Pachimon Game Museum

The Pachimon Game Museum is an online Japanese website that shows off gaming rip-offs from China from the PolyStation II (shown above) to the Jank Box 36X.

Oreo Cookies

The above commercial for Oreo Cookies in Japan stars actress Narumi Riko who got her first beak with the tv series Trick which was sort of like X-Files meets Scooby-Doo.

Girls with Guns

Peter Schneider is a fanboy from Germany who has put together an amazing gallery of Girls with Guns on Flickr. His collection of 433 spans both the globe (Europe to Korea) and muliple genres (old westerns to sci fi).

Hello Kitty Cat Clothing

I don’t know why they didn’t think of this sooner! Now you can now buy a Hello Kitty outfit to humiliate, err “dress up” your cat. But I have to admit that there’s something very cute about the photo above, although I can only guess at what poor neko is thinking.

Ultimate Star Wars Fanboy Contest

Here’s your chance for fame and fortune, well maybe just a little bit of fame: The producers of the Fanboys film are having a contest for the Ultimate Fanboy Video. What’s neat is that the winner will get a walk on part in the upcoming film Fanboys.

Distraction Game (Pyo Pyo Fruits)

Distraction Game (also known as Pyo Pyo Fruits) is a fun Flash game from Japan. What nice about it is that as you play characters outside the frame of the game (shown above) nudge the creen to distract you. My hat is off to whomever cam eup with the design…

Found via Metafilter.

Phoenix Lander to Launch Today

While it may be a slim chance, it’s interesting to think that in just nine months we could find life on Mars:

Nasa to launch Mars polar probe

“NASA is to launch a spacecraft on a nine-month journey to Mars, where it will dig below the surface for clues to the existence of past or present life. The Phoenix probe is scheduled to lift off on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop a Delta II rocket.

The mission will aim to shed light not only on the history of this water ice but also on whether the region could support microbial life. Crucial to this question will be tests for complex, carbon-based chemicals (organics) in the soil and signs the ice periodically melts. “The real question we’re trying to answer is: ‘has that ice melted’, because liquid water in contact with soil may provide us with a habitable environment,” said Peter Smith, the mission’s principal investigator and a professor at the University of Arizona.”

Star Wars Talking Dashboard Statues

Luke use the turn signal! The Star Wars Talking Dashboard Statues shown above spout a clever Star Wars phrase when you push their yellow button. Although I’m surprised that they don’t have an R2-D2, even though he doesn’t speak human he seems more like an ideal passanger for ones own X-Wing vehicle…

Anime from 1933

This is a great example of Anime before the age of giant robots. This is a clip from Ugokie-Ko-Ri-No-Tatehiki (The Fox Versus the Racoon) directed by Ikuo Oishi (1901-1941):

Also see (in Japanese):

http://www.n-eigashinsha.jp/kori.html

Two Word Reviews: Ewoks vs. Jar Jar

Lucky Star goes to Comiket

The inside jokes in Lucky Star always bring a smile to my face! In this epiosde (number 12) the otaku ladies go to Comiket, which is the world’s largest comic book convention:

“The first CM was held in December 1975, with only about 30 participating circles and an estimated 700 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a quarter of a million people. The convention lasts for three days. It is a grassroots, DIY effort for selling dōjinshi, self-published Japanese works. As items sold in CM are considered very rare (because dōjinshi are seldom reprinted), some items sold at CM can be found in shops or on the Internet at prices up to 10 times the item’s original price.”

Orguss: Model Kit Ad from 1984

Shown above is an ad for toys and model kits from the classic anime series Super Dimension Century Orguss which was featured in the January 1984 issue of Animedia magazine.

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Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who: Trailer

I had my doubts at first, but this trailer doesn’t look half bad. I guess my thinking at this point is that it’s better to do Dr. Seuss with computer animation rather than live action. In fact I dare say that the character designs don’t look half bad in terms of getting the spirit of Seuss. But the voice acting sounds quite bad, Jim Carey and Steve Carell sound flat and unspired which is a bad sign for a trailer.

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Millennium Falcon LEGO: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

It’s Han Solo ala Lego! At almost 3 feet long and containing over 5,000 pieces, the Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon ($500) is the biggest Lego set ever made. Pre-orders are now open and the starships will start shipping on October 1, 2007:

Millennium Falcon LEGO: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

The Lush Look of Immortal Iron

Immortal Iron Fist is comic book focused on sword wielding ladies, but what impresses with this cover art (for Immortal Iron Fist #7 which is in stores this week) is how it blends the colors and style of an Alphonse Mucha with an inner samurai spirit. The credit for this lush cover goes to Travel Foreman.

Sweeney Todd Movie Poster

Shown above is a detail from a poster for the upcoming Tim Burton film Sweeney Todd. I have no idea how Burton is going to pull off a musical, or even if it will be a musical – but I have to say this poster looks great.

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Snyder on Star Trek

Sadly long time talk show host Tom Snyder passed away today. His interviews were always enjoyable because they gave you the feeling that out were hanging out with the stars and just having a good conversation. Here are some classic clips of him in the 70s interviewing the cast members of the original Star Trek series:

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Heroes for Hire: Chaos vs. Cheesecake!

I love the combined sense of chaos and cheesecake in the above cover for Heroes for Hire #12 by talented Canadian illustrator Takeshi Miyazawa.

Paripo Umachoko

The typography on this package design is A+ in my book! Having the eyeballs on the letters P reminds me of something that designer Paula Scher might create. I was also impressed that the treats inside tasted rather good, the outside had a crisp feeling to it which was a nice contrast to the sweet chocolate goo inside. How often do you get to have a good typography and chocolate experience for $1.89?

Liquid TV: Autoguard 2000

The above segment was directed by my long time friend Brian Cirulnick back in 1991. Autoguard 2000 was featured in the 6th episode of Liquid Television. The nostalgia I get watching this isn’t so much for the days of my youth when people were cel painting, but rather for an era when MTV showed animation and gasp * music videos * all the time.

Some interesting trivia on Autoguard, some of the animation was done with computer animation using the Amiga and the NewTek Video Toaster and many of the title designs and backgrounds were created with in the first edition of Photoshop. There were four other episodes that were shot of Autoguard, but only Bride of Autoguard made it to Liquid Television.

I Spy Fun House Preview

Not to toot my own horn, but my design firm just finished up work on a sneak preview site for I Spy Fun House, an upcoming game for the Nintendo DS platform. The game looks pretty neat as it’s packed with levels of cool brain teaser puzzles.

Italian Animation: Arturo e Kiwi

Above is an episode of Arturo e Kiwi which translates into English as ‘the prescriptions of Arthur and Kiwi’. The series is directed by Andrea Zingoni and went on the air in 2006. Arturo (Arthur) is a chef who’s a dog and Kiwi is his assitant from New Zealand (who has a passion for wine). Each episode feature a specific dish, and so far they’ve covered everything from gnocchi to tiramisu.

It’s Official: Spock is Back

They also seem to be hinting that Shatner might still have a shot at it too:

Leonard Nimoy to have role in new ‘Star Trek’ film

“The 76-year-old actor will don his famous pointy ears again to play the role in an upcoming “Star Trek” film due out Christmas 2008. “This is really going to be a great movie. And I don’t say things like that lightly,” Nimoy told a gathering of 6,500 fans Thursday at Comic-Con, the nation’s largest pop-culture convention. He greeted the crowd with a Vulcan salute. Nimoy was joined by the newly named young Spock, “Heroes” star Zachary Quinto, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Nimoy.

While the character of Captain Kirk has yet to be cast, Abrams said that William Shatner, who played the role in the original TV series, would likely also have a part in the film. “It has to be worthy, of him and of you,” Abrams told fans, adding that production is slated to begin in November.”

Five Versions of Blade Runner?

I have to admit that I’m sort of getting burned out on Blade Runner in my old age, but this DVD set does look like it would make even the most cynical fanboy quite happy around Christmas time:

‘Blade Runner’ gets final cut
DVD set will include five versions of Scott pic

“For a film that defined what it meant to be a “director’s cut” for the masses, “Blade Runner” has waited 25 years to receive a proper one. On Dec. 18, Warner will release “Blade Runner: The Final Cut,” the definitive version of director Ridley Scott’s fusion of film noir and science fiction, which has become a cult classic since its initial failure at the box office in 1982. One of Warner’s most popular titles today, the film will be available in both HD formats and in three different DVD editions, with the final cut also receiving select theatrical playdates in New York, Los Angeles and the Venice Film Fest.”