I cannot help but wonder if Redmond-based geek rock band The Ex Box Boys are what happens when viral marketing goes desperately awry. Their semi-mystical backstory (as told through both a lengthy screed on their Vision page and an honest to goodness webcomic) is obviously the work of amateurs, yet they are relentlessly dedicated to promoting Microsoft and the Xbox almost to the level of pathology. The crossed sphere of the Xbox – which they call the Orb – is revered an oracle, and it was given unto them by none other than Bill Gates. Microsoft is painted as the engine of our very salvation. There are stories on the site of the Ex Box Boys playing for crowds of over 9000 people and causing ‘scenes’ as dozens of fans surround them as they stroll through the local mall, asking for autographs and taking pictures. Of course, the camera angles on their concert videos and pictures seem carefully calculated to show as little of the audience as possible, which cannot help but make me suspect their concert attendance figures might be slightly inflated. But you know what? I’m not the kind of guy to go bursting other people’s alternate-reality bubbles. I say to them: Live the Dream, Man.
You may have noticed that there are now in-content advertising links on Ectomo. They appear as green, double-underlined words and phrases and I am sure you’ve seen them on other sites. I’m doing a trial run of these bad boys for a few days, after which they may or may not remain.
Overall, I agree that more advertising = worse site. But Ectomo is a place where we work, and thus a place where we would like to get paid.
What are your thoughts? Are the little green links more obnoxious than is tolerable? Do you notice them at all? Do you have alternate suggestions? Do tell.
A fine preview of the newest offering from Quirk Classics, who previously released the wonderful Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Not content to rest on their laurels, they continue to spice up the torturous ramblings of Miss Austen, this time with the help of murderous tentacles. Judging from Miss Dashwood’s dress, it took them a few takes, so stick around and make sure the effort hasn’t been wasted.
This delicious little vicious has been advertised on Ectomo for quite a while, and I’ve only now gotten around to perusing the rest of the squid, octopi, cuttlefish and jellyfish jewelry at Noadi’s shop. It’s quite adept, very affordable, and extremely cute.
So on the off chance that ad-blindness has obscured these wee guys from your clicking fingers, do give them a look. Their ads have supported Ectomo for ages now, so I figured they deserved at least a mention.
Behold, the fearsome steamsquid, driven only by clockwork and the urge to strangle, sucker, and beak!
[Additional: if you are interested in advertising on Ectomo (and we've been getting far more requests, lately) the best and easiest way to do it is through Project Wonderful. We've been using PW for years, on the advice of a reader, and it's been an excellent little system for we somewhat-non-internet-business-oriented persons. You can also email us directly.]
This is one of those clips that any comment from yours truly would ruin. Let it be said that patience is a virtue and by the time the video concludes, you’ll know why this has appeared in our pages.
It was a strange, unpleasant end to the previous week for me, dear readers. My guts, seized by some unholy specter, churned and roiled, swiftly and explosively expelling any and all substances that passed through their many, circuitous bi-ways. Thus it was that my feverish malaise burst into a fluid drenched hallucinatory nightmare for 48 hours. I can honestly say that I was out of sorts.
All this is bad enough, but to then have one of my editors suddenly reappear, kicking in the door of my office, a demented smirk on his face, filthy, and reeking of Strawberry Ripple and shame; staying just long enough to scream “HEY BOY, TAKE A LOOK AT MY WORD MAKING!” before running off into the night, cackling; off to gallivant wherever it is he gallivants, well, you see how I might be a little confused.
That said, this Cthursday-flavored offering comes from Joseph Nanni — whose work has previously been featured on Ectomo — and Bad Advice for Good Times. It was important that I post this. They have to talk to you. About polyps.
In sheer defiance of the World Wide Web Consortium's will, Ectomo was designed using a non-web-standard font. Luckily, it is included in the excellent font pack released by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, which can be freely downloaded in Mac and PC formats here. Ectomo should still look fine without it, though.
I cannot help but wonder if Redmond-based geek rock band The Ex Box Boys are what happens when viral marketing goes desperately awry. Their semi-mystical backstory (as told through both a lengthy screed on their Vision page and an honest to goodness webcomic) is obviously the work of amateurs, yet they are relentlessly dedicated to promoting Microsoft and the Xbox almost to the level of pathology. The crossed sphere of the Xbox – which they call the Orb – is revered an oracle, and it was given unto them by none other than Bill Gates. Microsoft is painted as the engine of our very salvation. There are stories on the site of the Ex Box Boys playing for crowds of over 9000 people and causing ‘scenes’ as dozens of fans surround them as they stroll through the local mall, asking for autographs and taking pictures. Of course, the camera angles on their concert videos and pictures seem carefully calculated to show as little of the audience as possible, which cannot help but make me suspect their concert attendance figures might be slightly inflated. But you know what? I’m not the kind of guy to go bursting other people’s alternate-reality bubbles. I say to them: Live the Dream, Man. 
