Episode 48 – Escape Artists

Escaping. It’s what we do. Weather we are street racers in a made up city, or a sword toting hero in a made up world we play games that allow us to escape our world, and be new people that we couldn’t otherwise be. I cant really go back to fight World War II, but I can in a video game.

I think that’s why it seems video game players are also into other fantasy things as well… Not Fantasy, necessarily… just other escapist tendencies. For me I divulge into comic books. To me they go hand in hand. Both allow me to follow fantastic stories that I would otherwise not be privy too. With comic books (rather than actual books) I can follow the character and stories I like knowing that it’s ongoing and wont really end. Just like in a game, things don’t have to necessarily end in a game… you can just keep going (second life, or any MMO really).

I really like the way comics do that. Keep going I mean. Yeah there are different arcs, and certain things and people come and go, but at the end of the day you’ve still got Cyclops, and he’s always the same character you can rely on. And once you really get to know the characters and the history behind most of them they almost become friends of yours. The pictures along with the words really allows you to live the story with them.

I started reading comics in 1994-ish. I dropped off at about ‘99, maybe 2000, and then started back up again in 2004. And you know what, the characters are still the same as when I left them. Sure, other things have happened to change them. Lovers have died, and that might have damaged them, or caused them to change a costume or codename, but at the core, those characters are still the same.

There is consistency in gaming also. There were how many Mega Man games? It’s what makes us go back and replay video games we have already beaten, and what keeps us buying the next game in a franchise.

As people trying to escape our world, be it the monotony of paying the bills or a horrible roommate, we like to know what we’re getting ourselves into. I find myself having a lot of escapist tendencies. Reading comics, playing video games, and pretending a LOT. Probably more than someone my age should. You know, when I go on a job interview I pretend I’m meeting the president… or, I have an important message to deliver… or any one of a thousand things, every day at all times. Mostly though, I like to pretend that I have a million readers…