Where Things are Hollow

"In addition to the reviews on Zero Punctuation, - which are viewed, on average, by about 1.5 million people - Croshaw also makes his own games, writes a monthly column at PC Gamer and has started doing contract work, theoretically a launching pad to making his own major-label games. 'Which is handy,' says Croshaw, 'because that's really what I want to do with my life.' All of which would never have happened without achieving fame on YouTube."

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Russ, reveal the story behind this story's sign-off, or I'll end up pondering it all damn day.
How and why the hell...?

Same, even though it's a slightly disturbing one if taken out of context.
Great article, by the way, this is the kind of quality writing and journalism I've grown so terribly fond of. Thank you.

BobisOnlyBob:
Russ, reveal the story behind this story's sign-off, or I'll end up pondering it all damn day.
How and why the hell...?

He posted the story on his blog a few months back, if you want the details, but the basic story goes like this:

He sued to work for Tech TV (now called G4, I think?). He posted a long rant about the things going wrong there, including that uh, colorful phrase. Fecal matter hit the rotating impeller blades. He wandered abroad from the world of gaming, as I recall, for some time, and came back with the Escapist.

Chilango2:

BobisOnlyBob:
Russ, reveal the story behind this story's sign-off, or I'll end up pondering it all damn day.
How and why the hell...?

He posted the story on his blog a few months back, if you want the details, but the basic story goes like this:

He sued to work for Tech TV (now called G4, I think?). He posted a long rant about the things going wrong there, including that uh, colorful phrase. Fecal matter hit the rotating impeller blades. He wandered abroad from the world of gaming, as I recall, for some time, and came back with the Escapist.

Damn. I was hoping it was a reference to those wonderful Eagleman commercials, but oh well.

W/r/t the article, maybe internet fame is the better fame. You're famous for something you've done rather than being famous for something you've done and subsequently being famous for being famous. Ahh...the joy of a meritocracy.

Ah, internet fame. Good read, I'm glad you went into the field of YouTube in general. I hope Yahtzee rides the wave and does some amazing things with the Trilby trademark. Still, anytime people start talking about fame and glory I'm always reminded of epic poetry:

"I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

- Percy Bysshe Shelley (The Complete Poems of Percy Bysshe Shelley)

BobisOnlyBob:
Russ, reveal the story behind this story's sign-off, or I'll end up pondering it all damn day.
How and why the hell...?

Yeah, the TechTV story is at falsegravity. No need to repeat it in its entirety here. But Chilango2 has it mostly right. I wrote a pretty nasty farewell email on my way out the door and it ... lingered a lot longer than I anticipated. I hear some folks back West are still quite fond of the term.

I enjoyed that a lot.
On another note; "Eagle semen." What inspired you to say that? Its pure brilliance astounds me. (Laughes)

I just read through your email and all the stuff previouse to that. I understand what inspired you to say it.

Nice article Russ. And I've just memorised that term for future use.

A good, funny article, and leaves me thinking about the price of fame - in both how easy it's become to achieve it, and how it afflicts those who do achieve it.

Also interesting to hear a little about Yahtzee and his aspirations two write a professional novel. If it's a Trilby story, I'd definitely go for it.

A Trilby novel is indeed a good idea. It would flesh out the Trilby universe even more and give Yahtzee its own little franchise to start his first big budget game.

Great article Russ, and i just read the Eagle semen story as well, also a great read.

Great article. I am actually writing a novel too. It would be sweet to get Internet famous as well. Time to get on my Youtube grind.

So how does internet fame stack up? While not famous for the size of his wang like Lee, Croshaw did have his moments of celebriphobia at this year's GDC, where even a short trip down the hall inevitably resulted in more than a few handshakes and requests for autographs. One woman had been clandestinely following him around all week, finally accosting him on his way to the airport to show him her sketchbook. He had a beguiling manner about him, she said, showing him how she'd captured the jaunty tilt of his hat with pencil and ink. The experience was jarring.

.....Yeah. Well.

That woman was me.

God help me, I'm a Creepy Fan Anecdote.

For what it's worth, I was not following anyone around all weekend, not even the party I came with seeing as I did so much running around, I drew lots of people over that weekend as it's what I do whenever I'm sitting anywhere for extended periods of time (
(Especially at panels), and I'm pretty sure I never said the word beguiling...

I talked about his weird walk: he sort of glides from place-to-place, no up or down, and I have no real excuse for that observation besides that people who know me know I'll say just about anything to just about anyone, consequences be damned, which is probably why I have never found anyone in any sort of profession willing to employ me. Except as a baby-sitter. Kids seem to think I'm funny, rather then scary. Fear for your next generation, humanity.

I sure as hell never meant to jar anyone or anything, and I apologize whole-heartedly for the weirdness of it all. I'm really very sorry, and I appreciate that no one called security or kicked me down the escalator.

Mr. Russ is an exceptional writer with a malancholy but very beautiful voice, so at least when he described my moment of public humiliation, he did it poetically. That's some consolation prize I guess. I'll have to thank him if I ever see him again.

Of course the internet is the more popular avenue for fame now. Why the fuck would anyone want to spend a decade grovelling for marginally larger roles in studio schlock, getting starvation wages and having nobody in the audience even notice them, when they could release their own work on YouTube and have a million subscribers by next month?

DreamerM:

.....Yeah. Well.

That woman was me.

God help me, I'm a Creepy Fan Anecdote.

For what it's worth, I was not following anyone around all weekend, not even the party I came with seeing as I did so much running around, I drew lots of people over that weekend as it's what I do whenever I'm sitting anywhere for extended periods of time (
(Especially at panels), and I'm pretty sure I never said the word beguiling...

Your drawing is amazing, especially if you did that on the go. The cartoonish style mixed with the attention to detail (the fold of clothes, the press badge, etc.) really is something special. Fangirl or not, you are quite the artist.

DreamerM:
Mr. Russ is an exceptional writer with a malancholy but very beautiful voice, so at least when he described my moment of public humiliation, he did it poetically. That's some consolation prize I guess. I'll have to thank him if I ever see him again.

Thank you for the kind words.

Now I feel compelled to share my part in that story, talking loudly and at length to Yahtzee about how creepy I thought the encounter had been before realizing DreamerM was standing right beside us in the next escalator over. Color me redfaced.

Russ Pitts:

Thank you for the kind words.

Now I feel compelled to share my part in that story, talking loudly and at length to Yahtzee about how creepy I thought the encounter had been before realizing DreamerM was standing right beside us in the next escalator over. Color me redfaced.

That was probably the moment when I was wondering if jumping over the hand-rail and falling the rest of the way to the Moscone Center floor would be worth the probable injury... it wasn't, and it wouldn't have helped my "I'm not crazy" case anyway.

I never held it against you though. I'm responsible for the impression I give, and if I had it to do over, I'd do it differently. Still, in my opinion it's easier to regret something I did do then something I didn't. Sure, the former results in consequences that I then have to live with, but the later results in me wondering forever what might have happened had I had the guts to act before the opportunity was gone forever. It' was by following that second philosophy that I got into GDC in the first place, and if I hadn't acted then, I would have missed out on one of the exhilarating, most terrifying, most inspiring experiences of my life so far.

I'll just say sorry, again, for your creeps. I know no one ever gets a second chance at a first impression, but I do hope you'll remember me as a person and not some kind of creeping monster.

And my words might be kind, but they are also true: you're a magnificent writer and I'm greatly looking forward to your next article. Thank you for your compulsion and time.

m_jim:

DreamerM:

That woman was me.

Your drawing is amazing, especially if you did that on the go. The cartoonish style mixed with the attention to detail (the fold of clothes, the press badge, etc.) really is something special. Fangirl or not, you are quite the artist.

:) Thank you very much!

DreamerM:

So how does internet fame stack up? While not famous for the size of his wang like Lee, Croshaw did have his moments of celebriphobia at this year's GDC, where even a short trip down the hall inevitably resulted in more than a few handshakes and requests for autographs. One woman had been clandestinely following him around all week, finally accosting him on his way to the airport to show him her sketchbook. He had a beguiling manner about him, she said, showing him how she'd captured the jaunty tilt of his hat with pencil and ink. The experience was jarring.

.....Yeah. Well.

That woman was me.

God help me, I'm a Creepy Fan Anecdote.

For what it's worth, I was not following anyone around all weekend, not even the party I came with seeing as I did so much running around, I drew lots of people over that weekend as it's what I do whenever I'm sitting anywhere for extended periods of time (
(Especially at panels), and I'm pretty sure I never said the word beguiling...

I talked about his weird walk: he sort of glides from place-to-place, no up or down, and I have no real excuse for that observation besides that people who know me know I'll say just about anything to just about anyone, consequences be damned, which is probably why I have never found anyone in any sort of profession willing to employ me. Except as a baby-sitter. Kids seem to think I'm funny, rather then scary. Fear for your next generation, humanity.

I sure as hell never meant to jar anyone or anything, and I apologize whole-heartedly for the weirdness of it all. I'm really very sorry, and I appreciate that no one called security or kicked me down the escalator.

Mr. Russ is an exceptional writer with a malancholy but very beautiful voice, so at least when he described my moment of public humiliation, he did it poetically. That's some consolation prize I guess. I'll have to thank him if I ever see him again.

Oh gosh! I remember you mentioned that before. Though you conveniently left out the whole "stalking" part. :P

Anyway I just read your story about you and TechTV Mr.Pitts. Interesting story, your an excellent writer.

Sentient Muffin:

Oh gosh! I remember you mentioned that before. Though you conveniently left out the whole "stalking" part. :P

For god's sake I didn't stalk anyone! ...she yelled, shaking her tiny fist helplessly at the howling storm.

Russ makes it sound like I was hiding behind potted plants and wearing ninja masks and following them from the rooftops. In a way I kinda wish I had: it'd have been much more fun that way.

Truth of the matter is that I drew the Yahtzee picture after I spotted him leaving the Prototype presentation. He was only there around a minute at most, but after he was gone I had the idea for a drawing and a few minutes to kill so I just sat down and drew it. I was surprised about how well it came out, given I had nothing but my memory to go on, and resolved to get it signed if I could. I know it's weird but the "get drawing signed by subject" is something I've done since middle school to both friends and strangers. I've never attached much importance to it.

The one time I followed him was from the Portal postmortem because I was leaving and assumed he was too and that if I wanted to get the drawing signed I needed to do it then because I might never get another chance.

Oh well. Russ has got a huge website-sized bullhorn and I do not, so I should just shut up. Besides, who am I to argue with a good story?

DreamerM:

So how does internet fame stack up? While not famous for the size of his wang like Lee, Croshaw did have his moments of celebriphobia at this year's GDC, where even a short trip down the hall inevitably resulted in more than a few handshakes and requests for autographs. One woman had been clandestinely following him around all week, finally accosting him on his way to the airport to show him her sketchbook. He had a beguiling manner about him, she said, showing him how she'd captured the jaunty tilt of his hat with pencil and ink. The experience was jarring.

.....Yeah. Well.

That woman was me.

God help me, I'm a Creepy Fan Anecdote.

For what it's worth, I was not following anyone around all weekend, not even the party I came with seeing as I did so much running around, I drew lots of people over that weekend as it's what I do whenever I'm sitting anywhere for extended periods of time (
(Especially at panels), and I'm pretty sure I never said the word beguiling...

I talked about his weird walk: he sort of glides from place-to-place, no up or down, and I have no real excuse for that observation besides that people who know me know I'll say just about anything to just about anyone, consequences be damned, which is probably why I have never found anyone in any sort of profession willing to employ me. Except as a baby-sitter. Kids seem to think I'm funny, rather then scary. Fear for your next generation, humanity.

I sure as hell never meant to jar anyone or anything, and I apologize whole-heartedly for the weirdness of it all. I'm really very sorry, and I appreciate that no one called security or kicked me down the escalator.

Mr. Russ is an exceptional writer with a malancholy but very beautiful voice, so at least when he described my moment of public humiliation, he did it poetically. That's some consolation prize I guess. I'll have to thank him if I ever see him again.

I think he wants you to NOT see him again.... Isn't it just peachy to be the source of someones paranoia?

Other than that: Congratulations on freaking out a nerd. Although they are often shy and anti-territorial,they are not easily startled.

Yahtzee? Write a novel? I'd read it.

I'd imagine it as taking some horrible taboo and making everyone like it.