Happy New Year! And Here, Drink This…
I’ll admit that I missed all things Seacrest and the ball dropping last night. In fact, I think Jesse was playing Shadow Complex as I slept on the couch when the clock struck midnight. But nonetheless, Happy New Year to you, no matter how you celebrated. (And thanks to those who invited me to parties, but I preferred to be in my pajamas and not have to figure out how to find my way home).
As I was surfing the Internetz, I found the above image. It’s super cheesy, I know. But a good theme to follow generally, I think. I tried a lot of things in 2009 (like quitting a staff job to freelance), and thankfully was able to bypass the failing part, thanks to Wired, Massively, StreetLevel, ToyFare, Time Out NY Kids, The New York Post and Time. Let’s hope for more luck and success in 2010 as I embark on a new job (!!!), which I’ll share more about in the coming weeks.
But back to the trying. Jesse got a juicer for Christmas, and it’s his goal to find the weirdest things to juice. Today’s drink features pineapples, beets and celery. Let’s hope it’s much better than the concoction he made yesterday (FYI, cabbages in liquid form = GROSS).
Christmas L00t
I didn’t want much for Christmas because all this year (or at least since September-ish), I’ve been trying to get rid of all the clutter and junk in the apartment. Obviously I haven’t been doing too well on that (see Tauntaun sleeping bag), but I’m really trying. Really.
But my parents love Christmas, and so I inevitably got more stuff. Thanks, Parents!
Ever since my dad’s fourth cancer surgery (bless him!) in July, I’ve been obsessed with nutrition and alternative cancer treatments. Hence the Food Inc., Dr. Weil and Suzanne Somers books. I also finally started reading Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, so I got the second parts of the novel and graphic novel. Though I think I’ll finish reading the entire seven-book novel series first before I continue in the comics. Team of Rivals, I’ve always wanted to read that but never got around to it. And Planet Earth on Blu-ray is just awesome.
A white Casio to add to my other Casio watches. The face is a little big for my bony wrist but it still fits. And below, a completely useless yet amazing 12-inch Enid Coleslaw doll from Ghost World (Daniel Clowes is one of my favorites). So much for not having crap in the house. But whatever, she looks nice on my dresser.
I hope you guys got lots of presents, too!
So proud… *sniff*
My sister: someone brought a super nintendo and had mario kart
My sister: i killed it
Me: LOL
My sister: no one wanted to play me after a while
Me: i am so proud of you
Time Out New York Kids: Video Game Gift Guide
I wrote a video game gift guide for Time Out New York Kids‘ December issue. See how many games with the words “Hero” and “Band” I unintentionally put in there.
Techland.com: Sex and ‘The Saboteur’ Interview
Up on Techland, I have a Q&A with The Saboteur lead designer Tom French on how nudity is used in the game, why they went with the decision to release in-game nudity as DLC and why he thinks mature content in games isn’t accepted by the mainstream.
Read the full interview here.
Discover Magazine: Hot Tech Feature
For Discover magazine’s December issue, I wrote and researched about video games, gadgets and cars for their year-end “Hot Tech” section.
Check out the article here (or online) to read about the Darth Vader toaster, Tony Hawk RIDE, Your Shape, Project Natal, Wii MotionPlus, the PS3’s motion controllers, hybrid and electric cars and more.
Joining Time Inc.’s Techland…
It’s been a crazy few weeks for me with my temp copywriting job (now complete), Thanksgiving at my mom’s in Florida, a few big game releases and a wedding for two great friends. And in addition to my regular writing at Game|Life, StreetLevel, Massively and ToyFare, I started contributing to Time Inc.’s new gadget and gaming site Techland, which launched November 16th. I’m writing primarily about video games, but also whatever my geeky heart desires.
The launch of the site got a lot of press, and I’m really excited to be working alongside Peter Ha, Lev Grossman, Steven James Snyder, Matt Selman and a few others. I even got my own illustrated profile picture, which was done by a pro — much better than the stick figure I originally drew.
Now I’m busy getting gift guides, top 2009 lists and top decade lists ready for my respective publications. I’ll try to update here more often, but if I don’t, blame Torchlight, Borderlands and Dragon Age: Origins.
You can check out what I’ve done so far on Techland below. (more…)
Wired.com: ‘World of Warcraft’ Anniversary Interview with Rob Pardo, Ken Levine
World of Warcraft turns five years old today, and I got Blizzard executive vice president of game design Rob Pardo, who was originally one of the lead designers of the game, to reminisce about how the world’s most popular massively multiplayer game began.
And just because I could, I also got 2k Boston’s Ken Levine, of BioShock fame, to discuss his love for the title. “Any project where you need to sell people on a space in a videogame, you can learn something from World of Warcraft,” he said.
Read the rest of the article here.
StreetLevel.com: Kidrobot’s Munnyworld Exhibit
Designer toy retailer Kidrobot held their Munnyworld exhibit in New York over the weekend, so I couldn’t resist dropping by to check it out. It featured the artwork of over 60 artists on 20-inch vinyl toys, and I brought a photographer (thanks, Jesse!) to take some beauty shots in case you couldn’t make it.
It’s hard to pick a favorite but I think I’m going to have to go with the one by MAD. Check ‘em all out here.
StreetLevel.com: Frank Kozik Interview
Frank Kozik is one of my all-time favorite toy designers. He’s done a ton of toys since he quit the music biz (he says over 800 in the last eight years), and despite the economic downturn, collectors are still coughing up cash for his highly coveted collectibles. I recently got to interview him in-person at Harley-Davidson’s “Art of Rebellion” show, which featured a bike he completely customized with his artwork. During the interview, when we were talking about the politics of the art-toy scene, he compared making designer toys to writing for porno mags:
“(Designer toys) have their niche, but the thing is that I also do fine art. I don’t want to churn out a million rabbit (toys), that would be easy. But I like to see what I can do. And of course, like anybody, I crave higher status all the time. So for me, as an independent outsider artist, to consistently sell out editions of bronze (statues), it’s kind of a big deal to me. You’re a journalist, right? It’s like, hey, you want a Pulitzer? You’d like to be published on a regular basis. But you can write a million articles for porno mags and make a ton of money — but there’s no respect.”
Kozik also talked about what inspired his recent solo exhibit and how he manages to still sell toys in this crappy economy.
Read the entire interview here.