Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 28, 2010 in Comic Books
Above: Tite Kubo on the left and Nick Simmons on the right.
We all live with the cultural myth that if you’ve got talent and work hard that at some point you’ll be discovered. But the sad reality is that there are some very talented people out there who kill themselves their entire lives and still go absolutely nowhere. And even for these of us who do manage to make a living with our creative skills know that it’s not an easy path. So whenever you see nepotism it’s a pretty bitter pill to swallow. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 28, 2010 in Japanese TV
The old vegetarian admonishment is “never eat anything with a face” — so of course looking at these very kawaii veggies heading to their doom makes me feel a tad guilty. This spot was done for Acecook which makes a wide assortment of ramen. Read more…
Sometimes when you see a great demo it changes your very perception of a platform: And Rittai Kakushi E Attakoreda (Hidden 3D Image: There It Is!) has made me not only made me see the Nintendo DSi in a new light — but has me thinking that mobile games could displace console games. Now I may be looking at this demo the wrong way but the program seems to be using the sensors inside the DSi to adjust the display, which gives you the illusion of looking into a 3D diorama. Suddenly this makes the idea of 3D on mobile platforms much more exciting: Granted I’ve seen 3D shooters on the iPhone that react to the angle you hold the device at, but this game takes that concept to the next level. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 27, 2010 in Star Trek
I came across this amazing video from back in the day showing quite a bit of behind-the-scenes work that went into Star Trek: The Motion Picture back in 1978. The film would be released in 1979 to mixed reviews, but while it wasn’t Star Wars you have to admire the amount of work that went into this film. You also get a glimpse into how making a special effects film was different then: Read more…
The quality of this Dainichi stop motion animation commercial for Blue Heaters from 1987 is amazing — keep in mind that this was done several years before Tim Burton did The Nightmare Before Christmas in 1993. And what blows me away is that the entire commercial had to have been done without any computer help, not to mention is that it looks like they’re using a replacement technique similar to George Pál with his Puppetoons. Yet for all technique the advert is funny and fluid — it makes me wish that I knew the studio and could give proper credits. Read more…
Apparently the dark side isn’t just evil — but evil to your credit card: This amazing Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer Framed SpecPlate will set you a mere $1,994.99! Of course only 25 will be produced of this goodie which emulates the dedication plate that would be attached to the bulkhead of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Of course Acme Archives who makes this collectable didn’t skimp on the quality as this keepsake measures 43 by 24-inches and is made out of aluminum. Although the thing that surprises me is that I wouldn’t have expected the Empire to be so sentimental…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 25, 2010 in Science
Not so long ago congress was picking apart NASA chief Charles Bolden for not having a solid plan for space exploration: This is putting the blame in the wrong place which belongs with congress. Frankly a trip to Mars or even just the Moon requires a huge financial investment. Unlike the 60s NASA is highly invested in an ancient space shuttle fleet that’s due to expire and a huge stake in a space station which is in mid-life, not to mention dozens of other side projects which involve everything to investigating climate change to send probes to the furthest reaches of the solar system. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 25, 2010 in Animation
Shown here are three English adverts for Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds themed Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks from the 60s. For me this represents a bit of double lost golden age: For starters this Gerry Anderson Supermarionation shows from the 60s had such a wonderful attention to detail that you just don’t see anywhere — and of course in our politically correct obesity obsessed society you’d never even dream of a breakfast cereal with the name “sugar” in the title being tied to a kids television show! By the way I love how the Thunderbirds cereal included those special collectors pins: Read more…
This video by Loren Feldman is nothing short of brilliant: In it he retells his immortal quest for a jacket that features the logo from Leo Laporte’s famed podcast This Week in Tech. The tech fanboy in me cried as poor Lauren after waiting for what must have been emotional eons and was denied his branded goodie. While there isn’t anything as cool as maid cafés or cosplay in the tech world the industry has always been notorious in the past for handing out tons of branded whatnot. Sadly the golden age of this sort of soft bribery was the dot.com era when it was impossible to leave any kind of second rate trade show without a bag full of t-shirts, office toys and giant plushy mascots. Read more…
Back in the day one of the best tools for teaching the principals of animation was to give a child a Super 8mm camera and let them shoot stop motion animation frame-by-frame using their collection of toys as models in motion. Later some video cameras would be able to do the same trick, however it was never quite as cool. So I’m glad to see a digital twist of this old idea with The Anime Studio which actually looks like a miniature version of an giant old school animation stand: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 24, 2010 in Fandom, Star Trek
This amazing silent 8mm film sheds light on an amazing lost moment in Star Trek fandom: It shows a cast reunion at Chicago convention in late August of 1975. I realize today that doesn’t sound like a big deal but you have to step into the shoes of fans of that era to appreciate this special film. This was an age when the only way to watch an episode of Star Trek might have been if you owned a 16mm film print of an episode. There wasn’t much science fiction on television so desperate fanboys and fangurls wanted Star Trek to come back on the air as much as Beatles fans dreamed of another album. So the ability for fans to see their heros reunite on stage must have been true magic — and it’s because of those fans that not only did the cast return to make several films, but that the series still lives on today. Read more…
I’m always amazed at the amazing variety of anime merchandise: Back in the day you were lucky to find your favorite toy robot hidden away in Chinatown, but now there’s every type of anime themed goodie that you can imagine thanks to the net. And this One Piece Jolly Roger Towel is proof of this concept — as you can now go to the beach and proudly proclaim your Luffy allegiance amongst dunes, surfers and sunscreen. Read more…
This animated Japanese commercial for Karno struck a real chord with me — the spot is so simple yet so very powerful. This advert is a real case of less is more as you have very graphic character designs accompanied by minimalist child’s sing song. Yet the story of a little girl crying and being cheered up by her mother offering her a candy is quite universal and heartwarming. People always identify the complexity of anime as a visual trademark, but having looked at quite a few educational animated segments from NHK I can tell you that isn’t the case. To me what sets anime apart is more than just the craftsmanship but also the storytelling. Read more…
I’ll be honest to me Holo always looked more like a fox than a wolf, however that said I’m sure the hardcore Wolf and Spice fans out there would disagree with me. However there’s no question to me that this canis character is quite catchy so I was quite taken with the Toys Works Collection 2.5 Wolf and Spice II (トイズワークスコレクション にいてんご 狼と香辛料 II) which was issued to celebrate the second season of the series. The collection features multiple Holos with a Lawrence and a Fermi Amati figurine thrown in as well: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 23, 2010 in Japanese TV
GummiX is the latest craze from Japan for kids: It’s a kit that allows you to make your own realistic bug candy. So it’s sort of like do-it-yourself gummy worms but allows you to cook up a wider range of more realistic critters. In fact the website shows kids decorating desserts with various candy bug toppings. Here are some screenshots from the official website to give you a better taste: Read more…
I’m really impressed with the level of detail on the drum kit that accompanies this K-ON! figurine which is due out in May. The figurine also does a nice job of capturing the personality of Ritsu Tainaka who plays the drums because she doesn’t quite have the dexterity to handle more complex musical instruments: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 22, 2010 in Animation
You don’t need a million dollar budget to become a filmmaker: Looking at this short animated film by Angel Yau reminded me a great deal of an animated version of dōjinshi (同人誌) which are self published comic books in Japan. Even though this video was done on an ultra low budget Yau’s storytelling skills had me hooked from the first frame through the last. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 22, 2010 in Japanese TV
The above ever so cute promo for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull features the official mascot for the Okayama Broadcasting Co. Apparently their mascot always exclaims Oh! in any situation including running away from a giant ball at an archeology site. There’s something so charming about the low quality animation being used on this spot which contrasts so well with a high budget Hollywood film trailer: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 22, 2010 in Comic Books
I know it’s a gimmick aimed at collectors, yet I love the concept of variant cover illustrations for comic books. And with three variant covers Turf #2 is a good example of this: Each cover has a very different entertaining take on the theme of aliens and the roaring twenties. The above cover is by David LaFuente reminds me a great deal of a shoujo manga, while the illustration below by Bernard Chang has a nice subtle art deco feel to it: Read more…
Being a Jedi can be a dirty business, so what better way to keep it clean than with Star Wars Logo Soap? This appears to be a fan made item judging by the fact that it’s on Etsy, so enjoy these scented mandarin sandalwood bars while they last: Read more…
Slowly digital photo frames are going from a novelty item for geeks to decor for the masses. Yet most of the frames that I’ve seen thus far are quite tradition, so I was please to come across this Hello Kitty Digital Photo Frame which seems to have a bit of fun with the concept. Granted kitty has so few facial features that it’s a bit hard to see her eyes and nose disappear, but they effect is that it looks like you are looking at what kitty is thinking inside of her head. In addition to storing 16 gigs of images it also looks like kitty can show a calendar or a clock: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 20, 2010 in Science
Robert Satcher Jr. is an astronaut and a surgeon: And not only is he a 21st century of a Dr. McCoy but since he’s also an Chemical engineer you can say that he’s also like Mr. Scott. What I love about watching videos like this is that you get to see people who actually go into outer space for a living, and cooler yet they’re actually quite geeky too! It’s also inspiring to see that Satcher has given back so much too. Here’s a wonderful photo of Satcher in action: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 19, 2010 in Animation, Tech
Anybody who grew up with Star Blazers is going to want to download this Yamato iPhone app right away! The app was released to promote the new Yamato film which came out last year — the only catch is that he navigation is in Japanese, so here’s a quick tour: Read more…
Shown here are three English adverts for Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds themed Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks from the 60s. For me this represents a bit of double lost golden age: For starters this Gerry Anderson 
You don’t need a million dollar budget to become a filmmaker: Looking at this short animated film by 
