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[Finishing up our GDC written coverage, we were going to pick just one lecture,
but we decided to just go with all of the major ones, as well as the big announcements - lots of
neat stuff to check through here.]
With Game Developers Conference 2010 now at an end, we've rounded up the top announcements, from
Sony Move through OnLive's release specifics, and write-ups of the biggest talks into one handy
news story.
The official GDC 2010 page on Gamasutra has more
than 100 news stories on one of the biggest events of the gaming year, but we're now highlighting
the biggest product-related announcements of the show.
This will be followed by our pick of the top ten most intriguing write-ups from the more than 450
sessions on display at this year's GDC in San Francisco - created by the UBM Techweb Game
Network, as is this website.
Here are some of the top announcements and write-ups from last week's show:
The Announcements
GDC: Sony's Motion
Controller Is 'PlayStation Move'
"At GDC on Wednesday, Sony revealed more details about its PS3 motion controller, which isn't
called Arc or Gem, but 'PlayStation Move,' a product Sony says will bring on 'the next generation
of motion gaming.'"
GDC: OnLive Gets Launch
Date, Reveals Initial Publishers
"Cloud-based game streaming service OnLive has announced an official U.S. launch date of June 17,
2010, including games from Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, 2K Games, THQ and Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment."
GDC: Microsoft Announces
XNA Game Studio 4.0
"Microsoft has announced version 4.0 of its XNA Game Studio development package, which includes
support for its new Windows Phone 7 Series, as well as enhancing features for Xbox 360 and PC
game development."
Valve Confirms Mac Versions
Of Steam, Valve Games
"Valve will release its Steam digital distribution service for Mac along with Mac-native versions
of its own games, the company confirmed today, calling the Mac a 'tier-1 platform.'"
GDC: Will Wright Peels Back
Layers Of Entertainment, Games
"Will Wright (The Sims, SimCity) explained how 'perspectives are more valuable than solutions' in
a fascinating talk during the closing hours of the Game Developers Conference 2010 on Saturday."
GDC: Jenova Chen's
HeavenVille Wins Game Design Challenge
"HeavenVille, Jenova Chen (Flower), took this year's top prize at the GDC Game Design Challenge,
which also featured games by designers Kim Swift, Heather Kelley, and Erin Robinson."
GDC: Sid Meier's Lessons On
Gamer Psychology
"'Gameplay is a psychological experience,' according to legendary Civilization creator Sid Meier,
who gave tips on taking advantage of player psychology during his GDC keynote Friday."
GDC: Blizzard's Core Game
Design Concepts
"Blizzard EVP of game design Rob Pardo shares Blizzard's core design concepts, offering examples
of places where the World of Warcraft developer succeeded and failed in creating compelling
multiplayer experiences."
GDC: Nintendo's Sakamoto's
Four Creative Tenets
"Nintendo's Yoshio Sakamoto explains the methodology that allows him to create two franchises as
polar-opposite as Metroid and Wario Ware -- and drops hints on Other M."
GDC: Peter Molyneux On
Simplifying And Enhancing Fable III
"Lionhead's Peter Molyneux talked about the 'angst' Lionhead went through on whether to de-RPG
Fable III -- and why and how the team went through that process, from a design perspective."
GDC: Indie Keynote -
Championing Immediacy And Depth
"Tiger Style co-founder Randy Smith (Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor) delivered the keynote of
the Indie Games Summit, encouraging indie developers to embrace a philosophy of immediacy and
depth to hasten their popular ascendancy."
GDC: 2D Boy's Carmel On A
New Alternative For Indies
"At the 2010 Independent Gaming Summit at GDC, 2D Boy's Ron Carmel talked about why traditional
publishing just doesn't work for indies -- and why the newly-unveiled Indie Fund hopes to offer
alternatives."
Though Apple both publicly and privately warned
smartphone makers that it wouldn't tolerate its intellectual property being infringed upon, the
company made its first move against Taiwan-based HTC earlier this month with a federal lawsuit and a
complaint to the
International Trade Commission. HTC says it doesn't plan to give up without a fight.
"HTC disagrees with Apple's actions and will fully defend itself," HTC Corporation CEO Peter Chou
said in a statement. "HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue
to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue
to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best
mobile experience possible."
HTC cited the company's numerous firsts to market as proof of its innovation, including selling
the first Windows Mobile smartphone in 2002 and the first Android smartphone in 2008. (It also
lays claim to the "first gesture-based smartphone" released in June 2007, but that's also the
same month that Apple released the original iPhone.) It also noted that Fast Company and
MIT Technology Review has both recently named HTC as one of the top innovative companies
globally.
The company is confident that its own patent portfolio will prove useful in its defense. "We've been in business
since 1997 and a pioneer in the smart phone space," HTC America VP Jason Mackenzie told
Forbes. "We absolutely have our share of patents."
However, Deutsche Banks analyst Chris Whitmore noted recently that Apple has amassed a
much larger patent portfolio than HTC, or even Google, whose Andriod operating system is believed
to be the real target of Apple's legal ire. Since 2000, Apple has been awarded over 3,000
patents, compared to Google's 316 and HTC's 58. Prior to the launch of the iPhone, HTC actually
filed zero patents with USPTO. Sheer numbers don't guarantee a slam dunk for Apple, but they do
certainly give Apple a much larger cache of ammunition to draw from.
Many have criticized Apple for "competition by litigation" by filing complaints against HTC, but
as The New York Times recently reported, lawsuits not at all
uncommon in the mobile space. Apple believes it has a right and duty to protect its own
innovations, apparently just as other companies in the mobile space do. "We think competition is
healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours," Apple CEO
Steve Jobs said earlier this month.
Furthermore, Microsoft VP and deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez said the lawsuits are
merely a sign that the modern smartphone market is still in its early stages, and that this
particular lawsuit
won't stifle innovation as some believe. "The smartphone market is still in a nascent state;
much innovation still lies ahead in this field," he wrote in an analysis of Apple's patent
litigation. "In all nascent technology markets, there is a period early where IP rights will be
sorted out."
Unless Apple and HTC come to an out-of-court settlement, we could be waiting until at
least 2012 to hear a decisions from either the ITC or US district court on the matter.
Apple both publicly and privately warned
smartphone makers that it wouldn't tolerate its intellectual property being infringed upon, and
the company made its first move against Taiwan-based HTC earlier this month with a federal lawsuit and a
complaint to the
International Trade Commission. HTC says it doesn't plan to give up without a fight.
"HTC disagrees with Apple's actions and will fully defend itself," HTC Corporation CEO Peter Chou
said in a statement. "HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue
to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue
to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best
mobile experience possible."
HTC cited the company's numerous firsts to market as proof of its innovation, including selling
the first Windows Mobile smartphone in 2002 and the first Android smartphone in 2008. (It also
lays claim to the "first gesture-based smartphone" released in June 2007, but that's also the
same month that Apple released the original iPhone.) It also noted that Fast Company and
MIT Technology Review have both recently named HTC as one of the top innovative
companies globally.
The company is confident that its own patent portfolio will prove useful in its defense. "We've been in business
since 1997 and a pioneer in the smart phone space," HTC America VP Jason Mackenzie told
Forbes. "We absolutely have our share of patents."
However, Deutsche Banks analyst Chris Whitmore noted recently that Apple has amassed a
much larger patent portfolio than HTC, or even Google, whose Andriod operating system is believed
to be the real target of Apple's legal ire. Since 2000, Apple has been awarded over 3,000
patents, compared to Google's 316 and HTC's 58. Prior to the launch of the iPhone, HTC actually
filed zero patents with USPTO. Sheer numbers don't guarantee a slam dunk for Apple, but they do
certainly give Apple a much larger cache of ammunition to draw from.
Many have criticized Apple for "competition by litigation" by filing complaints against HTC, but
as The New York Times recently reported, lawsuits are not at all
uncommon in the mobile space. Apple believes it has a right and duty to protect its own
innovations, apparently just as other companies in the mobile market do. "We think competition is
healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours," Apple CEO
Steve Jobs said earlier this month.
Furthermore, Microsoft VP and deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez said the lawsuits are
merely a sign that the modern smartphone market is still in its early stages, and that this
particular lawsuit
won't stifle innovation as some believe. "The smartphone market is still in a nascent state;
much innovation still lies ahead in this field," he wrote in an analysis of Apple's patent
litigation. "In all nascent technology markets, there is a period early where IP rights will be
sorted out."
Unless Apple and HTC come to an out-of-court settlement, we could be waiting until at
least 2012 to hear a decision from either the ITC or US district court on the matter.
Today, Facebook co-founder and My.BarackObama.com
alum Chris Hughes announced the soft launch of Jumo, his new philanthropic start-up that works to match do-gooders with appropriate
causes.
Currently, the Jumo site is merely an elegantly designed homepage that announces Hughes’s
mission to “bring together everyday individuals and organizations to speed the pace of
global change. We connect people to the issues, organizations, and individuals relevant to them
to foster lasting relationships and meaningful action.”
Hughes told us, however, that the site will later be organized much like a social network —
with profiles for individual users that contain a collection of information that they have shared
and used, pages for organizations created both by the orgs in question and others, and issue
pages that serve as a kind of discussion of the topics at hand.
Hughes says that the idea is to make sure that Jumo can get the most relevant information
possible to its users, so that they can foster on-going relationships with social organizations
to do the most good.
As a result, the current homepage features a rather intriguing survey box that asks the site
visitor an array of questions from, “If you had a daughter tomorrow, which would you name
her?” to “Would you say the world is getting better or worse?” Upon answering
these queries, you can also submit your e-mail address to get more information as it comes.
The site itself came about after a period of reflection on Hughes’s part. The Obama
campaign came and went, and he started thinking about how he could apply social media principles
gleaned from Facebook and My.BarackObama.com to have the maximum impact on the world.
While he was impressed by efforts following catastrophes like the earthquake in Haiti, Hughes thought we could be doing more. “I think
watching what happened after Haiti was hard for everyone,” he says. “The fact that so
much money was raised is just a testament to the fact that people really do care and help.”
Still, he applies the “don’t just give during the holidays — give all year
round” principle to the situation. “I was frustrated to see that moment of engagement
not functioning as part of a much larger process of supporting those organizations to help ensure
that tragedies like Haiti not happen again,” he said.
Currently, Hughes is hiring a team to
run the site from its Soho office. According to the job posting, he’s “looking to
hire hard-working individuals who value intellectual challenge, appreciate the importance of
online networking technology, and, most importantly, want to change the world.”
Facebook may be denying any wrongdoing, but a
California judge is disagreeing with the social networks' disagreement to the tune of a $9.5
million dollar settlement today.
The Los
Angeles Times reports that the settlement comes in response to a class-action lawsuit over
Facebook's Beacon program that published what users were buying.
Sponsor
The decision allocates $6 million of the settlement to a "digital trust fund" that will go to
organizations that study online privacy, says the Times article. The Times explains the bit of
controversy hovering around this final decision:
Over the objections of privacy advocates, Facebook will have a seat on the fund's three-member
board. It consists of Chris Jay Hoofnagle, who heads the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology;
Tim Sparapani, Facebook's public policy director; and writer Larry Magid.
While some people are saying that the settlement is unfair in a few ways, Justin Brookman, a
senior resident fellow at the Center for Democracy and Technology, seemed to disagree. The
general contention has been that Facebook will have one seat on the three-member board for the
"digital trust fund" and that it was already required to pay money out to promote online privacy,
as our own Sarah Perez
discussed when the settlement was first announced last October.
Brookman said that today's decision is "a really good settlement for consumers", explaining that
"there are really very few settlements that come up with that type of monetary figure."
He also contended that, while Facebook will have a seat on the board, it will be a minority
member, as a majority vote requires two out of the three parties to agree. He said that the other
two members, Hoofnagle and Magid, were both good choices who will act in the public's interest.
"We have a lot of confidence they'll make wise awards of the money," he said. "They both
criticized Facebook when Beacon came out."
According to the Times, however, this may not be the end of the appeal process.
One privacy advocate said he was exploring whether he could appeal the decision. "This
sweetheart deal for Facebook is outrageous and another indication they don't really want to ensure
privacy online," said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy.
Brookman noted, however, that a settlement like this for privacy issues was relatively
unprecedented.
Two years ago, as Microsoft was trying to buy Yahoo, we were really surprised to find
Google making a proactive lobbying and marketing effort to scuttle the deal. As we noted at the
time, it seemed pretty likely to come back to haunt Google. Indeed,
Chris Thompson is now taking a look back and believes that Google's decision to stir the pot over
the Microsoft/Yahoo deal has probably been Google's biggest blunder to date. Not only did it eventually
lead to Microsoft working out a much, much better deal for itself, it directly resulted in Google
getting significantly more antitrust scrutiny, both in the US and abroad. Now, some of that
scrutiny likely would have come anyway eventually, but Google definitely helped call much more
attention to the situation and its own market position. The whole thing made no sense. Google
should have known to keep its mouth shut and watched as Microsoft and Yahoo screwed up the deal on
their own.
Chris Supranowitz is a researcher at The Insitute of Optics at the University of Rochester. Along
with a number of other spectacular studies (such as quantum optics, trapping of atoms, dark states
and entanglement), Chris has decided to look at the relatively boring grooves of a vinyl record
using the institute’s electron microscope. Well, not boring for me.
It is my pleasure to announce a new project to better the Ubuntu.com website experience,
specifically for users who prefer a language other than English. The new project, called Website Localization will put a short
(4-5 word) message on any www.Ubuntu.com <http://www.ubuntu.com/> web page directing users to more
resources in their preferred language.
This project has two main parts to it. The first part of the Website Localization project is the
technical aspect of the project. It is the goal of the project to create a script that will pull
out of a users web browser their preferred language. After obtaining this information, the script
will cross reference this language against a list of languages that have approved resources
offered, and then display a short link to their languages landing page.
The second part of this project is creating landing pages for as many resources as possible. This
part of the project will be done by LoCos and the i18n team. The landing pages will be on the
wiki, and will be ever changing to direct users to the best information that we can give them.
Currently, the goal is to have the project completed and implemented by the end of May. I would
also like to have a working demo of the project by April 19th so that we have plenty of time to
fix any problems that arise prior to the final implementation of this project.
I can’t do all of this myself, so I am going to need help from the Ubuntu community. At
this point, I need some assistance with the technical side of the project. I need a few people to
create the script that will detect the users preferred language, and then show them a link to the
landing page in their language. If you have the skills needed to help out with this Website
Localization project, please send me an email with your name, launchpad account, a little bit of
information about the experience you have and your general ability (time zone, and anything else
that may help me out). My goal is to get a group of a few people to work on the technical aspect
of this project and have a meeting in the next few weeks to discuss the project in a little more
detail, and determine the best way to make this happen.
Groklaw: "Chris Brown was in the courtroom for us today. It was all Darl McBride
today, and there also was some sparring over SCO expert, Christine Botosan, he reports. It looks
like the jury will be hearing about Judge Dale Kimball's ruling after all, because Novell intends
to ask her about what happened to the stock when he issued his rulings."
Michael Rose / TUAW: Amazon
stealthily releases Kindle app for Mac — No press release, no big
fanfare, but reader Chris spotted the news earlier tonight: Amazon's long-awaited Kindle
application for Mac is ready for download. The 22 MB free application works on Intel Macs
running Mac OS X 10.5 and above, and reports a version number of 1.0.0 beta 1.
Have you seen Chris Rock's Good
Hair yet? Sorry, that's Jeff Stilson's Good Hair. Have you seen it yet?
If so, was it because you're really interested in the subject of black women's hair? Or, was it
because you knew with Rock hosting and guiding us through the documentary that it'd be at least a
funny movie? I finally caught up with Good Hair, which was released to DVD last month, and
I can honestly say that I wouldn't have bothered with it had Rock not been involved so prominently.
The funny thing is, though, the film isn't as hilarious as I had hoped -- yet I came away from it
gladly informed about such things as relaxer, weaves and the fact Nia Long prefers to be on top
during sex so as not to disturb her hair.
Scott had a similar reaction when he reviewed the film from
Sundance a year ago. Though he acknowledged that he mainly saw this doc he'd otherwise "have little
to no interest in" because it was a requisite of his festival coverage, he also had this to say
about the film's star: "I suspect that the subject matter would still be fairly interesting without
Rock's involvement, but the comedian brings a accessibility to the material that no amount of facts
and figures can replace."
I think the key, though, is that the accessibility is not because Rock is a familiar face so much
as a funnyman. If all it took was a celebrity to make a documentary appeal to audiences who don't
normally watch non-fiction films, bigger box office draws than Rock, such as Leonardo DiCaprio (his
voice anyway) and George Clooney, would bring outsiders into films like The 11th
Hour and Darfur
Now, respectively. Perhaps you could argue there is a matter of subject matter, as the
topic of black women's hair is much lighter than global warming and the crisis in Darfur.
"With breaking news about the Windows 7 mobile apps from MIX10, Chris Hardwick talks to
Engadget's Joshua Topolsky about what Microsoft is bringing to the table, from Xbox gaming on
Windows 7 phones, a preview of their new apps and more."
Sure, there are more than a few things that some people aren't too happy about right now with
Windows phone 7, but there's one very important thing that Microsoft has done with the
announcement of this new version: they've put themselves on the map in a way that hasn't happened
in a very long time. More from me later on this topic, but I think it's really important to
acknowledge that fact.
Seattle Mariners pitcher Cliff Lee has been suspended for the first five
games of the regular season for throwing a pitch over the head of Arizona's Chris Snyder in an
exhibition game this week.
Ed, for the record: I didn’t see the MIX10 keynote, which took place while I was traveling
home from SXSW Interactive and after I wrote “IE9 Preview.” I wasn’t responding
to the keynote. I was responding to the article I linked to, “An
Early Look at IE9 For Developers.”
As a hint, I linked to the article in my lede and referred to it by name.
Hours after I wrote the post, while I was sitting in a jet between Austin and New York, Microsoft
unveiled updated information about IE9, with good news on its web standards support, which
I’ve since had confirmed by neutral developers—neutral in the sense that
their allegiance is to web standards, not to any particular browser or platform.
I look forward to studying up on the latest IE improvements. Contrary to your inference, I
respect browser engineers as I respect people generally. Indeed, Chris Wilson, former IE lead,
and Tantek Çelik, former IE/Mac lead, are my friends. Heck, a few nights ago,
Tantek and I were partying like
brothers at SXSW Interactive and I have often written glowingly about his and Chris’s
achievements on behalf of web standards and browser UX.
I’m surprised that you built a whole article out of refuting things you inferred but I
never said. Slow news day?
BarrioSquare, a FourSquare application for the Nokia N900,
left private testing on Monday and is now available at the N900’s App Manager. You may have
to enable the Extras-Devel
repository. This is great news because now more Nokia N900 users can start using this app. Watch
my quick overview of the app.
I like this application on the Nokia
N900 because it helps me find the places nearby to check-in, instead of manually looking for
them through the mobile Foursquare
website. My only complaint so far about BarrioSquare is that lists sometimes scroll too fast.
A workaround is to drag your finger diagonally instead of up and and down.
Update:Chris, the guy behind
Barriosquare, answered some questions I sent him shortly after the release.
What triggered the decision to finally put BarrioSquare in the Maemo repository?
I figure it was better to get the app out to the general public sooner, rather than later, and
given the entire uncertainty of ovi store publishing (dependency issues with python-qt4) I figure
might as well just get it out there now that it is in a fully functional state.
Any features to look out for in upcoming releases?
Ability to search for friends
Ability to see nearby tips
Ability to get a “popup” alert whenever friends check into a venue nearby
Venue (and nearby) specials
What other apps do u have planned for Maemo?
Google Maps type app using Google Maps flash API, PyQt-Webkit
Maybe a gowalla app?
Also building a reusable UI toolkit library to speed up application development
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...
It is my pleasure to announce a new project to better the Ubuntu.com website experience,
specifically for users who prefer a language other than English. The new project, called Website Localization will put a short
(4-5 word) message on any www.Ubuntu.com web page directing users to more resources in their
preferred language.
This project has two main parts to it. The first part of the Website Localization project is the
technical aspect of the project. It is the goal of the project to create a script that will pull
out of a users web browser their preferred language. After obtaining this information, the script
will cross reference this language against a list of languages that have approved resources
offered, and then display a short link to their languages landing page.
The second part of this project is creating landing pages for as many resources as possible. This
part of the project will be done by LoCos and the i18n team. The landing pages will be on the
wiki, and will be ever changing to direct users to the best information that we can give them.
Currently, the goal is to have the project completed and implemented by the end of May. I would
also like to have a working demo of the project by April 19th so that we have plenty of time to
fix any problems that arise prior to the final implementation of this project.
I can’t do all of this myself, so I am going to need help from the Ubuntu community. At
this point, I need some assistance with the technical side of the project. I need a few people to
create the script that will detect the users preferred language, and then show them a link to the
landing page in their language. If you have the skills needed to help out with this Website
Localization project, please send me an email with your name, launchpad account, a little bit of
information about the experience you have and your general ability (time zone, and anything else
that may help me out). My goal is to get a group of a few people to work on the technical aspect
of this project and have a meeting in the next few weeks to discuss the project in a little more
detail, and determine the best way to make this happen.
Why isn't there an ongoing about a person in the French Foreign Legion? That would rock. Dang, I
hope no one steals that from me before I can pitch it to Vertigo!
The second volume of Chris Schweizer'sCrogan
Adventures is out! It's called Crogan's March, it's published by Oni Press, and it costs $14.95. That's fifteen bucks for over 200
pages of early twentieth-century Foreign Legion action! How can you resist???
Well, you shouldn't resist. Much like the first volume, Crogan's Vengeance, the latest
is pretty danged excellent. It's a bit darker than the first, which is, as a pirate tale, more
swashbuckling. In this book, Schweizer tackles some more pertinent issues to current events, as
the debate throughout the book is whether the French are doing any actual good in north Africa.
It's nice that in what is something that teenagers can read (the book is "rated"
for people 13 and up), we get some interesting geopolitical debate. It's far more interesting
than we usually get in comics, I'll tell you that much!
The set-up of the book is the same as the first, as will probably remain for the series. In the
present, Dr. Crogan discovers his sons, Cory and Eric, doing something that requires a life
lesson. In this case, Eric (the older brother) is trying to tell Cory what he can do with his
money, because his parents told him he needed to "watch out for him." Cory claims he can make his
own decisions, while Eric disagrees. Dr. Crogan tells them that this idea - whether someone can
take away someone else's choices - has a long history, especially with regard to colonialism.
Schweizer's conceit in this series is that the Crogan family has an impossibly impressive
pedigree - we see the family tree at the beginning of each book, and it's full of stereotypical
"action" heroes, from "Catfoot" Crogan the pirate to a Japanese ninja (yes, really) to a Wild
West gunfighter to a diamond miner to a secret agent to Peter Crogan, the hero of this book. And
they all live stories that help teach life lessons! Fancy that! Dr. Crogan explains to his sons
that the French Foreign Legion was a group of soldiers from different countries (which isn't
totally true, as many French natives fought in it) who fought for France, always in colonial
adventures (Dr. Crogan uses the past tense, but the Foreign Legion still exists). In 1912, Peter Crogan was
in the Legion, stationed in north Africa. And so the adventure begins!
Schweizer acknowledges the debt to Percival Christopher Wren, who wrote Beau Geste and
set the standard for fiction about the Legion, and in many ways, this book is extremely old
school (I've never read Beau Geste, so I can't say it's like that), with plenty of
action and adventure and soldiers awaggering about the Algerian desert. There's a martinet
sergeant, a dashing, heroic major, mysterious raiders who swarm out of the hills and besiege a
fort, and a desperate trek through the mountains to safety. If you enjoy action, you'll love
this. But Schweizer adds plenty of depth to the book, too. The martinet sergeant is certainly tough, but he also understands a great deal
about what the Legion is doing in Africa. Captain Roitelet is a hero to the men, but when he
first shows up, he has been demoted (from major to captain) for unknown reasons (but it's implied
it's because he's too "heroic" for the stodgy officer corps). Peter Crogan is more thoughtful
than the rest of the men, but even he admires Roitelet and doesn't understand why Sergeant Ludlow
isn't besotted with him. Ludlow explains himself and his objections to Roitelet, and then
Roitelet himself tells Crogan his philosophy. It's the principle that Dr. Crogan and his kids
were debating at the beginning of the book: Ludlow believes that the rights of the French
Revolution - "liberty, equality, fraternity" - shouldn't be exclusive to France, and the common
people who live in slavery in north Africa deserve a chance for freedom. Roitelet, on the other
hand, believes they're nothing but savages who should be thankful that France is paying them any
attention. What's interesting about this argument is that while Ludlow is more enlightened than
Roitelet, he still doesn't believe the natives are capable of gaining freedom on their own. Is he
any better than Roitelet?
Later on, when Crogan gets separated from the rest of his unit, he ends up in the mountains
helping a bunch of native refugees get to the main French fort. One of the natives, an old woman, argues with him constantly about the French
presence in north Africa. It's a fascinating argument, and it keeps getting interrupted by
events, where the two often find common ground. Schweizer never beats us over the head with it,
and just because the old woman has her moments doesn't mean she's going to form a different
opinion of Crogan or the French. It's impressive how Schweizer manages to bring up his points
while the group moves through dark caves in which lurk dangerous things. The sequence remains
tense even as the two characters argue political and cultural points.
Crogan's March is more downbeat than the first book, possibly because Schweizer is
dealing with things that are still relevant today. Piracy might still be around, but the idea of
colonialism remains a difficult point of contention among colonialists and the colonized.
Schweizer does an excellent job of giving us rip-roaring action, but there's always an
undercurrent of tragedy (mainly because it's often tragic) that leads us closer and closer to a
conclusion that gives us no easy answers. Dr. Crogan ends his tale in a wonderful spot,
explaining exactly why he do so but also making sure the readers understand the futility of war
without being graphic about it. It's really a tremendous ending to a great book.
Schweizer's the kind of artist who, on the surface, looks a bit cartoony and therefore perhaps
lacking in "realistic" details. However, he blends his exaggerated character features with
wonderful attention to detail. Check out, for instance, our first glimpse of Tafizet:
We get this throughout the book. The battle scenes are frantic, the scenes in the cave are
claustrophobic, and the characters, while they are a bit exaggerated, are still memorably drawn.
Each panel gives us plenty of visual information, even the ones that are all black (and there are
a few). Schweizer is very good. You know it's true!
If you missed Crogan's Vengeance, you should probably rectify that right away. However,
if pirating doesn't sound like your thing but legionairing does, you should definitely check this
out. You don't need to have read the first volume, and it's quite excellent.
The opening night reception for the BLAB! art retrospective in NYC is Friday, March 26th, 6-9 PM.
There will be 100 pieces in the show! The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of
Illustrators presents “BLAB!: A Retrospective,” a periodic anthology of works from
leading contemporary illustrators, painters, sequential artists and printmakers worldwide. Founded
by acclaimed Chicago-based graphic designer and art director Monte Beauchamp in 1986, BLAB! invites
more than twenty-five visual artists each year from the fields of sequential art, graphic design,
illustration, painting, and printmaking to contribute to BLAB!, a selection informed by
Beauchamp’s distinctive vision and aesthetic. The anthology will be on display March 24-May
1, 2010 in the museum’s galleries in New York City’s Upper East Side. From its roots as
an exposition of comic illustration, the original BLAB! anthology format has evolved and
diversified, with recent editions incorporating the work and vision of renowned illustrators and
artists including Chris Ware, Gary Baseman, Sue Coe, Camille Rose Garcia, The Clayton Brothers,
Owen Smith, SHAG!, Joe Sorren, Ron English, and Mark Ryden. BLAB! also features selections of
vintage "found" graphics, such as Depression-era matchbook covers, obscure Valmor cosmetic labels
and pre-1920 European Krampus postcards. BLAB!: A Retrospective...
Here is the latest in our year-long look at one cool comic (whether it be a self-contained work,
an ongoing comic or a run on a long-running title that featured multiple creative teams on it
over the years) a day (in no particular order whatsoever)! Here's
the archive of the moments posted so far!
Today we take a look at Chris Yost and Scott Wegener's Killer of Demons...
Enjoy!
The gist of Killer of Demons can be described in these sample pages from this fun 3-issue
mini-series from Image last year.
As you can see, demons exist on Earth. They are not allowed to KILL humans, but they can seduce
them into killing each other (or do various other repugnant things, like commit adultery or do
hardcore drugs).
So Dave Sloan is tasked to kill the demons, with the help of his angel advisor.
The problem is that only Dave can see the demons, so it brings to mind the question - is Dave
killing these demons because that's what God wants, or is he just imagining things and he is
actually one of the worst mass murderers alive?
Those are the questions Killer of Demons grapples with (along with the fact that Dave's
significant other happens to be a police officer, so that brings the pair into conflict on the
whole "seeming mass murder" thing.
It is a really fun comic book, especially the stuff that the demons get humans to do - demons are
everywhere, including at the fast food drive-in trying to get you to super-size your order!
Chris Yost really does a wonderful job getting all the humor out of the concept that he can, and
everyone already knows from Atomic Robo how great of an artist Scott Wegener is, so I don't need
to say how great he is (He's great, by the way).
This is a blast of a series, and I really hope this initial series isn't the last that we see of
these characters!!
17th March 2010: Waves has announced the release of the Chris Lord-Alge Artist Signature
Collection. It's available now for Windows and Mac OS X in VST, AU, RTAS and Audio Suite plug-in
formats for $830. The Chris Lo...
Saying I'm a fan of Planescape: Torment is a bit like saying that Vlad III Dracula enjoyed a spot
of impaling - it gets the point across, but doesn't quite convey the extent of the fervour.
It doesn't reveal how Vlad took the time to ensure his preferred method of execution was as
painful and humiliating as possible, nor the number of poor souls he consigned to such a fate.
Similarly, it doesn't address the fact that I grunt "I feel stronger" whenever I finish my daily
exercise routine, and sometimes wish my wife had a fleshy tail and a Scottish accent.
However, I am eternally grateful to the man who, by and large, made my dysfunction possible:
Chris Avellone, whom you may also know for having a hand in Alpha Protocol, Knights of the Old
Republic II, Fallout 2, and, perhaps less excitingly, Descent to Undermountain.
Aunque mi consumo de música se ha vuelto completamente digital, aún guardo en casa
unos cuantos vinilos, formato que por otra parte aún es popular con audiófilos y
DJs, pero ciertamente nunca había visto uno con tanto detalle:
Surco de un disco de vinilo
aumentado 500 veces. Las partículas negras son suciedad.
La imagen forma parte de unas cuantas que se pueden ver en Record
grooves under an electron microscope que Chris Supranovitz, del Instituto de
Óptica de Rochester, ha tomado de uno de estos discos utilizando el microscopio de
electrones del Instituto, y entre otras cosas me ha servido para darme cuenta de que la aguja del
tocadiscos se mueve de lado a lado -lo cual es lógico tratándose de sonido
estéreo- y no de arriba a abajo como por algún motivo estaba convencido que
hacía.
Como extra bonus, una pieza de Discovery Channel de la serie Cómo se hace en la
que se ve el proceso de fabricación de estos discos:
Lonely Planet's Tom Hall answers your questions on worldwide travel. This week: making the most
of a New Zealand break and Morocco with a toddler in tow
I'm going to New Zealand to perform in April, I have about five or six days there before
I have to base myself in Auckland for the shows. I'm planning to go on my own, and want to get
the most out of the South Island in those few days. What would you suggest as a whistle-stop tour
of some of the most dramatic and beautiful sights of the Island?
Also any tips for good day trips from Auckland which'll get me back in time for my 8pm
show each night would rock. Chris Cox, by email
New Zealand catches many visitors out. It is a big country and those who come with a couple of
weeks to see the whole place often go home frustrated. In this case, you're aware of the time
limitations, so are best off treating this as a quick dash from Auckland to Christchurch with
stops and detours on the way. Take the Overlander train down through the North Island from Auckland to
Wellington. You'll cover a lot of land and it beats the plane - you'll have seen enough of the
inside of metal tubes by the time you get there. The need to get to the South Island means
there's not much time in Wellington, but if you have a few hours stop by the excellent national
musesum, Te
Papa. The area around Picton, where the ferry from Wellington docks, is a good place to start
with the South Island. Don't rush away from what is one of New Zealand's most beautiful areas -
you should try for a day hike on the Queen Charlotte Track, offered by several hiking companies
based in Picton.
From Picton you can travel to Nelson, gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. You won't have
time for much more than a day here but there's an excellent one-day sea kayaking trip run by Wilsons. The
lovely Awaroa Lodge,
accessed only by boat, has some good late-season offers and there's no shortage of good value
budget accommodation around Nelson.
From here flip over to the east coast - Inter City have the best bus network - and have a half-day's whale-watching
off the waters of Kaikoura. From here move down to Christchurch and hop on the wonderful TranzAlpine
rail service. This train comes complete with an open observation car for admiring the
spectacular mountain views. Rather than continue on to Greymouth, get off and stay overnight at
Arthur's Pass, which is a superb place for trekking and sampling small-town life before heading
back to Christchurch for a flight back to Auckland.
One day trip from here I'd recommend is taking the boat to
Rangitoto Island and walking up this dormant volcano. The views of the city are excellent.
Other suggestions for day trips are welcome.
My boyfriend and I have booked two weeks in Montenegro for the end of May/beginning of
June. Our friends either don't know where it is, or don't know why we're spending so long in such
a small place. But I once spoke to someone on a campsite in Greece who was its biggest fan and
told me I had to go. So we are. Despite what my friends say.
We're on a tight budget and would love a mixture of coastal beaches, good fresh food and
some lovely walks (rambling but maybe not full-on hiking). Our aim is to get healthy, relaxed and
energised. Could you recommend anything to fit the bill? Zoe Daniels, by email
Montenegro is located in south-eastern Europe, sandwiched between Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia,
Albania and the Adriatic Sea. It's small enough to move around over the course of your stay and
get a good overview of the highlights. This coast is what gives the country its appeal, with the
Mediterreanean's longest fjord slicing into the Bay of Kotor. The city of Kotor, located within
the fjord, is an excellent base from which to explore the coast. There are popular resorts here
like Budva - which has a fascinating abandoned old quarter - Herceg Novi, Tivat and Ulcinj. They
won't be crowded at the beginning of June but you'll find your own smaller coves with a bit more
space and privacy without too many problems.
Hiring a scooter or bicycle can take you off the beaten track. Durmitor National Park offers some
of the best hiking in the Balkans and getting here from Kotor involves travelling by road or a
combination of rail and road, along some of Europe's most spectacular roads. Even with all this
you may feel that there's not quite enough to fill two weeks. In this case, consider side trips
to Dubrovnik, Sarajevo or Belgrade - the latter being the final destination for Montenegro's only
train service. Balkanology is an
excellent place to get more information on the country.
Not being traditional "book and beach" sorts, my husband and I are hoping to reclaim our
former adventurous spirit. We would love to venture further than the villas we've limited
ourselves to for the last few years, now that our daughter is decidedly more
travel-sized.
We've never been to Morocco before and thought it might be a safe option for all of us to
spend a week, but we're not feeling quite brave enough to organise it all ourselves. Daisy will
be nearly three in early September when we're thinking of going. Are we being overly ambitious?
We can easily get to most airports by car but prefer Gatwick as it's the nearest. Paulina, Carlos & Daisy Talamanca, by email
In some ways Morocco is exactly the right place for a trip like this. The flight, which is the
most difficult part of a journey with a toddler, is short in comparison with other destinations
offering a more exotic kind of holiday. It remains an affordable destination but has a
sufficiently developed infrastructure to make getting around possible by road or rail. And in
September it will still be warm but with neither the crowds of European visitors who flock here
during the school holidays nor really revved up for the winter season which makes coastal
destinations like Agadir popular. You're all likely to get a kick out of exploring the
experiences, colours and smells of somewhere new together.
There are, of course, potential downsides. A near three-year-old won't share your sense of wonder
at the winding passageways of the medinas of Fes or Marrakech - though their eyes will be out on
stalks as you explore the Djemma el Fna, the latter's enormous night-time gathering space packed
with food stalls, story-tellers and performers. They also won't get much out of day trips into
the Atlas Mountains and may be frustrated at a holiday that involves only a little beach or
playground time. Here's a hint: have a look in big modern shopping malls for facilities designed
for families. Opinions among readers will, I imagine, be divided as to whether the experience of
such a different culture balances out these downsides. Aim to stay somewhere with a pool so that
you've got somewhere to retreat to - Best of Morocco are specialists who can advise further.
My wife and I want to go to Sydney and Melbourne and have a stopover in Hong Kong on the
way out. If possible we'd also like a stopover on the way back but we're not sure where. Any tips
and do's and don'ts? I'm keen not to drive for ever in Oz so info on internal flights and trains
would be useful. Declan Jones, by email
Flying with British Airways and Qantas is the best way to maximise the variety of stopovers you
can make. You can take your pick of easy Asian hubs and usually fly out via one and back by
another. On a recent trip to Melbourne, I had the choice of visiting Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo,
Beijing, Seoul and many other locations which were served by one or both airlines. You can also
fly with the national carriers of countries you are considering stopping over in, for example
Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific, but this will limit your choice of where you can stop.
Trailfinders can advise and
help with bookings. Hong Kong (discoverhongkong.com) and Singapore (visitsingapore.com) combine a high
frequency of flights with the shortest routes to Australia so are the most popular options.
They're also easy places to explore in a couple of days, so I'd recommend these for starters and
suggest saving less common stopovers for another time. Book accommodation ahead so you don't
waste time when you arrive, and don't try to pack too much in. Part of the benefit of a stopover
is taking a little time to get over the rigours of the journey.
In Australia, you can fly between major cities and tourist destinations on Virgin Blue and Jetstar, which both operate along low-cost
carrier lines. You'll get the best deal if you book ahead. Taking a flight one way and a train
the other is a good way to see Australia. Countrylink offer day and night services between Melbourne and Sydney.
The Ubuntu Classroom Team prides itself in providing high quality educational sessions in the
Ubuntu Classroom channel on freenode. Currently are schedule is quite empty, so we are looking to
fill it up.
If you have something that you specialize in, or are particularly interested in teaching about,
please contact a member of the Classroom
Management Team to setup a session.
Random Thought! I'm oddly comforted by the thought that, if I lived in Russia,
comics would be reviewing me... (Taken from my Twitter feed on Sunday.)
Random Thought! I have no interest in that Young Allies book beyond how
awesome the name Bastards of Evil is. That's not just a good bad guy team name, it's a Joe
Casey-esque bad guy team name, and no one does supervillains who revel in their villainy as well
as Casey these days, so nicely done, Mr. McKeever.
Random Thought! Because it gives me focus, the rest of the column will be my
"I'ds of March" to follow-up on Brian's annual posting. Sure, that was yesterday, but I don't
want to step on his toes, let him do his thing and I'll keep mine in this column. If I remember
next year, the 15th will be on a Tuesday and mine will actually go up on the day. I did this
previously, on my blog, two years ago. (Linking to that so I won't repeat myself...)
I'd... have ended Secret Invasion with Noh-Varr helping to turn the
tide against the Skrulls and, then, turning on the heroes, because he intends to take over the
planet himself and remake it in Hala's image. Not taking over then, Norman Osborn could still be
in charge and Dark Reign happens mostly as planned, but Noh-Varr is set up as a threat, someone
who isn't working for the same goals as anyone.
I'd... have brought Steve Rogers back in Captain America as a regular
arc with Butch Guice as the artist, kicking off his run on the book. Not necessarily as smart a
sales/business move, but I think it would have worked artistically better.
I'd... have not marketed Joe Casey's tenure on Superman/Batman as a
follow-up to "Our Worlds at War" and would have also let people know that was writing the book
when the first issue came out in October and made it clear what was going on.
I'd... hire Jim Starlin to take over one of the Marvel cosmic books. With Thanos
coming back, all we need is Starlin. It would lighten the load for Abnett and Lanning a bit and
also give the line a little bit more diversity in writing. I've enjoyed the unified vision, but,
come on, DnA and Starlin writing those characters? That would be amazing.
I'd... have hired J.M. DeMatteis to write Spider-Man: The Clone Saga.
Or, at least, a back-up strip to give the series a little more flavour and breathing room. I'd
have also included some extra material like one-page interviews on the story throughout the
series. Small things to make it a better experience.
I'd... have not made Wednesday Comics exclusively 12-part serialised
stories. Do some one-offs and short serials, mix things up a bit, play with the newspaper format.
I'd... have released the "Final Crisis Aftermath" book in a different manner,
maybe not all at the same time nor with such similar titles. They all sort of blended together
that way when they might have done better by making their differences more obvious and trying to
target each book's specific audience more directly.
I'd... release Paul Jenkins's Hellblazer run in trades. Plus, I do a
trade or two of the remaining uncollected issues from that series. The one- and two-parters that
popped up over the years.
I'd... have hired almost any other artist than Philip Tan for the second
Batman & Robin arc. That arc sticks out like a sore thumb and DC could have found
someone much better suited to Morrison's writing -- and someone whose work doesn't look ten times
worse in the middle of Frank Quitely- and Cameron Stewart-drawn arcs.
I'd... have hounded Chip Zdarsky to contribute to Strange Tales...
because he's great.
I'd... hire Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk to do a second Dark X-Men mini-series
later in 2010 to explore what happens to the characters without Norman Osborn in charge. That
could be very interesting and act as a nice sequel to the recently-concluded mini.
I'd... have hired a writer with sensibilities much more in common with Grant
Morrison than Keith Giffen to write The Authority: The Lost Year. A cool idea for a book
that went wrong by hiring the wrong writer to do it. That needed someone much more in tune with
the way Morrison writes.
I'd... have chosen more Spider-Woman over the motion comics animated
thing.
I'd... have made those Dark Reign: The List issues actually... you
know... mean something...? Like, made them count for something lasting and important within the
"Dark Reign" story rather than just coming out and... not really doing much of anything.
I'd... hound and pester Craig Ferguson until he agrees to write an Aquaman
comic, dammit!
Random Thought! That was fun.
***
Random Comments! Your comments. My replies. Rather obvious. Trying something new
by replying to portions of comments directly. If it's confusing or people don't like it, let me
know.
Bill Reed said: People actually watched Corner Gas? Really? Did they enjoy
it? Does one have to be Canadian to enjoy it? Some station or another here in God's United States
aired it for a bit there, and I stumbled upon it one day... it's like some kind of terrifying
black hole of quality.
Corner Gas is a decent, middle-of-the-road sitcom. It only produces a couple of chuckles
in an episode, but gets the odd big laugh. Or, it did when it was on. I don't think it's a
uniquely Canadian thing, but who knows with you Americans?
I'm tired of this shtick already. Deadpool isn't that overexposed. I proved it with maths.
Still, he does have a surprising amount of solo titles, more than I think the market will be able
to support. In a year's time, he'll probably be back to one, unless the movie comes out.
Just because other characters appear in more books, doesn't mean Deadpool isn't overexposed.
Something like that is relative to the character and how much exposure is too much. Spider-Man
and Batman appear in more books? Fine, but we're also used to them appearing in a lot of books.
There's a longtime demand for them to appear in numerous books. As of yet, there's an apparent
shortterm demand for Deadpool that could easily turn against the character like happened to
Punisher and Ghost Rider. Your math, while interesting, doesn't tell the whole story.
CW said: The whole 'Deadpool overexposure' thing is really weird for me. Not
because I hate the character, or I'm offended by the character being rammed down my throat, but I
guess I'm from the time when Joe Kelly and Ed McGuness couldn't buy readers for his solo series.
I grew up with Deadpool as a third-rate Wolverine knock-off (violent guy with an attitude)
fighting second-rate characters (Black Tom?) from a second rate X-book (Leifeld-era X-Force, you
suck!). That Joe Kelly was able to take the character and make something truely moving and
halarious is nothing short of miraculous. The book was constantly fighting cancelation, and
although it never really recovered after McGuness left the book, it was still one of the best
books Marvel was publishing at the time.
Everything being published today featuring the character is a pale shadow of what was done in
that first series. I don't believe that later work of any creator or of any character can
diminish the original work, but what's being published as Deadpool comics these days makes me
almost say he's been ruined. As it is, I see those books as being the one shining gem in a big
pile of turd. And it makes me realize just how funny and vindictive the fates must be to make
*now* be when Deadpool is at his most popular among the hoi poi. It's almost like something...
Deadpool would come up with.
Agreed. Having read Deadpool books for reviewing purposes at CBR, I can vouch for the
lack of funny. They're cute. There's maybe one funny moment per issue. Then again, humour is
relative, so maybe lots of people are finding the current books very funny. I did enjoy
Deadpool's recent guest-spot in Amazing Spider-Man by Joe Kelly and Eric Canete. That
was great.
Mecha-Shiva said: Frisky Dingo, man... what a great show. I ran into Adam
Reed at my mechanic's (I had no idea what he looked like, but he started talking to someone at
the counter and I'm wondering why this guy sounds like Xander Crews then he said his name and it
made sense) but lacked the balls to say hello or anything. I don't understand why Frisky Dingo
(or the all-too-brief Xtacles spinoff) never got the same kind of attention as the Venture Bros.
Not to take anything away from the Venture Bros., which is great, but... other than the crappy
animation, I see nothing not to like about Frisky Dingo. Ka-kow.
I can understand why: The Venture Bros. do self-contained episodes. Frisky
Dingo opted for episodes that told one big story, much like a comics storyarc written for
the trade. That doesn't make it less good, it just makes it harder for people to get into it.
That, and The Venture Bros. is better. Sorry.
Mario said: People who don't like Deadpool or constantly whine about his
overexposure are simply in denial of their desire to read a comic that will have no "serious"
long term effect. Deadpool comics are all about enjoyment (in the best and worse ways
possible).
No, I'm all for those books. I've read recent Deadpool books and they're just not good.
Not funny or entertaining.
Jason Arron's Wolvering doesn't suck.
No, Jason Aaron's Wolverine book doesn't suck. That's what made me realise that I just don't care
for the character. I'd read an issue here and there and enjoy what I've read, and, yet, I felt no
desire to read another issue.
FunkyGreenJerusalem said: That's because it's by an Australian director
Gregor Jordan, who makes the most empty and souless films of all time. He won a big short film
competition in Australia with a clever short... although apparently it's VERY similar to another
short, or scene from an old film. He then made a crime film which wouldn't have gone anywhere,
except it had Bryan Brown swearing a lot, and was the breakthrough (in Australia, which led to US
work) of Heath Ledger. That got him signed up to a five picture film, and it's been a slow and
steady output of dribble ever since. (I know his career because I keep thinking every film will
be his last, and am just shocked at watching his mediocrity continue to live). Having seen The
Informers the other week, don't stress Chad, just about every character in it will die of AIDS
soon after the credits. (Although I think we're supposed to ignore that by combining the stories,
and making them all happen at once, nearly every character had, presumably, unprotected sex with
someone who had slept with another character, all leading back to the girl who dies of AIDS at
the end... AIDS of course being added in, as it's not in the novel, to give the film some kind of
ending).
I haven't read the collection in a while, but, yeah, I don't remember AIDS being in any of the
stories. Hell, the girl doesn't even die necessarily in the book. Thanks for the background info.
From what I read, the director really fucked with the script and cut it down considerably.
I loved when that book hinted that Xavier was in their heads and manipulating the X-Men the
whole time. That never went anywhere.
That was very frustrating. Xavier was perfectly happy to alter Magneto's memories and mind, but
wouldn't act on a larger scale to solve the problems with mutants and humanity -- or, at least,
influence the minds of the right people to move things along. Again, small-scale, status
quo-feeding bullshit.
So you're praising Ellis for writing a nice outline of a story, and then publishing it as a
story? From memory, the book has a scene where the main characters - all of whom have nothing
original or distinguishing about them - are standing in a warehouse. The police are intercut with
the heroes talking, surrounding a warehouse, and they kick down the door... but they have the
wrong warehouse. That's Chuck Austen level of writing.
No, Ellis wrote a conclusion to his story, but part of it was introducing ideas that could be
more fully explored in the future. And that scene happened, but it, you know, made sense in
context and wasn't bad. But, I'm not going to change your mind.
Willie Everstop said: Random Thought! What the hell is up with comic
characters leaving the word what out of the phrase "What the hell" lately? Is it a creator quirk
or just some weird way to avoid censorship? It always seems out of place to me.
I say 'the hell?' or 'the fuck?' Just a variation on the phrase that some people use.
TimCallahan said: Hey, I was an English major and I read ALL the assigned
books. (Problem was: I usually didn't read them until the day before the final, and Chaucer isn't
really all that great when you read him like that. He may not be great for other reasons -- the
jury is still out on that.)
I did that with Moby-Dick since it was the one book in my American lit class in
undergrad that we had to discuss in an essay on the final exam. By the halfway mark, I
was skipping the chapters on whales, sticking to the narrative. Good times.
Rome said: BTW, did you like the new Iron Man 2 trailer? Any thoughts on the
Suitcase Armor?
Looks decent. No real thoughts or judgements since the first movie was good enough to earn the
sequel a viewing. So, I'm trying not to care too much, preferring to leave my thoughts until I
see the finished product with everything in its proper context.
Jack Norris said: As soon as the words "hero's journey" pop up in an
argument, I automatically feel less obligated to read on in a respectful manner. It's become the
fans & critics (oh, and let's not forget some creators as well) version of "because, uh...
because Jesus, God and the Bible, that's why!" in the way that it's just an empty appeal to
authority.
Agreed. But, the endpoint of Peter's progression into adulthood is leaving Spider-Man behind and
learning about real responsibility. Just the way it is.
Mike Loughlin said: My problem with JMS' better comics (Midnight Nation,
Rising Stars, Supreme Power) is that he spent an awful lot of time on set-up, and very little on
delivery. I read all 18 issues of Supreme Power, but got the impression that the story JMS wanted
to tell would have taken at least 50 more. Rising Stars started out great (although the art was
sub-par), but ended limply. Midnight Nation is a self-contained story, at least, but they seemed
to spend most of the issues lurching toward a rather predictable conclusion (I liked it, despite
its flaws). I think JMS is good at world-building, but falters when it comes to structuring.
Yeah, that's why Babylon 5 was so great: he had the room to set up plots and characters
and world build without it cutting short the eventual payoffs. Comics are limited by page-count
and the speed at which they come out and JMS seems to need more room to work. He hasn't adapted
to the medium as much as he should have by this point.
A website that sorts everyday the most relevant information to you.
Vote for the news and Matoumba will learn your tastes and the information that you like the most.
It is all FREE!
Find here the history of the stories you found interesting.
Show this to people who share the same interests as you,
and if they use Matoumba, their own votes will fine recommandations to you.
[Finishing up our GDC written coverage, we were going to pick just one lecture,
but we decided to just go with all of the major ones, as well as the big announcements - lots of
neat stuff to check through here.]
Recommandations
)
and reject those that you are not interested in
(
)
