Sitting down to talk with Jonathan Traynor, a Glasgow-based artist and author, about his newly-released guide, POCA!, we had been anticipating a couple of issues. Y’know the kind of stuff: how the Kickstarter went; the place the concept for the guide got here from; hopes for the long run; picks for the Prime of the Pops Xmas #1; and so forth.
Nevertheless, in spending an hour with this big fan of all issues Recreation Boy Digicam, we discover ourselves enthralled and engaged in methods we simply did not see coming. Why? Effectively, as a result of on the time we might been consuming eggnog all morning. But additionally, as a result of Jonathan’s ardour for one of many Recreation Boy’s coolest peripherals is infectious. You possibly can’t not discover out one thing you did not learn about this technological marvel while spending an hour on this man’s firm.
However what precisely is POCA? Effectively, earlier than we acquired our arms on a duplicate of the guide, we assumed it was a dinky little pocket comedian a couple of speaking Recreation Boy Digicam (or Pocket Digicam because it’s identified in Japan) who goes on a giant time out snapping pictures in Glasgow. Which might have been sufficient to warrant a severe investigation, let’s face it.
The intriguing factor right here, although, is that it seems to be extra. Quite than make one thing that appeals solely to avid gamers, or followers of the Recreation Boy particularly, it is a celebration of the love and care that went into the creation of the Pocket Digicam that is welcoming to any reader. It is a heartfelt tip of the hat to composer Hirokazu “Hip” (or certainly “Chip”) Tanaka that melds its gaming origins with a cool story, plus some genuinely helpful vacationer pointers about Glasgow. What a combination! It could even be only the start of a worldwide journey for Poca himself.
We hopped over to Glasgow’s majestic Kelvingrove Museum — the place among the guide takes place — to talk with Jonathan.
Nintendo Life: Good day there, Jonathan. Let’s begin off by speaking about the place the preliminary thought for POCA! got here from. It instantly feels prefer it’s one thing fairly private to you, so what was the preliminary spark?
Jonathan Traynor: Round this time final yr, I acquired an Analogue Pocket, simply as a curiosity and it is the most effective factor I’ve ever purchased. I immediately knew it was such a great buy, as a result of I clearly owned a Recreation Boy after I was younger. And the truth that you possibly can plug Recreation Boy video games into this and play them right away has been such a marvel.
So, I acquired this, and I’ve not too long ago additionally been taking over images as a passion. A few years again, I acquired my first correct, devoted digital camera. Previous to that, I used to be simply taking images from my telephone, like anybody, however I wished to make a extra deliberate effort to take images of issues and carry a digital camera round to new locations that I went to.
Once I picked up this Analogue Pocket, one of many first issues I did was discover my previous Recreation Boy Digicam, and I popped it into the Analogue and it nonetheless had images from after I was, like, 9 years previous on it. Instantly I knew I needed to do one thing with that. It has a private facet, completely, nevertheless it additionally takes such distinctive pictures.
Then from the realisation you wished to do one thing, the guide was the primary thought? Or had been there different concepts first?
Initially, what I wished to do was perhaps make a images zine or one thing like that. However I used to be additionally trying into the historical past of the event of the Recreation Boy Digicam, and it is such a singular machine in the case of its growth as properly. It virtually by no means acquired made, and the builders needed to actually attempt laborious to pitch [and] make it. However when it got here out, it additionally held the file because the world’s smallest digital digital camera.
I additionally realised that there have been various variations between the Recreation Boy Digicam as they got here out within the West, and the Pocket Digicam because it was identified in Japan. And one of many massive variations was the branding and packaging. It is virtually like somewhat buddy character type of factor there, like a Tamagotchi. I simply had this concept of, ‘Oh, it is like this personal little standalone man with this eyeball.’ And it turns into this entire different factor while you put it right into a Recreation Boy.
It was round that point I began brainstorming this concept, I may flip this right into a small journey guide about somewhat Recreation Boy Digicam-style character, who travels round taking images of locations. Glasgow, as a place to begin.
And then you definitely got here up with the title Poca, which is apparent in a approach, however is there extra to it?
I known as him Poca, after Pocket Digicam, and likewise to keep away from any authorized troubles. [laughs] It really works fairly properly as a reputation, would not it? And, you realize, Pokémon was an enormous factor for me, and so Pokémon and Tamagotchis and Digimon and issues like that, this concept of getting somewhat companion who grew alongside you and levelled up and gained new expertise and talents. And I assumed I may convey that into Poca as a personality.
In order that’s a part of the idea of this guide – Poca is that this little digital camera from the ’90s. He is somewhat outdated and he was developed and designed to be like identical to for the youngsters within the ’90s, perhaps the Recreation Boy Digicam was the primary digital camera they ever had. Proper?
Yeah, the levelling up of the character was one among our favorite elements of the guide – from a gamer perspective, how he grows and features new expertise alongside the way in which. The query marks over the talents of Poca as he first boots up and comes again to life, had us excited to see how he would develop.
Yeah, that was one of many points of it that I actually wished to drill into, how he may be taught all these expertise that perhaps fashionable cameras use, issues like geolocation or time and dates, or perhaps ultimately color images or one thing like that. As Poca levelled up and grew alongside you, he’d get higher and develop.
Let’s discuss in regards to the Kickstarter somewhat bit. When did you determine to leap into Kickstarter? Was that terrifying and the way did it go?
It was extraordinarily terrifying! It was probably the most work…I did not realise how a lot work a Kickstarter is. Final yr I made my very first little comedian guide. It was a small ardour undertaking. I made this little 60-page comedian and I paid for the printing prices of that upfront, which was rather a lot, as a result of it isn’t low cost to print books, because it seems! And it was like somewhat black-and-white guide so the prices had been a bit extra cheap.
However I knew going into this that the prices had been going to be greater as a result of it is a full-colour guide that includes quite a lot of images and issues. It must be of a sure high quality for images to work.
It is a threat, however if in case you have a good suggestion, it might probably work, proper? And since the guide is such a great mixture of issues, in that it brings collectively the journey facet, the tourism, the Recreation Boy, there’s one thing there for individuals who aren’t essentially into video games. You possibly can give this to a child as a approach to get pleasure from sightseeing across the metropolis, for instance?
Yeah, that was undoubtedly one of many pitches for the guide. That was what was vital to me – I am an enormous Nintendo fan, and I am an enormous video games fanatic, however I did not wish to simply make the guide for gaming individuals. And particularly the Recreation Boy, it is already a distinct segment type of topic and the truth that it is a ’90s factor, who’s my viewers? Am I focusing on 30-year-olds like myself? Or am I focusing on children?
How do I take this topic and make it a bit extra all-around interesting to individuals? I assumed the truth that it is centred and based mostly round Glasgow, the town I’ve spent most of my life in, was a giant draw as properly as a result of I liked growing this curiosity in taking images of the locations I like. But additionally, I wish to try to take this stuff and do one thing with them. So this was taking quite a lot of issues that I have been keen on over time, and making an attempt to place them collectively into one massive type of guide.
We wish to contact on the end-of-chapter summaries that we have already touched on a bit, however to return to them, it is a very good thought, with the collected characters from the present chapter, Poca’s ideas, and so forth, all offered on a closing round-up web page. Was this all the time a part of the plan?
It was really one thing that got here within the latter half of growth of the guide, these end-of-chapter reviews. I name it the Pocadex, which is clearly impressed by Pokémon. There’s quite a lot of influences in there.
I used to be creating chapters, and I had all these concepts for the characters that seem in each, and what I wished Poca to say and undergo. I used to be discovering that I used to be susceptible to making the chapters approach too lengthy. So I assumed, influenced by Pikmin and the way the character Olimar writes somewhat end-of-day report and talks about sure issues – perhaps it is one thing that occurred that day, perhaps he discovered this merchandise or one thing, or he is simply speaking about Pikmin usually. And I used to be like, ‘Oh that’d be fairly a cool thought like on the finish of a chapter. Possibly Poca may write somewhat end-of-day report alongside these traces.
I’ve additionally acquired him signing off on the finish and he is acquired a degree, like “Poca, Degree 1.” while you had been a child and you’ll perhaps draw an image or one thing, you’d all the time signal it “Jonathan, age 5,” I assumed that’d be a cute wee factor to do.
And with the chapter titles, there’s one thing happening there, too. We recognise them. We had initially guessed Tremendous Mario Galaxy, however we had been fallacious! It is Pikmin 4, proper? How may we not know that after guiding the sport? [laughs]
Effectively, I am an enormous Pikmin fan. Pikmin might be my all-time favorite Nintendo franchise. I do not know if you realize this, however I am virtually single-handedly answerable for bringing Pikmin again into the mainstream.
[laughs]
For about two years strong, each week on a Wednesday at 1pm, I might submit a tweet saying that Shigeru Miyamoto had confirmed Pikmin 4 was in growth. And this was in that interval after Pikmin 3, the place it simply went silent for like about eight years. And I used to be, as a Pikmin fan, identical to, the place is it? So I simply hammered it on Twitter till the day it was really formally introduced, and I used to be like, ‘Okay, I am accomplished!’
There are some pictures of drawn characters right here that acquired us considering, had you deliberate that shot beforehand, had you bought the pictures upfront after which got here up with a narrative to suit what you had? Or did determine the story out first?
Yeah, 90% of the images had been taken earlier than the guide was in growth, earlier than I would deliberate out the story or the characters and stuff. A whole lot of the characters and story had been made to suit round what I may do with the images. I had all these images across the River Clyde as a result of I stroll down there rather a lot, I am close by and it is a good stroll on a pleasant day.
And that is the place we acquired a shock at first from the guide, we realized one thing new (!) in regards to the River Clyde after residing right here for 20 years. There is a story working by means of the guide that entails it, proper?
I used to be making an attempt to consider somewhat chapter-length story that I may put Poca by means of as he travels round, and I acquired this concept of, properly, why is it known as the River Clyde? I did not actually know. And I appeared into it and what I found was that the River Clyde is known as after a Celtic goddess known as Clota. And because it seems, there’s not rather a lot identified about this goddess. There are two references in historic textual content, or on a wall in some Roman place, referring to this goddess, and it is simply carried on since then.
And so I developed this concept of making Clota as a personality within the guide, she may pop up and converse to Poca. I wished this fantastical layer to the guide, virtually in a Spirited Away, Ghibli type of approach.
One factor we have got to ask you about is the photographs of actual individuals dotted by means of the guide right here and there. Are they associates, Kickstarter backers?
There’s a image right here at first of Phantom Donuts, of two individuals. So I am in Phantom Donuts on a regular basis. And, then, on the finish of the guide, the very closing chapter is about in a sushi store known as Sushi Riot. And I knew at this level what I wished to do with the story and I knew that, to not spoil issues, however Poca’s story is ultimately going to result in Japan. And I assumed it could be good if the ultimate chapter of the guide had that type of tie or that lead-in to Japan.
Okay, let’s get into that, so the plan is there for the subsequent guide to be in Japan? We weren’t certain whether or not it was to be continued or not.
Initially, at first of the yr, the concept began out as somewhat story about Glasgow. This summer time I used to be very lucky to have the chance to journey. Me and my companion went to Hawaii, and there was a chance there. Right now I used to be simply actually into taking images with a Recreation Boy Digicam and stuff. I used to be like, ‘ what, I’ll do it. I’ll take my Recreation Boy Digicam to Hawaii as properly.’ As we had been planning this journey to Hawaii, I additionally tacked on a visit to Japan on the finish. I had a sabbatical from work and it allowed me to do that.
And earlier than I went, I [thought], ‘ what, I may take a bunch of images in Hawaii, I may take a bunch of images in Japan, and I may make three books. I may make a Glasgow, Hawaii, and a Japan guide.’ And presently, the books had been nonetheless very … I used to be nonetheless considering they had been simply going to be brief, 30-page books or one thing.
So, while you had been in Japan as properly, you purchased some extra Pocket Cameras and also you made a little bit of a discovery.
I knew that after I went over I used to be going to be searching for extra. So I ended up coming again with 4 Recreation Boy cameras, together with one boxed one. And that is perhaps somewhat bit fascinating, however the Recreation Boy had images on them already from different individuals who had owned them beforehand. And I felt actually unhealthy about deleting them. I did not wish to delete different individuals’s recollections and images.
So, maybe somewhat controversially, I did determine to make use of a couple of of those images within the guide and incorporate them into the story not directly. I requested round and I put out feelers and I used to be like, ‘Is that this okay?’ I do not know, is utilizing different individuals’s pictures with out their permission okay? I do not even understand how I might ever discover these individuals, proper? I do not know if this {photograph} was taken within the Nineteen Nineties or 2015.
I requested round and I put out feelers and I used to be like, ‘Is that this okay?’…You possibly can go right down to the market and purchase photobooks of individuals’s images down there. You should purchase postcards individuals despatched 100 years in the past, and I all the time discover that fairly fascinating, and somewhat bit unhappy.
So I assumed, there is a sure degree of anonymity in the case of Recreation Boy Digicam images, proper? As a result of they’re so low-resolution and black and white and stuff. You possibly can go right down to the market and purchase photobooks of individuals’s images down there. You should purchase postcards individuals despatched 100 years in the past, and I all the time discover that fairly fascinating, and somewhat bit unhappy. I feel that even when it transpired that they noticed the guide, they’d solely be completely happy about it and I might love nothing greater than to try to discover them.
You will have one other guide right here, a really cool-looking Japanese information to the Pocket Digicam, from all the way in which again within the day and it is stuffed with stuff that the digital camera may do.
This Pocket Digicam information is one thing I did not actually know existed till six months in the past or one thing. Someone on Twitter posted an image of their very spectacular Nintendo assortment together with all these like Recreation Boy cameras and stuff, and this guide, and I used to be like, ‘Oh my god, what’s this guide? I have to see it, I would like to seek out it.’ I ended up searching down a duplicate. I used to be like blown away by the guide. It is clearly all in Japanese.
It is largely simply fairly dense ‘This is what you are able to do with the Recreation Boy Digicam’ and all this enjoyable stuff. You can also make restricted animations, you are able to do this, you are able to do that. However one of many issues I did realise is that the event workforce for the Recreation Boy Digicam was this very fascinating group of those that got here collectively and had quite a lot of ardour for this undertaking.
Specifically, the undertaking was led by Hirokazu Tanaka, who’s a music composer primarily, and he made quite a lot of Nintendo tunes that you’d recognise immediately from the Recreation Boy period (Tetris, Tremendous Mario Land) and the NES period (Balloon Struggle, Metroid). He was the undertaking lead on this and he ended up happening to work for Creatures Inc. [as president].
So this is this massive man and he retired from all that not too long ago, and he is now a chiptune artist. He goes round performing units in Japan with all these stage exhibits. He is simply an extremely, extremely cool man. You possibly can take heed to his music on Spotify, it goes underneath the pseudonym Chip Tanaka. I used to be trying into it and I can inform he is nonetheless very passionate in regards to the Recreation Boy Digicam and the work that was put into it.
We really feel as if we actually have to make some kind of an effort for Mr Tanaka to see this guide now. You had been contemplating this man as you labored on it?
You possibly can see in direction of the tip of the guide, or in sure bits, there’s all these little tidbits that he is written in regards to the Recreation Boy Digicam after which on the very finish there’s all these comedian strips, and this was after I used to be growing Poca’s thought, and I used to be taking a look at this, and I used to be considering, ‘There’s one thing right here, there is a connective tissue.’
What I came upon, one thing perhaps not lots of people know, however the Recreation Boy Digicam has this hidden workers credit display screen. It is stuffed with secrets and techniques and easter eggs within the software program, however there are video games that you may play, and one among them is a button-mashing runner, and in the event you beat [it] underneath a sure period of time, you unlock secret workers credit.
And the key workers credit have music that Hirokazu Tanaka wrote, and it is like probably the most — I do not know — I used to be listening to it for the primary time this summer time, and I used to be virtually tearing up. I simply thought it was probably the most stunning music I would ever heard and it felt prefer it actually…it was immediately just like the theme tune to Poca for me.
I used to be considering, “That is all the things I wished from this undertaking.” And it is such an fascinating factor. If this guide reignites somebody’s curiosity within the Recreation Boy Digicam or in Tanaka, I really feel like that will make me very completely happy. I imply, if I may discover a approach to get a duplicate of this to him, it could undoubtedly be like a dream come true. I really feel like I made the guide virtually for him.
Oh wow. Think about if we may one way or the other make a Christmas miracle occur and get a duplicate of this in Mr Tanaka’s arms.
Proper, you realize that will be type of good.
This interview has been flippantly edited for readability.
Because of Jonathan Traynor for his time, and to the workers at Kelvingrove Museum, for the beautiful espresso. “Poca! Vol.1 Glasgow” is now available for purchase over on Kickstarter and you’ll observe Jonathan (@Jofamo) and Chip Tanaka (@tanac2e) on Twitter.
