JErry jACkson LANDs turbo edition: the rune’s off time – the stones of jon – qeust 4 the godlen sand of power
Salad Fingers creator David Firth is making a beat’em up game featuring the misadventures of Jerry Jackson, a violent and mouthy delinquent who bears more than a passing resemblance to the animated sentient salad from Firth’s early internet animations. It’s a bizarre and unforgettable experience that I hope to never forget.
Firth is best known as the creator of Salad Fingers, the vivid and disturbingly weird internet sensation that first debuted in 2004 and has since gained a cult following. While that’s Firth’s main claim to fame, he’s also made other weird animations, including Burnt Face Man, and has even dabbled in game development over the years.
Now, in a video on Firth’s Youtube channel, he explores his early forays into game development as a teenager. He shows off a number of prototypes, including an isometric adventure game and a top-down shooter, but there’s one game in particular that really stands out.
“JErry jACkson LANDs turbo edition: the rune’s off time – the stones of jon – qeust 4 the godlen sand of power.” That’s the full name of Firth’s game. It has four levels, bosses, story, dialogue, multiple modes, and plenty of unnecessary violence.
In an interview about the game, Firth discusses its pricing and his creative process. “I’m always trying to capture the essence of my characters and their world,” he says. “So if I think about Jerry, he’s this little delinquent, his whole world is one of violence and strange encounters, so you can break everything in the school environment, talk to people, bounce on their heads, and engage in crude and unnecessary violence.”
Asked about the price of the game, Firth says, “I’ll make it at least an hour long before releasing it. And I’ll keep the price affordable. I’ve learned from past mistakes of announcing projects too soon. So I’m not saying it’ll be £40 or anything. But a fiver or something.”
The game footage itself evokes a sense of nostalgia for the early internet era, when flash games were really popular and filled with over-the-top violence and bizarre, yet somehow charming, art styles. The visuals and gameplay in the video really remind me of 2010, and I think that’s a good thing.
Firth has definitely preserved that unique and unconventional nature of his early works with this game, which should appeal to fans of his previous animations. While Salad Fingers is clearly his most well-known creation, I think it’s fair to say that Burnt Face Man was actually my first exposure to Firth’s work, and it certainly left quite the impression on me.
The game does seem to capture the essence of early-internet weirdness, and I’m really excited to see what other characters and worlds Firth has in his repertoire. While he doesn’t have a specific release timeline for the game, and has learned from past mistakes of announcing projects too soon, I think it’s safe to say that we’ll all be waiting eagerly for it.
If you’re unfamiliar with Firth’s work, you can check out Salad Fingers and the rest of his creations via his website.
