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Today is the birthday of Japanese pop idol and model Yuko Ogura (小倉優子) who is known to her fans as "Princess Apple-Momoka" of the apple-shaped planet Korin. In terms of music Ogura is best known for her song "Onna no Ko♥Otoko no Ko" which is the ending theme of the anime series School Rumble:

This video is like a car accident, you know you shouldn't but you can't help but stare into the horror! Although it looks like those Sailor Moon fanboys put quite a bit of work into it...

Found via Zaeega.

It's always Hello Kitty themed goodies when I surf the net! I ask you where is the Badtz-Maru laptop?! Shown above is the Hello Kitty Swarovski PC by NEC, which also comes with a matching USB flash drive and meow-mouse.

Found via GeekAlerts and Akihabara News.

So you're a fanboy who is:
- A huge Mobile Suit Gundam fan
- Glued to your computer all day
- ...and the air around you is polluted

Well you're in luck: The Gundam USB Ionizer Air Freshener is your dream come true! While it's not as a cool as some of the robots from the show the ionizer is based on the design of the "White Base" from the show. The ionizer is will come out next month from Banpresto, and you can read about it here (warning: link leads to an acrobat file which is in Japanese).

Found via akihabaranews.com.

Shown above is a clip from a Japanese Documentary on Star Blazers, NOT Space Cruiser Yamato but the American translation! It's funny for me to see the American version with Japanese subtitles.

Just looking at that short clip I can see why I loved the series - within the first few minutes you find out that Wildstar is a little bit complex because his brother was killed off before the show started. I realize that in Anime today that's a throw away device, but way back when in the 70s the most complex plots in animation were unmaking Scooby Doo villans. To me that's just one reason why this series was revolutionary.

Credit for Star Blazers being seen by Americans should go to Claude S. Hill who was behind distribution of the show from the 70s and the 80s. Sadly Mr. Hill passed away in 2005, but it was because of him at an entire generation of fans got to discover anime for the first time. Claude Hill was very much a kid at heart which is why he got into the business, in addition to Star Blazers he also distributed a number of other shows including Rocket Robin Hood and the Steve Krantz Marvel Comics cartoons from the 60s. In addition to the above Claude Hill gave me first break as a graphic designer and was also just a real good guy (one of the rare ones in the business), so I miss him a great deal...

Tokyo sub-culture fashions are oh so fickle! I guess this means that Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook by Patrick Macias is pretty much obsolete according to this article:

Ganguro, Goth gals come together to close dark past with 'Sweet Lolita' trend

"Ganguro gyaru, young women known for their deep tans, panda-like make-up and bright fashions are fusing with once bitter enemy "Gothic Lolitas" in their Goth garb and little girl look to create a new fashion mode in trendier parts of Tokyo, according to Weekly Playboy (11/5). "There were three rules that made up the definition of a gyaru: a tanned face, flamboyant make-up and hair dyed in the lightest color possible," Kyoko, the girl once dubbed the Empress of (gyaru haven) Shibuya, tells Weekly Playboy. "Anyway, you've got to look as flashy as possible. Scary if need be, which gives you the mental strength that's part of being a gyaru."

Gothic Lolitas, however, have deeper, darker roots. "What defines a Gothic Lolita is the color black. Black can't be dyed any darker than it already is," author and self-professed Gothic Lolita Karin Amemiya tells the weekly. "The Goth look comes from Europe in the Middle Ages and its supposed to give its proponents a regal air."Ada, a journalist who specializes in Tokyo teen girls' culture, notes that the gyaru and Goths haven't always been as receptive to each other as they appear to be now.

The Jedi Academy in New York is starting to get HUGE press! It was recently featured on ABC World News segment which had this great quote from Taryn Fireside, a student at the academy:

"My favorite thing about New York Jedi is not nerds trying to best each other. It’s about nerds trying to better each other. And make life better through the dorkiness that make them great!"

Found via Neatorama.

This collection of Japanese video game commercials is amazing! It's like getting a compressed overview of the history of video games. Here's part two:

Shown above is the Lightsaber MP3 Player which is available here in either two or four gigs of storage, and a built-in FM radio too! Of course for me I'll always prefer my iPod:

Found via GeekAlerts and Techfresh.

I'd love to see this show get translated into English, even if it's just a fansub on YouTube! Being a Yamato fanboy it would be nice to see an interview with Leiji Matsumoto:

Anime haven Nerima launches 'Neritan Anime Works' cable show

"The local government of Tokyo's Nerima-ku, the birthplace of Japanese animation, started broadcasting its own anime-themed cable TV program this month, with a first run lasting until next spring. "Neritan Anime Works" will be aired via cable service J:COM Tokyo three times a day on weekdays, and twice a day on weekends. Program content will be updated every two weeks until its 12th and final installment.

Nerima-ku's roster of anime kingpins includes the Toei Animation Company, their forerunners Toei Doga -- producer of Japan's first color animated feature film, "Hakujaden" -- and the late Osamu Tezuka, Nerima resident and creator of Japan's first animated TV serial "Astro Boy."

You know I see so many Star Wars and Star Trek themed toys I get burned out after a while, so it was with delight that I discovered this Space: 1999 themed goodie! Shown above is the Space 1999 Alpha Moonbase Deluxe Eagle Gift Set which features three diecast metal Space 1999 vehicles: Laboratory Eagle with Booster Rockets, Alpha Moon Buggy and Alpha Laser Tank. But best yet they also include an Eagle Launch platform (bonus fanboy points for me):

This is a funny fan made video of Darth Vader dancing it up in Japan!

Death Note is cute, but I've been missing watching the latest and greatest of Bleach every week on the Cartoon Network. Yeah I know I can catch up on YouTube, but there's something nice about seeing the animation on my tv set. By the way shown above is the Kurosaki Ichigo DX Plush Doll which was originally distributed for UFO catcher game machines in Japanese arcades as a prize item.

ComicMix is very much worth checking out if you're a comic book fanboy, the site features free issues of full comic books that you can read online. I was quite impressed with the ease-of-use of the interface with the site (a sample of which is shown above) which allows you to navigate a comic without having to open Adobe Acrobat. I also liked the fact that the first wave of comic books that they're showing are quite diverse in subject matter and style, a good example of this is Munden's Bar #2 which featured some nice artwork by Marc Hempel. Also their comic book news coverage is worth checking out too...

You know more and more I wonder if within my lifetime we'll see the discovery of Earthlike planets:

Scientists Discover Record Fifth Planet Orbiting Nearby Star

"Astronomers have announced the discovery of a fifth planet circling 55 Cancri, a star beyond our solar system. The star now holds the record for number of confirmed extrasolar planets orbiting in a planetary system.

55 Cancri is located 41 light-years away in the constellation Cancer and has nearly the same mass and age as our sun. It is easily visible with binoculars. Researchers discovered the fifth planet using the Doppler technique, in which a planet's gravitational tug is detected by the wobble it produces in the parent star. NASA and the National Science Foundation funded the research."

Aragaki Yui stars in the above athletic themed Pocky commercial. Of course I like her previous Pocky commercial better (because it has an electro clash beat that much more easy to dance along with):

Shown above is the Hello Kitty ATM which allows you to save money. The kitty ATM also comes with a kitty credit card that alows you to take money out of the cute little kitty cash machine.

Found via Kittyhell.com.

You'd think that Christmas beer from Kirin would come in a glass bottle rather than a can?! Well at least it's not egg nog flavored...

What do you do when you run out of old movies to remake? You make movies out of old videogames:

Disney, Bruckheimer talking 'Prince'
Newell in negotiations to direct live action film

"Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have made an offer to Mike Newell to direct "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," a live-action feature based on the videogame. Newell, who last ventured into franchise fare with "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," met execs at the studio to discuss the project this week, and negotiations are expected to begin shortly."

I've watched just about every episode on YouTube but being able to see it on a real TV screen will be fun! I hope hey include some good extras:

Bandai Entertainment Inc. to Release Kadokawa's Anime Series, Lucky Star!

"Kadokawa Pictures USA, Inc. and Bandai Entertainment Inc., announced today that it will be releasing the anime series Lucky Star in North America in 2008. The announcement was made in a unique way – a surprise trailer at the beginning of Vol. 4 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which was just released.

Lucky Star is a 24 episode television series from Kyoto Animation, the same anime production company that created the anime series for Haruhi. Lucky Star’s main character is Konata Izumi, a lazy high school girl who isn’t interested in anything besides anime and video games. The series is described as the ultimate “otaku anime,” -- it pays tribute to anime culture and other series with in-jokes and hilarious references.

Shown above is the Transformers Trans-Portable PC which is learning laptop aimed at kids. So ou can play with a robot while having it teach you about math, spelling, logic and memory games. It also features real-time English to Spanish Translation of select words and instructions (take that Lou Dobbs!).

Found via GeekAlerts.

Because seven o'clock is rice time! I love this catchy commercial from Japan...

The one thing that confuses me about this report is that Spock's mom (Amanda Grayson, shown above played by Jane Wyatt) was human not a vulcan. Although Winona would make a cute vulcan (although she'll have to work on he logic thing):

Winona Ryder joins 'Star Trek'
Actress to play Spock's mother in Abrams film

"Star Trek is beaming up Winona Ryder. Paramount Pictures and director JJ Abrams have set Ryder to play the Vulcan mother of a young Spock (Zachary Quinto). Scripted by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the film revolves around the Starfleet Academy days of the crew of the Starship Enterprise. Chris Pine has been set to play Capt. Kirk, Simon Pegg will play Scotty, Karl Urban is Dr. McCoy and Eric Bana will play the villain, Nero."

...by the way for my money the BEST vulcan actress was Kirstie Alley as Lt. Saavik in the Wrath of Khan. Man I'll never understand why they won't let Nicholas Meyer touch Star Trek again!

Snarky Update: Variety revised the story to state that Spock's mom will be human. Although on second thought I do think that Winona would look cute with the pointy ears...

The above Star Wars poster (click on to view at full size) does a wonderful job of showing off the entire series in one photomontage. I'm quite impressed with the fanboy who did this this, it's wall worthy in my book!

Found at My Confined Space via Film School Rejects.

If you waste hours-and-hours on Facebook like me you'll want to add this nifty StarWars.com application to your profile which gives you the latest Star Wars news. And while you're at it you may want to check out the Facebook group Friends don't let friends not watch Star Wars. Star Wars fangurls may want to check out Girls who acctually enjoy Star Wars!!!

This film looks like fun! ROBO☆ROCK (formerly titled Long Armed Monkeys) will be coming out November 23rd in Japan. The film follows the adventures of Masaru, an odd-job-man who has given up his dream to become a rock singer and Nirasawa, a fanatic who is convinced that a giant robot will save the world. This will be the first live action film for GDH K.K. which is an anime studio in Japan which has worked on Afro Samurai, Pumpkin Scissors, and Full Metal Panic!

Background info found via Monster Island News.

I'm a picky eater when it comes to featuring cover art and the like here at fanboy.com. Every month I look through all the covers and interiors from Marvel, DC, and friends in an attempt to find something of joy to share with you. But alas the last few weeks I haven't seen one darn cover that makes me say "that's sweeeeeeet!"

So when I came across the above artwork by Joe Madureira and Christian Lichtner my first thoughts were "that's nice on a technical level, but it has so many clichés going on!" But then I realized "don't blame the artist, some where a writer had to come up with the description of buxom blond battles black monster!" So I decided to improve the scene by adding some text to flip the context so you're rooting for the monster (unless you hate Greenpeace). By the way did you notice that the monster has time to brush his teeth? Oral hygiene is important in the Marvel universe...

I'm a big fan of urban toys and Star Wars, so I was impressed with the look of the V.C.D. Star Wars C-3PO Sofubi Toy shown above. The toy is produced by Medicom Toy in Japan, which currently sports models of Boba Fett, Yoda, and Darth vader in their Star Wars line.

Found via GeekAlerts.

Shown above is an "improved detail" from an eye catching cover for Spider-Man/Red Sonja #4 by Michael Turner. For me it's not so much the ongoing struggle of good verses evil, but rather the more mundane battle of alcoholism verses halitosis.

Here's the description of the real storyline from this issue:

"Continuing the time-tossed team-up between the web-slinger and the She-Devil with a Sword! Okay, if Spider-Man and Red Sonja aren’t enough for you, what about Hyborean versions of the Scorpion, the Lizard and Hobgoblin? Still not enough? Then howzabout Kulan Gath and Venom…combined? Yeah, we thought that would do it."

This may be the best fan film since Hardware Wars!

As a fanboy I love the futuristic look of the industrial design of the PIVO 2 Concept Car by Nissan. The design of this three seat electric-powered commuter car features a robotic agent and the ability to rotate 360 degrees:

If you grew up with Land of the Lost you know there aren't any badder bad guys than the deadly Sleestaks. The above Sleestak Vinyl Figure is created by Funko and will be out in December. Sleestak fanboys should also check out this elecronica inspired Sleestak re-mix video:

Before the web there were a few folks on the early internet and dial-up bulletin board services (BBSs) who pioneered spreading the word on anime, and quite a few of those folks owe their introduction to Steve Pearl who just passed away. Steve was the author of the FAQ (frequently asked questions) for the usenet group rec.arts.anime.misc. For those of you who don't remember usenet it contained tons of email lists. The better ones would maintain a FAQ, in a way these sometimes large documents were Wikipedia before Wikipedia. And over the years Steve's FAQ became the definitive pocket guide to anime during the 90s when quite a few folks were become anime fanboys and fangurls. My heart goes out to his family and friends:

'American Otaking' Steve Pearl Passes Away

If you're lucky enough to be in New York City this Thursday here's your chance to get to meet illustrator, designer and typographer Rian Hughes who has had quite an impact on the British comics industry (check out his portfolio here):

Veer Presents: Rian Hughes Design, Tea and Biscuits
Thursday, November 15, 2007 | 6:30-9:30 PM | Admission $15
ADC Gallery, 106 West 29th Street, NYC

"Join us for an evening of genteel design discussion and civilized refreshment with British illustrator, graphic designer, comics artist and typographer Rian Hughes. For over 20 years, Rian Hughes has been fusing visual design with pop aesthetics. His distinctive panel art revolutionized the British comic industry, and his modernist graphic design and illustration style have been widely copied. Since 1996, Rian has released an astoundingly diverse range of display and text typefaces under the Device Fonts moniker."

Editor's Notes: Here are some unedited notes from my friend Nicholas D. Kent from his recent trip to Japan:

I was at Yodobashi Camera again. Their Osaka store is 9 stories and fills the complete full size city block. They pipe different versions of the stores jingle non-stop on the store sound system in different arrangements with announcements in various languages, even German as to the great values and selections found at their store. Sometimes the song has Japanese lyrics sometimes it's instrumental, but it's the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (this commercial dates back to 1984):

So I keep wondering if anyone from the ever South goes there then gets disgusted and storms out, because it is pretty non-stop.

Make sure to use low sodium soy sauce in your R2 unit as the extra salt will cause rust:

STAR WARS R2-D2 Soy Sauce Bottle

Found via tokyomango.com.

Shown above is an amazing collection from a Star Wars fanboy (Rob Jan) from 30 years ago in 1977, you need to to see the image at both the full size and with the special rollover notes.

Found via Nerdcore.

Crawling, Slimy Things Terror-Bent on Destroying the World! This classic 1958 horror flick is fanboy-notable as it's somewhat based on the novel the Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein. Although the producers never quite asked Mr. Heinlein for his permission, so he sued them and the case was settled out of court. Years later the Puppet Masters would go on to be made as a bad film in it's own right in 1994 (which thankfully Heinlein didn't live to see).

I tend to avoid covering the mainstream media on this blog, but the above video by the writers of the Daily Show caught my attention and I'd like to share it as the writers do a good (yet enteraining) job of making their point. Being a fanboy at heart my thinking is that what separates compelling entertainment from the mundane is the storytelling, and that starts with the script. Everything flows from that script, and you can throw money at the screen but without the story you have nothing. And so to me taking care of your talent is just smart business.

Found via RumorsDaily.

There's a great article by Patrick Macias on Anime Music Videos (AMVs) but for me the best part is seeing Jim Kaposztas getting some long overdue credit! I know I sound ancient but I remember watching Jim's video at a monthly meeting of the New York City branch of the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization in the early 80s:

Remix this: anime gets hijacked
Fans defy copyright by ripping footage then 'synching' it to music

At long last! For weeks I'd keep looking at lackluster comic book previews, but nothing was catching my eye, but I'm happy to report that Killing Girl #4 by Image Comics has cracked my boredom streak. In this latest issue the plot seems to involve Sara and her family, in the panel shown above Sara is dealing with both her Mom AND mob hitmen.

The artwork is wonderfully fluid, as is also the storytelling and sense of humor. I love Killing Girl because different than the typical superhero stuff you still see all over the place, yet it's action packed and entertaining. Shown below is a good example of this, in which Sara needs to talk her Mom into giving her the cellphone:

Andy Kaufman played the character of Andy the Robot in the pilot episode of Stick Around, a Sleeper inspired comedy show set in the year 2055. Pretty much everything i read about Stick Around claims that it never aired, but the odd thing is that the theme song sounds very familar to me so I'm wondering if the show did air or if the theme song was somehow re-