An Overdue Farewell!!!!
2600 - writer/artist - posted on Saturday, 06/26/10 18:45:49 EDT
As the title of the news says, this is an overdue farewell. Considering the last post was in September of 09 (With the final comic about a year and a half ago), it is save to say that we have all moved on. I happened to be rummaging through my file cabinet of old artwork looking for some references for another comic I work on when I realized that we never clarified to everyone what has happened to this site. So, after some periods of nostalgia and near vomit inducing stomach pains (seriously, my early artwork was terrible and void of any sort of proportions/construction), I figured I'd start the ball with farewell posts and listing where we have all moved onto.
First, the web comic you know and love is dead, but from these ashes a serial print comic has risen. While working on PressStartComic.com, I started getting the itch to try something else, something more story oriented, more real, more close to home. I have to say some of our best work on the webcomic has been our story arcs, with the one involving Rico and his search for love (Girl Quest) being our high note. This story arc, mainly written by Cap'n Treacherous always stuck out from the rest of the comics on the site. While thinking of something new to try, I came across Video Game Trader Magazine at a convention. I subscribed to this awesome classic gaming/collecting magazine. After reading a few issues I decided to contact the editor with pitch for a comic. After some back and forth conversations, the basic comic idea was to do a continuous story comic for each issue. The challenge was that while being a continuous story, each individual comic will be enjoyable on its own. This, proved to be challenge in itself that I still continue to work on. The comic, titled "Press Start" may look similar to the webcomic visually, but read a couple and you will see some vast character differences. I took the 3 main characters that I created for the webcomic, and revamped their personalities. Bob, is no longer a dick, but rather a mixed up gamer forever living with the grave mistake of breaking up with his girlfriend over a video game. Rico, is a complete smart ass dick, who, while taking any chance possible to tear Bob down, is also there when Bob really, desperately needs him. Greg, is the peace walker. Calm, cool, collective, and always there for whoever needs. The print comic contains all new, completely original material that is both written and drawn by me, with some help/input from the occasional guest writer (so far Nick! has had a hand in one comic, and the Cap'n may have a hand in one in the future). So, if you want read about the bimonthly adventures of bob, rico and Greg, be sure to go to www.VideoGameTrader.com and subscribe.
Since we are talking about video Game Trader, I should also mention that both nick and I have combined our game review and article writing efforts to create "Made in Japan." Made in Japan is our own column in Video Game Trader where we write about import games from Japan. The article not only covers a review, but a brief history of the game, information on the people who've made the game, differences between ports (if any), and where one can acquire the game and at what price. We have so far covered games like Bangai-Oh for N64, Twinkle Star Sprites, Fighting Vipers, Elevator Action Old and New, and others. Besides this column (and the comic) I also do the occasional extra article. My definitive Alien Vs. Predator article comes to mind.
If you still follow PressStartComic on youtube, then you know that nick and I have continued to produce gaming videos. We took a good long look at our previous videos, comics, articles, reviews, everything with the site, and realized one of our major downfalls has been spreading ourselves too thin. We decided to concentrate mainly on arcades and arcade gaming for our videos. We launched a new site just about one year ago called "Arcade Hunters." This has become the home for Nick, Sgt. Jamma, and I to post news and videos about arcade games and the arcade gaming scene. We have been fortunate enough to help bring publicity to some of our friends arcades. Seriously, before us, there were very few (basically Rob Pennyman and his crew from Coin Op TV) people taking videos at places like Funspot, especially covering their classic gaming tournament. now, you can't go near Funspot at tournament time without tripping over people doing interviews, podcasts, video shows, you name it. the best part is, we love it. This means people have an interest in arcades and are getting the word out about arcades. we have met countless from as far as England who have come out to Funspot because of a video we put up on youtube. www.Arcade-Hunters.com is still going strong with video updates, event coverage, interviews, anything arcade related.
Cap'n Treacherous probably won't be able to sign in to post his goings ons, but he has been quite busy. for awhile he was working on his own webcomic called "Cornii." Cornii was a humor comic that was kind of similar to David Lynch's "The Angriest Dog in the World." The Cap'n started getting good with punchline delivery when he got the calling to attend law school in Chicago. This has been going well for him, he has been enjoying it, and the only downside was that the person hosting his webcomic ended up putting an end to it. Last I hard on the comic issue was that the Cap'n was trying to get all of his hard work back so that he can put it on a site of his own. Of course trying to do this and balance the demands of law school can be challenging, so he has been concentrating mainly on the law school.
Well that about sums it up. Cycloptic and Nick! might add to this with more details on what they've been up to. So, from 2600, I bid a farewell to a roller coaster ride of deadlines, conventions, scamming free stuff, and just all around hardcore nerding that is, was, and will be known as "PressStartComic.com (Nick has written an expanded post, please click the purple button to read it) P.S.- The hardcore nerding still continues through classic gaming tournaments, print magazines, gaming articles, and my own pursuit in opening up a Japanese arcade in the New England Area. So.... Nerdingly Yours, 2600
