Episode 102 - Narrative

Ever since Ben applied for a job as a Narrative Lead at a game company he’s been contemplating the differences between narrative and story, so he’s invited his good friend Andrew from partlyrobot.com to help him navigate toward a satisfactory conclusion… and hilarity ensues.  Other topics visited in this episode: Cult of the Lamb’s new DLC, crispy Japanese snacks, Instagram trends and scammers, defunct mall stores and search engines, story structures, reality television, the games of Vanillaware Ltd., AI art fails, Atari 2600 games, differences between Marvel and DC comics, and THE Guttenberg!

00:00:21 - Awesome baby, secret mukbang video, fried toothpicks, and school supply mirages 00:03:32 - Ben’s been playing “Cult of the Lamb: Sins of the Flesh,” and genre pet peeves   00:06:13 - Happy cults, strategically sacrificing heretics, and back to fried vegetable starch 00:08:25 - Kanda Curry Grand Prix Museum, and revelations of what snack foods can be 00:10:27 - Girl dinner, in the spirit of satire, a proprietary blend, and chicken and waffles flavor 00:13:47 - Ben’s critique of Scorchin’ Medium BBQ Pringles, and a new Brett Eason Ellis book 00:15:47 - Sharper Image, Spencer’s Gifts, the definition of narrative, and conflicting origins   00:20:09 - Ben mishears declension, ask.com actually DOES exist, and Scrabble scores  00:23:12 - Andrew’s Instagram scammer saga continues, and a review in the New York Times  00:25:40 - 2/10 net 30, your accounts receivable department, and alternative review channels 00:27:48 - The “story vs. narrative…” narrative, and Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet  00:31:37 - “A Christmas Story,” the Die Hard, Melina Dillon movies, and ending on a bummer 00:34:42 - Andrew’s writing is a process, finding the threads, and a side of the denouement      00:37:37 - An agreement on dialogue, informing the story, and a “no middle” accusation  00:40:00 - Season 3 of “The Real World,” a question of reality TV, and a different episode 00:43:31 - Contest shows, Noel Fielding wranglers, and Ben puts Andrew on the spot  00:50:10 - The narrative design job, about Odin Sphere, and weaving character narratives  00:53:50 - Starting with Gwendolyn, distinct character diversity, and “picking” the ending 00:55:45 - Ben is looking forward to “Unicorn Overlord,” and Andrew gets distracted 00:57:49 - The hugging a unicorn AI art fail, not a good sign, and the “Pitfall!” narrative?  01:00:22 - Activision’s 2600 success, the Atari Force comic book, and DC vs Marvel stories 01:02:31 - The Marvel method of storytelling, writer-artists, and Jack Kirby’s bone of contention  01:05:50 - Don’t belittle the inker, and a creative narrative choice in Batman: Arkham Asylum 01:10:47 - Closing thoughts, Maine, James Joyce, changing perceptions, and trailer mashups 01:15:05 - Ben’s editing, changing the podcast name, and get the Guttenberg out of retirement 

 

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References and Hashtags:

• Cult of the Lamb https://www.cultofthelamb.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1313140/Cult_of_the_Lamb/
• Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir https://atlus.com/osl/ https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0177-CUSA05083_00-ODINSPHERELE0000
• Unicorn Overlord https://unicornoverlord.atlus.com/index.html?lang=en https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0177-PPSA09770_00-UNICORNOVERLORD0
• Old Wise Man Hugging a Unicorn https://www.linkedin.com/po