrial metal into tempered scales, steel pans were made out of oil drums from the island’s chief export; this was music made by any means necessary, to defy those who benefited most from the island’s resources. Calypso’s lyrics, too, became a forum for thrashing out the issues of the day, reporting on anything from industrial disputes to sexual peccadilloes.

Colonial-era education and studies of the English poets remain foundational for Sparrow. “We always wanted to belong to the English side of things, because that’s all we knew,” he says. “As we grew up, America became a second part of us. But going to England felt like going home.” Throughout our conversation, Sparrow sings to make a point. “Remember this?” he asks, before breaking into Rule Britannia: “Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.”

When his mother Clarisse brought the 18-month-old Slinger and his elder brother on a small boat from their native Grenada to Trinidad, they were moving from one UK colony to another. Though both islands like to claim him, his ancestors were involuntary immigrants. Sparrow’s gripping track

, from the 1964 album True Life Stories of People, Passion and Politics, set a template for how Caribbean music could interpret its bloody history. Fergusson recalls his friend Bob Marley confiding: “When I heard the Mighty Sparrow sing The Slave, I knew what I wanted to do with my music.” Over a propulsive afro-cuban jazz rhythm, Sparrow’s pointed enunciation and swelling attack on the chorus build a narrative that presages Marley’s Redemption Song. “I got to make a brilliant escape / But every time I think about the whip and dem dogs / My body starts to shake.” As Sparrow soars into the line, “Lord, I wanna be free”, the track stops so abruptly that it feels as if the listener is leaping from a cliff into the ocean to escape the slave-catcher’s dogs at their heels.

Sparrow’s life since has reinforced these creative imaginings. Few people have survived a coma to perform again; in 2013, he hovered between worlds for two weeks. Even fewer have teased those writing them off, as evidenced by 1970’s

. And not many descendants of stolen Africans have managed to make the return journey, but Sparrow did. Inspired by a visit to Nigeria in the 1970s, he has recorded in Yoruba, as well as Creole French, Spanish and Dutch. Despite the military regime, Sparrow found Lagos a paradise. “I never thought I’d reach there – it was like the garden of Eden. They basically did everything like we do in Trinidad.” Sparrow met the firebrand Afrobeat creator, Fela Kuti, and was honoured with a title, Chief Omo Wale of Ikoyi.

But he had already toured Africa in song, taking a fantasy trip on one of his most beloved numbers, 1964’s hilarious "Congo Man "

. Opening with a lusty chuckle, it finds Sparrow revealing his envy of a cannibal who has enjoyed eating two white American girls, one cooked and one raw. Despite the song’s popularity, it was banned from local radio till 1989. In my lounge, Sparrow sings the familiar verses and even enacts a typical audience reaction: “I never eat white meat yet, except” – a beat, eyes twinkling – “all right, just one time in Canada!” Cue the audience, corpsing. Well-versed in calypsonian double entendres, they understood that he was skewering not so much racism or cannibalism, but another taboo: oral sex.

The reason for today’s interview, however, is more serious. Sparrow has been called to England to perform at the

London jazz festival

Windrush

celebration, curated by Anglo-Trinidadian poet and teacher Anthony Joseph, and featuring Calypso Rose, Cleveland Watkiss, Gaika and others. It is a strategic reminder, after the recent scandal in which some of those Caribbean immigrants were redefined as illegal by the Home Office, of the defining contribution that Afro-Caribbean artists have been making to British culture ever since Sparrow’s frenemy Lord Kitchener walked off the Windrush in 1948 and sang “London is the place for me” into a Pathé News microphone – a catchy line that heralded the arrival of multicultural Britain.

Contemplating Brexit, Sparrow mutters: “I wonder why that happened?” He has confronted such divisions and dashed dreams of solidarity before, in 1959’s Federation, his comment on the crash of the post-colonial ideal of a united Caribbean. “We were trying to benefit [from independence] and we wanted to get all these islands together, create a federation where we could bargain better and benefit by all being together,” he says. “But once individual prime ministers in the

had tasted power, nobody wanted to give it up. Suddenly, before you could really get together, it’s all broken up. What do you do? It was terrible.

“In a way, it was similar to the scandal around the Windrush,” he continues. “Suddenly you are told you are a non-person, not to be treated with any respect. They say they don’t want you.”

Sparrow has succeeded in translating his witty island authenticity to the world, in a one-man demonstration of the role that culture plays in uniting humankind. Having seen and heard so much and compressed it into so many searing songs, as he anticipates performing to symbolise the beleaguered, resistant Windrush generation, how does Sparrow think we should approach the future?

“What would I like to see? People get together and get involved with fixing things instead of just having everything severed,” he replies. “We have to just hope that the younger ones step in and get involved as early as they can, to make things better. You know, singularity is not a thing that we want too much. We don’t want to be singular, as time goes on. We want to be together.”

Windrush: A Celebration

, at the Barbican, London, tomorrow, as part of the EFG London Jazz festival

~The Guardian

Dec. 2018

#mighty Sparrow #calypso #westindian #trinidad #calypsoking #tentoone

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zacharyleishmanfilmstudent · 3 years

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FILM 303 Creative Professional Conclusions: Crowdfunding and Sourcing Deep Dive – Lecture Notes and Thoughts:

This session featured a deep dive look into the many resources available to secure and utilise crowdfunding in for our grad film projects, or for use in future projects across our practice. The session was designed to discuss the many options available to us to secure funding, and then use this research to begin planning how we may utilise these resources.

Crowdfunding as a concept in itself is fairly simple. In all productions, producers are required to develop a budget that covers all below and above line costs from cast to shooting and development processes. This budget is typically financed by a studio but frequently in independent endeavours media makers have to find means to finance themselves.

The most common form of funding independent filmmakers can gain is found through crowdfunding. Taking the place of the involvement of friendly investors, this is where strangers who have been convinced to donate to the project contribute to the budget with their own money, in an effort to support the project/creator.

Crowdfunding can come in three different forms. All take place usually on social media the forms consisting of, equity crowdfunding, where investors receive a return on their payment, rewards crowdfunding where non-financial incentives are offered for donations and finally simple donation crowdfunding which is just simply charity.

Rewards crowdfunding is the most popular and the method I have the most experience with and would personally offer. It is the less risky option should your production run into issues and you find yourself unable to return funds to your investor and is ultimately a good show of gratitude in any small form to your backers.

Rewards crowdfunding involves the artist offering specific rewards once certain milestones are achieved in your push to gain funding. An example of this could be offering concept art, a copy of the script, pieces of your soundtrack or early test screenings. It assures the donor of the feasibility of your project, that actual work is going towards it, whilst also maintaining interest in the project, possibly helping develop communities around it, if enough people want to work to access all of your available rewards. It is effective in being in its own way, supplementary content creation but does also pose the risk of fitting into the gig economy, you are putting all of your eggs in one basket and there is zero guarantee of success.

The overall benefits do though greatly outweigh the risks. It generates a maintained social media presence for your work, doesn’t come across as corporate, allows you to directly appeal and pander to niche audiences and you can sometimes be lucky enough to gain extra funds even after the donation period has ended.

There are several platforms on which artists can crowdfund but possibly the two platforms that bare the most use and benefit to my practice are Kickstarter and Patreon. Kickstarter is effectively the epitome of the rewards crowdfunding system previously discussed. A site specifically designed to creators to pitch projects and find support it operates on a reward system utilised to draw up attention but is reliant on the project reaching its total funding goal to access any of the funds you’ve gained during the process.

Patreon in contrast to this differs in that it is a support network for artists not their projects. Here artists can offer rewards in return for directly funding their livelihood. Used particularly by YouTubers they offer rewards such as exclusive content or direct communication in return for money they use when ad revenue is not available. There are no direct downsides to Patreon but there is a very tricky formula to maintaining audience interest and does require you to be producing regular and quality content if not quality rewards to make the donation seem worthwhile.

Both have been used to scam and cheat certain audiences and like any social media there are adverts for even the most useless and inane of the causes. However, both platforms can be used to really provide positive support to creatives and really help make or break their art in a time where it is increasingly difficult for artist to gain the likes of major studio support or just have their platform on which they operate, treat them fairly.

After having discussed the styles and functionality of these platforms we were tasked individually with researching the successful instances artists have found on these platforms and then determine how we might create our own campaign or programme on these platforms.

An extremely successful Kickstarter campaign that I have previously researched at great lengths due to the sheer impressiveness of its success, is the Kickstarter campaign for the Indie hit game, ‘Shovel Knight’. Through Kickstarter, indie development team Yacht Club games were able to launch their 8-bit homemade platformer into one of the industry’s most beloved and well-known titles.

The success of Shovel Knight was born out of the game not just being a legitimately fantastic product but through the approach Yacht Club took when trying to fundraise for the project. Setting the bare minimum target for their total goal their approach focused on acquiring what was necessary, it made the project seem trustworthy. The team wasn’t seemingly asking for any more than they needed just what they needed to make the game and survive financially. The honesty present was a huge reason to place trust in this team, when the platform had previously been used to take excessive amounts of money from fans and not committing it to the actual listed project, as seen in the case of the now industry hated ‘Mighty Number 9’.

Gaining publicity for the game was something Yacht Club was able to quickly get their hands on, sending early test models of the game’s beginning stages to streamers focused on retro game content, attracting both their fans and support. It signalled this was a project that was meant for the fans and was a love letter to the fans who missed this era of games as well as to the era itself.

The real killer of this Kickstarter however were the reward tiers. The make-or-break factor of many a Kickstarter, Yacht Club promised new character campaigns that would be released as full DLC once the stretch goals for the main game had been reached. Effectively saddling themselves with even more work, work that they didn’t finish until years after the full game’s eventual release in 2014, the team once again sold donors on Shovel Knight as a product. This was not a one and done hit, this was a product that would be supported and would become a long-time investment to the fans good enough to believe in the product.

A larger risk had the game failed, but one that they were ultimately able to pull off, the main lessons I would take from this campaign is the importance of getting your name out amongst the fans and giving them decent incentives to back you that are actually valuable.

A Kickstarter campaign is not something I intend to start for my grad project film ‘Eulogy’ given the film has already been self-financed and doesn’t likely require further funds. However, I still believe that the project could possess a strong campaign that offered a variety of rewards to those who chose to donate. The budget I would hypothetically want to reach would range between £200-£300 and whilst lacking the funds or manpower of Yacht Club to produce the same quantity of rewards or the scale they possessed I would still attempt to produce a quality and modest set of rewards.

£1 Patrons = Name in credits and a signed copy of the script

£5 Patrons = Name in credits, signed copy of the script and behind the scenes featurettes and commentary videos

£10 Patrons = Name in credits, signed copy of the script, BTS videos and original limited print of the artwork featured in the film.

£20 Patrons = All of the above and early access screening of both work in progress and final cuts of the film.

These rewards I would envision to be a decent incentive for donors to consider donating and given the low rate of the budget and rewards available at every tier, it seems likely that even if the majority of donations were on the lowest tiers, I may still be able to finance the film and the donors will be thanked for their contribution.

A platform I do greatly intend to make use of in my future though is Patreon. Whether my practice continues to focus on filmmaking or not a great hope that I have is that I will be able to commit to the creation of video essay material on YouTube analysing media I have a knowledge and affinity for. Ad revenue is famously a poor means of supporting oneself through YouTube so if in some reality I could attract a following, I would offer a Patreon through which they could support me.

My Patreon model would be based on a current Patreon I currently donate to, the patreon for the ‘Let’s Fight a Boss’ podcast. An Irish podcast the trio discuss the media they’re consuming and offer livestreams of obscure video game series, their playthrough of ‘Shenmue’ being possibly their most famous content. Their Patreon model is quite modest, there not being many rewards, they can offer in a Podcast format but still being worthwhile enough in themselves. The rewards I have been able to access by donating, is access to their private discord for fellow patrons, shout outs for actual patrons during episodes of the podcast and access to exclusive episodes not featured on their channel.

Any rewards I would offer on Patreon would follow a similar model, I myself wanting to produce some similar digital rewards that also focuses on thanking and involving fans in my work to show gratitude for their charity. Whilst there’s no guarantee this plan will ever actually take shape, this is the hypothetical rewards system I have long planned to offer.

£1 Patrons = Name in the credits of videos and access to channel discord.

£5 Patrons = Name in credits, access to channel discord, a verbal shoutout at the end of the video and access to behind the scenes editing commentary videos.

£10 Patrons = All of the above with early access to videos, access to private vote to determine topic of videos and access to four Patreon exclusive videos not featured on YouTube.

This is model I think I could feasibly create and that ultimately isn’t greedy. I doubt I will commit to YouTube full time, but this is enough of a rate where I could consider it a viable side project/earning if I can hopefully develop enough of a following, and I believe this reward programme is quite generous in that regard and wouldn’t lead to burn out.

The many benefits and pitfalls of crowdfunding have been apparent to me even before I considered entering this industry myself. My desire to utilise crowdfunding within my current practice is undeniably minimal as I do not have the confidence to consider asking for money for an amateur project. However when my practice does eventually alternate to this new video essay focus, considering crowdfunding on Patreon will be completely necessary if it is media I want to make viable.

#Creative Professional Conclusions FILM 303 PCA FILM BLOG POST

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growinstablog · 4 years

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The Top Instagram Accounts to Learn Marketing From

Instagram has come a long way since it started in 2010. Back then, it was merely a photo-sharing app filled with pictures of food, pets, toddlers, people having fun, and more pets. In fact, the first photo ever uploaded on Instagram was of a dog, which was taken by co-founder Kevin Systrom.

View this post on Instagram

test

A post shared by Kevin Systrom (@kevin) on Jul 16, 2010 at 2:24pm PDT

Fast forward to today, and you’ll still see photos of pets, food, toddlers, and people having fun, but you know that Instagram is not the same anymore. From the new filters and stickers to stories and hashtags, Instagram has grown into something a lot bigger than everyone – including its creators – thought it would be.

From the time it was bought by Facebook in 2012, Instagram has become a very lucrative marketing platform for brands, businesses, and even for people who only want to reach out to certain groups of people. Let’s take a look at five of the top Instagram accounts and learn some marketing tips from them.

Top Instagram accounts: Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional football player who became the most expensive footballer when he signed for Real Madrid in 2009. His move to Juventus caused some other movement in the world of football…

Facebook fan pages for Real Madrid are changing their names to Juventus after the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer. pic.twitter.com/kylXtH29Uw

— Football Tweet (@Football__Tweet) July 24, 2018

Although a bit funny, the tweet above is a reflection of Cristiano Ronaldo’s fan base. His followers are loyal and on Instagram alone, we are talking about 147 million of them. What marketing tips can we learn from the most followed person on Instagram?

First of all, Cristiano Ronaldo posts interesting content on his Instagram account mainly because he knows what his followers want to see. This includes snaps of him in action on the football field, to intimate moments with his wife and family.

View this post on Instagram

Mis amores ❤️❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Oct 12, 2018 at 11:04am PDT

There are shots of him doing workouts because his followers appreciate the motivation, and like to see what makes him so great.

View this post on Instagram

Happy Sunday 👌🧘‍♂️😘

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Aug 26, 2018 at 3:25am PDT

Ronaldo also partners with well-known brands on his Instagram account, and most of these posts (if not all) are paid. The good thing about Ronaldo though is that he doesn’t bombard his followers with paid posts. He posts regularly, sometimes two to three times a day, but when I looked at 100 of his posts, only 15 of them were paid partnerships.

Even though he owns a hotel, and has his own brand of underwear, fragrance line, and other merchandise, he doesn’t over-promote them on Instagram. The brands Ronaldo partners with are also those that are relevant to his image as a sports superstar. He also calls his followers to action in some of his posts, but does not overdo it.

Top Instagram accounts: Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez started out on the Disney Channel with Barney & Friends, and then moved on to appear as Alex in the Wizards of Waverly Place. She appeared on other TV series and films, then later on crossed over to the music industry with her band, Selena Gomez and the Scene. She went solo in 2013, and has continued crossing between the music and film industry since then.

While not exactly the biggest star in her generation, she was the most followed person on Instagram before Cristiano Ronaldo took over in October 2018. Her intriguing relationship with Justin Bieber and close friendship with Taylor Swift may have contributed to her popularity, and you can think of how these relationships acted as influcener marketing and collaborations. Other factors are at play as well.

View this post on Instagram

I’m glad you were born. You write all the thoughts some aren’t able to articulate. (ME!) Thank you for giving a voice to this world that is authentic and inspiring. I wish some knew how big your heart actually is.. it’s fierce, bold and freaking wild with light. I’m glad you protect that. Love you @taylorswift

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Dec 13, 2017 at 1:24pm PST

Selena Gomez posts contents with a strong and intriguing voice, with a self-deprecating side. This makes her followers long for more of her, although she doesn’t post regularly as compared to other celebrities. Gomez even goes on social media hiatuses, which is probably why she lost the spot as the most followed Instagram account.

Selena Gomez’s partnership with A21 and WE Movement reflect her image as a celebrity who wants to make a difference and use her influence in the right way. She also has paid partnerships with brands such as Puma, but these posts do not take over her whole Instagram account.

View this post on Instagram

I don’t want this to just be an Instagram post anymore. PLEASE. ENOUGH. These people, families and CHILDREN have suffered enough. Today we march for our lives. I’m going to continue to trust god with the future and also play my part in bringing change. #marchforourlives #notjustahashtag

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Mar 24, 2018 at 2:52pm PDT

As with all celebrity accounts, she keep the mix more towards personal content than advertorial content.

Top Instagram accounts: National Geographic

The official account of the National Geographic Society is the top non-celebrity account on Instagram, with over 94 million followers. It’s easy to dismiss the Instagram success of this scientific and educational non-profit organization as a natural phenomenon, owing to the fact that it has always been an expert in photography since 1888, with hundreds of great photographers on its payroll.

As a matter of fact, the organization says that their strategy involved giving their Instagram password to a hundred of their photographers and telling them to post photos often, but not too often. These photographers often tell the stories behind the photos in the captions, and make use of relevant hashtags.

View this post on Instagram

Photo by @FransLanting | King penguins molt before they start a new breeding cycle. On South Georgia Island masses of kings gather along glacial streams where they stand for several weeks while they shed their old feathers. During their molt, they cannot go to sea to feed because they are losing their insulation. So all these birds are fasting. They’ll drink water or eat snow, but that’s it. They lose a lot of weight but at the end of their molt, they look like brand new birds, with striking yellow-orange neck patches that indicate they’re ready to breed. @thephotosociety @natgeocreative @natgeotravel #Penguins #Kingpenguins #Wild #Antarctica #SouthGeorgiaIsland #Nature #WildlifePhotography #Naturelovers

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Nov 29, 2018 at 3:00pm PST

National Geographic also posts Instagram stories and creates story highlights to make it easier for their followers to browse through their stories. They also have paid partnerships with brands and organizations within the same field of interest. The account also feature videos occasionally, which garner a high level of engagement. The video below, for instance, has over 321,000 likes and more than two million views.

View this post on Instagram

Video by Michaela Skovranova @mishkusk | A young Green Turtle is enjoying a jellyfish meal off the East Coast of Australia. Juvenile green turtles are omnivores and will happily feed on almost anything, jellyfish included. As they grow older their diet tends to shift towards consuming seagrass and algae. Because sea turtles are reptiles, they are much less likely to suffer from the adverse effects of the jellyfish stinging cells. Unfortunately for turtles, it is often hard to distinguish a piece of floating plastic from a jellyfish. Research has shown that a turtle has a 22% chance of dying if it eats just one piece of plastic. Us humans have excellent opportunity to help – we can opt for plastic-free alternatives, shop consciously or even collect a few pieces of debris on our walk home. Drains and rivers lead to the ocean, therefore, no matter where in the world you are every little bit counts. #plasticfree #ocean #underwater #nature #wildlife #australia #julianrocks #greenturtle

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Nov 19, 2018 at 1:23pm PST

Top Instagram accounts: Nike

Nike is an American multinational corporation, which is one of the most popular brand for sports equipment, apparel, and shoes. It was founded in 1964, and has adapted to trends over the years – both in fashion and marketing strategies. This is evident in their Instagram account, which is the second most followed non-celebrity account with more than 82 million followers.

The company posts on Instagram once a week, and is one of the few companies that uses a brand-specific hashtag effectively. Their “Just Do It” tagline was coined in 1988 and has been famously associated with the company even before Instagram. It naturally became an effective hashtag as Nike inspires its followers with motivational captions and great photos.

View this post on Instagram

Don’t just dream of a place on the podium. Dream of a place in history. #justdoit

A post shared by nike (@nike) on Nov 1, 2018 at 8:16am PDT

Top Instagram accounts: Victoria’s Secret

Victoria’s Secret started in 1977 and has grown to become the largest lingerie brand with multiple international franchises. Aside from women’s lingerie, it also develops and sells beauty products and other women’s wear. The company’s fashion show, which features Victoria’s Secret models wearing the brand’s designs, is the most-watched fashion event each year, with over 800 million people watching all over the world.

View this post on Instagram

Music. Fashion. Angels. Only one show has all three—tune in THIS Sunday, Dec. 2, at 10/9c on @abcnetwork! #VSFashionShow

A post shared by Victoria’s Secret (@victoriassecret) on Dec 1, 2018 at 4:45pm PST

It’s no wonder then that the company’s Instagram account has 62 million followers as of November 2018, becoming the third most followed Instagram account that’s not owned by a celebrity. The number of followers on the brand’s Instagram account can only increase as they take advantage of features such as story highlights and make use of brand-specific hashtags.

View this post on Instagram

40-50% OFF. EVERY. SINGLE. BRA. The #CyberMonday madness ends TONIGHT! . . . Online only. Excl. apply. S&H applies. Ends 11.26. 🇺🇸🇨🇦 only.

A post shared by Victoria’s Secret (@victoriassecret) on Nov 26, 2018 at 11:25am PST

Victoria’s Secret also announces exclusive discounts and other promos through Instagram, which entice more people to follow them.

Marketing tips from top Instagram accounts

From celebrities like Cristiano Ronaldo and Selena Gomez, to organizations such as National Geographic, Nike, and Victoria’s Secret, you can learn effective marketing strategies that can help your Instagram account grow.

Interesting content: Victoria’s Secret, Selena Gomez, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram accounts give their followers glimpses of what it’s like for the rich and the famous, with the authenticity people appreciate. National Geographic’s posts are mostly educational, while Nike focuses on motivating their followers.

Value added: This tells us that people are attracted to content that either entertains them or adds value to their life. Therefore, your marketing strategy should start with creating engaging content.

Post consistently and regularly: Four of the top five Instagram accounts in this article posts two to three photos or videos per day. This consistency helps them remain in their followers’ feed, but not to the point of spamming.

How often should you post on #instagram? 👇 pic.twitter.com/nmAVyZmaMv

— CoSchedule (@CoSchedule) May 23, 2018

Hiatus: Selena Gomez goes on social media breaks, which is said to be the reason why she lost the top spot as the most followed Instagram account in October. While she is still in the second spot, this should teach us that going on an Instagram hiatus is not healthy for accounts who want to grow.

Hashtags: You may have noticed that these accounts do not use a lot of hashtags, but those that they use are specific and relevant. The tip is to create hashtags that can be associated exclusively to your Instagram account. Cristiano Ronaldo’s #cr7, Victoria’s Secret’s #VSFashionshow, and Nike’s #justdoit are just examples of brand-specific hashtags. For growing Instagram accounts, it’s advisable to also use a mix of specific and general hashtags so you can reach more people.

Partnerships: While these Instagram accounts mostly have paid partnerships, this still teaches us the value of collaborating with other people on Instagram. It is also important to choose micro-influencers that are in the same industry or niche.

Videos: More and more brands are using videos to convey their message, banking on our most dominant sense: vision.

Experts are picking Video Content Marketing as THE #1 way to GROW YOUR BUSINESS. So what’s holding you back? Cost? Don’t know where to start? Don’t want to be on camera? This guide has the answers. https://t.co/HzwHYVManEpic.twitter.com/c52Q9TgjIN

— Frogleapseo (@frogleapseo) December 1, 2018

National Geographic posts videos that are educational, Victoria’s Secret’s videos are teasers, while Nike’s videos are inspirational. There is therefore no definite type of video that can make an Instagram account successful, just make sure that your videos can draw the attention of your followers and keep them on your account.

Even successful brands and personalities such as the top Instagram accounts we discussed in this article make use of marketing tactics, proving all the more that great content, hashtags, videos, and partnerships are effective in growing your Instagram.

https://growinsta.xyz/the-top-instagram-accounts-to-learn-marketing-from/

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poemofeverybodyssouls · 7 years

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Atlus Is Currently Hiring! Interview With "Persona" Character Designer Shigenori Soejima #DESKWATCH

2017.04.28

#DESKWATCH is a project that shines the spotlight on creators of illustrations, manga, anime, videos, music…. and their work environment. Discover how these gems of creativity are born, and what kind of tools professional creators use through photos and interviews!

Interview & article by Momoka Ito (vi) Pictures by Satopon

This time we visited Atlus, the video game studio behind groundbreaking titles such as Shin Megami Tensei, Persona and Etrian Odyssey. We were also lucky enough to have the chance to interview Shigenori Soejima, character designer for the Persona series and art director of Atlus new project Project Re Fantasy. We asked him about his illustrations and about the way he does design.

▲ Project Re Fantasy is a brand new project that is still under development. It's produced by Katsura Hashino, who also produced Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, and character designer Shigenori Soejima tagged along.

We also heard that Atlus is looking for new staff, and we decided to give you all a chance by creating a special platform on pixiv to make your entry! In you're interested, please check the application form at the end of the article.

▲ This time we visited Soejima's workspace, a.k.a. the "P・STUDIO" floor.. At the entrance, we were greeted by Persona 4 mascotte Teddie and a vending machine.

I started to work at Atlus right after graduating. What is it like to work at Atlus?

-- I guess every video game fan already knows what Atlus is, but can you tell us something about your company? What are your most representative titles?

The most famous ones are without any doubt Shin Megami Tensei and the Persona series. Other representative titles are the Etrian Odyssey series and the most recent Catherine.

-- How did you start working at Atlus?

It was 1995. I just graduated, and Atlus had just started to produce Revelations: Persona. I started working there as a designer, but at the time the separation between tasks wasn't so harsh so I ended up doing a little bit of everything. Even pixel art.

-- Why did you choose Atlus?

It was because it wasn't such a big company at the time. (laughs) I thought if I were to enter a big company, I wouldn't have had much freedom to do whatever I pleased. On the other hand, at a company like Atlus I had many opportunities to give my contribution.

-- What software are you using mainly?

Paint Tool SAI and Photoshop.

For the part where I use my pen tablet, I use SAI. So lines, coloring... I use Photoshop mainly to adjust the colors and to add special effects. Sometimes I also use CLIP STUDIO.

-- Do you use a LCD tablet or a regular one?

I've been using a regular tablet for the longest time, 'cause I didn't like the idea of hiding my illustrations with my hand. However, I heard so many times about how great LCD tablets are that I'm thinking to get one. (laughs) I'm a creature of habit. If there's a device I like to use, I'll keep using even after it gets obsolete. Other members of the staff, though, use much newer things.

▲ His PC is a Windows 7, Intel Core i7 - 6700 32GB memory at 3.4 GHz. Soejima's favorite pen tablet is an "Intuos 3" from 10 years ago. A good workman does not blame his tools!

-- What are your must-have items?

My headphones. I use BOSE and AKG. The latter are the result of a collaboration between AKG and Persona 5.

▲ These "AKG K845BT" feature Persona 5 character Sakura Futaba.

-- Since headphones are your must-have item, I imagine you listen to a lot of music while you work!

Yes, mainly video game music. Or better, the music from the game I'm currently working for.

The atmosphere of my illustrations changes quite a lot according to what kind of music I'm listening, so I always try to get the BGM music data in advance to use it while I'm drawing.

-- I see, so you're using the BGM of the title you're working on. I'm kinda jealous of your work environment!

Creators can move freely at Atlus

-- If you're a creator, you have two choices: to work as a freelancer and to work for a company. Can you tell us the advantages and disadvantages of being an employee?

One of the advantages is that you have always people around you. If you're working as a freelancer, you always have to contact your editor via phone or chat. If you work for a company, though, everyone is already there - you just need to go to their office and you can talk to them right away.

▲ In the company's common space, we found plenty of "P・STUDIO" paraphernalia.

▲ Daiichi Production, the studio behind "Shin Megami Tensei" and "Etrian Odyssey", has a shared tatami space inside the office.

▲ The common space of Studio Zero, the studio working on"Project Re Fantasy". The layout facilitates the communication between each floor.

▲ A one-of-a-kind controller to commemorate the advent of Persona 5 sent from someone who works at Atlus USA. We need this...!

When you're a creator of any kind, it can be hard to complete a project or gather all necessary ideas by yourself. Having a group of people around you can really help!

Also, you can get all the equipment you need. If you tell someone "I need this thing for my work", they're gonna buy it for you. And I'm not only talking about hardware - they'll gather resources and whatever else you need. One of the merits of working in a company is that the environment built around you is thought for work.

However, the thing I like the most is the dynamism that working for a game company creates. Many brains mean many ideas, many illustrations, many people involved in the game. I really love this about Atlus.

The disadvantage is... Having a last train home. (laughs) There are limitations on how much we can work, so if I end up staying too late someone is gonna get angry at me.

But let's think about it. You need to learn self-management this way, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

-- Can you tell us something more about Atlus work rules?

Core time is from 11 until 16. During that time span, you should be at the company. But since work hours are flexible, they tend not to be too strict. You can get to work early in the morning and go home 8 hours later, or you can get to the office just in time for core time, at 11 o'clock.

-- It's nice to have that kind of freedom! How many hours do you work?

When deadlines are approaching, I can work all day every day... (laughs) But basically, I work according to the rules.

-- What do you do in order to rest your eyes and hands?

I think it's really important to choose the perfect chair. My company really values a nice work environment, so everyone is usually sitting on a very nice chair.

Us designers, unlike illustrations, don't really keep drawing for hours and hours. We often look at materials and resources or have meetings. That's why I don't think the burden on our bodies is too big.

What are the limitations on character design? Joys and sorrows of group work

-- Can you tell what goes inside the head of a character designer? How can you become good at it?

"Character design" means to create the setting for a certain character, but I think that the ability to draw is a prerequisite in order to be able to convey all their characteristics.

A thing I realized when I entered this company is that even if you're good at drawing, that doesn't mean you will make a good character designer. Competitions inside the company can get pretty harsh, but sometimes it can happen that designs from people who can't draw end up being adopted. For the initial concept, stick figures are usually better than super detailed characters.

It might be hard to get good at design if you're not that good at drawing, but I'm pretty sure that "drawing skills" and "design skills" are two completely different things. I realized all these things after joining Atlus, and since then I've always been drawing to increase my skills as a designer.

-- What is the best way to increase your skills as a designer?

Of course, it's important to observe what's around you... But there's something less vague that you could do. Personally, I started from asking myself: "What's the thing that I enjoy the most?" I think when you start drawing something you're always influenced by what's popular at that time. Then, you start looking for ways to be different from the popular creators. However, you don't always get results right away. I was even scolded by my boss because I couldn't find a satisfying output, a way to be different. (laughs) He told me to just be myself and to draw what I felt like drawing. Since that moment I started actively thinking about how to create something that was different from whatever came in the past. I started to find the things I was missing. It's important to continuously try to perfect yourself, both by studying and by finding new interests.

▲ Even a successful designer like Soejima was scolded at the start of his career.

-- What's the most fun thing about character design?

To give shape to a character that has only a vague image gives me a blast every time.

Characters are not something that I make on my own, but that our team creates together. I like sharing what I made with the team, and everyone usually reacts with "Oh, so this is what this character was like!"

When I have to design a character, I start with written indications. Going from that to an actual physical image... That's the most fun that I have during my job.

-- And what's the most frustrating thing?

Since design is quite different from plain art, there are many things that I have to consider when creating a character. I have to think that that same character will be made into a 3D model and animated... And if, for example, character A and character B are brothers they should resemble each other. I have to base my drawings on character settings, and that leads to some limitations. It's very hard to respect those limitations while creating a good character.

▲ Character creation is something that various members of the staff collaborate on. It doesn't matter how small a character is, there's always much thought going into it.

-- I think that the designs for "personas" appearing in the Persona series are very cool and stylish. How are these creatures born?

The first thing that I consider is what kind of impression that persona will leave when it meets the eye of the player.

Do you want it to be cool? Scary? I mix different ingredients according to the kind of persona I want to create.

However, designs that are too easy to understand can end up resulting quite boring. I like to add elements that create a little mystery... I want the players to think "why does this persona look like this?". My intent is not only to create good looking creatures but also to make the player curious about the original setting for each of them.

-- What would you recommend to all those who're aiming for a career as an illustrator or character designer?

I think the best method to learn something is "to make it into a job". If you only do something as a hobby, you'll tend to be biased towards things you like.

By entering a company, you'll have the chance to draw both things from your specialty field and things outside of it.

When I joined Atlus I was quite confident about my skills, but I can't say the same about drawing something outside my field of interest. I remember clearly what one of my senpai said to me back then: "Soejima, you pretend like you can draw anything, but you actually can't draw at all". (laughs) So instead of working at your desk and thinking "I'd like to make this into a job one day", get out there and make it into a job. And I hope you will choose our company!

youtube

▲ Soejima drew Persona 5 character Makoto Niijima just for us. How beautiful is this!?

Atlus is currently hiring! Apply through pixiv!

-- I would like to ask you something about recruiting. What made you decide to recruit new staff?

After Persona 5 was released, the same team is considering to work on another project, Project Re Fantasy by Studio Zero, which I'm working on as an art director. Apart from that, Atlus is planning to launch a new project for Shin Megami Tensei 25th anniversary, but we don't have enough staff to cover all that...

We are especially looking for artists, and we heard that the best place to find them is a certain treasure cave called pixiv.

▲ Studio Zero, the freshly established studio that deals with Atlus new project. To stimulate further growth and to follow the tradition of existing Atlus projects, they are hiring new personnel.

-- Is this offer limited to newly graduated students?

No, we don't really care about that. You can apply even if you're in the middle of your career, or if you were a student quite a few years ago. People who are currently working as freelancers are also welcome to apply. We are looking for graphic creators to join our team at Atlus.

-- Isn't gonna be hard to get hired at a company like Atlus, that produces such original games?

Thank you for complimenting our company. However, it's not like people without original ideas can't find a job at Atlus! And it's not like you have to know anything and everything about Atlus if you want to join. If you played Shin Megami Tensei you probably have this image of Atlas as a super serious company, but rest assured that the creators and members of the staff are only serious when doing their job. (laughs) We are very passionate about creating original contents, but as a team we are pretty standard. It's a regular company.The tendency is to join everyone's forces when it comes to creating a new title. If you're interested in this creative side of the production, please apply! So if you're interested in becoming a character designer or an illustrator, we will be more than happy to have you!

-- Thank you so much! And to all artists out there who dream to work at Atlus... Please send your application using the form below!

★ ATLUS - Creators Wanted! Application Form ★

Make your dreams come true "right now", and not "some other day"!

Such a wholesome interview, the one we had with Atlus character designer Soejima! He told us that, rather than practice at your desk, it's way better to just find a job to get your skills up! Is it just a chance that Atlus is currently hiring new creators and staff? If you want to have a chance to make your dreams come true right now, don't miss this unique opportunity! #DESKWATCH checks out the inspiring desks of creators and observes as they strive to deliver the best quality work.

#Persona 5 #Shigenori Soejima #character designer #Pixivision #Deskwatch #interview #Atlus #P-Studio #Studio Zero #Project Re Fantasy #hiring #looking for artists #pixiv #long post

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hermanwatts · 4 years

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Sensor Sweep: Antiheroes, Theodore Sturgeon, A. E. van Vogt, Dreadstar

Popular Culture (Adam Lane Smith): Much has been made about the oft-lamented shift from Hero to Antihero and the modern obsession with romanticizing evil. Most frequently, I’ve heard this complaint directed at modern western media’s fixation on selecting one unyielding human trash fire after another as every main character. There’s a reason modern book sales and movie sales are struggling. To understand the shift over the last hundred years of stories and main characters, one must understand the cultural environments and the mental aspects at play, particularly attachment formation and its impact on society.

Writing (Rawle Nyanzi): With every passing day, it seems that global pop culture disappoints us more. Classic franchises are vandalized into self-parodies to “modernize” them, creative talent increasingly treats fandoms as the enemy, and geek-oriented media champion the intimidation and silencing of creatives who don’t toe a very particular ideological line. The Pulp Mindset is not a book on how to make millions with one simple trick. It is not a book about gaming Amazon’s ever-changing algorithm. It is a book about having the right mentality for storytelling.

Hugo Awards (Dark Herald): This years Hugos went so far beneath my radar I didn’t know they had happened. I think we have finally reached the point where a Hugo Award is actually damaging to an author’s reputation. Certainly, no one who loves Science Fiction will want to buy a book with the words Hugo Award winner on the cover. As you may know by now. George R.R. Martin hosted the 2020 Hugo Awards and he was apparently too old to be Woke.

Fiction (DMR Books): Now I don’t have to wait six months to release my collection! Necromancy in Nilztiria will be available in next month, and the cover illustration (which you can see to the left) is based upon “A Twisted Branch of Yggdrasil.” In this tale, the Norseman Hrolfgar and the Atlantean Deltor have been drawn through the labyrinths of time and space to the world of Nilztiria by a sorceress, who commands them to slay her enemy, Xaarxool the Necromancer. But as you can see this is no easy task, for Xaarxool has giant skeletons to defend him.

Fiction (Marzaat): Like most critics, he regards Sturgeon’s supreme strength as characterization. Sturgeon was allegedly good at seeing the cruelty behind civilization and the ways “conventional morality” (supposedly Sturgeon distinguished that from “fundamental ethical systems”) created anxieties and phobias hence some of his horror stories like “Bianca’s Hands”). Stableford contends Sturgeon never was onboard with John W. Campbell’s enthusiasm for science and technology. He suggests that Sturgeon’s “Killdozer!”, with its bulldozer under the control of a hostile alien force, is a hostile metaphor for that enthusiasm.

Fiction (Wasteland & Sky): Much credit should go author and editor Richard Paolinelli for all the work he has done in the Planetary Anthology series. After Superversive Press shuttered it looked unlikely that the project would ever be completed and was destined to be a what-if, but not only has Tuscany Bay released more volumes than Superversive did (and next month will have re-released all of Superversive’s old volumes), it has also carried the project into a whole new medium. That would be into the burgeoning audio book world.

History (Jon Mollison): The pre-history of the Americas is a true dark age – a time of great uncertainty and filled with mysteries for which we may never have solutions. The most basic of these, who was the first to arrive, remains shrouded in conflicting narratives and contradictory evidence provided by scattered and controversial archaeology sites. The question assumes the Bering Straits Theory is the only one that holds water. A rather sizable assumption given the dearth of evidence. And the possible explanation lies in the stone-age sailing ship piloted by Thor Heyerdahl.

Dragon Awards (Dragoncon): In this three-part series, past Dragon Award recipients talk about their award-winning novels and their Dragon Awards experience. During this time, nothing provides a better escape from the world than diving into the pages of a Dragon Award winning novel. The Dragon Awards, launched in 2016 in tandem with Dragon Con’s 30th anniversary, allows readers, writers, publishers, and editors a way to recognize excellence in all things Science Fiction and Fantasy. These Awards are by the fans, for the fans, and are a chance to reward those who have made real contributions to SF, books, games, comics, and media.

Cinema (Other Master Cylinder): John Saxon was born Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn, the first child of Antonio and Anna Orrico. His mother was born in Caserta, a small city near Naples in Italy. There’s some confusion about John’s age, partly due to his fiddling’ of the dates for his first contract. “I was born on August 5, 1936. Many have it wrong because I made myself a year older to get a Universal contract at the start. If I had been younger it wouldn’t have worked.”

Review (George Kelly): The 9th book in the Harry Dresden series features Dresden in a desperate quest to clear his vampire brother, Thomas, from a cunning plot by powerful Magical Interests. Harry Dresden, professional Wizard and Private Investigator for the City of Chicago, grew up an orphan. His upbringing included a lot of physical and mental abuse which explains his taciturn disposition.

Comic Books (Totally Epic): Finally! After 3400 pages of Epic Illustrated, we’ve (that is, I) have finally arrived at the first thing published by Epic Comics! Er, or, rather not, because first we’re doing Marvel Graphic Novel #3, Dreadstar. I mean, I kinda have to, because it bridges the story started in Epic Illustrated and The Price (over at Eclipse) and the Dreadstar series proper.

Fiction (Amatopia): I’m three-quarters through The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons–sequel to Hyperion and book 2 in the 4 book Hyperion Cantos series–and I can’t stop singing these books’ praises. I think so far I’ve convinced over ten people to give Hyperion a shot. It has been a long time since I’ve found a novel or series that has engrossed me to this degree, particularly a sci-fi novel.

Fiction & RPG (The Other Side): Over the last couple of years, I have been on a quest to find and read all the Raven books by “Richard Kirk” who was, in reality, the pen name of authors Angus Wells and Robert Holdstock. Both wrote Book 1 and then they alternated with Wells on Books 3 and 5 and Holdstock on Books 2 and 4. The story is one that is simple, but close to many FRP gamers. Raven wants to kill Karl Ir Donwayne. How is going to do that? Well, they need to Skull of Quez to appease this ruler to get to Donwayne.

Review (Rough Edges): The Digest Enthusiast, Book Twelve – Richard Krauss, ed. Interviews

Tony Gleeson (Fantastic, Amazing Science Fiction, Mike Shayne, Personal Crimes).

John Shirley (Weirdbook, Fantastic, The Crow, Constantine, Wetbones).

Games (25 Years Later): From the very beginning, you are made readily aware of not only the stakes but the epicness of the tale at the heart of Darksiders. The tale I speak of is at first set in modern-day Earth, and you take up the role of War, one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who finds himself in our realm in the midst of a battle between Heaven and Hell. This is where Darksiders gives us a taste of War’s power before stripping it all away when he is killed during the battle. After War’s demise, he is brought in front of the Charred Council, where the blame of the apocalyptic events is placed squarely on his shoulders.

Pulp Fiction (DMR Books): The story starts in the “author as ghostwriter” conceit, as was the fashion of the time ever since its popularisation by Edgar Rice Burroughs in his Sword and Planet tales, and indeed utilised by Merritt himself in other stories such as The Moon Pool. So ubiquitous is this method of acclimatising the reader to tales of death-defying derring-do, it almost lulls the reader into a false sense of security – that this adventure will be just another ripping yarn, good for the mental exercise, but could safely be put down after reading.

RPG (Black Gate): Getting into Conan 2d20, for the casual gamer, or for the merely curious, demands a fair amount of cognitive load. This is because, I believe, the system is so innovative — and those innovations are precisely what makes this a Conan game. I have encountered many anecdotes of gamers and consumers gleefully obtaining this gorgeous hardcover tome (or PDF), riffling through it, saying, “Huh?” then setting it aside with a “Sorry, not for me, but the art is pretty, and this still makes a good resource.” adventures, the pandemic hit, and these two players weren’t interested in online play.

RPG (Silver Key): Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s all about execution. The title of the post should speak for itself, but a little context. Heard on the intranets recently… “Gary Gygax ripped off Dave Arneson! Dave is D&D’s true creator!” My response: Horse shit. Ideas are like a@#$holes. We’ve all got one, and most stink. I can sit here in the calm quiet of my living room and fire off a dozen. “Weight loss app.” “Online mentoring program for pediatricians.” “Telehealth scheduling interface.” “Dying Earth role-playing game.”

Comic Books (Bleeding Cool): Sylvian Runberg writes: “When I was offered to do an adaptation of Conan, I was immediately thrilled, and for several reasons. The first is that this character was a part of my childhood, especially with the comics drawn by John Buscema and obviously the film with Arnold Scharwzenegger. But the second, and maybe the most important reason, is Patrice Louinet, one of the worldwide best specialist of Robert E. Howard, who could advise us during the making of this adaptation, offered me the possibility to discover an another Conan from the one I had in mind from this childhood, a more complex character living in a more complex world, even if we’re still talking about fantasy, magic spells, epic adventures and monsters.

T.V. (Dark Worlds Quarterly): In 1982, Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Cimmerian was brought to the big screen in a film featuring Arnold Schwartzenegger. The success of Conan the Barbarian spawned a plethora of bad Sword & Sorcery films (including Conan sequels). I will make no comment on those films here but state none was better than average and most were far below the worst of the Ray Harryhausen’s classics. Until 1999’s The Thirteenth Warrior I can’t think of a post-Conan film of a heroic fantasy of any real interest. Since the release of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Fantasy films have been experienceing another renaissance.

Tolkien (The Wert Zone): The Hugo Awards are the premier awards for science fiction and fantasy literature, first given out in 1953 and every year since 1955. One of the more interesting mysteries of the award is that J.R.R. Tolkien, widely regarded as the most prominent fantasy author of the 20th Century, was never given one despite being eligible on multiple occasions.

Science Fiction (Fantasy Literature): This collection of nine short stories, novelettes and novellas originally appeared in hardcover form in 1952, from the publisher Pelligrini & Cudahy, and sold for $3.50. By the time my edition came out, the Berkley Medallion paperback from 1963, with another wonderfully abstract/Surrealist cover by the great Richard Powers, the cover price had dropped to 50 cents but the number of stories in the collection had been reduced to seven. Missing were the novelettes “Vault of the Beast,” from the Aug. ’40 ASF, and “Heir Unapparent,” from that same magazine’s June ’45 issue.

RPG (Grognardia): I bought Mörk Borg solely because of its physical characteristics. A local friend of mine raved about it months ago and then, while perusing Free League’s website recently, I caught a glimpse of it in all its lurid glory. I was so intrigued by its bright yellow cover and black, white, and red artwork that I ordered a copy and anxiously awaited its arrival. I was not disappointed when it appeared at last: the 96-page A5 book is sturdy and well-made, like so many European RPG books these days. Most of the paper in the book has a satin finish, but its last section, presenting an introductory adventure, has a rough, natural feel to it.

Fiction (Adventures Fantastic): Today, July 24, is the birthday of John D. MacDonald (1916-1986). MacDonald wrote for the pulps and transitioned to paperbacks when the pulps died. (I wish someone would collect all his science fiction.) For today’s birthday post, I want to look at One Monday We Killed Them All. Dwight McAran beat a girl to death and went to prison for it. He’s about to get out. Dwight is Fenn Hillyer’s brother-in-law. Fenn is a cop. They don’t get along.

Sensor Sweep: Antiheroes, Theodore Sturgeon, A. E. van Vogt, Dreadstar published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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speedknight · 4 years

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STGCC 2018(SGCC was formerly Known as STGCC) File photo: speedknight.com

SGCC 2019(Formally STGCC) is happening at the Marina Bay Sands in about a week time. As one of singapore's long running and biggest pop culture event in singapore here is what is to be expected.

DC COMICS ILLUSTRATORS PART OF STELLAR GUEST LINE UP AT SINGAPORE’S LARGEST COMIC, GAMES AND TOYS CONVENTION,THIS DECEMBER Singapore Comic Con returns on 7 - 8 December with anticipation and adventure for the experienced and uninitiated; with exciting activities such as an enhanced gaming experience with GGXP, PVP @ Singapore Comic Con featuring the thrilling finals of PVP esports leagues, industry showcases and celebrity appearances; and meet & greet sessions with notable artists Pop culture fans of comics, games, toys, cosplay and everything else in between can rejoice as the annual Singapore Comic Convention (SGCC) 2019 returns from 7 to 8 December at Marina Bay Sands with tickets going on sale from 1 July 2019. SGCC will join other constituent events as part of the Singapore Media Festival this year (SMF), hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) Fans can look forward to two whole days of living their fandom fantasies with a rich mix of experiential activities and meet-and-greet sessions with pop culture icons. “SGCC will continue to feed fans with their favorite pop culture dishes, just as we have for the last 11 years as STGCC. And this year, we’re upping the game with some jaw dropping headliners,” enthused Mr. Suhaimi Sainy, Senior Manager of Special Projects, Reed Exhibitions. “Come gawk at and geek out over your beloved fandoms and franchises as you take in the moment with many activities we have in store. Fans, you won’t feel far from home.”

Comics Illustrators and Award-Winning Toy Artist Amongst Star-studded Line-up The two-day extravaganza between 7 – 8 December will see a star-studded line up of illustrators and toy designers. Hailing all the way from UK is three-time New York Times best-selling artist Mark Simpson known by the pen name Jock. Famed for his artwork in graphic novel titles, such as 2000 AD, The Losers, Wolverine and the award-winning Batman: The Black Mirror series, Jock has also produced key art concept designs and promotional imagery for films including Iron Man 3, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Dredd and Star Wars: Episode VII. Fans of DC Comics’ Batman series will also be star struck at a special meet & greet session with American comic book artist and penciller Greg Capullo. A legend in the world of comics, Greg is best known for his work on Quasar, X-Force, Angela, Spawn and Batman. Prior to his current work illustrating for the iconic Batman series, Greg provided art for Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft and contributed lead character designs for the award-winning HBO animated SPAWN series. Joining this stellar line-up is pop surrealist, Tara McPherson known for creating art pieces that explore the realms of otherworldly characters which| are born from complexities of the human psyche. Tara’s talent places her as a leading female artist for the Designer Toy movement. She has collaborated with brands like kidrobot, ToyQube and most recently Tomenosuke. Recently in 2018 she won a Designer Toy Award in the category Best Licensed Toy for her Wonder Woman Art Figure. You can catch these artists and more in action at SGCC 2019.

Changing the Game: Analog vs Digital Sports at GGXP Gaming geeks of all ages head down to the Good Game Experience (GGXP) area at SGCC 2019 to experience in the world of gaming. PVP @ Singapore Comic Con Celebrate all things esports at PVP @ Singapore Comic Con by Singtel! The stage will be set for gaming fans to rub shoulders with professional gaming influencers and celebrities, experience exclusive industry showcases such as AR and VR in gaming, witness the finals of the PVP Community Leagues featuring Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and DOTA 2, and much more. Aimed at offering amateur gamers the chance to come together for some friendly competition, the PVP Community Leagues comprise a local inter-tertiary Campus League and a regional Corporate League. A combined prize pool of cash and prizes worth more than SGD 30,000 awaits the winners, and an additional SGD 20,000 will be donated to the PVP Corporate League winners’ charities of choice – it’s gaming for good! Mr Arthur Lang, CEO of Singtel’s International Group said, “We’re thrilled to bring a whole new level of gaming action to PVP @ Singapore Comic Con as gaming becomes more intertwined in mainstream culture. We’re excited to offer fans in the region an elevated gaming experience from meeting gaming heroes and influencers to witnessing some of the latest developments in gaming technology. The deep passion for competitive gaming is also amazing to see with the PVP Community leagues drawing some 1,250 participants from schools and companies across the region. With the premier of PVP @ Singapore Comic Con we look forward to bringing more excitement to gamers of all ages and walks of life!” Old school is the new school with the Tabletop experience brought to you by Gamersaurus Rex! Explore miniature tablescapes and battlefields laden with a myriad of terrain features where players enact battles between opposing forces using beautiful hand painted miniature models. Some of the games that will be featured during the convention include tournaments both for Warhammer 40,000 and A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures Game. Visitors can also try their hand at painting these figurines which they can take home as memorabilia. Role-Playing Adventure Game freshies need not worry as Dungeons & Dragons sessions for beginners will also be hosted, letting them learn as they play. Bring Home an Exclusive T-shirt Designed by Renowned Guests!Uniquely designed T-shirts by artists hailing from all over the world will be specially reated for this year’s event and is available for sale at SGD $29 each from 1 July 2019. These limited-edition T-shirts will be available online and also sold on site at the Merchandise store at SGCC in December. The designers include New York-based award-winning artist Tara McPherson and Japanese artist Peach MoMoKo whose use of watercolours allows her to create vibrant and vintage Japanese styled artwork. Alongside these talented women is Stephanie Raphela Ho, a Singaporean artist better known as Muffinsaurs whose design style focuses on adorable animals and inspired by her daily encounters.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL CREATOR AND ’GEEK OUT’ WITH RENOWNED ARTISTS AT SINGAPORE COMIC CON 2019-New initiative to be unveiled at Singapore Comic Con 2019 to connect aspiring creators with publishers Premier pop culture extravaganza, Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2019, is proud to introduce a brand-new initiative this year that looks into connecting aspiring creators with publishers through the ‘Work In Progress’ (W.I.P) programme. Alongside this exciting initiative, visitors of SGCC 2019 can also look forward to meeting notable artists from the world of comics such as the creators of the hilariously relatable, ‘Sarah Scribbles’ and ‘My Giant Nerd Boyfriend’. If cosplaying is your passion, it’s time to get started on your outfit as registration for the Championships of Cosplay is now open

GROOMING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CREATORS Telling a compelling sequential narrative with words and pictures is a critical skill when forging a strong creative connection between the comic artist and the reader. Budding artists that have ever dreamed to work in the world of comics can now get their big break. The new W.I.P programme will allow aspiring local & Southeast Asian creators to step forward and showcase their creativity as they look to leverage on the opportunity to get talent spotted and have their work published. “Many of our fans don’t just gobble up comics and pop culture but are also aspiring creators with their own original ideas and unique stories to tell. We hope that with the W.I.P programme, we can unearth new talents, encourage people to explore opportunities to turn their passion into reality and make their dreams come true by turning their passion projects into published works,” said Mr. Suhaimi Sainy, Senior Manager, Reed Exhibitions. Each proposal submitted will be thoroughly vetted by an esteemed group of participating publishers such as Shogakukan Asia, Asiapac Books Pte Ltd and Vividthree Productions Pte Ltd + Darkbox Studio Pte Ltd for unique curated content and fresh ideas. Creators whose entries display their passion and skills in original storytelling will be presented with an opportunity to meet the publishers at SGCC this December and stand a chance of having their works published. Mark your calendars as submissions open on 29 August 2019. “Shogakukan Asia is pleased to work together with SGCC and fellow creators in the W.I.P programme,” commented Mr. Bunsho Kajiya, Managing Director, Shogakukan Asia Pte Ltd. “As the leading publisher of manga titles, Shogakukan Asia's editors possess a treasure trove of experience and knowledge which we would like to impart to a new generation of local and regional talent.” “We are delighted to be working with SGCC on this initiative to encourage aspiring creators in the region. Our company has always been committed to nurturing emerging comic talent, having published early works of many successful and well- loved comic artists such as Wee Tian Beng (Singapore), Chan Kok Sing (Malaysia) and Hu Rong (Japan/China). W.I.P programme is a fantastic opportunity for artists to give their dream career a shot,” said Chong Lingying, Manager of Asiapac Books.

GO SUPER SAIYAN AT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF COSPLAY Creativity holds no boundaries at the Championships of Cosplay, back again at SGCC 2019. A true test of talent, grit and a lot of patience, the best of the best of Singapore’s cosplay scene will be showcasing their craftsmanship and artisanal skills at this event. Each submission will undergo a pre-judging session where only up to ten contestants will be shortlisted. The ultimate champion will win an all sponsored trip to represent SGCC in the grand finals at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) in 2020 as well as a cash prize and tickets to SGCC 2020. Submissions are open until 6 October 2019.

MORE CREATORS AND MARVEL AND DC ARTISTS PART OF STAR-STUDDED LINE-UP If you’re a huge comic book fan, you’ll be stoked this December with SGCC’s line up of artists this year. In addition to meeting and interacting with legendary comic creators Jock, Greg Capullo and American artist and toy designer Tara McPherson, fans can geek out to four additional renowned artists this December. Hailing from the streets of Brooklyn, New York, is illustrator and cartoonist Sarah Andersen who rose to fame when she started her webcomic, Sarah’s Scribbles in 2011. The amusing and quirky portrayal of “adult life” which made the webcomic relatable to daily life, made it a viral hit on social media. Since then, the talented artist has published several books, such as Herding Cats, Big Mushy Happy Lump and Adulthood Is A Myth. From neighbouring country Malaysia, is rising comic artist, Tay Yen Ee or better known by her pen name, Fishball. As someone who loves drawing, Fishball uses her talent as a way of recording her daily life. Humorous, captivating and all so true, Fishball’s My Giant Nerd Boyfriend comic strip became a household name when it was picked up by Korean-based publishing portal, Webtoon. Comic fanboys and fangirls can look forward to getting up closeand personal with amazing artist, Yasmine Putri. Starting out her career as a freelancer with various stints in both Marvel and DC Comics, Yasmine is known for her gritty artistic flair that blends realism with comic styles. Her latest works include variant covers for DC’s limited series, DCeased which debuted on 1st May where she pays homage to classic horror movie posters. A comic is nothing without a gripping storyline and author Donny Cates’ brilliant writing is testament to that. Joining this year’s SGCC line up, Donny has been making a name for himself on titles such as God Country, Venom and Silver Surfer. His current run on the Absolute Carnage storyline sees the symbiote-empowered serial killer on the hunt for anyone who has ever been attached to a symbiote. It’s not over yet folks! Joining our already stacked guest line-up are comic creators, Livio Ramondelli and Creees as well as illustrators Joey Spiotto and Prema-Ja. Visitors will also be in awe as they gaze upon the jaw-dropping creations of well-known cosplayers, Astarohime and Jin (behindinfinity) who will be making an appearance at SGCC this year. As an avid cosplayer for over ten years, Astarohime has more than 100 costumes in her wardrobe that exudes outstanding precision and intricacy in each design. She has also been chosen as a representative for Russia in foreign cosplay conventions as guest-of-honor and member of the jury for the past three years. For Jin (behindinfinity), her love for cosplay has earned the passionate individual unique opportunities such as being chosen to be the official Kenshin Himura cosplayer on the Asian red-carpet premiere of the live action film for Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno and the international tour of The Lion King musical. Jin’s passion for cosplayhas also given her the opportunity to share knowledge and interact with her fans around the world.

SUNNY DAYS AT SINGAPORE COMIC CON (SGCC) 2019 WITH DESIGNER TOYS Come and play as SGCC 2019 celebrates art toys with Mighty Jaxx and answer the age-old question of how to get to Sesame Street Art toy lovers of all ages and pop culture fans can anticipate a nostalgic weekend with their favourite toy artisans at Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2019. Returning for their seventh year at SGCC 2019, award-winning design studio Mighty Jaxx prides itself in developing original content and products. Since its inception in 2012, Mighty Jaxx has delivered over thousands of products to collectors all over the world and this year, fans who grew up watching characters Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster can look forward to Mighty Jaxx’s exciting collaboration with iconic children’s show Sesame Street. “SGCC has allowed us to connect with fans of the local toy, comic and gaming community for the past six years. Through SGCC, we were also able to bring artists to share their passion and amazing works with fans in Singapore,” shared Mr. Jackson Aw, Founder, Mighty Jaxx. In conjunction with Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary this year, fans will get to relive their childhood memories with Mighty Jaxx’s Freeny’s Hidden Dissectibles: Sesame Street! collection. The collection will feature six fan favourite characters and four hidden variants, with each piece randomly packed in a box. Additionally, Mighty Jaxx will also be introducing a special edition 4-inch Elmo, and the latest XXRAY Plus Cookie Monster - debuting at SGCC 2019!

INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED TOY DESIGNERS AT SGCC 2019 Art toy afficionados will be on cloud nine with this year’s exciting line-up of toy artisans! Since he started his career in 2006, talented artist, designer and illustrator, Tik Ka from East has held solo exhibitions in major cities worldwide including Taiwan, Paris, New York and London. Tik Ka’s works reflect a cultural blend of traditional Chinese, European, American and Japanese cultures, as a result of growing up in the Hong Kong colonial era. His “Super Hero meets Chinese Opera” series was highly acclaimed by international media and individuals including, Stan Lee and Robert Downey Jr. Be prepared to gawk at the magnificent Codename Colossus series of Mechanical Dieselpunk Walking Tank Scale Models created by Michael Sng. As the owner of Machination Studio, Michael fulfilled his childhood dream of making a large fictional walking tank model and embarked on a journey to learn about 3D modelling, electronics and programming. This journey led to an invitation for him to speak on the main stage at the TED Conference 2016 in Vancouver.

RENOWNED ILLUSTRATORS AND COMIC CREATORS PART OF LINE-UP Joining the list of toy designers are more renowned illustrators and creators from the world of comics. From our little red dot is award-winning illustrator and comic artist, Koh Hong Teng who in 2012, co-created the graphic novel Ten Sticks and One Rice with writer Oh Yong Hwee. They clinched the bronze award at The 7th International Manga Award in 2013, making them Singapore's first comic creators to win a prized international award from Japan. To mark his tenth year as a comic artist, Hong Teng will also be having a solo exhibition and a talk about his works this December. If you are a fan of the New York Times best-selling, Harvey Award and multi-Eisner Award winning cannibal cop comedy series, Chew, brace yourself for an opportunity to get up close and personal with creator, John Layman this December. John’s other notable works include Cyclops, Godzilla, Scarface, House of Me: Fantastic Four and the Marvel Identity Wars Annuals. As a professional freelance artist of over 20 years, Jim Mahfood or better known as Food One has since garnered an impressive amount of followers globally. From self-publishing his own work,Girl Scouts, this led him to scoring his first big break with Marvel Comics – writing and drawing the X-Men related Generation X Underground Special. Jim’s career then took off into the fields of illustration, advertising, fine art and more. His brand-new project includes the upcoming Grrl Scouts: Stone Ghost mini-series. Based in Austin, Texas, Alexander Iaccarino is a professional illustrator who merges screen printing and the feel of classic movie posters with the influence of classic anime, western comics and video games. Alexander expresses his appreciation towards each genre through his work which is full of intricate details and a large cast of characters. Apart from being granted the opportunity to be a licensed Star Wars and Marvel poster artwork creator, Alexander has also worked with many great clients such as Playstation and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).

ESTEEMED GUESTS RETURN TO SGCC 20192 Fans are also in for a treat with their favourite artists and illustrators returning once again to SGCC. The lineup includes Japanese illustrator Peach MoMoKo (artist behind Frozen and Moana), James C Mulligan (Emmy nominee and New York Times Best Selling author) artist of KABUKI, David Mack and acclaimed artist and writer of Unnatural, Mirka Andolfo.

STEP INTO A DIMENSION OF FUN, FANTASY AND MAGIC ATSINGAPORE COMIC CONVENTION (SGCC) 2019!-A feast for the senses awaits visitors as SGCC 2019 gears up for another exciting array of activities! The countdown has begun to Singapore’s premier pop culture event, SGCC 2019, happening from 7 to 8 December at Marina Bay Sands across Halls A, B and C. Fans of all ages and fandoms can look forward to two full days of exciting activities that will not disappoint. Be enthralled by a wide range of activities such as meet and greet sessions, limited edition purchases, talent spotting, solving puzzles & games, Championships of Cosplay and more at SGCC 2019 – It’s the perfect opportunity to discover what makes you POP! An event that will have gamers at the edge of their seats over two days, will be the crowning of PVP Esports @ Singapore Comic Con by Singtel’s community league featuring Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Dota 2. If you’re into dressing up like your favourite superheroes, come down and meet with your favourite cosplayers and even take part in the Cosplay Parade happening on 7 Dec at 3.30pm. Just be sure to not leave your selfie sticks at home as you wouldn't want to miss a photo-opportunity like never before. For the talented creatives who have always wanted to get a chance to work on a TV series, get your portfolios ready. 108 Media will be premiering Fluorescent Black, a dark sci-fi TV series based on the cult favourite graphic novel published by Heavy Metal Magazine. On top of sharing juicy details about the series in their panel, 108 Media will also be holding talent spotting reviews for artists and writers to work on the series. According to the creator of the series, Mr Matthew Wilson, “It’s a very distinctive setting, made more distinctive by the central characters, who are dealing with issues you don’t commonly see in a sci-fi context. This TV series tells a crime story, like Breaking Bad, but set in the world of gene-tech-gone-wrong.” For those who love to solve puzzles and mysteries, good news, you are going to love the Heist! Head down to Curious Chimeras booth and be prepared to create a mystery story right at the convention hall - it’s time to put your thinking hat on!

Larger Star-Studded Line Up Joining this year’s stellar line-up is artist extraordinaire Mico Suayan, Jonathan Cathey from The Loyal Subjects, and tokidoki’s Simone Legno. Oh but that’s not all! We also have the co-creator of Kinnikuman, Takashi Shimada and last but not least, the duo behind the Sword Art Online light novels, Reki Kawahara and abec!

Star-studded Line-up From Across the Globe

Mr Kiasu Autograph Session STGCC2018 File photo: speedknight.com

Pop culture fans, you’re in for a treat! Don’t miss this chance to meet and greet with renownedcomic book artists, toy creators, entertainers, cosplayers and pop culture icons! Featuring guests such as Michael Sng, Koh Hong Teng, Astarohime, Andy Kubert, Peach MoMoKo, Fishball, Jason Freeny, Mufizal Mokhtar, Tara McPherson, Yasmine Putri and many more!

Good Game Experience (GGXP)

STGCC 2017 (File photo: speedknight.com)

Calling all gamers – both hardcore and casual, be sure to head down to GGXP and experience the world of gaming in a whole new level. From tabletop to console, SGCC promises that there’s something for everyone! Gaming fans rejoice and celebrate all things esports at PVP Esports @ Singapore Comic Con by Singtel and witness the finals of the PVP Community Leagues featuring Mobile Legends:Bang Bang and Dota 2. Get up close with your favourite celebrity streamer Alodia Gosiengfiao and grab the chance to battle with OG Dota 2’s Topson. Try your hand at Hearthstone®: Battlegrounds, a brand-new auto-battling game mode that introduces a fresh, strategic and 8-playerexperience. While you’re there catch Resurgence members Samuel ‘Sequinox’ Chan, Wesley ‘Lambyseries’ Seek and Deborah ‘Wolfsbanee’ Sim in a showcase segment on 7 Dec at 3:30pm. Pop by the Gaming Lounge, sit back and relax as you work your thumbs on Dota Underlords and bring home exclusive prizes! Not to mention there are over $1,000 of Dash credits are up for grabs too!

Alternatively, visitors of SGCC 2019 can also snap photos of themselves within the PVP arena, publish it on Instagram with the #PVPComicCon and stand a chance to bring home a SecretLab Omega Stealth at the end of the day. Card collectors you’re in for a surprise! Singapore’s very own Bushiroad joins SGCC’s stellar line up of tournaments as they bring to you Cardfight!! Vanguard and Future Card Buddyfight. Battle it out with your fellow competitors on the Tabletop and stand a chance to win exclusive prizes.

Additionally, fans can look forward to previews of upcoming Bushiroad cards.Explore Tabletop experience brought to you by Gamersaurus Rex! Delve into the miniature tablescapes and battlefields where players enact battles between opposing forces using hand painted miniature models. Tournaments include games like Warhammer 40,000 and A Song of Ice and Fire.

Making its debut at SGCC 2019, Pokémon fans can look forward to the #PlayPokémon Trading Card Game and Video Game Tournament from the official Pokémon Championship series. Featuring the standard format Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon on Nintendo 3DS. Participants can also fast track their invitation to the prestigious Pokémon World Championships by earning up to 200 Championship Points!

Main Stage Programmes, SPW Wrestling Ring and The Creative Space

Main Stage programme,STGCC 2018(File photo: speedknight.com)

Join SGCC’s guests on the main stage for live demos, exclusive panels and Q&A sessions. For a

full programme line up, visit https://ift.tt/2OV7OCC. Additionally, for the first time ever, catch wrestlers from Singapore Pro Wrestling (SPW), showcasing live dramatic battles between good and evil with a unique local twist - don’t blink, you won’t want to miss out! Ignite your creativity at The Creative Space and learn how to turn your hobby into a business. Join us for talks and knowledge sharing sessions by SGCC guests and industry professionals. Limited seats are available, so be sure to register your spot now.

Championships of Cosplay (CoC)- 8 Dec 2019, Sunday 4.30pm – 6.30pm

CoC,STGCC 2018 File photo: speedknight.com

Catch your favourite cosplayers showcasing their craftsmanship and artisanal skills as they battle out

to win an all sponsored trip to represent SGCC in the grand finals at the Chicago Comic &

Entertainment Expo (C2E2) next year! CoC Judges: Jin (behindinfinity), Astarohime & Bernard Phee (General Manager of Caesars)

Exclusive Merchandise & Limited Edition Collectible

Masterpeice Collectible STGCC 2018 File photo: speedknight.com

From comics to toys and collectibles – visitors of SGCC 2019 can look forward to all the limitededition offerings that is not to be missed! Get first dibs on Mighty Jaxx’s Freeny’s Hidden Dissectibles: Sesame Street collection; Royal Selangor’s Limited Edition 80th Classic Batmobile Replica as well as SaberMach’s limited edition in-universe sabers. Other exhibitors’ merchandise that you can look out for are from the MINT Museum of Toys where you can learn about the history of toy collections and participate in crafting activities. Singapore’s favourite Mr Kiasu is back and this time in celebration of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants’ 20th anniversary. Bikini Bottom meets Singapore in this clash of worlds in a coffee table book format, everyone’s favourite yellow SpongeBob SquarePants runs into the Singaporean icon and hero, Mr. Kiasu. SGCC 2019 is proud to have this new coffee table book launched during the two-day fanfare and will be signed by Mr. Johnny Lau himself. Get your hands on the limited edition SPAWN #303 selling only at SGCC 2019. Rumour has it that there will only be 250 copies available. Be sure to make this your first pit stop as soon as you enter the pop culture realm.

Discover Amazing Creations at the Artist Alley

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind commissioned art pieces, then this is the place to be! Explore hidden gems from an eclectic collection of sketches, toys at the Artist Alley booths. Each booth promises a showcase of unique trinkets that like-minded fans can get their hands on. Be prepared to be inspired by the creations of mixed artists, illustrators and even toy-makers such as Drawmonsterdraw, FRUS, Laugh and Belly,and many more.

Other fringe activities not to be missed!

Doodle Wall STGCC2017 File photo: speedknight.com

Doodle Wall: Visitors of all ages can join in the fun doodling on the doodle wall with the Band of Doodlers. Who knows, you might be channelling your inner Picasso.

Talent Spotting Program: 108 Media will be on the lookout for artists and writers to work on Fluorescent Black through portfolio reviews done at their booths. Taipan Films, the studio behind Singapore’s first monster film, Circle Line, will also be conducting portfolio reviews to spot talented creatives for the chance to work as concept artists and more on the movie.

Photo booth: Bring home a momento at our photo booth. Snap a picture or two for keepsakes and to remember your experience at SGCC 2019!

Official Tea Sponsor

Feeling parched? Don’t worry we got you covered! Get your hands on the SGCC-exclusive R&B Tea drinks such as Ivy’s Poison Potion, The Dark Night and Mad Love only at SGCC 2019.

How to get there?

#IFTTT #Blogger

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samanthasroberts · 6 years

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5 Awesome Game Sequels That Were Screwed Over & Canned

Death, taxes, and AAA video game sequels: the only inevitable things in this world. If we didn’t get a new Call Of Duty or Assassin’s Creed this year, we would take it as an omen of Ragnarok — which is why it’s all the more tragic that some of the best potential sequels ever envisioned will never come to pass. Like …

#5. Fallout Online Got Lost In A Legal Quagmire

Long before Fallout 4 brought the mighty porn industry to its knees, pun remorselessly intended, the Fallout games put a lot more emphasis on the role-playing side of things, giving you a birds-eye view of a game that looks like it could be run with the processing power of an unusually large potato.

Not even an Idaho one — more like a Wisconsin-grown potato.

The early Fallout games were considered some of the finest RPGs ever made. But in 2007, Interplay, its creator, sold the franchise to Bethesda Softworks, the company of 10,000 artists and three voice actors. Part of the deal was that Interplay got to keep the rights to develop an MMO based on Fallout — think World Of Warcraft, but with super mutants instead of orcs.

A huge improvement on the sexiness scale.

This wasn’t just a pipe dream — large chunks of the map had been developed, the guts of the gameplay were functional, scenarios had been written, players had the ability to create and run their own towns, and Interplay had developed a “game-worldwide meta-puzzle,” where the entire player base would have to come together to solve an elaborate mystery that spanned the apocalypse. Basically, you know how all your friends won’t shut up about their Fallout 4 adventures? Fallout Online would have allowed you to have those adventures together, although it also would have vastly increased the likelihood of employers across the country seeing through your fake illness when you inadvertently grouped up with them.

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

That deal we mentioned? It came with the condition that Interplay had to start getting serious about working on Fallout Online by 2009. All those words we just said up there implied that they had, but Bethesda disagreed and took Interplay to court. Long and complicated story short, Bethesda lost more decisions than the Washington Generals, but eventually managed to settle out of court, giving Interplay 2 million bucks and permission to continue developing their game — as long as they stripped every mention of “Fallout” from it.

Their knock-off Nuka-Cola would have been nothing but raw sewage and carbonated Brahmin blood … So, Pepsi.

Definitely Not Fallout Online was then handed over to another developer who ran a crowdfunding campaign to rustle up even more money, after which they, uh, vanished from the face of the Earth, taking every hope of a Fallout MMO with them (and also the money of all those loyal fans).

Dickheads? Dickheads never change.

#4. A Completed Star Fox 2 Was Canned Because Of The Console Wars

Star Fox, the game that birthed a generation of furries, and Star Fox 64, the game that birthed a generation of frog-hating barrel roll enthusiasts, are both universally regarded as classic Nintendo games that look like the aftermath of a drunken polygon party by today’s standards. But another game was supposed to have come out in-between them, appropriately titled Star Fox 2. And it looked pretty damn good …

Instead of just being a linear series of ship battles, Star Fox 2 would have had you flying around the solar system to contain an invasion force. You had to pick your battles, defend your home planet from missiles, and retreat from fights to dive into others that needed you more, adding strategy and exploration to a game whose only weak point was its on-rails nature. There was also a multiplayer duel option, and the Star Fox team would have expanded to include a tomboy lynx and a fashionable poodle girl. And we think everyone can agree that the male-dominated Star Fox team needed some ladies to balance out the space combat gender gap and help guide some animal-loving players through a very special time in their lives.

Someone’s about to make a Slippy in their pants.

Once you tear your eyes away, you may start wondering why basically everything is known about a game that got the ax. Well, the game was all finished and set to be released in the summer of 1995 until it was abruptly cancelled, which is like watching your mom pull a fresh batch of chocolate-chip cookies out of the oven, only to dump them in the garbage bin and cover them with cat vomit.

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

Star Fox 2 was all set to be a hit, partially because Nintendo in the ’90s could have slapped their name on a box of venomous centipedes and still sold a million copies. But, the Nintendo 64 was about to come out, and Nintendo wanted a clean break between the Super Nintendo’s two dimensions and the N64’s bold new future of one more than that.

A strategy that never, ever bit them in the ass. Ever.

Also, the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation had just come out, and Nintendo was worried that their newfangled 3D games would make Star Fox 2 look shitty and old-fashioned by comparison, regardless of how fun it was. And so they pulled the plug, losing money and scuttling a couple years of hard work because graphics were more important than gameplay, even in an era when every 3D game you played made you feel like you had cyber-glaucoma.

Rats, in this case, being Nintendo’s accountants.

#3. Fez 2 Became The Casualty Of A Twitter Spat

Indie game Fez, whose tumultuous five-year development earned its own Wikipedia page, was primarily powered by designer Phil Fish, who was quite outspoken about how game design may not always be kitten snuggles and rainbows. But, Fez overcame long odds to sell more than a million copies and become highly regarded as an ingenious platforming puzzle game. A sequel seemed inevitable, and, sure enough, along came a teaser video with suitably epic music …

… and then Fish canned the game a month after announcing it, to the complete shock of everyone who wasn’t named Phil Fish.

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

When Fish refused to comment on Microsoft’s new Xbox One indie game development policies, obscure gaming journalist Marcus Beer decided that this was an egregious affront against humanity. Beer said Fish was “bitching and moaning” about having to answer media questions. He also called Fish a “fucking asshole,” a “fucking hipster,” and a “tosspot,” which we’re pretty sure is British for something along the lines of “not a great dude.” Fish responded on Twitter in the most mature and responsible way that platform allows: by telling Beer to go kill himself.

Yet another stupid fight started with Beer consumption.

When the dust settled, Fish declared, “I fucking hate this industry,” cancelled the game, announced his exit from game development, and took his ball home.

Leaving disappointed fans to tell him where he could put it.

Fish later clarified that the cancellation of Fez 2 wasn’t “due to any one thing,” implying that Beer’s comments were simply the straw that broke the fish’s back.

… said the boorish fuck.

But, regardless of other contributing factors, it was a stupid Twitter spat that ultimately killed the game. Seriously, social media, is there anything you don’t ruin?

#2. A Mario Volleyball Game Was Cancelled For Violating A Vague Honor Code

Mario is one of the greatest athletes to ever fictionally exist. From golf, tennis, and go-karting to baseball, basketball, and more, he has mastered countless sports, despite looking like his favorite is amateur hot dog eating. So, when Next Level Gamers started working on a Mario volleyball game with the premise of “Hey, Mario hasn’t played volleyball yet,” they must have felt pretty good about their odds of success — especially since they had already made their mark with two Super Mario Strikers games that were praised for combining the tedium of soccer with the physics of Space Jam.

At least it gives Waluigi something to do in between bouts of never doing anything.

Then, they threw in elements of professional wrestling and game shows to make the weirdest hybrid this side of a stoner’s kitchen. Nintendo’s beloved characters were going to spike balls into faces and pile-drive each other into the floors of electrified rings in the insane genre mash-up you never knew you wanted. At best, it would have been a glorious, surreal combination of ideas that monopolized your weekends like so many go-kart races and tennis matches before it. And, at worst, it would have provided fleeting amusement before your inevitable demise, which is all we can really ask of a video game.

It honestly makes about as much sense as actual wrestling, so why not?

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

Nintendo felt that “certain aspects of [the game’s] premise clashed with the company’s code of honor,” because Nintendo apparently operates under the same principles as the French Foreign Legion. Just what Nintendo meant is vague, but we do know that they were uncomfortable with the level of violence in the game and considered it “dishonorable” to be able to hit characters that were already down. Behold the incredible, stomach-churning combat that Nintendo found unsettling:

What happened to wholesome entertainment, like ripping turtles out of their shells and slowly digesting Goombas alive?

Their objections mostly just raise further questions, considering one of their most successful franchises is all about having their most popular characters mercilessly pummel the absolute shit out of each other. Maybe volleyball is just really unpopular in Japan. Or, maybe the video game industry is terrifyingly arbitrary, and it’s a wonder anything ever gets made at all. Or, maybe both!

#1. Silent Hills Was Cancelled Because Konami Thinks Mobile Gaming Is The Future

Doubly so if they included an alternate skin of his fashion model days.

The hype train gained further steam with the release of P.T., a playable teaser (oooh, we just got that), where you stroll through the same hallway repeatedly and watch your home slowly get more and more horrifying.

Home Alone took a dark turn once Kevin found Buzz’s stash of mushrooms.

There was no combat, almost no dialogue, a simple plot, and little interaction beyond discovering what fucked-up thing was now in your bathroom. And it was still widely considered one of the best horror games of the year. That’s like a movie trailer beating actual movies for the Best Picture Oscar. It was a legitimately terrifying experience and, if the full game was able to match its intensity, it would have been an instant classic.

“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to devour my flesh and feast on my soul.”

And then it was cancelled, the ability to download P.T. was removed, and developer Konami is now hunting down anyone who still references its existence and sending them to re-education camps. Run! Save yourself, before it’s too late!

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

Konami thinks traditional games just aren’t worth the effort anymore. This is the Silent Hill game they decided to make instead.

Yes, that’s a Silent Hill-themed slot machine set to music that’s rocking junior high schools across Midwest America. We completely understand if you need a minute for the tears to stop. Konami actually makes more money from their casino games than they do from video games, and they think mobile games represent the only profitable future in the latter department.

Three Pyramid Heads nets you 50,000 points and your grandma’s head on a pike.

OK, so it’s a cold yet rational business decision. Disappointing, but understandable. But, wait a second — Metal Gear Solid V, a game that was anticipated as much as Silent Hills, made more money in its opening weekend than Jurassic World and Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Combined. It’s a massive hit, leaving Konami’s logic inscrutable. Between deciding they don’t like making games anymore, cutting ties with long-time collaborator Kojima, and making Del Toro say that he’ll never work on a video game again, it’s like Konami’s having a midlife crisis where they quit their job, divorce their spouse, alienate their friends, and hit the open road on a brand-new type of motorcycle that runs solely on spite.

Ready to see the kind of shit we got instead? Then check out Seanbaby’s The 20 Worst NES Games Of All-Time and The 6 Worst Games Ever Farted Out By Beloved Franchises.

Source: http://allofbeer.com/5-awesome-game-sequels-that-were-screwed-over-canned-2/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/07/25/5-awesome-game-sequels-that-were-screwed-over-canned-2/

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allofbeercom · 6 years

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5 Awesome Game Sequels That Were Screwed Over & Canned

#5. Fallout Online Got Lost In A Legal Quagmire

Not even an Idaho one — more like a Wisconsin-grown potato.

A huge improvement on the sexiness scale.

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

Their knock-off Nuka-Cola would have been nothing but raw sewage and carbonated Brahmin blood … So, Pepsi.

Dickheads? Dickheads never change.

#4. A Completed Star Fox 2 Was Canned Because Of The Console Wars

Someone’s about to make a Slippy in their pants.

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

A strategy that never, ever bit them in the ass. Ever.

Rats, in this case, being Nintendo’s accountants.

#3. Fez 2 Became The Casualty Of A Twitter Spat

… and then Fish canned the game a month after announcing it, to the complete shock of everyone who wasn’t named Phil Fish.

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

Yet another stupid fight started with Beer consumption.

When the dust settled, Fish declared, “I fucking hate this industry,” cancelled the game, announced his exit from game development, and took his ball home.

Leaving disappointed fans to tell him where he could put it.

Fish later clarified that the cancellation of Fez 2 wasn’t “due to any one thing,” implying that Beer’s comments were simply the straw that broke the fish’s back.

… said the boorish fuck.

But, regardless of other contributing factors, it was a stupid Twitter spat that ultimately killed the game. Seriously, social media, is there anything you don’t ruin?

#2. A Mario Volleyball Game Was Cancelled For Violating A Vague Honor Code

At least it gives Waluigi something to do in between bouts of never doing anything.

It honestly makes about as much sense as actual wrestling, so why not?

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

What happened to wholesome entertainment, like ripping turtles out of their shells and slowly digesting Goombas alive?

#1. Silent Hills Was Cancelled Because Konami Thinks Mobile Gaming Is The Future

Doubly so if they included an alternate skin of his fashion model days.

Home Alone took a dark turn once Kevin found Buzz’s stash of mushrooms.

“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to devour my flesh and feast on my soul.”

The Stupid Reason It Was Cancelled:

Konami thinks traditional games just aren’t worth the effort anymore. This is the Silent Hill game they decided to make instead.

Three Pyramid Heads nets you 50,000 points and your grandma’s head on a pike.

Ready to see the kind of shit we got instead? Then check out Seanbaby’s The 20 Worst NES Games Of All-Time and The 6 Worst Games Ever Farted Out By Beloved Franchises.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/5-awesome-game-sequels-that-were-screwed-over-canned-2/

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jessicakmatt · 6 years

Text

The Dos and Don’ts of Working for Free: The Musician’s Guide

The Dos and Don’ts of Working for Free: The Musician’s Guide: via LANDR Blog

Making money from your music gigs isn’t easy. Few creators are able to make a living solely off their music.

In fact, Incredible and talented musicians often have to work multiple jobs on top of playing gigs just to be able to afford gear and all the other expenses that come with creating.

And even if you are getting paid for your music it’s not always with money…

When you’re first starting out—whether you’re in a band, making your own music, or DJing—there are times when a promoter, radio host, or collective approaches you about playing or creating for them without a budget to compensate you with money.

Ff you’re making it work on your own for other parts of your career like digital distribution and self-promotion, reaching the right fans is one of the biggest obstacles. There are tons of gigs out there where getting ‘paid in exposure’ makes sense. Each opportunity can be a building block towards making your music profitable in the future. You just have to pick the right ones…

So how do you decide if and when it’s worth it to work for free and gain exposure that could lead to paying gigs in the future?

These Dos and Don’ts of getting paid for your work will give you the guideline you need to make every gig you play worth your time.

Do: Research who’s making money from a gig

Let’s get one thing straight: There are many gigs you simply shouldn’t take if you’re not getting paid money.

These can include festivals, clubs, bars, or any venue that is significantly profiting from your work. There are exceptions, like fundraisers to keep a space open, or shows that support a good cause.

But always look for proper compensation early on and use your judgement. If you’re not getting what feels right, don’t do it. No amount of exposure is worth it if you’re playing a sold out show at $30/ticket where drinks are being sold all night.

If you’re not getting what feels right, look for other gigs.

Always start by asking yourself, “What am I receiving in return for my work?” The answer is usually exposure. And in most cases, exposure means a new audience, which means potential new fans and followers for your music.

But if there’s money involved remember that you are doing WORK for a gig and you should be compensated accordingly.

Do: Make mixes to reach many audiences

Submitting mixes is a great way to gain exposure and reach a wider audience. A lot of magazines, publications, brands and online collectives put out weekly or monthly guest mixes by various artists.

Even though you’re probably not getting paid to make the mix, you’re being advertised as an artist for free so it can even out.

Plus, if fans of other artists included in the mix hear your music, they can become fans as well. You’re reaching multiple audiences with one simple gig. Mixes usually get shared by everyone involved, so it’s a great organic way to boost your reach with the help of other artists.

Before agreeing to make a mix for free, it’s always good to do some research on who’s asking.

Does the collective/website/magazine have a big following?

Do some of your favourite artists follow them?

Does the audience fit your sound?

Always do your research before agreeing to the gig.

Do: Interviews on the radio

Much like mixes, doing interviews or performances on the radio is a great way to gain exposure. If it’s a smaller operation like university or online station, the hosts are likely volunteers and don’t have a budget to pay you. But doing an interview is a great way to talk about yourself and your work as an artist and get some airplay.

Get to know some of the shows in your community. Radio slots are often hosted by fellow musicians, so they’ll be understanding and open to you reaching out for some press.

Radio shows are usually digitally archived as well. So even after the show has aired, you still have a recording that you can share via your band’s social media channels, newsletter, or press kit.

If you’re considering a radio gig, always ask yourself: Is my time worth the possible opportunities and benefits? 1 hour’s work to get a valuable asset for your press kit or plug your next show could make a ton of sense… But if the shows aren’t recorded, maybe it’s not worth it. So stay aware!

Don’t: Be afraid to cross promote

Sharing is caring—as independent artists we’re all in this thing together. Making a mix for a friends radio show or collective and having them return the favour for you is a great chance for both of you to reach a wider audience and help each other out.

This works extra well if you live in different cities. A music exchange across borders or cities is a great way to push your sound into new zones and fanbases. You might not not be getting paid cash. But the new audience you can gain makes it totally worth it.

A music exchange across borders or cities is a great way to push your sound into new zones and fanbases.

This can also be applied to distributing music too. If you both run labels or are distributing your music at the same time, why not promote each other’s stuff?

Cross-promo is fast, simple and effective for reaching all kinds of new listeners.

Do: Give songs to compilations

Another great way to get your name out there is to give songs to compilations. Chances are you’ve got a bunch of unreleased music sitting in your DAW anyways!

Consider the audience this compilation might reach, and who else is going to be a part of of the compilation.

Compilations are usually shared by every artist included on them. Which means you’re multiplying your audience by the number of artists on the comp. That’s some big exposure for a little effort. So contributing to a comp is a situation where exposure makes a lot of sense.

Do: Make it for a good cause

Compilations are often beneficial to the greater good—labels use them to help alleviate fees (putting out music isn’t cheap!)

Sometimes they’re created to help raise money for a charity or good cause. Like this Power Puerto Rico Compilation put out by two-founding members of LAGOM in Montreal. 100% of the proceeds are donated to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico.

When it’s for a good cause, exposure takes a backseat to helping others. Working for the greater good through music is one of the best parts of being a creator. So this one explains itself as a major ‘Do!’

Playing Live? Go Pro.

Playing live gigs deserves it’s own section in this article because it’s a big subject with it’s own set of Dos and Don’ts.

Music is your job, so treat it like one. The most important aspect of making music a career is to not undermine yourself.

Your music will never be a career unless you treat it like one. Approach your music career with professionally. Others in the industry will take you seriously and treat you as a professional.

Music is your job, so treat it like one.

Start with these Dos and Don’ts and cultivate a career that gets you paid right.

Do: Negotiate your guarantee upfront

In general, if you’re playing a live show at a venue or festival you should always be getting paid or compensated with money in some capacity.

While smaller venues or underground DIY spots definitely won’t have as big of a budget as an established venue or festival, the promoter should be offering you something.

Negotiate a figure before you agree to play and get it guaranteed in writing (more on this below).

A good promoter should already have a number in mind of what the payout will be. If it’s not a set price or guarantee, they should be willing to offer you a door-split (percentage of ticket sales or cover charge) or cut of bar sales. And, this should go without saying, but promoters should be paying every artist on the line-up before they pay themselves.

Don’t: Skip the contract

Having a contract is an important component of any agreement— gigs are no exception.

It’s a good idea to make yourself a template contract you can send over to promoters when you’re working out a booking.

The contract should detail the fee that you’ve both agreed on for compensation, payment terms and any late fees if the terms are not followed through on.

Having a contract is an important component of any agreement— gigs are no exception.

Don’t be afraid to ask for partial payment up front. This can be a little bit uncomfortable at first, especially if it’s a smaller event or you know the promoter personally, but it can establish trust between you and the promoter and create an atmosphere of professionalism.

Do: Get a booking agent (eventually)

Booking agents aren’t for everyone. Early on it’s an expense you may have to skip.

But when you start playing regularly, having a booking agent can not only maintain a level of professionalism, but also save you a lot of stress (it’s never fun when you accidentally agree to two shows in one night!).

Agents will also work with the promoter to pin down the details of your payment arrangement, as well as any accommodations or tech requirements, which can be especially useful when you start to tour or play out of town…

Do: Get your expenses covered

Here’s a good way to look at it: Did the promoter contact you to come play in their city? Or did you contact them and ask to play? If it’s the former, don’t be afraid to ask for help with your travel expenses and accommodations—after all, they asked you to come to them!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help with your travel expenses and accommodations.

Playing out of town can be expensive. Here’s a list of potential expenses you or your agent should consider when asking for a guarantee:

Travel (Plane, train or bus tickets, car/van rental fees)

Accommodations

Transportation to and from gig within the city

Food

Don’t: Expect too much (especially when you’re first starting out)

Remember that you shouldn’t expect too much too quickly. One out of town tour doesn’t mean you get to start demanding penthouse hotel rooms and a bowl full of only brown M & M’s.

Playing in new cities can be a great way to network and a smart move for long-term success, but keep in mind that promoters often have small budgets to work with. If you asked them to play, it might not be within their means to cover a flight to Berlin.

However, if they agree to let you play, they should be able to offer you something, whether that’s a guarantee, door-split, or some other form of compensation you both agree on.

Be smart, get paid

Exposure is a key ingredient for growing your music career. But to make the most of your time and resources, you need to research and understand every gig from every angle.

Use these tips and your judgement to navigate through the new music gig economy and make the right decisions at the right time that fit your arc.

The right plan can and will tip luck your way. So do it right, do it smart, and grow your audience in all the right ways.

The post The Dos and Don’ts of Working for Free: The Musician’s Guide appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog https://blog.landr.com/music-gigs-make-money/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/167463571604

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evnoweb · 7 years

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An Interview with Stephen Hurley

Stephen Hurley is one of the reasons why I love Twitter and the concept of creating a Personal Learning Network. I’ve learned so much from him, I’ve driven by his community so many times, and yet we’ve never met face to face. Yet, I feel like I know him so well.

Stephen is an educator, creator, and above all a thinker whose work and efforts have really pushed my thinking for so long. For that, I’m so grateful.

Doug: We’ve certainly never met face to face but we’ve been connected for so long. Do you recall when our paths first crossed online?

Stephen: It has seemed like close to forever! I believe that we first encountered each other virtually when I began my journey into Internet broadcasting through #ds106radio. That would have been after the very first Unplugged gathering that Rodd Lucier et al convened at the Northern Edge of Algonquin Park. That event led me to Andy Forgrave and so many others.

Doug: One of the areas where you’ve pushed me is in using more than blogs and text has been in the area of multimedia, specifically audio. This certainly has ties to your years in the classroom. Can you share a bit of your background?

Stephen: You know how to get me talking! I realized that I wanted a career in radio when I was in grade 4. It was the mid-60’s, just after the release of the Hall-Dennis Report here in Ontario. Things were changing. I was in an open concept classroom that year and the teacher recognized something about me that led her to hand me a microphone and cassette tape recorder. I recall being allowed to sit in an area of the classroom for hours at a time (well, it seemed like hours) creating my own “broadcasts”. My bedroom at home became my studio. Radio Shack eventually became a second church and I spent years nurturing an appreciation for the sound of the human voice (not just my own). In high school, I listened to talk radio, applied to become a summer reporter with CFRB and wanted desperately to go to Ryerson for Radio and Television Arts (I still long to enrol in that program). At the time, Ryerson was a Polytechnic Institute, and my parents wouldn’t have anything to do with the idea. This, of course, made my passion for this stuff even stronger.

When I finally began a career in education, the love of audio continued to influence how I taught, and how I spent my time preparing for lessons. I used to spend hours during the year and entire days during the summer months at our District AV/Tech facility, looking for multi-media resources, using their technology to create my own resources and imagining how sound, music and video could be combined to create powerful learning experiences. My assignments and projects would always include a multi-media option and I was always excited when students got excited about exploring the tools and technology available to them for creation.

My love and appreciation for media and, in particular, radio has only become stronger and I’m excited that, today, students and teachers have so many more ways to bring a sense of voice to their work!

Doug: You’re very active with the Canadian Education Association. Can you give us an example of some of the things that you contribute there?

Stephen: I encountered the CEA for the first time when I attended one of their annual symposia in Montreal back at the turn of the century. I knew immediately that this was an organization that I wanted to work with at some point in my career, but it wasn’t until a few years later that the opportunity presented itself. I started blogging for Edutopia in 2008 and it was through that work that Max Cooke, communication director for the CEA got in touch with me to do some writing for their magazine, Education Canada. I took that as an opportunity to reconnect with the organization and submitted a proposal to begin a series of podcasts under the banner, Teaching Out Loud. The idea was to raise the voices and stories of educators right across the country. Well, one thing led to another, and I soon found myself working with the CEA on some fairly robust research and facilitation pieces, including Teaching the Way You Aspire to Teach; The Challenge to Change and, most recently, the EdCan Network Regional Exchanges. Each of these projects has allowed me to move across the country and talk to education shareholders at various levels, listening to their aspirational stories and, in a very real sense, help the organization keep its ear to the ground across the country.

Doug: What prompted you to take the leap into voiceEd Radio?

Stephen: Leap is the right word to use. It’s a great description for most things that I do. Sometimes I make it across the moat, and sometimes I don’t! Back in December, I was reading The Age of Discovery by Chris Kutarna. It’s all about how we’re living in a period of Renaissance and there was one line, in particular, that caught my attention and imagination. It had to do with the idea that, in a period of renaissance, the lines between creator and consumer are blurred. Internet radio is one way that the lines between listener and broadcaster have been blurred.

I thought of my foray into the world of Internet Radio a few years ago with #ds106radio. Something clicked and I quickly began to connect some possibilities.

5 years ago, I started voicEd.ca—a multi-author blogspace dedicated to deepening and broadening some of the conversations that we have about education. It wasn’t a great leap to begin to imagine how that writing space could be transformed by the addition of a radio space.

Within 24 hours, I found myself owning a radio station!

Doug: I was pleased when you asked me to do a regular bit on there and talk about some of the blog posts that I feature on my regular Friday “This Week in Ontario Edublogs”. What made you think of inviting me?

Stephen: That was easy! I had been reading your This Week in Ontario Edublogs feature for a long time and, as I tried to imagine the type of content that we could bring to life on voicEd Radio, you were one of the first people that came to mind. Why couldn’t we use the radio to deepen the story around your featured blogs, their impact and the people behind them. We’ve never met face-to-face, but the weekly conversation make it seem like we’ve known each other for a long time.

Doug: I recall my first attempt at getting connected; I needed to really think about the gear on my end. I had the wrong browser, a microphone that didn’t give the results that you wanted, a reminder to close the door and keep external noises out, and so more including turning the fan off on hot summer days. Now that we have a routine, it’s pretty simple. Just the correct browser and my noise cancelling headphones and I’m good to go. But, things are far more sophisticated on your end. Can you share what’s in your studio to make it work?

Stephen: I broadcast from “the cave” in Milton and it is pretty simple. I have an iMac computer with a 27” screen. That gives me enough visual real estate to keep everything in front of me from a software perpsective.

I also have a PreSonus Firepod that allows me to plug in up to 8 mics. This connects to a simple piece of software called NiceCast. That drives the live broadcasts.

In terms of gathering guests in the room, I use Zencastr as a type of virtual “kitchen table”.

In the next couple of weeks, I’m going to integrate my electronic music software into the mix in order to create some original intro and outro music for broadcasts.

I’m just starting to gather the resources to allow voicEd Radio to head out on the road. At the beginning of November, we’ll be broadcasting live from 3 separate events, and we’re pretty excited about that!

Doug: The results certainly are very professional and I enjoy digging into the archived programs available on the voiceEd site. As I write this, I’m listening to your interview with Paul McGuire. We’ve chatted and you indicate that this is a personal project of yours. All of the setup is totally funded by you?

Stephen: voicEd Radio is a non-commerical/non-monetized project. Currently, it’s completely self-funded. I’m spending the first year playing with concepts and ideas in an effort to create a sense of value in the community. After our first year anniversary, I will begin looking for alternative structures, some funding models and some governance structures that work for us.

I’m actually looking for folks that might have some interest in helping me imagine how BlockChain technology might allow us to create a different metaphor for funding and value.

Doug: So, it’s a project that’s just gone wild! I do recall a conversation that we had once about the music on voiceEd. Many, including me, might guess that you just take license with YouTube but you go the whole distance with licensing. Can you tell us how and why it’s so important to you?

Stephen: I believe in attribution, but I also believe in making sure that I’m contributing to the livelihood of those artists whose work we use. My work on the Board of Directors for Access Copyright has attuned me to some of the copyright issues that are “out there” in the content ecosystem. It’s very important to me that I’m respecting those conversations, as well as the laws currently in place.

From the very start, we’ve had a non-interactive music license with SOCAN. Under our license, 80% of our station content can be music. We play very little music, with the exception of the work of some education-related singer/songwriters. But we also use music clips for intros and outros.

I’m not sure whether we’re in full compliance, but I’m working to explore with SOCAN what all of this means for us and our podcasters/broadcasters.

Doug: Recently, in looking for new blog posts, I fell into the blog area on voiceEd Radio and recognized some of the names there and found a few new names. What does it take to become a voiceEd Radio blogger?

Stephen: Simply a desire to share your thoughts and ideas in a respectful way. Currently we have contributions from some of our radio personalities, and some folks who would just like to write. I’m working on nurturing the blogging side of things in the months to come.

Doug: You even now have a Community Manager. Can you tell us about her and what her duties are?

Stephen: So, Sarah Lalonde is in the second year of her teacher preparation program at the University of Ottawa. She has been involved with voicEd Radio right from the start and has been instrumental in supporting its development.

Sarah has enthusiastically agreed to be our Community Manager. Sarah has embraced our social media presence, creating promotional materials for a variety of platforms, ensuring that social media announcements are up-to-date and helping me program the live stream each day. She is also a great sounding board for some of the crazy ideas that I sometimes have!

But Sarah is also a wonderful contributor to the voicEd community. She hosts her own podcast, is an active participant in others and is a great advocate for voicEd Radio.

Doug: voiceEd Radio continues to grow and you’ve given us an indication that it will expand again in November. What should be on our radar?

Stephen: As I’m writing this, we have so many exciting projects coming on to voicEd Radio. We have a 4-week series coming up with writer Ann Douglas, a six-week series with an Australian-born parent, Lois Letchford. We’re working with the Ontario Ministry of Education to launch season two of our mathematics exploration with Cathy Fosnot. Nancy Angevine-Sands is coming on to do some work on Parent Engagement and, in November, we’re launching the voicEd Radio Mobile—live broadcasting from events around the province and, eventually, around the world.

But those initiatives don’t tell the whole story. What started as a personal project has turned into a community and voicEd Radio is taking on a life of its own. It’s quickly becoming the open-space environment that I hoped it would become. And, as that happens, my name will fade a little more into the background and others will begin to emerge!

Doug: I am excited that we will actually meet. Plans are for us to do an episode of This Week in Ontario Edublogs live at the Minds on Media event at the Bring IT, Together Conference. It’s one thing to use your home studio but how will you take all this “on the road:?

Stephen: So, we’re looking to use the sound facilities already in place at conferences in events. A small USB interface will allow us to take sound right from the mixing board and feed it into a laptop computer. Then, hopefully, we have a live broadcast. I’m excited to explore, take some video of the process and share that with others.

My dream is to create a cadre of people across the country who would be available to do similar things at events in their areas. If I’m able to get some funding for this, we’ll be able to provide some of that equipment for people.

Doug: Recently, you had a Radio-a-thon at Voiced Radio. What was the inspiration for this? How did it go?

Stephen: Ah, 15 hours straight of live radio. What could be better? This was one of those ideas that came up in conversation over the summer. Several of us were thinking about back-to-school and how we might leverage the excitement of this time of the year to gain some traction for voicEd Radio. We actually had to expand our original plan for 12 hours as the requests to participate kept coming in! So, we began at 9:00 am and held the stream for 15 straight hours. It really solidified the community feel for this place, and we look forward to having more of these events in the future.

Doug: Even though you’ve left formal education, family life keeps you well grounded in the day to day education routine. Here’s a chance to brag about your family that you bring into our show regularly.

Stephen: It is a real gift for me to remain connected to the education system through my two boys, Luke and Liam. They are so different in the way that they approach the world that they’re allowing me to see their school experience from two totally different perspectives. Liam has a really vivid imagination and plans each and every day in his head before it even begins. Luke, on the other hand, is a puzzler—he loves codes, puzzles, intellectual challenges and the like. Both of the boys push the capacity of the system in different ways and it has been interesting to watch them grow from children into students. My wife, Zoe, is a middle school visual arts teacher and allows me to stay connected with the day-to-day life a practicing teacher. I love to think at the 30 000 foot level. My family keeps me close to the ground for at least a few hours a day.

Doug: Do you see a time where voiceEd radio gets too big for you and your Community Manager to manage? What happens then?

Stephen: That’s already started to happen. So, I’m starting to rely more on the community to offer ideas, advice and support. We’re just about to launch a request for voicEd Radio folks to contribute to a series of online tutorials under the “PodCamp” banner. We want to be able to gather together to support people that may want to become part of our radio team, but may be reluctant. Technical support, interviewing skills, bringing ideas to life, etc—these will all be part of what we hope will be a dynamic and vivid set of resources!

I’m also on the lookout for an effective way to grow the infrastructure, so that it continues to draw educators, parents, researchers and community members to this space. Lots of work to do, and lots of thinking to do. But I believe that we’re off to a great start!

Doug: Thank you so much for taking the time to share these details with folks, Stephen. I really appreciate it and I hope that people take the time to listen and perhaps even get involved with voiceEd Radio.

Stephen: I appreciate the opportunity to think out loud about all of this. I would encourage people who want to know more, or who have specific ideas about how they might become involved to reach out. Our tagline at voicEd Radio is: Your voice is RIGHT here!

You can connect with Stephen in these ways:

On Twitter, @Stephen_Hurley and @voicEdcanada Stephen’s personal website: http://ift.tt/2goSuAX voiceEd Radio: https://voiced.ca The voiceEd blog: http://ift.tt/2yvnhTi

An Interview with Stephen Hurley published first on http://ift.tt/2gZRS4X

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