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Diary of a Domo Devotee
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 9, 2010 in Hobbies and Collections
Once upon a time Domo goodies were so hard to come across, you had to order them from Japan and then wait, wait, wait; but these days you can find Domo paraphernalia almost everywhere. Dark Horse is continuing the reign of Domo with more goodies: Shown above is the Domo and Mr. Usaji Journal, and below are the Domo Sticky Note Book and the Domo Party Lights: Read more… What Would Happen If You Mixed Dr. Who and Space:1999?
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 9, 2010 in Dr. Who, Television
The above fan mashed video kit bashes together the Dr. Who spacial The Waters of Mars with classic 70s sci fi series Space:1999. What this video reminds me of is just how well the opening titles of Space:1999 hold up — that powerful combination of the music and editing still hold up today. The White Whale of Mu: An Anime Version of Moby Dick is Restored
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 8, 2010 in Animation
26 episodes of the The White Whale of Mu (ムーの白鯨) were produced by TMS in 1980 — I suspect the water theme from this vintage anime sci fi series owed a great deal to Space Battleship Yamato. Thanks to Matsumoto putting retro hardware like sailing ships (Captain Harlock) and trains (Galaxy Express 999) was all the rage, so why not Moby Dick? So it looks like TMS which produced the show is now putting out a restored version for retro anime fans (you can look on amazon.co.jp to buy it): Read more… Kitty Candy Memories
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 8, 2010 in Hobbies and Collections
I always thought of Hello Kitty as being sweet enough on her own — yet this Hello Kitty USB Candy 2GB Memory Stick takes the concept to the next level but putting all of your data in a kitty styled candy roll. I also love how the product designer went that extra mile to make the candy more kitty like by adding a bow in the corner: Read more… The First YouTube Comic Book
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 8, 2010 in Comic Books, Tech
Not so long ago I started to notice a few comics were incorporating either Twitter or IM interface elements into their page layout in an attempt to be hip. Well Forgetless #2 takes this trend a step further by having three pages that are done as a faux YouTube video. Just to make sure they’re hitting the right demographics the story features the exploits of a failed t-shirt maker — now if it had been me, I’d have an Etsy craft nerd in the lead role: Read more… My Move Into the AT&T Hate Club
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 7, 2010 in Tech
A little bit over a year ago I purchased my iPhone — I was slightly late to the party so just a little bit after getting my first generation phone, Apple rolled out the next version. For the most part it was a speed bump so I didn’t resent AT&T for the two year contract lock in at that point. However by the end of 2009 still being stuck on the Edge network was wearing a bit thin for yours truly, but I still hadn’t entered “the hate club”. Read more… How Big is a Space Shuttle?
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 7, 2010 in Science
The video below shows the Space Shuttle Endeavour being moved from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A for its February 7th mission. The one thing that amazed me about this video is that gives you a good taste for just large the space shuttle is in scale. You get a great feeling for this looking not just at the scale of the automobiles driving by but also by how slow the rollout goes: Read more… Bandai: Is the Official Company Uniform Gundam Cosplay?My favorite thing about this Mobile Suit Gundam toy commercial? The fact that it shows all of those Bandai employees dressed in in uniforms from the show: Read more… Why We Loathe Counselor Deanna Troi
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 6, 2010 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Trek
Who is the least popular character from Star Trek: The Next Generation? Well I’ll give you a hint — her exclusive action figure has been marked down from $14.99 (which is pretty cheap for a collector’s item to start with) to a shockingly low $3.00! Yes you heard me right: Commander Deanna Troi is worth less than what you might spend on a cup of Starbucks! But I come not to praise the half-Betazoid, but instead to bury her (or rather the writers who created her character in the first place). Read more… Star Trek Online: The Next Generation is Now Too Old and Not So Bold
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 6, 2010 in Star Trek, Videogames
This trailer for the Star Trek Online MMO gives you a pretty good flavor of the universe that Cryptic Studios has been working on. The game is set to launch in early February and is set 30 years after the events in the film Star Trek Nemesis which was the last film with the Next Generation cast from back in 2002. Read more… Valkyria Chronicles 2G: The Joy of Moe Mecha Tank Battles
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 6, 2010 in Videogames
This is a cute promotional video for Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles 2G game which will be out on the PSP. This battlefield simulation game is based on Valkyria Chronicles which came out for the PlayStation3 back in 2008 — although I think setting the game on a portable platform makes the anime aspect of this title even cuter. Read more… Obama Introduces Steampunk Decor to the White House
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 5, 2010 in Tech
President Obama has been slowly redecorating the Oval Office at the White House — and of course there are the usual bits of history and family photos, but this geeky gem caught my eye: “Also new to the Obama bookshelves are three mechanical devices on loan from the National Museum of American History’s patent collection: models for Samuel Morse’s 1849 telegraph register, John Peer’s 1874 gear-cutting machine and Henry Williams’ 1877 feathering paddle wheel for steamboats.” Read more… The Fall of Manga: Huh?
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 5, 2010 in Comic Books
Above: I’m sorry son, you’ll have to move to the back because these fierce fangurls now own comic book fandom. Photo by Christian Liendo. I just read the article Trends in 00s from Comic Book Resources was blown away when coming across the following mislabled “trend”: The Rise and Fall of Manga George Tramountanas: At the beginning of this decade, manga was on the rise. Everyone was reading the little “backwards books” and publishers were trying to figure out how to hop on this zeitgeist. Since then, several American manga publishers have either had to reduce their output or have gone out of business. I guess I wouldn’t actually say that manga has “fallen,” but it’s definitely not as prominent as it was in the early ’00s. As for reasons behind this – I have no idea. I don’t know if it was an overabundance of material, or if fans are getting their manga digitally now (I understand lots of Japanese kids are reading manga in a digital format). In any case, it’s something I’ll keep watching – and reading! Read more… How To Impress the Ladies in Japan: Wear a Baseball Outfit
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 5, 2010 in Japanese TV
Just look at her: She’s so smitten with him! Sadly I couldn’t trace down the baseball player and the lovely lady from this wonderfully cute advert from the 80s. I also love the added touch in the commercial of how she changes her outfit for each special soft drink encounter. Although I did figure out the orange, pineapple and grape flavored beverages featured in the advert was manufactured by Hagoromo foods. The Most Overlooked Anime Series of The Last Five Years
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 4, 2010 in Animation
2010 is now here and the season of top manga and anime lists is now over! Most of these lists are on the fanboy quest to figure out the most important anime series of the last few years. And to me this isn’t a trivial quest: Looking back allows us as critics to pick out the overlooked titles that deserve a second chance, and by contrast to acknowledge the fads that have faded. In fact it always interesting to me how an amazing film or television show can receive lackluster box office receipts or poor ratings, only to be recognized in retrospect as important. And thus I submit to you that the most important anime show of the last five years was Bakugan Battle Brawlers. Read more… The Treachery of 2010 (The Film, Not the Year)
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 3, 2010 in Cinema, Pulp Fiction
On paper 2010 has all of the ingredients of a great film: A story by Arthur C. Clarke, a cast that includes A+ actors like John Lithgow, Helen Mirren and Roy Scheider — and then add to that you’ve got a visual genius like Syd Mead working on the production design. Even more impressive is the fact that as a genre hard science fiction films represent a blank canvas of possibilities. Yet as a film fanboy (who loves science fiction) I hated every frame of it. Read more… Six Years on Mars: The Case for Manned Mission to Mars
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 2, 2010 in Science
It’s impressive to see NASA send these cute toys to explore Mars to wander about — but the damn things always seem to break down. It’s frustrating to watch knowing that humans wandering about in spacesuits could be much more productive. I’ll grant you that the cost is much great, but it’s sad to me that the United States doesn’t seem to be serious yet about going to Mars. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that Obama gives NASA a budget boost, but NASA needs more than a gentle increase: It’s time to aim high again… A Classic Greek Take on Star Wars from Japan
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 2, 2010 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Wars
These Japanese Star Wars Mini Busts capsule toys remind me a great deal of classic Greek and Roman sculptures. I especially love the Han Solo that looks like Michelangelo’s David: Read more… The Melancholy of Haruhi Americanized
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 1, 2010 in Animation
At long last Bandai is bringing out The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The dubbing here is pretty professional, but I’ve got to admit that I always get a little bit let down when I hear the voice acting go from Japanese to English. However i do have to say that I’ve been impressed with the fanservice friendly low budget videos that Bandai has been putting out to push the show to American otaku: Read more… A First Look at the Space Battleship Yamato Live Action FilmThe good news: Hollywood won’t ruin this film! The bad news: There isn’t a very strong tradition in Japan for making live action science fiction films. Mind you I’m not saying that this can’t be done, but the odds are against you. So given that I’ve got to say as an ancient Star Blazers fans that this trailer has me much more excited than the animated film that came out this year, which to be fair got better review than I expected. Here’s a screen-by-screen breakdown of my thoughts: Read more… Our Favorite Toys from 2009
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 1, 2010 in Hobbies and Collections
Fanboys love their toys! And 2009 has been a great year for collectors of both high and low art, so we’ve put together our favorites from this year with an eye on unique twists on old themes. For example shown above O-No! Sushi by Andrew Bell is an urban toy reaction from a vegetarian to sushi. Read more… Speaker Bot and His Sidekick iPod
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 1, 2010 in Hobbies and Collections
David Lipson of Lipson Robotics has been doing some impressive work with his homemade robot sculptures. His latest Speaker Bot creation takes this to the next level — it features a working speaker which can be plugged into a mp3 player. Shown in this photo is Lipson’s retro first generation iPod: Read more… |
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