September 2020 was one of the three worst months of my life. But just when I was at my lowest, something strange happened.
I no longer remember what I was searching for when I found this image. When I wrote the thread around it, I didn’t expect that anyone would buy my theory. I thought it’d get at most maybe three “likes” and a few chuckles.
Instead, I got 200 new followers, and my mailing list doubled! Thank you to all my new readers this month, and I hope you’ll enjoy what I’ve got in store in the upcoming months.
Twitter Threads
SEP23: The Popeye Mario Connection
Crossovers
ARTICLE: Gaming Historians Respond To High Score (HOHWP)
Read my and other historians thoughts on Netflix’s HIGH SCORE.
STREAM: Jack Kirby 3 For 103 (Kirby Museum)
For the 103rd birthday of Avengers/X-Men/Fantastic Four co-creator Jack Kirby, the Kirby Museum held three days of live streamed panels, and I was invited to be a guest. Unfortunately, I experienced recurring technical difficulties, plus I’ve been experiencing recurring insomnia, so I wasn’t at my best. Despite that, I’ve been told it wasn’t a complete disaster. I plan to turn the main part of the talk into a video essay after I finish my current one.
Around the Internet
VIDEO: This 80s Song Inspired Mario’s Music
This is an older video, but worth a watch for the mind-blowing revelations.
VIDEO: Sony’s Three Biggest Mistakes (Gaming Historian)
Another quality vid from Norm.
VIDEO: Cities Without People (Jacob Geller)
I recommend reading the illustrated short story 17776 before watching.
VIDEO: Big Boxes (Ahoy)
I was mostly a console gamer in the pre-digital times, so I never realized how much variance there was in PC game boxes.
VIDEO: The Psychological Trick That Can Make Rewards Backfire (GMTK)
Sometimes rewarding the player discourages them from playing the game properly.
VIDEO: ACHEWOOD Is Genius And Here’s Why (Thought Slime)
I was unfamiliar with the webcomic ACHEWOOD, but Thought Slime’s description of “that one story” really blew me away.
VIDEO: The Modern Class Of Gonzo Blockbuster (Patrick H Willems)
Another topic I never knew I wanted to hear about until I watched it.
ARTICLE: The Video Game History Booklist (HOHWP)
A comprehensive list of books about game history.
ARTICLE: The First Black Female Game Designer
An interview with Muriel Tramis.
That’s all for this month. As always, you can support my research on Patreon.