HBO’s Game of Thrones finale got you in the summer doldrums? Need something to pore over while you wait for A Dance with Dragons to be released in stores? A good place to start would be this huge, detailed, spoiler-filled map of the Seven Kingdoms of the Game of Thrones universe (click to embiggen!). This particular map was created by an artist going by the name of Other-in-Law, whose gallery also features a bunch of other GoT maps as well. But this one is probably the crown jewel of the collection, filled with Easter eggs for observant fans. Read more…
The good news is that the space shuttle Atlantis takeoff went well, but the bad new is that this is the last flight: As of this moment the only nations that have an active manned space program are Russia and China. It’s great that America has a good relations with Russia so we can bum a ride — but frankly we should be leading the way in space exploration. Making matters worse the successor to the Hubble telescope was canceled last night. We may not have realized it just yet, but we have entered a dark age of space exploration in the United States, and this is a very bad thing. Read more…
Chupa Chups is a Spanish brand of lollypops and in 1995 their Japanese agency this very odd advert featuring a Mr. Spock styled alien in a silver spacesuit which seems a bit, well you be the judge: Read more…
Well, it does, in Russia, the Ukraine, and South Korea, apparently. Captain America is nearing its release date here in the US under its proper title, but for its international release, Marvel gave overseas distributors the option to title the film “The First Avenger” rather than referencing America at all in its title for fear of anti-American sentiment. Surprisingly, all but three countries opted to use the original title. Of course, Cap represents more than just America — he also represents heroism and selflessness, which is something to which any audience can relate. At least, that’s what overseas distributors are banking on. Thor did very well internationally, so hopefully Cap can pull similar numbers to make it a profitable summer for Marvel. Granted, as we saw with Green Lantern, actually being a good movie probably helps with sales figures too. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 8, 2011 in Pulp Fiction
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is considered to be the authoritative guide on the genre, but it’s oddly resisted the siren song of the information age. Until now, anyway! The Encyclopedia will be going digital, according to a press release on their website. All text will be free and available online, though admittedly that leaves the question of what won’t be free. Multiplatform users will appreciate that the Encyclopedia staff is investigating ebook and app versions of the tome as well. And for those who still love the feel of a book in their hands, fear not — a gargantuan physical version of the book will still be published. Read more…
This has to be the most cute sounding video I’ve ever listened to — I believe that it’s an announcement for the first live-action episode of The Idolmaster:Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 7, 2011 in Comic Books
Oh sure anybody can go to an anime convention these days — but this September 24th manga fans in Japan are in for a treat: There will be a one day festival that’s just focused on the manga artist’s collective CLAMP. The gathering will feature music, videos, interviews, skits and of course cosplayers are welcome to attend. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 7, 2011 in Star Wars
It’s that extra warm time of year to enjoy cool beverages, and what better way to do that than with Han Solo ice cubes? This cute Star Wars Han Solo in Carbonite Silicon Tray allows you to make up to six mini-Solo ice cubes plus a giant-Han on ice for your punch bowl. By the way while researching this post I came across this wonderfully humorous tribute to George Lucas: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 6, 2011 in Star Trek
There’s a cool series of viral videos on YouTube for Social Security that start none other than George Takei playing Sulu! In the below spot he gets in a nice dig at William Shatner, although he also has a Spock and a Chekov mention as well: Read more…
When ever most of us think of anime we mostly think of TV shows or films — however like the US the use of animation was very popular for commercials in the 50s and 60s. Some of the nicer spots here also feature some amazing stop motion animation which reminds me a great deal of the look that Pixar has these day: Read more…
Oh sure any average Dr.Who cosplay fan can order a stock model sonic screwdriver — but this sweet goodie allows up to 80 possible combinations so you can be unique! Apparently this customizable sonic screwdriver also includes multiple sound effects to astound your co-workers and fellow geeks, however batteries are required… Read more…
Those damn bastards! You spend dozens of hours of hours and hundreds of dollars buying the coolest geeky stuff for your cubicle to keep up company moral — and then some dumb ass forces you to “clean it all”. Heartbreaking video shown below: Read more…
After hours of research most of the cool photos we found this week were cosplay shots from Anime Expo — however we did stumble across a few nice examples of fan art: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 5, 2011 in Star Trek
ThinkGeek is carry this sharp looking Star Trek Metal Plated Stunt Phaser Replica — which to me of course is a bittersweet reminder that our somewhat distracted friend J.J. Abrams owes us fanboys another Star Trek film (which I bet we won’t see until 2012 at this rate). In the meantime goodies like replica will have to keep us fanboys happy! Read more…
TV Ashii in japan had a nice little segment on Anime Expo which was held in California this weekend. I loved where they were asking American otaku about the earthquake in Japan: Read more…
As an old time BBS user I tend to be cynical about every new site that comes along, but not only did Google+ impress me — but it passed the ultimate test: It just ate most of my weekend. On the surface the program seems like a slightly updated version of Facebook, but as you begin to explore and really live with the program you start to realize that it’s so much more than that. Read more…
Toward the last weekend in the month of June in New York City, the annual Origami USA convention took place. Occurring since 1962, Origami USA is a convention for paper folders and enthusiasts alike. This year’s guest of honor was Toshikazu Kawasaki who is world famous among paper folders for creating what is known as the Kawasaki Rose, a particular life like rose formed from a grid and a series of turns. The image above is from Herng Yi Cheung, a folder from Singapore while the image below is an example from Mr. Kawasaki himself. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 3, 2011 in Television
While some may consider the Independence Day to be a day celebrating the birth of the United States of America, we know better. It’s Twilight Zone Day. SyFy has been broadcasting a 24-hour marathon of the Twilight Zone each 4th of July weekend for several years — that is, except for last year, when they inexplicably ran Greatest American Hero all day instead. This year, they’ve realized the error of their ways and are giving us a 24-hour block of the best Twilight Zone episodes known to man. Seriously, it’s a great lineup. And you’ll have time enough at last to watch it after those cookouts are over. Read more…
I’m having trouble imagining a plot device convoluted enough to produce the image above, but then again, Star Wars non-film media has definitely erred on the side of “x character goes to the Dark Side for some reason,” so I’m sure this has happened in print at some point. Credit goes to Phil Noto for this great image. At least he had the courtesy not to give her the cinnamon-bun haircut. That probably would have reduced the badassedness a bit. Read more…
Marvel’s done pretty well for itself bringing its A-list heroes to the big screen — Iron Man, Thor, (hopefully) Captain America — but what about some tried-and-true second-stringers? What about the Dr. Stranges and Iron Fists of the world? When do they get their time in the sun? Apparently soon, according to Film School Rejects. Marvel has reportedly filmed two shorts for the Thor and Captain America DVD/Blu-Ray releases starring some B-list heroes and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Agent Coulson, with more to come. If the shorts were filmed and star heroes with at least a little name recognition, I’m really surprised that the casting didn’t get out into the wild already. Now I’m excited for those video releases! Give me Dr. Strange, Marvel! Read more…
If you’re a Star Trek fan, then chances are good that you’ve been waiting for this day for what seems like an eternity. But the moment is here: just in time for the long holiday weekend, you can catch the entire original Trek series on Netflix Instant, along with the entirety of Next Generation and Voyager. Start and stop as you please! Marathon it! Iron-man it! It’s a matter of honor now. But Trek isn’t the only nerdy thing to watch this weekend — Netflix has also added the entire X-Men animated series for your viewing pleasure. For viewers new to the series, you’ll probably want to stop watching riiiight around when Cable shows up. Hey! Just like the comics! Read more…
Mark Bongo from Major League Mods has created a bunch of really neat Xbox 360 case mods, like the R2-D2 360/projector combo we featured in the past. But this latest project looks so cool, you’d think Tony Stark himself built it in a cave! With a box of scraps! In this case (ha), Mark teamed up with Nub Grafix from Orange County Choppers to give this Iron Man-themed Xbox a sleek, metallic paint job. The miniature arc reactor that mimics the 360’s trademark ring of lights, though, is all Mark. Put the whole package in a Stark Industries locked case, and you have the c0olest Xbox this side of S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. Read more…
