Hey Ron,
Ted Elliot and Terry Rosso deny knowing anything specific about the Monkey Island Series.
What do you think of it?

Hi Ron

If you ever need any free character design/concept art (monkey island related of course) give us a shout, anything to help the long anticipated end to the trilogy.  I've got a couple of pieces up on myspace  so feel free to take a look.

They're not piratey but I can adapt my style, I'm pretty sure you get a thousand mails like this a month, so I'm not gonna pester you about feedback.  I thought I'd just put this one out there as a fan.

Cheers, Sarah x

Why do so many people post general comments on the main page when they belong here? If they were posted here, the blog would be 80% more efficient.

I still haven't sold Corner Gas season one on DVD. I'm going to put it in a more prominently noticeable place for a week and see what happens. A guy did ask if we had it, but that was before we did.

I don't know if you read World of Monkey Island often. I don't, but I happened to run into this interesting news bit:

http://www.worldofmi.com/comments.php?type=news&id=1259&action=read

I noticed on the computer at work that Corner Gas season one is available in New Zealand even though it's never screened here and no one knows what it is. So I ordered in a couple of copies based on your recommendation. I hope to sell them to a Canadian.

"Why Adventure Games Suck"
Ron... They're only dead because you stopped! SCUMM was the DOOM of game engines, Monkey Island was the DOOM of point and click. You are Adventure Games, they're not dead while you're alive. You will bring balance to the Input Device, and allow more mouse-powered games.

I finally get the "Turn Off Your Damn Cell Phone Video"! I watched Star Wars for the first time this week, and I loved it. Good story.

Except I could tell what was going to happen and when by reading Eragon before and - sadly - Eldest, so I also spoiled some of The Empire Strikes Back for myself. I'll see the last episode of the original trilogy on Thursday. Can't wait.

It would be great to be able to shut people up in film theatres like that, huh? Watching Miami Vice last summer was a nightmare.

I guess let me be the first to say congratulations on the Penny-Arcade project, Ron.

I'm a huge fan of PA and of course your work, so I can't wait to see what you guys come up with together. Best of luck!

I thought the originality of those Samorost games was brilliant. I've tried a few of those games-as-artwork concepts but they usually come across as pretentious and unplayable — Samorost manages to be both cute and playable. Sometimes I like to play the game just so I can hear the little guy say "he's... in my way".

I guess it's like those old childrens books that are basic enough to appeal to children but have artistic depth as well... the sort you'll have particularly fond memories of as an adult though you don't quite know why at the time.

Hey Ron,

Have you played the flash based point-and-click adventure Samorost?

The first game was pretty popular a few years back and last year the second part (imaginatively called Samorost 2) was released as a payable download - Telltale Games is also selling it.

The puzzles are pretty simple - it's all about the art direction and design and the music. Very atmospheric, a lot of fun.

If you haven't tried them, you should give them a go, I think. :)

Samorost 1
Samorost 2

Dear sir Ron Gilbert,

thank you for teaching me English and sarcasm with the magic of Monkey Island when I was eight years old. Both have helped me considerably during my teen years and young adult life.

I wish games still had characters and storytelling.

Maija from Finland

At first I thought that 'the best game ever' was about curing emo kids by turning them into jocks.

Then I realised it was deeper than that — it's about the discontent that arises from the injustices of the world — injustices that transcend material wealth — and how there's a conspiracy to 'normalise' everyone into a state of blind happiness, casting a stigma on anyone who has anything negative to say about the misgovernment of the world.

I feel so lonely over here all by myself in the general comments section.

Gravatar still hasn't recognised my avatar change after three weeks... I am now disillusioned with the entire concept of the internet.

Unless avatar changes only apply to new posts, like this one, in which case I am only moderately disillusioned.

'College Humor'? That's actually a derogatory term me and my friends use. Example:

"That student may have the naïve confidence and arrogance of someone backed up by a fraternity of drunken idiots, but the short he made with the zombie pizzas is really just college humor."

Ron,

You posted a link to the 1993 "young adult" book titled "Monkey Island" by Paula Fox.

I just wanted you to know, when I was 8 years old in 1993, I eagerly read this book simply for the title. Needless to say, I was damn disappointed that it had absolutely zero monkeys in it and was about some freakin' homeless kid instead of Guybrush.

Of course, prior and up to the time, I was engaged in constructing elaborate scenarios and sets "The Secret of Monkey Island" out of LEGOs - including a full reconstruction, inside and out, of the "Sea Monkey" (with toilet-paper sails) and all the characters from the game. With a plastic, toy cutlass, from the dollar store, tucked into my belt, of course.

Holy shit... That was <i>fifteen</i> years ago...

/memories.

- Matt

Hey Grumpy, will you be attending GDC? Maybe we can all meet up for a Gilbertfest then... one that takes place in America!

You're the man. I love you. Monkey 3 shall come one day. I hope.

Garn, when will they let me change this Gravatar Avatar? I'm bored of being a pale blue pirate with purple hair and a dark red eyepatch. I want to be fireman, or a fighter pilot, or some other really cool boy's dream job like a Nintendo test gamer.

I saw the original Star Wars trailer at Retro Junk. It's so freaking, cheesy, and the reason I've never seen Star Wars.

The trailer they released afterwards is much better.

See also, "How to Talk like a Pirate":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzkQC0e91Nc

I think the ZunePhone thing highlights the need for quality control on YouTube, but then I'm a snob...

Hehehe the ZunePhone video is hilarious.

But I'm confused; Gilbert is against both Microsoft and Sony (the boycott)?

Or not.

I don't know why so many people gave five stars to what appears to be a supremely mediocre and uninspired book. I mean not even my favourite authors would get five stars all of the time. Maybe if the scale was out of ten stars people would decide they couldn't possibly give it all ten, whereas with five stars people are comfortable with the fact that five stars covers anything over 80%.

Oh, man. XD I actually got that novel for a present, my sister thinking that it was the Monkey Island I loved.

She's been educated and consequently obsessed since.

www.kierongillen.com