Matt McClellan

I am an Artist and Musician. I am also an aspiring video game designer. I'm currently attending the University of Advancing Technology in Temp, Arizona pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Game Art and Animation. I'm currently working on a mysterious project with Nice Tie, a local startup of great and talented people. I'm also working on a couple of projects of my own. If you want to see my art, there is a handy Art link below. I'll also be writing thoughts about Music, Movies, and Games and those will be in their respective pages. Feel free to ask me a question, I don't mind talking with people about whatever, as long as we're all cool then we're all cool.

[bombing]

interviewer asked if i thought mario was handsome. he had a mustache so i had to say yes. right? i had to say yes. saying yes was calculated. saying yes was the smart move. 

“hell yeah,” i said. the room was spinning.  “i’d fuck the shit out of mario. i’d let him do things to me that weren’t even legal.” i was overdoing it now but i couldn’t stop. although my mouth was forming words that were coherent, albeit a bit vulgar, the inside of my head was screaming. my mouth was so dry. i needed to stop now. “i want the pipe.” 

he tried to interrupt then. he’d clearly had enough, but i knew that, at that point, i had to keep going. continuing was calculated. continuing was the smart move. 

“i want mario to rip me apart. i want him to blend both of my livers and make me drink it. i want him to freeze his semen into an icicle and stab me thousands and thousands of times.”

he told me to stop then. he didn’t so much say it as yell it, which i personally thought was incredibly rude. you don’t yell during an interview. none of the interview youtube videos i’d watched had mentioned any yelling. i wanted to point it out but he seemed a bit agitated, so i made a mental note to send him a polite email after i’d gotten the job. 

“that’s quite enough.” at least he was using his inside voice now. 

“peach who?” i said, my voice barely above a whisper. my mouth felt as if it were on fire. i needed water. 

“excuse me?”

“peach who” i croaked.  “that’s what mario’s going to say after i–” suddenly i began coughing. maybe even dry heaving a little, but he didn’t have to know that. “–after i fuck his brains out.” i finished. 

turns out mario was his son. i must’ve glanced at the family beach photo on his desk one too many times, but only because i was trying to figure out how one man could be so bald. he must have waxed his head. he had to. no human head reflected direct sunlight with such boldness. 

he began to talk about how there currently wasn’t a position open. i’d watched enough videos to know that was interview talk. it meant i wasn’t getting hired. i had to think fast. maybe there was still a way i could spin this. if i couldn’t attack from outside, maybe i could still infiltrate from within.

“that’s too bad. but maybe you could tell mario to give me a call sometime?”

he called security.

[impuritor]

Bra-fucking-o

[impuritor]

Glixel is coming soon, and I’m excited. Why? John Davison from 1up Yours, Nuff Said.

I'd like to share something long with you all, bear with me.

Video games writing has a certain special spot for me. As a kid growing up it was obvious to me that people made my favorite comics, movies, and music.  But for some reason, video games remained mysterious.  The magazines at the time were super product based, and if they ever mentioned the humans creating them I never noticed.

In my Mid 20’s I found myself unaware that actual humans designed my video games.  Cut to me reading mid 2000’s issues of EGM that not only treated me like an adult, but name checked everyone they talked to and did their best to put a human face on games that I loved.  It seems obvious now, but this was the first time that I realized that actual human beings designed video games, and maybe I could do it too. This would shape the next 5 years of my life.

What changed my life was seeing an ad for 1up Yours. I had this magazine that treated us like an adult, but had to be concise and somewhat personality free.  1up Yours was the first time in my life that I felt like real human beings were talking about video games as if they were made by real human beings. It wasn’t known for being corporately controlled, and wasn’t known for being loyal. It was beautiful, but the thing that stuck out to me was John Davison’s wisdom and unique point of view. Any time the future of the industry came up, John became the defacto voice in the room. With good reason too. Garnett always had interesting questions, Shane had an encyclopedic knowledge of the industry that preceded him, Luke had the hottest takes, but John had the true and pure wisdom. Everyone would challenge him, but he was always just slightly ahead of the curve. He was the person who’s point of view I most wanted to emulate, because he was the most rational and level headed but proved himself right more often than anyone combined. Because of John Davison I had not only realized that video games were enjoyed and loved by millions of adults around the world, but they were actually created by adults around the world. It wasn’t a coincidence that GTA: San Andreas had cuss words, but 80-90% of the people playing that game were either my age (mid 20′s) or older. That wasn’t an accident, the people making it were doing what my favorite musicians had always done, making shit for themselves.

A few years after I had a paper I was writing that I needed help on.  The topic I chose for my persuasive paper was that I thought that the argument that we had typically had against violent video games was forever over.  The days of GTA lawsuits and Mortal Kombat hearings were over, and the Supreme Court of the United States had ruled that state laws preventing the sale of Mature rated games to minors was unconstitutional. Video games had done what I had done just recently, they had acknowledged that not only were they made and created by human adults but they were a national treasure that deserved every respect and protection of the law, which as I’ve found out since then is actually not enough.

Writing this paper 4-6 months after the Supreme Court decision meant that I had a good topic, with the ability the make a good point, but I was missing my final points I wanted to make. The points can be summed up as “Where the fuck do we go from here”.  We were officially in uncharted territory, and didn’t know what threat was going to constitutionally assault us next.  I emailed John cause he had moved on from my beloved 1up/1up Yours to create a parent focused What They Play. What They Play was a genius website that dedicated itself to assisting the ESRB ratings with much more detailed descriptions of what the ESRB gave a fragmented sentence to descrbing.  My favorite explanation they gave was for Disgaea 3, explaining that after 100 hours of play that they had failed to see the tobacco references that are mentioned in the on the box warning. They went on to explain that they were positive the tobacco references were there, but gave the context that after 100 hours of play they had not encountered it. It’s good for parents to know that tobacco references were there, but this in context reporting was even more important in my mind.

I reached out to John to answer some questions I had going forward from the court’s ruling, and he was kind enough to respond in a timely and helpful manner. It meant the world to me, and listed below is the transcript of that. This exchange is a highlight of my life on the internet, and the number one reason why I have already bookmarked Glixel ahead of it’s editorial debut.  Please enjoy.

JD:

Here you go.

Hope it's helpful

-jd

MM:

How do you think the Supreme Court’s decision involving video games has changed the conversation on the Gun Violence debate?

JD:

There's clearly still a generational issue associated with the conversation around video games, and sadly that's something that only time can affect. Honestly, I don't think that the Supreme Court decision has done much to change the conversation specifically, apart from providing a retort to those pointing fingers. Games are vilified because they are misunderstood. That misunderstanding doesn't just extend to the content itself - but also to the culture that surrounds them, and the systems that are in place to protect families.

MM:

The government is conducting studies on video games and their links to violence in young people. Suppose that they find a link, what is even possible to do about now that limiting their sale or censoring them seems off the table?

JD:

There's a lot that can be done around education and communication. The ESRB has been doing a fantastic job, and in the past five years has done a huge amount to expand its offerings, but it could do a lot more. It's not for want of trying. The ESRB's president, Patricia Vance, has done a spectacular job in drumming up support - but with more funding she could expand her team further and provide even more more information, and more support for parents and families. The organization is an independent body, and needs to remain that way, but it needs support.

The market is fragmenting right now - and another issue arises around "new" (well, not so new now) platforms where games are played extensively; notably iOS and Android. Apple is taking age-ratings more seriously as graphics in iOS games become more realistic - but the sheer volume of product in the mobile/table space is astronomical. There's already a discovery issue due to that volume, and that is compounded further if you're trying to discover information about games that contain content any individual may find acceptable.

The studies funded by the government will be the subject of much debate regardless of which way the findings ultimately go. As with any study, there'll be talk of manipulating statistics and trying to affect the outcome. I'd be quite surprised if there's a tangible link to video games and violence in young people.

That is quite different than finding violent content distasteful. There seems to be a reluctance to have a conversation about taste, comfort, or individual morals when it comes to video games. Everything is painted with a broad brush in an ill-conceived attempt to legislate. What's more important is providing families and teachers with clear, understandable information so they can react accordingly based on their own moral values. Providing some parenting support wouldn't hurt either; saying "no" can be hard - but there are ways to do it without it degenerating into something that causes a problematic relationship.

MM:

What do you think the most powerful thing the government could do to help ease people’s fear of video games making their children violent?

JD:

Get out of the way. This kind of thing is not for governments to try and legislate. The FTC praised the ESRB for its efforts recently, and that praise needs to be trumpeted loudly. Education around content is far more powerful than trying to instigate any kinds of rules about what can be sold or distributed. It's possible to take an objective approach to describing the content that is in video games, and the ESRB is doing a great job with that information. Right now it's all written though… if they can provide a greater service with video and images, those concerned will be able to easily get a glimpse of the content.

MM:

What are steps that you take that you could easily recommend to parents who are worried about what their kids might be playing, and how it would affect them?

JD:

Pay attention to what kids are playing and asking about. Be aware of what they're exposed to when not under their direct control (usually, kids are exposed to stuff parents are least happy about when they're with friends rather than when they're at home) and most importantly, pay attention to the ESRB ratings.

[brevoorthistoryofcomics]

The source of a great deal of my vintage Marvel knowledge comes from the George Olshevsky Marvel Comics Indexes which were produced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These pre-dated the later Official Marvel Handbooks, and the Marvel-produced indexes, and were really the only source of comprehensive information about a given title in those long-ago days.

I bought my first index, the volume covering FANTASTIC FOUR, on my first trip to my very first comic book specialty shop, the Heroes World store in Levittown, somewhere around 1979. A recent convert to Marvel comics and the Fantastic Four in particular, I walked in intending to purchase the oldest FF issue that they had. That plan went bust when the earliest issue they had was #1, which they were selling for the unattainable price of $75.00. Instead, I would up with FF #51 (a classic) and this index, which showed the cover of each issue and gave a very basic listing of elements, such as title, credits, guest-stars and other miscellany.

That first index fired my imagination, as each black and white cover implied a story that I wanted to read. I began to seek out specific issues (typically in reprint) based on those covers, and my desire for those stories. The index also let me in on one mind-blowing secret: The Crusader, the villain whom I’d read about in FANTASTIC FOUR #164, was actually a hero from the 1950s, Marvel Boy–at that point, I hadn’t found the second part of that story. That idea electrified me–not only that there was this long, inter-connected history, but also the idea that a hero from the past could reappear as a villain in the present.

I’ve since replaced it, but i still have that first copy of the FANTASTIC FOUR INDEX. Its covers have separated at the spine, and it’s got my name and address written in it, along with a bunch of notations–I’d indicated what issues I owned, which I had in reprint, and the value of each issue. (Kids seem enamored of the idea that their old comics will be worth something one day, almost as an excuse for loving them so much–they must have value if people are willing to pay so much for them!) I had intended, I think, that I would take it around with me when I went looking for back issues, although that quickly became unnecessary, as through repeated reading I pretty well memorized its contents.

A year or two later, for Christmas, I got the remaining Indexes, save the Spider-Man and Conan ones that were then out of print. And eventually, the X-Men and Daredevil volumes were released. And I studied all of them in the same way, like the Torah, taking in all of that information, examining the width and breadth of a Marvel Universe that was still less than twenty years old, and becoming something of an expert on these books. It was never work–it was entirely pleasure–but I absorbed that information effortlessly.

In the years since then, Marvel has released a number of new iterations of these indexes, some of which I’ve even worked on. And yet, none of them have been as good, to my old nostalgic eyes, as these originals. The later versions seem too focused on giving extended story synopses to me–no doubt I would have welcomed such synopses when I was reading my Indexes, but I feel like that takes some of the imagination out of things. Also, to my eyes, the newer indexes have made the cover reproductions too small, to the point where you can hardly make anything out. I don’t need the covers to be huge, but I do want them to be sizable enough so that I can see them, and be intrigued by them.

[impuritor]

This photo was posted to Reddit, criticizing this Black Lives Matter protester for yelling at Bernie Sanders. The logic was that Bernie Sanders has an excellent civil rights voting record, and how dare she not do her research. I had another opinion, one which will get buried there. I thought you all might be interested:

The current civil rights/race relations demonstrations is easy to criticize for not being an organized event that is trained and on message. Sure, a lot of them miss the point, but there's no denying that beneath all the protest events and riots is pure emotion. A certain sect of people FEEL disenfranchised. It's hard for me to nitpick and point out flaws of a few people, when clearly millions of people across the country are showing up. They don't have a modern day Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X, people eager to go forth and rally behind a common message. Maybe they will soon. Who knows. Lots of people here saying that this girl misses the point, maybe they're right. But this girl is only there to have her voice be heard. Now the man that is running for president who seems most likely to act in her interest is in shouting distance, and this girl is there to shout her opinion. I'm glad she still shouts. Shouts are non violent, but they demand attention. Good for her. I hope she shouts for her whole life, and never needs to throw a brick or fire a shot.

[ryckert-deactivated20170719]

Best Thin Lizzy song ever? Cold Sweat, surely?

Cowboy Song, but Cold Sweat is badass.

[joequesada]

Congratulations to the whole team on Daredevil! I found it gripping and lived-in and in possession of more verisimilitude than any superhero production to date! I'm curious about the portrayal of Matt — I don't recall him having such a ruthless brutality. Do I just have selective memory or was this a deliberate departure from the books? MMM!

I think he’s shown this kind of brutality from time to time. Not consistently mind you as there have been different interpretations, but certainly during some runs. But this is an interpretation of the early days of the vigilante and just looking at images below I think there’s a precedent. That said, there’s a big difference between the CHAK! sound effect on the page and actually hearing the sound effect on your TV and that might account for why it may seem harsher or like a departure.

[dannyodwyer]

So in that review of the year episode of the point you poked fun at gamergate and as someone who sees it as a positive thing I was just wondering, do you think what's going on is ok the whole its ok if a "journalist" sleeps with someone he is supposed to be critiquing or do you just hear about the bad stuff like dumb people using the hashtag movement for their own trolling and such

No i think people who see loving relationships form between two humans as impinging on their ability to consume media are probably children or morons. Certainly they are both emotionally unintelligent and have an incredibly limited view of the real journalistic challenges that exist in this line of work.

I believe wholeheartedly in journalistic ethics - I’ve beaten that drum loud and clear for many years. Far before this stupidity. There are real barrier to press freedom that exist. There are real issues to consumer choice that exist. Paid for exclusives. Paid for previews. Paid for streams. Undisclosed sold Programming. Review Events. These are very real issues that need attention. But I guess none of them are sexy enough, right? That’s the point. That GamerGate is barking up the wrong tree. And they just….keep….fucking….barking.

So please, don’t get me wrong. I’m not only dismissing GamerGate because of the illegal and morally reprehensible acts that have been done in it’s name. But I’m dismissing it anyway, because it’s the most misguided and imbecilic argument for journalistic ethics I’ve ever witnessed. 

And I’m not only somebody who was very aware of this as a ravenous consumer of games media for two decades, but I’ve since joined the press. So apologies if this comes across as pontificating, but I know more about this than you.

GamerGate isn’t a grass roots movement of “real gamers” against the corrupt press. They’re little more than the Fundamental Christians of the gaming world. Willfully ignorant, unnecessarily aggressive, damaging to their own cause and ultimately best ignored.

—————————————————————————

I intentionally rarely post about GG because I believe, like most extreme groups, it’s damaging to our media to give them air time. So if you feel the need to reply to this post, please be aware that I delete them immediately before reading them. Thanks.

[jwhdavison]

Garnett and I playing around with a video podcast format. Testing out Google Hangouts as a way to make it work for us (seeing as we’re several hundred miles apart!) The beginning is a bit of a stumble as we’re still getting to grips with some of Google’s quirky UI, but we soon get into our old groove.

[impuritor]

I used to love 1up Yours, hoping this is a regular show

[jeffgerstmann]

The girl working at Wendy's has started to call me 'Mr. Clockwork'. Is it time to reevaluate my lifestyle?

The minute you get recognized, change up your style, man. Make some alternate moves, keep ‘em guessing. Rotate establishments to keep the shame from catching up to you. Run forever!

[bwadshoemaker]

People analyzing the Tomb Raider footage have found that the ps4 version has higher res textures and also has DOF effects that are completely missing on xbone. Does it hurt you to hear me saying bad things about the xbone Brad? Do you feel angry that the ps4 has a big sales lead? Do you feel bad that for $400 I can basically play the PC version of TR on ultra setting with tressfx on at 50 something average fps?it seems you were wrong about people not caring about graphics/performance on consoles

Get help.

[impuritor]

Sometimes I wish we didn't have an internet.

[jeffgerstmann]

Mister Ass

[voidripper-archive-deactivated2]

Please, Mister Ass is my father. Call me Billy.

[jeffgerstmann]

"I didn’t go to med school for seven years to be called Mister Ass, thank you very much." -Doctor Ass

[lonelyrollingstar]

"You’re at the head of your class. Now, with the...

[jeffgerstmann]

Own your shit, Tumblr users. I occasionally click through to the people that like or comment on posts and I see a lot of “here’s my shitty drawings” or “I made this awful music” and so on. Stop it. You made that shit, you’re probably into that shit, be into that shit. Don’t downplay the fact that...

[jeffgerstmann]

Ok on the podcast I can help your case that Ryu's fireball is a spell. A spell is a specific form of magic that can be taught, and both Ken and Ryu know it hence it must be a teachable magical spell. Therefore they had to learn that spell to know it, wizards learn spells, sorcerers know their spells innately and don't need to be taught. They are kung fu wizards.

EXACTLY

[impuritor]

Wise words

[oldgamemags]

Electronic Games Magazine Issue January 1983 - The player’s guide to climbing games! I actually really love the weird Popeye-esque artwork for Mario here.

Follow oldgamemags on Tumblr for more awesome scans from yesteryear!

[lunulata-deactivated20221105]

We just watched Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. That movie was pretty damn cool despite the title sounding like a Professor Layton game.

Lots of supernatural and fantasy nonsense with martial arts, some wire-fu, a deer battle, a giant Buddha statue, and a spree of mysterious...

[impuritor]

This sounds awesome. I'm a big fan of things movies where people spontaneously combust. Plus that title is right up my alley.

[impuritor]

Today was a good day.

So I got to work today, and my friend September made me a custom book to keep all my tickets for my delivery orders in.

She knew I'm a huge Marvel fan, and I guess found this tape and covered my book in it. It may not seem like much, but I've had a hard time living in a new city alone, and this was literally the sweetest thing anyone has done for me since I got here. Totally made my day. Now I have to think of something awesome to do for her to show my gratitude. Generosity should beget generosity.

[arvalis]

Looking through some of my old art, forgot how cool this head design is.

[impuritor]

Brilliant colors.