Raptor Rants

Chainsaw Zombie Miniature Painting

2011-05-16T16:02:00.003-06:00

Painted this up for a model painting contest my local comics and games shop is hosting. God I love what a bit of dry brushing does to a model!

Model- Chainsaw Zombie by Reaper Miniatures, Sculpt by Bob Olley

Chainsaw Zombie Model by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" ADR Project

2011-04-30T17:46:00.000-06:00

Voice acting's always a fun little diversion. I voiced Chris Evans's character Jason Lee from the phenomenal film "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" for my close friend Phillip Stucker's Sound class ADR project (I posted my dubbing of Jurassic Park for the same project yesterday. Enjoy!

Scott Pilgrim ADR Project from Phillip Stucker on Vimeo.

"You Belong to Me"

2011-04-29T12:49:00.000-06:00

"You Belong to Me"- Directed by Phillip Stucker. I did boom operation for this little short, as well as acted as an Assistant Director. Enjoy it!

Jurassic Park ADR Project

2011-04-29T02:24:00.003-06:00

ADR Project for MTA-254 Sound at Montana State University.

Voices-
John Hammond- Reg Dalzell
Alan Grant- John Sweeney
Ian Malcolm- Pat Hessman
Ellie Sattler- Hailey Nicolet-Lloyd
Donald Gennaro- Seth Pleasants

Unfortunately, I couldn't use the embed code because of copyright claims on the JP footage, so here's the link to the video.

The Secret History of Godzilla

2011-04-12T12:52:00.000-06:00

Project for MTA 252 Sound at Montana State University. The assignment was to create a short film out of old archival WW2 footage, and construct a sound design for it. So naturally, I created one about Godzilla.

"You Belong to Me" Fake Blood Makeup

2011-04-10T16:25:00.001-06:00

A sample of some film makeup work I've done, a blood job for Phillip Stucker's short film "You Belong to Me."

(500) Days of Frustration

2011-04-07T22:21:00.002-06:00

This was originally written for the ASMSU Exponent.

It is said art is a reflection of society, whether the art supports or condemns it. Because of this, there are lessons to be learned from books, music, television and movies. While it may seem strange to plug a 2-year-old movie, the 2009 film “(500) Days of Summer” is just such a film. And please be forewarned, there are spoilers ahead.

For the unfamiliar, “(500) Days of Summer” is a deconstruction of modern romantic comedies and ‘happily ever after’ endings, showing a 20-something man’s desperate attempts to recall what went wrong in a failed relationship with a woman he was certain was “the one.” At first, he thinks only of good memories but soon begins to see the flaws in both the relationship and his ex-girlfriend.

In fact, the movie thoroughly deconstructs the notion of “the one.” The opening narration informs the audience it is a story of boy meets girl, but not a love story. Protagonist Tom, thanks to an overly romanticized perception of love, is convinced Summer is “the one” because of serendipity. His world is shattered when she breaks up with him, believing his one chance at happiness is gone forever.

Yet the movie contends there is hope. Tom may lose who he thought was the love of his life, but losing her puts him on the (rough) path to realizing his warped views. Eventually he finds purpose in revisiting his long-shelved dream of being an architect, instead of finding his soulmate.

This movie brings to light a bitter truth about relationships: Many men and women our age lose themselves to relationships. They become oblivious to clear red flags and wonder what went wrong when things end. It’s too easy to tie self-worth to a significant other in a desperate search for “the one.”

There is nothing wrong with dedication to a significant other, but when one’s own sense of self-worth is wholly dependant on the other person, it’s a problem waiting to happen. We must remember to have our own lives too; otherwise, what’s the point of being an individual?

As for whether or not “the one” exists, that is for you to decide. The movie leaves this question open, as should you. There may be someone out there who is perfect for you in every way, but you shouldn’t wait around for the stars to align. Live your life and take advantage of opportunities around you. Don’t miss out because of a hellbent soulmate hunt.

This is a movie every person in the college age group should watch. It has valuable lessons in love that many people can benefit from. It’s not uncommon for someone to walk away from this movie after seeing it for the first time feeling humbled after seeing their own in the character's actions. Experience this movie, and take its moral to heart.

If you still need a reason to watch this movie, have I mentioned it stars Zooey Deschanel?

Resume

2011-04-04T21:31:00.005-06:00

Patrick Hessman
200 South Hedges Hall Room 927
Bozeman, MT 59715
Phone : (406) 853-6899
Email: patrick.hessman@msu.montana.edu

Experience
Columnist, Montana State University ASMSU Exponent
Bozeman, MT
August 2010 – Present
• Write columns for the Opinion section.
• Review movies for the Entertainment section.

Desk Clerk, Montana State University Residence Life
August 2010 – Present
Bozeman, MT
• Greet and assist residents and guests of South Hedges.
• Provide administrative support to South Hedges staff.
• Monitor safety and security of South Hedges.

Production Assistant, Carolina ProductionsLocust, NC
June 2011 - August 2011
Contact: David Svenson
Phone: (704) 236-6500
Email: david@carolinaproductions.com

• Prepare setups for filming interviews and stand-ups for the Speed Network.

• Handle and transport filming equipment.

Staff Writer, Locust Weekly Post

Locust, NC

June 2011 - August 2011

Contact: Laura Long Smithwick

Phone: (704) 573-4606

Email: laura@minthilltimes.com

• Cover events and happenings in Locust, NC.

• Interview persons of interests for articles.

• Write reviews for movies in theaters.

Theater Assistant, Badin View Drive-In
Albemarle, NC
May 2010 – July 2010
• Maintain and operate Theater Projectors
• Assisting customers with batter jump starts.
• Enforce rules of Drive In.

Help Desk Assistant, Montana State University ResNet
Bozeman, MT
August 2009 – May 2010
• Provide over-phone troubleshooting for ResNet users.
• Assisting customers in the office.
• Repairing and restoring computers.

Webmaster, Powder River County District High School Website
August 2006 - May 2008
Broadus, Montana
• Maintain and Update High School’s Website
• Post schedules for extracurricular activities
• Create graphics for site’s use
• Educate new employees on website’s maintenance.

Website Builder, Southeastern Web Services
July 2006 - June 2009
Volborg, Montana
• Build and Maintain Websites
• Consult with customers on how to better improve their sites.
• Create graphic layouts for websites.

Clerk’s Assistant, Larry’s IGA
August 2006 – August 2009
Broadus, Montana
• Maintain upkeep of store.
• Assist and carry groceries for customers.
• Stock and straighten store merchandise.

Additional Experience
• Qualified for National Competition in Business Professionals of America in Graphic Design, 2008
• Documented Daily Activities of National Telephone Cooperatives Washington DC Youth Tour for Newsletter, 2008

Extracurricular Activities

High School Football- 1 Year
Speech and Drama- 2 years
Business Professionals of America- 4 year, Vice President
Track and Field- 1 year
Students Against Destructive Decisions- 3 years, Vice President
Junior Class Student Council- 1 year, Class Representative
South Hedges Residence Hall Association- 2 years, Hall Senator
Montana State University Interhall Association- 1 Year, Hall Senator
Teen 4-H- 4 years
Students Against Sexual Assault- 1 year
Montana State University Voice Center- 1 year
ASMSU Exponent- 1 year

Honors
•   Won Range Telephone Washington, D.C. Youth Tour Essay Contest, 2008
•   Won Tongue River Electric Cooperative Washington, D.C. Youth Tour Essay Contest, 2009
•   Won Larry’s IGA Employee of the Quarter Bonus, January 2008

Education
Powder River County District High School
Broadus, Montana
High School Degree
August 2005 - May 2009
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
Currently Attending
August 2009 - Present

Technical Competency
Programs- Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excell, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Blender, Avid Pro Tools, Audacity, Celtx, Adobe After Effects.
Equipment- Sony PD170 Cameras, Boom Mics, HDR Recorders, Shotgun Mics

"A Shore Thing" Review

2011-04-01T00:19:00.001-06:00

This was originally written for the ASMSU Exponent, specifically the annual April Fools edition.

They say write what you know. That being said, Snooki was the perfect person to write this story of two single-minded floozies in a competition to see who can be the biggest hussy on the Jersey shore. I considered myself tough for stomaching “Breaking Dawn,” but after this pile of whale vomit, I realized Edward Cullen has nothing on Ms. Polizzi.

The story follows transparent author avatar Gia and her cousin Bella, who couldn’t be more different. Gia wants to spend the summer having sex with as many guidos as she can, while Bella … umm … wants to spend the summer having sex with as many guidos as she can. There’s also a pair of villainous muscle-heads who are deviously conspiring to … have sex with Gia and Bella.

In the course of the cousins’ noble quest, houses are burned down, laxatives cause six-hour shitting fits and Gia learns to talk to sharks. There was a moral at some point about not needing guys to complete themselves, but it was lost amidst the characters’ constant boozing and banging.

Perhaps the book has value as an educational look at the life of young adults living on the Jersey Shore.
The book assumes one is familiar with Shore slang, but it took me several chapters to realize “gorillas” were in fact over-muscled Jersey boys. I also learned how a properly constructed pouf was the pinnacle of a proper Jersey girl’s existence.

Another strange lesson is that men in Jersey revel in strange nicknames, characters show up with names like Bender, Hulk and Trouble. In the end though, the book becomes more of an argument to firebomb the place into an ashy Armageddon and salt the land so nothing can grow for seven years.

The book is best described by Chapter 22’s title: “The Fine Art of Bullshit.” There are two types of people who will enjoy this book: “Jersey Shore” fans and literary masochists. If you dressed up as Snooki for Halloween and dream of finding your own “gorilla” someday, you probably already read the book and have no need for this two-month-late review. If you’re of the latter, though, prepare your mind for an exercise in self harm like none other. Just make sure you can cover your therapy bills afterwards.

Covenant-Buster AKA Iron Chief

2011-03-30T21:03:00.000-06:00

Covenant Buster AKA Iron Chief by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

In the 26th century as humanity struggles against the overwhelming forces of the Covenant, a discovery is made that may change the tide of the war: long forgotten technology made in the 21st century by industrialist Tony Stark. The Covenant-Buster Armor is created, armed with repulsors, flight, and a deadly rocket launcher apparatus.

I painted this Master Chief figure as a birthday present for my roommate, and the rocket pack came from a G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra Duke figure. This is the last figure I plan to do for a while that is primarily metallic textured.

But to anyone who cares to weigh in, what should I do next? I'm caught between a Tron-style Captain America or Rocket from Sucker Punch?

Room Under the Big Sky

2011-03-26T15:49:00.001-06:00

This article was originally written for the ASMSU Exponent.

Ask a lifelong resident of Montana what the greatest threat to this state is. The answer will probably be “Californians,” usually followed by a spirited rant about how they’re infiltrating local politics and conspiring to destroy the Montana way of life. Hyperbole or not, this highlights a growing divide in the demographics of this state. Some would claim the old ways of Montana are dying, but that isn’t the truth. The values, lifestyle and people are diversifying.

According to a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks report, the West was the fastest growing region of the United States during the 1990s, with a 20.1 percent growth in Montana alone. Most of that growth was, of course, in Montana’s cities.

California coincidentally experienced higher rates of emigration during this same time period. Of course, this isn’t just Californians. People from all over the country, and the world, have been moving into Montana at steady rate. The state simply doesn’t belong to just the ranchers anymore.

No one sees this diversification of the state better than us, the students of the universities. Students hailing from Montana meet people coming in from both East and West Coasts, and everywhere else in between.

Not only that, many of us get what is our first exposure to foreign cultures via exchange students. We are surrounded by diversity, so shifting tides seem as natural as excessive weight gain during freshman year.

The same couldn’t be said for old, lifelong ranchers though. How can someone who has lived for the development and use of the land around them not be just a bit offended when a family from California buys land and makes no use of it, or watches prime farmland be consumed by housing developments and chain stores? Yet at the same time, the agricultural lot doesn’t have a monopoly on the operations of the state.

The ranches and farms that characterize this state no doubt provide the gears for the whole operation to run on, but at the same time, new faces provide a much-needed injection of character and, on top of that, diversify the state economically as well. They contribute to Montana just the same; they should in no way be denied an opportunity to voice their concerns for the state’s political issues, from the environmental to the economic.

So the controversy all comes down to finding common ground. Residents both lifelong and new must learn to see eye to eye for the betterment of everyone. I’ve seen both sides of the coin growing up. I was born in North Carolina, but moved to a small ranching town in southeast Montana when I was 9 and lived there until graduating high school.

In just the 10 years I’ve lived here, I’ve seen the state change significantly. Yet I would say the growth has been for the better. There is room under the Big Sky for all types of people; they just have to learn to function together.

Soul Edge Blend

2011-03-11T03:42:00.002-07:00

Transcending history and the world, a tale of souls and swords eternally retold...

In my Computer Animation class, we were assigned to create a fantasy sword in Blender. My first instinct was to whip up the Master Sword, but I decided to go for the evil sword Soul Edge instead, based on its Soul Calibur 2 design.

Soul Edge Blend by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

Shiny Metagross Custom

2011-03-11T03:37:00.002-07:00

For those unfamiliar, Shiny Pokémon are alternate colorations of regular Pokémon that have an astounding 1 in 8196 chance of appearing. Their colors range from the unnoticeable, such as Pikachu merely being a slightly darker shade of yellow, to incredibly different, such as Charizard having black skin instead of orange.

Metagross, in my opinion, has the coolest Shiny colors of all the Pokémon. I saw the Battle Frontier Deluxe Metagross figure at an FYE, on sale luckily, and had the inspiration for this paint job immediately.

Shiny Metagross Custom by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

Inferno Golem Custom

2011-03-11T03:36:00.000-07:00

Another customization job, well, just a repaint if anything. I had this Golem figure lying around, and while I was waiting for the figures for my next project to come in, I decided to give it a new coat of paint and color scheme.

Inferno Golem
Type: Steel/Fire
Species: Core Pokémon
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 862 lbs

Ability: Temper- When this Pokémon is hit by Fire attacks, its defense and special defense are raised one stage.

Selected Moves: Rock Slide, Lava Plume, Iron Defense, Heavy Bomber, Earthquake, Iron Head

Data: When an Earthquake left a Geodude stranded the catacombs of the Earth, it was forced to adapt to a life in darkness and heat deep underground. Its home was a magma infused cavern on the boundary of two tectonic plates. Over time, the Geodude evolved, and centuries later, life below ground had transformed it.

Like the Earth itself, the Inferno Golem had a pulsing hot magma core, and the heat below ground tempered its rock shell to a hard steel. The lava-filled caverns deep below ground are its dominion. Its monumental strength is said to be able to shove the plates of the Earth, causing Earthquakes above ground.

Inferno Golem by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

Tron Alignment Chart

2011-03-11T03:34:00.003-07:00

Yes, I am very well of my addiction to alignment charts. Tron is surprisingly fertile for one, though.

Tron Alignment Chart by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

Disney Alignment Chart

2011-03-11T03:32:00.002-07:00

I simply love alignment charts. This is the 3rd I've done for a specific franchise. I made a rule for myself that I could only use one character from any specific movie, which kept this thing from becoming half populated by Lion King characters. Feel free to suggest any other Disney characters you think would fit the alignments better!

Disney Alignment Chart by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

Ten-Speed Sanity

2011-03-11T03:31:00.001-07:00

Final project for MTA 102, an original short.

Starring:
Brian Sundermeyer
Ava Redman
Jeff Dougherty
Bryan Gonzalez
Shayna Warner

Director/ProducerPat Hessman

Editor/DP/Composer:
Philip Stucker

Assistant Director/Story/Co-Producer:
Garth Woolf

Assistant Director/Writer:
Robert Stultz

Savior

2011-03-11T03:29:00.002-07:00

Project for cinematography class. Assignment was "disarming a bomb", and we had some...divine inspiration.

Starring:
Micah Workman
Andrea Parsons
Bruce Williams
Bryan Gonzalez
Maddy Nicolet-Lloyd
Carmen Lembo
Carrie Bittner
Jakob Michels

Directed by:
Pat Hessman
Hailey Nicolet-Lloyd

Cinematography by:
Greg Norris

Gaffer:
Phillip Stucker

Fight Choreography:
Keith Spearman

Music Used:
The Gentle Hum of Anxiety-
Trent Reznor
and Atticus Ross

Ultimatum- Immediate Music

Epilogue- Immediate Music

Special Thanks to:
Kaylin Hessman
Kayte Kaminski

Still Gotta Catch 'Em All: Pokémon Black and White Review

2011-03-10T19:37:00.001-07:00

This review was originally written for the ASMSU Exponent.

After hiding it all through high school, we could come out in college, we would no longer be judged. We were finally free. I’m of course talking about Pokémon. On March 6, the ever-swelling number of monsters grew again as the fifth generation of games, Pokémon Black and White, was released. Nearly 15 years after the franchise came to American shores, it storms them once again.

Game Freak has succeeded in making something new out of a tried and true formula. Even longtime veterans will feel as if they’re playing a brand new experience when popping this cartridge into their DS. The games are set in a brand new region, completely populated with never-before-seen Pokémon. In fact, none of the monsters from older generations can be found within the Unova region until after the game is beaten. This makes the game incredibly accessible for new fans, while providing longtime fans with an entirely new challenge.

Part of the game’s brand new experience is the improved in-game story. The games have slowly been developing more involved stories over the years, but the story for Black and White stands tall above those that came before it. The players witness the rise and fall of a mysterious figure known only as N, and fight the most compelling villainous team yet: Team Plasma, a group that seeks to “liberate” Pokémon from humans, though their intentions may not be as benevolent as they seem.

Of course, it would be a disservice to the game to not mention graphics. Pokémon has come a long way from the top-down, semi-isometric graphics of Red and Blue. The world is rendered in a pleasing blend of 3D graphics and 2D sprites. The cities and towns of the Unova region are all visually distinct, and presented in dynamic camera angles that best showcase them. The in-game battles have also received a visual upgrade. In the past, the Pokémon were represented as still images, but now are fully animated throughout the battle.

Even if you fell out of Pokémon over the years, Black and White are worth returning to. The brand new experience makes it easy to catch up with. If you’re in need of a nice distraction over Spring Break, then look no further than these games. The same old formula is as addicting as ever. Just as true as it was in 1998, you gotta catch ‘em all.

Exponent Article: Anonymous and Online

2011-03-10T19:34:00.001-07:00

I thought I would start re-posting my ASMSU Exponent articles online at this blog. Enjoy!
-Pat

If you want to see human idiocy at its finest, check the comment section of a news story, a blog or a YouTube video. You’ll be greeted by legions of self-righteous posters, also known as trolls, who’ll not only decry the content of the page, but direct personal attacks at the creator, and perhaps some insults against his or her mother for good measure.

Yet the ironic thing is, these same people would be hard-pressed to say the same harsh words to the person’s face. What drives us to make asses of ourselves behind a computer screen?

Lack of empathy is the perpetrator here. When the only information you have to base a person off is a wall of text they wrote and possibly a still picture, it is all too easy to hurl insults at this straw man built in their likeness. There is no real life contact. There is no tone of voice, facial expressions or gestures that develop this online “enemy” from pastiche to person.

Making it easier is the online disinhibition effect, a psychological term for the anarchic behavior people are prone to indulge on the Internet. Behind walls of anonymity and invisibility, one can feel invincible. The worst thing that can happen on a typical website is banishment, but even that punishment can be sidestepped as simply as creating a new account. There is no consequence when you cannot be seen or found, right?

With inhibitions removed, primal pride and territorial attitude are free to run roughshod. You’d never have to own up to whatever you say, so fire away. Disagree with the actions of Congress? Light up the comment section with a lengthy rant demonizing them as the baby-eating devils you know them to be. A blogger criticizes your favorite TV series? Comment on how he is a complete and total failure at life and should contemplate suicide.

The antisocial behavior that anonymity and a screen provide isn’t limited to the Internet, either. The wonderfully enlightening scrawl on bathroom stalls shows the effect is alive and well in the real world. Even when you know the person, a text message seems like such a safe way to tell someone what you really feel about them. The impenetrable wall of a computer screen makes it all too appealing. Which then begs the question: What does it all accomplish? Nothing, nothing at all.

There is no benefit to Internet tomfoolery. The ironic thing is that most of the people who will make fools of themselves online are rather reasonable, normal-seeming people in the real world. Instead of firing off the ignorance cannon, people should instead think about what they want to insult or argue about. Most of these Internet “conflicts” are petty and only make us look like fools for indulging in them. You may feel mighty as you light up the comment section, but it amounts to nothing more than one moronic drop in a sea of idiocy.

Pimpin' Spider Blend

2011-03-09T13:50:00.001-07:00

This year I've been learning Blender through a class at my college. This picture started out as something for an assignment, but ended up evolving into me playing with with textures and fibers. Fun fact, my MacBook absolutely hated me for trying to render this baby out.

But, enjoy the Pimpin' Spider! Feel free to comment and/or critique.

Pimpin' Spider by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

An Introduction to Competitive Pokémon Battling

2010-12-22T17:15:00.002-07:00

So you want to be the very best like no one ever was? Getting 8 badges and defeating the Elite Four was only the beginning. There's a whole new challenge out there: Competitive Battling. The Pokémon metagame is one of the largest in the world, with thousands of players worldwide, with National and World Championships held each year. Think this is a challenge you want to take? Then read on, this article will teach you how to get in there and get on your way to winning.

1) Know the Game- They may use the same battle system, but the style of battling in the Pokémon video games and in competitive circles couldn't be more different. Competitive battling is leagues more complex, and must be treated as a different beast. The single best resource for Pokémon battling on the internet is Smogon University, a community with thousands of members all over the world. The website provides moveset suggestions for Pokémon, articles about various techniques and strategies, and much, much more. Study the game, learn the terminology. Knowing is half the battle.

2) Use the Community- Hundreds of Pokémon communities exist on the internet. Any respectable community usually has a forum dedicated to competitive battling. Members will disuss strategies, request critiques on their teams and movesets, and share stories of their own battles. Experience may be the single best way to learn a skill, but this is second best to learn from others' experiences. In addition, you can find a partner or a mentor; someone to help show you the ropes.

3) Ge Out There- As mentioned above, the best way to master something is experience. Whether it be grabbing some friend codes and fighting on WiFi, or downloading a battle simulator such as Pokémon Online or Pokémon Laboratory jump in and start fighting. The battles will be tough at first, and there will be many losses, but every battle is a learning experience. Persist, and before long you can be winning tournaments or burning up brackets at the National Championships.

The secret to becoming a great competitive battler is to persist and to learn. Every fight will teach you about what works, and what doesn't. Don't be discouraged, if you lose, decide what could be improved with your strategy, then hop back in and try again.

External Links
Smogon University
Pokémon Laboratory
Pokémon Online

Hayley Williams Custom Figure

2010-12-22T17:05:00.002-07:00

The fiery redhead herself, Hayley Williams!
I thought the Marvel Universe Mary Jane toy was one of the laziest, half-assed attempts at a figure I'd ever seen, and then encountering one in a store made me realize, the hair and clothing were the perfect shape for making a custom of Hayley Williams of Paramore. I'm a huge fan, and it was an incredibly simple job to do. Just some repainting and making a microphone prop out of an old lightsaber toy, and bam!
Comments appreciated!

Hayley Williams Custom by ~GodofPH on deviant ART

Pokémon Alignment Chart

2010-09-25T21:28:00.002-06:00

Whipped this up over last night and earlier today. It's a D&D style alignment chart done with Pokémon and their Pokédex entries. I hope you like it!

Looking Forward: Forever Speculating

2010-09-16T00:29:00.001-06:00

Welcome to a new Pokémon journey.

It all leads up to Saturday. Pokémon Black and White are released this Saturday, but you already know that. You’ve followed the news each week, and even if you haven’t, you probably noticed the countdown ticking down ever closer on the Bulbapedia front page. The games won’t be released stateside until next Spring, but the information floodgates will be opened. We’ll see every single new Pokémon, we’ll know all of the new features, we’ll know the new moves. Forums everywhere will ignite with discussions, praises, and arguments about Generation V. Flame wars like we’ve never seen could be waiting to erupt and burn this side of the internet to the ground.

Some of us will take to our Japanese DSs to play the games straight out of the gate. Another group (myself included), will bore so deep into internet articles on new features we’ll be trapped in a Bulbapedia mine collapse and have to eat our fellow man to survive. Chances are we’ll know everything there is to know about the games before we rip the plastic off of the package. That brings up a question on my end: the information volcano is about to erupt, so what does that mean for a column boasting being about “Outlook and speculation”?

The imminent Japanese release of Black and White may invalidate the purpose of this column now, but that doesn’t put speculation to rest. Black and White are the beginning, not the end. I’ll bet a year’s worth of my college tuition they won’t be the only main series games ofGeneration V. Even if the speculated Ruby and Sapphire remakes never materialize, a Third Version seems as inevitable as death and taxes. Then there is the future of the fandom and the metagame. We have no idea how these games are going to affect how we view the franchise as a whole. Even after we see every new Pokémon and their move sets, we can only guess the effects they’ll have on the competitive battling community until the fights themselves begin.

This is the great thing about this franchise: it has, like the titular monsters, evolved over the years. Notice I said franchise, not just the games. It’s a constant, never ending cycle of change. The experience of being a Pokémon fan is more than playing the games. The experience comes from playing with others, taking part in fan communities, making your own thoughts and theories about it all. I’ve spent the last two months speculating about the games through this column, but I know that I can’t even begin to try to predict what the Pokémon experience as a whole will be like with the advent of Generation V. That’s the beauty of it. The excitement and payoff comes from the journey, not the destination.

So this is my farewell to this column. Originally I had planned to keep going until around the American release of Black and White, but sophomore film classes are dictating other uses of my time, so I’ve decided to end coinciding with the Japanese release date. It’s been a great experience writing for Bulbanews these past few months. I’ve loved reading the feedback, and I even am thankful for my detractors in the discussion threads each week. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bulbanews for hosting my column, and thank the readers, for, you know, reading.

Cue the sad music.

I’m not done yet though. I thought I wouldn’t end on such a somber note, so there’s one more article coming from me for this column. Stay tuned next week for the biggest flamewar inducer of them all: Top Ten Lists. YeOldeJacob and I will rank the top and bottom ten Generation V Pokémon after we’ve seen them all. Until then, farewell!

Looking Forward can also be read on Bulbanews.