BEYOND THE CONTROLLER - Christian Keilback

Welcome one and all to the final edition of Beyond The Controller for the year 2015! Today's poor, unsuspecting interviewee is a man who truly had no idea that I would crank out a list of questions this fast. Never underestimate The Quester when he is being profilic! I believe that is even a full chapter in the Gaming Internet Bible if I'm not mistaken. Onwards!

Meet Christian Keilback, a witty and strange guy with a last name we've probably all been mispronouncing for years. The first time we became acquainted was when a bored Quester saw a link for a Twitch stream and gave a what-the-hell click. Upon viewing was a different type of fellow in a Knuckles hat playing 2600 Berzerk and actually interacting with the crowd chatting on his channel. Personally, the main reason I never do the GamerTV thing is the lack of interaction between the gamers and the audience, however, Christian answered every single question fired off. To this day, if asked my favorite gamer to watch stream, it's Mr. Keilback.

Welcome to the couch and try to feel no pressure after that introduction. Let's return the kick-off here and talk about Twitch for a moment. Are you still doing your streams and if so, where can the readers find them?

Thank you! I am happy to be here. 

Currently I am taking a small break from streaming, as I am in the middle of a move. The new place does not have internet yet, so until I get internet installed, I won't be able to do any streaming at all. Once the internet is installed and everything is set up, I plan on streaming Atari 2600 games on a regular basis. You can find me at http://www.twitch.tv/mightysquirrel.

Every interviewer has a favorite question and I'm no exception, but in your case, I feel the need to turn it into a two-parter due to your versatility with what you play. What is your earliest gaming memory and were you initially into the entire arcade/console/pinball triad or did one come before the others?

My first gaming memory, was when I was 6 or 7 years old. My dad brought home an Atari 2600, and we had a large 15" black and white tv. The first game we played was Combat. After about 5 minutes, mom yelled at dad for dad to shut off the game, so he did. 

My first actual console that I was gifted during Christmas, was an APF-M1000. There were only a handful of games on it, as the system did not last very long. However, I notably remember the Space Invaders clone cartridge, to be much larger than the rest of the games... and not only that, but years later, found out it was the most faithful Space Invaders version, next to the NES version.

Pinball came much later, at the age of 13-14.

I doubt anyone was expecting an APF-M1000 name drop. Something I've always been curious about but have never approached you personally about would be your DJing. My knowledge of your particular genre of music is up there with my knowledge of hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, but I did gather that you were incorporating gaming into your sets. Can you touch on what you were doing during these unique performances and the reaction of the crowd?

Get a load of those paws!

Sure! 

I LOVE Happy Hardcore. I loved it when I first heard it when I was younger, and loved it when I found the rave scene, even moreso.  Nothing makes me smile more than hearing a fast beat, and a melody that you can't help but smile big to, when you hear it.

When I went to my first rave in 2008, I didn't know what I was getting into. It was an eye opening experience, as people dressed up into weird and strange attires, and people knew each other upon sight. I thought it was a super neat idea, so the next rave I went to 4-5 months later (I was a bit shy), I wanted to stand out. Before I knew they existed, I went to FYE and had purchased a few Sonic hats. I figured Sonic was too iconic... too general. I wanted something recognizable, something gaming related, but not as generic as Sonic. So, I went as Knuckles. Everyone liked the hat, I met some awesome people from it (that later stemmed into my friends that love fighting games), and was really happy that the hat broke the ice.

I kept going as Knuckles, and everyone kept on recognizing me. 

I had zero interest in DJing, to be honest. I wasn't the type that went to my first rave, seen the DJ in the spotlight, and said, oooh I want to be that guy! 

What got me into it, is that a couple local DJ's that played out happy hardcore, decided to quit playing the anthems. The genre was going into a different direction, everything from a drum and bass feel to it, to power stomp (instead of melodies, there was more bass and hard hitting), to dubcore (dubstep instead of the melodies). So, I decided to pick up DJing, because I wanted to play out my favorite tunes.

About the echidna love, what is the most treasured piece of Knuckles merchandise in your collection?

My favorite Knuckles merchandise I own, is a remote control car that was gifted to me. It's still in the box. 

So, we've covered gaming and your musical endeavors, what else is Christian Keilback into that can be safely printed?

I used to do Jiujitsu and Kickboxing. I LOVED Jiujitsu. It was human physical chess. There's a counter to every move, and a counter to a counter. The only reason why I am not doing it anymore, is because I had to move to Pittsburgh for my job, and moved away from my teacher.

I love my projects. I miss them. I've built MAME cabinets, refurbished pinball machines, built an arcade in a newegg box (called a supergun), modified Atari 2600's for s-video, painted NES and SNES consoles, I built an Atari into my computer (which the computer won 1st place in an Intel contest), to name most of my previous projects. My next big one that I can't wait to start, is to build an arcade cabinet from the ground up, that will be universal to any console up to Xbox 360/PS3.

Time to take a turn into silverball land. You've been consistently entering pinball tournaments lately and have even beaten a few established names. I've been to a couple of the gatherings lately and it can suprisingly be much more unpredictable of a time than I would've imagined. How about sharing your favorite, worst, and weirdest moments from these competitions lately?

My worst moment, was when I was within striking distance and beating Roy Wils, to go into the top 2 at the 3rd Annual South Side Pinball Open, but fell short due to pure nerves. I was intimidated by the name alone, and I had myself beaten before I stepped up to plunge. That quickly went away after I had realized what I did, to take 2nd at Fairmont, WV Annual Pinball Party 2015. 

The weirdest moment came from the Fairmont tournament, as we were competing for 1st place, best out of 5. We were playing Sinbad. 3rd ball, game easily within striking distance. Sinbad has a double set of flippers on each side, with no guide. I got too anxious, flipped slightly too early, the ball flipped up and backhanded into the underneath of the upper right flipper, and went into the drain.

My favorite moment, was during qualifying for the 3rd Annual South Side Open. I had never gotten Do or Die before on Iron Man... and I nailed it. Not only did I nail it (unfortunately not with double scoring going), but during the very quick 35 mil score countdown, I collected it at 33 mil.

Never know, man. That Roy Wils victory is still attainable! Next question, desert Island be damned, we're both destined for an asylum. If the doctor allowed you five pinball machines to line your padded walls with, which five would you roll with?

This is easy. 

Iron Man, Twilight Zone, Whirlwind, Hot Tip, and another Iron man in case the other breaks.

I love how simple, yet difficult Iron Man is. Simple to get the easy multiball and have fun, brutally difficult to get Do or Die, and impossible to get Do or Die multiball.

Back to the competitive play for a second, may I ask what your goals are? There is absolutely nothing wrong with either stance at all, but I must ask. Are you going into it to have the proverbial great times, raucous laughter, and blinding rainbows or are you in it to rule the world?

Action figure pose!

I'm going in it to have fun, and the fact that I love the competition. I'm a Capricorn. Nothing gets me going more, than a friendly competition. 

I don't really have any goals. Just taking it a tournament at a time, see how high I can place, improve on myself, and learn from my mistakes.

Currently, counting all types of games, what are you working on?

The only thing I am working on project wise, is that I am helping playtest a new game coming out by Thomas Jentzsch, called The Stacks. A demo was available to play at the Portland OR Expo. 

Game wise... nothing right now. I plan on coming up with a list of games when the time comes that I can stream again, to go after scores on Twin Galaxies. 

This month we are doing a King of the Hill at Pinbash, the Bradish Street Pinball Parlour. All month, we play all of the games, and they are taking the Grand Champ to 4th place, at the end of the month, into a points system. Highest number of points, and you take home all of the money. 

Last one and we both have officially lived through this. When visiting the Houston Arcade & Pinball Expo this November, I spent quite a bit of time observing the pinball tournament room and noticed others internally debate entering the tourneys, only to decide against and walk away. Before we ride off into the pixelated sunset, what advice could you give a reader who may be apprehensive about crossing the line and playing in his or her first competition? Are there any pointers you can give an aspiring pinball player?

Just go out and play. No amount of personal play, will ever get you trained on how to deal with the nerves of competition. Just do it. 

One more little bit. Have a smart phone handy, with The Pinball Arcade installed. Even if you don't own the tables, you can download the demos and learn the ruleset before you walk up and plunge. 

Really valuable advice! Much love to all you readers for joining us this morning and, of course, huge thanks to 2015's final guest, Christian Keilback, who can be found at:

https://soundcloud.com/mightysquirrel (New mixes are coming out once he is moved as well)

http://www.twitch.tv/mightysquirrel

http://www.youtube.com/mightysquirrel

BEYOND THE CONTROLLER - Dan Tearle

Today, I'm re-posting one of my favorite interviews while gathering notes and pondering questions for a few upcoming chit-chats with passionate, amazing people in the silverball world that I've recently crashed. This was the only interview I have ever been nervous about doing, if only for the fact that once I feature someone on Beyond The Controller, something happens and the subject quits the scene or we go seperate ways, never to speak again for whatever reason. It is my honor to say Dan and I are still friends even if I didn't get around to doing the Robotron cosplay yet (read on!). Recently, at the Houston Arcade & Pinball Expo, my new trading card for the Walter Day Collection was unveiled and guess who rocked the art for it? Dan doesn't know it yet, but once I can sneak his address out of him, one of my two awards I won that evening are being sent to him. Join us in one of our earlier conversations and see for yourself why he is still a fascinating figure in our world.

Strap in folks! This edition will take us into the mind of Dan Tearle, a prolific gaming and sports artist who raises the bar with every stunning new piece he produces. Born and raised in England, Mr. Tearle has always enjoyed a fascination with the pixels and colorful reflex tests we all know and love called video games as well as a love for the culture, scores, and characters of the scene.

Mr. Tearle keeping those drawing hands loose!

Welcome to the virtual couch Dan! First question I like to ask of everyone is what would be your earliest gaming memory?

Thanks Mike! Awesome to be interviewed by your good self! My earliest memory of gaming starts in a bowling alley in Kent, where they had a cabaret Pac-Man sandwiched between a Gorf and an Astro Blaster machine. Some adults were hogging the Pac-Man machine, very excitable and laughing with faux hysterics at each lost man. Once they'd cleared off, I managed to have a look myself, and things were never the same again. Pac-Man was the first arcade game I ever played. I owe that little yellow guy a LOT for the good things that have happened since.

We all owe that little yellow dude the world don't we? Seeing some of your impressive accolades, what would you consider to be some of your most treasured memories of your adventures in art up to this point, both from the sports end and the gaming end?

With regard to the sports art, I think giving artwork to some former NFL players that I grew up with has been a big thrill, receiving nice messages of thanks and such. One of my best memories was being invited to submit a painting for an exhibition in Indianapolis a few years back by the National Art Museum of Sport - the Super Bowl was being held there that year, and to be one of the only 'overseas' artists to be invited was huge, personally. To know that thousands saw my work, even in passing was a great thing. On the gaming art side, I haven't been doing it for that long, but the response has perhaps been even better than from me plugging away for years at sports. Scott Patterson shared one of my pieces on Facebook and named me as a 'video games artist'-that really stuck with me, and made me think, you know, that's right - I am, and this is what I want to do more of now. I'd been so preoccupied with sports for so long that I'd not thought about the most obvious thing for me to try, something I love, know a little bit about, and is something that nearly everyone can relate to in some way. So I have Scott to thank for that. One little comment can really change your goals. The other thing I have to mention of course is the work I've done for Walter Day's trading cards. The response for those, and encouragement and incredible positivity felt from that project has been amazingly motivating and rewarding. And the best part is, it's still happening, and I am enjoying it immensely.

Keeping with your artwork, I was amazed when I recently discovered that you were self-taught. That's some hell of a kind of natural talent you have on display there. Have you ever taken any classes later in life to study new techniques and expand what you learned on your lonesome?

Completely self taught - which isn't always a good thing. I do think that if I'd studied art more, the peaks I'm reaching currently could have been reached a long time before. I'm a slow burner! Whether I'll improve more, who knows? I may have reached the plateau of my abilities. But, I took my first classes last year. I wanted to learn to be better with the airbrush, and so took a class with one of the greatest airbrush artists you'll ever see, Dru Blair. That experience was probably one of the greatest things to happen within my art life, because I learned so much about aspects of art I'd never even considered. It definitely pushed my ability envelope.

It seems as though lately your work seemingly pops up when you least expect it in the public eye. A recent example would be the magnificent Joe Montana piece that started showing up on newsfeeds around the world. Does it feel you with a sense of pride that people would see your art as such a seminal piece they would use it freely to express their love for the subject or does it feel more like a ripping of your work? I ask because I've spoken to people on both sides of the fence and would like your take.

That's tough because I'm hardly a household name in any field of art. SO my view on this is that it's fine with me, it's flattering. I look on Tumblr and Pinterest and sites like that and often see my work. Sometimes it's credited to me, sometimes not. People use my artwork as their profile pictures (weird) or page headers. It's cool. I can see how people get pissed as well, but on the whole, I don't mind a bit.

Rolling with that, where did your love for American football begin? Was it something always available for viewing in the UK or did it take some serious hunting to feed those certain passion demons?

It began to air here in the UK regularly around 1982-ish - we had a time delayed highlight show on a Sunday night and that was about it. It was actually a couple of years later I discovered it myself, literally by accident, randomly flicking the TV over to it. I was absolutely struck by the colour, speed and controlled violence of the game. At a time when football (sorry, soccer ;-) was at a low ebb in this country, NFL was a welcome distraction. We've had coverage of some kind now for over thirty years which is amazing for what was considered a fad sport. To feed our passions, if it wasn't on TV, we'd tune our radios to the Armed Forces Network to listen to Monday night games, literally sitting with a portable radio in bed. That was commitment! Now we have as much, if not more coverage than some US states. Amazing how things have turned out.

That's awesome. We'll talk more gaming for a bit. Since we each share a mutual love of Ralph Bauer (The genius who invented the Simon as well as the system that became the Magnavox Odyssey among other wonders), do you currently see any new gaming trends that could be the next big game changers in the industry as Mr. Bauer, Nolan Bushnell, and Shigeru Miyamoto introduced in their respective periods?

Good question. First off let me mention Mr. Bauer, I don't think he gets anywhere enough credit for what he did and it's surprising how many folks aren't aware of his contributions to the development of games and electronics today. He was as much of a pioneer as anyone, yet rarely gets mentioned in the same light. Whether we like it or not, mobile gaming is the next big game changer I think. With the advance of portable capabilities, and the accessiblity to develop for these fast growing platforms, I think we're seeing something reminiscent of the 'bedroom coders' of the very early eighties. It's an exciting time for young and independent developers, because I do think the console arena is becoming a little stale. (shock!)

With your work ethic and superior skill-set, the sky is the limit. So, my next question is what are the dreams of Dan Tearle? As in, what are your future goals as far as how high you'd like to climb the sky?

Right now, I'm concentrating on building the 'Vintage Gamer Art' portfolio and brand. If I can do that, and bring some cool creativity and make people smile looking at renditions of how we all were as kids, well, I'll be happy with that. That and some ridiculously good offer to do this stuff for a living of course. I'd also like to finish the book I've been co-writing for a good while, the stories from British arcades in the 80's. That's a project I wish I had more time for. Aside from that, my dream (and daft as it sounds, I've truly dreamt about this happening) would be to open a true classic gaming arcade, here in England, built by someone who lives for the damn machines day in day out and can help people of a certain *ahem* age really relive their youth. If I could do it, I would, and never rule out that one day, I might be able to.

Another question I like to ask that never gets old no matter how many times I ask it. What would be a title you absolutely love but no matter how many years and how many miles you put on it, you are past horrible at?

My gaming nemesis for years has been Defender. I love everything about it, yet have always struggled to be anything but mediocre at it. I've played it more in the past year than any time, and I guess I've improved a little, but it still has the ability to totally and utterly kick my ass on a regular basis. But I adore that game.

Flipping the coin! What games create the proper releasing of midochlorians, bestowing onto any and all witnesses your true Jedi prowess. (Good God Quester, just ask him what games he is good at. Sheesh. Pompous ass.)

Lol! There are many games I feel I'm adequate at, if not brilliant. But some games that I feel are my strongest are Robotron and Star Wars. I've also always had a bit of a thing for Bubble Bobble and Bank Panic (Not many people know that!) Robotron is the one I really put time into, and whilst again, I'm never going to marathon it, it's one I feel I'm pretty good at. Note that these are all arcade titles, they're just what I spend the most time playing. Home titles, I was good at some pretty obscure ones in the past, whether I would be now, is another story completely!

Due to our difference in release schedules in the 90's between countries, what would you say is the best game your part of the world got over there that we never received for whatever reason? I was jealous that you all got a third part of the Soul Blazer/Illusion of Gaia trilogy that I didn't get to play until a decade later.

There was a stack of brilliant to bad home computer releases that were Euro only, which are still popular today in this country (Dizzy series for example). A game that stands out nods to my arcade tendencies completely, was Dropzone on the SNES. Dropzone was a Defender clone, and the mechanics and feel of that game were just pure arcade. It was better known on home computer systems, but I was intrigued by the SNES version a while ago as I'd forgotten just how much I like that game.

Everyone enjoy the calm before the storm while you can. Ready? Here goes. Montana or Peyton?

Montana all day every day. Still my hero. But, I appreciate I'm blessed to have seen both of them play in their prime (I really like Peyton too, but Joe is the G.O.A.T). I can't see that creating much of a storm...

Americans tend to get rabid with discussions such as that at times. So, you've just about made it off the comfy confines of my imaginary couch. Congratulations on all your success so far and I know we're going to see more levels of amazing in the future. Before you go, one more if I may. In your opinion, what is one thing you would like to see more of in England as far as gaming is concerned currently.

This is a question that holds so much meaning for me. Because so many like arcade gaming, but the hardware just isn't readily available. When it does appear, it's so badly overpriced and people jump on any classic cab - heaven forbid if it's in good working order. I wish so much that there were more machines here, more classically themed arcades...they were here once, and I'd like to see it again. The gaming 'community' here is as enthusiastic, skilled and knowledgable as anyone in the world; but man do we look on in envy at the rest of the world when it comes to availability of games, prices of hardware and ways to see these things again. The arcade in England is nigh on dead, and I'd like to do something about it.

That wraps it this puppy up gang! The biggest thank you to Mr. Dan Tearle for participating in the old, yet new and still mint in box interview series Beyond The Controller and if you'd like your head blown clean off by more of his art sorcery, check him out at

Vintage Gamer Art

and

Dan Tearle's Sports Art

You can also follow Dan on Twitter @RetroDan16

I've told Dan that I enjoy this piece so much that I am cosplaying it the next time I spot a Robotron machine. Totally not kidding. 


THANKS FOR READING!

Quester Vs Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

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5 Pinball Games To Play (If You Don't Know Shit About Pinball)

Somewhere around July, I felt a little lost inside my own worlds, so thought I'd grab my virtual cane and trek out to new horizons and challenges and downloaded a little gem named Pinball FX2 for the Xbox. Grizzled and scarred by decades of battling digitized warthogs, vague lizard kings, and the evil corporation/politician/rogue/army of the month, I found myself becoming fascinated by the pick up and play factor of pinball for the first time in my life. No hour long tutorials on how to shoot a gun or jump onto a roof here. Press start and, hell to the yes, we are playing! As I age, I realize more clearly that I don't always have 100 hours to become king of the wastelands or dragon master supreme, so the silverball is perfect for me. Before I knew what just happened, I'd purchased everything Zen and Farsight Studios have ever released pinball wise and never looked back. One lonely bored day and six months later, I run a daily Instagram page featuring a pinball machine,playfield, and flyer (@apinballaday) and actively seek out tables in any area I may be visiting.

SO. MUCH. FUN.

Ever wanted to give it an honest go at pinball but don't know what games out there won't make your eyes cross trying to learn them? Allow me to slap on my Quester hat for a moment and share what I believe are the best 5 tables to begin your new hobby/obsession with. Keep in mind, I'm still a newbie myself, so if a pro sees this and blows his/her stack because I said the UFO is an easier shot than the boxer, my bad.

High Speed, 1986, Williams
Based on the true story of a car chase involving designer Steve Ritchie and his Porsche 928, this table is heralded along with a few others like PIN*BOT for igniting a new fire under the pinball world. What makes it a tremendous beginner table is the ease with which the playfield can be read. From an early age, traffic lights are ingrained into our psyche, so darting your eyes around to see what targets are lit is now replaced by a natural reflex that meshes perfectly with how unbelievably damned fast High Speed can get. The moment you nail your first escape is the moment your next few dollars of quarters become spoken for.

Monster Bash, 1998, Williams
Designed by George Gomez, who still does his thing with the newer Transformers and Avengers tables, Monster Bash is a Universal Monster fan's dream come to flippered life. Seeing what needs to be shot and when couldn't be more simple as every monster has their own section of the table clearly laid out before your first plunge. The music stays with you hours later and it is just as much an experience as a pinball game. From banging into Dracula to The Creature's excuses for why he can't be bothered to jam at the moment, Monster Bash is one you'll be daydreaming about until the next time you make it to the arcade.

Attack From Mars, 1995, Bally
Brought to life by Brian Eddy, Attack From Mars is one of the more universally acclaimed tables in existence and with good reason. The center shot to nail the UFO is more forgiving than other games with larger center targets (ex: Champion's Pub, Medieval Madness) and the game outright screaming what to do next at times makes this classic another wonderful place to start. For newer fans, blowing up Mars for the first time is just as exciting as a veteran "Ruling The Universe" which puts Attack From Mars on the list for the fun factor alone.

Cirqus Voltaire, 1997, Bally
The end result of the team of John Popadiuk and Cameron Silver, Cirqus Voltaire is one of those wild rides that no two people play the same way. Tons of options that are easily accessible and a memorable playfield filled with gimmicks galore make this game a no-brainer for beginners as the attractiveness alone will pull you in no matter what. The entire time on Cirqus I know I'm playing pinball, but the experience feels so fresh that it gives an aura of something entirely new. My only advice is to keep your eyes on the ball as the beauty of the table is legitly distracting.

PIN*BOT, 1986, Williams
We all know what the solar system and what different colors look like, therefore, we can play PIN*BOT with no issues! Unbelievably basic to learn, yet a pain in ten asses to master, the design of the awesomely named Python Anghelo and Barry Oursler has been breaking casual pinballers in for years. The sequels, Bride of PIN*BOT and JACK*BOT are just as fantastic making any of these a find worth chucking a few quarters into. There aren't a gazillion ramps and shots to make here to advance, so if the other tables you play feel too much like a college course to figure out, all hail PIN*BOT.

Tables That Look Amazing (But Will Fuck You Up Like They Hate Your Guts)

Bram Stoker's Dracula - Don't. Just don't. You're just going to walk around looking confused after the massacre. Don't. Do. Not.

Gorgar - Hard to pass up, but there are farts with more staying power than 3 balls of Gorgar. For a super fun game, hold your breath and play. Trust me, you'll drain out way before you black out.

Centaur - Also impossible not to try due to the gorgeous art, but settle for staring at the pretty lights, because this one is as brutal as a New Year's hangover.

(pictures courtesy of ipdb.org)

First Taste.

Finally.

Recent events have finally brought my hands and mind together to hammer some words out. This will be where I exist without rules, boundaries, or any such mind-cuffs that could affect the end product of the writing. My heart will be dug up, showed off, buried again, and the process repeated. Short stories that have never seen the light of day will be presented. The usual fare people love and enjoy will make it's return in due time. Honesty as if my life depended on it shall be showcased. This is it. This is me. Let's get the foreward over with, shall we?

Who the fuck are you?

A foul-mouthed by nature 38 year old Cherokee father of sons who has a unique voice and take on many of life's sights. I have lived many professional lives, but I daresay I am most well-known these days as "The Rogue Element", "Quester", or to a few who never like to update their bookmarks, "NESquester". I was also a professional wrestler and personality for an extended stay and, oh, do I ever have stories about that. I enjoy far too much to narrow it down as everytime I attempt a "what do you dig?" question, I get angry at myself hours later for not name-dropping Kyuss or old Gottlieb tables. Harlan Ellison and Hunter Thompson are my writing gods and I've always thought the best part of that is that I never knew who they were until I was compared to them with my stream of conscious/frantic style. It is a style I have tried to calm in recent times to become more accesible, but fuck it, it's what I do. In the wacky world of gaming, I accidentally became a well-known reviewer, then accidentally a well-known pixel artist, and, finally, accidentally a game artist. Perhaps I actually have talent, but I never feel it anymore.

Why the fuck should I care?

Why the fuck not read a few words if you're already here? If you're bored and wish to check my grammar and spelling, feel free. I could use the help.

Where the fuck has your writing been?

Long story short, I still equate writing to sitting in a home with people I miss terribly. There was a major indicent in my life that took place in early 2013 that I will spill gory details about in time like everything else, and it still is a mindfuck to remember who I was then and who I am now. I've unsuccessfully tried to cut every memory out that I have to lessen the bullshit one-sided pain in every way I can to no avail, so maybe writing again with a profilic desire will be akin to ripping the band-aid off. Let us discover together.

When the fuck will you write?

Every single time I write out a schedule, it gets fucked up somehow, so I'm going to work on posting here every other day with creating art in the other days. It could be anything from a 2,000 word essay on the eating life of a Moroccan sea turtle to an uber-vague poem to a random short thought to a long fictional tale to an old review to a new review to WHOTHEFUCKKNOWS? The greatest thing about my old NESquester site is that I didn't plan a thing. It mutated into it's own beast on its own and we had a ton o' fun with it.

Get your seat belts on. I'm sharing it all now.