Only children are supposed to be able to see Totoro, Miyazaki’s friendly furry forest spirit, but it looks like exceptions are made when he’s crafted of fondant. Carolyn Lengel made these adorable cupcakes with her daughter Harriet to celebrate Harriet’s 11th birthday. Seeing all eleven together will likely make you use the word “cute” several hundred times, and you might even want one for yourself, but alas — you can’t have your Totoros and eat them too.Read more…
Disney’s making a long-term investment in Tron Legacy, and fans of the original film (or of the actually-decent Tron 2.0 game) should be pretty pleased with that effort — the studio even secured electronica greats Daft Punk to score the film, and the genius of that is difficult to overstate. When I saw the Legacy trailer for the first time, the gritty, thumping soundtrack immediately stood out to me, and I wanted more. Thankfully, it looks like Disney is ready to help in that regard. TronSoundtrack.com just opened its doors, and though there’s not much there right now (a looping theme from the film and a mailing list sign-up), it should be populated with a lot more great tracks like the sneak peeks we’ve heard so far. If you’re a Tron fan and you haven’t already bookmarked the site by the time this article is over, I’d go ahead and sign up for voluntary de-rezzing. Read more…
Do you ever look down and think “Golly, my shoes just aren’t cute enough”? If so, you may be one of the millions of people worldwide suffering from Sanrio Shoe Deficiency (SSD). Thankfully, there’s a cure: Sanrio and Doctor Martens have teamed up for their respective 50th anniversaries to bring you these overwhelmingly adorable shoes themed around Hello Kitty. Available in both the classic white/blue/red and a punkier pink/black palette, these limited-edition Doc Martens with Hello Kitty bow details are available as boots or Mary Janes. At over a hundred dollars, they’re not cheap, but they’re certainly unique. Perfect for stomping around after your roller derby match or going to the malt shop with your steady. Now where are my Chococat Converse All-Stars, Sanrio? Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 8, 2010 in Star Trek
From a modern sci-fi enthusiast’s perspective, the original Star Trek TV series is a pretty campy experience. In fact, let’s just extend that to “everybody.” But you can’t deny its unique brand of futurism, which continues to influence science fiction (and regular science) in the decades since it first aired. The newly-released hardcover Star Trek 365 features a treasure trove of over three hundred pieces of art from the series’ 71-episode run, from set photos to concept art to beautiful newly-remastered stills. There’s even rarely-seen licensed art, like the box art for the first plastic Spock model shown above. The only way the book could be more compelling for fans of the series (or retro futurism) is if it was bound in corbomite. Read more…
Visionary director Terry Gilliam recently visited the Deauville American Film Festival in France, speaking about the collapse of financing for his long-beleaguered project The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. He says he still wants to do the film, and Robert Duvall and Ewan McGregor are still attached to the project, but the film has been beset with so many slings and arrows for so many years that I wouldn’t hold my breath to see it released. That wasn’t the only interesting bit of news that came from the panel, though — it turns out that the director is in talks to produce a 3-D conversion of his beloved film Time Bandits! I’m not sure I really think a 3-D conversion of a film like Time Bandits is strictly necessary, but when has Terry Gilliam ever stopped at “necessary”? Read more…
Okay, so maybe Dune’s original theatrical release was just a little bit before my time, but I’m still plenty familiar with the series, largely thanks to the copy of Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials I received at a ripe young age. These pieces of concept art from Jock, the artist behind 2000 A.D., were intended for use in Paramount’s planned Dune remake. While the concepts may have been shelved due to a change in directors, it doesn’t make the art any less compelling, and they really reinforce my belief that no matter what planet you’re on (or netherworld you’re in, in Beetlejuice’s case), you just don’t mess with sandworms. Not that you were probably planning on it, of course, but I like to help a Fremen out.
The world of personal electronics is currently in an arms race to see who can come up with the smallest, coolest-looking entertainment devices, but there was a time when the mere concept of a “home computer”was almost unbelievable. Atari may not have had decades of staying power in the PC market, but the Atari name will always be synonymous with early efforts in home computing and video gaming, and these amazing technical drawings and pieces of concept art drawn up by Atari industrial designer Regan Cheng in 1981 show why. Read more…
You know, a lot of our favorite movies and TV shows deal with some sort of fictional company, from the independent business (Paper Street Soap Co.) to the megacorp (Massive Dynamic). We always see the men and women who run the show, but we rarely see the men on the ground, the salt-of-the-earth types who keep keep these fictional businesses going by performing mundane tasks in low-paying positions. Does Jack Tesler, part of Umbrella Corporation’s maintenance personnel, even know that he’s technically a henchman? Probably not, but at least he’s been provided with a cool business card, courtesy of Fro Design Co. Fro’s latest collection, titled “Day Jobs,” features mockups of business cards belonging to normal people who just happen to work at twenty-one made-up companies covering the entire geek spectrum, from Cyberdyne Systems all the way down to Duff Beer. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 5, 2010 in Comic Books
The Devil is So Cute is a collection of the work of manga artist Takako Shimura. What I really love about this cover is not that it’s just a good manga cover, but that the fact that it’s a beautiful illustration and well designed. Honestly when was the last time you found an American comic book that featured the color combination of chartreuse, pale yellow and mauve with polka dots? And even though I can’t read Japanese the ultra thin typography in gray looks wonderfully elegant.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 5, 2010 in Comic Books
Could it be that maids are about to go out of style? Shown above is a promotional illustration for Military High School Joshi-Kouhei which will be a new manga series by Matsumoto Zirou in the monthly comic magazine Bunch. The series will harken back to the good old days of manga and anime and prominently feature sci fi themes in the tradition of Leiji Matsumoto (which I think is a good thing).
The videogame Harukanaru Toki no Naka de (also known as Within the Expanse of a Distant Time) was so popular that it inspired music CDs, a manga series, an anime series and even a live action film and now — a set of Hello Kitty collectables! This is being done to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the franchise which first started off in 2000 as a PlayStation game. Shown above are special stickers and below are cel phone straps: Read more…
If you were a fanboy child of the 70s you’ll well remember the Mego Star Trek action figures. Of course there was Kirk, Spock and McCoy but sadly if if you wanted that one other character you had to * gasp * use your imagination! Well progress being what it is there is an entire series of all of those other characters you wanted to play with in the backyard but who never were (except on the small screen). Shown above is the Captain Pike action figure which is a nice tribute to actor Jeffrey Hunter who passed on the role of captain in 1965 in favor of a film career — and sadly he passed away in 1969. And on the silly side is the Salt Vampire whose proper name is the now extinct M-113 creature from the episode The Man Trap: Read more…
There’s an infinite galaxy’s worth of things that could be said about this photo, but more or less I’ll just say that it warmed my cold cold heart and made me smile, and I hope it does the same for you. And by the way… Read more…
So word on the streets is that Neil Gaiman’s seminal ’90s comic Sandman is going to be adapted into a TV series. In the grand old tradition of nerds being horrified of adaptations of their favorite works, I have a few words to share. Read more…
If you’re not quite sure what you just saw — and I wouldn’t blame you if you weren’t — it’s a trailer for Gucci’s upcoming fragrance, Gucci Guilty. I’m not even sure a fragrance would even need a trailer, but regardless of how you feel about Frank Miller, or Gucci for that matter, you have to admit that its stunning. From what I can tell, a full version is in the works which should debut at MTV’s Video Music Awards later this month. Keep your eye on the YouTube channel for more updates and behind-the-scenes content.
I’m not even sure how I’ve never heard of Quantum Quest. Sure, it’s not the latest Disney/Pixar or Dreamworks venture — a fact that becomes rather evident the moment you see the trailer for the film — but with a cast out of a sci-fi enthusiasts wet dream, you’d think it would have had a bit more press. Perhaps featuring Jedis and Starfleet Captains in the literal sense might have garnered a few more headlines, but unfortunately they’ve had to settle for their voices instead — still an amazing feat nonetheless. According the official website, the cast includes Chris Pine, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayden Christensen, Robert Picardo, Brent Spiner, James Earl Jones, William Shatner, and Mark Hamil among others. Read more…
You shouldn’t be tickling a Wookie any way — what do you take them for, Ewoks? This 9 inch Chewbacca plush kind of looks like it could be a Tickle-Me-Elmo, though. Either that, or one of those clowns in an arcade shooting gallery. You know which ones I’m talking about, I’m sure. All kidding aside though, it’d probably make a much cooler gift for any nephew or son than an Elmo doll. It even roars — or does its bear gargle, if you will — when you push on his belly. I’d take that over Elmo’s annoying laughter any day, wouldn’t you? They retail for roughly $26, so if you’re looking to pick one up, head over to NeatoShop.com and even though you’re not ordering it through the official Star Wars online store, don’t fret, it is an officially licensed Star Wars product.
If you’re a fan of Ghostbusters, marshmallows, or caffine — for me, they hit the trifecta — you’re in luck. The guys over at Think Geek have developed an amazing product that I can’t wait to order — Caffeinated Stay Puft Marshmallows. Finally, I have a reason to throw caution to the wind and mix a hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps after 8 PM without the fear of passing out. What’s more, I have the novelty of knowing that anyone who opens my pantry and sees that box will automatically chuckle at the sight of it.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Aug 31, 2010 in Videogames
Many fans seem to be in a slight panic ever since it was recently announced that Index Holdings would be merging their Atlus and Index subsidiaries in the coming months in an effort to restructure their resource management and system of business. However, it’s highly unlikely that Atlus, as a brand, will be affected by the decision. This move came weeks after the official announcement of their upcoming title Catherine, which is being head up by the team responsible for the popular Persona series. So far the game seems to be garnering quite a bit of attention in the press for its erotic, adult-oriented themes and visceral, cell-shaded graphics. Personally, I can’t wait to see how the game shapes up — you can see the translated trailer above.
While this is awesome, it’s also kind of terrifying. What you see before you is Lego enthusiast Angus MacLane’s entry into the FBTB MOC Madness 2010 Building Tournament. Each year, Lego Star Wars fan site From Bricks to Bothans hosts the tournament, and in a nod to Empire Strikes Back, this year’s tournament requires you to create your own intergalactic bounty hunter, and their ship. Angus took this opporunity to create his very own McDonalds-inspired Corellian freighter, piloted by what appears to be Ronald McFett and an R2-Grimace. Why he decided to mix the two is completely beyond me. Besides, I’ve always thought the Millennium Falcon looked more like a York Peppermint Pattie.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 30, 2010 in Animation, Fandom
We wasted many hours trolling the net to find interesting and amusing anime inspired images so that you don’t have to! Most of these images were found via Twitter although the above screen shot is from this Japanese blog. My personal favorite is the parody below which makes fun of the typical charts that showcase what new anime shows we can expect to see in the new season: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 30, 2010 in Comic Books
Covered is a blog that only covers artists re-creating classic comic book covers. What’s funny is that some of the creations are very literal while others are highly interpreted — and in the end you get a wonderful lesson on what made the original illustration unique and get a glimpse of the personality of the fan artist through their take. Shown above is is the original 1978 cover of Power Man and Iron Fist by Dave Cockrum and on the left is the more humorous tribute by Maurice Fontenot. Below is a Transformers cover from 1984 and a recreation by Lord Mitz on the right: Read more…
Over the last couple of years, the pop culture exchange between America and Japan has blended together more than any other time in recent memory. American studios have been more than happy to take anime to turn into terrible movies and in exchange we’ve begun to give them anime based on super heroes, video games and TV shows. Now that we seem firmly locked in this trade off though, I was left thinking about all of the great shows from American TV history that is being left completely untouched and as a favor to the American studios out there wondering what should be the next title to export east, here are a few suggestions: Read more…
Come this September you’ll be able to get the Doctor Who Eleventh Doctor TARDIS Playset shown above. The funny thing to me about this TARDIS interior is just how steampunk it feels, although it has always been that quirky quality that has made Dr. Who feel different from all of the other shows out there. This playset is designed to work with 5″ action figures — and of course if you’re any kind of silly fanboy you’ll have the original crew of the Enterprise visiting the good doctor.
