*Note: This article was originally published on mythical.games/people
Josh Foreman, Sr. Level Designer here at Mythical Games, is quite the character. We mean that as a genuine compliment to his bright, enthusiastic, creative personality - and also quite literally!
If you’ve played Blankos Block Party, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the spikey quaffed character “The Foreman,” who helps facilitate building custom levels within the game. It’s hard to miss that “The Foreman” shares Josh’s last name (which coincidentally is also an apt name for someone who manages builders) as well as his signature hairdo.
Josh credits friends and fellow Mythical teammates Charles Beacham, Head Writer, and Rick Brown, Sr. Producer, for giving “The Foreman” Josh’s likeness. When asked if this character was essentially a self-insert into the game, he reassures the viewers of one of his YouTube videos that it was not his own doing. He shares, “In the game industry, it's a little gauche to kind of like insert yourself into the game but totally cool if your co-workers do it for you!”.
Beyond the obvious visual similarities between Josh and “The Foreman,” Josh is also a builder in his free time outside of work.
Josh jokingly describes himself as a ”manic-pixie dream boy YouTuber extraordinaire but by day a mild-mannered video game designer on a game called Blankos Block Party.” On his YouTube channel (and Twitch), he showcases himself creating all sorts of unique sculptures and other art.
One of his latest creations was fittingly a physical sculpture of “The Foreman.” He explains that “[he’s] just so excited about [his] day job that it's seeping into [his] night thing.”
He goes on to share, “… this is just a career highlight for me; I am loving my job right now, it's so fun. I love the game, I love the builder community that we've developed”.
Josh has meticulously documented the process for his online followers (an overview can be seen here), from perfecting the initial 3D printing to several iterations of priming and sanding to the final stages of painting. Through trial and error, Josh actually ended up with four final renditions of his sculpture.
So, where will these incredible figures end up living? Josh thinks it’s most fitting to give one medium-sized version each to the teammates who encouraged the creation of “The Foreman” in Blankos Block Party. He’ll also be running a giveaway to randomly select one individual from his mailing list to win a small “Foreman” of their very own.
The last one, of course, will sit behind Josh at his desk, viewable during all his future streams, which you can check out live on his Twitch or catch them later on YouTube.
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Mythical Games is full of incredibly talented, creative, passionate folks like Josh. Want to work with more people like that? Check out our Careers page for information on open roles we’re currently hiring for.