SIGN PAINTERS (OFFICIAL TRAILER) from samuel j macon on Vimeo.

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“Sign Painters,” which has been put together with equal parts affection and skill by directors Faythe Levine and Sam Macon, is fresh and passionate and unexpected. 
-Mark Feeney, Boston Globe

 "The documentary accomplishes what many films that consist of mostly talking heads do not. Through the individual stories, a larger narrative surfaces about this art form and its fate over time. In many ways, it is more than that. It is a cautionary tale about the head-long rush into a technology-driven time and a meditation on what’s lost along the way. It is a reminder to look around and recognize the physical history in our presence every day." 
-Mary Louise Schumacher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

SCREENINGS + EVENTS: 2013

For screening inquiries please email: signpaintermovie@gmail.com

MARCH 30 
Washington DC 
Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Information here

MAY 16
Milwaukee, WI
Oriental Theater 

MAY 17
Chicago, IL
Logan Theater

JUNE 7/8
Vancouver Canada
Rio Theatre information HERE

JUNE 8/9
Chicago, IL
In association with Bellweather at the Hideout
Event details HERE

JUNE 13
Asheville, NC
Fine Arts Theater
Hosted by the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design  

JUNE 14
Istanbul, Turkey
7:30pm SALT Galata auditorium
Presented by the ISType 2013 conference

JUNE 16
Singapore
Design Film Festival- official selection

JUNE 17/18
Minneapolis, MN
Trylon Cinema

JUNE 19
Calgary, AB
Sled Island Film Festival

JUNE 20
Cincinnati, OH
Contemporary Arts Center

JUNE 21  
Cincinnati, OH
University of Cincinnati
Possible with support from AIGA 

JUNE 21/22
Phoenix, AZ
FilmBar
Presented in association with AIGA Arizona

JUNE 22
Grand Rapids, MI
Presented by AIGA West Michigan and
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA)

JUNE 23
Detroit, MI

Salt + Cedar

JUNE 20/21/22/23/26/27/28
Boston, MA
Museum of Fine Arts

JUNE 26
San Francisco, CA
Hosted by Eventbrite
 
JULY 2
Salt Lake City, UT
Presented by the Utah Film Center, Craft Lake City, and AIGA Salt Lake City
More info at utahfilmcenter.org

JULY 3
Barcelona, Spain
6:30pm Hosted by FAD
Directors will not be in attendance   

JULY 12
Madison, WI
Open to MAKESHIFT conference attendees only
Presented by Design MadisonDirectors will not be in attendance   

JULY 25
Los Angeles, CA
Fowler Museum at UCLA
Details + info HERE

JULY 26
San Antonio, TX
6:30pm, Crockett Hotel
Details + ticket info HERE
Work on display, Q+A with Norma Jeanne Maloney 
Directors will not be in attendance

AUGUST 7
Orlando, FL
reception 6:30, screening 7pm, SunTrust Auditorium at Rollins College
Hosted by Orlando AIGA
Details + tickets HERE
Screening followed by a directors Q+A

AUGUST 13:
New York, NY
The Strand Bookstore  
Short slideshow, discussion + book signing event
Tickets + info HERE

AUGUST 14: SOLD OUT
Brooklyn, NY
Nitehawk Cinema 
Details + ticket info HERE
Screening followed by a directors Q+A

AUGUST 15: SOLD OUT
Brooklyn, NY
Nitehawk Cinema 
Details + ticket info HERE
Directors will not be in attendance  

AUGUST 17 
Imperial, CA
Tickets $5 
7pm, The Movies Imperial
2335 US Highway 86
Presented by Starts with Arts Foundation
100% proceeds go to benefit Arts Education in El Centro, CA 

AUGUST 19-22
Seattle, WA
Northwest Film Forum
Screenings nightly at 7pm and 9pm
Details + tickets HERE
August 19th screenings followed by directors Q+A 

AUGUST 20
Bellingham, WA
Pickford Film Center
6:30pm screening
Details + ticket info HERE
Screening followed by a directors Q+A

AUGUST 22
Olympia, WA 
Presented by the Olympia Film Society
8:30 doors, 9:00pm screening at Capitol Theater
Tickets available HERE
Screening followed by a directors Q+A

AUGUST 23: SOLD OUT
Portland, OR  
Hosted by TYPECON
Screening followed by a directors Q+A

AUGUST 23
Philadelphia, PA 
Presented by 3rd Ward + Sedso Design
Doors 6:30, Screening 7pm 
Details + tickets HERE
Directors will not be in attendance 

SEPTEMBER 4
Auckland, New Zealand             
Details + tickets HERE
Directors will not be in attendance  

SEPTEMBER 4
Champaign, IL
7:00pm Parkland College Theatre
Details + info here
Directors will not be in attendance
  
SEPTEMBER 5
Portland, ME
Doors 7pm, screening 7:30 Space Gallery 
Details + tickets HERE
Sponsored by the Portland Museum of Art
Screening followed by a directors Q+A

SEPTEMBER 6-12
Providence, RI 
Cable Car Cinema
Details + tickets HERE
September 6th screening followed by a directors Q+A and book signing

SEPTEMBER 7
La Grange, Illinois
10:30AM La Grange Theater

SEPTEMBER 11
San Francisco, CA
Architecture and the City Festival film series
San Francisco Public Library's screening room
Free open to the public, details HERE
Director Sam Macon will be in attendance 

SEPTEMBER 15
Halifax, Nova Scotia 
33rd Atlantic Film Festival
Program: International Perspectives 

SEPTEMBER 19: SOLD OUT
Sydney Australia
Presented by The Distillery
Screening followed by chat with local sign-painters
Directors will not be in attendance

SEPTEMBER 23: SOLD OUT
Wellington New Zealand
8pm, Lighthouse Cinema 
Details + ticket info HERE
Directors will not be in attendance 

SEPTEMBER 21-24
San Diego, CA
Media Arts Center
Details + ticket info HERE
Presented along with SEGD San Diego

SEPTEMBER 24
Houston, TX
Details + ticket info TBA
Directors will not be in attendance 
In association with Design Week + presented by Houston AIGA 

SEPTEMBER 24
Wellington, New Zealand      
Details + ticket info TBA
Directors will not be in attendance 

SEPTEMBER 26
Pittsburgh, PA
7:30pm, Harris Theater 
Presented by AIGA Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Filmmakers
in connection with Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University
Directors will not be in attendance

SEPTEMBER 22
Dundee, Scotland 
6pm, Dundee Contemporary Art Center
Details + ticket info HERE
Director Faythe Levine will be in attendance

OCTOBER 4-6
Ellensburgh, WA
Ellensburgh Film Festival Official Selection 
Details + info TBA

OCTOBER 5-9
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Film Festival Official Selection
Saturday, Oct. 5 at 4:30pm at Landmark Oriental (main house)
Sunday, Oct. 6 at 8:30pm at Fox-Bay Cinema
Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 3:00pm at Landmark Oriental 
Ticket information HERE

OCTOBER 7
Ontario Canada
7pm, Princess Cinema 
A part of the Art, Design and Architecture series, co-presented by Bearface Design
Ticket information HERE
Directors will not be in attendance

OCTOBER 10 
Saint Louis, MO
7pm, Tivoli Theatre 
details + tickets info HERE
Directors will not be in attendance

OCTOBER 11
Dallas, TX
7pm The Texas Theater
Details + ticket info HERE
Directors will not be in attendance

OCTOBER 14
Christchurch, New Zealand
6:30pm, Hoyts Riccarton
Details + ticket info HERE
Directors will not be in attendance

OCTOBER 15
Marfa, TX
7pm The Highland Annex at Marfa Book Co.
Presented by CineMarfa
Screening followed by a directors Q+A

OCTOBER 16
Austin, TX
7pm at The Contemporary Austin (on the Roof Deck)
The Jones Center, 700 Congress Ave.
Details + ticket info HERE
Screening followed by a directors Q+A joined by local sign painters Norma Jeanne Maloney and Gary Martin

OCTOBER 17
Austin, TX
7pm at The Contemporary Austin (on the Roof Deck)
The Jones Center, 700 Congress Ave.
Details + ticket info HERE
Screening followed by a directors Q+A

OCTOBER 17
Chicago, IL
6pm, Damen Student Center Cinema
Tickets + info HERE 
Directors will not be in attendance

OCTOBER 19
New Orleans, LA
3pm + 6pm at Tulane University in the Woldenberg Art Center
FREE and open to the public, seats limited call event hosts Mystic Blue Signs to reserve you seat
Directors will be in attendance

OCTOBER 21
Birmingham, AL 
7:30pm at The Bottletree 
Details + ticket HERE
Director Faythe Levine will be in attendance

OCTOBER 23
Santa Barbara, CA
7pm  Balboa Buliding, Auditorium
Details + ticket info HERE 
Presented by the AIGA Santa Barbara, film followed by Q+A with featured sign painter Nick Barber
Directors will not be in attendance 

NOVEMBER 1
Birmingham, UK
6pm Parkside Lecture Theatre, The Parkside Building, Birmingham City University
Presented by Eye Candy
Details + ticket info HERE
Directors will not be in attendance

NOVEMBER 4
Syracuse, NY
7pm Redhouse Theater
Presented by the Near Westside Initiative and Echo 
Tickets available at door; $7 general // $5 students more details HERE 
Director Faythe Levine will be in attendance + featured sign painters Cayetano Valenzuela 

NOVEMBER 7
Miami FL
7pm Little Haiti Cultural Center
IPC visual lab film screening theater, 212-260 N.E. 59 Terrace
More info HERE
Directors will not be in attendance

NOVEMBER 7
Leeds, UK 
Hyde Park Picture House
Leeds International Film Festival
Details + ticket info HERE
Directors will not be in attendance 

NOVEMBER 8
Madison WI
8pm Central Library 
Free + open to the public, part of the monthly NIGHT LIGHT series
Directors will be in attendance
Details HERE 

NOVEMBER 11
Belfast, N. Ireland
7pm at the Black Box, Build Festival pass is required to attend
Presented by Film at Build 2013
Directors will not be in attendance   

NOVEMBER 11

Melbourne, Australia

Presented by ID/Lab & Sumo Visual Group in collaboration with RMIT

Live sign writing demo's prior to the movie

Directors will not be in attendance 

Details + ticket info here  

NOVEMBER 12: SOLD OUT

Melbourne, Australia

Presented by ID/Lab & Sumo Visual Group in collaboration with RMIT

Live sign writing demo's prior to the movie

Directors will not be in attendance 

Details + ticket info here 

NOVEMBER 13
San Marcos, TX 
7pm, FREE, Texas State University, JCM 2121
Presented by the Communication Design Program
Directors will not be in attendance followed by a Q&A with Norma Jeanne Maloney

NOVEMBER 13
Las Vegas, NV
7pm Velveteen Rabbit 
Director Sam Macon will be in attendance 
Details + ticket info here

NOVEMBER 14

Richmond, VA
7pm, Virginia Commonwealth University
Academic Learning Commons, Room 1201, 1000 Floyd Avenue, Richmond 23284 
Presented by Department of Graphic Design as a part of the Objects + Methods Lecture Series
FREE + open to the public, Q+A with director Faythe Levine

NOVEMBER 16
Falmouth, Cornwall UK
Fish Factory Art Space
Presented by Signature Strokes
More info TBA, directors will not be in attendance

NOVEMBER 16
Los Angeles, CA
6pm on campus at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC)
4pm Sign Graphics classroom open house! 
Free + open to the public, screening is outdoors in the SOUTH TENT
Director Sam Macon will be in attendance 

NOVEMBER 18
Burlington, VT
8:30pm Arts Riot
Director Faythe Levine will be in attendance  

NOVEMBER 21
Sydney, Australia  
Presented by LO-FI COLLECTIVE in collaboration with ID/Lab & Sumo Visual Group 
Live sign writing demo's prior to the movie

Directors will not be in attendance 

Details + ticket info here

NOVEMBER 21
Calgary, Canada
7pm Kensington Plaza Theatre
Directors will not be in attendance
Details + ticket info here

NOVEMBER 25
Adelaide, Australia

Directors will not be in attendance 

Details + ticket info here 

NOVEMBER 28

Newcastle, Australia

Presented by Pocketdesign in collaboration with Newcastle Museum, ID/Lab & Sumo Visual Group. Live sign writing demo by Brett Piva prior to the movie

Directors will not be in attendance 

Details + ticket info here  

NOVEMBER 30

Berlin Germany
9pm, Urban Spree 
Details + ticket info HERE

DECEMBER 4
Milwaukee, WI
7pm UWM Union Theater 
FREE + open to the public, in association with the Mary L. Nohl Fellowship Fund
Director Faythe Levine will be in attendance 

DECEMBER 5
Dublin, Ireland
8pm, Sugar Club
Details + ticket info here
Directors will no be in attendance 

DECEMBER 11
St Louis, MO
7:30pm, Nebula Coworking
Live sign painting demo by the Screwed Arts Collective prior to the movie.
Free + open to the public, details here
Directors will no be in attendance

DECEMBER 12
San Francisco, CA
7pm + 9:30pm,  The Roxie Theater, hosted by New Bohemia Signs
Details + ticket info here
Directors will not be in attendance, followed by Q+A with local sign painters

DECEMBER 15
Barcelona, Spain
Details + ticket info here
Directors will not be in attendance

2014 PROGRAMING

JANUARY 14
Luxembourg
Details + ticket info here
Directors will not be in attendance

JANUARY 16
Des Moines, IA
7pm, Des Moines Art Center  Levitt Auditorium
Presented by the Des Moines Art Center in partnership with AIGA  Iowa, the professional association for design, and ADAI, Art Directors Association of Iowa.
Directors will not be in attendance
* Snow date Sunday, January 19, 2pm*

 

EPISODE 82: "Never Grow Old"

The recent East Coast blizzard slowed production a little bit, but the show must go on! Here, The OverThinker responds to Warren Spector and David Cage's controversial DICE lectures:

Nintenception

It sounds like a backhanded compliment, but really the "Mario & Luigi" RPG series (Superstar Saga, Partners in Time and Bowser's Inside Story, thus far) for portables have probably been the story/humor highpoint for Nintendo franchises for the better part of the last decade. Sharp, funny, self-aware, perfectly balancing sincere "quiet awe," unobtrusive fanservice and a knowing self-awareness. The first 3DS installment has now been announced as "Mario & Luigi: Dream Team," with the now-standard alt-dimension storyline taking place partially in the realm of Luigi's dream...



Dream-world, eh? Hm...

Nintendo? I don't ask for much - which is good, since you're kind of the opposite of generous when it comes to this stuf... But if Wart (the dream-world heavy from the U.S. SMB2) turned up here in some capacity it would make me just about the happiest boy in the world. Bonus points if he brings Mouser, Triclyde, Fryguy, Clawgrip or any combination thereof with him.

Lesson 27: Stopniowanie przymiotników i przysłówków.

Stopniowanie przymiotników i
przysłówków:

1.    Stopniowanie
proste: do
przymiotnika lub przysłówka dodajemy końcówkę –er w stopniu wyższym, w najwyższym końcówkę –est. Musimy pamiętać, że w stopniu najwyższym przed przymiotnikiem
lub przysłówkiem stawiamy „the”.
Tego rodzaju stopniowania używamy do słówek jedno, czasem dwusylabowych.

·        
Jeżeli
słowo  kończy się na –e dodajemy tylko –r
lub –st: nice – nicer – the nicest

·        
Jeżeli
słowo kończy się na spółgłoskę poprzedzoną krótką samogłoską podwajamy
spółgłoskę: big- bigger- the biggest.

·        
Jeżeli
słowo kończy się na –y przed którym jest spółgłoska „y” zamieniamy na „i” i
dodajemy końcówki: easy – easier – the easiest.

2.    Stopniowanie
złożone: używamy do stopniowania dłuższych przymiotników. W stopniu wyższym
dodajemy przed przymiotnikiem/przysłówkiem more,
w stopniu najwyższym the most: expensive- more expensive –
the most expensive.

3.   Najważniejsze wyjątki:

Good
– better – the Best

Bad
– worse  - the worst

Far
– further – the furthest

Ćwiczenia:

1.   
Postopniuj podane przymiotniki:

·        
HOT

·        
NICE

·        
BUSY

·        
COMFORTABLE

·        
EXCITING

·        
PRETTY

·        
SIMPLE

·        
AMAZING

·        
FAST

·        
QUIET

·        
QUICK

·        
SLOW

·        
LARGE

2.   
Uzupełnij przymiotnikiem z nawiasu w
odpowiedniej formie:

·        
Jim is _________
(short) than John.

·        
Spain isn’t as
_____________ (hot) as Egypt.

·        
This car is too____________
(expensive).

·        
Mount Everest is ____________________
(high) peak in the world.

·        
North America is
____________ (big) than Europe, but it isn’t as __________ (big) as Asia.

·        
You mustn’t drink
alcohol. You aren’t _________ (old) enough.

OVERBYTES: "A' la Carte"

A new OVERBYTES argues on behalf on a new way for buying games digitally:

Perfection

Little sick of gaming-nostalgia mash-ups? Me too. But this? This is FUCKING BRILLIANT.

A Humble Hope For Help

So... I generally avoid using the Blog(s) for things like this, but wide nets need to be wide.

I'm looking to get in touch with people in the book-publishing business, specifically video-gaming related stuff but really at this level any inroad would be a good inroad; but there's a pretty wide disconnect between the digital press world and the print world, so... don't really have any idea how to do that.

BUT I'm betting I've got at least a few friends/followers/fans/colleagues reading these things who might have some tidbit of advice/direction/access to offer; so if that describes you please feel free to pop said info into the comments here (or, if you prefer, a way in which I could contact you to get it.) Any little bit helps, honestly :)

Thanks you.

Enemy

hat-tip: Polygon

Below, video of U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee. Mr. Alexander's stated position therein: "I think video games is (sic) a bigger problem than guns, because video games affect people." Alexander is known as a "moderate" and "bipartisan" within the Republican Party - which frankly says more  about the Party (i.e. you can be this backward and still not be backward enough) than it does about him.

This would be the honorable Senator's website, while this would be the section for contacting his political operation. In case any fellow Americans would like to (respectfully and non-abusively) offer him their thoughts on the matter.

Oh, and Tennessee-based readers? He has to run for re-election next year. His recently-announced likely opponent is named Larry Crim, whose website can be found HERE. Just sayin'.

Lesson 25: Reported Speech part1

Zdrowie - Słownictwo

Your Daily Reminder That Ralph Nader Is a Terrible Human Being

BTW, have you watched our New Episode yet?

Anyway... Ralph Nader - the man who helped give you 8 years of the George W. Bush presidency - has declared "violent" video-game producers to be "Electronic child molesters."

Screw you very much, Ralph.

Wonderful 101

Well! "Wonderful 101" is undoubtedly the most "video-game-ish" looking video-game I've seen in quite sometime. I run hot or cold on strategy games, but I'm damn inclined to pick this up...

ALSO: Brand-new episode went up today, so go watch!



This was announced at today's "Nintendo Direct" briefing, which also included the unsurprising (but never the less welcome) news of a new 3D Mario, Mario Kart and Smash Bros. to be shown off at E3 in June. Also shown off: Another "Epic Yarn" installment, this time starring Yoshi, an HD remake of "Wind Waker" and "Mother 2" coming to the (Japanese) WiiU Virtual Console.

EPISODE 81: "Let This Be The End"

New episode, now available on Blip:

Our subject this week (inspired in part by Mr. Croshaw) is whether or not we really, really need yet another generation of new individual consoles...

No Fear

I'd like to spend all day engaging people about this, but the fact is I have a shit-ton of deadline-driven work to do that's only going to get done if I got media-dark for a few hours. So this will have to be all from me about the big Obama gun laws speech today.

I imagine the number-one thing anyone wants to hear from me is how I feel about the President calling for "more research into violent video-games" as part of his big set of plans/proposals. Honestly? I hated hearing it. It cuts me to the bone when otherwise intelligent, reasonable people I happen to support have to jump and join that particular political dance; especially when I strongly suspect that they're better than that. I would prefer that the President had said "some have called for more attention paid to a link between violent games or movies and gun deaths, but the fact is that research has already been done a hundred times over and the link quite simply does not exist and continuing to call for it distracts from the real issue; which is guns and the obscene power of the Gun Lobby."

I'd have liked to see that, and maybe someday I will, but it wasn't going to be today.



The fact is, enough of my fellow Americans are paranoid enough (either through their own deficiencies or because they lack the necessary clarity and intellectual confidence to not be swayed by the propaganda of the NRA and their ilk) to give real traction to the meme of Obama/democrats "coming to take all the guns!!!;" one that only gets stronger if said propagandists can claim that they and their issue is being "singled out." That they and their issue should be singled out is beside the point - "singling out" sounds bad.

Thus was Joe Biden obliged to invite representatives of the movie and game industry (Why not books? Oh, right - older/out-of-touch people aren't scared/confused by books) to his various summitts - even though he's smart enough to know that the "link" doesn't exist - in order to affect the image that guns and gun-rights weren't "alone" in being called to the principal's office. And thus is Obama obliged to namecheck some illusory need for violent games "research" even though he's also smart enough to know better and saavy enough to know that even if he did buy into (for example) the "desensitization" fallacy, actually making any moves that even smelled of censorship would lose he and his party their crucial support among GenX/Y voters.

But here's the rub: "Calling for more research," in Washington-speak, translates to "we pretty-much garauntee nothing will come of this." It is, quite simply, a smoke-screen - a way for the President and his allies to appear to take the "broader solution" nonsense seriously while they get about the real business of breaking the back of the Gun Lobby in order to make U.S. gun laws slightly more sane.

Would I prefer that this hadn't been part of the speech, even as I recognize it as little more than rhetorical sleight of hand? Of course I would. I also wish he didn't have slip into maudlin reassurances about "Our Creator" at the end, or that he didn't need to feign four years worth of "evolution" on his support for gay marriage. I welcome the day, soon to come, when we look back on today's notions of "violent" movies and games causing real violence with the same "this was actually a THING??" horror and sadness with which we react to Calvin Candie's phrenology speech in "Django Unchained."

But that's not realistically going to happen today, and progressives, young people and especially gamers among them need to recognize that before they think about dismissing and turning their backs on an administration that - where and when it actually counts - has been (and is likely to continue to be) largely on their side. The perfect mustn't be the enemy of the good.

Brownshirts in my backyard

The town of Melrose, Massachusetts has become the latest gang of idiots to start-up a "violent games buy-back" program... though, at least they aren't also burning them, so there's that.


Funny thing about these "buybacks..." they were both sponsored by local-business people, and instead of CASH (like the police give for guns in the actual gun-buyback programs these ones are partially intended to belittle) for turning in your property you already bought you get... gift-certificates for local business, which in turn funnel any extra money/time you spend while going to redeem said certificates BACK to the very people propping up the bans. Huh. Funny how that works out, eh?

Meanwhile, the State overall has decided to pull arcade games that use toy guns from state-operated rest stops, replacing them with more "passive" titles (because what public arcade areas need right now is to suck MORE, right?) after some suburban asshole saw one and decided a Sandy Hook relative (which he is not nor does he have any discernable connection to) could concievably walk by it and be disturbed. I especially like that they're making their kid appear in the accompanying photo with them, an action I'm sure will have absolutely no negative effect on his social life whatsoever...

"It Even Has A Watermark..."

Good lord, how did it take this long for someone to do this!?

Brownshirts Back Down

Polygon reports that the small town of Southington, CT has abandoned it's internationally-reported - and widely-derrided - plans for a mass-burning of "violent" video-games.

Officially, the business/community-leader group that had backed the plan is saying that since the announcement itself succeeded in "promoting discussion" and "creating strong awareness," there was no longer any reason to actually go through with the event.

Unofficially? Call this another win for New Media, is my feeling. Public-shaming has always been one of the ultimate curatives for bullies and petty-fascists, and The Internet is the most powerful tool to inflict such ever devised.

The fight now moves to politics, with gaming and Hollywood "leaders" scheduled to be part of the "comprehensive talks" with the Obama Administration this week and next. The fact that they're there doesn't particularly worry me - this administration is smart enough to know that the idea of a direct causal-relationship between "violent" media and real gun violence is soundly-discredited, unscientific horseshit - the "comprehensive talks" are a smokescreen, "cover" for the administration so that they can avoid looking like they're focused on "going after" the gun lobby when that's in fact what they ARE and should be focused on.

My only "worry" is with just how committed they are to said smokescreen. Obama etc aren't "anti-gaming," but they have shown a political willingness to throw this or that "under the bus" in order to affect the image of bipartisanship - I can easily imagine them "bending" on censorship in order to be able to say "See? We aren't just after your guns. Your turn to give something, NRA."

To my mind, that would be both disasterous in general and an utterly useless gesture on the administration's part; and not just because it would damage the invaluable clout Obama and Democrats in general currently have with the youth vote. Mr. President... in case you haven't noticed, these people already attacked you as an "anti-gun" zealot during the four years when Washington did/said jack shit about the issue. You will never win these people over - to them, you're just a guy with the wrong politics, the wrong name and the wrong skin - forget winning The NRA and it's ilk over, focus on winning over them.

MAGFest Panels

Had a great time at our innaugural MAGFest, the Game OverThinker/MovieBob Q&A Panel of which is now available on Blip in four easily-digestable parts: PART I, PART II, PART III and PART IV.

Everybody Watch Jimquisition Now

Today, my friend and colleague Jim Sterling is a hero:

NOTE: Graphic imagery from 1:20 - 1:49

The Escapist : Jimquisition : Desensitized to Violence

I Don't Want To Game On This Planet Anymore

Y'know, it's funny. When I created The AntiThinker, he was supposed to embody an exaggeration of the absolute worst in gamer culture. Turns out, I didn't exaggerate enough...

Patricia Hernandez over at Kotaku points the way to a new candidate for gaming's worst human: A (popular, of course) YouTuber who puts up "how-to" videos instructing his followers on how to harrass female gamers for the crime of playing video games while female - "justified," of course, by the idea that these women are only gaming as a way to "con" poor, helpless men out of their money with sex appeal.

I'm not going to link directly to his stuff, but you can get the gist of it and watch (if you want to) from Hernandez piece HERE.

The whole thing is nothing short of revolting, top to bottom, particularly the sociopathic glee that the guy takes is carrying out and encouraging what's basically a keyboard and a mouse away from what'd be (verbal) sexual assault in the real world. But I'm particularly fascinated/repelled by the argument of him, his fans and too many of the Kotaku commenterati that somehow this is tit-for-tat "payback" because some of the women MAY be using their sex-appeal for attention or even monetary gain - essentially "they're WHORES, so they had it coming."

First off, the thing is... I don't give a shit. Setting aside that I have no real moral objection to (ethical) sex workers in the real world, I see absolutely NOTHING wrong the flirting-for-attention/cash "camgirl" phenomenon in gamer culture or otherwise on the net. People pay ME because they think I'm funny/insightful/whatever, I don't see how paying someone for being pretty/flirty is any different or deserving of "punishment." If you get "conned" out of kicking some paypal credits to this or that person online because she batted her eyes or flashed some cleavage and you felt like a schmuck later... that's on YOU, pal.

Secondly, what experience in real life tells you that this would be "okay" even in a virtual space. Do you imagine that punishing women for being sexy for attention or some other gain is a thing that happens? Do you know what would happen to anyone who walked into, say, most non-shithole strip clubs and spoke/acted towards the dancers the way this kid does to "virtual" women? A trip to the parking lot and a new set of finger-splints.

EPISODE 80: "Collect Calling"

The new episode is now up on Blip! The OverThinker counts off five "classic games" compilations that need to get made already.

REMEMBER: The OverThinker's panel at this weekend's MAGFest is Saturday at 10:00am!

Brownshirts (Update)

(Re-post to correct coding error in original post)

hat-tip: POLYGON.

This is how it begins...

I "get" that grief is a powerful emotion that can override common sense and reason, even in the best of us. I understand that, therefore, we are expected to be deferential and sympathetic to even the most awkward, outlandish or uncomfortable expressions of grief: "Oh, it's alright. They're just upset. Let them vent." I get that... but there's a limit to everything. So, I have ZERO problem saying that the folks in Southington, Connecticut who've more-or-less decided to hold a mass-burning of "violent" video games (music and movies, too) as some kind of reaction to the tragedy in nearby Newtown are, whateve their intent, essentially painting themselves as a pack of ignorant, knuckle-dragging, reactionary cretins; and that they deserve to be called-out and shamed for what is - regardless of scale, circumstance or intent - a crime against art, culture and an affront to civilized modernity.


Southington SOS, which purports to be a charitable organization comprised of local business and community leaders set up in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre (which, just to reiterate, took place in a different community in CT) are the force behind this gesture. They put out a press release announcing it, which includes contact information for a local YMCA chairman who is apparently a spokesman for the group (I've contacted him for some clarification, awaiting response.)

Said press-release claims that it isn't trying to suggest that games are "to blame" for the shooting and that it's more interested in getting parents and their kids to "have the conversation;" though it goes to claim that "ample evidence" exists for violent media contributing to aggression, "desensitization" and the usual malarkey... without, of course, providing a source of said "ample evidence" (spoiler: that's because there isn't any.) They'll be rewarding "donations" with $25 dollar giftcards, which seems a little rotten to me since I'm more than certain the victimized town they're supposedly supporting could probably use that money... That the "returned" offending materials will be destroyed and "likely" incinerated was revealed by the Southington School Superintendent, Joe Erardi.

Like I said, these are the sorts of things that happen when people's emotions - especially grief and the impotent rage that comes with it - override common sense, and it only gets worse when it grips a community and becomes a kind of mass-pathology (see: Salem, 1692-1693). Often, the only "cure" for such circumstances is for non (or, at least, less) irrational people to hold up the mirror and point out the absurdity and wrongness of what said community is doing - sunlight, as ever, is the ultimate disinfectant. Which is why I think it's proper to publicize this event and respond (civily!) to Southington SOS; if only to let them know how much damage they're doing, image-wise, to themselves and their purported cause by engaging in such vile and wrongheaded behavior.

Note: If and when the representative I mentioned responds to my call, I will post any details/clarifications he wishes to make at my earliest ability.

Brownshirts

(original post moved to NEW LOCATION to correct a programming error, now found HERE)

2013

A New Year's wish from me to Capcom and whoever the hell owns what's left of THQ...