I’ve always loved the Asterix books. They are fun, educational but most of all they are absolutely works of art. Albert Uderzo’s artwork is sublime. I particularly love his renderings of the Roman soldiers and how he represents motion in general. I’ll be doing a…
If you aren’t already aware of the amazing retrogaming books from Bitmap Books then I’d like to rectify that now. Sam Dyer has done a sterling job so far creating four beautiful art books showcasing the game art of the Commodore 64, Amiga, Spectrum and…
I finally got my hands on the very issue of the magazine that is guilty of being the root of many a karaoke performance from myself. Smash Hits was a hugely popular magazine in the UK in the 80s and 90s and it was famous…
Whether it’s a scene in the latest blockbuster or an episode of the Simpsons, Poker seems to have infiltrated itself into every aspect of our everyday culture. We borrow poker’s lingo in daily conversation and artists are inspired by the game in both music and…
I just realised recently that I don’t actually think I’ve ever written an article about Last Exit to Nowhere. I really thought I had. I just assumed I had. Because I should have. But I don’t think I have, and that needs to be rectified….
Board games seem to be becoming more popular again at the moment, which is great to see. As a parent of young children, and someone who therefore doesn’t get to go out on the town as much as I used to, I’ve found myself playing…
There are three posters that I remember having on my bedroom wall as a child. Three posters that I used to stare at every day for years and that I can remember every single line and colour of. One of them is the Back to…
I’m often struck by how things that I never thought I would be nostalgic about, make me nostalgic. One example of this that I was thinking of recently was the UK National Lottery. I can remember, as if it was yesterday, when the UK lottery…
James Bond has been an icon of film for over 50 years. The character is a massive cultural touchstone and over the years has inspired people to do many Bond-like activities including joining the navy, or even try to join MI5 and MI6 (although hopefully they weren’t too disappointed…
A few years ago I embarked on attempting to read all the early Marvel superhero comics. My plan was to try to read the whole of the silver age and bronze age over the course of several years. Babies got in the way, however, and…