Something Awful, if you don’t know, has been very influential on the internet, and if you don’t believe me then Wikipedia says so too. For many years at the turn of the millenium I was a member, mostly because the front page writing was similar to what I was putting on my own site at the time and the Photoshop Phriday feature was something I enjoyed a lot. But, in addition to interacting with juvenile-minded adults in an online capacity, I also attended some Goon Meets in London (a Goon being a member of the forums, and a Meet being exactly what you think it is). Not only that, I brought my girlfriend (now wife) along too. That’s right: we were meeting people off the internet for real back when everyone still said it was dangerous to do that, risk-taking bastards that we are.

So, thanks to a random video popping up and triggering a lot of memories and a little bit of searching, here’s a selection of my Photoshop Phriday submissions and some photos from Goon Meets attended between 2002 and 2004.

Photoshop Phriday

Now, right from the start, let me just say this: these were different times. Some of this might not now reflect an older me with more of life’s formative experiences behind him but something about censorship I learnt a long time ago from Arnold Epstein in Biloxi Blues – once you start compromising your thoughts, you’re a candidate for mediocrity – remains part of my psyche, so here they are anyway.

Photoshop Phridays were themed and some themes appeared in varying formats over and over again.

War is hell, as are some of these submissions.

Magazine covers were popular because they’re pretty easy to do.

Movie posters was another theme that made a lot of appearances over the years.

There was also an art/movie crossover that I participated in.

Breakfast cereal packaging cropped up a few times, one of them being movie-related.

Television shows.

Games, both physical ones and computer games.

Robots doing unexpected things.

Insect sports.

Animal mash-ups was one theme I really enjoyed.

And the rest.

London Goon Meets

We attended five Goon Meets in total between August 2002 and January 2004, although photos were only taken at the first four of those. The following map was from one of the meetings but I’ve no idea which one, although it will give you some of the names of the people to meet up.

Meetings typically involved one or two pubs and the Namco Station (as it was then called) featured more often than not. As far as what was discussed… not a clue. Probably recalling some of the crazy hijinks that went on in a daily basis in the Something Awful forums. Goon Meets were arranged for no real reason in particular but if a visitor from foreign shores was in the country then that was usually a trigger so some of these photos will include some Americans. Your challenge is to spot them.

From August 2002:

Most of the photos were taken at this first event, and on a pretty awful digital camera. I think this might have been Jeet’s birthday (he’s the hairless human).

From October 2002:

This would not be the only example of clambering atop statuary in London, nor the last appearance of that fine, feathered hat.

From January 2003:

From September 2003:

More statue-climbing, more hat. Just like I promised.