Got nothing else to click on today? Check out some random facts about Spikey Bits videos that you probably don’t care about. Or don’t, that’s cool too…
You may remember Warhammer Community, announcing that they didn’t have any cool intros for their videos. So they made a custom ident for their new media properties that they will be rolling out in 2020!
The GW Ident
After hiring an entire orchestra and some incredibly gifted graphic designers, GW finally, and professionally, found the perfect Ident for their trade.
“This was a massive undertaking, with creative and technical challenges,” Jonathan adds, musing on the project. “On the creative side, there was the daunting task of tackling the question of ‘What Is Warhammer?’, as well as the long history of the brand, and trying to distill that into a clear, concise essence. A single musical gesture of just 16 seconds that encapsulates all of it.”
Andy Smillie and Jonathan Hartmann look on in delight as the first chords are played.
Pretty sweet right?
The Spikey Bits Ident
Well, we actually have an Ident too, and while not as cool as GW’s it’s still probably worth writing 300 words or so on a slow news day about…
Here at Spikey Bits, we are hobby educators, community builders, and influencers working to promote the tabletop wargaming hobby. Over the years, we’ve sought out experts on animation and design, and put those talents into wasting more time before our videos actually begin.
Random Facts About Spikey Bits Videos You Probably Don’t Care About
So what’s the story on how we got our Ident that has been viewed millions of times already? It all began back in the late 2000s with getting Rob’s artwork done in cartoon form.
We enlisted the help of Steve Campbell, the mind behind Turn Signals on a Land Raider. He actually continues to write those comics for Warhammer Community now.
Dope artwork from a dope comic maker: CHECK
Now comes the classic high pitched “Spikey Bits” saying from the video:
The Timeless Inspiration: “Jawa Balls”
Years ago, there was an avid hobbyist that made some of the first hobby painting videos/streams. His name was Jawaballs and would say it with a deep voice. And for no other reason than our names having the same amount of syllables, “Spikey Bits” somehow birthed from it, except more high-pitched.
Yep, seriously. Rob also recorded saying “Spikey Bits” in one take, like an adult even.
Solid audio: CHECK
The Coup De Grace of the Spikey Bits Intro- The Music
Music has a way of creating a different atmosphere. It can send your whole body into euphoria and allows you to express yourself just the way you see fit. Realizing the importance of music, the inspiration, logically, came from the intro for President Comacho from the Idiocracy movie.
So who in the world could we find to make an intro like that?
Luckily, Kenny Boucher had a roommate at the time who was also a DJ who produced under the name DJ Lochness Monster Tornado. Naturally from the masterpiece you hear in our opening intro, you might be thinking that it came with a huge price tag.
Turns out it did. It cost Rob a whopping Half-handle of Whiskey. A high cost, but totally worth it.
Kenny Boucher and Rob Baer look on in delight as the first cords are played.
Everything came together under one animation and it’s still the reigning handle we use at the beginning of all our videos. You won’t find a Spikey Bits video where our iconic logo isn’t played- just to remind you that you are watching Spikey Bits.
That’s as if you didn’t see it in the title before you clicked anyway, and need to waste 10 more seconds of your life…
Also before we go, if you want to save more time watching our videos, considering speeding up the playback. It turns out that Rob may actually be a robot or a lizard person and literally sounds the same when played back at 1.5 or 2.0 speed. That’s 5 to 10 minutes of your life you just got back each week, we gotcha fam.
What is your favorite video intro out there on the hobby channels?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
