A Word From One of the Creators
From the desk of Eric Ratcliffe
I’ve been wanting to do a strip devoted to the work of Edmund McMillen for a while now. For those that don’t know, Edmund is an extremely talented artist and game designer. He’s one half of Team Meat and creator of Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac (which is what this is strip is based on) and just so much more. Heck, I find it even funnier that I accidentally timed this perfectly as just a few days ago was the birthday of the game and it’s lead character Isaac.
As I mentioned, I’ve really been wanting to devote a strip to Edmund’s work for a while now. Half to get even more people to check out his awesome games and half because in my mind the man has done something awesome for me. (Look up Why I Love Comics episodes #63 and #89) Without getting into the details and specific numbers of the podcast, both of Edmund’s episodes are the highest downloaded of all time. He was nothing but generous with his time and honestly both times I’ve had the pleasure of talking to him the conversation was nothing but interesting and fun and I really appreciate that he took the time to talk with me.
Now, The Binding of Isaac, for those that don’t know, is a rogue-like game similar to the original Legend of Zelda on the NES. It’s about a young boy who finds himself fighting monsters and other various creatures in his basement after escaping from his mother who is trying to kill him. (Seriously, watch the opening of the game. I can’t really do it much justice.) It’s fun, addicting and you get a completely new experience every time you play the game. No playthrough ever turns out the same., which, to this day I find crazy from just a programming perspective. Here’s where you can find the game on Steam; it’s seriously something I’ve spent over 120 hours of my life playing and easily one of the most addicting things I’ve ever played:
The Binding of Isaac – http://store.steampowered.com/app/113200/
Indie Game: The Movie – http://buy.indiegamethemovie.com/
Edmund’s website – http://edmundm.com/
I also think it’s half of what has slowly turned me into a PC indie gaming fan, but that is a story for another time. Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, I would seriously highly recommend Indie Game: The Movie to any creative types out there as I honestly think it’s one of the cooler documentaries I’ve watched in years. Edmund and Tommy are one of the focuses of it and they even have the best commentary track. So thanks, Edmund, I hope you like the strip and I can’t wait to play Super Meat Boy: The Game whenever it comes out. 
(It’s being developed right now and it’s a completely new game, nothing like the other Super Meat Boy. They announced it on April Fools Day so no one knew if they were serious or not.)
Next week, Jim and I will be at New York Comic Con, so if you’re at the show definitely stop us and say hi. We’d be more than happy to meet those who enjoy the work we do!
Next week in the strip…Jim and Eric are off in New York, but why is Eric on a rooftop and what does that mean for New York Comic Con?! Find out in 7!
