Like so many of you, I spent a good portion of my youth collecting Lego sets. While the little blocks once allowed me fancy myself an amateur architect — though, I realize now that I was far from one — it wasn’t until recently that I discovered my love for photography. Of course, it wasn’t simply that I came across a lovely photo, I had to introduced to field it by a friend who shoots professionally. It was very much a case of “Where has this been my whole life?” and “Why couldn’t something bring it to my attention sooner?” Well, it would seem Pentax has a unique idea that might help solve that problem.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Sep 21, 2010 in Videogames
Sega’s Yakuza series — known in Japan as Ryu Ga Gotoku — has had a rather interesting history in terms of localization. While the first game was given the full treatment, complete with English voice acting and uncut content, its sequels were released with mere subtitles and lacking much of the content the game had become infamous for — Japanese host clubs, mahjong parlors, and the like. That said, I absolutely loved every minute of the series. The characters were easy to relate with, while the story was entertaining, and provided a interesting look at the every day life of Yakuza, from their hardships to their more recreational ventures. So why would Sega finally decide to end the series as we know it?
It might seem a bit unwieldy, or dare I say a tad cartoonish — if that’s even a word – but I’m pretty sure this is probably one of the coolest plush backpacks a kid could ever want. Modeled after Boba Fett’s original jet pack, as seen in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, this plush bag comes complete with multiple pockets and adjustable straps that fit both kids and adults alike. There’s even multiple pockets for documents such as Death Star plans, thermal detonators, and more. If you’re interested, you can pick one up from ThinkGeek for roughly $50, though if given the choice, I think I’d rather have C-3PO myself . Still, no kid in their right mind would ever want to haul a protocol droid around school if they could have a rocket pack instead, right?
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 21, 2010 in Comic Books
This amazing set of beautiful posters were designed to celebrate the work of manga artist Takashi Yanase (by the way he’s over 90 years old!). His best known work is Anpanman which has never really caught on in United States, but I’d dare say it’s one of the best know manga (and anime) kids series in Japan. If you’re lucky enough to be in Japan there will be an exhibition of his work at the Kyoto International Manga Museum which starts on October 2. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 21, 2010 in Videogames
This wonderfully creepy Mario sculpture was done by Jason Freeny who studied industrial design at Pratt Institute once upon a time. His website features a nice selection of shocking pop culture themed illustrations many of which deal with the inner workings of cute cartoon characters. Read more…
Posted by Guest Author on Sep 21, 2010 in Animation
The Art of UP by Tim Hauser
You are only old once, so why don’t you have an adventure before you loose mobility and energy to do so. That is what Carl Fredricksen did, as he escaped with his flying home. The plot of Up is clearly as seen in the movie version, and what better way to relive the movie again than with reading The Art of UP. Though there are some differences in the book, even the behind the scenes program that they have on the DVD won’t get as in depth as this book did. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 20, 2010 in Comic Books
Cowboy Ninja Viking #9 will be hitting your local comic book shop this Wednesday, and if you haven’t been following this series it’s well worth checking out. While the title is gimmicky (the only two words missing are zombie and vampire) this book has a nice stripped down art style with a limited color palette that shows off the draftsmanship of Riley Rossmo: Read more…
If you like you sounds kawaii this Speagurumi Cute Carrying Pouch Speaker collection is for you! Each speaker retains it’s block look, thus giving a superdeformed blockhead version of Hello Kitty, Elmo from Sesame Street, Doraemon and a Mukku version of Gachapin: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 20, 2010 in Comic Books
Perphanauts Vol. 00: Dark Days is a collection of First Blood and Second Chances mini-series which has been a bit hard to find up until this release (which comes out this Wednesday). I’ve always liked the flat but bold use of color that illustrators Craig Rousseau and Rico Renzi bring to this book. This collection is nice as it shows the origins of the series which you can get a glimpse of in this preview: Read more…
