Category: Stuff I like

Youtube – Hidari

I was lying awake sick for most of last night but one positive thing coming out of that is this amazing animation I was recommended by the youtube-algorithm.
This hyped me so much to pick up one of my project ideas again and pursue it further. That was the look and feel I was hoping to achieve before I discarded the project because it ballooned way too big in my head.
Give Hidari a watch, share it, like it, whatever. It needs to happen.

Music: Cari Cari

A couple of years ago, the song “Summer Sun” by Austrian Duo “Cari Cari” (Youtube-link) popped up in my Spotify playlist, and it became my go-to good morning song for quite a while.
I don’t use Spotify anymore, so I have to look actively for new music. This explains why it took me until now to discover another great song by the duo that will likely be my good morning song for the next few weeks. Listen to “Zdarlight 1992” if you like a groovy baseline.

They also have a great Beastie Boys – Sabotage cover version.

PC Game: Storyteller

I saw this game for the first time on Friday and loved it immediately.
You’re given a story prompt and have to tell that story using a prepared set of characters, props, and scenes.
It’s a puzzle game using comic panels and storytelling.
I should say that it’s very short, maybe 2h of playtime.

I think a video explains it much better, so here’s a youtube link to a short review.
Storyteller – 3min review – by the Escapist

And here’s the website for the game. It’s available on steam and on switch.
Annapurna Interactive – Storyteller

Board Game: Cubologic

By chance, today, I walked past a game store that focuses on children’s toys and picture books. As it happened, they showcased a game in their window and the cover immediately drew my eye; because the art for it was done by Ben Newman.

Ben Newman is a British illustrator whom I came across several years ago via indie publisher Nobrow. At the time, amongst other things, they offered high-quality gift wrapping paper, some of which were illustrated by Ben Newman. I bought stacks of those gift-wrapping papers, and for years I’d use them, and someone would always comment on the quality and beauty of the wrapping paper. I’ve since run out, but I’ve remained a fan of Ben Newman’s work. I’ve bought and gifted away books of his work, and when I came across this game today I had to buy it because it looks great.

The game is one where you recreate images using a set of color-printed wooden cubes. I’m not sure yet if I will gift it away or keep it for myself; I like such games myself. Most likely, I’ll buy another one and then gift that away.

Cubologic is a game published by french publisher Djeco. Their site is, unfortunately, not great to navigate, so I didn’t find a product page for it there.

Here is a link to Ben Newman’s portfolio.

Here’s a youtube video showing the game. I bought a different one, but the one in the video is also illustrated by Ben Newman.

Stuff I like: Comic – Betty Boob

Betty Boob is a comic told with almost no words. The drawings are expressive, sometimes a lot of fun, sometimes conveying heart-crushing sadness – beautifully written by Véro Cazot, and illustrated by Julie Rocheleau. Betty Boob is the protagonist of the comic; she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer and lost her hair and her left breast. The comic shows the impact of those events on her life.
In German, the comic came out in 2018 and was published by Splitter.
The English version was published by Boom-Studios.
The French original was published by Casterman in 2017.

Stuff I like: Comic – Ultralazer

I just got two volumes of the French comic book Ultralazer, published by Editions Delcourt.
The book is created by three people, two of those are the two artists doing the artwork. Maxence Henry drew the characters, while Yvan Duqe drew all the backgrounds. You can see a few pages from the first book and some prelim sketches on this Behance site.
I can’t say anything about the story; I don’t speak french. But the art is gorgeous.