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The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on October 2, 2012.
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The dust has finally settled on VERSUS (fyi, work from that show will be available for purchase via the shop in the coming weeks). But there’s another event that Attract Mode was also recently involved with that’s worth taking a second look at: Comics Vs. Games.

Earlier this year, we were honored to be invited on the behalf of the Toronto Comics Arts Festival and the Hand Eye Society, to take part in a historic event that encompassed both Toronto’s red hot indie cartooning and game dev scenes.

TIFF Nexus documented the event, and produced a short film that recently debuted at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, just a few weeks ago! Where the Creative Jam games (which were originally inspired by ARTXGAME, our first collaboration with Giant Robot) were on hand and playable once more.

As noted previously, that’s where I first came across Cumulo Nimbus, which eventually made its United States debut at the Fangamer X Attract Mode show in Seattle. For those interested in seeing more from the Comics Vs. Games opening from this past spring, I posted a report with plenty of pics on my blog, which can be seen here and here.

Select pieces from that particular show will also be available via the Attract Mode shop very soon as well. Btw, and I know this old news, but we’ve been mighty busy on our end, so better late than never: They Bleed Pixels, by Miguel Sternberg (aka my Comics Vs. Games partner in crime) recently came out.

Perhaps you’ve heard of it already; it blew up like crazy, upon its long-awaited arrival (and justifiably so). But if not, grab your copy today!

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The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on September 25, 2012.
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The other day, I came to a realization: we are currently enjoying a brand new golden age of video game related print.

Granted, game rags continue to be a dying breed; Nintendo Power, one of the longest (and most beloved) magazines dedicated entirely to gaming, will be hitting newsstands this December for the very last time.

BTW, Nintendo Gamer, a British publication that’s also been around the block (it’s the spiritual successor to Super Play, circa the early 90s), recently ceased publication as well. Its farewell image is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

But outside of the mainstream publishing world, it’s a different story entirely.

Thanks to the zine renaissance that myself and Cory were part of (and which the aforementioned Ryan Sands helped to usher in), there has never been a greater variety of individuals who believe in the power of print. Including those who love video games.

Other factors have contributed as well, like smaller publishers willing to take greater risks, and the advent of Kickstarter, naturally. If you want to read about video games, but also wish to turn a physical page while doing so, options are plentiful. Hence the following checklist:

- Starting with something you probably know about already, both Nintendo and Dark Horse are bringing over The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia from Japan. There is definitely cause for celebration, and not just because its first day sales managed to knock Fifty Shades of Grey, aka every mom’s guide to BDSM, off the #1 best seller list on Amazon.

No, the best part is how GlitterBerri, whose exquisite fan translations of game reference material from Japan is the new gold standard, was enlisted to work on the project! It’s always good when someone’s hard work is thusly rewarded, and the final product is guaranteed to be most excellent.

- Fans of Persona 4 should know by now that Udon Entertainment recently localized Persona 4: Official Design Works. I’m the proud owner of the Japanese original, but can’t wait to get my hands on this latest edition, in which the massive interview with Shigenori Soejima has been translated in English at long last.

- Udon is also publishing The History of Sonic the Hedgehog, a hardcover tome to Sega’s spiky blue mascot. The key detail here is how it’s by Pix N Love, a French publisher whose reputation for exhaustively detailed (and slickly produced) tributes of game publishers is finally being recognized by the world at large.

- Pix N Love also publishes English versions of their work themselves as well, though their pace is not nearly as speedy as some would like. And acquiring their books, directly from France, can be quite the investment. But those eager to see what the fuss is about might be interested in knowing that the English language version of The History of Mario is also available for pre-order.

- Meanwhile, clear across the other side of the planet, the latest Shooting Gameside is now available via National Console Support. It’s a must have for any serious shmup aficionado; the latest issue has a wonderful look at the history of the Thunderforce, plus a peek at some Fantasy Zone redemption game that will more than likely never find its way outside of a Japanese arcade.

- In case you haven’t heard, someone’s trying to raise money via Kickstarter to produce a coffee table book that’s entirely dedicated to Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out. With a week left to go, you still have time to secure a copy.

- Something similar recently caught my eye, which was the primary inspiration for this blog post actually, until I got sidetracked. Instead, Brandon over at Venus Patrol beat me to the punch: a gorgeous look at the history of Sensible Software.

- Back to Nintendo’s main competitor from back in the day, there’s Service Games: The Rise and Fall of SEGA. According to ALBOTAS, the almost 400 page long behemoth is recommend (plus it sounds an awful like the history of Sega book that I’ve been meaning to pen for the past 10 or so years; I’m just happy that someone has stepped up to the plate).

- Sticking with Sonic, Eric over at his normal digs recently passed along word of a tribute zine entitled Speed Hog that I would have picked up last weekend at SPX if I had been able to attend. Hopefully it’ll be available online soon enough.

- Tiny Cart is also where I got the heads up regarding the latest issue of SCROLL by Ray Barnholt, which not nearly enough people talk about, but most definitely should. Hopefully his all Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle issue will finally fix that wrong.

- Unfortunately, not all news has been good news. Sidescrollers by Matthew Loux is a graphic novel that’s finally getting some attention, but not for the best of reasons. It was recently removed from a Connecticut school district’s own recommended reading list for incoming high school students when a parent objected to some salty language and sexual references (stuff that kids are more than familiar with, sorry moms and dads).

Thankfully, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has come to Loux’s side, but it has yet to be reinstated. Aside from the fact that the school district may have broken its own rules with the banning, the book itself is a must read for all teens, which deftly touches upon such heavy themes such as morality and friendship. Plus it also deftly weaves in the gaming references, which means everyone else should pick up a copy as well!

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