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Seen above is a detailed RX-93-2 Hi-v Gundam made entirely out of paper. To check out the Japanese website that this is from go here. Found via japanator.com and dannychoo.com.

If any of you are in New York City you might want to head out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Friday night for this animation event (last year it was quite the party):

Too Art for TV, Too
Second Annual Exhibition for New York's Animation Industry

Stay Gold Gallery
Friday, May 4th - May 25th 2007
Opening Reception: Friday, May 4th, 7pm-10pm

Special DJ guest: Mikael "DJ Ronny Monstrous" Jorgensen

"Stay Gold Gallery is pleased to present Too Art for TV, Too, the Second Annual Exhibition for New York's Animation Industry. 35 artists, by way of toys, comics, prints, and paintings, liberate the skills otherwise "owned" by their television networks bosses.

In January of 2006, Too Art for TV opened as the first of this annual event. Drawing in an excited, elbow-to- elbow crowd of artists, illustrators, filmmakers, animators, and gallery goers, Too Art for TV unquestionably demonstrated the wide spread appeal of animation inspired art.

Animation artists are experts in monsters, robots, villains, and the changing genres of pop influence. They are the lusty consumers of graphic novels, toys, video games, art books, and the many incarnations of obsessive geek culture. Their careers make them excellent drafts-people, skilled at drawing and well adapted to the latest design technologies. Loaded with influences and abilities, their works when combined create an umbrella movement for pop surrealism, geek-core, graffiti, low-brow and the finer arts.

It makes you wonder who she's sending that letter to...

The above shot shows Earth as seen from Saturn (click on the image to see it larger):

A View of Earth from Saturn

"This beautiful image of Saturn and its rings looks more like an artist’s creation than a real image, but in fact, the image is a composite (layered image) made from 165 images taken by the wide-angle camera on the Cassini spacecraft over nearly three hours on September 15, 2006.

On this day, Saturn interceded between the Sun and Cassini, shielding Cassini from the Sun’s glare. As the spacecraft lingered in Saturn’s shadow, it viewed the planet’s rings as never before, revealing previously unknown faint rings and even glimpsing its home world. Seen from more than a billion kilometers (almost a billion miles) away, through the ice and dust particles of Saturn’s rings, Earth appears as a tiny, bright dot to the left and slightly behind Saturn."

Seen above is a 1967 short film titled 1999 A.D. in which the inevitable advances of the future are demonstrated. This clip of 'the kitchen of the future' showcases a world of automation, maximized health, and a push-button culture; themes we see throughout the film.

Found via Paleo-Future.

Oh sure anyone can go to Space Mountain and take a ride, but what if you could run the ride? Well thanks to the Disney Ride Simulators you can have your dream come true. This fun website allows you take control one of four Disneyland rides: the Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and Phantom Manor. It's like playing the Sims for Disneyland fanboys!

Shown above is a cute low budget spoof of the Mac vs. PC ads.

So you're fanboy curious, but the cost of all of those overpriced collectibles have scared you off? Well today is your lucky day to save a buck or two, it's Free Comic Book Day!

Here's some vital info on the event:

"As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world are giving away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their stores. Free Comic Book Day will take place on May 5, 2007. Are they really free? Yep!"

So go forth and spread the word to your non-fanboy (and non-fangurl) friends who want to take a test drive on the geek side...

Seen above: Illustration showing the Phoenix Mars Mission (click on the image to see it at full size - trust me it’s worth it).

This interesting but over looked BBC News story reports that there may be quite a bit more ice on Mars than we thought:

'Up to half' of Mars may have ice

"Scientists in the US say that initial data from a new way of scanning Mars has shown up to half of the Red Planet's surface may contain ice. The new method of scanning for water offers vastly more accurate readings than before, they say. The data could prove vital for the Phoenix Mars Mission which launches this August and which will put a lander on the surface to dig for ice. The new data shows wide variation as to how deep below the surface ice exists."

...I say that it's high time we stop sending probes to Mars and send a bunch of people to polk around the red planet once and for all! I tired of only seeing manned space exploration in history books and science fiction tv shows...

A slice of cheesecake heaven from Japan:

The commercial stars Yuko Takeuchi who got her big break in 1999 with NHK's television series Asuka. She also starred in Heaven's Bookstore a 2004 film about a struggling classical pianist who is sent to heaven to work in a bookstore. Here's her official website:

stardust.co.jp/rooms/yuko/

Seen above is a cute animated short from CalArts student (soon to be grad) Alex Hirsch that combines animation and live action.

Found via coldhardflash.com.

This Toyota ad celebrates ten years of hybrid car technology features AstroBoy and quite a few other Tezuka characters.

Found via JapanProbe.com.

Patrick Macias is one of my favorite bloggers, and I guess the proof is that I've swiped dozens of interesting stories from his site. Well now Mr. Macias has a cool new bok coming out which is titled Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook and knowing Patrick's love of Japanese subculture I can tell that the book is going to be killer! So do yourself a favor and go out and buy a copy today...

He's a cute little small fry isn't he? Seen above is Optimash Prime, a Mr. Potato Head action figure done up as your favorite Transformers robot leader Optimus Prime.

Found via Toy News International.

Say what you will about the limits of computer animation, but man Pixar knows how to make rats look cute! And having come across few real street and subway rats in New York City I can tell you that's pretty darn hard thing to do...

I love the above animation by Angel Yau, it's a great example of the power of the web to tell a very personal and interesting story on a low budget. What I like about videos like this (and other ones on YouTube) is that it brings me back to the golden age of MTV in the 80s when young film makers were using the new medium of cable TV to make little gems of story telling magic.

There's a fantastic photo essay on the life of astronaut Wally Schirra at nasa.gov:

Wally Schirra: 1923-2007

Shown on top is a very posed photo of Schirra from his early Mercury days, but I love the contrast of that photograph with the one below it which is of him in action on the ninth day of the Apollo 7 mission in 1968.

It makes me sad to look at these photos because they're about as old as I am, and when they were taken the United States dared to invest in a real space program. As a child growing up in the shadow of that era (watching shows like Star Trek and Space:1999) I just assumed that we'd continue the effort, but alas during the 70s was the when things started to wind down. In the next few years we may return to the moon, but the ships that took us there in the 60s are now rusty artifacts sitting in museums.

As an adult I've come to realize that it's too late for me to be an astronaut and that I'm too poor to be a space tourist, but damn it I'd like to see the next generation going up there to walk around places like Mars. I'd trade every great sci fi film from the last twenty five years if that could become reality. I also think that as the Apollo program was the silver lining to the strife of the 60s that an agressive space program might set our eyes upon the stars instead of war down here on Earth.

It's a depressing day in America when three out of ten Republican candidates running for the office of President of the United States don't believe in evolution. That's not the kind of attitude that launched the Kitty Hawk or allowed a man to walk on the moon. It's shocking for me to think that Dwight D. Eisenhower of Abilene, Kansas started NASA and now Kansas Senator Brownback is ready to join the flat earth club.

Yes a program like NASA costs a little bit of money (less that 1% of our Federal budget) but a lack of imagination and innovation with cost us much more. And by the way NASA is proof that a big government program can achieve results if you want it to.

I have to admit that a live action Jetsons movie doesn't get me excited, but on the other hand the idea of Rodriguez taking on Land of the Lost is a great idea! Of course I'd like to see them use the sort A+ writers like they had on the old 70s TV series:

Future or past for Rodriguez?

"Grindhouse might have taken a drubbing at the boxoffice, but director Robert Rodriguez is very much in demand. He is in talks to direct a live-action feature version of futuristic 1960s cartoon "The Jetsons" for Warner Bros. Pictures, being produced by Denise Di Novi and Donald De Line.

At the same time, the helmer has met with Will Ferrell and Universal execs for helming duties on "Land of the Lost," based on the 1970s Sid and Marty Krofft fantasy TV series to which Ferrell is attached to star. While no offers have been made, sources say "Jetsons" has the edge because its script, whose latest draft is by Adam Goldberg ("Fanboys"), is further along."

Above: 'Tiggers don't like honey' and 'Pooh visiting in Owl's parlour' by Ernest H. Shepard (1879-1976).

Good news for you Pooh fanboys (and fangurls) with a bit of spare cash:

Rare Pooh drawings up for auction

"A pair of Winnie the Pooh drawings are expected to fetch up to £30,000 each when they go on sale at a London auction house later this month. The coloured crayon drawings by Ernest H Shepard - Tiggers Don't Like Honey and Pooh Visiting in Owl's Parlour - will be auctioned at Bonhams on 22 May. Tiggers Don't Like Honey was drawn for the 1958 edition of AA Milne's The World of Pooh, but never published. The Owl illustration was published in Methuen's 1929 Winnie the Pooh."

The above cover art for Thunderbolts #114 is by illustrator Clayton Crain. The cover art reminds me of an old classic pulp magazine cover or movie poster due to the combination of realism with dramatic action. I love the attention to detail that Crain has put into their costumes, it's the little touches like the harness buckles and mechanical parts that bring the illustration to life.

Shown above are cover illustrations from Frangoria Comics which will debut it's first titles in June. The first illustration is from Mark Kidwell’s Recluse, and the second illustration is from Jeffrey Nodelman’s the Fourth Horseman. It's also interesting to note that the Fourth Horseman comic book series will be a prequel to an upcoming animated horror film being produced by Fangoria.

Above: Artwork showing a Lunar Lander approaching the Moon.

NASA has put out a promotional video which shows off their plans for a return to the moon:

Comic book artist Tom Artis passed away recenty, and his family has been going through some hard times. Here's coverage from a local paper:

Comic artist's death leaves family struggling

"He suffered a massive stroke in June that left him comatose, relying on a ventilator to breathe and a feeding tube to eat. Earlier that year, ceiling problems at the family’s home in the 1700 block of Clay Street displaced them. The house was further damaged during the March 12, 2006, tornadoes, and they stayed at the Quest Inn while they tried to get it repaired.

Artis’ final stroke put a halt to those plans, and the situation quickly spiraled downhill, Kim said. While Artis was hospitalized in intensive care from June to August, someone broke into the house and stole most of their belongings, including many of Artis’ original prints. The theft was a difficult blow to Kim. Not only was the stolen artwork irreplaceable, she realized her husband likely would never draw again. Despite an article in The State Journal-Register about the crime, the pieces were never recovered."

If you'd like to help here's a suggestion from the Comics Reporter on how to help:

"Friends of the family have set up an account for the family at a local bank, one of those things where they encourage you to walk in and make a contribution. In other words, it’s not one of those things set up to take advantage of the Internet. But having just talked to the bank, you can also mail a check or money order in.
You can make the check out to:

The Tom TC Artis and Family Memorial Fund

You can send the check to:

Marine Bank
Attn: Gale Krueger
1401 North Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, IL 62702

Would you please consider doing so? Even just two, three, five bucks. I can’t send much, either, but I’m going to send something. I think there will be a whole lot of cartoonists in the next two decades that will be in need, and maybe there will be some talk between now and then about other, bigger things that can be done, but right now that’s a family that’s been through a lot that has a specific point of need where I think even the tiniest amount could be a help."

Found via the Beat, and the example of Tom's artwork found via the ImageNETion Portal.

These cute little goodies are available via ThinkGeek:

Squishy Mario Goodness

"We know you're flush with Mario goodies... but who can resist a squishy keychain to show off your Nintendo Fanboy (or girl) dedication? Since this is "New" Super Mario Brothers paraphernalia the coveted Mega Mushroom is included in the random assortment. But please don't let your dog chew on the power mushroom... lest he grow huge and start jumping on Goombas.

Please keep in mind that these New Super Mario Keychains are limited edition Japanese imported capsule toys and are random packed. When we sell out, these are gone and we cannot get more. You cannot choose the specific model you receive. Please read the sidebar below for more information."

Found via geek24.com.

A while ago we covered someone who had created a detailed Hobbit dollhouse, but here's someone who did it for real:

Inside the Hobbit House
Appreciating a modern-day cottage based on mythical literature

"Asked to design a fitting repository for a client’s valuable collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and artifacts, architect Peter Archer went to the source—the fantasy novels that describe the abodes of the diminutive Hobbits. “I came back my client and said, ‘I’m not going to make this look like Hollywood,’” Archer recalled, choosing to focus instead on a finely-crafted structure embodying a sense of history and tradition."

Found via boingboing.net.

There's an amzing article on tv puppet pioneers Bil & Cora Baird (and their marionettes) at Michael Sporn's Splog:

More Marionettes

"Bil & Cora Baird had ruled the theatrical environs on TV (Bil & Cora Baird Show and Peter & the Wolf) , in theater (Flahooley, Baker Street) and on film (Sound of Music). Yet when the very successful scene in the film, Lili, where Leslie Caron talks to Bil Baird’s marionette, moved to Broadway as the musical, Carnival, it was Jim Henson who built the puppets for the show. A sea change had happened. The marionette had become a hand puppet."

Todd Harris works as a concept artist at Disney, where he develops new intellectual properties for games. His blog is filled with quite a bit of entertaining artwork:

hog-heaven.blogspot.com

Seen above is the cover illustration of the Blade #9 by Marko Djurdjevic. The plot of the book revolves around Blade going to England regarding his mysterious past, and of course this means that the guest star is Union Jack. I love the graphic approach that Djurdjevic uses on this cover, it's as much about the typography and layout as it is about the characters. However that said I appreciate the amount of detail that he's put into the characters, and even the wonderful touch of that Bearskin hat which doesn't look the slightest bit silly in the scene.

It's takes a real fanboy to catch all of this stuff! I'm surprised Lucas hasn't used CG to retouch all of these details...

The above cover illustration is by Skott Young for issue #38 of the New X-Men. What's wonderful about this cover illustration is how animated it is, every single character is frozen in the middle of an epic struggle with big hairy monsters. The scene has quite a bit of life because Skott isn't afraid to push the anatomy of his actors to convey motion. I also like the fact that there's no center of attention, so your eye is allowed to wander through the acrobatic chaos of the scene.

The above goodies are available at Think Geek. I'd only suggest wearing the Darth Vader buckle to a sci fi convention, however the Nintento controller buckle would score cool points at any hipster bar.

Found via geek24.com.

Now if only some evil scientist would unleash an army of beer robots on an unsuspecting public...

If you're near NYC on Saturday (May 19th) and want to get into animation you're going to want to check this event out:

Animator's Boot Camp & Field Manual Workshop

Is Your Animation Career Set on Idle? Don't Let It Stall! Learn the secrets and strategies you need to know to be successful in today's marketplace. Immerse yourself in a day of stories, insights and best practices in the burgeoning and diverse field of animation. We'll bring you news you can use from the professionals in the trenches. So whether you are a student or a practicing professional, get the tools, tips and talking points you'll need to get your career to the next level.

I was pretty impressed by the above animation was created by a student at the CFP Milano film school as final film thesis project. From a fanboy point of view I'd say that the animator deserves an A+!

According to this article the film Fanboys has been delayed and won't come out until January 2008:

Fanboys Pushed Back To January 2008

"Fanboys has been delayed. As a Star Wars fan, I am devastated. Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. And this year marks the 30th Anniversary. I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community. But ultimately the shift in release will be a good thing for the movie. We made Fanboys for under five million dollars. And the studio has given us the go-ahead to do the things to it that we couldnt do with our initial limited schedule and budget. There are one or two hilarious things that I wanted to shoot and they are giving me the funds to do it. Which is great!!! As a filmmaker, it's not often someone says -- here's more money - what else do you want to do? But that's the situation we are in. Unfortunately, I dont get the actors back together for four months! (The one drawback to having such a hot young cast at the top of their game.) But rest assured fans won't escape Fanboys this year. We kick it off with our presence at Celebration IV in a big way (sneak-peaking scenes, releasing our prequel comic book and teaser poster)... then we will heat things up at the San Diego Comic-Con in July. And from there we just keep building toward January. I am so excited to unleash this movie. It's going to be huge!"

...I blame the slacker culture associated with Star Wars for the delay, you know full well that a film about Star Trek fanboys would be out on time! Not so high and mighty are we now with our Death Star vs. the Enterprise showdown arguements?

From the Los Angeles Times on July 29, 1965:

"Author Lawrence Lipton, chronicler of the beatnik scene, demonstrates his "robot," Duhab (detector of undesirable habitues). Lipton says robot ferrets out the undesirables-including censors and book-burners."

...it looks like we can use a few of those robots today! By the way there's a real Twilight Zone quality to that photo too.

Found via boingboing.net.

The Dr. Who fanboy in me (the Tom Baker years of course) loves this little item! For just $60 you can terrorize your co-workers at meetings with your own radio controlled Dalek from ThinkGeek:

Radio Controlled Daleks

"Finally you too can act out your Dalek fantasies with these detailed R/C replicas. Each R/C Dalek stands 12 inches high and is happiest when gliding around your home shouting "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" and hunting for the Doctor. Complete with tank-like controls and digitized grating dalek voices you'll feel just like you're in your own low-budget BBC telly show."

Shown above is a parody of the opening of Cowboy Bebop featuring characters from Raki Suta (Lucky Star):

"Lucky Star's story portrays the lives of several school girls attending a Japanese high school with a very loose humor tone. The main heroine is Konata Izumi, an athletic and intelligent girl who, despite these attributes, is not in a sports club, and has low grades. Her laziness at school is due to her love for anime and video games and lack of interest in anything else. The serialization began with the four main characters in their first year of high school: Konata Izumi, Kagami Hiiragi, Tsukasa Hiiragi, and Miyuki Takara. As the story progresses, they move onto their second and third year."

Les Lascars (shown above) is an urban oriented animated show from France, it will be nice to see it come to the States as a film:

French cartoon turns hip-hop
Movie based on cult TV series 'Les Lascars'

"French suburban hip-hop culture is coming to the bigscreen in an all-star animated pic voiced by the likes Diam's, France's biggest-selling pop artist. Voice talents include Diane Krueger, mistress of ceremonies at this year's Cannes, and Vincent Cassel. The €10 million ($13.5 million) pic includes an American version, with such artists as L.A. rapper Fat Lip.

The French version, which includes improvised humor, is practically finished, and animation will begin this summer. Pic will be distributed by Bac Films, subsid of producer Millimages, with coin from Canal Plus and pubcaster France 2, co-producing.

Movie is based on the cult TV series "Les Lascars" -- which aired on MTV as "Round da Way." The 30 x 1 min Gallic show was an instant hit when it aired on Canal Plus seven years ago, but has grown to become an Internet phenom, with pirated Arab and Creole-language versions, as well as the original French and English versions, popular on sites such as YouTube. Show was most watched program on Orange and SFR mobile phones last year, with more than 600,000 hits."

The Earth Guide from the Japan Science and Technology Agency is a beautiful infographic that answers some basic astronomy questions. This flash website features some nice illustration and a very slick looking interface, it's well worth a visit for armchair space explorers:

The Earth Guide

Found via neatorama.com.

Shown above is funny ad produced in India for Fevicol, which is a well known local glue product.

Found via Masala Time.

Shown above is a commercial for Pocky which features characters from the anime show Raki Suta (Lucky Star). Pretty catchy tune, no?