The 'Shroom:Issue 158/Staff Notes
Welcome to this May 2020 issue, all of you readers of The 'Shroom. May is an interesting time of year around here, a kind of calm before the storm as we prepare to enter our Awards season in this community. Though things may be quiet right now, there's hints of the gathering storm just around the corner, evident in the talk of Awards tournaments, preparations for our upcoming special issue in July, and the final adjustments to our Awards polls.
Yes, this stillness isn't going to last. Expect things to get very busy around here in these next two months as we shift into Awards season. You can expect the Awards polls and the Community Dossier next month and our Dr. Mario summer special in July. There might also be a special surprise in the works that we'll be unveiling in the next two months, as well... Yes, there's something else coming up very soon that you all should look out for. I think it'll generate a flurry of activity, too.
With that, I'll turn it over to Roserade, who has a few announcements about this issue for all of you. Enjoy this issue, readers of The 'Shroom, and please look forward to the activity we'll have in the coming months!
—Hooded Pitohui, Director
Greetings, beautiful 'Shroom readers! I wouldn't mind if you could, uh, stand behind that yellow line for me. You see, I've been asked to implement new guidelines in the workspace to keep our staff safe, and I've measured every single inch of this office with an old ruler and some thumbtacks to perfect our safety protocol. It's taken me two whole weeks to do, but I finally finished it yesterday, so now everyone can keep a reasonable six foot difference. Yet again, I ask why these duties must always fall to me…
But hey, there's stuff to announce. I'm sad to report that we've ultimately decided to cancel the Animal Crossing Photo Contest due to a lack of participation and engagement. Don't fret, because we'll be using this as a learning experience for the future, and we hope to make whichever contest that may come next a success! If you were hoping to participate, we thank you for your interest, regardless of the final outcome. Additionally, as yesterday's Awards Committee meeting logs will show, we have decided to cancel Lord Bowser (talk). Our sincerest apologies to him and his family.
Hey, what's that? I'm hearing a whole lot of pop music coming from outside all of a sudden. I can't even tell what the vocalist is singing… is Jimmy T. trying to take over The 'Shroom again? This is the fourth time, man!
I'll go give that a look-see. In the meantime, please enjoy this May edition of The 'Shroom.
—Roserade, Sub-Director
Staff Section of the Month for April 2020
| STAFF-VOTED SECTION OF THE MONTH | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Section | Writer | Reasoning | |
| 1st | Drawn and Pressed | winstein (talk) | Thorough, engaging, informative, and aesthetically-appealing, those are the words we would use to describe winstein's section, and this particular edition captures those four traits. Winstein makes this more than just a collection of facts by weaving his own experiences as a reader of the comic and his knowledge of the medium in general into the detailed history and overview of Pickles that he presents. Between the quality of his writing, the passion he demonstrates for the subject matter, and the accompanying images and links he uses to enhance the section, we put it on par with Half-Baked Reviews and Mach Speed Mayhem as some of the best section The 'Shroom has to offer. | |
| 2nd | Anton's Half-Baked Reviews | Hypnotoad (talk) | Another entry in Anton's Adventures where he goes into the small things and makes them interesting, including the inventive ways the journey to France was funded. Great log of the events, and the airport travelling tips are also a nice addition. | |
| 3rd | Poll Committee Discussion | Doomhiker (talk) | This is a section where you always see a variety of approaches and writing styles, and they have their own strengths and weaknesses. What stands out about Doomhiker's take on PC Discussion, though, is the degree to which he's willing to put in the legwork to find background knowledge on the topics he's covering. He outright quotes and links sources that add weight to his interpretations of the poll results, piecing together an understanding of people's feelings through both background information and the results of the voting on display. | |
| 4th | Mach Speed Mayhem | Superchao (talk) | It's hard to say something that hasn't already been said about this section, but it is another section of high caliber. We appreciate the additional information that Perch brings regarding PJ, such as the references to a Sega series, and the little summary of the series as well. This is information that might seem non-essential for some, but which, in our opinion, brings a little extra touch to his section, showing a great care of attention to detail. Aside from that, the continuous community engagement to this section also deserves to be recognized. | |
| 5th | Picross | Goombuigi (talk) | Goombuigi added a detailed example of how to play Picross for those unfamiliar with it. While there have been explanations in previous versions of the section, this one is particularly thorough in its step-by-step format. We think it's a good example of adding something useful to section that some might have thought there was nothing else to do with. | |
| The 'Shroom: Issue 158 | |
|---|---|
| Staff sections | Staff Notes • The 'Shroom Spotlight |
| Features | Fake News • Fun Stuff • Palette Swap • Pipe Plaza • Critic Corner • Strategy Wing |
