Would you ever call a Game Boy beautiful? I would argue that the form factors on some of the handhelds that we get through the office look incredibly unique, but the term beautiful denotes a strong reaction that takes your breath away. A piece of art, now that's beautiful, and when you get a skilled artist like Brodie Trent working with retro tech like our beloved Game Boy, then amazing things are going to happen.
Brodie Trent makes some of the most unique, 1-of-1 Game Boys by fusing together artistic styles from two very different time periods to create a juxtaposition that you would never have thought would work, but 100% does.
Just take a look at the Game Boys in this article - they don't look like the kind of thing that you would normally see on a gamer's desk, more likely displayed safely in a china cabinet at your grandparents' house along with her collection of willow pattern plates. But having one of these in our GAMENOOK Throne would be the ultimate display piece, a Game Boy made from vintage, antique materials, lovingly handmade and sealed with a high-gloss resin that makes them look and feel like porcelain.
If your wallet is now bursting to spend all the money inside it, then I'm not sorry, because mine is too. A Game Boy where you can actually see the fabric weave on the inside, shipping in an antique jewelry box, would make the most incredible gift for any gamer in your life. Or, if anyone who knows me is reading this, it would make a great Christmas present. (Let's make it happen, Brodie).
'It takes roughly 70 hours to complete one antique boy with a custom box and all the extras. A huge amount of time goes into wet sanding the shell once it’s dry. From rough grain down to super fine grain, the smoother it is, the closer it will look to porcelain or ceramic.'
Brodie Trent, Artist
Brodie's artistic endeavours don't just end with Game Boys, however, with this retro-inspired artist taking a lot of pictures using the Game Boy Camera to make prints from, and also creating hand-stitched tapestries, all from a retro gaming perspective.
What separates 'retro' from 'antique'? I've seen Game Boys and games in antique stores in glass cabinets, so are they one and the same? Retro has a cool edge to it in our business, but antique has connotations of being old, something that you wouldn't want to play with because it's fragile and super expensive.
Brodie fuses both of these ideas together, making playable antique consoles that would never fail to turn heads. I'm a huge fan of the Antique Boy and Brodie's work, and it's great to be able to give such a talented artist a platform to show their work to the Retro Gaming community. Head over to Brodie's Instagram and show some love, and sign up on Brodie's website to find out when these Antique Boys and Brodie's prints go on sale!
