Elephant with a Pen
@elephant-with-pen.bsky.social
Comics, movies, research...and all the things that make us human (beyond finding squares containing traffic lights).
Can't draw,... but taking tiny steps on the journey towards a graphic novel...maybe.
Can't draw,... but taking tiny steps on the journey towards a graphic novel...maybe.
Amidst the success stories from the Game Awards, the steep cost of showcasing trailers (up to $1 million for a 3-minute slot) pose a whole new level of challenges small developers face in gaining attention.
www.gamedeveloper.com/marketing/re...
www.gamedeveloper.com/marketing/re...
Report: The Game Awards trailers can cost devs up to $1 million
According to reports, showing a trailer at the Game Awards can cost developers up to $450,000 for a 60-second trailer, and $1 million for three minutes.
www.gamedeveloper.com
December 13, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Amidst the success stories from the Game Awards, the steep cost of showcasing trailers (up to $1 million for a 3-minute slot) pose a whole new level of challenges small developers face in gaining attention.
www.gamedeveloper.com/marketing/re...
www.gamedeveloper.com/marketing/re...
The Game Awards have announced this year's champions, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominating multiple categories. Hades II grabs "Best Action Game," but I feel it would have deserved more than that.
Still, an amazing year to have computer games as a hobby.
thegameawards.com
Still, an amazing year to have computer games as a hobby.
thegameawards.com
The Game Awards - December 11, 2025
The global celebration of video games. Streams live on all platforms
thegameawards.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
The Game Awards have announced this year's champions, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominating multiple categories. Hades II grabs "Best Action Game," but I feel it would have deserved more than that.
Still, an amazing year to have computer games as a hobby.
thegameawards.com
Still, an amazing year to have computer games as a hobby.
thegameawards.com
While companies need the autonomy to choose their business partners, these choices can also mirror their values.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Meta shuts down global accounts linked to abortion advice and queer content
More than 50 organisations report sites being restricted or removed, with abortion hotlines blocked and posts showing non-explicit nudity triggering warnings
www.theguardian.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:45 AM
While companies need the autonomy to choose their business partners, these choices can also mirror their values.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
I know at least two people in a broader circle who claim the AI "understands them better" (they wouldn't use quotation marks) than their partners. This is not just some old vs. young thing.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
‘I feel it’s a friend’: quarter of teenagers turn to AI chatbots for mental health support
Experts warn of dangers as England and Wales study shows 13- to 17-year-olds consulting AI amid long waiting lists for services
www.theguardian.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I know at least two people in a broader circle who claim the AI "understands them better" (they wouldn't use quotation marks) than their partners. This is not just some old vs. young thing.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
The 2026 Critics Choice Awards nominations seem to be concentrated heavily on few movies.
Sinners: 17
One Battle After Another: 14
Frankenstein: 11
Hamnet: 11
Different time/award, but "The Color Purple" (1985) had 17 Academy Award nominations and received zero.
comicsbulletin.com/sinners-burn...
Sinners: 17
One Battle After Another: 14
Frankenstein: 11
Hamnet: 11
Different time/award, but "The Color Purple" (1985) had 17 Academy Award nominations and received zero.
comicsbulletin.com/sinners-burn...
'Sinners' Burns Through the Critic Choice Awards With a Sweeping 17 Nominations
'Sinners' is a frontrunner at the Critics Choice Awards with 17 nominations across key categories and its competition
comicsbulletin.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:45 AM
The 2026 Critics Choice Awards nominations seem to be concentrated heavily on few movies.
Sinners: 17
One Battle After Another: 14
Frankenstein: 11
Hamnet: 11
Different time/award, but "The Color Purple" (1985) had 17 Academy Award nominations and received zero.
comicsbulletin.com/sinners-burn...
Sinners: 17
One Battle After Another: 14
Frankenstein: 11
Hamnet: 11
Different time/award, but "The Color Purple" (1985) had 17 Academy Award nominations and received zero.
comicsbulletin.com/sinners-burn...
I wonder if the shareholders hold any non-monetary option on the thought that - among a number of changes - CNN could go to Larry Ellison, Jared Kushner, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Qatar Investment Authority.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Paramount launches $108.4bn hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery
Paramount’s bid for the entire company counters $82.7bn Netflix deal for WBD’s studio and streaming operation
www.theguardian.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I wonder if the shareholders hold any non-monetary option on the thought that - among a number of changes - CNN could go to Larry Ellison, Jared Kushner, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Qatar Investment Authority.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
The NY Times falls short with its piece on Hannah Arendt. Although her insights on the Eichmann trial and the banality of evil are noteworthy, they overlook her offensive comments and her reluctance to publicly retract them, despite private admissions of misjudgment.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/b...
Hannah Arendt Is Not Your Icon
Fifty years after her death, the German-born political thinker has been enshrined as a prophet for our times. What did she actually say?
www.nytimes.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The NY Times falls short with its piece on Hannah Arendt. Although her insights on the Eichmann trial and the banality of evil are noteworthy, they overlook her offensive comments and her reluctance to publicly retract them, despite private admissions of misjudgment.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/b...
Ouch - Humble Bundle (read IGN) with another unpopular move. If you have unreedemed Steam Keys, they seem to replace those with either Epic Game Store or GOG-Keys without further notice.
While the latter are at least DRM free, the former are... less well received.
github.com/AlexanderThe...
While the latter are at least DRM free, the former are... less well received.
github.com/AlexanderThe...
Humble Bundle Key Redemption Issues Tracker
Github repo with expiration dates for keys and an overview of at least 6 games being redeemed on a different platform
github.com
December 7, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Ouch - Humble Bundle (read IGN) with another unpopular move. If you have unreedemed Steam Keys, they seem to replace those with either Epic Game Store or GOG-Keys without further notice.
While the latter are at least DRM free, the former are... less well received.
github.com/AlexanderThe...
While the latter are at least DRM free, the former are... less well received.
github.com/AlexanderThe...
Dark Horse Comics is set to release the sixth of seven total short stories from Sapkowski's debut novel "The Witcher" in August 2026. The graphic novel "The last wish" will be written by CD Projekt RED's editor/writer Marcin Zwierzchowsk with art by Guillermo Fajardo.
screenrant.com/new-witcher-...
screenrant.com/new-witcher-...
The Witcher Will Officially Return in 2026 With a Brand-New Series (Exclusive)
The Witcher officially announces its next adaptation, bringing Geralt's original short story "The Last Wish" to life in a new series from Dark Horse.
screenrant.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Dark Horse Comics is set to release the sixth of seven total short stories from Sapkowski's debut novel "The Witcher" in August 2026. The graphic novel "The last wish" will be written by CD Projekt RED's editor/writer Marcin Zwierzchowsk with art by Guillermo Fajardo.
screenrant.com/new-witcher-...
screenrant.com/new-witcher-...
64 GB of DDR5 are now around the same price as a PS5... I wonder which technology could drive this continued climb.
December 4, 2025 at 5:58 AM
64 GB of DDR5 are now around the same price as a PS5... I wonder which technology could drive this continued climb.
I had mentioned the near perfect condition of the Superman Comic going to auction. A breathtaking $9 Million for one comic...
www.gamesradar.com/comics/dc-co...
www.gamesradar.com/comics/dc-co...
One of the rarest Superman comics in existence just sold for over $9 million at auction, making it the most valuable comic of all time
A near perfect copy of 1939's Superman #1, one of the rarest comics in existence, is now the most expensive comic ever
www.gamesradar.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:30 AM
I had mentioned the near perfect condition of the Superman Comic going to auction. A breathtaking $9 Million for one comic...
www.gamesradar.com/comics/dc-co...
www.gamesradar.com/comics/dc-co...
What a jarring experience. I was travelling through a country with remarkable hospitality these last few days, meeting generous souls at every turn. Yet, a dear friend of mine pointed out they will never be able visit due to the risk of of capital punishment just for being who they are.
December 2, 2025 at 10:30 AM
What a jarring experience. I was travelling through a country with remarkable hospitality these last few days, meeting generous souls at every turn. Yet, a dear friend of mine pointed out they will never be able visit due to the risk of of capital punishment just for being who they are.
New month - new list of Top Ten picks from the nationwide library staff picks list for adult fiction and non-fiction.
libraryreads.org/wp-content/u...
libraryreads.org/wp-content/u...
December 1, 2025 at 8:15 PM
New month - new list of Top Ten picks from the nationwide library staff picks list for adult fiction and non-fiction.
libraryreads.org/wp-content/u...
libraryreads.org/wp-content/u...
I started reading "My Friends" by Backman without knowing what to expect. It's well-written, but I found told in a painfully believable way that I had to take a break. I have the feeling this book can leave (uncover) scars and picking it up again is daunting.
app.thestorygraph.com/books/8a0e52...
app.thestorygraph.com/books/8a0e52...
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, who “captures the messy essence of being h...
app.thestorygraph.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM
I started reading "My Friends" by Backman without knowing what to expect. It's well-written, but I found told in a painfully believable way that I had to take a break. I have the feeling this book can leave (uncover) scars and picking it up again is daunting.
app.thestorygraph.com/books/8a0e52...
app.thestorygraph.com/books/8a0e52...
I saw a friend use an AI summary for changing a battery (which was wrong) - yet, I can't entirely buy into the article's claim "GenAI becomes the primary way to find information". Still, the idea (read: threat) of a "knowledge collapse"...? Scary.
aeon.co/essays/gener...
aeon.co/essays/gener...
Generative AI has access to a small slice of human knowledge | Aeon Essays
Huge swathes of human knowledge are missing from the internet. By definition, generative AI is shockingly ignorant too
aeon.co
November 24, 2025 at 9:53 AM
I saw a friend use an AI summary for changing a battery (which was wrong) - yet, I can't entirely buy into the article's claim "GenAI becomes the primary way to find information". Still, the idea (read: threat) of a "knowledge collapse"...? Scary.
aeon.co/essays/gener...
aeon.co/essays/gener...
I missed the coverage of the President of DC Comics giving a Keynote at Retailer Day at New York Comic Con (www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oTW...) last month. He takes an explicit stance against using AI for art or story telling (~03:20 mark) at DC.
Jim Lee at the New York Comic Con 2025 Retailer Day for DC Comics
Jim Lee at the New York Comic Con 2025 Retailer Day for DC Comics #NYCC #bleedingcool #dccomics @dc @newyorkcomiccon
www.youtube.com
November 23, 2025 at 11:32 AM
I missed the coverage of the President of DC Comics giving a Keynote at Retailer Day at New York Comic Con (www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oTW...) last month. He takes an explicit stance against using AI for art or story telling (~03:20 mark) at DC.
An article in Nature (2019) has found a niche as meme, but looking at the research itself, I found it quite revealing. Liberals often argue in terms of societal impact, while conservatives prefer framing issues around family or personal connections.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 22, 2025 at 9:01 AM
An article in Nature (2019) has found a niche as meme, but looking at the research itself, I found it quite revealing. Liberals often argue in terms of societal impact, while conservatives prefer framing issues around family or personal connections.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Once again demonstrating that the way we think shapes the way we see the world.
Repetitive negative thoughts are linked to cognitive decline in seniors, as shown in a cross-sectional study. Depression and anxiety can raise the risk even further.
bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Repetitive negative thoughts are linked to cognitive decline in seniors, as shown in a cross-sectional study. Depression and anxiety can raise the risk even further.
bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive function decline in older adults: a cross-sectional study - BMC Psychiatry
Background Psychological problems such as depression and anxiety increase the risk of cognitive impairment in older adults. But mechanisms on the effect of psychological disorder on cognitive…
bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Once again demonstrating that the way we think shapes the way we see the world.
Repetitive negative thoughts are linked to cognitive decline in seniors, as shown in a cross-sectional study. Depression and anxiety can raise the risk even further.
bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Repetitive negative thoughts are linked to cognitive decline in seniors, as shown in a cross-sectional study. Depression and anxiety can raise the risk even further.
bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Learning something new can be disheartening. I never considered what kind of individual Asperger was. Alice Jolly shares some context about her book - and while a few of the accusations against him seem to be unfounded, he had to know his patients' fates.
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...
His research on autism was compassionate – how could Hans Asperger have collaborated with the Nazis?
The Vienna-based ‘father of neurodiversity’ was ahead of his time in his work but was also implicated in the Third Reich’s crimes. My novel set out to explore these contradictions
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Learning something new can be disheartening. I never considered what kind of individual Asperger was. Alice Jolly shares some context about her book - and while a few of the accusations against him seem to be unfounded, he had to know his patients' fates.
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...
Three decades after "Heat," Michael Mann is set to start producing a sequel next year, exploring characters' lives before and after the original. Having collaborated with Christian Bale on "Public Enemies," he is reportedly also teaming up with Leonardo DiCaprio.
deadline.com/2025/11/heat...
deadline.com/2025/11/heat...
Christian Bale Circling Role In Michael Mann’s ‘Heat 2’ – The Dish
Christian Bale is in early talks to star in the movie 'Heat 2' opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.
deadline.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Three decades after "Heat," Michael Mann is set to start producing a sequel next year, exploring characters' lives before and after the original. Having collaborated with Christian Bale on "Public Enemies," he is reportedly also teaming up with Leonardo DiCaprio.
deadline.com/2025/11/heat...
deadline.com/2025/11/heat...
There is quite a bit of mockery regarding depictions of cats from the middle ages (e.g. tinyurl.com/MedievalCats). While the reasons for dropping the books from the NZ prize seems center on AI for the cover (not the content), the teeth were a deliberate decision.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Authors dumped from New Zealand’s top book prize after AI used in cover designs
Ockham Book Awards dropped two titles from contention after new guidelines introduced on artificial intelligence use
tinyurl.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:38 AM
There is quite a bit of mockery regarding depictions of cats from the middle ages (e.g. tinyurl.com/MedievalCats). While the reasons for dropping the books from the NZ prize seems center on AI for the cover (not the content), the teeth were a deliberate decision.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
I previously mentioned O'Grady's post on meeting the publishers. I just found his piece featuring six graphic novel creators. The diverse viewpoints are fascinating whether or not you're considering that path.
indiecomixdispatch.com/news/breakin...
indiecomixdispatch.com/news/breakin...
Breaking In as a Graphic Novelist – Part 1
Happy New Year! As an indie creator who is interested in publishing a graphic novel, I’ve been investigating what it takes to break into that space. Turns out it takes a lot! For my latest roundtable,...
indiecomixdispatch.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:33 AM
I previously mentioned O'Grady's post on meeting the publishers. I just found his piece featuring six graphic novel creators. The diverse viewpoints are fascinating whether or not you're considering that path.
indiecomixdispatch.com/news/breakin...
indiecomixdispatch.com/news/breakin...
Internal assessments by OpenAI reveal that over 600,000 users interacting with ChatGPT exhibit potential signs of mental health crises. Twice that number of chats show clear indications of possible suicidal thoughts or plans - each week.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
OpenAI shares data on ChatGPT users with suicidal thoughts, psychosis
The figure could mean potentially hundreds of thousands of users show signs of mental health distress weekly.
www.bbc.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Internal assessments by OpenAI reveal that over 600,000 users interacting with ChatGPT exhibit potential signs of mental health crises. Twice that number of chats show clear indications of possible suicidal thoughts or plans - each week.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
When Greg Street left World of Warcraft for Riot Games, this caused quite a stir in 2014. In 2023 he set out to develop an MMO with his studio Fantastic Pixel Castle. Now the publisher NetEase is shutting down the studio on the 17th.
www.polygon.com/netease-mmo-...
www.polygon.com/netease-mmo-...
Ex-WoW designer's MMO studio closing after just 2 years
Greg Street, formerly of Blizzard and Riot, says closure is imminent
www.polygon.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:45 AM
When Greg Street left World of Warcraft for Riot Games, this caused quite a stir in 2014. In 2023 he set out to develop an MMO with his studio Fantastic Pixel Castle. Now the publisher NetEase is shutting down the studio on the 17th.
www.polygon.com/netease-mmo-...
www.polygon.com/netease-mmo-...
The Guardian praised Szalay's "Flesh," winner of the 2025 Booker Prize, for its unique storytelling that keeps the protagonist's emotions hidden from the reader. While this highlights its distinct method, I find it only partly effective in making it appealing.
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...
The risky strategy of Booker winner Flesh pays off | Justine Jordan
The protagonist’s inner life is hidden from the reader in this highly original novel
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:30 AM
The Guardian praised Szalay's "Flesh," winner of the 2025 Booker Prize, for its unique storytelling that keeps the protagonist's emotions hidden from the reader. While this highlights its distinct method, I find it only partly effective in making it appealing.
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...