It’s the first of August, and soon I will return to the academic grind at levels I never thought possible (pray for a brother). Before I continue, let us first hear from Bone Thugs on the importance of Day One:
This August marks the anniversaries of two highly important and influential media franchises: Spider-Man and Street Fighter. Just minutes before I started this post, Marvel Entertainment released the following video celebrating 60 years of its arachnid hero:
Put simply, I love Spider-Man; he’s my favorite superhero. I read comics because of him. I do photography because he’s a photographer. I appreciate visual media more because I’ve studied the many artists, from Dikto to McFarlane to Larsen to Ross, who drew him. Most importantly, his love for Aunt May, his guardian and mentor, mirrors my love for my grandmother.
During the mid-1990s my mother purchased a Spider-Man comic book subscription for me. I can’t fully describe my appreciation of her and kindness. Reading Spidey comics furthered my interest in media and comic book storytelling, and (unfortunately) I actually read many of those comics until their covers fell off.
Happy 60th, Web Head! Here’s to more amazing adventures in the future!
Anyone who has talked to me for more than an hour at some point since 1993 likely heard me mention Street Fighter, which turns 35 this month. It’s fine if you find that pathetic but no apologies shall commence.
I first encountered Street Fighter like many others during the 1990s: in an arcade. Although I don’t remember the specific arcade (Aladdin’s Castle or Chuck E. Cheese come to mind), I do remember playing Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting first. From moment one, the game’s graphics, sound, and presence captivated me and I’ve scarcely strayed from the franchise since. One particular character, Ken Masters (who I’ve previously written about here and here), became my character of choice then and remains one of my favorites in all of gaming.
Happy Anniversary Street Fighter! May you continue providing me content to annoy family, friend, and colleague.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and until next time…
Peace & Pixels
ChompRetro 