Categories
Comics Illustration

The Reason

I’ve tweeted about The Last Halloween a few times before, it’s a weekly webcomic by Abby Howard (of Strip Search fame) about… the end of world? The beginning of a new one? Lots of badass monsters devouring and dismembering their humans? It’s good, really good, and the illustration is stellar.

It’s well worth reading, and if you want to start now you have 62 issues to tuck into but if you’re not sure just have a look at this week’s. It. Is. Beautiful.

The detail, linework, shading, creature design, it’s all just a delight, and a delight throughout the series but this is a tour de force. As you’re jumping in media res there are spoiler considerations but I think if anything this will just want you to go back to the beginning and read from the start.

tlh

Junior Science Power Hour is also worth following (in case you hadn’t guessed I’m an Abby Howard fan, I have two signed prints! :D )

Categories
Art Games

The World of Imagination

The world of imagination is the world of eternity; it is the divine bosom into which we shall all go after the death of the vegetated body. This world of imagination is infinite and eternal, whereas the world of generation is finite and temporal.

William Blake, spotted in an article about D&D that’s worth a read. I’ve never played D&D but I really really want to. Years ago I picked up the 4e Player’s Handbook and it was a fun enough read but I didn’t take it any further. More recently I’ve caught up with Acquisitions Inc, watched a buttload of Tabletop and I’m the slightly excited owner of the 5e Player’s Handbook (and Monster Manual). I have nobody to play with but I’m holding out hope.

Talking of Blake there’s an exhibition of prints on at the Ashmolean this Winter to which I’m definitely paying a visit.

Categories
Me People

Giving

Giving is clearly the best part of Christmas so why not indulge yourself:

Books for goats, Valyrian Steel

Help Heifer International end hunger and get some sweet things from Pat Rothfuss and his awesome pals (think of a fantasy author, they’re probably in). Donate anything and you’re in the lottery to win rare editions, signed editions, other lovely extras, or if you think I’ve been an especially good boy this year (I have, I really really have) you can buy Longclaw for me and sleep safe knowing that you’ve helped a whole bunch of people feed themselves and that I’m safe from reanimated corpses (other goodies are up for auction).

Child’s Play

A bunch of children’s hospitals have Amazon wishlists, you can buy the toys and games they need so kids in hospital over Christmas have decent stuff to play with. Close to home there’s Bradford, Manchester, Alder Hey, Sheffield, and Dublin, but there are hospitals all over the world you can help out or you can donate directly to Child’s Play.

Wikipedia

Support Wikipedia. You almost certainly use it, and you probably ignore the fundraising message when it pops up. Pay the £3.

If you want to support another cause but you’re not sure who to give to try Charity Navigator or Give Well.

Even if you’re trying to keep Christmas small you are probably going to spend a hell of a lot of money, and a decent amount of it on crap, make sure you give something to a decent cause.

PS: Longclaw.

Categories
Books

Lookouts

Today sees the first part of a new six-part Lookouts story over at Penny Arcade.

You can check out the original treatment here, though the rest of that particular story didn’t quite do it for me so I’m quite excited about the new one.

Categories
Design

Vote Now

Penny Arcade are now taking votes on which of their three ‘treatments’ they should continue with:

As it was the one I was most taken with when I first read it (and it seemed to finish the most abruptly) I went for Lookouts, but I’m half-wishing I’d gone for Automata…