IRIS network

This is probably old news to anyone who follows the video game industry, but it looks like one of my favourite games of all time is finally getting it's much-deserved sequel.

Beyond Good and Evil was one of those rare "cinematic" titles that actually delivered on it's promise to integrate film-quality storytelling into a video game. Everything about it -- the story, the cast, the setting, the art direction, the music -- was wonderfully original and completely compelling. But these successes were bittersweet in light of the game's clearly definied place as the "first chapter" of a tale that was never continued. The title never really sold well enough to justify a sequel -- I guess the sci-fi adventures of a crusading female photojournalist and her talking pig uncle were not exactly sales dynamite.

But now, for whatever reason, we are finally getting a part two after all. And not just any part two, but one helmed by the original director and much of the original staff. That should help stave off any fears of a "Warrior Within"-style hack job to make the game more commercially viable. The first teaser trailer has already told me everything I needed to know. Talking pig -- still present. Success!

Sam Logan

Hippo is the watch-word

"How far ahead do you plan the comic?" This is one of the most common questions I get, second only to "where do you get your ideas?" (I steal them from homeless orphans, by the way.)

Ask different cartoonists about how far they plan ahead and you'll get some pretty radically different answers. Some people madly plot weeks, or even months, ahead of schedule, while others essentially wing it on a daily basis.

My method is a sort of mix of the two. Most of the major narrative arcs, story beats, and climaxes of each volume of Sam and Fuzzy are plotted out right from the beginning. But individual strips -- and in particular, gags -- are much more spontaneous. For example, today's watch-hippo joke was inspired by a conversation I had at Emerald City with my arch-nemesis. Jeph definitely deserves substantial credit -- or blame, depending on your perspective -- for that scary-looking hippo. Brr!

The only question is, will Jeph ever use my "accidental hipster lobotomy" idea? Only time will tell!

Sam Logan

All baby cows are lost

I spent a totally unjustifiable portion of my weekend playing Boom Blox. (Warning: seriously noisy website!) I'm not sure which part of "block throwing simulator" required the extensive cinematic and narrative expertise of Steven Spielberg, but it's hard to argue with the end result. It's a complete blast to play -- especially in co-op -- and is one of those rare completely original gameplay experiences enabled by the Wii remote.

It's not entirely without it's creepy factor, though. What is this society of incredibly cheerful rectangular animal people? And why do they eagerly encourage you to remove pieces of the teetering, perilous block constructions that hold up their children several stories above the ground? "All baby cows are lost!", the game cheerfully exclaims in reponse to your cattle infanticide. Brr!

Obligatory Poster/Print update: the limited Conscience Cat prints are now one third gone. If you're interested in nabbing one, they're available either on their own or as a part of the fabled poster multi-pack. I'm always happy when prints and posters get a good response... it's always nice for an artist to actually gets to, you know, sell some art!

Sam Logan