2004 has been an interesting year for JIVE Magazine. In the past twelve months we covered everything from the makings of an ”Everyday Superhero”, to an artist’s inspiration. We found out how stories can be told through games, and we talked with the king of Big Floor Funk. We expanded what we feature to so many new avenues and interests that you may have caught us chatting with an alternate candidate or fielding questions to a lyricist with reflection. JIVE Magazine will remember 2004 for being a year of evolution and expansion. We broke the mold and broke out with some of the best articles, stories, reviews, editorials and photography features that we have ever presented to our readers. We would like to not only remember some of our best features, but recognize other great ideas, pursuits and areas of entertainment as well.
JIVE Magazine Superlative Staff Picks:
Best Feature of 2004 E3 2004 : Where Business Gets Fun
This was one of our most complex and progressive features we published all year, with a multi-staff writer collaboration unlike any in the past years of attending this conference. We were extremely excited with the comprehensive coverage, one of the best live video interviews on the net with Richard Garriott (Lord Brittish) ever captured according to many of the fan sites out there on the web. Check it out.
Best Interview of 2004 Everyday Superhero - A Jack Emmert Interview
"I'm sure that Richard Garriott and Lord British are synonymous too, but it didn't occur to me that it would happen like that, actually. It's funny. People call me Statesman when they meet me, like it's my first name or something, but that's cool. I think it's fun." - Jack Emmert Read the Interview
Honorable Mentions:
I'm No Authority: Ten Questions with Altculture Spokesman Douglas Rushkoff "…'cyberculture authority' is a bit of an oxymoron, really. For me, the whole point of cyberculture is that it defies authority - or at least it forces us to recognize that our authorities are just role-playing. Authority is a social construction." - Douglas Rushkoff Read the Interview
Leader of A State of Trance - Armin van Buuren “I’ll tell you a secret,” he says, leaning toward me conspiratorially, “A State of Trance was killed almost three times already, but survived. People wanted to throw it off the station. Its even more important for me to stress that I don't get paid for a State of Trance, I don't get money, nothing, I don't even get money for gas when I have to drive to Amsterdam. I really do it just out of love for the music and to give something back to the people who don't have money to buy all the vinyl, like me, like I was five, six years ago, seven years ago.” Read the Interview
Sam Lake: On Video-Game Storytelling “I feel that the designer and the writer need to do more than just co-exist. They need to co-operate very actively and well, getting inspiration from each other's ideas. Because of this, it's quite natural that the line between the two tasks is blurry.” - Sam Lake Read the Interview
Jean Grae: "Going Against the Grain" - The JIVE Magazine Interview “It's difficult, yes. It's difficult going against the grain, for anyone. Quadruple that for a female in this game. I've given up a lot, but I'm still here. I don't want little girls to grow up thinking they don't have a choice of what they can speak about. We have the right to reflect our versatility, even if you aren't seeing all of it in the media.” -Jean Grae Read the Interview
Advanced D&B: The Dieselboy Interview “Many of my CDs have a futuristic aesthetic, because for the most part that is what I was trying to represent—the “forward” sound of Drum and Bass. With Dugeonmaster’s Guide, I figured it was time to do something different, and thought it would be cool to give a full nod to my fantasy-role-playing roots.” -Dieselboy Read the Interview
Best Column of 2004 Spit Fire: 1992 was a lesson. 2004 is an opportunity, for you. By Delia Perez
The first memory I have is noticing the thin particle board wall behind me. It was built about two feet in from the garage door. It was breathing. I could feel it, like a monster slowly trying to inch its way into the house. As I became more frightened, I started to listen to the news reports. We could expect at least four to six more hours of this. And, it would get worse. Read the rest
Honorable Mentions:
How a Television Commercial Saved My Life By Willa Laskowitz Nicole Williams, in her new book, Wildly Sophisticated, A Bold New Attitude for Career Success (for twenty-something women) says, "Success depends on your ability to answer the question, Who do I think I am?" I knew that the current path I was taking in my life wasn't truly who I was. This was how a television commercial changed my life. Read the rest
Why do I game? - or - I can quit the Quest anytime I want!!! By Eric 'Game Relic' Gearman … I keep doing it. Why? Because if it’s a good game, then it never truly gets old. That, and I have coworkers that just deserve to die like that last goblin did. Read the rest
Event we had the most fun covering in 2004 Dragon*Con 2004 Wrap Up
JIVE Girl Katie Seyba takes on Dragon*Con in JIVE Magazine’s first video coverage of the convention. Check out the interviews and comical out-takes as Katie takes on Predators, the Halo guys, nipple jewelry and some of the most brilliant designers of the art of cosplay. Check this feature out
Some of the Best Articles You Didn't Expect to See on JIVE Magazine in 2004
Lily wowed us all with her transformation from shy college student to the stunningly beautiful girl with the gorgeously colorful hair in several of our fashion shoots this year. Check out the number one downloaded JIVE Model picture in 2004 (The Latex Loft - November shoot)
Best in Entertainment and Other Superlatives for 2004
Best Movie The Incredibles
"What is fascinating is how the film manages to deliver stupendous scenes of heroism and bravery, while slipping in other small moments of courage and joy. Far too often, films short-change the family, placing each member in an expected position and leaving them there to behave as expected. The bratty little brother will remain a petulant brat. The broody older sister will keep her cloudy countenance. So it is encouraging to watch this animated family grow in ways that filmed ones rarely do and real ones always must." - Thomas Strickland Read the review
Best Anime Last Exile
“This is the most brilliantly orchestrated and artistic Anime to come along this year. The art is a mix of CG and protocol animation meshed together the right way and with a subtlety in its beauty and complexity.” - Jewels Read the review
Best Book to Pick Up Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1)
“This is a brilliant story following unusual, yet gripping lore of the werewolf world. Similar to an Anne Rice vampire story in scheme, you will find yourself drawn to the strange mythology and become quite sympathetic to the demise of a female werewolf. A page turner that you will want read from front to back as fast as you possibly can” - Jewels. Read the review
Best Site to See GG Networks - Creative Computer Graphics and Visual Effects
Beautiful submitted artwork and tutorials, outstanding articles and news on the world of Computer Generated Arts. Be sure to check out the forums for great topics and showcases. You can lose yourself on this site for hours on end, just viewing all the amazing art and incredible discussions on how the art was accomplished. http://www.cgnetworks.com
Best Place to Shop Amazon.com
We checked with our staff and this was a tough competition, with eBay.com coming in at a close second in our staff picks. Amazon came out ahead with reliability and customer service. What cinched this award was the fact that you could actually speak to a real live customer service representative if needed and all those “Supersaver Free Shipping” purchases we made. Amazon also knows what you like. We would receive emails to let us know that our next installment of a particular Anime was coming out, sent with a coupon for 30% off no less, or that our favorite author had a book due out in a few weeks and we could pre-order it. You also have to hand it to Amazon for their ordering system, site maintenance and affiliation program. Yes, yes, we do love Amazon’s affiliation program, we cannot lie. It’s one of the few out there where an Indy publication can actually make a buck or two each month. And so Amazon.com we salute you. Keep those title suggestions and selections coming and we’ll keep on buying them. www.amazon.com
