ITC 5. Small contributions
Special Recommendations Edition
Hello, friend! This time, the main content of the newsletter is slightly shorter, since it has extra space dedicated to recommendations. Editorialising them is my favourite part of In The Cave, after all. I hope you enjoy them!
→ Reflections
I remember the times when our Skillshare classes gave us enough money monthly to pay for something significant: a dinner for three, an extracurricular activity for my son, a couple of books...
Those days are long gone. After rethinking their payment model, what we receive in the form of royalties is something much scarcer. So I've been using this tiny-tiny income for something different for a while now.
The number of creators who survive today by selling small products on the internet is endless. Sometimes offering small works of art at really low prices:
Digital books written with love and care for years.
Short PDF art books compiling personal illustrations.
Music albums completely outside the commercial circuit.
Unique independent video games (like the ones I usually recommend).
Small applications with very curious and specific functionalities.
Paid subscriptions to interesting newsletters and podcasts.
And a very, very long etcetera. So for some time now, I have used the few euros that we make to occasionally support small artistic projects that I consider significant, interesting or valuable. Depending on the case, we can support more than one each month, doing our part so that all this fascinating fabric of semi-hidden artistic works stays afloat, outside of the large markets and the Hegemony of the Homogeneous.
→ Changes
A brighter cave
Two months ago, we moved our humble home studio to our living room. It seemed strange to me to have our small work corner in the same space where visits from friends or family usually are, but, after all, visits are brief, while we spend hours in front of the screen.
Having a large window, abundant natural light, a blooming park outside and ample space around you clearly has a great psychological effect. Summer work nights will also be fresher! I regret not taking this step sooner.
Fan art
Some weeks ago, Kyle T Webster published a post defending Fan Art and I honestly agree with his general point of view on the matter. Last year I wrote a (relatively) long article on Fan Art, with a similar approach. I think his point could be summarised with the following quote:
With all the distractions assailing us daily and monopolising our precious time, I think anything with the power to pull us into art-making is a positive.
If you want to read my own article, you can find it here :-)
Recommendations: Special Almost-Summer Edition®
This time, we have a special long block of recommendations. Because you will soon be on vacation and you need a lot of material to enjoy during those days. Six sections. Two/three recommendations per section. I hope you enjoy them!
1 → Games
Loop Hero
I played the iOS adaptation of the (immensely successful) original game and it’s, indeed, fantastic. An interesting mix of deck building, world construction, rogue-lite adventure… It subverts the meaning of a game loop, turning what could be synonymous with tedium and stagnation into something curiously satisfying. A potentially infinite game with so many variables that it makes your head explode when thinking about the game design work.
Guncho
German developer Arnold Rauers has been designing games for years now. He’s one of the few solo-developers still surviving with his very indie, quite niched games. He’s been smart adapting his general Premium model to a F2P one, getting admirable results. Although Card Crawl and Miracle Merchant are still my favourite games by him, he’s releasing Guncho this same month.
A 3D remake of his original game prototype. I’ve been beta-testing it and it looks really solid. You’ll love it if you like shooters, rogue-likes and turn-based tactical games.
2 → Books
El Extraño Caso del Dr. Jekyll y Mr. Hyde
Javier Olivares is, probably, the greatest Spanish artist of the last two generations. Some people might disagree. They are wrong. I’ve recommended his books in several occasions but this supposedly simple and minor adaptation of Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde for young adults is still one of my favourites. It was beautifully re-edited by Astiberri.
One Pound Gospel
I’ve been re-reading Rumiko Takahashi’s works. Doing it with more adult eyes allows me to appreciate Rumiko's storytelling effectiveness. Her beautiful art, the economy of resources, the adorable characters... One Pound Gospel is still within the field of romantic comedy that she explored so well with Ranma 1/2, but at the same time it is a decent comic about boxing!
This story of impossible love between Kosaku, a boxer with control problems in his diet, and Sister Angela, a Catholic novice, is full of endearing, simple moments, without big dramas. A work that is simply read with a smile on your face. Note: If you like it, you’ll love Mitsuru Adachi’s Katsu!
3 → Films
Late Night with the Devil
I finally watched it and personally enjoyed it. I love stories that take place in very limited rooms, involving few characters. And if they also have a supernatural and dark component, all the better. My only problem with it is that it ends quickly and IMO prematurely just when you start to think that you could watch that weird late night for hours and hours and hours. Definitely worth a viewing!
Mars Express
The starting point of the story will be familiar to you: two private detectives are hired to solve a case that seems to end prematurely, but hides much more than what appears.
Fans of the (incomprehensibly semi-unknown) Lastman French animated series will recognise the hand of Jérémie Périn on this one. Mars Express is the total sublimation of Périn's work as a director. Everything that shone in Lastman appears multiplied by two here: its exquisite visual production, its influences, both Japanese and European, its sense of humor, its recognizable and raw approach to violence (less present than in Lastman, though)… A little gem in the form of a science fiction tale.
Papyrus 2
I wonder if the original Papyrus short is as hilarious for non-designers as it is for us. This second part is not as great (probably because of the meh conclusion), but still has some amazing moments! Gosling really conveys the tortured soul of the designer who just suffers from the lack of design culture and understanding in the society around him.
4 → Artists
Matteo Berton
Sometimes I think that the Italian Matteo Berton is an artist who one day reached a supreme level of compositional and formal skill and, bored with being so good, had to look for other ways of expressing himself that would pose some additional challenge.
His portfolio is a good document about his progress and evolution in recent years. The finish of his latest illustrations is striking in its rawness and simplicity. You can read here my review of his beautiful comic book adaptation of Voyage au Centre de la Terre.
Keiko Murayama
The amount of incredible female artists working in the animation industry is mind-blowing. I’ll soon be sharing the work of many of them, but I wanted to start with Annie Award-winner Keiko Murayama.
I discovered Keiko (Cake-O as she writes her name sometimes) via Chromosphere, an animation studio with a long story of very original, successful work. More specifically for her character design work on Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego, and later, Yuki 7 and Turning Red (I wish I could see more of her work on Ultraman Rising).
Keiko’s design work is beautifully stylish, sexy & minimal. I adore her B/W sketches and her way of representing the female figure. Her Tumblr site is unfortunately a little bit outdated, but you can follow her on Instagram, if you still use that.
5 → Newsletters
Trailblazing
The newsletter of my friend Dario, a guy I am very fond of. It’s always full of beautiful words, personal reflections and experiences from different corners of the world. Especially interesting for nomads and adventurers at heart! (And Ennio Morricone’s fans)
Soft Spot
It seems we needed even more Italians today, so: Giulia Sagramola’s newsletter seems to be back, and her last post is full of nice behind-the-scenes material. Incredibly generous when sharing visual stuff. IMO, this proves again that newsletters/posts are a much better way of sharing work than regular SM platforms. You’ll love Giulia’s graceful and expressive line work.
The Book of Five Winds
The always sweet and gentle Rhys (Stalba-Smith) returns with more fantasy. And this is just part of the whole project. Is it a newsletter? Is it a book? A game? A game book? A story by chapters? All of that at the same time? Judge for yourself. But be aware of this: YOU will be part of it, and once the adventure starts, it will quickly unfold. Be ready.
6 → Music
Wintersun by Brendan Perry
The last time I went to a Dead Can Dance concert, I was in my all-time lowest emotional point (fortunately, I was surrounded by lovely friends). I just needed some minutes listening Brendan Perry, Lisa Gerrard and their band play Labour of Love to start crying. And I didn’t stop till the concert was over. There is something unique about Perry's work. The depth of his voice, his solemnity, his lyrics... If you can listen to only one song today, please let it be this one.
Palästinalied by Qntal
Recommended by my new Reedsy pal, Manu, a man of impeccable musical taste. Is electro-medieval a genre? I’m not sure, but that’s what the German band Qntal do (apparently since 1991). And I honestly love it. What a discovery. The history of the original lyrics of this specific song (a poem from early 13th century) is also very interesting.
Vaporous by Elsiane
An ideal song for ending this list of recommendations. Perfect for a summer evening in which you have lost track of time without regret.
Thank you for reading In the Cave. The cave I work at daily and, also, that mental state you enter when you are hyper-focused and closed to the outside world. Currently, I’m using SM just to promote this newsletter or send memes to friends. Nothing else. So if you like this newsletter, please share it and recommend it. You can also find me in my website or Dribbble.
See you next month!
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Buenas recomendaciones! Me las apunto! 😊
P.S. Entiendo lo de buscar el lugar más luminoso para trabajar perfectamente. 🌻 :)
¡Qué montón de recomendaciones! Las iré visitando una a una :-D ¡Me encanta tu newsletter!