A lot is going on with Sneak energy drink right now. Not to brag, but the long and short of it is;
I got to (e)talk to the award-winning illustrator and animator Gustaf Holtenäs.

• I found a new low-calorie drink I really like
• I did get a free drink
• I did not get a free sword
• I am an idiot

I got on Sneak’s radar by sharing this April Fools about eye drops and admitted to being curious about the drink. Does Sneak actually work? Does it taste good?

In this case, ‘work’ means does Sneak refresh or energise me enough to be worth it? Next, I got all giddy about the anime-inspired Year of the Bunny launch and this animation.

I think Sneak are being, er, sneaky. They’re being clever. Anime is on a boom now. It’s part of geek culture. The ‘energy drinks for gamers’ market is competitive, cliche and full of time-wasters. Drinks for anime fans that aren’t expensive imports is a fresher, just as cool and less competitive area.

Are drinks to survive an anime marathon actually a thing? More on that later because it’s more exciting to get to the Gustaf Holtenäs interview.

An interview with Gustaf Holtenäs

Gustaf Holtenäs has previously worked with Black Midi, Grimes, Iron Maiden and Adidas. That’s some heavy-hitting names! Some heavy metal names, too.

There’s an Instagram portfolio I recommend.

Where did your interest in creating anime start?

“When I grew up in the 90’s in Sweden, they showed Pokémon and Sailor Moon and I was hooked from that moment. I was also obsessed with the PlayStation one final fantasy games which where very anime world like. I’ve always liked illustrating but my first attempt at animating started when I was 25 when tried to make my first video game.”

What are your favourite animes and why are you such a deep fan?

“There are so many, I find new gems all the time but some that have always been at the top for me are: Perfect Blue, Angel’s Egg and Berserk.”

How did the collaboration with Sneak Energy come about and what was your inspiration?

“I got in contact with Sneak as I heard from a producer that they was looking for an anime intro commercial. I was instantly interested because it involved my favourite task of world building. They wanted the commercial to look like a real anime show, with a storyline, characters, locations etc. All those things that needed to be design and created to make a world of its own.”

What is the intended message behind the film you created?

“I see the video as a big homage to anime in general. We put in references to all our favourite anime shows in 1 and a half minutes. For example, 70’s Gundam, 80’s dragon ball, 90’s sailor moon, Neon Genesis and contemporary anime like Ranking of Kings.”

Why do you think the relationship with Sneak Energy as a brand relates to anime?

“The first thing that struck me when talking to Sneak’s creative director Tim Donald was that, this guy knows a lot of anime! The link between gamers and anime is big, so it doesn’t surprise me that a energy drink made for gamers would relate to anime.

What advice would you give to budding anime creators?

“That it gets easier after every try! Sometimes animation can feel like the most difficult thing ever, but teats also what makes it so stimulating.”

The Sword!

When I blogged about The Year of the Bunny, I mentioned you could also get a wooden sword.

Sneak has kindly provided me with some fantastic photography of it. The pictures speak for themselves.

A review: Does Sneak Energy actually work?

I was offered a complimentary drink sample while chatting to Sneak’s team about the interview and sword. Geek Native usually declines this (you can’t pay bills with free samples), but I admit I was tempted so graciously accepted some Raspberry Lemonade. I’m glad I did.

I wanted low calories; it’s 12 calories per glass, and my glasses are 400mls. That’s one success!

I didn’t manage an anime marathon, but I did have a weekend which started at midnight when I was still at a nightclub, dancing to music too cool for me and from which I walked home. That takes us to 3 am.

I was up at 6 am, went for a long walk, and spent an hour (first-time) rowing on the canal where I rammed two barges, scared a duck, upset some professional rowers and missed hitting some children before walking across town, catching up with the family and walking back home for about 9 pm, blogged until just after 11 pm and then sat down to watch some Chainsaw Man.

I was tired, but I was a dab hand at making my Sneak in my Sneak tumbler by now. So I rattled up 10 grams of the powder and 400mls of water and made myself a drink to watch a few episodes and refresh before the next day.

So, no, not an anime marathon, but I was sufficiently tired.

I also tried a shot of Sneak-and-vodka because I’m not a cool Twitch streamer. I’m a grumpy old Scottish geek blogger, and I can drink booze at home alone if I want.

My verdicts are;

• Sneak is better without the vodka. At least, the raspberry lemonade Sneak is better without the vodka.
• Sneak does help with my concentration and smooths out the energy curve without causing me jitters.
• I like the taste!

However, there are some complications due to my lack of intelligence.

• I expected to find a little scoop in the tub and did not, so I used a spoon for several days before I eventually found the scoop. That failure of observation would qualify me as a candidate for the Crystal Maze.
• On day three of my Sneak experiment, I made it only that long, I shook the tumbler without firmly enough securing the drinking cap. What! A! Sticky! Mess!
• Coordinating NOT having the Sneak tumbler in the dishwasher for when I AM likely to want some Sneak seems a task beyond me.

Sneaky Summary

Sneak Energy drink isn’t magic, and it’s not a superscience we’ll read about on the news. I guess it’s even closer to that ‘drink responsibly’ category of juice we hear about occasionally, and I note the recommended limit is two does a day.

It is rich in Vitamin C. It even has some Magnesium and Potassium in it, at least the Raspberry does, which are much harder to get in your diet. Ask a friend to name a food that’s not a banana with Potassium and see how well they do.

I like it, I like it a lot, and if it was a lower cost, I’d buy it more often. Now, after my free sample, I’ll watch for deals.

Please note: My sample of Sneak was provided for free and to review.

Quick Links

• Sneak: Webstore | Amazon.

Not one to be sniffed at, this interactive nose sculpture from multimedia artist Adnan Aga – called the Adnose – can ‘smell’ any object held in front of it.

How do we know? I mean, how does a nose on its own even tell us what it’s smelling? Well, a paper poetically describing the smell is printed from one of the nostrils!

Dubbed a ‘unique sensory experience’, the nose uses a Raspberry Pi camera module (with the addition of a fisheye lens) to take a snapshot of whatever is placed under its nostril.

Once the photo is processed via Google Lens (which helps it identify the object in question), it’s then up to a GPT-4 language model to produce a delightful description.

You can watch the video below to get a better idea of the process – and listen to the nose’s voice, because despite what I said above, it actually has one of those… somehow:

It’s quite a charming interactive art installation, and that’s without even knowing the background of the artist, who was actually born with the inability to smell – known as anosmia. This nose now does the job for her, just like a prosthetic – which is how Adnan himself has described it.

He hopes it will raise awareness of the anosmic community, which is often overlooked.

The Adnose was well received at its debut, which took place at a ‘smell-and-tell’ event at the Olfactory Art Keller in Chinatown, New York – where it fits right in with various other smell-related pieces.

Adnan actually created this art installation as part of his graduate thesis, and you can find out more about it via his LinkedIn page. You can also still visit the talking nose at the Olfactory Art Keller’s  Cubiculum Odoratus where it’s currently residing.

What do we think – another great use of AI?

Source: ReviewGeek

Welcome home.

This is Audio EXP for the 10th of June, 2023, and the episode title is “It’s not a political statement to be a gay geek”

[The following is a transcript of Audio EXP: #199]

[Also on Stitcher | Spotify | Apple | Google]

Lone Colossus Games is in the Spotlight this month, as voted for by Patreons.

Contact has been made, and the ball is in my court, so we should get a feature interview live this month.

This is the first Geek Native Audio EXP podcast, a highlight show, in June since I was at UK Games Expo last week. That means I’ll highlight some news from there but first run through the candidates for July’s RPG Publisher Spotlight.

If you’re a site or podcast patron, thank you, and you can vote for;

• Lost Spheres Publishing
• RPGGamer
• Starry Knight Press
• Grey Desert Studio
• The Grinning Frog

Since I’ve been away, Apple has released their mixed reality Vision Pro. That’s a three-and-a-half grand headset with a two-hour battery life, but Apple in this market will surely mean innovation and progression.

It’s also the same week that gamers found dents in their heads and likely through wearing their headphones for so long. That’s a health hazard I didn’t have a decade ago.

Both those stories were picked up by Bronwen Winter Phoenix, who, I hope, we’ll be seeing a lot more on the blog. A second pair of eyes and a bigger brain are good things for Geek Native to develop.

It’s not the first week of June, but it is the week that KiwiRPG Week, kicks off. I won’t try and pronounce the actual name of the indie celebration of tabletop RPGs from New Zealand.

Instead, I suggest checking it out as there are deals, freebies and news.

It’s also the week that we have the nominations for the Origins Awards announced. You can find the full list on the blog, but here’s the RPG highlights.

RPG Core   

• Blackbirds by Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Bladerunner the Roleplaying Game by Free League Publishing
• Coyote & Crow by Coyote & Crow
• Teatime Adventures by Snowbright Studio
• The One Ring by Free League Publishing  

RPG Supplements

• Agents of Dune by Modiphius
• Blade Runner Starter Box by Free League Publishing
• Fallout Starter Box by Modiphius Entertainment
• Warhammer Fantasy: Enemy Within Volume 5 by Cubicle 7 Entertainment
• Zweihander Starter Box by Andrews McMeel Publishing 

Accessory

• Call to Adventure Art Decks by Brotherwise Games
• Deluxe Board Game Train Sets by Little Plastic Train Co.
• Power Rangers Zordon Dice Tower & GM’s Screen by Renegade Game Studios
• The Deck of Many Animated Conditions by Hit Point Press
• The Deck of Many Animated Illusions by Hit Point Press  

So, what was UK Games Expo like? It was jam-packed, with over 50,000 people in attendance. I know that’s not US comic con level, but my local tabletop convention, compulsion, might get a few hundred.

I saw just how diverse the geek community is, struggled to cover the event properly which I suspected was the case but surprised to get home to discover there had been a drama.

UK Games Expo have apologised for this but one of the volunteers helping with the RPG demos had been refusing to allow queer-themed RPGs.

It was a mistake, and UK Games Expo has had a disastrous situation in the past which resulted in, rightly, a GM being thrown out for running a sexual assault scene.

I suspect that incident was why the guidelines are for no sexual content in RPG sessions at the convention. The thing is, which UK Games Expo agree with, it’s not ‘sexual’ content in a game if the heroes are straight white men who go on an adventure. Equally, it’s not sexual content if the heroes are lesbian green goblins who go on an adventure.

Both groups of characters could engage in all sorts of sexual adventures, which would cross the UK Games Expo guidelines, but the orientation of the characters does not make the game sexual.

Nor, of course, does the sexual preference of players or their characters make the game a political statement. That gay people exist is not a point for politicians to debate. It’s a fact of life.

Sound obvious? It should be but the ‘no politics’ rule was the attempted defense of the moderators of the BatteTech sub-reddit when they were caught deleting every mention of the BattleTech Pride Anthology. That’s a BattleTech fanzine written by queer authors.

Pleasingly, those homophobic moderators have been removed.

Catalyst Games, who make the game, actual BattleTech authors and the original founder of the sub-Reddit have all stepped up and stepped in to make it clear; BattleTech is for everyone.

There was, I’m also pleased to say, plenty of good news from UK Games Expo 2023.

Some highlights for me include Don’t Play This Game which Parable will Kickstart later and for which you can get a free quickstart right now.

Don’t Play This Game is a solo RPG in a chain-letter style, which means you can pass it on. If you survive and want, you’ll finish the game with a weird journal that you can give to someone else who disregards the advice not to play the game.

I scribbled furiously during Cubicle 7’s session, well the one the striking train situation here in the UK allowed me to attend, and I can report that after the Inquisition supplement for the Warhammer 40K RPG Imperium Maledictum that the next one will be the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Well. That’s the plan.

Plans change.

A much less famous, in fact, a totally unknown because it was under wraps until being revealed at UK Games Expo is Breaking Infinity.

The tabletop RPG from BaffleBox Games accompanies the indie sci-fi movie of the same name. Breaking Infinity will stream on Amazon Prime, Netflix and other platforms later this year.

Drama and news haven’t been restricted to UK Games Expo, though.

There’s been an essential update from Battlefield Press.

The company boss, Jonathan Thompson, sadly passed away near the start of the year. He was the engine that kept Battlefield running.

His brother, Adam, has stepped up, but getting access to company details and computers has been a battle. This month, Adam finally got access to Kickstarter, where he discovered various unfilled campaigns.

Fans have been asked to wait while Adam tries to steady the finances and the company. This loyal brother is determined to do right and get gamers their product while saving Jonathan’s legacy.

There’s also a fight in the collectable trading card space over the likely-to-be-a-big-hit Disney Lorcana.

Lorcana is from Ravensburger, who makes other Disney games, but Upper Deck are suing.

Upper Deck say Lorcana has been stolen, and a designer who left them to join Ravensburger is involved.

If you do buy Lorcana here in the UK, or perhaps a Warhammer game from a British retailer, then your parcel might come with Warhammer stamps.

The 520-year old Royal Mail has issued an official set of Warhammer stamps to celebrate things British.

In the theme of old-things-are-geeky, Bronwen also penned an epic 18 vintage reproductions brands rated and reviewed. In this case, those vintage brands are dresses and just the sort of stylish attire you could wear to a gaming convention. Perhaps if you buy one of those online from a UK company, it might also arrive in a package decorated with Warhammer stamps.

As we hurry to the usual outro of bundles, let’s first tuck in one more free game and one which needs no postage at all.

WrightWerx has released a free starter edition to download of Mecha vs Kaiju 202x for 5e. It’s available from their DriveThruRPG store or by clicking handy links on Geek Native.

Right, those bundles are all on the Bundle of Holding and the first one is the 2nd edition of Lex Arcana. You have until the 26th to join the legions of a supernatural Roman empire.

Another, technically two separate ones, but let’s bundle the bundles, is from Goodman Games and for Dungeon Crawl Classics Lankhmar. How badly did I pronounce that?

Lastly, there’s one from Aether Nexus for the evil world of Dragongrin. That’s a flash sale and you’ve only until the 14th to get it.

And on that note, let’s wrap up there; let people be themselves, and I’ll see you next week.

We’ve seen a few AI-generated fan trailers in the style of Wes Anderson now, but this one might very well be my favourite.

The trailer for Extraterrestrial Expedition shows us what classic sci-fi horror film Alien might have been like if Wes Anderson was in the director’s seat.

It’s got all the good makings of a Wes Anderson film, with Tilda Swinton as Ellen Ripley, with a supporting cast of Bill Murray, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Ben Stiller, Jeff Goldblum, Gyneth Paltrow, Angelica Huston, an orange cat, and… Owen Wilson as a xenomorph?!

What I find charming about this reimagining are the colours, and the way the Nostromo just glides across the screen in that Wes Anderson way.

The video, created by AI Fungi, was published along with this blurb:

Embark on an epic journey to the depths of space, the 1979 classic “Alien” is reimagined through the unique and imaginative lens of Wes Anderson in “Extraterrestrial Expedition.” This extraordinary fan-made trailer offers a fresh perspective on Ridley Scott’s epic masterpiece, blending Anderson’s distinctive style with the awe-inspiring landscapes and extraordinary creature called Xenomorph, created by the so called “Engineers”.

What do you think – if this was an actual movie, would you watch it?

Source: GeekTyrant

Gamers have been showing the dents in their heads from wearing headphones for prolonged periods of time, and we’re all a little freaked out by it.

It all started when Twitch streamer Curtis (AKA Curtoss) livestreamed himself as he shaved his hair for charity, only to discover live on camera that his gaming headset had left quite the indent.

When you actually see it, it’s actually quite a shocking thing – and, I suspect, permanent.

The gamer performed the selfless act of shaving his head on the livestream, and started by going right down the middle, remarking: “The shaver’s working like a champ.”

However, it wasn’t long before things took a turn, and he noticed the indent across the top of his head.

“Dude, I have an indent like right here, this is where headphones go! I have a fucking headphone indent on my head! What the fuck?”

And here’s the moment it happened:

He also added that he’d actually been vaguely aware of it before now, thought it was just his hair.

But bruh, he’s not the only one… this actually seems like quite a common thing! After the clip went viral on social media, with over 42 million views on Twitter, gamers started sharing their own head dents.

The results are… disturbing.

The one on the right just gave me the shudders, because holy shit. Nope. I can’t even.

“New fear unlocked,” replied one user. Another said: “Tell me why I’ve just rubbed my head to make sure I don’t have one.”

Another user chimed in with: “This is why I will never wear a headset for prolonged time periods.”

I’m kind of grateful I wear earphones now! What do you think of this story? Do you have a headphone dent – and have you checked?!

If you love Jurassic Park and you love Transformers, you’ll probably be interested in this new 2-figure set from Hasbro!

What a great way to celebrate Jurassic Park’s 30th birthday! We’re seeing a lot of fantoosh collaborations, but this one in particular seems quite special and full to the brim of character.

The set features the debut of transformer bots Dilophocon and Autobot JP-12, and come with accessories including an embryo containment unit, shaving cream canister, rain hat, and venom blast effect.

Check it out:

This set, priced at $74.99, isn’t quite here yet – you’ll have to wait until October – but it is available to preorder right here on the official Hasbro site.

If you need more of an incentive, check out these super cool images, all courtesy of Hasbro.

They’ve really gone all out on the photography here, and I for one appreciate the effort. What do you think?

It seems everyone’s talking about ChatGPT in some form or other, especially since the iPhone app has been released, allowing us AI access literally at our fingertips – whatever you need it for.

Now, it’s been announced that the iOS app is to benefit from some fairly robust updates, including a Siri integration.

Editor’s note: Because Siri and Chat GPT together are just what we need to aid along the AI uprising…

The most talked about of these enhancements to the iOS version is the integration of Shortcuts, enabling users to integrate your prompts, and the app’s outputs, with other apps on your phone. This is actually something that’s been around for a while in the browser version, but now it’s coming to your phone.

As for the Siri integration, you can now summon ChatGPT with your voice or ask Siri to create Shortcuts for you.

You’ll also be able to use drag-and-drop to transfer ChatGPT messages and information to other apps on your iOS device, along with improved iPad support, allowing users to make better use of that bigger screen.

Want to try it out for yourself? You can catch it on the App Store now.

Source: HowtoGeek

I was having a wee wander around Edinburgh today (as you do), and couldn’t help but stop and admire these amazing cufflinks!

Priced at £475, these pirate skull cufflinks from Deakin & Francis are potentially amongst the most expensive skull cufflinks you could possibly buy! You can get yours right here.

Check ’em out! If I had a pair of these (or my partner did), you can guarantee I’d just be playing with the jaws all day.

If those are a tad too pricey for you, you can also get yourself a pair of these bad boys from the same brand, also from Wolf & Badger.

When their jaws drop, they reveal bright red hand-enamelled eyes – sure to impress for any occasion!

Apparently the skull range from D&F are considered iconic. We can see why!

Quick Links

• Deakin & Francis pirate skulls
• Deakin & Francis skull heads

Goonies Day was the 7th of June when the iconic movie was released in 1985 in the States.

Warners Bros, the studio behind the film, has not forgotten and launched the limited edition “The Goonies Adventure Collection” this week. It’s not cheap, but it’s lovely and rare.

The adventure comedy film was directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg. It stars Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Martha Plimpton, Ke Huy Quan, and Jonathan Ke Quan. The film follows a group of young misfits called the Goonies who discover an old map and adventure to find a legendary pirate’s long-lost treasure.

The film is set in the fictional town of Astoria, Oregon, in 1985. The Goonies are a group of young friends who live in the “Goon Docks” neighbourhood. They are all misfits in some way and are often picked on by the other kids in town. One day, Mikey Walsh (Astin) finds an old treasure map in his attic. He believes the map leads to the treasure of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary pirate. Mikey and his friends decide to follow the map and find the treasure.

Along the way, the Goonies are chased by a family of criminals called the Fratellis. The Fratellis are led by Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsey), a ruthless woman who will stop at nothing to get her hands on the treasure. The Goonies must use their courage and ingenuity to escape the Fratellis and find the treasure.

The Goonies Adventure Collection

The three-piece set is limited to only 1,500 worldwide.

The Copper Bones Key, The Spanish Doubloon, and Willy’s Treasure Map are all included in The Goonies Adventure Collection.

The prop builders at Paragon began their study for this collection by looking at The Copper Bones Key under Warner Brothers and Amblin Entertainment’s protective gaze. The team discovered a surviving key still in the possession of a famous actor from the film. That original was cast in metal, and the models treat it with an appropriate patina befitting a relic of its age and origin. The Spanish Doubloon is also made of metal and was modelled by an actual prop. As with the key, the right patina ensures that this piece becomes a treasured part of your collection.

Finally, there’s the map based on a surviving map handed away as a ‘wrap present’ for some cinema-goers. As with the original, additional text and indicia were added to complete the replica, now available on high-quality parchment-like paper.

Quick Links

• The Goonies Adventure Collection

Hoison crispy owl! Fluffy ruffs! Pints o’ cream! Bon BON bon bons!

If you’re looking for something silly to occupy a bit of time on hump day, we’re here to deliver, with the Brian Butterfield soundboard!

Thanks to the B3ta newsletter (yes, it’s still going strong, and we’re on issue 863 now), we learned that you can now hear Brian Butterfield say ‘bon bon bon bons’ as many times as your heart desires!

You can access the Brian Butterfield soundboard right here, and let me tell you, it is a thing of beauty.

To refresh your memory, or if you’re never heard of Brian Butterfield before, check out this video. And thank me later.