Hey Splatterfolk! Before digging into this month's content, be sure to check out last month's issue and browse the splatter archives to catch up on previous entries. 

Us LA residents had a rough month but I was really lucky, all things considered. People lost everything to the fires, and aside from the inconvenience of losing internet access and power for a few days, my home was safe from danger. Regardless, Mindsplatter is not a place to discuss current events, so I just wanted to thank everyone who reached out, and let the rest of you know I'm fine. As for The Splatter: ...the show must go on! So let's start today's issue with some...

2024 was my first year of fully focusing on working as "Amit The Creator". I've done a lot of narrative work over the years, but it's never been my joby-job...until now. After my departure from Pure Imagination Studios in Q2 ,2024, I shifted to working on my own projects as opposed to actively pursuing another consulting contract, or a fulltime gig. My wife and I are in a very fortunate position. We can afford to take to time to invest in this grand experiment, and see how far I can push it. This is a luxury, and we know how lucky we are given what's that's happening in the entertainment industry. But you know what? With PopBase's acquisition, our work at PIS, and other calculated moves, It's safe to say we made a bunch of proactive, somewhat risky decisions that got us to this position. Now, the skills and knowledge I've gained about business, consumer products, licensing, IP strategies, and marketing allowed me to turn a new property like The Last Wardens into a multimedia franchise in record speed.

 

But with all that said and done, I still update my reel from time to time. It's a good habit! Especially since my mixed media portfolio validates my ability to lead, and execute across the entire media spectrum. So to all of you readers who only know me as "Amit the writer"...I want to take a moment to introduce you to the version of me that most of my professional contacts know. This is Amit - The Creative Director.

I can't tell you how good it feels to use these skills on my own product for a change. I mean, don't get me wrong, I will go back to doing that for clients in the future because I do like the work, and the money's real good...but for now, I'm happy to have some time and bandwidth to invest in my own stuff.

 

  • The Last Wardens audio drama will be distributed exclusively by AETHON BOOKS! This deal will give this Encyclopocalypse and Stickland media produced adaptation prominent placement on the major audio platforms, provide additional marketing from both the platforms and the distributor, and give a MUCH higher chance of success for the product itself. Due to the new deal's terms, the audio drama will now be pushed to Mid-April or May instead of in parallel with the trade paperback and tabletop game. It will be published as a single multi-hour piece, instead of in episodic form, and a full cast announcement + audio trailer will be posted a month prior to release...by March's Mindsplatter I should already have the precise details. Stay tuned!...but ..HOLY SHIT, this was a last minute surprise!

  • The Last Wardens team is headed to Emerald City Comic Con: Seattle, here we come! More details about the panels, signings and whatever else is happening at the event will be revealed in...you guessed it - March's issue.

  • The official cover for the Last Wardens tabletop roleplaying game has been revealed! Behold this beauty, and click on the image below to check out the free-preview Studio Far Horizons released, before the game's limited edition hits store shelves on March 11th.

  • The Last Wardens Vol.1 Trade Paperback gets a mainstream book-market release in March: This beautiful book will include all 6 issues of the Wardens' debut arc, plus some beautifully designed bonus content. If you're not into floppies, this is your chance to dive into the rich world we built, and join Danielle Pryer's crusade to save the world from her brother, and her brother from the world.

To catch up with the Wardens comics, you can:

  1. Get the trade paperback through Amazon, pre-order it through your local comic book shop, or from Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, etc. It's everywhere now!

  2. Read it on GlobalComix

  3. Borrow it on Hoopla

  4. Order it, and exclusive issue variants directly from Mad Cave Studios.

AH. FINALLY! Some room for media recommendations. I had to skip this section for months to leave room for all the news, so... before shit gets out of control again, I wanted to spotlight some of my favorite media from 2024. No, this isn't a "best of" list, nor is it limited to works that came out in 2024. This section revolves around stuff I read, played, listened to or watched last year, and wanted to highlight here. It's my zine! SUE ME! And with that oddly aggressive introduction... the first category is:

TELEVISION - GENERAL

The Batman (2022) was a competently done movie, but like many other, I've been suffering from late-stage superhero fatigue. Given that big media entities intend on diluting the LIVING FUCK out of their brands in the next few years, it was easy to just dismiss THE PENGUIN as just another example of corporate laziness. But credit where credit's due, this show's pretty fantastic. It's a complex, tightly written standalone narrative, and it's definitely worth your time. The Penguin is a fascinating character focused, heavily stylized crime drama that just so happens to exist in the Batman universe. You don't have to be a fan of the franchise to enjoy it, but knowing the character and the world he inhabits does elevates the experience. This show is available exclusively on Max. Give it a watch!

TELEVISION - ANIMATION

Confession: I originally watched episode 01 of DanDaDan on Netflix and instantly dropped the series. The introduction throws everything at you: brilliant animation, a refreshing style, crazy energy...but it was hard for me to tell whether the bombastic visuals and "constantly in your face" script were just a smokescreen made to hide a hollow story. When someone tells me "BUT THE VISUALS THO..." It makes me wanna slap them in the face. If you only care about the packaging, and not the content itself - then fine. Date a gorgeous ditz, why don't you? To me, flashy visuals are not a good reason to spend hours of my life watching anything. BUT HERE'S THE TWIST: I eventually decided to give episode 2 a chance, and I'm glad that I did. DanDaDan is brilliant. The characters are fun, and extremely fleshed out, the story and world are well-crafted and when it decides to get serious, it does it well. This anime slaps, and I'm glad I kept going despite my initial "meh" impression. Give it a go, and keep at it!

VIDEOGAMES

The fact I'm a huge Legend of Zelda fan wouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows me. I often wear Zelda shirts, even during press interviews... I'm that kind of dumbass. Anyhow, this new entry to the franchise was a pleasant surprise. Instead of sticking to the traditional Zelda mold, Echoes of Wisdom's brilliance is rooted in what Nintendo does best: creating a unique, and tightly structured, but easily scalable play mechanic, and building an entire game around it. This game's core mechanic is a total blast. It encourages creativity, and feels fresh, while still being an authentic Zelda game. Plenty of loud, expensive and flashy AAA titles came out last year...but THIS clever, yet modest title is the one that really stuck with me. If you have a Switch: give it a spin.

COMICS

A few months ago I finally started reading the late Kentaro Miura's highly influential manga: Berserk. This franchise is fascinating to someone like me, who dedicated his career to cross-media adaptations. Berserk's influence on pop-culture cannot be understated, from Cloud Strife's Sword in Final Fantasy 7, to the very existence of the Dark Souls game series. From visuals, to themes, and character archetypes, Berserk left its bloody mark all over the media landscape. When it comes to adapting this iconic piece however, the series has a pretty awful rep. With a few, limited exceptions, most of Berserk's adaptations are total duds. From production issues, to questionable creative calls, Miura's dark fantasy epic may have inspired endless works of art, but the original brand itself never got a similar break. With Miura's early passing, the future of this franchise remains unseen. But given my recent obsession with Soulsborne games, I decided to jump in and see what all the fuss is about. One thing's for certain: this manga is NOT for everyone. It's incredibly violent, and deals with some pretty heavy topics with unmitigated bluntness. I'm seriously hooked, though. I don't care that Miura's death left the series on a cliffhanger. 20 volumes in and I'm deep in this shit, folks! In fact, reading it has already inspired a new project that I am developing, so... as a creator and as a fan, what more could I possibly hope for from a comic?

Next month is gonna be nuts! Get ready for some truly grandiose, classic Amit bullshit! You have been warned!

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