The Final Brodeo

As many other artists, I would not be able to endure endless hours in front of this screen without any form of different stimulus. My drug of choice is podcasts, and mainly video game podcasts as they're often inhabited by the most outspoken and outright funny guys to listen to.

Last week, the head honcho at my favorite one, GFW Radio (also known by us initiates as the Brodeo) Jeff Green, decided to leave his position as editor in chief of the PC part at 1Up.com, to head over to EA's Sims team. I was really caught off guard at how that affected me, but I guess after some 46 year old jewish guy keeps talking in your ear over several years, you kind of start appreciating them as a part of your every day environment, and as your friends in a kind of creepy fanboy type of way. Good luck to you Jeff, I kissed your ass enough in your farewell 1up blog entry so you know how I feel *sniffle*

Well, at least we still had Shawn and the rest of the guys. But it turned out the closing of GFW Magazine had affected more than its EOC, as yet another one of its brilliant writers was about to turn his carreer in a new and different direction.

Yesterday morning greeted me with what was labeled as the final episode of the Brodeo. This epic 3 hour edition of GFW radio revealed that Shawn Elliot, the Brodeo's beloved vice president so to speak, was also resigning from 1Up to go work with Ken Levine (the brains behind BioShock) as an associate producer at 2K Boston. The Brodeo then rolled up its blankets, put put the bonfire, saddled the horses and rode off into the sunset.

So I guess what I wanted to say was; thanks for the great company over the last couple of years, for all the laughs and awful stories. You really brightened up many a long day and night of working towards some deadline, and all us listeners really appreciated all the work you guys put in doing the podcast every week. Good luck to you as well, Shawn, we're all sad to see you go but also hell'a excited to see what your amazingly creative, analytical and thourough brain will manage to brew up over there at 2K. You have definately earned the opportunity given to you, and there is no doubt in my mind that you'll go on to do great things.

Hopefully, the emptiness left by the Brodeo will be filled with something new from the remaining trio, I know we would all love to hear more "what the hell"s from Ryan, Chuff Love from Anthony and disgusting Star Wars lore from Dr. Max Chill.

Now, its time to pour out a 40 to the all the good times with the Brodeo (in a cup, of course, no sense in wasting perfectly good, and above all damn expensive, liqueur) and hope that we'll keep seing you guys around every now and then. And who knows, maybe I'll come to work as an artist for you guys some day. Then we can be best friends. Forever.

An' we out