Sketch Watch Play John Fleury

It's been a good couple of years since Felipe was on the show, but he's finally back with a vengeance as we tackle 2 distinct topics.  First, Felipe enlightens John with insight on the skateboarding boom of the 2000s and the wild ride it's been for longtime pro Chad Muska in particular, as told in an entertaining documentary that you can legally watch for free on Vice's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/3JFihjEWU3c
After that, the meat of the episode is a deep dive into not a game series, not a game genre, but a particular game console that crossed the 20-year mark this decade: Sony's legendary PlayStation 2.  A formative system for many series and genres, a huge leap for 3D console gaming, and of course a trusty DVD player during that boom, this system means a lot to us even today in various ways.  Topics include notable platformer games, John's take on why this period was the peak of AAA gaming creativity, and Felipe's enduring love of the DualShock 2 as a fighting game controller.
Timestamps:
7:54 From Homeless to Pro-Skater: Chad Muska
37:07 PlayStation 2 Retrospective
WE'RE ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/YAqjMUy
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehonArt
Felipe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/FelipeDiazVera
John's Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

Mia brings her nerd A-game to school John on a trilogy we both love, but one that for her isn't just a movie, but a lifestyle.  Fresh off Fellowship hitting its 20th anniversary (And Two Towers as well a month after this episode publishes), we look back at Peter Jackson's now-legendary adaptation of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.  From Viggo Mortensen injuries to Hugo Weaving rapping in Elvish, we take a long look at all three films and additional material, including the earlier animated adaptations, Jackson's bonkers early films and his subsequent The Hobbit trilogy, brief talk regarding the recent Rings of Power, the alternate universe where The Beatles played the hobbits, and Sexy Shelob.
WE'RE ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/YAqjMUy
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehonArt
Mia's Tumblr: https://patethenovice.tumblr.com/
John's Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchwatchplay/
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

Mia returns to the show for an opening portion where we talk games new and older!  John discusses his obsession with Cyberpunk 2077 as well as its gradual change to being seen in a more positive light through updates, the next-gen versions, and the tie-in anime Edgerunners.  Mia then does a deep dive into her obsession with modding the living daylights out of Skyrim, Bethesda's tendency to leave bug fixes to the modders, and how she can't imagine a world without Inigio.  All hail Inigo.
Next part: Lord of the Rings film trilogy
Timestamps:
8:34 Cyberpunk 2077 (Spoilers for the prologue)
34:42 Skyrim & Skyrim mods
WE'RE ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/YAqjMUy
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehonArt
Mia's Tumblr: https://patethenovice.tumblr.com/
John's Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchwatchplay/
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

John & Chris catch up to talk cartoons old and new!  We start with more talk on Arcane, both to get Chris's observations, and also since the original review was recorded before the proverbial Netflix dam burst.  Oh, and Chris reveals a cool personal connection to the League of Legends franchise that you'll just have to hear for yourself.
For the meat of the episode, we do another retro anime deep dive, but this time with a film that holds some nostalgic significance to both of us, the 1987 cult classic anthology Robot Carnival.  We give some historical context to how the project came to be, talk the different themes and approaches each segment brings, and even both have personal reassessments on the most artsy short.  The best part for you listeners?  Unlike the old days where the film was tough to find, it's legally available on YouTube for free, so go check it out first if you haven't seen it before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id1eRjO4p_0
(Also this episode was a nightmare to edit because Chris's audio initially came out really quiet so I had to a lot of manual volume adjusting and I was taking care of the family parrot while we recorded and he's super noisy so you'll constantly hear bird screeches in the background but there isn't really much I can do about that so okay enjoy the episode thanks)
Timestamps:
6:48 Arcane (Spoilers)
30:58 Robot Carnival (Spoilers)
WE'RE ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/YAqjMUy
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehonArt
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItsmeChrisWade
John's Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchwatchplay/
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

John and Ben do a deep dive into the League of Legends Netflix adaptation that has received widespread praise.  And if you ask us, that's entirely deserved, because Arcane is one of those shows that just does everything right.  From the unique and incredible animation, to the mature and well-written stories and worldbuilding, to the plot points that left us with our jaws on the floor, Arcane sets a benchmark for video game adaptations and animation as a whole.  Spoilers abound, so please watch the show before listening to this.
Next episode: Robot Carnival (1987)
WE'RE ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/YAqjMUy
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehonArt
Ben's Twitter: https://twitter.com/daiconv
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.comShow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchwatchplay/
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

Fellow animator and friend of the show Ben Reynolds comes back on to talk with John about cartoons - and keeping in tradition with previous appearances, we're talking niche anime, with a big emphasis on retro.  We talk the cool but brief 80s OVA Dragon's Heaven, from its unique art style and bizarre opening to the wild world of anime in the heyday of VHS, and then venture into the recently fansubbed 2003 reboot of the iconic Astro Boy, discussing its amazing visuals, surprisingly thoughtful writing, and the numerous reasons why it came and went in the States compared to other countries.
Next time: Arcane
Timestamps:
0:00 Introductions
8:57 Listener email
14:49 Dragon's Heaven (Spoilers)
29:47 Astro Boy 2003 Subbed (Minor spoilers)
WE'RE ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/YAqjMUy
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehonArt
Ben's Twitter: https://twitter.com/daiconv
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchwatchplay/
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/