Army of Trolls

My life, for better or for worse, has been linked to video games. It is not as though I'm an obsessive gamer. Except for when I once owned a Sega Genesis, I have never a crazed fanboy whatsoever. It's just that, in general, I suffer from a great case of technolust and video games are very economical for the fellow who needs something cutting edge. If possible, I'd rather buy the laptop than the PlayStation 3.

It just so happens that I also have a job in the video game industry. It's nothing that fancy, although when gamers hear what I do, they often get starry-eyed and mystified. Truth of the matter is that it just happens to be a means of getting food on my plate. If not video games, then I'd be digging ditches — although it is quite nice to have a nice desk job where I need not be exposed to the elements of the earth.

Yet beyond this, I cannot help but have a sense of nostalgia when it comes to video games. Unlike computers, most consoles from different eras still offer something called fun. They may be commodities, but they are not generic. Each has its own sense of unique design. I still play my Atari 2600 as I think Asteroids needs the Atari joystick in order to get the full experience.

Hence why I love the artwork of Gary J. Lucken. This video game-obsessed artist has a beautiful assortment of pixel art. By itself, it's merely artwork that is inspired by game sprites. However, along with this, he also tends to evoke the wonder of what makes people want to pluck down their hard-earned cash for a Wii. In the end, it is not simply about cheap technolust, as I may have implied, but it is about entering brand new worlds created by minuscule dots but absolutely controlled by you.

My personal favourite piece of art, by the way, is this cover for Edge Retro. It depicts a great history of video games and the blue-shirted fellow in the picture kind of reminds me of myself. I think it's the smug expression.