Fri 6 Mar 2009
This table is fixed!
Posted by Igor Hardy under comics & artwork
[3] Comments
This little comic strip was originally created to sweeten the reading time for people brave enough to venture into my giant-sized, almost philosophical essay Gamer’s (illusion of) freedom about how games limit your actions to the extreme and make you love it. Still, the comic is a minor masterpiece in itself, so it should be made possible to be admired by everyone.
Readers’ comments containing interpretations of this very symbolic story with a twist at the end are most welcome.
Note: Also, big thanks to The International House of Mojo for once again posting my comic behind their site.
is that a 4 on the back of Santa’s hat?? not sure i get it.
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Oh, an ending open for interpretation – lemme guess, lemme guess! Isn’t this kind of open for interpretation stuff that gives us, the recipients, this so much desired perceptional degree of freedom.
Not to look far away take for example Manny’s and Meche’s departure after long 4 year journey the player had pleasure to be part of in Grim Fandango. Beautiful act of freedom as their souls are now free to explore every scenario players wish to create for them in their minds now full of adventures from the Land of the Dead.
All the things in Matrix and Lost Higway, to take more obvious examples, viewers can openly discuss and share their interpretation of with their friends and be creative about make for a more compelling experience. Enough substance must be provided to create a sense of understanding of the world experienced by spectator but when it clicks (surely not everyone is a fan of Lynch’s or Wachowski’s movies) we are ready for a nice free ride looking for what touches us most.
Now coming back to your comic strip, not by any means I would run away from an adventure like that bald guy because of its linearity. In fact I prefer linear told stories because I like to explore everything creators got for me in there and nonlinear ones just makes me wonder what else have I possibly missed. And frankly if game is good enough it don’t needs different endings to make me come back play again. There is always this fourth elementh – to explore the artistic vision hidden under the author’s creative hat and waiting to be found.
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Yes, it is a 4.
Possibly, the feature article allows to better understand where the elements of the comic come from as they both present some of the same concepts.
And I guess knowing what is this thing that was under the hat is a factor in enjoying the conclusion.
But as Sanspoof writes below it’s all pretty open to interpretations.
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