On most days, a branching domino effect of discovery ( / distraction?) keeps me in front of the computer for a lot longer than I ever intend.  This often results in decreased artistic productivity, but the payoff is in occasionally finding something truly great.  This is how I stumbled upon Kill Screen, a new gaming magazine unlike any I’ve seen before.

A high-end, artsy publication aimed less at DS-toting 12 year olds wheeling around on Heely’s and more at their parents (or at least hip uncles), the magazine purportedly borders on the philosophical and is filled with literary contributions from writes of our favorites – the Onion, Colbert Report, Daily Show, New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, and others.  Articles explore the concept of gaming on an intellectual level, delving into questions like “what does it mean to play video games?” and “what have games taught us?”.  Kill Screen aims “to be what early Rolling Stone was to rock n’ roll or Wired was to tech”.  Tall order?  Maybe, but it certainly has my attention.

As if that’s  not enough, there’s a key graphic element to Kill Screen’s content.  Rather than relying solely on the standard screenshot after screenshot of gameplay and cut-scene imagery, Kill Screen includes art about and inspired by video games, such as work by Brock Davis, Logan Walters, and Chris Sweeney.  All this will be printed in a high quality glossy format designed to impress.

By promising to combine smart design with a broad range of games, modern to classic, and to deliver something I can actually read, relate to, and stew on for awhile, this magazine has me interested enough to shell out the steep subscription price without batting an eye.  They get several extra points too for keeping an open mind to their demographic – a caveat in Kill Screen’s call for writers gives me even more faith that the stuff they produce will please.  “‘Girlfriends don’t understand games’ articles won’t work for us,” they say.  “At this time, women may not make up a full half of the audience for a video game magazine. But write as if they are – and as if they brought the beer.”  Hell yeah – thanks, guys.