Alongside our top 100 articles list we asked our writers for some of their wildcard faves

Now you’ll already know that for the past nine days we’ve been counting down the top 100 articles on the site this year based purely on the number of the hits they received, thereby ceding our curatorial control in the name of cold, hard stats. But we’ve also asked some of our writers to pick out a post or two which may not have gatecrashed the top 100 but which still hold a special place in our hearts.

Up first are Adam Morley and Dulcie Cowling’s surreal yet silly videos, selected by It’s Nice That co-founder Alex Bec. A fantastic cross between surreal messages, candy-coloured visuals and a surprising amount of cress. And Alex also had to nod to the ludicrous amount of times Adam Buxton has been featured on the website this year. Could The Counting Song be the best? Or is it his hilarious music video parody that tickles you? Maybe it’s just too difficult to decide. You tell us.
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/adam-morley-dulcie-cowling-very-successful-adverts
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/adam-buxton-amazing-music-video
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/adam-buxton-counting-song

Editor Rob Alderson decided to go with something a little more serious (for a change) and picked George Butler’s awe-inspiring "location drawing that documented the Syrian crisis this year.

“While the work we feature on It’s Nice That is stunning, it could potentially be viewed as slightly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things so my wildcard pick would be George Butler’s pictures from Syria. His illustrations are not only beautiful and at times heartbreaking but also hugely significant, capturing a difficult time in a difficult place with sensitivity and skill. As much as we love fun and whimsy, the odd bit of being serious doesn’t go amiss and creatives do have the power to really change people’s attitudes. "
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/george-butler-syria

Maya Davies usually sticks to expertly running the It’s Nice That events, but she still keeps a close eye on the site and even writes the occasional post for us still. Her favourites from this year are the love-em-or-hate-em masks by Bertjan Pot (above) and the crazy, trippy tribal photographs of Phyllis Galembo (below). Brilliant stuff.
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/studio-bertjan-pot-masks
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/phyllis-galembo

James is so damn good at bringing content to the table that he has a special nicknname which we use but we can’t tell you what it is in case he gets cross. High praise indeed though for him to pick you as his favourite wild card of the year, and here’s what he had to say about Simon John Thompson: “I know we only posted him the other day but he’s my favourite illustrator discovery of the year. So much time for a man who makes a zine called An Excuse To Draw Naked Girls and then makes everything else he produces 100% batshit crazy. Plus he’s really, really skilled at printing. Respect!”
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/simon-john-thompson

When asked for his own personal wild card, intern Ross Bryant chose the brilliantly emotional, gouache images by Alex Gibbs. “I love how friendly they appear on the surface until realisation slaps you right in the moo chop,” he explained. “Great stuff.”
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/alex-gibbs

All great so far, and now for my own choice. In a year dominated by artists plucked out of the ever-blooming tree that is Flickr, my own choice is Waleria Petruschenko, an artist who we know nearly nothing about. What I know about Waleria’s drawings is that they brought me the most joy of all the great, great portfolios I have seen all year. Maybe it’s the fact she’s a mystery, maybe it’s because most of her images are dedicated to her boyfriend. Either way, I love her work, and I sincerely hope she knows that we posted about her back in November.
www.itsnicethat.com/articles/waleria